The Change Up by Elley Arden Read Free Book Online

rather than an obstacle.
    He raised his beer again in silent toast.
    Checkmate, Rachel.

Chapter Three
    “What’s next?” Rachel asked Liv as their heels click-clacked in unison down the cement hallway of a stadium that was looking less and less like a former community-college field and more and more worthy of a money-making baseball team.
    “Well, with Mark Olean on board as general manager, we’re ready to hire the rest of the coaching staff.”
    Rachel nodded confidently. “How hard can that be? My father has the pool whittled down and rankings assigned. I’ll go over the applications to make sure he hasn’t overlooked anything, and then we’ll consult with Mark and set up some interviews. Let’s see …” She looked at her phone for the time and date. “It’s Wednesday, which means we can try to schedule some Skype interviews for next week when we’re back in Philly.”
    “Sounds good to me.” Liv busied herself with her iPad. “Oh, wait.”
    Rachel kept on walking. “Wait for what?”
    “You asked what was next. What’s next on your schedule is a meeting with the new grounds crew. I didn’t sync my calendars so I …”
    Sam.
Liv’s voice faded out, and Rachel picked up her pace. She was actually looking forward to seeing him again. Watching him squirm was going to be fun.
    “Do me a favor, please,” Rachel said. “Go up to the office and get a jump-start on going through those applications. I’ve printed out most of the top contenders. Make sure they all get printed so I can take a closer look at them and run things past my father.”
    “You don’t want backup with Sam Sutter?” Liv teased.
    “You’re just hoping Ian is with him, aren’t you?”
    Liv’s gasp turned into a laugh. “Absolutely not. In fact, I’m more than eager to go through those applications.” She darted toward an exit to the stairs.
    “Thank you,” Rachel called out as she stepped into the bright sunshine and took a breath of crisp, early-March air. Up ahead, the new grounds crew waited, looking like a three-pack of frat boys turned loose on a baseball field. Two young men she’d never seen before sat in a row on the baseline railing while Ian tossed them what looked like a balled-up sock.
    Suddenly her plan didn’t seem so smart. Yes, this was indie pro ball and nobody was expecting the Yankees field crew, but a little professionalism, please. And where was Sam? She scanned the field. No sign of him. She’d been pretty clear about wanting him involved because of his history with baseball. Surely Paul didn’t think this band of misfits could do the job unsupervised. That was not part of her plan.
    A door opened to her right, narrowly missing her on the follow-through, and Sam appeared.
    “Sorry. My bad.” He stepped back and smiled, a charming expression that probably put most women at ease, but not Rachel. She got the feeling he was up to something, considering his not-so-charming parting shot to her in the woods. “I was using the facilities,” he said.
    She nodded, thankful to have years of experience with charismatic men who thought they could manipulate any situation. That gave her the upper hand. “I see you walk like you drive,” she said evenly. “Hopefully you’re better with a lawn mower.”
    That wiped the smile off his face. Good. Lest he forget who was in charge around here.
    She walked on toward the field.
    “Me? Jesus, you’re the worst driver I’ve ever seen,” he said, disintegrating into shades of the whiny kid he used to be. “How fast were you going?”
    “Fast enough to beat you.”
    “Oh, I see how it is.” He fell into step beside her.
    She side-eyed him. “And how is it?”
    “Same old Rachel. Always determined to win.”
    She huffed. “Please. I don’t think being a better driver is something I can really count as a—”
    “Not that,” he sneered, cutting her off. “The trees. You want me to back off, so you can pave paradise and put up a parking lot, right?