League of Her Own

by Faith O'Shea

  “I am not doing this. Can’t you just leave me alone now? I can’t keep being your handler.”

  There was a stupid grin on his face as if he found this amusing.

  “I want you to be my handler for life, Fifi. I’ve decided you’re the one.”

  In a flash, the need to get away was replaced with the stirrings of anger. Maybe she’d heard him wrong.

  “What?”

  He said cavalierly, “I couldn’t find what I was looking for there, and the more I thought about it, the more I thought you’d be the one best suited to me.”

  Flashes of irritation stung like a swarm of bees.

  “You did, did you?”

  The smile dimmed.

  “Yes.”

  “I thought you wanted a woman to stay home and devote her life to you. That’s not me.”

  “I know, but—”

  “I’m not going to be the one you settle for, for lack of someone better. And I’m certainly not going to accept a ring you bought for some other woman.”

  She was sure he’d carried it down to Brazil and back. Had it ready for that momentous occasion when he popped the question. Didn’t matter the woman, didn’t matter the ring.

  “I didn’t—”

  She all but ran to her car, keeping the tears from falling until she was driving out of the parking lot. She’d woken this morning seeing this as one of the best days of her life. Why did he have to ruin it for her? Now it would be forever linked with his half-assed proposal.

  He’d proposed to her. Just like that. No flowers, no music or violins, no words of love. She’d always thought romantic love was artificial, that sweet words were a waste of time, but with him, she wanted that, wanted it all. The affection, the attention, the promise. Instead? He wanted her to be his handler. His handler. Like that would be enough to bind them together for life. She didn’t want the type of relationship her parents had; she wanted something more. What he’d offered was devoid of emotion, more clinical than intimate. Hah. He hadn’t offered anything. He asked for it. He’d needed something from her so why the hell not. Any woman would do. For some reason, he’d rained down his luck on her.

  After starting the engine, which strained from the deep freeze that had gripped the night, she backed up and pulled out, skirting around him as he tired to flag her down. It would have been justice if there’d been a puddle, but all water had turned to ice. Just like her heart. For good measure she flipped him the bird on her way by.

  Rique jumped out of her path and watched her go, his heart bleeding out. He’d struggled with this decision, lost sleep over it, had finally found himself willing to accept that he loved her, and how had she reacted? By giving him the finger. He’d told himself she might not accept it, but he’d thought maybe he could convince her…

  Did you even try?

  This wasn’t the way it was supposed to go. When he finally got around to proposing to someone, he’d had a different picture in mind. He’d get down on one knee, find the right words to tell her what was in his heart, ask her to spend her life with him. She’d smile and say yes, tell him how much she loved him. It was romantic and memorable.

  He shoved his hands through his hair. He was exhausted. He’d taken the first flight he could, thought endlessly about how he’d approach her all the way back, gone right to her condo, unable to wait to see her again. Then she was there and every one of his cells had come alive, but his mind was so muddled he’d made a mess of it. What kind of a half-assed proposal had he offered? He hadn’t asked her to be his wife, he’d asked her to be his handler, like it was some job he was asking her to take on. She thought he was settling for something less than his ideal because he hadn’t found it. But he had. It was her. Didn’t she know he didn’t want to be with anyone else?

  How could she. You never told her. Never once mentioned the word love.

  He scrambled into his car and took off, heading in the same direction she had. Where was she going? Couldn’t be an interview, not with the way she was dressed. He scanned the road before him, as he sat at a set of lights, not sure which way she’d gone. Then he saw a flash of blue to the left, making the turn toward the highway. He gunned the engine, passed a couple of cars on his right before cutting around and veering onto the secondary road. He was three cars behind, and he knew if she was paying attention, she’d see him trailing her. He hung back a bit more, trying to get lost from view while keeping her in his sights. When she turned south on Route 93, he followed. When they passed through the city, he began to worry. When was she going to get off? Where the hell was she going?

  And then her blinker was on and she slid into the exit lane. He was still behind her, one car separating them. They wove up one street and down another, then along the harbor until they came to a campus. She drove by a gray building, concave in shape, and around back to where rows of orange brick buildings led one into another, walkways connecting them. Was she going back to school? Unable to find a job in her field, she’d decided to…That couldn’t be it. She’d gone as far as she could with her education. So why here? She parked in one of the lots, locked up her car, and began walking to the building in front of her, her briefcase banging against her leg. She was on her phone, so she was mentally occupied. It gave him the opportunity to pull his car in besides hers.

  He entered the building, peeked around a corner to see her descend some stairs, waited, only to hurry forward so he didn’t lose her. They were in a basement, the cool interior unable to hold much heat. She’d freeze down here if she wasn’t careful.

  She opened the door at the end of the hall and disappeared. The welcoming voice made him quicken his steps.

  He stood at the opening to see her giving a man a hug. A tight bear hug and it sounded as if she were crying.

  “Hey, what’s wrong? I thought you’d be in seventh heaven when you got here.”

  “I was. I am. I’m just…”

  Then the man looked up and saw him. He asked, “Can I help you?”

  Fifi broke free and turned. “Gawd. You followed me?”

  Her expression told him it pained her physically to see him.

  “Is this why you wouldn’t accept my proposal?”

  “What? The lab?”

  “Him. Is he the reason?”

  She swiped her arm against her nose and then pierced him with her eyes. “I didn’t accept because I don’t want to be anyone’s life-long handler. I want a man, not a child. But mostly I said no because I want to be first choice, not an afterthought.”

  He was stuck on the man and there wasn’t a word she’d said that had registered.

  “Who is he?”

  She just stared at him and he felt a tight band clamp around his middle.

  It was the man who answered the question. “I’m her assistant. Bohdan. I’m here to help her set the lab up.”

  A thrill shot through him. Not only because the man wasn’t any competition but because she’d gotten a lab, here, in the city. Not far from where he’d be working nights when in town.

  “You got your lab?” He couldn’t help but grin. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  She sniffed, pulled a tissue from her coat pocket and wiped her nose.

  “I figured you were busy. You know, looking for a wife.”

  She sounded sad, the tone tinged with irritation.

  “It was a wasted trip. The woman I was looking for was here.”

  He stepped closer to where she was. He needed to feel his arms around her, tell her…

  He needed to tell her first. Then maybe, if he was lucky and she was a forgiving sort of woman, he’d get to the embrace part.

  He glanced up at Bohdan and took a step closer. The man had the grace to step back, giving him some room.

  He touched her cheek with his thumb. It felt…like he’d come home.

  In a low voice, he said, “Fifi…Fiona. I have missed you meu amor. These last few days have been a nightmare and I realized that I can’t live a happy life without you by my side
. I left to go home only to find it is not my home anymore. That this is my home because you’re here. Where my heart beats the strongest. I love you, Fifi and I wish with all my heart that you will marry me.”

  Her eyes were wide and searching his for the truth.

  “I just got my lab.”

  He was hoping for something else after his heartfelt message. What if she didn’t return the feeling? What if the lab was the most important thing in her life? What if she was telling him that she finally had what she’d worked so hard for and she wasn’t giving it up?

  “I see that. I’m proud of what you’ve done and would never ask you to quit now.”

  He stepped closer still, until she was a hairsbreadth away. He took her chin in his fingers and leaned down to kiss her lips. When she didn’t fight him, he thought he might still have a chance for a redo. One that held a different answer than the one she’d given him less than an hour ago.

  “I took my sister Felicia shopping with me yesterday. As you know, she is a scientist as well, and although she works in the soil, I thought she would know what kind of ring would suit you. I don’t want you to have to take it off if you accept to wear it. In other words, this ring was chosen and purchased for you, no other.”

  He went down on his knee and pried open the box. Taking her hand, he looked up, his heart racing. There was love there, in her eyes, and it was shining on him.

  “You are my heart, and my home and I want no other. Will you marry me?”

  He stopped breathing as he waited for her answer.

  “I want to.”

  “Say yes, then.”

  A myriad of emotions crossed her face and he was afraid she was going to turn him down. She was trembling when she finally said, “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.”

  “Thank God, meu amor. I don’t know what I would have done if you’d said no.”

  He slid the ring on her finger, straightened, pulled her into his arms, and began to spin them around. Before he could kiss the life out of her, she said, “There are a lot of things we need to resolve, Rique.”

  “There are none that we can’t figure out if we want to be together badly enough. I am willing if you are.”

  “I don’t cook.”

  “Ah, but I do. And if I’m tired, you can order us something on speed dial.”

  “I won’t be able to travel with you.”

  “I’m sad about that because I want you with me always, but I understand. Maybe you can let your assistant here work some weekends for you and you can come to some of my games?”

  She was threading her fingers through his hair. The intimacy of that small touch made his heart swell.

  “I promise I will. And when I can’t, I’ll have the game on here in the lab, so I know how you’ve done.”

  “This is very close to Harborside. I can come visit after my games if you’re not on the edge of some important discovery.”

  He couldn’t believe how excited he was for her, hopeful that she could achieve all she wanted to, all she was capable of. He was marrying a woman smarter than him, and it should be scaring him senseless. But it wasn’t. He saw it as a challenge, one which could make him a better man. He’d certainly never get bored.

  When she said, “I’m nothing like who you wanted,” there was vulnerability in her eyes.

  He kissed it away as best he could and replied truthfully, “You are everything I ever wanted, I just didn’t know it. I didn’t know you were out there.”

  They heard Bohdan’s voice as he welcomed someone in. “Hi, hon. New discovery. Fiona’s in love and getting married.”

  Rique glanced back at a petite woman holding a baby. She was inspecting him critically before saying, “It’s about time.”

  He put Fifi down but held her in the crook of his arm as she introduced them. “Rique, this is Ardita, Bohdan’s wife, and their daughter, Priyanka.”

  Ardita went over to give her husband a kiss. “I came by to see the place. It’s perfect.”

  Fiona glanced around as if taking it in for the first time. “It is, isn’t it? Now I just have to figure out how to keep it running once the money from the college runs out.”

  Rique’s eyes had followed hers around the space, taking in every square inch. This was where he could help. He might not have the kind of brain matter to bring a dramatic shift in science, but he could contribute another way.

  “I think we could spare some money to keep you working. My job, which you call a game, pays pretty well. And I have some friends with deep pockets.”

  “I told you, it will take—”

  “Yeah, millions. I can’t think of a better way to spend it, can you?”

  She’d sucked in a breath, those gray eyes wide with surprise.

  “I can’t ask you to do that.”

  He kissed the tip of her nose as if it were no big deal.

  “You won’t have to. Once we’re married, it’s yours, as well. This’ll be my way of taking care of you, supporting you in a sense. It will definitely help my ego.”

  There were tears shimmering in her eyes. “I promise, I’ll take care of you as well as I can but I’m new at this.”

  “We both are. We’ll figure it out together.”

  Bohdan had taken his daughter in his arms, and the little girl held on tightly.

  “What do you say we put in a few hours and then call it a day, start up on Monday like we planned. Dita has the day off, which is a rare commodity and I think you need to do some celebrating outside the lab for once. If there was a day for it, I’d say this is it.”

  Rique shrugged out of his suit coat and hung it on the back of a chair. “Can I stay and watch, maybe help?”

  Bohdan nodded. “We could use some brawn. We might have to move things around. Fine by me.”

  Ardita took Priyanka back and said, “I’ve got some errands I can run and then I’ll swing back, pick you up for lunch.”

  “Does that work for you, boss?”

  She tilted her head up to Rique’s for a kiss, a sparkle in her eyes.

  “It does.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  Fiona kept looking down at her finger, still not sure this wasn’t a dream. The ring was perfect, flat but chock full of diamond chips, surrounding what had to be a couple-of-karat nugget, expensive she was sure, but modest in setting. She could work with it on and swore she’d never take it off. It was an expression of love. Not the ring itself, but the care and consideration Rique had taken selecting it. He knew who she was, and it seemed he’d accepted it. When she wasn’t examining the ring, she was examining her future husband. He was wearing the tee shirt she’d found for him, and he’d told her he hadn’t worn much else since she’d left it for him.

  He was going to be her husband. How she’d managed to attract someone like him was still a mystery. Or maybe not. He was as far from her ideal as she was his, but they seemed to work well together. She grounded him; he drew her out of herself. They’d lived together for over a week and it had seemed so easy. When she didn’t want to throttle him.

  “Fifi.” She finally heard her name the second time he called out, “Fifi. Is this where you want this thing?”

  She lifted her head and couldn’t help but smile. She’d never thought she’d see him again, and here he was helping Bohdan move heavy machinery around. Anticipation about tonight and how he would love her thickened the air in her lungs.

  “Yeah. It’s perfect.”

  And so was he.

  Not perfect in the real sense of the word, but perfect for her.

  Just before noon they finished up. Ardita and Priyanka were back and as they gathered their coats to leave, Rique said, “I’ve got to get back to the practice field on Monday, but I can stop by afterward, help again if you need me to.”

  “Um, you’re not exactly in the best of conditions when you’re done for the day.”

  He put his arm around her, kissed her head. “I don’t want to go home to an empty house just yet. Maybe after we’re living toge
ther and I can feel your presence, but…not yet.”

  His gaze was startlingly possessive and she felt that coil tighten. She placed her hand on his chest, needing to touch him, and felt his heart beating against it.

  “You’re not still staying with Izabella?”

  There was excitement in his voice when he said, “No. I rented a place after you left. It’s close to Melinda and Jim. I think you’ll like it.”

  Those condos were expensive. Beautifully detailed, and exquisitely landscaped. She could never have afforded to look there.

  “You rented there?”

  “Yeah. Why?”

  “They’re out of my price range.”

  He bent down and kissed her nose.

  “I’ve got it covered.”

  What did a baseball player make? If he was willing to contribute a million dollars to her research and live in a palatial home, it had to be a lot. She wasn’t going to ask him here, in front of the others, but her curiosity would sooner or later get the better of her.

  They walked out to the parking lot, Bohdan now carrying his daughter, holding his wife’s hand.

  Rique clasped her fingers in his and nodded to the threesome just ahead. “Seems some scientists make it work. The marriage thing.”

  She rested her head against his shoulder. It felt so solid and safe and her heart skipped a beat.

  “Some do.”

  She thought of Terry and promised herself she’d make the effort to spend time with her man. The way she felt now, she’d have to force herself to leave him.

  After walking her to her car, Rique kissed her again, but she didn’t allow for a light one. She twined her arms around his neck and went for one that was wet and deep. His moan told her what she needed to know.

  “I have missed you, Fi. I can’t wait until we’re living together, and I can wake up to you every morning. Last Monday was one of the worst days of my life.”

  It had been one of hers, too. She’d wanted to stay in the cocoon of his body but knew if she didn’t leave before he woke up, she’d do something she’d regret. Like tell him she loved him.