“I don’t know what you mean,” Kari said, relieved when the driver pulled up by the main entrance.
Maya paid the driver and both women climbed out, handing their tickets to the gate attendant. She let the conversation drop until they were nearly to their seats behind the visiting team’s dugout. “You realize this is me you’re talking to. Your best friend. The one who bought you a whole cheesecake the night you and Joey Bartell broke up.”
Kari grimaced. “I was sick for three days.”
“Yeah, but you forgot all about Joey.” Maya sat down. “What do you think, Kari? Is Ryan the type of guy you would get sick on cheesecake over?”
“I’m trying not to think about him that way.” Kari sat beside her.
“Why not? He’s a great guy, good-looking, and the two of you seem to get along well.”
“Yeah, but how many other girls is he getting along with right now?”
“What do you mean?”
“It seems like every time we talk, I can hear him get another call or text. When we went out together, three different girls were texting him. I think he’s dating around, and I don’t want to get too attached if I’m just one of many.”
“Have you talked to him about it?” Maya asked.
“We’ve been on one date. Don’t you think it’s a little early to be having a relationship talk?”
“I guess, but you’ve been a little more involved than just one date. You talked to him three times yesterday.”
“Yes, but he knew I was coming out here today. For all I know, I might not hear from him at all the next time he goes out of town.”
“Talk to him,” Maya insisted. “One date or not, you’re going to drive yourself crazy not knowing where you stand.”
“I’m not having that conversation yet,” Kari said, even though she knew Maya was right. Every time she talked to Ryan, butterflies fluttered in her stomach. Just the sound of her phone ringing could send her heart into overdrive. Yet those memories of their evening together, of the other women’s names illuminating his phone screen, left her wondering if he would start ignoring her calls and texts as soon as he got bored of her.
Annoyed at where her thoughts had taken her, she shifted in her seat. “Do you want me to get you something to drink?”
Maya studied her for a moment, and Kari was relieved when she let the subject of Ryan drop. “I’d love a water bottle.”
“I’ll be right back.” Kari retreated upstairs to the concourse, where the crowds were starting to filter in despite an hour remaining until game time. She purchased their drinks and headed back to Maya, her eyes sweeping over the others seated in their section. She noticed Celeste walking toward them, her expression brightening when she saw them. “Hey there. I didn’t know you guys were coming to Phoenix.”
“We thought it would be fun to catch up with Ben,” Maya said.
“Just Ben?” Celeste’s eyes sparked with humor as she turned her attention to Kari. “I saw you and Ryan leaving together the other night.”
“We just went out to dinner,” Kari said, trying to downplay her growing attraction. “No big deal.”
“He made it seem like a big deal to Brandi. She was hoping to get back together with him again.”
“Again?”
“Yeah.” Celeste checked her ticket and sat in the seat in front of Maya. She shifted so she was facing Kari. “They dated for a few weeks around Christmas, but that was the last time I’d heard of them being together until she showed up in DC.”
“Ryan did seem pretty surprised to see her,” Kari admitted.
“She planned it that way. She and Rachelle had been talking for weeks about the perfect time for her to come visit,” Celeste said. “She wasn’t happy when she showed up to find Ryan had a new girlfriend. Rachelle felt so bad she begged the front office for an extra ticket to the Midnight Express concert.”
Kari briefly debated confiding in Celeste that their relationship wasn’t as old as Ryan let on, but she wasn’t sure she could trust the information wouldn’t go beyond them. She’d met the woman only a handful of times. Instead, she said, “I guess it’s true. Timing is everything.”
“Speaking of which, here come the guys,” Maya said.
Kari lifted her hand to shield her eyes from the sun, despite the ball cap and sunglasses she wore. She saw several of the players emerge from the bullpen, but Ryan and Ben weren’t among them. Slowly, more Nationals appeared, and finally Ryan stepped out of the dugout, his glove in his hand. He turned and looked up into the stands as though searching for something. Then his eyes met hers, and he gave her a quick wave.
Her smile was automatic. She waved back and reminded herself that she didn’t want to get too involved with him.
In front of her, Celeste chuckled. “I can see why Brandi left. It’s pretty obvious when you see the two of you together, Ryan is definitely over his ex.”
Kari didn’t respond. Ryan might be over his ex, but did that mean he was ready to be involved with someone else, or did he need more time before he settled down again?
As he jogged out onto the field behind two of his teammates, she decided to enjoy herself. She had flown across the country to see her brother play. If she got the added benefit of going out with an interesting and exciting man, so much the better.
* * *
Ryan settled into the back of the cab beside Kari and handed the driver the address.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“I heard about a fun restaurant I thought we should check out.”
“Fun, huh?”
“Yeah, fun.” He took her hand in his, lacing his fingers through hers. “Trust me.”
“Okay.” She shifted in her seat so she could face him more fully. “You do realize I’m going to get spoiled if you keep taking me out like this.”
“I hope you don’t mind.” The thought struck Ryan that when he had dated Brandi, she had always insisted on going out. With Kari, he suspected she wouldn’t care one way or another if they went to a restaurant or chose to hang out in a hotel lobby and order pizza. “Maybe we should see if Ben and Maya want to go out to dinner with us tomorrow after the game.”
“That would be fun.” Her expression brightened. “It’s so great seeing Maya have enough energy to do things again.”
“Yeah, it really is. I can’t imagine how hard that must have been on you and Ben when she was going through treatments.”
“It was pretty terrifying,” Kari said. “A lot of good came out of it though.”
Ryan looked at her like she was crazy. “Good came out of her having cancer?”
“It was because of her treatments that she and Ben got to know each other, and she and I both decided to change our majors because of what she went through.”
“That’s right. You mentioned you wanted to go pre-med.”
“Yeah, and Maya wants to go into nursing.”
“Maybe the two of you will team up and work together some day.”
“You never know,” Kari said, clearly considering. “Of course, it’s pretty overwhelming thinking about trying to get into medical school.”
“It’ll happen for you.”
“You’re the only person who is totally accepting of my plans. Why is that?”
“I don’t know.” Ryan considered her comment and contemplated the oddity of how much he wanted to see Kari achieve her dreams. “Maybe it’s because I ended up in a profession that most people tell you won’t ever happen. I figure if you work hard enough, you’ll make your dream come true.”
“I hope you’re right.”
The cab pulled up in front of a restaurant. Ryan paid the driver and helped Kari out of the car. They approached the door, walking inside to find the hostess dressed as Wonder Woman, her magic bracelets reflecting beneath the overhead lights.
“Reservation for Strobel,” Ryan told her.
She drew out two menus. “Right this way.”
They followed her past Billy the Kid and Joan
of Arc to their table. “Your host will be with you shortly.”
“Thank you.”
They were barely in their seats when Abraham Lincoln approached. “Hello, kind sir. Madam. Welcome to the White House. May I offer you a beverage?”
“Just water for me, thanks,” Kari said, not able to fight back her grin.
“Same for me.”
“May I tell you about some of the specials our White House chefs have prepared for your enjoyment?” He paused long enough for Ryan to give his consent. He then went into an elaborate explanation of each dish, acting as though they truly were still in Washington, DC, and had been invited to dine with the president of old.
After they made their selections and were left alone, Kari leaned forward. “When you said fun, I shouldn’t have doubted you. This place is a riot.”
A Pokémon trainer walked by carrying a tray of drinks, each cocktail contained in a ceramic kitchen sink. Ryan grinned at her. “Oh, we may have to try one of those.”
“I don’t drink, but if we can get a nonalcoholic version, I could go for a strawberry daiquiri.”
“I think that can be arranged.”
An hour and a half later, they walked outside, each holding a miniature kitchen sink as a souvenir of their evening together.
“Thank you so much for tonight. That was an experience,” Kari said.
“A good one, I hope.”
“A very good one. I kept thinking Honest Abe was going to break character, but by the time we were ready to leave, I was starting to think we really were eating at the White House.”
“Me too.” Ryan glanced at his watch. “You have to be exhausted. Come on. Let’s get you back to the hotel. I have a feeling you and Maya are both going to want to sleep in tomorrow.”
“I’m sure you’re right. I assume you have to be to the ballpark early?”
“Yeah. It’s an afternoon game, but it will be nice to get done early enough to have dinner at a normal hour.”
“I’ll talk to Maya in the morning about coming with us.”
“And I’ll hit up Ben. Although I have a feeling we aren’t going to be able to top tonight’s adventure.”
“You may be right.”
Chapter 12
Ryan had forgotten how enjoyable an evening could be when he didn’t spend 90 percent of it trying to get to know his date. He and Kari had laughed and joked with Ben and Maya over Chinese food, plotted against Gavin, who had managed to fill Ben’s shampoo bottle with honey, and debated whether the lead singer for Midnight Express was dating the drummer.
“The drummer is cute,” Kari said, turning to Maya. “Don’t you think so, Maya?”
“Very cute.” Maya crunched on a piece of her fortune cookie. “If I wasn’t married, I would totally go out with him.”
“Oh, really?” Ben’s eyebrows lifted.
“Don’t worry, honey. No one holds a candle to you,” Maya said with a grin.
“That’s better.” Ben pushed back from the table. “Are you guys ready to go?”
“Sure.” Ryan stood and picked up the two takeout boxes. He glanced over at Kari, who was staring down at the little slip of paper from inside her fortune cookie, her brow furrowed. “What’s wrong? What does your fortune say?”
“Nothing.” Kari looked up, her cheeks reddening.
“Let me see,” Maya said, snatching it out of Kari’s hand.
“Give it back. It’s nothing.”
Maya turned her back on Kari so Kari’s longer reach wouldn’t allow her to grab it away. Maya read the words on the slip and immediately laughed.
“What?” Ryan asked, his curiosity humming.
“I’ve never seen one like this before,” Maya said, her voice filled with amusement when she read it out loud. “And I quote, ‘Only a kiss can make your day better.’”
“Why didn’t I get that one?” Ben complained.
Ryan ignored him, finding the opening too irresistible to pass up. He shoved the leftovers into Ben’s hands, took two steps to close the distance between him and Kari, and scooped her into his arms. Her hand lifted to his chest, and he saw the surprise and embarrassment in Kari’s eyes. That didn’t stop him. In one fluid movement, his hand cupped the back of her head, and he lowered his lips to hers.
He heard a burst of laughter from Maya, and then everything faded away. What should have been innocent fun sent a spark through him that caused him to pull back long enough to see the shock in Kari’s eyes.
He’d never been one to resist temptation, and he wasn’t about to start now. His lips met hers again, and again the sensation set his pulse hammering. He had to fight to remember they were in a public restaurant, that this wasn’t the place for this, but he couldn’t help but let his lips linger on hers a bit longer.
When he forced himself to pull back, he stared down at her flushed cheeks. Trying to keep his voice light, he said, “My day definitely just got better.”
Ben tapped him on the shoulder. “You do realize that’s my sister you’re kissing, right?”
“Yeah,” Ryan said, pleased that his voice sounded casual. He caught the big-brother protective vibe emanating from his friend and faced it head on. “Sorry, Ben. That was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”
He let his gaze linger on Kari and slid his hand down to link his fingers with hers. “I think we’re ready to go now.”
Together they went outside and climbed into the rental car, Ben driving them the short distance back to their hotel. As soon as they walked into the lobby, Ryan said, “Do you guys want to grab some dessert at the hotel restaurant?”
“Ryan, we just ate,” Ben said.
“That was fifteen minutes ago,” Ryan said without missing a beat. “Besides, I’m not ready to lock myself in my room yet.”
“I think I need to go upstairs and get some rest,” Maya said.
“I’ll come with you,” Ben said, taking Maya’s hand in his.
“What about you, Kari? You aren’t going to make me eat alone, are you?”
“I could go for some dessert,” Kari said.
“Great.” Ryan put his hand on her back to guide her toward the restaurant. “We’ll see you guys later.”
“Stay out of trouble,” Ben warned.
“Will do,” he said, but his focus was once again on the woman beside him.
* * *
Kari’s head was still spinning. The memory of Ryan’s lips on hers wouldn’t leave her brain, and she felt like she was underwater and didn’t know how to get back to the surface for another breath.
His hand caressed her shoulder as he escorted her to their table in the hotel restaurant, and she had to remind herself that she had known him for only three weeks.
Sure they had talked every day for nearly a week, and they had gone out a couple of times, but that hadn’t prepared her for the unexpected kiss or the flood of warmth that had seeped through her.
They reached their table, and Ryan waited for her to sit before sliding into the booth across from her.
Kari accepted the menu the hostess offered her, and she tried to recapture the ease of conversation she had previously enjoyed with Ryan. “Any idea what you want?” Kari asked.
“That depends on what you order.”
“Why does it depend on me?”
“Because I figured if I order something different, we can share.”
“I don’t know if I’m hungry enough for a whole dessert.” She looked over the menu and pointed at one of the selections. “There’s a sampler here. Do you want to split that?”
“Sounds good.” A moment later, the waitress appeared and took their order. When they were once again alone, he reached out and took her hand in his. “I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your brother.”
“I wasn’t embarrassed,” Kari said, trying to find a way to put her feelings into words. “I think confused would be a better description.”
“Confused,” he repeated as though trying to understand her meaning.
“What made you think I was dating around?”
“Ryan, your phone is constantly going off, and it isn’t your teammates texting you.”
His eyes lit with understanding. “It’s true that after Brandi and I broke up, I dated a few women, but I never went out with any of them more than once.”
“Why not?”
“No interest.” He winced. “I know that sounds bad, but all of them made me feel like they were more interested in my job than they were in me.”
Kari remembered Ben’s ex-girlfriend and the problems he had experienced for the same reason. “I can see how that could be a challenge in your profession.”
“It might seem like I’m the type to go out with a lot of women, but that’s really not me. The truth is I’m only interested in dating one person, and that’s you.” He turned her hand over, tracing his finger along the center of her palm. “Are you okay with that?”
Her stomach jumped at the prospect, and she appreciated that Ryan was so straightforward in what he wanted. Looking toward her future, she nodded. “Yeah, I am.”
“I should probably warn you that dating for me isn’t easy during baseball season. I usually have to be at the ballpark by one, and I rarely leave before eleven.”
“Ben’s my brother, remember? I know how crazy your schedule can be,” Kari said. “And at least I’m not taking classes right now.”
“That’s true, but I feel bad that our time together will largely be dictated by my job.”
“You’ll have to deal with my schedule in the fall, so that will make us even.”
“Sounds fair to me.” He leaned across the table and once again pressed his lips to hers. A shiver ran through her, along with surprise that a brief kiss could send her world spinning. She tried to convince herself that it was the newness of being with Ryan that left this churning inside her, along with an unexpected longing for more.
His fingers skimmed along her jaw, sending another ripple of pleasure through her. He settled back into his seat, his eyes meeting hers. “I should probably warn you, kissing you could become a habit.”
Chance for Home Page 7
