Change Up

by Ann, Natalie

  “Good. Getting better each day,” he said, his voice more distant. Just wonderful.

  “And your arm? Did you do the exercises I gave you on Monday?”

  “I did.”

  “Must not have been able to get too much done being out of town yesterday.”

  He turned his head and narrowed his eyes. “I was going to tell you.”

  “Not here.”

  “You brought it up.”

  “I did. I apologize. Now let’s get to work.”

  Twenty-five minutes later, he said, “Come over for dinner and we can talk.”

  “I’m not sure it’s a good idea.”

  “Why?”

  “I just don’t think this is going to work.”

  “Just like that. No explanation to me as to why?” he asked, crossing his arms. Even though his right arm was still red with fresh scars, his mobility was better and his biceps flexed. She didn’t want her eyes to betray her and go right to those muscles, but they did. She never thought she was that weak before.

  “We’ve had two dates,” she said quietly. “What needs an explanation?”

  “You told me to get a grip, I’m going to tell you the same thing. Be an adult and be honest like you’ve been. Otherwise I guess I’ll just see you on Friday for our next appointment.”

  He turned and walked away on her, the shame of his words hitting her hard. He was right. She’d pretty much hinted he needed to grow up and yet she was doing the same damn thing.

  Two hours later she found herself ringing Harris’s doorbell. She didn’t even bother to let him know she was coming.

  Licking one’s wounds was hard to do and she wasn’t sure how flexible she was to reach them all. Fear of turning around kept her from letting him know she was on the way.

  “So you decided to handle this like an adult.”

  “That hurts,” she said, walking past him.

  “Tell me about it. I’ve heard it enough the past few weeks; maybe it was time it was said to someone else.”

  “I had that coming.”

  “You did. Now tell me what’s going on in your mind. Why you said what you did.”

  He wanted her to talk so she was going right at it. “Why not tell me you were going to be at your press conference?”

  “Because I wasn’t sure if I could go through with it,” he said. “If I backed out I didn’t want anyone to know.”

  “Why would you back out?” she asked.

  “You saw it, I’m assuming. I almost lost it a few times. I didn’t want to be a blubbering fool up there. My parents wanted to be there with me and I told them no way. I’d lose it if they were.”

  Now she really felt like shit. “You looked human up there. You looked like someone that was sad but grateful at the same time. You did everything right, even walked away from the last question.”

  “And that was another thing. I didn’t want to be asked that. The guy that hit me is getting death threats. He made a mistake. He was coming home from work and he was tired and not paying attention. I’m pissed off that I was the victim he hit, but I’m not going to let his life be ruined because mine—”

  “Your life isn’t ruined,” she said, interrupting him.

  “No, it’s not,” he said, pacing around the living room. Nicks was jumping at her legs and she bent down to pick him up and cradle him in her arms, scratch his floppy ears.

  “But you were going to say it, weren’t you?”

  “I’m trying not to. I said what I needed to. I wanted to go there and drive home, but I got talked into going to dinner with Johnny and a few guys. We didn’t stay out long, people weren’t leaving me alone, and I just want to be alone.”

  “Then I’ll go,” she said.

  “No. I didn’t mean it that way. I just meant I wanted to be alone there. I moved here to avoid all of that.”

  “It seemed to me someone wanted your company last night,” she said and then wished she didn’t when his face flushed.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Your press girl there. Abby? Is that her name?”

  “So that is what this is about?” he asked with a big grin on his face. “You’re jealous because you saw her hold my hand and rub my back?”

  She bared her teeth. “I’m not jealous.”

  “Looks and sounds it to me.”

  “Get over yourself,” she said.

  “Out of the blue you are saying this isn’t going to work. I get it you were mad that I didn’t tell you where I was yesterday. It was a big deal in my life and I didn’t inform you.”

  “We’ve been on two dates. You don’t have to share details like that with me.” Even if she wanted him to.

  “But you wished I did. I told you why I didn’t. I don’t know what more you want from me. My family wanted to be there and I said no. I had to do it alone.”

  “Why? Because they’d make you look more human? Hello, you are human.”

  “I know,” he yelled. “But I’m not the same person I was months ago.” He was looking down at his arm, at the scars raw and bright. “This,” he said, holding his arm up, “will never be the same. It will never do what it used to do.”

  “No, it won’t, but it can do so many more things if you only let it.”

  He ran his hand through his hair. “I don’t know if I’m coming or going. You don’t want to get messed up with this, do you?”

  “I don’t know what I want any more than you do,” she said, putting Nicks down. “I’m not a jealous person, but I admit when I saw her hands on you I saw red brighter than her nail polish.”

  He laughed and pulled her in for a hug. “If you want to walk away from this, I understand. No hard feelings.”

  “Is that what you want?” she asked. She came here to apologize, then wanted to end it, now she wanted to continue. She was right there with him not knowing if she was coming or going.

  “Not really, but I’m not going to force you to stay either. It’s been pointed out to me that you might think I’m embarrassed to be with you.”

  She pushed out of his arms. “Who would say that? Who even knows about us?”

  He snorted. “The empty wine bottle at my parents’ was the first sign I wasn’t alone. My mother grilled me and I confessed who I was with. She seems to think that I need to get my head out of my ass and take you out. That hiding all the time might make you think I was embarrassed. I’m not.”

  “I didn’t think that at all. I understand why you are doing what you are. Your press release was coming, I just figured things would change after that.”

  “And if they didn’t? If I still wanted to stay in the house all the time?” he asked.

  “Then I’d think you were depressed and needed help, but I wouldn’t think you were embarrassed to be seen with me because the truth is I’m a damn fine catch and if you don’t know that, then it’s your problem.”

  He burst out laughing, yanked her in and kissed her hard. “You are exactly what I need.”

  She lost herself in his kiss again but refused to admit she needed him too. She’d been hurt too many times by thinking she needed a man in her life so she wasn’t about to give in now.

  10

  Know The Number

  The following Wednesday Harris signed off on his physical therapy papers. Almost three weeks on his ankle that he didn’t even need. Almost two on his elbow and forearm. These were things he could figure out on his own and continue at home.

  Which he planned on doing.

  What was more important to him though was spending time with Kaelyn and not being her patient. Not having her deal with any flack if anyone saw them out together.

  He was ready to go out in public and see what might happen.

  Friday she’d taken the day off and he was going to plan it just for the two of them.

  “So I’ll talk to you later tonight,” he said to her when he handed the papers back. “And don’t worry, I promise to continue with my exercises.”

  She smi
led at him. She’d been doing that a lot and he missed seeing it for a man that never really missed another woman in his life before. Love them and leave them had been what he was good at.

  He didn’t have a woman in every city and wasn’t the type to do that. When the season was in full swing, that was his focus. Every few months he’d grab a woman, go on some dates, have some fun but keep it light. Not much more. It was too hard to keep track of anything else and he always kept track of everything.

  One-night stands...he outgrew them years ago. His teammates not so much.

  “You better,” she said. She wasn’t looking at him but down at her computer. She tried not to have too much direct eye contact with him when they were talking and not actually working on some part of his body.

  “Better keep up with my exercise or call you tonight?” he teased.

  She glanced up. “Both.”

  He walked out a few minutes later, his baseball hat still on his head. He realized that maybe he wasn’t so much hiding as it was something he’d just gotten used to wearing.

  When he got home, he opened the door to the mudroom, Nicks lifting his head in his crate and then stretching, doing the little puppy excitement dance that Harris was coming to enjoy.

  It was nice to be welcomed when he came home. He’d had dogs growing up but couldn’t remember ever feeling like this when he returned home. Getting that undivided attention and love he hadn’t realized he was missing in his life.

  “Ready for your walk?” he asked Nicks.

  He opened the crate, clipped the bright red collar and leash on, and took off out the garage. He walked down the street, over another block where some more houses were being built, turned another corner and came back to his street. It was turning into a routine for him and Nicks to do it in the afternoon. The dog seemed to enjoy the walks as much as he did, stopping every thirty feet to mark his territory.

  Life in the slow lane. Something he hadn’t had in years.

  He got home and went back through the gate to the fenced-in backyard, unclipped Nicks and let him run. He looked around for one of the balls, found it, and they played catch for twenty minutes before a few raindrops started to fall.

  “Time to go in, boy.”

  Nicks ran past him, up the deck, and waited by the French doors. The dog still wasn’t used to the dog door that Evan had cut into the house and put in next to the glass doors. It was really the only option in Harris’s eyes.

  He opened his glass door and slipped in, leaving the dog there staring at him with sad eyes, but then moved over to the dog door and pushed it open with his hand.

  Nicks came over and checked it out, realized it was his owner’s hand and dove through it tackling him to the floor, bathing him in kisses.

  Yeah, this was the life.

  * * *

  Kaelyn heard the doorbell ring and started to run forward, then stopped herself. She could walk and not rush, not act like she was waiting for Harris to show up. Even if she was.

  “No problem finding it, I see,” she said.

  “Everything is easy with navigation or Google Maps.”

  “True. What do we have planned for today?” she asked. “I’m trying to figure out what shoes to wear.”

  He looked down at her bare toes. She had on gray shorts and a light pink and gray shirt that had a little bit of a flow to it. She looked soft and feminine in her eyes. Casual like he’d instructed her. But that was all he’d said.

  “What are my choices in shoes?” he asked.

  She laughed. “You don’t get to pick my shoes. I just want to know if we are doing a lot of walking or not.”

  “I guess I need to tell you the plans then before going there and surprising you.”

  “That would help. It’s still a surprise whether you tell me now or later.”

  “We are going to Lake George for the day. I thought we could go on a boat tour, play mini golf, and get some lunch. Play tourist more than anything.”

  “Wow. I would have never expected you to plan something like that.”

  She walked over and slipped on her comfy sandals, knowing they wouldn’t really be doing that much walking after all.

  “Why is that?”

  “It’s a small-time town you want to play tourist in for a guy that lived in the Big Apple.”

  He frowned, but she kept her grin in place. He was one smoking man standing there in a fitted T-shirt, cargo shorts, sneakers and a white Adidas hat on his head. Still wearing those damn baseball hats, but she kept her opinion to herself on it. She was just happy to be going out and doing something.

  Part of the reason she wanted to look feminine and cute at the same time as casual was in case anyone saw them together. She wasn’t lying when she said that she was a great catch and wasn’t worried if he was embarrassed to be seen with her. But she damn well wanted to look good if anyone did recognize him too.

  “I’m a small town guy at the heart of it. Might be time to get back to my roots.”

  “Good answer,” she said and put her small purse crosswise on her body. “I’m ready to go if you are.”

  They climbed into his SUV and he pulled out of her driveway. Though she lived in an apartment, it was really more like a townhouse with its own driveway and single-car garage.

  “It’s going to be fun. You know, I’m not sure if I’ve ever played tourist before. I’ve been to Lake George as a kid. Been to the Great Escape, but haven’t we all at some point? Though I’ve never been on one of the boats.”

  “What about mini golf?” he asked.

  “I don’t think so. Not here at least.”

  “Glad I can give you a first then.”

  “I’m sure you’re going to give me a lot of firsts,” she said.

  “In a good or bad way?”

  “I don’t know. I’m already trying to get used to the fact we might get noticed today and I’m prepared. I see you are with the hat on your head. Or prepared to hide.”

  “I’m not hiding. Not really. I realized I’m just so used to having it on my head. Between practice and games, it seems the only time I’m not wearing one is when I’m sleeping or out on the town. Just wearing it out of the house feels...”

  “Familiar? Comfortable?”

  “I guess it’s that.”

  She laid her hand on his thigh, patted it, and then gave in and rubbed it a bit. “You’re entitled to feel that.”

  “What you’re doing with your hand isn’t helping me.”

  She snatched it away. “Sorry.”

  “Oh, you can put it back. That’s fine. Just giving you a little warning if someone wanted to pop their head up to say hi.”

  She couldn’t stop the bubble of laughter from escaping. “I don’t know what to say to that. Here I thought you were being kind of romantic and charming on this date and then you go and say something immature. Funny but immature. My guess is you were with a lot of women who liked it.”

  He glanced over at her. “Liked that someone might pop their head up? Yeah, they did. But it’s not like I was with as many women as you think.”

  “I’m sure it’s more than you want to let on and I don’t really want to know the number.”

  Even if he didn’t have the fame and the money, he had the looks and the body. She would have been attracted to him whether he was a professional athlete or not. Just like plenty of other women that he’d probably had to fend off.

  11

  Sticky Situations

  Harris figured at some point this conversation would come up. Might as well address it now.

  “Do you want to know? Even if you say you don’t, I’m not sure what you want unless you tell me.”

  He didn’t know the number off the top of his head, but he kept track. Not because he wanted the conquests but because he wasn’t stupid. He knew who he dated, who he slept with, where he met them, and how long they’d been together. Even kept track of the times they went out and where.

  Guys in his position could be taken advanta
ge of. They could be accused of a lot of things and could find themselves in sticky situations.

  Though he never was one to go out and get drunk, then take a woman home or not remember her name, he still wanted that information if he ever needed it.

  Some of his teammates thought it was crazy, which was why only a few knew.

  “I’d rather not. I’ll just go on the assumption it’s a lot more than I’ll ever have.”

  He hoped so and then realized that was sexist. “Do you want to share your number?”

  “Wow, getting a little personal, are we?”

  “I don’t think it’s that personal. A lot of people share those details if they’ve had more than one partner. But in this case I guess I just wanted to know if you’ve ever had any long-term relationships. Any jealous exes out there that I have to worry about?”

  She rolled her eyes. “That should be my question to you, though I confessed that I did a little research on you and noticed you were never seen with the same woman twice so I’m going to guess no relationships for you.”

  “Not long term. We had this discussion already. Or a shortened version. A few months is about my limit when I’m playing. Time, commitments, and my focus had other priorities.”

  “And now?” she asked.

  “We’ve established my life is up in the air. No commitments or priorities other than Nicks for the moment. You?”

  “I’ve had two relationships that lasted a few years each,” she said. “I’ve dated on and off in between but not a lot. I’ve had just a handful of men or so in my life.”

  “And why didn’t those relationships work out?”

  She snorted. “I’ll share if you share. There has to be more to you only dating women for a few months than your baseball excuse.”

  “Not really. Baseball has been my life, always, and even until a few months ago. I’ve found women that I was with wanted to be with me for the fun of it. To say they were with me and then they’d move onto someone else. Those that wanted more than good times wanted my name and money, but they didn’t want me. Not that I could see, or what I’d like in return.”