Enamored
Susan Scott Shelley
Copyright 2017 Susan Scott Shelley
ISBN: 978-1-944220-24-2
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.
Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person from proper authorized retail channels. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Susan’s Books
CHAPTER ONE
LIAM
FROM HIS POSITION IN the ballpark's tunnel, Liam York adjusted the head of his shark costume and made a last-minute check on his custom-made skateboard. He'd worked hard at entertaining the crowd during the previous six innings, but for the seventh inning stretch of the last game of Spring Training, he had something special prepared for the crowd. Something he hadn't discussed with the members of the Riptide. Or management for that matter. But wasn't surprise the very spirit of April Fool's Day?
Gaze fixed on the green field and the players, he mentally ran through his routine. Skateboarding in the outfield while attached to an ATV via a rope would be awesome. Adding in some jumps and backflips would hopefully give the effect that Fin the Shark was water-skiing. He'd painted his skateboard a bright red and had a friend attach snowboard bindings so the board would stay secured to his feet.
Defending the title of League's Best Mascot took a lot of creativity and he intended to start off the season with a bang. Perfecting the stunt here, before he broke it out for the home crowd, made the most sense.
Sweat rolled down his face and chest and coated his limbs, but he couldn't do anything about it. The shark costume covered every inch of his body and the only relief came from the mesh patch of the shark mouth that doubled as his means of seeing and breathing. Still, it was comfortable. The arms and legs allowed flexibility and mobility, even if he was roasting inside the fabric thanks to the nearly triple-digit temperature baking the ball field. Nothing compared to the dry Arizona heat. He couldn't wait to get home to L.A. Not that the temperatures would be much better there.
The driver of the ATV twisted to face him. "That's the Bolts' last out. You ready to take the field?"
Liam grinned. "I was born ready."
That part was true enough. Growing up as the son of the mascot, and seeing the smiles his dad had brought to fans, players, and kids they'd visit in the hospital, Liam had wanted nothing more than to follow in his footsteps. After his dad had retired a few years ago, he'd been given his chance. As far as he was concerned, he had the best job in the world and was lucky enough to appreciate it.
He held tight to the rope as the ATV rumbled onto the field. The crowd, a mix of both Riptide and Bolts fans, roared as Fin the Shark came into view. He grinned as the board's wheels rolled through the grass. Waving to the crowd, he gripped the rope in his other hand and prepared for his first jump.
Backflips and other gymnastics were part of his repertoire. Liam crouched and then leaped, throwing his body backward. Blue sky and then the green grass filled his vision, and he squeezed the rope as he stuck the landing. The board stayed attached to his feet.
Success.
The roar of the crowd drowned out his thundering heartbeat. Adjusting his grip on the rope, he waved at a little boy in the first row who wore a T-shirt with a cartoonized version of Fin. Having his own fans was the coolest thing ever.
The driver gave him a thumbs-up and increased the speed as he continued around the field. They passed the Riptide dugout and his buddies on the team called out things he couldn't make out over the ATV's engine but he caught sight of Slade and Dom's grins. The team held the lead—seven runs to the Bolt's goose egg. Barring any huge mistakes, they had the win in the bag. After the game and into the night would be filled with celebration. His successful stunt would contribute to heightening the party.
The ATV headed for center field. Liam readied for one last jump. Instead of a simple backflip, he debated going for three in a row. He had enough space. And that feat might make the sports networks' highlight reels, might bring in more attention and then donations to his partnership with the children's charity.
He waved to the crowd again, then launched his body into the air.
One flip down.
Two down.
Three.
Mid-launch, the rope pulled to the left and slipped from his grasp. The world turned upside down. His stomach lurched and his heart slammed into his throat. He came down hard, landing upright on the board, and then careened toward the outfield wall. Adrenaline pumped through his blood. He waved his arms—anything to slow him down—but the wall came fast. His body slammed into the unforgiving padded barrier. Pain bloomed in his ankle and knee and the air rushed out of his lungs. The ground rushed up to meet him, finally ending his flight.
He lay, gasping, staring at the sky. The pain in his leg increased into intense bursts of agony. Silence flooded his ears. The only time the ballpark was completely still was during an on-field injury or when it was empty. He raised his head, lifted one arm...
"Liam!" Slade's voice reached him a second before his best friend knelt beside him. "What the hell? Are you okay?"
"Ugh." He didn't know. Didn't think so. But damn, he'd make the highlight reel all right—as a blooper. Not a good start to the season.
"Don't move." Andy Stevens, one of the team's physicians, crouched by his other side and released the skateboard's bindings. "Let me check you over."
The team's trainers joined Andy and other members of the Riptide gathered around Slade, some bending to offer encouragement and others looking on. Liam grimaced as Andy inspected his ankle. The touches weren't helping him feel better at all. He focused on Slade. The first baseman was one of the best power hitters in the league, but more than that, he was Liam's roommate and best friend. Slade smiled and shook his head. "That was some stunt you pulled."
"I try."
Andy asked him if he hit his head, what had happened, if he felt pain anywhere. Being evaluated while still wearing his shark costume, he felt a little ridiculous. Finally, the doctor motioned for the players and staff to step back. "Can you stand? We need to get you into the training room and out of that costume for a proper evaluation."
Slade propped him up on one side and Dom joined on the other. Supporting his weight, they lifted him to standing. Cheers and applause rang out from the crowd. He took a tentative step on his left leg and his ankle screamed in protest.
"Shit. That's not happening." At least the shark head hid his face from the crowd. He didn't want to let on how bad he felt.
Dom nodded and adjusted his grip, ac
cepted more of Liam's weight. "Don't worry. We've got you."
Leaning on his friends, Liam kept his gaze down, focusing on the grass and then the warning track during the slow hobble toward the dugout. Taking another tumble would be awful. Dom and Slade were all but carrying him.
"I'm sure you didn't hurt yourself too bad." Slade's cheerful optimism helped even as the lines fanning from his eyes deepened, giving away his concern. "You didn't feel anything snap, right?"
"Right. Except maybe my pride."
"Pride? You don't have pride, you're a mascot." Dom teased, giving his shoulder a squeeze. "You pulled off one ballsy stunt even if it didn't end the right way. You never let things get you down, so don't start now."
"Yeah, but—"
"No buts." Dom guided them to the steps leading into the dugout. "Just relax and let Andy check you out. We'll probably be laughing about this on the flight home tonight."
Liam bit his lip against the throbbing pain. The guys were probably right. Nothing bad would happen to him, not at the start of the season.
He had too much riding on it.
APRIL FOOLS' DAY.
Shit. Fate turned the surprise around on him, like a sick curse.
Less than twenty-four hours after the accident, Liam sat on a chair in front of the dugout in the Riptide's nearly empty stadium, wanting to be anywhere else. He glared at his metal crutches gleaming in the harsh sunlight and then the cast on his left foot. Stupid injury.
A fractured ankle meant six weeks or more for the bone to heal, followed by as many weeks of physical therapy as necessary to rebuild his strength and mobility. He would be stuck riding the proverbial bench for at least the first half of the season. But Andy had warned him full healing could take six months to as much as a year. Predicting ankles was a funny business.
From where Liam was sitting, he didn't see a damn thing funny. What he did see were five hopefuls on the sun-drenched ball field vying for his job.
Team management couldn't afford to lose the entertainment value that Liam brought to Fin the Shark, with the flips and daredevil activities, so they were replacing him.
And he was expected to help select and also train the new Fin.
Freaking fantastic. He scuffed his sneaker through the warning track's deep red-brown dirt, feeling as low as the dust kicked up by his movement.
"Hey, Liam." Slade strolled through the dugout. Hands tucked into his back pockets, he ascended the steps and then leaned against the fence at Liam's back. "Stop snarling. People are going to think you broke your funny bone too."
Liam snorted and shifted his crutches away from Slade's sneaker. "What are you doing here? I figured you'd spend your last weekend of freedom far away from the field."
"What can I say? I missed you." Slade shot him a grin. "You looked so down when I dropped you off earlier. So, since you're here, being miserable, I figured I'd come back and be miserable too."
Having his friend there for support helped a lot, but still... the way Slade expected happiness and sunshine was too much. "I can't help that I'm not excited about the team bringing in someone to replace me."
Slade rolled his eyes. They'd had this discussion a ton of times since he'd received both the diagnosis and the team's plan last night. "Not replace. Help out until you get back to normal. Although, normal is a stretch for you."
Liam fought his first smile since the injuries had happened. "Thanks."
"Seriously, no one's as good as you. No other mascots can do the flips or stunts that you do. You have nothing to worry about."
Liam shaded his eyes and shrugged. One injury could change everything in an instant. After all, that was how his dad had scored the mascot job twenty years earlier, filling in after the original mascot had suffered a broken back. "This job means everything, man. I can't lose it. Do you know how many visits to Children's Hospital I have lined up already? And we're partnering with the Wishes Foundation again this season. I'm not giving up those appearances. Those kids need me, not some fill-in who doesn't understand how important those visits really are. I don't care if I have to steal my costume to be there."
"Please don't actually steal the costume. I can't be an accessory to the crime. It wouldn't look good for my contract negotiations."
"Well, someone has to drive the getaway car. I can't maneuver too well on my own yet." Liam grinned at Slade, grateful for his partner in crime's presence. His friend had always been there for him, through thick and thin and everything in between.
Laughing, Slade shook his head. "Dude, relax. This sucks right now, but the team owes you a lot for turning Fin into the money-making star that he is. They aren't going to forget about you."
"Maybe." He scanned the field. The sight of all the vigorous mascot wannabes his heart sank into his cast.
"Smile, damn it. You can't mope. Or at least you can't let them see you moping. You're still the face of Fin and if you really want to keep your job, show management your sense of humor is intact." Slade pointed to the prospects chatting with Raymond from human resources. "So, who looks like they'd be a good fill-in for you?"
"So far, no one has impressed me. Or Ray. See? He's got that ticking vein in his forehead again."
"Oh yeah. That's never good."
Liam leaned forward and rested his hands on his thighs. "The guy on the end is about my height and weight, so using the same costume would be easy. But he can't do a handstand for more than five seconds. And his somersaults keep going sideways."
"Well, they put out the call last night and wanted to hold tryouts today, so I guess the pickings were slim. But I don't know why the team is rushing it. We don't need a new Fin for Monday's game."
"It's Opening Day. They want Fin to do something spectacular." Liam swallowed against the ball of hot resentment rising in his throat. "Those were Ray's exact words. So, if they go with one of those guys, I'll only have a day to work with him. But aiming for a spectacular stunt is going to be a stretch with that group."
He frowned as a small blonde woman he didn't recognize walked onto the field with another member of human resources. They spoke with Raymond, and then the woman shook his hand and joined the other prospects.
Slade nudged Liam's shoulder. "A late arrival?"
"I guess." He leaned forward again. The blonde pushed her sunglasses off her heart-shaped face and Liam's heart stuttered in his chest. Eyes the same blue as the sky sparkled with her smile. Her glasses rested in honey-toned hair that curved at her chin, accenting a delicate neck and shoulders. A red T-shirt with a gymnastics school logo skimmed her torso, hinting at her gentle curves and athletic build, and black shorts showed off tanned, toned legs.
She nodded at something Ray said, then tossed her glasses onto the grass. With a smile, she took a running start and then executed a few split leaps, followed by a somersault, back handspring, front handspring, and ended with a tuck jump.
"What the..." Gaze glued to the woman's face, Liam reached for his crutches. She was amazing. Not only amazing, but obviously a trained gymnast and better than him at two of the moves. Ray wanted him to weigh in with his opinion. Before the blonde's arrival, he'd been dreading talking to his prospective replacements, but now... "I need to get over there."
Slade helped him get the crutches under his arms. "She's really good. As good as you. Maybe even better than you."
Liam slowly pulled himself to standing. "You're supposed to be making me feel better here."
"Right. Um, well, you're a lot taller. And a decent roommate."
"You're no help at all." Liam clocked Slade's shin with the rubber foot of his crutch. "But you have a point on my being bigger. She's way too small to fit into my costume."
"Do you think Raymond would take the clumsy guy who can't tumble his way down the first base line just because he matches you size-wise?" Slade stopped Liam's movement with a hand to his shoulder. "You're not going to suggest that, are you?"
The thought ran through his mind for a second before his gut twisted at t
he idea. "I want to save my job but I'm not going to sabotage the team. Ray might be thinking it's the easier option because they can use the same costume but it's not the right one. But damn... she's really good. So good, there's no way Ray wouldn't choose her. So good, she might..." He glanced at his ankle, throbbing despite the painkiller he'd downed at breakfast. He needed to heal—fast—before it was too late. Maybe he could start weekly sessions in the oxygen chamber. Or...
"Li, hold up. They're heading our way." Slade's strong tone and hand squeezing his shoulder pulled Liam from his spiraling thoughts.
He shifted a step forward, careful of the crutches on the soft surface, and pasted a smile on his face.
Everything was changing. He couldn't control it, wasn't happy about it, and didn't see any way where it ended well.
CHAPTER TWO
CLAIRE
CLAIRE CAUGHT HER BREATH and rejoined the group, glancing at the men and women around her, sizing up the competition. She sought out Raymond and didn't know what to make of his raised brows. Was she a lot better than the others... or a lot worse? She hadn't performed in a while but the jumps and moves were second nature. Maybe she should've added a few more. Did she even have a shot? Stretching to her full height, she smiled big enough to show confidence and breathed in the sweet scent of fresh-cut grass.
When she'd dropped off her youngest sister for gymnastics practice that morning, she hadn't expected to spend her afternoon at the Riptide's ballpark. The email from her old coach alerting her to the audition couldn't have come at a better time. And the job promised to be a lot more fun than the thankless sales position at the auto insurance company. Provided she got it.
Raymond typed something into his tablet. "Thank you, Ms. Devereux. If you'll please come with me. The rest of you, thank you for coming in. Please follow the security guard to the exit." He turned without waiting for a response.
Claire blinked at his back. She wouldn’t allow herself to believe she was in. This was probably the first hurdle.
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