by Maria Geraci
“Twenty-five million?” She knew he made a lot of money, of course, but she had no idea he made that much. Their worlds seemed even further apart than they’d been before.
“I can get him thirty million with the Braves, but he’s got that mule head of his set on staying in Tucson.” He sighed heavily. “I’m a chump for still repping him, but I like him, so what can I say? I want to give him what he wants. And what he wants is to play for the Bombers. And right now to make that happen I need some positive exposure for him.”
“You didn’t say anything about that before,” she said, trying to defend herself.
“No worries. I’ve got other people on that. Your job is to stay on his tail, twenty-four seven. Understood?” He hung up before she could respond.
Two more weeks following him around night and day. Talking to him. Being with him. Yet, not being with him. How was she going to do that?
Two more weeks couldn’t come soon enough.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The team bus pulled into the parking lot. There was the usual assortment of wives and girlfriends waiting for their men to come home, but nobody would be here for him. And normally, that was okay. Brian was used to being alone. He knew he should be grateful for all he had—healthy parents, an overinflated bank account, and a killer swing that scared the shit out of most pitchers. Right now, though, none of that seemed to matter.
The Bucks had just played seven back-to-back away games and then driven over 10 hours on a rickety bus to get home. Such was the life of a minor league ball player. The past couple of weeks had been a life lesson. He wouldn’t miss the bus rides, but he’d miss the guys on this team and Cutter Valentine’s sharp wit. But more than that, he’d come to admire them. They did the same job major league players did for a pittance of a salary and little or no glory.
But as much as he’d come to value his time here, he’d give anything to be back home in Tucson with his Bombers. They’d managed to win one game in his absence, but otherwise, they were the punching bag of the National League division of Major League Baseball. Their last home game was scheduled for next Monday and, so far, Phil hadn’t called to tell him he was going home. He needed to face facts. He was going to miss out on Pedro’s big farewell, and even more depressing was the realization that he’d played his last game under Neil Jorgensen.
“Hey, Boom-Boom, want to grab a burger?” asked Mike, one of the few unattached players.
“No thanks. Maybe next time?” Despite the fact he’d skipped lunch, he wasn’t hungry. Just bone tired and ready to hit his oversized plush bed at the resort.
“Sure. Later, big guy,” Mike said, jogging ahead to catch up with the other players.
Brian grabbed his gear and started toward his car when he saw her.
Aubrey was leaning against her Jeep, wearing a simple cotton dress and flip flops, her sunglasses propped on top of her head. Her long brown hair hung loose around her shoulders. She smiled and, for a second, his heart stopped. It was a tentative smile, but he’d never seen anything more beautiful. Maybe she was only here because of her job, but he didn’t care. She was here and that was all that mattered. Suddenly, he wasn’t the least bit tired anymore.
“Hey, there,” she said.
“Hey, yourself.” He tried to act casual, but he hadn’t been this nervous around a female since middle school. “What’s up?”
“Phil called and wanted me to check up on you.” She was quiet for a moment. “I know you said it was none of Phil’s business, but why didn’t you tell him what really happened the night at The Bomb Shelter? Maybe if he explained it to the owners, they’d cut you some slack and let you go back to the team.”
“Is that what you want? For me to go back to Tucson?”
She didn’t answer, and pathetic as it seemed, he took it as encouragement. He glanced back at the dwindling group of players. Within a few minutes, the stadium would be empty. “You busy tonight?”
“Why? What do you have in mind?” He didn’t miss the wariness in her voice.
“Relax. I thought I’d get in some batting practice. Maybe you want to join me?”
#
Aubrey had never held a bat in her life. Well, maybe back in grade school when they’d been forced to play softball for PE, but other than that, she was clueless. According to Brian, the batting cage at the Bucks stadium was top of the line. She stood there, wearing a helmet with a bat between her hands while he stood off to the side and watched.
So far, she was zero for ten. Ball number eleven whizzed by. She swung. And missed. Again.
“You’re thinking too hard. Just swing.”
“Easy for you to say. I am swinging but the balls are coming too fast!”
“The machine is set at thirty miles an hour,” he said.
“That’s crazy! How am I supposed to hit something going that fast?” By the amused look on his face she knew the setting must be on the low side. “What?” she said, trying not to sound grumpy. “How fast are they supposed to go?”
“Faster.”
“That’s impossible.”
He walked into the batting cage. “Let me help you.” Positioning his body behind her, he wrapped his arms around hers, helping her hold the bat in a way that felt more natural than what she’d been doing on her own. “Widen your stance a little,” he instructed. “And keep your eye on the ball.”
She tried not to lean back into him, but it was impossible not to. The ball came at her. He moved their arms in unison and just like that, she made contact, sending he ball flying through the air. “We did it!” She laughed. “Let’s do it again.”
He led her through a few more pitches. Each ball soared higher than the one before. It was such a simple thing, hitting a ball with a bat, but it made her feel powerful. No wonder he loved doing this!
Standing close to him like this it was impossible to not feel the hard muscles in his arms and chest, and the urge to turn around and kiss him was overwhelming. But she had been the one to dampen things between them. She couldn’t very well change her mind now. Could she?
“Can I ask you a question?”
Before he could respond, the machine sent another ball her way. Together, they swung and sent the ball flying off into the air again.
“You can ask me anything.” His voice sent shivers down her spine.
“What did you whisper in the redhead’s ear that night at the bar?”
She felt him hesitate, so she pivoted around to face him. His eyes gleamed with humor. “I told her you were my crazy baby mama and I had to get you out of there before you made a scene.”
Aubrey felt her jaw drop. The machine was set to throw another pitch so she quickly got back in position. His crazy baby mama! She wanted to laugh. But instead, she said, “Poor little Brian, Jr., home all alone. I had no choice but to go out and drag your sorry ass back where it belonged.”
He threw his head back and laughed. Another ball came at them, but this time they were off sync and missed. “If you weren’t home all day watching reality TV and downing martinis, maybe I would be.”
“Oh, by the way, honey, I have some terrific news. I’m pregnant and this time it’s twins.”
“I always did want a big family.”
“Sorry, but three’s my limit.”
“Six,” he countered.
“Four, and that’s my best and final offer.”
“I’ll have Phil write that up in my next contract.”
She laughed, then she noticed the machine had stopped pitching balls. “Can we keep going?”
Brian glanced up at the sky. “It’s getting dark. We should probably call it a night.”
“Just one more cycle?” Her heart thumped within her chest and her voice sounded breathy to her own ears. She didn’t want this moment to end. Please, don’t say no.
“All right. But you don’t need me anymore.” He stepped back and Aubrey had to bite her tongue to keep from protesting. Instead of resetting the pitching machine, however, he walke
d over to his equipment bag. He took Sweet Lucy out and handed it to her. “Here, try this.”
She stared down at the old wood. She’d never seen the bat this close up before. It was scarred and slightly discolored and felt heavier than the aluminum one they’d been using. “You’re going to let me bat with the love of your life?”
“As my baby mama you get special privileges.”
She would have laughed, but although he seemed cavalier about the whole thing, she knew how much he loved this old bat and letting her use it made her feel special. Aubrey carefully held Sweet Lucy in her hands, reverting back to the stance Brian had shown her. He programmed the machine, then stepped back to watch.
The first pitch came at her. She held her breath, swung back with Sweet Lucy and, wham! The ball took off, slicing through the air. “I did it! All by myself!”
He pumped his fist in the air. “Way to go, Adams!”
She settled back into the correct position. Ball after ball came whirling toward her. She wasn’t able to hit them all, but she hit most of them and even though she knew the machine was set at a low speed, she couldn’t help but be proud of herself.
By the time she finished the cycle, sweat was dripping down her back. Reluctantly, she handed Sweet Lucy back to Brian. “God, that was fun. Is this how you show all your baby mamas a good time?” she joked.
He carefully wiped the bat and placed it back in the equipment case. “Other than my dad and my grandfather, and me of course, no one’s ever hit with Sweet Lucy.”
“Well, that must be the line of the century.”
He didn’t smile or come back with a fast quip the way she’d expected. Her lungs went a little tight at the thought that…
“She was my grandfather’s bat. He grew up in Brooklyn and used to dream about playing for the Dodgers. But he never made it to the pros. Then the Dodgers moved to L.A. He got married, had a few kids, moved to Arizona and became a Bombers fan.”
“Why did he name her Sweet Lucy? And why did you let me bat with her?”
“He only called her Lucy, after his first girlfriend, who ended up being my grandmother. I added the ‘Sweet’ part after she passed away. The only thing she loved more than baseball was her family.” He shrugged. “And I let you bat with her because it just felt right.”
He glanced up at the sky. It was too dark to continue and he must be exhausted, so even though it was the last thing she wanted to do, she stepped out of the batter’s box. Together they walked toward the parking lot. Neither of them said anything until they were at their respective cars. “Before I forget, can I ask a favor?” she asked.
He turned and looked at her expectantly.
“Remember Charity Grambling, the woman at the Super Min? Needless to say, she knows that you’re you now, and she asked if maybe she could get an autograph? Or a picture for her store?”
“You mean she’s sorry she accused me of being a fraud?”
“Basically.”
“But not in so many words?”
“Maybe I helped put the words in her mouth,” she admitted.
He studied her a moment. “The woman’s a shrew. I don’t mind signing an autograph for a fan, but what’s in it for you?”
“I just want to get her an autograph, that’s all.” She could see he wanted more of an explanation and she wanted to give him one, only the whole thing was so silly. “She…I told you how Felicity and Jack played that trick on her. She deserved it, but it also made her feel like a fool and, I guess I know how that feels.” He waited for her continue. “Oh, hell, you’re going to make me tell, aren’t you?”
“Only if it feels right.”
Never in a million years would she have thought that she’d be telling Brian “Boom-Boom” Callahan the greatest humiliation of her life, but after what he’d told her about the night of the streaking incident and now, letting her hit with Sweet Lucy, it felt like she owed him. And yes, strangely, it also felt right.
“It’s a sad story really,” she said, trying for a light tone. “When I was a junior in high school I had a huge crush on Jake, my brother’s best friend. He was a senior, and kind of hot stuff, so never in a million years did I think I’d have a chance with him. When it came time for prom, I didn’t have a date and I was going to go stag with a bunch of friends, but then about a week before the dance he asked me to go with him. Naturally, I was thrilled. And I couldn’t help but brag about it to my friends.”
“Please don’t tell me the douchebag stood you up,” he said.
“The story’s not that sad. He was actually a nice guy. We went to prom and everything was great, but I totally misunderstood his interest in me. I thought he liked me, but it turned out he’d only asked me to prom because my brother had put him up to it.”
“Okay,” he said slowly. “So what does that have to do with this Charity woman?”
It was the same question she’d asked herself a dozen times. She tried explaining it the best she could. “Like I said, I bragged about it to my friends. Only, I kind of did more than just brag. I told them”—oh, God, this was beyond pathetic—“I told them we were going to go all the way.”
He wagged his brows up and down. “Now this is getting interesting.”
She punched him in the shoulder. “Don’t make fun. What happened afterward was the worst night of my life.”
“Go on.”
“So while we were at the prom I kept trying to get him to kiss me. And he kept putting me off, and toward the end of the night, I went to the bathroom and overhead a couple of the senior girls talking about how my brother had basically forced Jake to ask me out. I think I stayed in that stall for over an hour because I was too embarrassed to go back out and face him. I’d let the whole thing go to my head and I felt really stupid. I felt like…a fool. And, even though that was ten years ago, let’s just say, I know how Charity felt when she found out that Jack wasn’t really Matt Bomer.”
He didn’t say anything for a moment. “And, that’s it?”
“Well, yeah.”
“God, Adams, for a minute there I was afraid you were going to tell me you were the Carrie of your prom night or something.”
“I could so hurt you right now.”
He grinned, then his smile slowly faded and he looked at her in a way that made her tummy flip upside down.
In that moment, Aubrey knew that everything she’d told Felicity was true. Only she wasn’t just afraid that she could be falling for Brian Callahan. Nope. It was so much worse, because somehow, it had already happened.
CHAPTER NINE
It was the second home game in a row that Aubrey wouldn’t be attending. Yes, Phil was paying her to do a job, but Brian didn’t need a babysitter. The Barefoot Bay Bucks were almost at the end of their season and they’d won every home game since Boom-Boom Callahan had been added to the team. One more week and he’d officially be gone. The town had enjoyed having a celebrity in its midst and Mimosa Key would miss him terribly. Only, she would miss him more, and the more time she spent with him, the worse it would be.
Five days had gone by since that night at the stadium and although they’d spent more time together, things hadn’t been as intimate. Which was good, really. Things were coming to a natural conclusion. Once Brian Callahan went back to Arizona where he belonged, then she could start to get her life back.
She was moping around her apartment, wondering what to do with her Saturday night when her phone rang. The number was unfamiliar so she almost rejected the call, but what the heck. Maybe it was a telemarketer. It was pitiful, but going a few rounds with someone trying to sell her a security alarm she didn’t need was about as exciting as her night was going to get.
“Aubrey, this is Gary Young. I’m the activities director for Sun Coast Assisted Living. I’m not sure if you remember me, but—”
“Of course I remember you. We met at the Super Min. How’s it going?”
“Great. I just wanted to call and thank you for the VIP tickets we got for last
night’s game. And, man, I can’t tell you what a thrill it was when Boom-Boom Callahan himself came over to say hi to the residents! He must have spent an hour signing autographs for grandkids and posing for pictures. The guy is unbelievable. How can I ever thank you?”
VIP tickets? Aubrey had told Brian about her encounter with Gary a few days ago. He’d taken Gary’s card and shoved it in his shirt pocket, and she’d assumed he’d forgotten about it. The fact that he not only hadn’t, but had arranged for the special treatment…
“Don’t thank me. I only gave your card to Mr. Callahan. He arranged the rest.”
“Wow. You think these famous players must have big heads, but they’re just like regular guys, you know.”
“Yeah,” she said, because she couldn’t think of what else to say at the moment. He talked a little more about the game but she had a hard time concentrating.
“So, if I can ever do anything for you,” he said, “please don’t hesitate to call me.”
They hung up and she was left staring at her phone. She couldn’t stay home tonight or she’d go crazy. And she couldn’t go to the stadium, because then she’d see him, and then she’d really go crazy. Felicity was in Miami with Jack, and Aubrey didn’t know anyone else in town well enough that she could call on a Saturday night, so she set out to do the only other thing she could think of.
She was going to crash a wedding.
#
It was almost eleven and the last of the wedding guests had just left the resort’s outdoor pavilion where the reception had taken place. Aubrey picked up a small floral arrangement off a table and held it up to her nose. The vibrant aroma of peonies mixed with the more delicate tea roses made her sigh in pleasure.
Willow noticed her reaction and smiled. “Gorgeous, aren’t they? Bud does a great job with our flowers.”
“I just wish they didn’t all have to go waste.”
“In the past, I’ve saved a few of the hardier arrangements from our weddings to send to the hospital in Naples, but it’s hard to find the time to deliver them.”
