Saving Drew

by Lara Van Hulzen

  Meg growled and headed towards the register. Baylee laughed as she watched Meg serve them both coffee and pie to go. It wasn’t tough to see Chet watch every move Meg made, even giving her a dimpled smile as he turned to leave.

  “Why, Meg Malone, I do believe you have a not so secret admirer.” Baylee teased when her friend returned, looking like she’d eaten a lemon.

  “Because I am a grown up, unlike you, I will refrain from rolling my eyes.”

  Baylee stifled a chuckle. “I don’t know why you fight it. Chet’s a good guy, has a good job, and happens to be hunky good-looking. What’s the problem?”

  “The problem is no one uses the word ‘hunk’ or ‘hunky’ anymore. Get with the times.”

  “Avoid the topic all you want but, someday, I’m going to find out why you protest so much.”

  Meg blinked and a frown formed. She took the fork from Baylee’s plate and shoved a piece of pie into her mouth. Baylee had never seen Meg this worked up. Dropping the subject was definitely a good idea.

  “Why don’t you come over for dinner tonight?” Baylee asked.

  “Can’t.” Meg answered around a mouthful of pie.

  Baylee didn’t want to push. Meg was her closest friend in Silver Bay, but still had a few skeletons in her closet she wasn’t ready to share.

  Baylee understood. “Okay.”

  Meg sighed. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to get testy with you. You’re the one person in the crazy town who even puts up with me still.”

  “That’s not true.”

  “Feels true.” Meg took the plate and turned to set in in the large sink behind her.

  “I’ve gotta go.” Baylee stood and set her purse strap on her shoulder. “If you change your mind about dinner, just come over.”

  “Thanks.” Meg came around the counter and hugged her. “And I know you’ll make the right decision about baseball boy.”

  “Thanks for listening.”

  “Always.”

  “I’m home!” Baylee called as she entered her house.

  Her mother sat at the kitchen table, a laptop in front of her and creases in her brow. That couldn’t be good. Whatever she was looking at, she wasn’t happy about.

  “What’s up, Mama?” Baylee set her purse down on the front entry table and joined her mother.

  Looking over her mom’s shoulder, she saw a news article on the screen. There was a picture of Drew with a woman, a pretty brunette dressed in an expensive black suit and stiletto heels. Her back was to the camera, but Drew’s face lit up with a smile as he leaned in for a hug, the woman’s arms around his neck.

  Baylee’s stomach dropped. “Who is that?”

  “It doesn’t say. The article is all about whether the women in his life can handle him being with the ‘Hot Baking Bombshell.’ Good Lord, what a nickname for you. Makes you sound like a pinup girl.”

  Baylee could think of worse things to be called but, at the moment, her eyes were lasered in on the woman in Drew’s arms. Who could she be? Baylee had never thought to ask about the women in his past because, in all honesty, it didn’t matter to her. But the picture was dated right before he’d come to Silver Bay. Was she an ex-girlfriend, a friend? Her imagination ran away with possibilities.

  She plopped into the chair beside her mother. The reality of Drew’s life hit her like a slap in the face. He was a big-time baseball star. Money, cars, women – anything he wanted whenever he wanted them. Of course, the man she had come to know had integrity, character. Her eyes wandered to the picture again. But there was still so much she didn’t know about Drew. The evidence sat before her on the computer screen.

  “You okay, sweetie?” Her mom put a hand on Baylee’s arm.

  “I’m not sure.” She shook her head. “I love him, Mama. I do. But is that enough?”

  “The romantic in me wants to say yes, but with this”—she waved a hand towards the laptop—“this stuff would challenge even the best of love stories.”

  Baylee nodded in agreement.

  A knock at the door made them both turn.

  “Anybody home?” Drew’s voice floated through the room as he opened the door and stuck his head inside.

  His eyes found hers and the boyish grin made her smile in return, but the smoky blue of his eyes made her insides turn to mush. She melted at the mere sight of the man. Could she really even consider him not being a part of her life?

  He stepped into the house and closed the door behind him. “What are you two up to?”

  Baylee’s mother looked at her and whispered, “Casey’s in his room drawing. I’ll leave you two to chat.”

  She stood and gave Drew a quick hug before heading down the hall into Baylee’s room and closing the door.

  Drew frowned and looked at Baylee. “Feels a bit somber in here. Did I miss something?”

  Baylee patted the chair her mother had vacated. “Come sit with me.”

  “Okay.” He sat beside her and kissed her cheek. “Missed you today.”

  A nod was all she could manage. Torn between bursting into tears and wanting to wrap her arms around him and stay there all night, her eyes saw only the picture on the computer screen. Drew had yet to turn his head, still unaware of it.

  One thing Baylee wanted was to give him the benefit of the doubt. Drew had been nothing but honest with her from the beginning. He deserved a chance to tell her who the woman was in the picture. But the sense of dread of having to question every moment plastered in the news weighed her down.

  “What’s wrong, Bay?”

  “Who’s the woman in the picture?” She pointed to the screen.

  He turned his head then leaned in to get a better look. He scrubbed a hand down his face and looked at the ceiling. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  Not exactly the reaction she was expecting but she sat patiently waiting for him to continue.

  He turned in his chair, took both her hands in his so she faced him. “I want you to look me in the eye when I say this, Bay. This woman means nothing. She’s not even in my life. Before I left for Silver Bay, I had dinner with my assistant, Monica, who is happily married, by the way, and she brought a friend with her.” He looked at the picture then back at Baylee. “This picture was taken outside the restaurant as we waited for the valet to get our cars. What you can’t see in the picture is that all three of us were laughing at something Monica said and I hugged them both goodbye. That was it.”

  His thumb rubbed across her hand as he talked. All of it was true. It was evident in his eyes. And his tone lacked desperation. She’d learned with Erik that he only sounded desperate when he was covering something, wanting her to believe without question in what he was saying. What Drew gave was an explanation. And his eyes never wavered from hers.

  “Monica can tell you the same thing. She was with us.”

  “I don’t need to talk to Monica. I believe you.”

  He leaned forward and kissed her. Soft at first, then he cupped her head with his hand and things intensified. She melted into him like always.

  When they pulled back, he placed his forehead to hers. “I love you, Baylee. You. No one else.”

  She nodded, tears lodged in her throat.

  He sat back again. “This is what they do, the press. They find pictures that can be used to make something look different than what it truly is. And this?” He motioned towards the screen. “This was an innocent dinner between friends. That’s all.”

  Unable to form words, Baylee blinked away tears and nodded again.

  “You gotta give me more than a nod, babe. I’m dying over here.”

  “I’m... scared.”

  “Scared of what?”

  “Scared of not being able to handle all this. Scared of how it will change life. Scared that you’ll go back to New York, back to baseball, and not want me anymore. I’m scared of losing you. I’m scared of making bad decisions for Casey. I’m. Scared.” She hadn’t intended on dumping all of that on him, but now it was out and it hung betwee
n them, palpable. “I don’t know if I can do this, Drew.”

  “Baylee. The last thing I would ever do is hurt you intentionally.” He looked down at his shoes. “I can’t promise that I can keep you from this, from the attention and the ‘noise’ as Monica calls it.”

  “I understand.”

  He looked up again and his eyes searched hers. “Then what’s next?”

  Baylee wrapped her arms around her middle, to keep away the pain or hold herself together, she wasn’t sure. “I don’t know.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Drew sat at a corner table of Garrett’s Saloon. Jack had called and asked Drew if he wanted to join him and Josh for a beer. Baylee was going to bed early. She’d said she was tired and needed to get up at the crack of dawn to open the bakery the next day. He had no real reason to doubt her. Her life was busy and the start to her days was earlier than most people could handle. But doubt nudged its way into his mind anyway.

  Casey had come into the room the night before, cutting their discussion off. Drew had stayed for dinner and watched some baseball with them, but the tension between him and Baylee was palpable and he hated it. Yes, she’d believed him about the woman in the picture. But was that enough? How many more times in the future would she have to see something untrue in the papers and him have to explain himself?

  The irony of it all was that he was the cleanest guy on the team. The others even teased him about it. Called him the nun. Drew didn’t go out and party. He went straight to the hotel or home after games. He rarely even met Monica in public, to protect her reputation as much as his own. She said she didn’t care and insisted on the one dinner out before he came to Silver Bay. She wanted to toast Kate’s wedding. Send him off on a happy note since he’d been, in her words, “such a sour face for so long.” But even that was now biting him in the butt.

  When Jack asked if he wanted to meet up for the evening, Drew had said yes. What better way to blow off some steam, as well as get some much needed advice? It would be a good way to get to know his new brother-in-law as well. And seeing as how he’d get an earful from Kate as soon as she talked to Baylee, having Jack on his side could work in Drew’s favor.

  He took a sip from his glass, the liquid cool on his tongue but turning warm through his chest. Not that anyone needed to take sides. Drew and Baylee weren’t at odds. It was more like them against the world. Well, at least that was how he saw things. But it couldn’t hurt to have Jack in his camp if it would help Baylee and Kate see things that way as well.

  Drew had shown up early. Didn’t have much going on anyway, and wanted to get a seat in the corner, away from people. Hell, to be honest, to make sure he wasn’t in a position where it was easy to photograph him. His time in Silver Bay had been quiet, overall. The few pics only, which was damn near unheard of in his world. But the last thing he wanted was to give anyone more ammo. A night out with the guys was harmless enough but, of course, he knew better. A picture could get twisted around, used against him. Man, he hated that part of his life.

  Garrett’s was a cool place though. Drew had introduced himself to Garrett when he came in before he sat down. Nice guy. They chatted as Garrett stood behind the bar, drying glasses and putting them away. When Drew said he’d be at a table in the back, Garrett understood. Ever since, not a single person noticed Drew, not even a glance in his direction. Of course, it was quieter tonight than the evening they’d spent dancing in the saloon. More of a typical Friday night in a small-town bar. Mostly men shooting the breeze about sports and whether the weather would be good for fishing or not. The old school juke box in the corner played country music. Chris Stapleton crooned about his woman firing away, taking her best shot, that he wasn’t afraid of anything because of how much he loved her.

  “Getting a head start on us, huh?” Jack took a seat across from Drew. His brother Josh sat beside him.

  Drew had been so lost in the lyrics of the song, he hadn’t noticed them arrive.

  The men all shook hands, settled into their seats. The waitress came up and took their drink order, the volume of the place rising a bit as a few more people wandered through the door.

  “You doin’ okay, man?” Jack leaned back in his chair, stretched one boot clad leg out in front of him.

  His dark hair and eyes were a complete contrast to his brother’s blonde hair and blue eyes. But Drew saw the resemblance. Opposites in coloring, but definitely brothers.

  “Why do you ask?”

  Jack laughed. “I think you already know the answer to that one.”

  “Kate.” All three men spoke at the same time.

  Drew shook his head and took another sip of his beer. The waitress returned with Josh and Jack’s drinks.

  “She means well.” Jack said.

  “I know. She just gets worked up more than she should.”

  “Worked up. That’s a good way of putting it.” Jack’s tone teased but the smile on his lips showed amusement at his wife and her... concern for others.

  That was what she always called it anyway.

  “She talked to Baylee today.” Jack offered.

  It wasn’t unheard of. The two women were thick as thieves and their shops were right next door to each other. There was no way around the two of them talking about what happened.

  “So is this a pity date?” Drew motioned to the three of them.

  Josh laughed. “You can call it whatever you want, man. I’m here because my brother said he was buying.”

  “Same here.” Drew lifted his glass in a toast. The others did the same then all took a swig.

  Of course, he and Baylee were uncertain and she said no to being with him for the first night since they got together. But sure, a free night of drinks was a good reason to say yes to his brother-in-law. Drew drained his glass and signaled the waitress for another.

  Jack leaned forward in his chair and put his elbows on the table. “Look. You and I both know that Kate... encouraged me to talk to you. Quite frankly, I’ve been wanting to hang out some anyway, get to know my new family. If you don’t want to talk about Baylee, I’m the last one to push you. But I have to at least be able to go home to my wife and tell her I asked.”

  “So are you asking?”

  Jack nodded. “I’m asking.” He leaned back in his chair again. “And because I care, not just because I’m obligated. What’s the story? Kate said something about a picture of you and some other woman?”

  Drew groaned.

  “No judging, we swear.” Josh put his hands up in a sign of surrender. Jack nodded in agreement.

  “Seriously, man. I can’t imagine what you go through.” Josh offered. “I mean, playing pro ball? That has got to be awesome.”

  “Did you play?” Drew noticed Josh had more of an athletic build than Jack.

  Not to say Jack was small by any stretch, just more of a runner looking type. Josh was thick.

  “Football.”

  Drew nodded.

  “But I had no aspirations to play past high school. Messed around a bit in college, but that was it. Nothing competitive.”

  “Kate says it’s pretty tough for you though, the attention and all.” Jack said to Drew.

  He’d hadn’t thought too much of it before. Well, enough to learn how to maneuver through and deal with it. But, up until now, he only had himself to worry about. Yes, he gave thought to Monica and the people who worked for him but, like her, they were all in that world anyway. It was par for the course.

  “I guess. Until now, it was only me. I mean, I don’t tend to hang out in places that can get a player in trouble, ya know? I keep my nose clean.”

  But even that hadn’t helped. An innocent dinner with two friends who happened to be female had him sitting in a saloon in a small town across the country from where he lived, talking to two new friends about how to save the relationship of the only woman he’d ever truly cared about. Loved.

  “The woman in the picture I only met that night,” Drew continued. “She’s the friend
of my assistant. We had dinner and I hugged them both goodbye. End of story. Well, at least on my end. But now the press knows all about Baylee and they’re digging up anything they can find to stir up trouble.”

  “What’d Baylee say?” Josh asked.

  “She believes me.”

  “Well, that’s good, right?” Josh looked so hopeful.

  Drew wished he could too. “It is. But she’s unsure.”

  “About what?” Jack asked.

  “About... everything. About us. How we can handle the long distance, me traveling so much, all the attention in the press and social media.”

  “Legitimate concerns.”

  Drew looked at Josh. “Never said they weren’t.”

  “Sorry.”

  “No. I’m sorry. I’m... punchy.”

  “Also legitimate.” Josh took a sip of his beer, the two men exchanging a look of understanding.

  Drew ran a hand down his face. “Look. We don’t need to discuss this. I don’t want to bring down the evening.”

  “It’s okay. Like I said, you’re doing me a favor. I can go home and tell Kate we talked all about it. I get brownie points and she’ll lay you off you a little.”

  Drew laughed. “Oh, new brother-in-law of mine. You have much to learn about my sweet, bull dog of a sister. She will never lay off. Trust me.”

  The other men laughed.

  “Fair enough,” Jack said. “If you’re really okay, then I’ll be honest here, Josh and I could talk baseball the whole night if you’re up for that.”

  Drew was absolutely up for that. He couldn’t think of a better distraction from Baylee, spring training, his injury – all the stuff swirling around in his head – than talking about his favorite sport all night with a group of guys. It had actually been a long time since he had friends who weren’t guys on his team. Hearing about Josh and Jack’s architectural firm as well as the glory days in Silver Bay was a welcomed way to spend the evening.

  It wasn’t until they’d said their goodbyes at the door of the saloon and Drew glanced at his phone that it all came flooding back. A text from Kate that said, “Meet me tomorrow at Meg’s for breakfast,” tossed him right back into the whirlwind that was life.