Clutch Hit

by Faith O'Shea

  “I’d have to love him more than you then, wouldn’t I? I didn’t love Greg that way and it was Allie who made me see that.”

  Mac’s eyes flashed over at her. Her eyes widened.

  She’d been trying hard to be unobtrusive. Surprised that Mac had chosen this time and place for this conversation, so she’d kept her attention on her laptop. It wasn’t her fault she’d been close enough to hear where the talk had veered to.

  She held both her hands up as a protective move. “I didn’t say anything.”

  Casey was quick to assure her father she hadn’t.

  “She didn’t have to. I’ve been watching her with Mateo, getting to know him. I like her husband. Really like him. He’s kind, smart, talented, and humble. Greg was missing a couple of those key traits that make marriage workable. I want a man like that. And I’m not going to settle for anything less.”

  Allie was shocked that it was her own relationship with Mateo that had gotten Casey out of what she’d thought was a bad situation. When Mac asked, “Charlie?”

  She listened attentively to Casey’s answer.

  “Will be fine.”

  Mac leaned in and kissed her cheek. “In my estimation, no man will be worthy of you so if dumping Greg makes you happy, I’m all for it. I know someone else will come along who will, but you need to resolves some things before you take that step, Case. I think it’s time.”

  The thought that that man had come and gone streaked through Allie’s mind but before it was completely gone, Mac said, a sardonic smile on his lips, “Maybe when Allie is finished with her husband...”

  Her eyes narrowed at him as a heated flush crept up her cheeks. Mateo had an affinity for a mystic, for eating more meat than was healthy, liked watching I Love Lucy reruns, refused to get rid of his old clothing, played chess, and was early for everything, but no one was perfect.

  “Sorry, Mac. Not sure that’s going to happen.”

  She wanted to keep said husband, but it would depend on what said husband did while she was busy. Mac surprised her by saying, “I’m glad to hear it. You’ve been taking time off, laughing more, and you’re less intense. I know it’s his influence. As they say, I think you’ve found a keeper.”

  Without giving her a chance to say anything, Mac got up and balanced himself on the seats as he went back up the aisle.

  Casey blew her bangs off her face and visibly relaxed.

  “Well, that went well. I thought he’d give me more of an argument, wish he had. I’m beginning to suspect he’s got something up his sleeve and it’s making me nervous.”

  “You don’t mean—”

  Mateo was approaching, so she stopped mid-sentence. She’d have to ask later what Casey was going to say. Right now, she was too engrossed in the man who made her heart flutter a bit too fast.

  “May I?”

  He was pointing to the seat, and at Allie’s nod, he dropped down.

  “What was that all about?”

  “Mac knows about her dumping Greg.”

  “I’m sure most of the team will soon enough. Seb is bound to zero in on the ring finger.”

  Allie leaned across her friend and asked, “What did he say?”

  He smiled at her, an exaggerated one that morphed into a grin. “That would be breaking the Alvarez pledge, and I thought we both agreed I had to keep it. You don’t want me taking sides, now do you?”

  She huffed, “A teaser isn’t fair.”

  “I’m thinking it’s more of a warning than a teaser.”

  Casey kissed his cheek. “On behalf of me, I thank you.”

  He took her hand in his. “Is this going to make it stickier for you?”

  She gave him a shrug.

  Allie offered, “Probably should have kept the ring. Just for appearance sake.”

  “That wouldn’t have been right. Besides, he might have taken the move as half-hearted, and my whole heart was in it.”

  Mateo asked, “No going back?”

  Allie glanced up to see Seb, pretending to take something out of the overhead bin, watching them. She had a feeling that even if there was no going back, there might be the chance of another turn around the block. She could just imagine the fireworks if that happened.

  “Not in that direction.”

  Allie knew her husband got the message when he said, “I’m here if you need me.”

  “Thanks, I just might.”

  He hooked his finger at his wife. She leaned in closer and he bobbed up to kiss her. “That’s what I really came for. The other was just my way of getting it.”

  Before she could stutter out an answer, he was walking back to his seat. She swallowed, rose out of her seat, and savored his ass, knowing that, against her better judgment, she’d see it without his jeans on before the night was over.

  It was only as the plane began its descent that her mind freed itself from unruly thoughts of Mateo. When she saw the palm trees swaying along the runway, the blanket of green grass to her right, the sky a brilliant blue, she inhaled anticipation of warm days and cool nights. And a sexy Cuban in her bed.

  As the passengers began to disembark, Allie gathered up her belongings, stuffing her laptop back into her satchel, tucking her empty drink cup into the pouch of the seat in front of her. She didn’t bother to get up until the plane was almost empty. While they waited, Casey asked, “Is everyone staying at the same condo complex?”

  This was her first year with this team and she was still navigating the ins and outs.

  “Most of us are. I made sure that our place was on the opposite side of certain individuals.”

  Allie knew the set-up, having stayed there last year. It worked so well, she’d reserved thirty of the townhomes for this season before leaving. There were twelve buildings with six units per building, and they were situated over several streets. For as much as she wanted to be close to Mateo, she thought it best if Casey wasn’t anywhere near Seb. And that was before Casey’s broken engagement.

  “Where are my parents staying in relationship to us?”

  “Only a mile away. Mac was hired so late I didn’t have much time to do an in-depth search, but it seemed to fit the requirements your mom gave me. They wanted a house nearby with three bedrooms, a pool, good neighborhood, and a yard big enough to throw the barbecue you worked so hard on.”

  “It’s not on water, is it?”

  “Near enough the harbor to walk there but without the fear of alligators.”

  “Okay, good. I don’t want to have to worry about that.”

  After getting up, shouldering everything she could manage, handling the rest, Allie followed Casey out and off the plane, to find Mateo there waiting for her, her briefcase in his hand.

  He reached out and relieved her of another one of her bags before walking companionably beside them out toward the exit. A couple of staff members would get all the luggage and transport it to the complex, so they didn’t have to bother waiting at baggage claim.

  “There are many people here. I would not think it was such a big airport.”

  “Home of Disney World. Next week will be worse. Everyone and their brother comes during school vacations. We make it a point to arrive before the mad rush.”

  “We are close to there? I would like to see it, this magical place.”

  “If we have an off day, we’ll go.”

  Being there with him might be double the magic. Just seeing his reaction would be worth the time away.

  They got in line to board the bus that was waiting at the curb, and she gave her assistant a thumbs-up. Things were moving like clockwork, just the way they’d arranged it. Now if she could get her personal life in the same kind of order as her professional one, she’d be batting a thousand.

  Lyra Morales, the woman who’d been working with her since she’d taken over the role of VP, had done most of the follow-up for the Greenies’ mass exodus. She was sitting in the front seat of the bus, a clipboard in hand.

  Allie stopped to check in with her. />
  “You have everyone listed?”

  “Marked them off as they got on.”

  “Good. You want to take this one?”

  Lyra’s eyes went to Mateo and she smiled. “My pleasure.”

  Allie very rarely handed over a core responsibility, but she knew Lyra was more than capable of making sure everything went without a hitch. She should have been delegating more but had never had a reason to loosen her grip. The man behind her had shed a new light on everything lately. Mac had been right. She was less intense since Mateo had arrived. Was it the man himself, who let nothing rattle him, or the indescribably delicious sex she was overindulging in?

  She couldn’t stop the smile that emerged. She’d been taking advantage of every minute with him, not trusting it to last. The bus ride over to the complex was no exception.

  Mac had saved Casey a seat next to him. He wanted to go over a couple of details that were still up in the air for the afternoon. If there’d been two seats together, it would have left Allie free to sit with Mateo, but they’d gotten on too late and there wasn’t.

  Reyes must have noticed the frown on her face. “Here, take these.” He got up and moved to an empty aisle seat next to Buzzley, his wink giving away too much to those sitting around them.

  She let it roll off her shoulders, grateful that she’d have the short trip, to enjoy Mateo’s company.

  As she took her seat, she made an executive decision. It seemed everyone was going to know soon enough they were a couple, so she wasn’t going to hide it anymore. It would look even more ridiculous if she did. She just hoped Mateo could keep it in his pants long enough for her to figure out how to handle it when he fell off the monogamy wagon.

  When she took hold of his hand, he flashed his black eyes at her, the twinkle there evocative.

  He brought it up to kiss her palm, and the love bite he added, shot a bolt of lightning right to her core.

  “We will be together tonight? Casey said it would not be a problem.”

  “For the next few nights it might be possible. Come the weekend…we’ll have to wait and see.”

  They pulled into the complex and the bus made its first stop.

  Lyra was up and on her feet, calling out for Ovitz and Hernández. She handed them their keys and they trooped off the bus and toward what would be their home away from home for the next month and a half. As they drove up and down the streets, players and coaches got off two by two. When Lyra called out Alvarez, dos Santos and Layden, Mateo stole a kiss before getting up from his seat. She would have been grateful that there were only a handful of players left to witness it if it didn’t matter anymore. She was throwing caution to the wind knowing she’d find out soon enough whether they were existential or not.

  Then it was only Mac, Bill Burns, his bench coach, who’d be staying at the manager’s house tonight, Casey, and her left. The bus rambled around a corner and came to a stop.

  Casey jumped up, kissed Mac good-bye and skipped down the steps, her voice filled with childish glee. “It’s so good to be free. I haven’t been able to be me in months.”

  Allie smiled. Her friend did seem lighter, more like the girl she knew when they were younger before her life was irrevocably changed. She was glad they’d have a few days together before routine set back in. She’d missed her.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  Mateo left Rique on the phone talking to Fiona and Seb hiding out in the bedroom. Allie had given him her address, and as he wandered down the street, he breathed in the warm, slightly humid air. What a difference a few hundred miles made. A few hundred miles. Cuba wasn’t even that far away. If he stood on a cliff, he’d probably see ii from here. Yet it was a world away. With every day that went by, he was becoming more enamored of his new home than he’d thought possible. It wasn’t just the freedom, either. Here was everything he could ever want.

  Earlier that afternoon, after they’d chosen their bedrooms, unpacked, and acquainted themselves with the lay-out, the three roommates had taken a taxi to the field. Rique had wanted to pass the time. He wasn’t allowed to call Fiona. She’d given him strict instructions that he couldn’t bother her during the day, and he was doing his best not to give in to temptation. Seb didn’t seem to care where they were, his expression had been dazed and confused since he’d found out Casey had decided to join the team.

  The stadium was impressive. It was only a couple of years old, finished, according to Seb, before the ground-breaking ceremony for Harborside. The Larsens’ were adamant about providing the best for their team and it began in the minors. They’d toured the clubhouse, sat in the stands, and he’d gone out to third base to get a feel for the position. When Rique ran out, a discarded ball in his hand, they’d begun to play bare-handed catch. He hadn’t been on a real baseball field since last summer, and the rush was instantaneous. It was the appropriate spot for his soul to settle.

  Now he was ready for a bigger rush. The one that always came when he was with Allie.

  He hurried up the steps and knocked on the door. It took only a few seconds before Allie was there, welcoming him in with a generous hug. He could hear Casey in the background, along with the humming of some electronic device.

  After kissing him soundly, Allie smiled. “She’s making us dinner.”

  He trailed love bites along her neck. “You’re all I want.”

  “Well, consider me dessert. She’s been trying to keep busy since we got here and we’re eating what she made. I thought we could go for a walk in town later, get a feel for the place. I think you’ll like it.”

  She took his hand and guided him in. As he side-stepped a pair of shoes that had been kicked off and lay in the path, he glanced around to find the condo layout similar to his own, but there was a slight difference. It was homier.

  “You have a three-bedroom, too?”

  She hesitated for the briefest of moments before she said, “We like having extra room. Beer?”

  He nodded and soon he had a bottle of what had become his favorite brand in his hand. He kissed the one that gave it to him.

  Casey threw over her shoulder, “I saw that. You two need to behave. I’ve got a cold, barren road of celibacy in front of me and I’m sensitive about it.”

  He had a funny feeling she could have as much sex as she wanted if she was willing to do that kind of dance with Seb, but he kept his mouth shut and drank the ice-chilled ale.

  When she asked, “What are the rest of the guys doing?”, he gave her only half an answer.

  “Rique was on the phone with Fiona when I left. I have a feeling if she doesn’t have anything pressing to do in the lab tonight, he’ll be on with her when I get back.”

  “You’re going back?”

  He was sitting at the island, Allie beside him, her hand on his thigh.

  “I haven’t exactly been invited to stay.”

  Her hand moved to cover his zipper and he arched his eyebrows at her.

  “Is that an invitation?”

  She slid off her seat and stepped between his legs, her arms twined around his neck.

  “It is.”

  “It looks like you’ll have another roommate at least for the night.”

  Casey turned around, bit her lip, and said, “I should have stayed with Dad tonight. Given you some privacy.”

  Mateo knew she needed her friend with her, not only because of what she’d left behind but because of who was here, in the flesh, just a street away. He didn’t think Mac would have the right mind-set for any discussion she might want to have about Seb. Or the broken engagement.

  “We don’t need much of that, just a closed door. Once behind it, we tend to forget about who’s where.”

  Allie kissed him again and mouthed thank you. Then she asked, “Need me to set the table?”

  “That would be great.”

  The meal was delicious. He hadn’t had a home-cooked meal since Gloucester. Allie had been gone so much over the last two weeks he didn’t even know if she could cook. And
it didn’t matter in the least.

  Once the dishes were stacked in the dishwasher, Allie grabbed a jacket and his hand. “Come on, Case. Let’s go for a walk. I want to show you and Mateo the town.”

  “You go. I’ll be fine here.”

  Mateo picked up what he thought might be Casey’s jacket and handed it over, a smile on his face. “And take away the opportunity for me to be out with two beautiful women? Not on your life.”

  She shimmied into the cast-off shoes he’d almost tripped over and took the free hand he offered.

  It had cooled off, but it was still a vast improvement over what they’d left behind in New England. The center of town was only a fifteen-minute walk away, and as it came into view, he knew why Allie wanted him to see it. Historic buildings lined the street, all painted in pastels, the streets were brick pavers rather than asphalt, a fountain with cascading water sat at its center, and there were pedestrians everywhere.

  “Remind you of some place?”

  “If there was music blaring in the streets it would.”

  It was more contained than Havana, designed as a square, rather than an open street. They strolled passed a pharmacy, a boutique, a couple of restaurants, and an antique store.

  Casey pointed. “Mom’s going to love this. I bet she’s already bought and shipped something before the sun sets the first day she gets here.”

  When they came to an ice cream parlor, tables with umbrellas and chairs dotting the courtyard outside it, Mateo asked, “Anyone up for some?”

  Allie raised her hand. “Me. This is one of my downfalls.”

  Casey laughed. “When we were in college, our freezer was filled with several different flavors at all times. If she ran out of room, I’d find our dinner defrosting in the sink.”

  He looked at his wife and said, “I didn’t notice anything in ours.”

  “I didn’t fill it for me, I filled it for you.”

  He’d make sure to pick some up when they got back. He wanted her to have everything she wanted at his place. It might make her feel as if it were hers, as well.

  “What’s your favorite?”

  “Don’t have one. Come on, let’s go in.”