Barefoot Bay: Double Play (Kindle Worlds Novella)

by Karen Ann Dell

  I wonder who owns this beauty. It can’t belong to one of the tryouts, so… Yeah, no doubt one of the Big Three, as she now referred to Nate, Zeke and Elliott, must be the lucky guy. She dug in her purse, took out the notepad she always kept there and scrawled “NICE RIDE!” in capital letters, then tucked the note under the wiper blade. She stood back and sighed. She’d never make the kind of money required to own a car like this.

  When Sky drove up to her condo, her three-year-old red pickup sat in the driveway next to Kelly’s Mercedes. Her new friend chatted amiably with her youngest brother, Jed.

  Sky pelted up the driveway and leapt into her other brother’s arms. “Mike, you’re here! I wasn’t expecting you guys until tomorrow.” She planted a noisy kiss on his cheek. “But I’m so glad to see you. I miss you already.”

  “I miss you too, Skylark. The house is way too quiet without you.” He flicked the brim on her Bucks cap. “I see you’ve already got some team spirit.”

  “Hey, what am I? Chopped liver?” Her youngest brother Jed pouted.

  Sky released Mike and ran to Jed, throwing her arms around him and hugging him tight. “Hi, hot dog. How are you?”

  He returned the squeeze. “I’m doing great. Especially now that I’ve met your new roommate.” He flashed a smile at Kelly.

  “Down, hot dog. She’d too old for you.” Sky winked at Kelly.

  “No way. I love older women. They’re so… talented.” Jed wagged his brows.

  Sky rolled her eyes. “Kelly, I’m sorry I wasn’t here to do the introductions, but as you’ve already found out, my brothers are not the shy, retiring type.”

  “They are not only charming, but strong,” Kelly chuckled as she pinched Jed’s biceps playfully. “It’s a good thing I stopped at the Shop-n-Save on my way here.”

  “You shopped, too?” Sky said. “I thought I was buying the groceries this week.”

  “I know, but with all the basic necessities we need to stock a new kitchen, it didn’t seem fair to saddle you with everything. I stuck to the essentials—paper towels, dish soap, spices—that sort of thing. I did get a few extras.” She eyed the two six-foot-tall men. “Which is a good thing with these two here. Come on and help bring in the groceries, guys, and we’ll show you around the place.”

  While Kelly put away the groceries, Sky gave both brothers a tour of the first floor, which was an open-plan space already furnished with Kelly’s mom’s beautiful furniture. The spare bedroom held twin beds, also thanks to Kelly, and an adjoining full bath that doubled as a powder room for visitors. The guys would sleep there tonight, now that Sky’s bedroom would be livable. Kelly’s furniture had been delivered yesterday, and after arranging the living-dining area to their liking, the two had barely enough energy to make up the beds before they ordered a pizza, ate dinner and crashed.

  Sky led Mike upstairs, while Jed joined Kelly in the kitchen.

  She and Kelly had tossed a coin for first pick of the two upstairs master suites, which were identical except for the direction they faced. Kelly had won the toss and chose the suite facing west. Because their building was built on a slight rise, the view from her deck overlooked Casa Blanca. In the distance, the sparkling turquoise waters of the gulf spread to the horizon.

  Sky’s suite faced east toward the waterway between Mimosa Key and the mainland, with a glimpse of the new stadium complex off to the north. Both rooms had sliders to spacious decks and white plantation shutters on the windows. The pale lime green walls enhanced the tropical feel of the space.

  “What do you think?” she asked Mike as he came out from his inspection of the master bath.

  “The place is nice, Skylark. Really nice. Are you sure you can afford all this luxury?” He opened the sliders to her deck and stepped outside.

  She followed him and leaned her arms on the railing. “I couldn’t have on my own, but sharing this place with Kelly—yeah, I’m totally fine.”

  “So, you’re comfortable doing this with someone you hardly even know? Mom’s worried that you may have jumped into this arrangement too quickly.”

  “I know it’s quick. But sometimes you just click with someone, you know? I really like her, Mike. Once you get to know her, I’m sure you will, too. Tell mom not to worry, please?” At Mike’s doubtful expression, Sky said, “I’m old enough to take care of myself, you know.”

  Mike gave a strand of her hair a playful yank. “Okay, Sky, we’ll let you run with this one, but if you have any problems, you know you can always call me, right?”

  “I do.” She slid an arm around his waist. Mike was only one year older than Sky, and of all her siblings, he was the closest in spirit. She knew that’s why her mom made sure he was the one who drove down with Jed.

  “Let’s get the truck unloaded, and then Kelly and I can give you two a tour of the stadium. I mean, you know, if you’re interested in seeing it.” She shrugged dismissively.

  “Are you kidding? Jed wanted to go there first, furniture and all. He’s probably trying to talk Kelly into taking him right now.”

  They found the two in the kitchen, where Kelly had put together some snacks and given Jed a soda. Mike slapped him on the back. “Come on, hot dog, let’s get this stuff unloaded. The faster we do it, the sooner you get to see Sky’s new domain.” He scooped up some crab dip on a chip. “Mmm, delicious, Kelly. Thanks for the eats.”

  “You’re more than welcome,” Kelly grinned back at him.

  “Come on, bro, let’s move,” Jed prodded. “Sky’s stuff won’t take us longer than half an hour.” He sighed. “Although I did hope she’d be smart enough to have her bedroom on the first floor.” He made a face at his sister.

  “Sorry, Jed. Lugging the furniture upstairs is the price you have to pay for an insider tour of the stadium.”

  Jed skidded to a stop at the door. “Have I told you lately you’re my favorite sister?”

  “And your only one.”

  Jed shrugged. “True. But you’re my favorite anyway.”

  Kelly went to the fridge. “What can I get you to drink, Mike? Beer? Soda? Water? Name your poison.”

  “Let’s leave the beer until after the work’s done, and I’m not much for soda, so water would be fine for now.”

  An hour later, the guys sat on the large L-shaped sectional, washing the remaining chips and dip down with a cold beer each. While the men had hauled the heavy pieces inside, the girls unloaded boxes and put away clothes, linens and toiletries. Once they finished unpacking Kelly’s dishes and cookware, and set up the kitchen, they piled into Sky’s CR-V and drove to the stadium.

  The entry road passed the farmette that provided Casa Blanca’s restaurant with most of its produce, and a goat farm from whence the minor league team got its name. They didn’t stop at the gift shop and petting area, since Jed was practically bouncing on the seat to see the stadium itself.

  They toured the field and the locker rooms, then went upstairs to explore Sky’s domain. Her office was on the second floor, overlooking the diamond. For once Jed’s exuberance was subdued by the luxury of his sister’s digs.

  Actually, Sky had been bowled over herself when she first saw her spacious office with its wide windows. The Big Three had spared no expense to make the entire campus top-notch.

  The sun was sliding into the gulf by the time they finished. The sky, a deep periwinkle blue, was painted with purple and pink clouds, and the setting sun left a golden swath on the blue waters.

  Back home again, her brothers grabbed beers and collapsed on the couch.

  “I know you guys are tired and have a long drive home tomorrow, so I understand if you don’t want to join Kelly and me over at Buckskins for a few more beers.” Sky winked at Kelly. “But we want to find out who made the cut at today’s tryouts, so… ”

  “We should be back by ten or so,” Kelly chimed in. “We’ll be quiet so as not to wake you when we get—”

  “What’s Buckskins?” Mike sat up straighter on the couch.

  “I
t’s just the bar where the Bucks hang.”

  “Better not be some swanky place like this.” Jed spread his arms to encompass the high-end furnishings Kelly had brought to their new home.

  “This place is not swanky,” she argued.

  “Yeah, just Tommy Bahama furniture and sixty-inch flat screen TVs,” Mike commented.

  Kelly blew out a breath. “It’s not my furniture. It’s my mom’s. And it’s better than sleeping on the floor, you two.”

  “True, that,” Mike agreed. “So this Buckskins place? Fancy or no?

  “No,” said Sky, although she’d never been there. “My understanding is that it’s laid-back, kinda country, so jeans and T-shirts, or a button-up shirt if you want to get fancy. If you want to come along, I’ll buy the first round.”

  Jed was up and heading for the spare bedroom on that note. “Give me time to get cleaned up, and I’m in.”

  Kelly looked at Mike and winked. “Oh, come on, handsome. Surely you’re up for a little fun after all your hard labor.”

  A slow smile spread across Mike’s face. “Hell, yeah. I’m game.”

  Jed drove Sky in the pickup, and Mike rode shotgun in Kelly’s Mercedes.

  By the time they pulled into the parking lot in front of Buckskins, it was almost full, and country music poured out of the door as people went in. Sky scanned the parking lot, hoping for a glimpse of the blue Lambo. No such luck. Darn. No doubt, Nate, Zeke and Elliott were at Junonia, not here with the worker bees.

  Inside, the men outnumbered the ladies at least two to one.

  Kelly elbowed Sky. “Hmm. I like the odds. The local females must not have gotten the word about this place yet.”

  Sky and Kelly found a table while the guys went to the bar for drinks. A few regular Bucks employees held court at a big round table in a corner. The trainer, batting coach and a few of the maintenance crew traded opinions about the newbies. Most of the crowd split into two groups. Half were drowning their sorrows; half were celebrating having made the cut—at least for one day.

  Feeling a prickle along her neck, Sky turned to survey the men at the bar and locked eyes with Mister Initials. Her cheeks heated, and she looked away. She nudged Kelly’s foot under the table.

  “What?” Kelly looked around to where the tiny tilt of Sky’s head pointed. “Oh, my goodness. If it isn’t T, D and H. And look who he’s with. Your hottie.”

  “He’s not my hottie.”

  “The way he’s looking at you, I’m pretty sure he is.”

  Before Sky could comment further, Mike and Jed arrived with longnecks for them.

  Mike put one in front of Kelly and apologized. “I should have asked first, so if this isn’t your brand, push it aside, and I’ll get you something else.”

  “I’m not much of a beer drinker, but I’m not sure I’ve got enough nerve to order white wine in a place like this.”

  “Don’t be silly. Tell me what you like. They’ve got a full bar.” Mike grinned and took a long swallow from the beer he’d set in front of her.

  “Chardonnay would be lovely.”

  “You got it. Be right back.”

  Jed eyed Sky’s untouched longneck. “Don’t tell me you’ve gone over to the dark side, too.”

  Sky shook her head. “No, I’m happy with beer or wine. Guess that makes me a switch-hitter.” She grinned at her younger brother, and they tapped their bottles together.

  Kelly leaned over and whispered in Sky’s ear. “Mr. Hottie has been staring at you for the past five minutes. I think he’s trying to decide if Jed is your date or a guy you just met here.”

  “Really, I doubt he cares one way or the other. I’m sure he’s used to girls practically falling into his lap after one of his smiles. He looks pretty friendly with T, D and H, though, and I don’t see that blonde from the ballpark hanging around him either.”

  Before Kelly could reply, Mike slid a glass of pale gold liquid in front of her.

  “Your wine, madam.” He bowed.

  “Do not pull that hoity-toity attitude on me, you fool.” She rolled her eyes.

  Sky glanced from one to the other. Well, I’ll be darned. I do believe my brother may have the hots for my new roommate. And I’m thinking she looks happy about it. She turned to Jed. “How about you push me around on the dance floor, little brother? It’s been a while since we’ve been out partying together.”

  “Come on then, sis. Let’s see if you can still keep up with me.” Jed grabbed her hand and towed her to the dance floor.

  After two dances, Sky dropped into her chair and took a long swallow from her beer. “Whew. Dancing’s thirsty work.”

  “That’s it? You’re done? When did you get so old, sis?” Jed surveyed the room. “Looks like I’ll have to find me another partner.”

  “Go for it, hot dog. I’ll just rest here a while and tend to my knitting.” Sky grinned and downed the last of her beer. She turned her attention to Mike. “Well? Did you grill Kelly enough to make sure she was a suitable roommate for me?”

  “I did,” Mike nodded. “She seems like a fine, upstanding lady. Mom will be able to rest easy.”

  Kelly’s mouth dropped open.

  “Good. I’m glad that’s out of the way.” She grinned at Kelly. “You have no idea what it’s like being the only girl in a big family. None of them think I have two brain cells to rub together.”

  “That’s not true, Skylark. We know you’re smart. You’re just so darn soft-hearted, we worry folks will take advantage of you.”

  Sky shot a look at him, then turned to Kelly. “And they wonder why I wanted to get a job far from home.”

  ~~~

  AJ leaned against the bar and took a swallow of his vodka. This was not the type of bar he usually stopped in after work. An upscale bistro a few blocks off Wall Street was his standard watering hole. Here the decor was mostly pine—floors, tables and chairs, beamed ceiling and paneled walls. Three guys and a girl provided live music from a small stage, and a few folks were dancing, but most of the crowd was intent upon rehashing the first day of try-outs. Buckskins’ decor sported no comfortable upholstery and carpeting to dampen the sound waves, so he had to lean in to hear what Cal was saying.

  They had arrived almost simultaneously and now anchored one end of the bar, where they were the nucleus of the “in” group. The also-rans populated the other end, by the door. Funny how each new arrival seemed to know instinctively which group he belonged in. There was a large round table in the corner where the Bucks employees reigned. Occasionally the table erupted with laughter, no doubt at the expense of one of the poor bastards who didn’t make the cut.

  Cal bought another round for them. “So, where do you hail from, AJ?” He guzzled about half of the Budweiser in one long gulp.

  “Up north. Massachusetts. You?” He didn’t want to get into what he’d been doing since college, so he hit the verbal ball back to Cal as quickly as possible.

  “Chicago. Where summer won’t raise its sunny head for another three months. At least. Now I understand why everyone talks about winter vacations in Florida. This place rocks.”

  “I’ll drink to that. They’re still scraping ice off their windshields up in Cambridge.” He took another swallow, unable to keep his gaze from returning to the two knockouts from this morning’s registration desk. They’d arrived earlier, and were followed closely by two men he didn’t remember from the tryouts. That wasn’t surprising; there were a lot of men out on the field today. Too bad the fast movers already snagged the hottest two women in town.

  Miss Rules and her friend claimed a table, while the two men headed for the bar. At least he hoped she was a miss, as another depressing thought cataloged the men as possible husbands. One of them was definitely too young to be married to anyone, let alone Miss Rules. The other could be a candidate. He certainly acted as though he knew her well. Damn.

  Now that he could study the complete package, AJ was even more impressed than he’d been this morning. Tall and slender, with cu
rves in all the right places, she filled out her skinny jeans and low-cut tank top to perfection. Cowgirl boots and a straw Stetson completed the country girl picture, which was somehow way more enticing than the sleek New York women he usually dated.

  While the chatter went on around him, AJ found his attention drawn back to Miss Rules every few minutes. He knew he’d annoyed her this morning with his reluctance to give her his full name, but hell, history had proved that once he told anyone his given name, he’d be the butt of their jokes for months.

  Cal elbowed him. “I hope you’re not staring at the same woman I’m looking at, man. I’d hate to have to fight you so early in our friendship.”

  “Then I hope you made the right choice. Otherwise we may have to step outside.” AJ wanted to think they were joking, but he realized he’d be more than a little pissed if Cal wound up with the stunning brunette.

  “The blond, blue-eyed babe in the red turtleneck is going out with me this weekend.” Cal finished his beer and nodded to the bartender for another.

  “No shit. Damn, has everyone here already staked their claims? Obviously, I haven’t been fast enough off the mark. When did you ask her for a date? In line this morning?”

  “Well, actually I haven’t asked her out yet. I wanted to make sure I’d still be here Saturday. But I did get her phone number.” He patted his shirt pocket with a smug grin.

  “And people say New Yorkers are fast. I’ve got some work to do.” He set his drink on the bar. “Mind that for me, will you? I’ve got to see a woman about dinner tomorrow night.” He took one step and stopped as his target stood and followed the younger man toward the dance floor.

  “Oops, too late, buddy.” Cal chuckled.

  AJ wasn’t amused. He slumped on his barstool and watched the couple two-step around the floor to “Boot-Scootin’ Boogie.” He ordered another drink and fumed silently. There were other women here. He could always dance with someone else, but none of them held any appeal for him. Which was stupid. He didn’t even know Miss Rules, and yet somehow, she was the only one he wanted his arms around.