“What’s that?”
“Kelly Maxwell is full of shit.”
“You’re good.” Matt chuckled as she let out a husky laugh. “That’s exactly what I was thinking.” In reality, what he was really thinking was that there was a lot more to Kelly than he’d ever suspected. And that he liked her. A lot more than he ever imagined he would.
The light changed. They stepped off the curb and as they crossed the street she continued, “I called Dorie and asked her what Lily wanted for her birthday. Number one on her list is the jacket, and number two is a baseball autographed by all the players. I’m taking care of the ball, so feel free to get her the jacket. They sell them in the Blaze souvenir store at the ballpark.”
“I’ll stop by there tomorrow before the game.” They reached the other side of the street and continued walking.
“Be prepared to get mobbed. The fans will go crazy when you walk in.”
“I doubt it,” he said as they skirted an elderly couple walking their dog. The tiny white toy poodle gave a shrill bark and then went about its business of sniffing the ground. “They still see me as the enemy.”
“Are you serious?” Kelly shot him a surprised look. “The fans adore you.”
Matt snorted. “They adore Rick Taylor. Me, they just tolerate.”
“Your jersey is selling like hotcakes—Angie’s words, not mine. And we’ve sold out every home game since you joined the team.”
“Whatever.” He shoved his hands into the front pockets of his Blaze sweatshirt. It was damn cold, yet Kelly didn’t seem affected by it at all. Maybe it was growing up in Southern California, he was used to much warmer weather in the summer. “Don’t attribute it to me. The team’s been on a hot streak and the fans are dying to see the Blaze win the division.”
“You’re helping them get there. Don’t discount your contribution, Matt.” The sincerity in her voice rattled him. Or maybe it was the thick beat of awareness that had threatened to consume him ever since he’d sat next to her at the softball field. Her face was covered in dirt, her uniform was filthy, but watching her play tonight, he couldn’t help but wonder if she was as passionate in the bedroom as she was on the field. If anyone had told him he would be thinking about what Kelly Maxwell was like in bed the first night they’d met, he would have said they were out of their mind. But now, here he was, thinking about it. It wasn’t the first time either. That night at the hotel in Philly when he’d put his arm around her and pulled her body against his, he’d wondered then.
“Is it always this cold in August?” he asked, trying to ignore the feelings Kelly stirred in him. It wasn’t working. His mind went right to the image of her standing in her kitchen wearing almost nothing, her body athletic and sexy as hell.
She shot him a cursory glance. “You’re changing the subject.”
“Am I?” Matt grinned. “But honestly, it’s August.”
“It warms up a bit in late September and early October,” she said as they rounded the corner on 2nd Street. He moved closer to Kelly to let a couple holding hands pass by. That it was two men didn’t faze him—this was San Francisco, after all.
“Who was it that said that thing about the coldest winter they ever spent was a summer in San Francisco?” he asked, thinking of the famous quote.
“I believe it was Mark Twain,” she said as they stopped in front of her building. “You’ll get used to it. Next season you won’t even notice it.”
“I probably won’t be here next year.”
Kelly’s smiled faded, and was that a stricken look on her face? No. Couldn’t be. She was probably counting the days until Rick Taylor returned to the Blaze, and he was shipped off to God knows where.
“Why do you say that?”
Matt shrugged. “Taylor will be back in time for spring training. The Blaze only brought me here because they lost him for the year. You know how it works, Kelly. He’s good, and he’s young.”
“You’re not old.”
“I’m thirty-one. That’s getting up there for a ballplayer. Especially a catcher.”
“You’re in excellent shape and you’ve never had any major injuries.”
She was playing devil’s advocate, but why? “You sound like you want me to stay. I’m surprised. I know for a fact you were livid when the Blaze picked up my contract.”
One dark brow arched. “How’d you know that?”
“Kayla told Sean and he told me.”
“Oh.” She bit her full bottom lip. “Well, that was when I hated you.”
“And now you don’t?”
Averting her eyes, she shrugged. “You’re not so bad.”
“You’re not so bad yourself.”
“We got off on the wrong foot.” She reached into the side pocket of her gym bag to pull out her keys, still avoiding his gaze. “Thanks for walking me home,” she said as she reached for the door handle.
“Wait.” He touched her arm, not wanting her to disappear just yet. “What time should we leave for the party tomorrow?” he asked as she pivoted to give him a questioning look.
“About five. Dorie gave me the address. She and Lily live in the Richmond district. Parking can be a bitch so we want to make sure we give ourselves plenty of time.”
“Where is the Richmond district?” Although San Francisco was fairly small geographically, he hadn’t done much sightseeing. In fact, other than an occasional run down to Fisherman’s Wharf and back, he’d done none at all.
“How about I drive?” she offered. “I know my way around the city.”
“Works for me.”
“Meet me in my lobby at five tomorrow and we’ll go down to the garage to get my car.”
“Hey,” he said as she pulled the glass door open. Bracing her hand on the door frame, she turned to look at him. “That pick in the top of the third inning was dead on. You have a great arm.”
Color suffused her cheeks. “Thanks. The jerk basically dared me to throw him out.”
“I noticed he shut his trap after you did.”
“I have that effect on men,” she said dryly. “You’re the only one who ever gave me any real lip.”
“I’m not like most guys.”
Her soft laugh was as husky and sexy as her voice. It sent a lick of heat up his spine. “You’re certainly not.” She glanced at her sports watch. “I should go up, it’s late.”
Matt stood at the door and watched her as she crossed the lobby and stood in front of the elevator. After she pressed the call button, Kelly turned to meet his gaze and smiled. The way it lit up her heart-shaped face was breathtaking. Damn. He could get used to being on the receiving end of that smile. Giving her a final wave, he headed toward King Street, feeling lighter than he had in more than a year. The gnawing ache in his heart, while not completely gone, had eased just a bit. Maybe being traded to San Francisco had been a blessing in disguise.
* * *
“Well, don’t you look lovely?” Kelly grumbled as she pulled the elastic band out of her hair and observed her dirt-covered face in the mirror. Tossing the band next to her baseball cap on the vanity, she moved to the shower enclosure just as her cell phone rang. Since it was understood she was on call 24/7, she glanced longingly at the shower before leaving the bathroom and crossing the bedroom to pick up her phone from the dresser. If, for some reason, one of the guys had gotten himself arrested, or accidentally put a bullet in some part of his anatomy with a concealed weapon he wasn’t licensed to carry, she was going to be royally pissed. The only thing she wanted right now was a hot shower.
Her annoyance disappeared the moment she saw her sister’s name on the caller ID. Eagerly, she answered the phone. “How’s paradise?”
“Amazing,” Kayla replied happily. “It’s not too late to call, is it?”
“No. I just got home from my softball game.”
“Did you win?”
“We’re the champs.”
“Congrats. How come you’re not out celebrating?”
“Early me
eting with Katherine tomorrow morning.” Kelly moved to the end of the bed and sank down on the homemade quilt her mother had given to her for Christmas. Her mother hadn’t sewn it—Patricia Maxwell wasn’t domestic—but she swore it was handmade because she’d bought it in a quilt store in the Danish-themed town of Solvang on a road trip to L.A. to visit Kayla.
“How’s it going on the set?” Kayla was taking a break from her role on A New Dawn to film an HBO miniseries about Pearl Harbor. She was on the island of Oahu filming exterior scenes.
“It’s wonderful.” Kayla’s sigh sounded particularly blissful. “Everything is wonderful. Sean’s here.” Her voice lowered. “He’s in the shower right now.”
Kelly grinned. “Why are you whispering?”
“Because he’ll be done in a minute and then we’re going out to celebrate. I wanted to tell you the good news before we left.”
“What good news?”
“Sean asked me to marry him.”
“What! Oh my God.” Kelly squealed in delight and almost slipped off the bed in her excitement. “Are you kidding me?”
“No. It was on the beach at sunset. It was so romantic, like one of those chick flicks you love.”
“I don’t love chick flicks,” she protested. Just like her childhood nickname, she didn’t want word getting out that she occasionally watched romantic comedies. That was classified information and if it got out, it would not be good for her hard-as-nails reputation.
“Yes, you do.” Kayla laughed. “Pretty Woman is your favorite movie.”
“Actually, my favorite movie is the one where your head got chopped off. It’s a classic. I particularly liked the way your head rolled several feet after that psycho chopped it off with the meat cleaver. How’d they do that? Trick photography?”
“They took an impression of my face and made a fake head, you doofus.”
“But it was so real.” Kelly shifted on the bed. “I assume you said yes. To Sean’s proposal, I mean.”
“Of course I said yes. I’m totally in love with him.”
“When’s the wedding?”
“We haven’t set a date, but we talked about having an engagement party soon and you, Mom and Dad have to be there.”
“I wouldn’t miss it.” Kelly sniffed and began to trace the quilt pattern with her index finger. “My baby sister is getting married.”
“I know. Can you believe it?”
“It was obvious when I was there in July that you and Sean were crazy about each other.”
“Speaking of which. How are you and Matt getting along?”
“Better. He finally apologized to me for that night in the restaurant.”
Kayla let out a soft snort. “It’s about time.”
Kelly bit her lip. Now that Matt had apologized, she couldn’t ignore her own behavior any longer. “If we’re being completely honest, I wasn’t exactly ‘Miss Manners’ that night myself.”
“Hmm. I sense a certain softening toward the man with the obsidian eyes.”
“Obsidian eyes?” Her finger stilled on the quilt. “Where’d that come from?”
“From you.” Kayla sounded surprised. “Don’t you remember? You told me he had obsidian eyes.”
“I did not.”
“Yes. You did.”
Kelly scowled. “I don’t use words like that.”
“I know. That’s why it stuck with me. Usually you’re swearing up a storm.”
“I’ve cut back,” she said defensively. “I don’t swear nearly as much as I used to.”
“Mom will be happy to hear that.” Kayla paused. “Hey, if you happen to talk to Mom or Dad, don’t let on about the engagement. I’m going to call them tomorrow to tell them the news. Oh, Kel, I’m so happy.” The joy in her sister’s voice caused her eyes to well up again. If anyone deserved to be happy, it was Kayla, who was, like, the nicest person in the universe. “I’ve gotta go.” Kayla’s voice lowered. “I’ll call you this weekend when we can talk longer.”
“I can’t wait to hear all the details.” She rose from the bed to move to the dresser. “Oh wait, how did Sean do with the ring selection?”
“It’s absolutely gorgeous,” Kayla whispered. “I’ll take a picture with my cell phone and text it to you.”
“I can’t wait to see it.” She smiled at the hushed excitement in her sister’s voice. “Enjoy your celebration. I love you.”
“Love you too.”
Kelly returned the phone to the nightstand and headed for the bathroom, unbuttoning her uniform as she crossed the room. Kayla had sounded over the moon about Sean’s proposal. As she stripped off her clothes in the bathroom, she couldn’t help but imagine how it would feel to have a man she was madly in love with propose to her on a romantic tropical island. Moving to the shower, she turned on the water, closed her eyes and imagined fine white sand between her toes and a warm sea breeze tickling her skin as a man with obsidian eyes slipped a diamond on her finger just before he leaned forward and—
She opened her eyes and groaned. Good God. Was she insane? Yes, she had to be to be daydreaming about a marriage proposal from a man who looked a lot like Matt Scanlon. Stepping into the shower, she gasped as the cold water pelted her skin. It was a good thing. A cold shower was exactly what she needed.
* * *
Early the next morning, Kelly stared at the picture of Kayla’s engagement ring, impressed as hell. The round diamond solitaire with side stones was breathtaking—at least four carats, if she had to guess. Which she would, since she wasn’t a connoisseur of fine diamonds. “That is some rock,” she murmured as she rose from her chair and slipped her phone into her pocket.
After rifling through the in-box on her desk, she cast an irritated glance at her watch. She was due to meet with Katherine in fifteen minutes and Alexis still hadn’t submitted the statistical data she’d asked for on the team’s website. When she left her office, she saw Angie at the end of the hall in deep conversation with another accounting employee. Seeing her friend reminded her of how J.T. had supposedly tagged along with Angie to Kamu’s after last night’s game. What was up with that? Was J.T. interested? She’d definitely have to follow up with Angie about that.
Kelly detoured to her left and moved down a row of identical gray cubicles. At the end of the row was the one occupied by Alexis, but unfortunately, her intern wasn’t at her desk. She wasn’t one to intrude into another person’s workspace but she really needed that website information.
Moving into the cubicle, she scanned the papers sitting on top of the desk but as far as she could see the data she was looking for wasn’t there. To her left, there was a step file with several colored folders arranged in precise order next to a shallow bowl filled with assorted paperclips in the shape of stars. One of the folders had a label that read Website. Moving to reach for it, her foot came into sharp contact with Alexis’s small garbage can.
“Damn it,” she muttered as the can toppled over and several pieces of trash spilled out onto the carpeted floor. Bending over, she picked up the crumpled papers and an empty coffee cup before righting the overturned trashcan. As she went to throw the cup and papers into the can, she noticed an empty large-size bag of chocolate chip cookies as well as two flattened hot apple pie containers from McDonald’s.
“What are you doing?” Alexis’s accusatory tone startled her. She straightened to find the girl standing at the entrance of the cubicle glaring at her. “Are you going through my trash?”
“No.” Kelly held up the folder. “I was looking for the information I needed for my meeting with Katherine. You were supposed to have it for me by eight. It’s almost nine.”
Alexis’s affronted expression changed immediately to one of contrition. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, pushing a lock of blond hair behind her ear and then smoothing her hands down her plaid skirt. “It... It was ready. I just forgot to put it on your desk.” Alexis’s guilty gaze darted to the trash can. “I’m really sorry.”
“Are you all right
?” Kelly clutched the file folder to her chest, her gut telling her that her suspicions about Alexis were on the money. She was almost certain the girl had an eating disorder.
“I’m fine.” Alexis gnawed on her fingernail. “I didn’t mean to snap at you. I’ve had a bad morning.”
Bad enough to stuff herself full of chocolate chip cookies and two hot apple pies? Kelly was no stranger to that routine, or to where it led—straight to the bathroom to purge, or to the gym to exercise. Since Alexis hadn’t come from the gym, it wasn’t a stretch to assume she’d just come from the ladies’ room.
“We all have those kinds of mornings,” she said softly, not quite sure how to handle the situation, or even if she should intervene. If there was one thing she knew from her own experience, it was that if Alexis did have a problem she had to first admit it to herself. Most women with eating disorders were in denial for years, no matter how many people tried to help them. Some would seek treatment, but a good percentage never did.
Kelly stepped around Alexis and moved into the hallway. “I’ll be with Katherine for about an hour. I’ve emailed you several letters to format.” Turning, she noted that Alexis had moved the garbage can out of sight under her desk. “Have them ready for my signature when I return.”
Without waiting for Alexis to reply, she strode quickly down cubicle row. As she entered her office, she went over her options. There were only two—talk to Alexis, or keep quiet. Keeping quiet went against her nature. She’d once been in Alexis’s shoes. How could she, in good conscience, not try to help her?
Chapter Ten
Matt stared at Kelly, mouth agape, over the roof of her car. “This is yours?”
Kelly let her gaze wander over the car. Its white paint with blue racing trim gleamed under the bright lights in the underground garage. She inserted her key into the lock and turned it. “Yes. Is there a problem?”
“You drive a ’69 Trans Am?”
“Apparently so.” She opened the door, amused by the dumbstruck expression on his face. “Are you okay? You’re a little pale.”
“Where did you get this?” he asked, ignoring her question.
The Winning Season Page 11
