by J. L. Paul
His smirk widened as he rolled his eyes, reminding her so much of Cole and RJ. “Of course I did. Come on, cuz, you know me better than that!”
“Of course,” she replied dryly.
“Hey, can you leave or are you stuck here?” he asked. “I passed this pizza place and I’m craving a slice.”
“Let’s get out of here,” she said, hooking Jamie’s arm.
“I’ll see you girls later,” Jamie said, winking in their direction.
***
“So, I talked to Cole earlier,” Jamie said as he gnawed on his pizza crust. “He said they won’t make it in for the game tomorrow.”
“Yeah, I know,” Ally muttered darkly. “I spoke to him, too, but thanks for reminding me.”
Jamie pushed his plate away and stretched across the table to take her hand. A sympathetic smile touched his lips. “Come on, Ally. You knew it was going to be this way.”
She sighed and squeezed his hand. “I know. I’ve just been really lonely, I guess.”
He barked a short laugh. “Look at all those girls you were hanging with – how can you be lonely?”
She beseeched him with her eyes, begging him to understand, knowing he would. “I miss you guys. We haven’t all been together since graduation. It really sucks.”
“You went to camp last summer while Cole and RJ were in L.A. with the band,” he reminded her.
“Yes, but when they came back, you all came down to see me, remember? I didn’t have to wait so long.” She huffed and released his hand to sit back. She perked suddenly. “It’s okay, really. They’ll be here Saturday and we’ll all be together.”
He smiled and shook his head at her. “Your moods change too quickly for me, cuz. You’re making my head spin.”
“Would you rather me mope?”
He laughed. “Nope, not at all.” He snatched another slice of pizza and bite off a huge chunk. He watched her, eyes narrowed, as he chewed. “So, I’m guessing no one on your team knows who you are.”
“No,” she snorted. “I don’t advertise it, either, so keep your mouth shut.”
He dropped his pizza to his plate. “Come on, you know me better than that. I’m not saying a word. I had a hell of a time keeping a lid on things at camp. My last name is a lot less common than yours.”
She nodded, eyeing the half slice of pizza on her plate. The garlic aroma had been enticing when they first entered and the pizza, thick crusted and loaded with ham, pepperoni, sausage and all the other toppings Jamie could dream of, had been delicious. But now, looking at the balls of sausage that sort of resembled dried up brains, her appetite fled.
“Did a lot of people recognize the name?” she asked.
“Sure, a few,” he shrugged, wiping his mouth with a napkin. “But I laughed it off and said maybe I was a shirttail relative of Mark Winston or something like that.”
She smiled. “I think Cheyenne is suspicious because everyone came to the games last year, but I don’t know for sure. And I haven’t said anything to anyone else.”
“Ally, you do realize that this is the National Tournament and it will be televised,” he said seriously. “And the commentators are bound to find out who you are and mention that nice little fact on the air.”
“So?” she said. “Let them. My teammates will be on the field with me and not watching TV. Besides, it will be covered by the sports channel and not national television.”
“Okay,” he challenged, bending over the table. “Say someone records the games, what then?”
“Then I’ll deal with it,” she said with a loud exhale. “I’ll have to. But it’s just been so nice only being Ally Jones the softball player. Remember our freshman year at Meridian Valley? Remember how the kids bugged us when they found out who our fathers were?”
“Of course I do,” he grunted as he massaged his forehead. “That was a royal pain. People trying to be friends with you just so they can meet the band, stuff like that. Yeah, I remember.”
“I haven’t had any of that here,” she said. “And I didn’t have any of it last year at camp. It’s been wonderful.”
“We start college in a couple weeks, cuz,” he warned. “What do you think is going to happen there?”
Her eyes glinted pure steel as she set her jaw. “Absolutely nothing. We’ll blend in easily. No one will know. The Starkeman University campus is much larger than the Meridian Valley campus, you know, and it should be much easier to get lost in the shuffle.”
He lifted a shoulder as the waitress returned with the check. “I hope you’re right, cuz.”
“Me, too,” she said.
***
Cole collapsed face first on the first piece of furniture he could find in the dressing room – lucky it was a sofa - as his band mates filed in wearily behind him. RJ, though, bounced on the balls of his feet, his hazel eyes shining in excitement.
“That was one of our best shows ever,” he exclaimed, clapping Cole on the back. “Don’t you think?”
“Sure,” Ren Shaw mumbled, cracking one eye to look at his brother. “Whatever you say.”
“Aw, don’t be such sissies,” RJ pouted.
“Aren’t you in the least bit tired?” Parker asked as he opened the mini refrigerator and passed out bottles of water.
“Sure,” RJ shrugged. “But I can’t feel it yet - that adrenaline is still pumping.”
“You know how he is,” Cole mumbled. “Let him get it out of his system now or none of us will sleep tonight.”
Ren laughed as a knock sounded on the door. He started to get to his feet to answer but RJ beat him to it.
“Great show, boys,” Doug said as he floated into the room. Following him was a young woman with sandy blond hair cut meticulously at the shoulders, smoky blue eyes and a knowing smile on her lips. She was dressed in jeans and a button-up yellow blouse, heeled boots adding to her height.
“Hey, thanks,” Parker said, glancing curiously at the stranger. He cut his eyes to Cole who was pushing his tired body to a sitting position. Cole merely raised a brow and turned his attention to Doug.
“This is my niece, Lila Flowers. She wants to get into this business for some unknown reason so I told her she could hang out with us for awhile to see how things work.”
They all gave her a weary welcome except for RJ who bounded over to her and swept her in his arms.
“Welcome, Lila,” he boomed, squeezing her. “You’ll have a blast with us, I promise.”
Her smile warmed as RJ released her. She brushed her mussed hair out of her eyes. “Thanks.”
“All right, boys,” Doug said. “Get showered and we’ll get back to the hotel. We have two appearances tomorrow afternoon so I’m not sure if we’ll be able to pull out of here in time to make it to L.A. for this softball tournament you’re all eager to get to, but we’ll try like hell.”
He waved and left, his niece trailing.
Parker’s lips curled into a smug grin. He got off his chair to drape an arm around Ren. “Lila, huh? She was sort of hot, don’t you think?”
Ren pushed Parker’s arm off, the top of his ears turning bright red. “Yeah, whatever. I thought you had a girlfriend?”
“I do,” Parker smirked. “But you don’t.”
RJ guffawed and clapped Ren on the back. “Oh, she would tear my little brother to pieces!”
Cole grinned tiredly as RJ and Parker continued to chide Ren. He yawned and stood to stretch. “While you guys humiliate Ren, I’m going to shower.”
He disappeared into the bathroom and locked the door. He stood in front of the mirror, inspecting the dark circles under his eyes and the dried line of sweat on his forehead and nearly laughed. What would Ally say about his appearance if she could see him? She’d have a fit.
His smile widened as he turned on the taps and prepared to shower, his heart suddenly coming alive. He’d see her soon – hopefully sooner than she was expecting.
Chapter Three
Long shadows stretched across the field as Ally
sat in the dugout and watched Team Idaho toss a ball around the horn, getting loose for the next inning. She removed her hat and tightened her ponytail as Tara grabbed a bat and trotted to the on-deck circle.
I just need to fix my timing, she thought as she watched the tall, blond pitcher fire warm-up throws to the catcher. The girl was good but she didn’t have a whole lot of power. She just had Ally totally stumped.
“Don’t worry about it,” Lisa said as she handed Ally a paper cup of green sports drink. She sat down and followed Ally’s gaze to the pitcher’s mound. “You’ll get your timing fixed and that girl won’t know what hit her.”
“I hope you’re right,” Ally mumbled, wondering where James was. He hadn’t been in the stands for her first at bat and she really needed his eye. He’d be able to see what she was doing wrong and correct her.
She hoped that some pretty girl had caught his attention and nothing bad had happened. She forced her mind from those thoughts. If something bad had happened, her parents wouldn’t still be sitting in the stands with Nate and Stacy and Mark and Gretchen.
She turned her attention back to the game.
***
“Dude,” RJ said, tugging on Cole’s sleeve. “I think they’re right in the middle.”
Cole squinted against the harsh field lights and followed RJ’s pointed finger. He smirked as his eyes fell on his father and his stepmother. “Where’s James?”
“Here, you morons,” Jamie said.
“James!” RJ greeted, yanking Jamie into a bear hug. “I thought you were going to meet us by the gates?”
“I was looking for you,” he explained. “But you must have come in the wrong gate.”
“Does Ally know we’re here?” Parker asked, shaking Jamie’s hand.
“Nope, I don’t think so. I didn’t tell her,” Jamie said. “How’s it going, Ren?”
“Tired,” Ren said with a grin. He punched Jamie in the arm. “How was football camp?”
“Piece of cake,” Jamie said as Ally’s name came over the speakers. “Oh, damn. I was supposed to watch her first at bat and tell her what she was doing wrong.”
They all crowded at the fence that separated the stands from the field and watched as Ally approached the plate. She dug her cleats in the dirt and took a couple of practice swings as the pitcher pranced around the mound, tossing the rosin bag in the air and catching it deftly.
“What happened her first time up to bat?” Cole asked as Ally took a ball low and outside.
“I don’t know,” Jamie admitted. “I was standing by the gates waiting for you clowns.”
Cole nodded, a smile toying with his lips as Ally swung and missed the next pitch.
“Her timing is way off,” Jamie said. He rolled to his toes and shouted: “Slow down, Ally! Too quick.”
He saw her curt nod as she stepped out of the batter’s box and adjusted her batting gloves. He knew she was taking his words and applying it to the situation. When she was comfortably ensconced in the box, the pitcher fired a bullet over the plate and Ally promptly crushed it straight back.
“Better,” Jamie mumbled with a nod of approval. “She’ll hit the next one, watch.”
Cole wrapped his fingers around the links in the fence and concentrated solely on Ally, ignoring the runner on third who was taking a huge lead, counting on Ally to bring her home.
The pitcher glared at Ally as she wound up and shot the ball straight down the middle of the plate – had it had a chance to cross. Ally connected with a thunk, dropped her bat, and ran all out for first. The base runner crossed the plate as the ball rolled toward the wall, causing the centerfielder to scramble after it. Ally cut the corner of first and charged for second, sliding in before the ball made it to the second baseman’s glove. She called for time and stood, brushing the dirt off her uniform as the crowd roared.
“Told you,” Jamie beamed.
The next batter hit her home and after she crossed the plate, she headed to the dugout.
“Great hit, Al,” Cole called and grinned when her head snapped up and her eyes widened. Her face broke into a wide smile as he winked at her before she took the steps to the dugout.
“Let’s go grab a seat,” RJ suggested. He turned and surveyed the crowd.
They turned away from the fence and took the steps two at a time, shuffling through the spectators until they reached their family. Liz Jones stood and hugged them, setting off a chain reaction of greetings, as they continued on to the end of the row.
“When did you guys get in?” Nate asked as he scooted over to make room for his son.
“About an hour ago,” Cole said. “We checked into the hotel and rushed over here. We probably won’t be able to stay for the whole game.”
“Ally will be happy that you made part of it,” Nate mused.
Cole nodded his agreement, happy he’d made part of the game, also.
***
The game turned into a blowout, Team Illinois winning by a score of fifteen to three. Ally joined in the minor celebration in the dugout then hurried to the family area, anxious to see Cole – to touch him.
But her happiness was short-lived when she found her group and noticed Cole’s absence with an ache that nearly brought her to her knees. She sucked back her agony and slipped a neutral expression on her face as she accepted congratulations from her parents, her aunt and uncle, and Nate and Stacy. They talked excitedly about the game and her part in it until she excused herself to hit the showers.
She returned to the family area, dejectedly, and found only Jamie leaning patiently against the brick building. She stopped in front of him and dropped her bag at his feet.
“Is everybody abandoning me now?” she asked, horrified at the tears burning the back of her throat.
Jamie smiled and tugged her into a hug. “Nah, cuz. Everyone went to that pizza place to get a seat. Besides, they know you’re trying to keep a low profile and they were attracting quite a bit of attention. I don’t know that your teammates noticed them, but be warned that they might have. Anyway, I volunteered to be your escort.” He kissed the top of her head. “And you know that Cole, RJ, and the others had to get to the venue.”
She sighed and wrapped her arms around his waist. “I know. Thanks. Let’s get out of here.”
After a rather rowdy dinner, Jamie drove Ally back to the complex, parking near her dorm. She smiled and thanked him but he grabbed her arm before she could exit the car.
“What time is curfew and bed check?” he asked, mischief glittering in his eyes.
“Ten is curfew. The bed check is like fifteen minutes later. Why?” she asked, warily.
“Meet me here as soon as you can after bed check,” he said. “Bring your roommate if you want.”
“James,” she warned.
“Do you want to see Cole or not?” he asked.
Her heart fluttered and even though she hated taking a chance, her desire to see Cole overwhelmed her. She sighed as a quiver of excitement rushed through her. “Okay. I’ll be here.”
