Free Love from Left Field by Megan Ryder

“What are you getting at, Miranda?”
    “I have some ideas and I’d like you to partner with us on our turnaround.”

Chapter Nine
    A ll in all, Lucas reacted about as well as Miranda had expected. First he stared, then he shook his head and laughed. Unfortunately, the sound wasn’t one of true humor or amusement. At least she thought it wasn’t. Lucas wasn’t the same boy she knew a decade ago. He had grown harder and more cynical about the world. She mourned for the lost boy and damned herself for still having that crush, the secret desire to find the boy hidden deep inside the hard coating that Lucas donned to keep everyone away from him.
    But, as everyone was so fond of reminding her, this was business and personal feelings had no place here.
    A knock at the door had her looking up. Cole stood in the doorway, a tablet in his hands. “Penny for your thoughts?”
    “I doubt they’re worth it. Come on in.” She waved him to a seat and saved her file. “Do you remember your proposal last year, about the way we look at players?”
    Cole frowned and looked uncomfortable. “Yeah, your father rejected it.”
    “Well, we’re stuck and need to do something. We can’t hire the big names and we need wins to bring in fans and money. We need to find another way.” She gestured to her monitor. “I pulled this out and started reading it. It echoes what I’ve been hearing from so many other teams.”
    Cole settled back in his chair and propped a foot on his knee. “Irrelevant. We never implemented it and now we don’t have time to do it right. Not to mention we need to adjust our whole way of playing on the field.”
    “To do what right?” Lucas’s voice came from the doorway. “Sorry I’m late but I wasn’t aware we had a meeting scheduled.”
    “We don’t. This is an informal discussion.” Cole snapped.
    Lucas only smiled and sat in the other chair next to Cole, who scowled and glared at Miranda. “What are we talking about?”
    Miranda folded her hands in front of her. “I’m glad you could join us, actually. As we previously discussed, I’d like to explore some small ball techniques that other teams are using to succeed. If I recall, you helped Houston determine their path, along with a few other teams.”
    Lucas sighed. “I told you that you don’t have the infrastructure or the time to do it right.”
    Her smile never wavered. “But there are things we can do. As you pointed out, layoffs and other cost cutting measures won’t have enough impact on our bottom line. All the big names are already settled with their teams and won’t move until closer to the All-Star break, if at all. Not that we could afford them anyway.” She spread her hands. “We need revenue and there is only one way to get it. Wins. So we have to work with what we have.”
    Cole leaned forward. “Big names are the initial draw, but you think we can adjust our style of play during spring training and start winning games? Miranda, we’re starting too late. We have too many people to convince, not enough time.”
    Lucas’s gaze was steady on hers, a faint challenge in them. She stiffened and her face felt brittle from holding the smile too long.
    Nevertheless, she remained pleasant. “Well, then we have no time to lose.” She stood. “I want a full assessment of our players and how they’ll fit into this model. I want to know if we have anyone who isn’t on board. I’ll deal with them myself. And find me players that fit our gaps and fit this plan.”
    Cole stared at her, disbelief in his eyes. “Miranda, what will Seamus do?”
    “My father is no longer in charge of the team. Until further notice, I’m the boss. And no one will discuss this with him. If he contacts you, send him my way. Remember, we have an advantage. He’s not going to be coming into the office and I’ll handle updating him. Now, can you please move on this?”
    Cole stood. “What about the coaching staff?”
    Lucas cleared his throat. “You