Playing the Field: A Diamonds and Dugouts Novel

by Jennifer Seasons

  It was a perfect day.

  Still holding the beer, JP brought it to his lips and took a slow pull. A pale yellow butterfly flittered in front of him and a blue jay perched above him on an overhanging branch. The heat was buffered by the lush leaves rustling on the old trees, and a bee buzzed just off to his right.

  And there was Sonny, peaceful as could be, drifting slowly toward him. The current was directing her over to shore and her body was printed with the sun dapples that filtered through the branches. Her curves were displayed deliciously as she lounged on the floating device.

  She looked like a picture in the delicate light and his throat seized up tight, emotion hitting him unexpectedly. Longing like he’d never known welled up inside of him as his gaze held steady on her.

  He wanted that woman like he wanted to breathe.

  It was a live ache inside him. He didn’t care what she thought her hang-ups were. From where he was sitting she looked pretty much perfect. And, for those few moments that she floated toward him in slow motion, beautiful as a dream, he wanted so much to blurt out all of his feelings to her like a fool.

  Light as a feather, Sonny glided onto the shore in front of him. Her hat had fallen back and strands of her hair curled around her face. Sunglasses hid her eyes from view and she had a satisfied half smile upturning her full lips. The woman looked like she’d found paradise in that inner tube.

  He wanted to kiss her so bad his lips buzzed.

  Sonny Miller had a hold on him like no one ever had before. And if he didn’t get to make love to her soon he thought he might go crazy.

  The water lapped quietly against the shore, her tube rocking back and forth with gentle motion. If he leaned forward a foot she’d be close enough to kiss. Going on instinct, JP bent toward her and pressed his lips lightly to hers.

  He heard a little hum come from her and she melted against him, her skin sun-warmed and fragrant with the scent of summer. Lost in the experience, he moved closer still and deepened the kiss a degree. His tongue ran along the seam of her lips, seeking admittance, and when she opened for him and wrapped an arm around his neck his chest went so tight it was hard to breathe.

  Taking his time, JP tasted her slowly. His tongue moved against hers in a leisurely, intoxicating rhythm. Sonny took over his senses and she was all he could see, feel, taste. All he wanted.

  He felt her fingers dive into his hair as she moaned softly and arched into him. Her breasts pressed against his chest and her hard nipples branded him, made him burn. Needing to, JP slowly slid a hand up her waist, relishing the contours of her curves, until he came to the plump roundness of her breast. Her quick intake of breath aroused him further, had his erection straining against its confines.

  With a finger he traced the underside of her breast back and forth until she arched against him, wordlessly asking for more. Teasing her, he slid his finger up the inside curve of her and then trailed lightly down to circle her nipple until it became a peak of sensitivity. When she groaned and kissed him more urgently he smiled against her lips before giving them a gentle nip.

  “God, JP,” she moaned as her head fell back.

  The graceful line of her throat was exposed, and JP kissed a leisurely path down to her collarbone, exhilarating in the feel of her. Her skin tasted sweet like honey and hinted at something darker, smokier. And he wanted it. Wanted her.

  Suddenly hungry, JP rolled her nipple between his fingers, pinching impatiently. Her gasp was like gasoline on his already burning fire and he growled low in his throat. Feeling urgency beginning to claw at him, JP tore his lips from her and inhaled.

  She made him burn. Her kiss-swollen lips had turned a deep pink and her skin was flushed when he looked at her. Her hat had fallen to the ground and her hair tumbled out, a tangled mess. Behind her sunglasses, she watched him silently. JP had never seen anything like her in his life.

  Lowering his head, he kissed her lips softly and said against her mouth, “You are so beautiful.”

  At that moment it was the only thing he could think.

  IN THE COVER of the trees behind them hid a slender, ambitious man who smirked as he lowered a camera with a giant zoom lens and whispered smugly, “Gotcha, Trudeau.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  * * *

  SONNY SNUCK A glance at JP out of the corner of her eye as he held the door to Beau Jo’s pizza place open. Housed in an old sandstone building in downtown Fort Collins, the pizzeria was a town staple. The pedestrian-friendly area where it was located was known as “Old Town” and was comprised of narrow Victorian buildings painted bold colors. It was brimming with funky shops and an interesting assortment of bars. Every style, from trendy to mountain man, was represented within a few walkable square miles.

  “Thanks,” she said as she passed through the door. Ever since he’d kissed her on the river he’d been acting strange. Not like crazy-strange or anything, but just different. Thinking about what he’d said to her and how it had sounded still made her blush. He’d called her beautiful. And by the way he’d been looking at her so intensely and seriously, she knew he meant it. And now she was in very real danger of diving headlong into bed with JP. Because the truth was he’d snuck behind her defenses and gotten a hold of her heart even though she’d known they couldn’t go anywhere.

  It was everything he’d done, from getting Charlie the batboy gig to the wildflower he’d picked on the sandy river bank and placed behind her ear earlier. Two hours later it was still there, even though she was sure it was wilted, because she had refused to let it go. It was such a simple token of affection from a good man.

  It’s not like men such as him came along every day. Sonny was starting to suspect it was more like once in a lifetime.

  Charlie bumped into her from behind and apologized. “Sorry, Mom.”

  Sometimes that kid had depth perception issues.

  The heel of her foot stung from where he’d stomped on it, but Sonny ignored it. “No worries, hon.”

  Once they were seated outside on the patio and Charlie had checked his glucose levels, Sonny leaned back in her chair and people-watched. Every time she came to Fort Collins she did it. There were so many young families and college students that there was always something entertaining to see.

  Like the young outdoorsy-hippie couple on the bicycles with their dogs in bike trailers that were passing by. Who does that?

  Across the street in front of a narrow three-story shop painted a bold purple, a group of Asian tourists were busy taking turns snapping pictures of each other in front of some twisted metal sculpture. Down from them were a couple strolling who had to be in their eighties, both with cotton fluff hair, holding hands and drinking Starbucks.

  A bunch of college boys stopped on the other side of the metal patio fence and stared hard at JP. The one in the green CSU T-shirt looked at his friends and then leaned forward and said, “Are you the shortstop for the Denver Rush?”

  JP nodded. Not that you’d really know it was him by the way he looked right now. With his sandals, tan, and cargo shorts he could pass for just about any average Colorado guy. Except for the air of confidence that surrounded him. That was anything but average. He had a presence that made people sit up and take notice.

  The boy turned to his friends. “Somebody gimme a pen.” After a frantic search, someone held a pen out from the small crowd and the boy handed it to JP. “Will you sign my arm, dude? I don’t have any paper.”

  Somehow Sonny was sure that wasn’t the weirdest request he’d ever gotten. “There’s a napkin here if you want.” She held it up by a corner and let it dangle.

  The brown-haired kids smiled gratefully. “Sweet. Thanks.”

  After she handed JP the napkin and he’d signed it, he passed it to the kid and shook hands with the others. And it brought the unwavering fact of his fame right back to the forefront.

  While she looked on, JP made easy conversation with the college guys, chatting and grinning and talking shop. It was so blatantly
obvious that he enjoyed the attention, the social interaction. For somebody like her, who was private to an almost ridiculous degree, it made her highly uncomfortable. Like she was under a magnifying glass and the whole world was staring down at her. She didn’t think that she could ever get used to it—way too smothering. Even now her chest felt a little tight.

  If she couldn’t deal with it and he enjoyed his public life, then how could they ever really seriously consider being together?

  Pondering that, Sonny watched the conversation and had a moment of awkwardness when she realized that JP wasn’t that far removed, age-wise, from the group of boys.

  But then she looked at him, the way he held himself, and the moment melted away. That was one issue she just didn’t need to have about JP. Lord knew that if things headed where she was beginning to think they might, then she was going to have enough issues to contend with. Worrying that he was too young was a waste of time.

  Surprisingly, it felt really good to put one issue to rest before it grabbed some traction. If only she could dismiss her issues over his fame and its consequences as easily. Or that suitcase full of baggage she’d been lugging around most of her life. One could always hope, right?

  Charlie gained her attention. “Isn’t it cool that we get to hang out with JP, Mom? Like, everybody knows him ’cause he’s so awesome.”

  He said it was awesome now, but what about a year from now when he’d had to deal with these kinds of intrusions every day?

  Sonny reached over, ruffled his hair and kept it light. “Sure it is, sweetheart. But you have to remember that JP is just a person like the rest of us.” A really, really popular one. Still. She leaned toward him conspiratorially. “I bet he even farts just like the rest of us too.”

  That mental image sent the boy into a fit of laughter. JP must have overheard her whisper because he rejoined them at the table and said, “It’s true, slugger. I’m the reigning fart king.”

  That, of course, made Charlie laugh even harder. It did her heart good to see him so happy, and it distracted her from the uncomfortable thoughts. Looking across the patio table to JP, Sonny’s heart tripped in her chest when their gazes locked and they grinned. It was the first time she’d ever had one of those moments with a man over her boy.

  And it flustered her to no end. What was she supposed to do about all of this? Two months ago this thing hadn’t even been a blip on the radar. When they first met she’d been so resolved about it being just her and Charlie while he grew up. The last thing in the world she’d expected was something like this.

  But now that she had it, what was she going to do with it?

  Sonny replayed that question over and over in her mind while they ate Beau Jo’s famous pizza on a sun-filled late afternoon. Even though Charlie had put on sunscreen, his cheeks were looking a little pink by the time the bill came. Even her shoulders were feeling on the hot side.

  Before she could open her mouth to suggest splitting the bill, JP whipped it up off the table and had it paid for. Feeling the need to chip in, she reached into her purse and pulled out some cash and tossed it down on the table for a tip while he signed an autograph for the waiter.

  Though the volume of Denver Rush fans that came out of the woodwork when he was around surprised her, what really got her was how incredibly friendly and humble he was about the whole thing even as he ate it up.

  Yes, he clearly enjoyed being the center of attention. He enjoyed his perks. But he was so stinking nice about it.

  Every single person was treated with full attention and appreciation. And it served to further drive the point home that JP was one hell of a catch. No pun intended.

  And it really seemed like he wanted to be caught by her.

  In fact, the ballplayer was pretty much jumping right into her glove. She didn’t have to do much convincing. But the question that kept haunting her, that kept her from taking the next step was, why her?

  She’d asked him that before and he’d made that cryptic speech about peeling layers, which she still wasn’t entirely sure what that meant. Clarification would no doubt work wonders, but she was afraid to ask. Because then it would lead to a whole other conversation about her deep rooted insecurities. And she just wasn’t really up for that.

  Maybe if she summed it up with a simple, “Daddy issues,” he’d buy it and leave it well enough alone. Probably not, though. JP had turned out to be eerily perceptive and he’d see right through that in record time. Because the truth was Sonny had more than mere issues with her father.

  Mentally ticking her fingers, she added abandonment issues, commitment issues, mommy issues, and trust issues to the list. You know, the normal garden variety dysfunctions. Toss in a dash of fear of intimacy and it rounded out to be a pretty substantial fare. Although, intimacy issues could probably be put under the “commitment issues” heading, couldn’t it?

  Sonny shook her head, annoyed with where her thoughts had led her again. What would JP do when all that crap exploded all over him? Because, try as she might to keep it contained, it just came out. One minute she was mature, rational Sonny Miller. The next, she was a blubbering, confused, issue-ridden mess.

  And that right there was the number one real reason she had avoided intimate relationships like the plague.

  No way could she expect JP to accept that about her. God knows she wouldn’t, if the roles were reversed.

  Which pretty much left her back at square one with two choices:

  First choice: Cut bait and run. Just end everything now with JP before the whole thing goes beyond a few hot kisses. Everybody gets out safe and in one piece.

  Or, the second choice: Suck it up, be an adult, deal with his celebrity, and come clean with JP about everything. Let him choose what he wants to accept or not.

  Hell, who knows? Maybe he’s one of those guys who gets turned on by crazy.

  Stealing a peek at him, Sonny dismissed the thought. Nah. He just didn’t seem the type. The guy was too grounded, too stable. If anything, he might find her amusing for a while until it all just became old.

  Either way, she had a decision to make. She came to that realization with a sinking feeling as they prepared to pile in the cab of JP’s Toyota. Why did it have to be so damn hard?

  Charlie swooped under her arms and threw himself against the passenger side door with a triumphant grin. “I call shotgun!”

  Forcing her thoughts to clear, Sonny replied, “Fat chance, kid. I get the front.”

  “Aww, Mom.” He flung his arms out across the red door, palms flush against the glossy paint.

  “Back seat, bucko, or we tie you to the roof.” She was totally kidding.

  He knew it too. “Only if I can wear goggles, Mom. I don’t want bugs in my eyes.”

  “Oh, well, I think we can manage that.” She looked over to JP. “Got any goggles he can borrow?”

  The ballplayer rubbed his chin and pretended to think. “I’m sure I’ve got something that’ll do.”

  Charlie realized the futility of his plan and gave up. “Man, adults are tough.”

  JP and Sonny locked gazes and said at the same time, “True that.”

  With a huff her boy climbed into the backseat. When everyone was settled inside he tapped JP on his shoulder. “Thanks for everything today. It rocked.”

  JP reached back over the seat and pulled her boy into a pretend headlock. Charlie’s body was halfway in the front and he was giggling against his bent elbow. “No problem, slugger. I’m glad I was able to make it happen.”

  The rest of the ride home was quiet in the fading afternoon light. By the time they’d pulled into the driveway it was almost full dark, and her son was fast asleep in the backseat. He may be growing up fast, but he was still her little boy. And he’d worn himself out.

  Trying to decide whether to wake him up or not, JP took the decision out of her hands when he pulled her sleeping boy into his arms and headed toward the house. The way he cradled Charlie was so gentle that she felt tears sting the
backs of her eyes.

  She pointed to her son’s room and as she watched JP carry her baby down the hall her heart took a long, slow roll. And when she reached the doorway and saw him tucking her boy in so carefully and tenderly, she realized she’d given up the fight to stay away from JP.

  Sonny pulled away from the door frame and sighed, acceptance pouring through her. It was time to have that talk.

  Backtracking to the kitchen, a welcome calm came over her that stemmed from the resolve she now felt. Charlie adored JP. That much was plain to see. Just as it was obvious even to a blind man that JP liked him right back.

  Then there was her. Sonny didn’t understand all of her feelings, but she knew that she had never felt this way about anyone ever before. And that meant something significant.

  It meant she needed to try, even with all of her reservations.

  Sonny was just about to grab the bottle of chardonnay that was chilling in the fridge when JP entered the room. “When that kid goes out, he really commits.”

  He looked so wonderful standing there in the harsh kitchen light. Sonny took a deep breath, preparing for what was to come. “Would you like some wine?”

  JP’s eye went dark and searching. “Are you asking me to stay?”

  Yes, but she couldn’t say it out loud quite yet so she evaded. “It’s such a nice night that I thought we could sit on the front porch and talk and spend some time together.”

  He pinned her with a look that she couldn’t read. “Do you really want that, Sonny?”

  Did she? Though her insides were shaky, yes, yes she did. Swallowing hard, she answered, “I do.” Wow. She couldn’t believe she’d just said it. She, Sonny Miller, wanted JP Trudeau to stay. It was official.

  With any luck, after he heard what she had to say he’d feel the same way.

  Coming up behind her, JP wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed the spot on her neck just below her ear. “I’ll take that wine.”