Drew smiled at that. “Determined is a good word for her. I have a few others.”
Baylee laughed and stood while taking his tea glass. “Let me get you some more.”
“Thank you.” His phone rang in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw it was his manager calling.
Baylee saw the screen as well. “Go ahead. Take the call. I don’t mind. Casey and I will get dessert set out.”
Drew nodded and watched as she and Casey went into the kitchen. It was as if a piece of him were leaving the room. His phone vibrated in his hand, his manager’s number glaring up at him. A symbol of his actual life somewhere far away now battling something else he wanted.
“MacIntire.” He stood and went out to the front porch for some privacy.
“Hey, Drew. Just checking in. You doing your PT?” Emmerson Crane was man who did not, under any circumstance, beat around the bush.
“Yes, sir. Of course.”
“Good. I heard you’re still in California. I thought you’d be back by now.”
Drew looked through the front window of Baylee’s cabin. Casey stood on a stepstool in the kitchen, helping his mother frost cupcakes. The scene tugged at Drew’s heart, everything about it warm and inviting. But this was Baylee’s world and he was merely peeking in for a brief period of time. His life, his job, a world away from the porch where he stood.
“I decided to stay a bit longer. I’ll be back for Spring Training though.”
“Good. Let me know when you’re back.”
“Will do.”
The line went dead. Call over. Drew stared at the now blank screen and laughed. Good old, Crane. Got in, said his piece, got out. Drew liked the man. A lot. And appreciated his candor. Crane was the only one who didn’t tiptoe around Drew’s injury. Didn’t handle Drew with kid gloves. God bless him.
Drew put his phone back in his pocket and stared out at the sky. Baylee’s place was not far from the main part of town, but far enough out to have some room for Casey, complete with tire swing hanging from the tree in the front yard. The sun was setting, the orange and yellow hues casting a glow over the horizon. Crickets chirped. He couldn’t remember the last time he was anywhere so peaceful, so quiet. Baylee’s laughter floated from the kitchen, a song that filled his heart with longing. This. He wanted this. But was it even something available for him to have?
He shook his head. He had no business wanting her. Baylee deserved better. Better than some washed up baseball pitcher with no clue what his future looked like.
“Hey. Is everything ok?”
He turned. Baylee stuck her head out the front door. The joy from being with her son lit up her face, her smile wide and her eyes bright.
“I don’t mean to interrupt you, but we have cupcakes ready if you’d like one.”
Drew’s heart pounded in his chest. He dug his hands deep in his pockets to keep from pulling her to him and never letting go. The battle to keep from kissing her senseless raged within him as well. He wanted her. A chance with her. Any and all time he could have with her, he wanted. He took a deep breath and let it out.
“I’d love one.”
“Great!” She turned and he followed her inside.
“Mr. MacIntire, we made cupcakes,” Casey said.
He was sitting at the table, a plate with a cupcake in front of him. A mini version of his mom, the kid was beyond cute.
“Awesome. Is it okay if I have one?”
“Of course. We put one on a plate for you.” Casey pointed to a plate that sat on the table.
“Thank you.” As Drew and Baylee took seats next to Casey, Drew whispered in her ear, “He can call me Drew. Mr. MacIntire makes me feel so old.”
She giggled then whispered back. “We’ll see. Trying to teach him manners and all.”
Drew shrugged. He knew better than to argue with a mom.
They dove into their cupcakes and listened to Casey talk about the statistics and stories he heard while watching the baseball game. His eyes lit up as he spoke, but his tone didn’t change much. He sounded a lot like a small adult. Drew found himself as enamored with the boy as he was with the child’s mother.
After plates were cleaned up and Casey was put to bed, Drew and Baylee sat and watched the end of the baseball game. She asked a few questions, trying to learn the game. He fell for her more and more with every question. Casey had begged Baylee to stay up later but was appeased with a plan to have Drew come over and watch another one with them again soon.
They’d only been watching for half an hour when Baylee’s head fell to Drew’s shoulder, her breathing even and body relaxed. Drew smiled. The evening was picture perfect. Well, to him anyway. Lots of the younger guys on his team would tease him for wanting a quiet night at home with homemade cupcakes over nightclubs and parties. But crazy nights out could never compare to the woman that slept on his shoulder. Her laughter, the glimmer in her emerald eyes. The way she asked him about baseball but continued to tease about knowing more about football.
It killed him to do it but he nudged her awake. She had to be exhausted. Up every day at four in the morning and at the bakery by five? And then evenings caring for a young boy. Kate was right. Baylee had a lot on her plate. A lot that Drew wanted to help with. But how? He’d be leaving. Spring training was in a few weeks. He could extend his stay but for how long? Not long enough.
Baylee moaned and blinked. “Oh, I am so sorry.” She rubbed her eyes. “What a terrible hostess, falling asleep on you and all.” She looked at his shoulder then at him. “Literally.”
“I don’t mind.” He looked down at her, lost in her eyes. “I hate waking you but I know you have an early morning. I’m sorry for keeping you up for so long.”
He stood and walked to the door, Baylee’s bare footsteps behind him on the wood floor. He opened the front door and turned. “I had a great evening.”
“Me too.”
“Dinner was so good and dessert... well, you already know you’re amazing at dessert.”
She looked down at her feet but not before he saw the blush rise in her cheeks. “Thanks.” Her eyes found his again. “I appreciate you talking to Casey about baseball. It looks like you got another young kid to fall in love with it.”
“It’s easy to fall for.” Drew looked down at her, not sure himself if he was still talking about baseball or not.
“I appreciate you agreeing to watch another game so he would go to bed, but please don’t feel obligated.”
He took a step towards her, his hand cradling her face before rational thought could stop him. “There is nothing I would rather do more than watch another game with you and Casey.”
“Nothing?” The light in her eyes danced, one side of her mouth lifted. Was she daring him to kiss her? If so, then it was game on.
He lifted his eyebrows. “Is that a challenge, Bay?”
“What do you think?”
His mouth found hers, soft at first but then more intense. As she responded to him, her arms wrapped around his waist, his hands roamed the silky strands of her hair, holding her head just as he wanted it. Thoughts of this being not the best idea attempted to fill his head, but were pushed away with the scent of vanilla on her skin and her hands moving up his back, holding him close.
He pulled away but only because they both needed air. Damning oxygen, he pulled her in close, her head cradled against his chest. Not even a week’s time and he was falling for this woman. How was that even possible?
“Are you regretting this kiss too?” Her voice was muffled by his shirt but he had heard every word and his heart sank. That last thing he wanted was for Baylee to think any part of his time with her was a negative. It was so far the opposite.
“I regret absolutely nothing that has happened with you, Baylee. Not one thing.”
She looked up at him but kept her arms around his waist. “Me neither.”
“I do need to be honest with you though.”
“You live in New York. I live here. You’re a big tim
e baseball player. I’m a small-town girl with a young child. I know. I get it.”
Of course she did. Baylee had more at stake in this than Drew did. She had Casey. Of course she’d thought through this as much as he had.
“If you want to be friends, I can do that.”
Drew’s heart raced in his chest. Friends. He wanted so much more but wasn’t sure he had that to give.
“Is that what you want?” Part of him begged her not to answer that.
“What I want and what is best might be two separate things.”
He nodded. “I understand.”
“How about this? How about we don’t decide anything tonight. I’m exhausted and not super clearheaded. You kissing me isn’t helping.” She smiled and placed a soft kiss on his lips. “Not that I’m complaining.” She stepped back out of his arms and patted his chest. “Let’s sleep on it. Then we’ll go from there.”
He nodded again, words scrambling in his head but not finding their way to his mouth.
She walked him to his car, gave him another soft kiss, this time on the cheek. Probably a good thing. If his lips found hers again, he didn’t trust he’d have the strength to walk away. He’d found his voice enough to promise to call her the next day.
She waved from the front porch as he drove away, her silhouette getting smaller and smaller in the rearview mirror. He couldn’t just be friends. That was a fact. So where did that leave them? He drove into the night, his mind filling with more questions than answers.
Chapter Eight
“Have you lost your ever loving mind?”
“It’s good to see you too, sis. How was the honeymoon?” Drew sat down in a booth across from Kate. She said to meet him at Meg’s Diner, a place he’d jogged by in the mornings, but had never gone inside.
It had been two days since his evening with Baylee at her house, ending with a stellar kiss that left him needing a cold shower and more miles added on to his run the following morning, but it had been worth it. He’d called her yesterday, as promised. Mostly small talk, really. But she agreed to having dinner with him and they scheduled another baseball game watching night on Sunday. Her day off being Monday meant she wouldn’t fall asleep on him again, although she gave no guarantees. Not that he minded. She could sleep on his shoulder all she wanted.
“Based on that goofy grin on your face, I can assume what mom told me about you and Baylee is true. You’re totally falling for her.”
His sister’s comment brought him back to reality and wiped said goofy grin from his face. “What does mom know? I haven’t said a word about Baylee.” Well, other than the day they had a picnic and she helped him pack food. Beyond that, he’d hung out, gone running, and daydreamed his life away. Went back and forth between mentally kicking his own butt for letting things get as far as they had already with Baylee and wanting nothing more than being with her as much as possible. Less brooding, but still. He certainly didn’t tell his mother his feelings.
A tall woman with dark hair approached the table. Thank God, saved by the waitress. He’d have to face Kate’s questions at some point. That was why they were having lunch. He’d gotten ready that morning as if preparing to face a firing squad. Even though he loved and adored her, his sister could be a force sometimes. One he wasn’t sure he was ready for. He didn’t have any answers himself. How was he going to try and give her any?
“What can I get you guys?” The woman had no notepad or pen in her hand, just a black apron around her waist with the logo of the diner on it. Her white t-shirt and jeans splotched with grease stains.
“Hey, Meg. This is my brother, Drew.” Kate introduced him. He shook Meg’s hand and nodded.
“Nice to meet you, Drew.” She said his name as if she knew him already, but not in the way people did who recognized him as a baseball player. No, the twinkle in her eye made him nervous. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Meg is friends with Baylee,” Kate offered over her menu that was open in front of her. She’d been holding it the whole time but hadn’t glanced at it once.
Ah. Right. Friends with Baylee. Small town. Got it. Meg was sizing him up for her friend. Could his day get any worse?
“We’ll have iced tea, Meg. Give us a second on an order. I need to grill my brother here more about his love life.”
Yep. Much worse. He glared at Kate but it didn’t do any good. She ignored him, like always, and smiled at Meg, who, with a “You got it,” walked away.
“So, I see that married life hasn’t changed your inclination towards nosiness, or a complete obsession with my life over your own.”
Kate set down the menu and waved away his comment with her hand. A hand that now held a decent sized rock on it along with a plain, silver wedding band. “Call it what you want, big brother, but you aren’t getting away from this.”
“Away from what?”
“This conversation.”
Meg came by and set down two glasses of iced tea. Kate ordered a burger. Drew did the same, although he wasn’t all that hungry, his stomach sour from all he faced across the table.
“The honeymoon was amazing, thank you for asking,” Kate said then sipped tea through her straw. She sat back in the booth and relaxed a bit. She glanced out the window, a look of contentment on her face. “I don’t have to worry with Jack. I can just... be.” Her eyes met Drew’s and she smiled. “I used to think love had to be hard, but loving him is so easy.” She lifted a shoulder and let it fall. “I’m not saying a good relationship doesn’t take work, but I can be myself with Jack. And I trust him.”
Trust. Drew understood. Kate’s ex was a piece of work. Lied, cheated. A total slime that had fooled them all. Couldn’t trust him any further than they could throw him. Drew saw the peace in his sister’s eyes now, though, and thanked God for Jack. She had sworn off men. Believed love wasn’t for her. Which was ridiculous. She looked happy, and that made Drew happy.
“But I want to talk about you.”
And, happy feeling gone. He shook his head. “Nothin’ to talk about.” His thumb brushed the side of his tea glass. Up and down, up and down.
“Liar. Mom tells me you took her on a picnic...”
“Which you so rudely interrupted by texting me.”
She ignored him. “And you went to her house for dinner and to watch a baseball game.” She pointed a finger across the table at him. “That’s a big deal, Drew. Baylee doesn’t just let anyone into her world, as well as Casey’s, with ease. She’s protective and careful.”
“I know. She should be. Casey’s a great kid.”
Her long, dark hair brushed her shoulders as she shook her head. Her hair was down. She almost always wore it in a high, tight ponytail. Guess Jack helped change a few things about put-together Kate. If Jack had gotten her to let her hair down, literally, maybe he could get her to stop harassing Drew about his life.
“I’m serious, Drew. What’s happening? You don’t even know what you’ll be doing this time next month. You can’t drag Baylee into that.”
As if that fact hadn’t plagued his thoughts day in and day out, night after night since he’d laid eyes on Baylee. “Look, Kate. I don’t know what’s happening.” He looked out the window, avoiding her eyes. “I like her.”
Kate rolled her eyes. “Tell me something that isn’t painfully obvious.”
He leaned forward, his fingers locked together in front of him on the table. “Look. I’m your brother. Why are you all over me like I’m bad news for Baylee? You’re acting as if for some crazy reason we decided to give it a chance, which I would not tell you if we did, that I’d be bad for her. And Casey.” He didn’t get angry often but heat was rising in him and he didn’t like it. Didn’t like having to defend himself to his own sibling.
Kate’s demeanor softened. She placed a hand on his. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I’m just... protective. Of both of you.”
Drew leaned back against the booth.
Meg came by once more and placed their plates down in
front of them. “There you go. Can I get your guys anything else?”
Kate said a polite, “No thanks, we’re good.”
Meg moved along. Drew kept his eyes on his sister, not trusting he had it in him at the moment to be civil. And the last thing he needed was to snap at Baylee’s close friend who didn’t even know him. That’d make a great first impression.
Kate pulled the top bun off her burger and took the lettuce off, placing it on an empty side plate. She’d never liked lettuce on burgers or sandwiches, ever since they were kids. They knew so much about one another as siblings. Why couldn’t she understand where he was now? The angst in his gut over maybe losing the only thing he’d ever loved? Baseball was always top choice for him. Maybe that was why he’d never married. He hadn’t found the woman who could grasp that, not compete with it.
“Your burger’s gonna get cold.”
He nudged the plate away. “I’m not very hungry.”
“Come on, Drew,” she pleaded. “I really am sorry. I don’t want to ruin our lunch. I know you aren’t here for much longer. The last thing I want is for you to be mad at me.”
He gave her a slight nod, his anger subsiding. She cared. The way she showed it took some getting used to, but she bugged him out of love. He looked out the window, Baylee’s smile drifting into his thoughts. His family loved him, yes, but they consistently wanted to know the plan. What was he gonna do? When would he know if he still had his position on the team? Valid questions that he didn’t have the answers to. Baylee accepted him as is. Asked him about the game of baseball. Why he loved it. What he missed. She didn’t badger him about plans or his future. Hell, she didn’t even bug him about what was happening between them. She took one day at a time and enjoyed it. He envied her that.
“Please eat.” Kate’s voice was quiet now. Contrite.
He brought his plate closer to him again and popped a French fry into his mouth. It was good. Really good. He made a mental note to come into Meg’s more often while he was here.
Saving Drew Page 6
