“Why does that surprise you?” Annoyance colored his words and his jaw firmed in frustration. “I am not the bad guy. I thought—” He coughed, as if to clear his throat. “I thought it would be a nice change of pace to do something fun.”
“I never said… I don’t think you’re the bad guy, Grady.” She shifted her eyes downward, away from his focused attention. “It’s just…”
“Just what?”
Oh, to hell with it. “You make me uncomfortable, okay? I can’t relax around you. I don’t know how to do that. Not anymore.”
“How do I make you uncomfortable?”
“I don’t know!” Ugh. That wasn’t the complete truth. “Whenever we’re together, I’m reminded of how much I’ve let you down because I can’t give you what you want.” She gestured toward the ball field. “Like this. I don’t know what you think is going to happen with these dates, but whatever it is—it isn’t going to. I am not capable of being who you want me to be. So I’m going to let you down. Again. And yes, Grady, that puts me on the defensive whenever we’re in the same room.”
He stroked the bottom of her chin with his fingers. Gently, firmly, he applied the smallest amount of pressure so she had to look up. “Take a breath, sweetheart,” he said, looking directly into her eyes. “It is impossible for you to let me down. I promise you that all I want is to kick back, enjoy the game and hopefully leave us both with some nice memories. Trust me on this, Olly. Have a little faith. Please?”
He meant it. She could see the conviction of his answer in the steadiness of his gaze. She could hear it in the even tenor of his voice. “All right. I can do that.”
“Good. Then we’re all set.” Releasing his grasp, he faced front. “They’re about to get started.”
So Olivia watched the ball game and tried to forget about the blowing wind, the gray skies and the confusing, sexy man sitting next to her. She kept waiting for him to bring up Cody, but he didn’t. He also didn’t touch her or try to create a sense of intimacy. He simply watched the freaking ball game as if he were sitting in front of his television at home.
Which was good. That was what he’d promised, after all. But his actions didn’t ring true to her, even if his proclamation had. Every now and then, she’d slide him a sidelong glance, but he never noticed. Or, if he did, he pretended he didn’t. After a while, she gave up and allowed herself to completely focus on the game.
The players were good, she noted, functioning together as a team should. In fact, she’d bet money that the two teams were actually one, but had split into two units for the purposes of this game. Perhaps Grady hadn’t set this up, as she’d originally thought. Perhaps this was nothing more than an off-season scrimmage meant to keep the team in shape.
Out of nowhere, a memory of her first date with Grady overtook her. They’d gone to a Beavers game at PGE Park. Up until then, Olivia had only seen baseball played on TV, and truthfully, she’d never understood the appeal. When Grady had invited her to a ball game, she assumed she’d feel the same. She was wrong.
There was something very different about viewing a game—any game—live and in person. The excitement in the air, the cheering fans, the varied expressions on the players’ faces—from intense when they were down in runs, to jubilant when they pulled to the top—had quickly made her a fan.
Grady had fed her hot dogs slathered with mustard, which they washed down with ice-cold beer. And when the team had hit a grand slam, he leaned over and kissed her. The second their lips touched, she was swept away. Never had she felt such an instantaneous connection to a man. Their relationship had proceeded forward without a glitch from that moment, and truly, their life had been like a fairy tale.
Somehow, sitting here with Grady almost made her feel like the girl she was back then, when everything between them had been brand-new. When her dreams for the future were still possible…when she believed in happily ever after.
“It’s close,” Grady murmured, putting an end to her reminiscing. “Who do you think will win?”
“The teams seem equally matched.” She swallowed a gulp of cocoa. “But my money is on green. The pitcher has a strong arm.”
“Yes,” Grady agreed. “But the black team’s pitcher isn’t a slouch, and their batters seem more consistent.”
Well, he had a point. But, “I still say green.”
“Any reason why? Beyond the pitcher’s strong arm?”
“Call it a feeling.” Her lips twitched in unexpected humor. “And you know, I’m right with these feelings more often than I’m wrong.” Counting off on her fingers, she said, “Baseball, football, hockey…heck, even soccer. How often have my feelings proved to be right? Hmm, Grady? I seem to recall weeks and weeks of you slaving over the oven as a result of your choosing the losing teams against my winning ones.”
Not to mention the long, luxurious massages she’d also won. Massages that always led to… Yeah, better to keep those memories to herself.
“You just have an inordinate amount of good luck when it comes to sports. Or perhaps I enjoyed preparing dinner enough to have let you win,” Grady teased. “But this time, I’m sure of it. Black will come out on top.”
“Wanna bet on that?” A true, to-the-tips-of-her-toes smile emerged. God, she’d missed this easy camaraderie. Who would’ve guessed? “Say twenty bucks?”
“Twenty? That’s child’s play. If we’re going to bet, let’s do it in style.”
“Oh, yeah? And what do you have in mind?”
“If I win, I get a kiss.”
She spurted not-so-hot chocolate from her mouth. Awesome. That had to have been attractive. Wiping her mouth, she said, “A kiss? Umm…”
“If you’re not confident in your choice, then I suppose we can settle on twenty dollars.” He scraped his thumb along her bottom lip. Desire—unbidden and heady—uncurled from the center of her belly. “Missed some.”
“F-fine,” she stammered. “If you win, you get a kiss. I win and I get—” she thought hard, trying to find something weighty enough to make the bet worthwhile “—one less date! Instead of three more, you get two.”
Throaty laughter tumbled from his gorgeous mouth, but he nodded. “Heavy stakes, Olly, but I’ll take your bet. If green wins, we’re down to two dates. After this one, of course.”
“Of course.”
The game continued on, and a large portion of Olivia’s reservations melted away. Heck, she’d kissed him the other day, so what was she out if she lost? Nothing, really. Well, okay, that was a lie. Kissing him at her in-laws had been a spur-of-the-moment action, one that she regretted. Kissing him again was so not a good idea.
But if she won… Well, that was one less date she’d have to struggle through. Decent odds. But it made her wonder why he agreed. She knew he wanted them to reconcile, but maybe his secondary goal was nothing more than to spend some time with her before they went their separate ways? Maybe he needed these dates for closure? The thought gave her pause. She’d been so wrapped up in what she needed, she hadn’t given much consideration to what Grady might need. “Selfish,” she whispered.
“Hmm, Olivia?” Grady asked.
“Nothing. Just…you know, talking to myself.” Yes, she’d definitely behaved selfishly. The realization of that made her feel about two inches tall. Still, she also didn’t see how she could’ve done anything different under the circumstances. But if it was closure he was after, she could certainly give him that.
As long as he didn’t talk about Cody, or take her shopping for Cody, or anything else related to their son, that is. Thinking of Cody dropped her mood by several degrees, so she shoved everything except for the game out of her head and returned her attention to the ball field. The two teams had stayed in pace with each other for a while, but her team had just moved ahead by one run. When they were up by two, she stood and cheered.
“Told ya,” she said to Grady, retaking her seat. He offered a wink in response.
A strong blast of wind hit her face and lifte
d her hair. Shivering, she pulled the blanket tighter around her. Grady gently pried her mug out of her frozen fingers and refilled it with hot chocolate, but her concentration was so great on the game, she almost didn’t notice. They were finally in the last inning and the green team was up by three runs, but the black team had the bases loaded. If the next batter hit a home run, and therefore, a grand slam, the black team would win. And she would have to share a kiss with Grady.
But come on, how often did grand slams happen? It couldn’t be that often. Especially with a high-school baseball team.
The makeshift umpire, probably one of the coaches, called “Batter up!” and she mentally crossed her fingers, toes and all other appendages. Without thought, she grabbed Grady’s hand and squeezed. He squeezed back. She angled forward, every part of her intent on the pitcher, and prayed the batter would miss. He swung high but the ball came in low. “Strike one!”
“He missed that one by a mile,” she said to Grady. The batter tapped his bat against the ground and then raised it to his shoulder. “Green’s going to win and we’ll be down to two dates.”
“Shh. Just watch,” he replied. “I have complete faith in my team. Black will win and you’ll owe me a kiss, darlin’.”
The batter swung low and fast, but the pitch was high. “Strike two!”
“I’m going to win,” she said in a singsong voice. “And you are going to lose.”
“Maybe,” Grady replied in a not-worried-at-all tone. “Maybe not.”
“He isn’t reading the pitcher well, Grady. He’s the last batter, and this is the last swing.” The batter took his stance again, and his teammates hollered out their support. “The writing is on the wall, and it says—” Her jaw fell open when the batter expertly smacked the ball, the resounding crack seemingly deafening, and the ball flew across the sky. Even in her distress, she had to acknowledge it was a perfect hit. “No way,” Olivia whispered as each base plus the batter ran the diamond to home. “No freaking way.”
“You were saying, Olivia?” Grady dropped her hand and leaned in close. So close, they were nearly lip to lip. He certainly wasn’t wasting any time in claiming his spoils…er, his kiss. “The writing says what, exactly?”
“Umm…” Again, she was taken back to their very first kiss when they also sat in the bleachers. When his eyes met hers and the lazy, humdrum beat of reality had ceased to exist.
His head came closer, closer. And then, closer still. Her breath locked in her chest. One sensation after another tore through her, and—loath as she was to admit it, even to herself—she yearned for his kiss. For this kiss. Craved it, really. Unable to hold herself straight, she fell slightly forward, tilted her head up and closed her eyes.
She trembled in traitorous want when she sensed his mouth hovering over hers, when his cheek scraped against hers in a tantalizing, barely there brush.
“I believe the writing says that I won,” he whispered. His warm breath sizzled against her cold skin, warming her from the inside out, filling her with that unconscionable need that never completely dissipated. “What do you think of that, Olly?”
“I think if you’re going to kiss me, you should get it over with.” The quicker the better, please. Waiting for it… Well, that might just kill her. A rumble of laughter forced her eyes open. “What is so funny?”
“You make me smile. Is that such a terrible thing?” Wind tumbled her hair forward. He carefully tucked the stray strands back in place. “But no. I am not going to kiss you right now.”
She rolled her bottom lip between her teeth and tried to ignore the studied way in which he appraised her. “But you won.”
“So I did,” he said as he shifted away.
“Then kiss me, Grady.” She puckered her lips and leaned forward. He—damn him—laughed again. Upset and strangely disappointed, she angled her arms over her chest and frowned. “If you don’t want to kiss me, why did you make that your bet?”
“I didn’t say when I would kiss you, did I?” He busied himself with folding their blankets and tucking them into the bag. Reaching over, his hand brushed against her thigh. Every muscle in her body tightened at his touch. “Just trying to—” his fingers found the cushion she sat on and he tugged “—put everything away.”
“Uh-huh. Sure you are.” But she moved so he could grab the cushion. Within minutes, he was standing with the cooler and one of the bags in his hands. “Come on. We have dinner next.”
“Dinner? No! This was our date, Grady.” She motioned to the now empty ball field. “And now it’s over.”
“Part of our date. I promised the guys food.”
“Promised the guys? What guys?” But then, she knew. He meant the teams. “You did set this up, didn’t you?”
“Well, it isn’t easy to find a game this time of year,” he acknowledged.
“We could have gone to a movie,” she grumbled. “Or…um…bowling.”
His gaze, hot and searching, skimmed over her. “Can’t get that bowling-in-our-bathing-suits idea out of your head, can you? But as appealing as the idea of that is, my goal wasn’t to make you uncomfortable. Besides which, date number one had to be this.” With that, he started down the bleachers, confident that she would follow.
Well, duh. If she wanted to get home, she didn’t have a lot of options. Stifling a curse, she picked up the bag he’d left behind and stalked to where he waited. “What do you mean it had to be a baseball game? Why?”
He shrugged and in a light, easy tone, said, “Today needed to be about something fun, something we’ve shared in the past that didn’t hold even one painful memory. Our first date was magical, Olly. For me, anyway.”
Every defensive edge softened. “Me, too,” she admitted. “And I did have fun, so thank you.” Then, remembering her goal to go along for the ride, she continued, “And not only am I famished, but I’d love to meet the team.”
“Perfect. They’re waiting at a picnic area straight ahead.” The corners of his lips turned upward in a lopsided grin. Cody’s lopsided grin. “Hope you’re in the mood for a barbeque.”
And just that quickly, her good mood was destroyed. But she smiled anyway. Nodded. Cody would have loved a barbecue at the park in November.
Well, then, so would she.
Hell, if she could enjoy herself at a baseball game the weekend before Thanksgiving, why not a barbecue? Besides which, she planned on quizzing the boys to find out exactly how Grady had coerced them into playing today. She was pretty sure it wasn’t because of the promise of grilled hot dogs.
Two and a half hours later, they finally pulled into Olivia’s driveway. The day hadn’t been nearly as horrible as she’d originally imagined. In fact, she could even say she had fun for a good portion of the hours she’d spent with Grady. The key was to focus on the present. Granted, this was much easier accomplished when Grady wasn’t within seeing, smelling or hearing distance, but she’d mostly managed. And she hadn’t cried once. Progress.
She’d even learned more about her husband. It turned out that Grady was one of the volunteer coaches for the high school team that played for them. Apparently, he’d started his coaching gig the previous spring, and he seemed to have developed an excellent relationship with his players.
None of that surprised her. Not really, anyway. Her husband was built to be around kids, no matter their age. And one of his favorite father-son activities had been teaching his son about baseball. So the fact that he’d decided to coach made perfect sense. What had surprised her, though, was how willing the boys were to give up a Saturday afternoon at Grady’s request.
She didn’t know that many teenagers, but it seemed to her that giving up a precious weekend day to help out their coach—with no reward other than a few hot dogs—spoke volumes.
“Those kids are great,” she said, unbuckling her seat belt. “Thank you for introducing them to me.”
“You’re welcome. I think they had a good time. I hope so, anyway.”
“Oh, they did! I…um…
didn’t know you’d started coaching. I think that’s great, Grady. Really great. They’re lucky to have you.”
He shrugged off her compliment. “I’m the lucky one. I do this for me.” Before she could ask him what he meant by that, he leaned across her to open her door. “I’ll walk you in.”
“Not necessary!” Ack. Way too loud. Lowering the volume, she said, “I’m fine. Thank you, though.”
“I’ll walk you to the door,” he said again in that firm, no-nonsense way of his.
“Really, Grady. There’s no reason for you to. I am perfectly capable of letting myself in to my house. I do it nearly every day.”
“Our house,” he said softly. “But I won’t come in if that’s what you’re worried about.”
Um, no. What she was worried about was that damn kiss. The one he still hadn’t claimed. “I wasn’t worried.” She stepped from the truck and waited for him to join her. It took only a few seconds to reach the front door. “So…when is our second date? I have a lot going on at work and I might have some late nights. I might even have to work weekends. Busy, busy.”
“I don’t think you’ll have any problems with time off for what I have planned.” Oh-so-carefully, as if she were made of china, he gripped her shoulders and tugged her toward him.
Oh. He was going to kiss her. Right now. Myriad emotions enveloped her—desire, frustration, want, need and a fair amount of denial. Okay, oodles and oodles of denial. She licked her lips and straightened her shoulders. She could do this without falling apart. A bet was, after all, a bet. And she’d lost fair and square.
“I’m ready, Grady.” She arched her back, closed her eyes and licked her lips again. “You can kiss me now.”
“Are you sure?” His warm and teasing voice forced a tremble through her body.
“Very. Let’s get this over with. Before I—”
“Before you…what?”
Die from waiting. But she refused to say that. Instead, she went with, “Freeze to death. So come on, let’s do this. Otherwise, I’m going inside.”
Miracle Under The Mistletoe (The Foster Brothers #1) Page 8
