by Jody Holford
When Addie approached, she stood and gave her a hug. “Hey. Sorry for the short notice. I’m only back in town for a few days.”
“Are you joking?” Addie hugged her back and then took a seat across from her. “I’m still fangirling, so you’re going to have to put up with that. Feel free to call me any time and I will clear my schedule.”
She laughed and leaned forward. “I should be swooning over you. The woman who captured Sawyer McBain’s heart? That’s one hell of a feat.”
Nerves surfaced again when she thought of how off Sawyer had been this afternoon. “He’s a good man.”
“That he is. But really, you’re around famous ball players all the time. I’m just an actress.”
Addie rolled her eyes. “Just an actress? You’ve starred in most of my favorite movies. You advocate for women’s rights and across the board equity. You use your fame and power for good.”
“Thank you. That means a lot to me that you think so. I’d like to do more. I love the ideas you emailed me.”
They’d been going back and forth for a few weeks, each of them sharing the causes that mattered to them and ideas for how to support them financially and through awareness.
“I’m so glad. What I’m thinking is, we need to find a way to start a foundation that allows us to keep our options open. We draw people into events but we allow them to have a say in where the funds go.”
Alyssa leaned forward and started to speak when the waitress joined them. “Can I get you a drink?”
Addie ordered a soda and Alyssa asked for a refill of her coffee. When the waitress dropped the drink off a minute later, they returned to the conversation.
“If we worked toward holding one to two events a year, using the contacts we both have, it could become something people will look forward to, want to be a part of.”
“We could do a winter and summer event. Liam Cruz is interested in being involved. So is his fiancée, Isla. I can tap into other sports stars, but I think we’ll have a wider reach with your contacts.”
They discussed and wrote down several ideas, and Addie’s excitement grew. They were going to start their own charitable foundation, and though they didn’t have all the details worked out, she was beyond excited about a venture that would be solely about making a difference in people’s lives.
By the time she and Alyssa parted, Addie was giddy with excitement. She didn’t need a stuffy board of directors measuring her worth. She and Alyssa would create their own board of diverse, forward-thinking people who would help support long-term change.
When she got home, she stopped just inside her door, hearing music and seeing the flickering candles even from the hallway. Sawyer came from the direction of her bedroom and met her in the entryway.
“I thought you were meeting your Grams.”
He stopped in front of her, stared at her. Dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, he looked like he belonged in her home. And she’d be lying if she said she couldn’t get used to the idea of coming home to him. But her heart was…wary. Self-preservation?
“I talked to her on the phone and then she ditched me for a date with some old guy she beats at blackjack.”
Addie laughed as she slipped off her shoes. “You got ditched by your grandmother. That’s pretty funny.”
He came closer, brushed a hair off her face. “Glad you think so.”
“Hmm.” Her heart skipped a couple beats and she had to work to keep her tone light. “You seemed like you needed some space. What made you come here?”
Pushing her jacket off her shoulders, he took it from her, pressing a kiss to her neck in the process. “I think I’m becoming dependent on you.”
She watched him hang her jacket in the closet. “Oh yeah?”
When he turned back, she couldn’t read his expression. “Yeah. I’m sorry I was off earlier. My mom is calling all the time about this stupid dinner. My brother wanted to borrow more money. I took an endorsement deal I’m not crazy about because the money is really good. I hate being a sellout.”
She crossed the space to him and put her hands on his chest. “You are not a sellout. Unless you’re endorsing something you’re against for the sole benefit of cash, don’t talk about yourself like that. You take care of yourself, your family, your Grams.”
He pulled her closer, his hands on her hips. “I’m not stupid with money. I invest. I save. But the bottom line is, in the next couple of years, my career path is going to change. Part of me worries if I don’t take these opportunities now, I won’t have access to them in the future.”
“Have you had the papers drawn up for your brother and mom?”
He nodded. “Yeah. Just need to sit down with them and go over it. I was trying to wait until after his dinner.”
She took his hand and pulled him into the living room, stopping when she saw the circle of candles, the flowers in the center of the table, and the soft, low lighting. His body pressed up against her back when she stopped mid-step.
“Well, this is lovely.”
His mouth came to her neck, trailed up to her ear. “So are you. And patient. And kind. And sexy. And very likely too good for me. But I’m selfish enough that I can’t let you go.”
She turned in his arms, gazed up at him. “Is someone asking you to?”
He shook his head, lowered his face to kiss her with exquisite gentleness. “No. Just sometimes I grow a conscience and realize you could do better than a grumpy, nearly retired athlete like me.”
Running her hands up and down his chest, she spoke low to match the mood he’d set. “I wish you could see what I see. You make me happy, Sawyer. You’re a good man. A good grandson and definitely a good brother and son. You give back and care about others. What’s wrong? Why are you so down?”
Taking both of her hands in his, he kissed them. “I think they’ll let Mateo start a couple games. It’s too far off to say for sure, but it’s definitely being considered as a way to get us higher in the rankings right out of the gate next season.”
“You’re so much more than baseball. I don’t know if that’s a bad thing to say, but it’s true.”
“It’s going to take me some time to get used to the idea that I need to be.”
She went up on tiptoes. “I could help.”
“You already do. You make me happy. I’m sorry if I was rude to you today.”
She kissed him. “Just a little off. Not rude. This is how relationships work. We lean on each other when we need to and sometimes, unfortunately, we’ll take our bad days out on each other. But as long as we have each other’s backs at the end of it, I think we’ll be okay.”
He leaned in, touched his lips to hers, took the kiss deeper. “We have to be. I’m starting to feel like I’d be lost without you, Addie.”
“Not lost. Just…rediscovering yourself.”
“Hmm. You always have a good twist on things,” he said, smiling against her skin as his lips moved over her collarbone.
“I am an optimist.”
He chuckled. “Yes, you are. The sunshine to my clouds.”
She touched his face, bringing his gaze to hers. “You can’t appreciate the sun without the moon, Sawyer.”
His eyes widened. “God, I adore you.”
It wasn’t what she hoped to hear and she knew she felt more in her heart, but it was enough. He was talking to her, leaning on her. He was here with her and she could see there was nowhere else he wanted to be.
So, it was enough. For now.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Addie truly didn’t know what to expect. Sawyer didn’t take her hand as they walked toward Meat & Eats Steakhouse. Sawyer held the door open for her and touched his hand to the small of her back as she passed by him, but there was no warmth in his touch. Given how affectionate and sweet he’d been lately, it was noticeable.
“Welcome to Meat & Eats. Do you have a reservation?” The baby-faced hostess, who in all fairness was likely in her twenties, checked Sawyer out from head to toe. She didn�
�t even glance Addie’s way.
“McBain,” Sawyer said, clearly oblivious to the young lady’s blatant ogling.
What is wrong with you? You’re not a jealous person and even if you were, hello…he’s hot. And famous. And one of the reasons he doesn’t like to go out is that he doesn’t enjoy this. Turned out, neither did she.
“Oh, you have a whole party already here,” bubbly hostess girl said.
“Why are you frowning?” Sawyer’s breath tickled her ear as he leaned toward her. A shiver racked Addie’s body. The man was too potent for his own good.
“I’m not,” she muttered.
He chuckled, and she glared at him as they followed behind the bouncy blonde.
“I like brunettes,” he whispered, his hand resting just above her bottom.
“I bet they all like you back, too.” Irritated with herself, she relaxed her shoulders. She was about to apologize, turned her face up to do so, but found him staring at her with such intensity that her words got stuck.
“I don’t care about anyone else.”
Addie let the truth of that soothe her as they walked toward the back of the restaurant toward a semi-private area.
“Sawyer!” A loud male voice boomed over the din of the crowded restaurant and then a behemoth of a man embraced Sawyer in a full body hug.
Addie moved to the side to avoid being trampled. The hostess smiled and walked away. Several long, rectangular tables had been set up, a booth running the length of the wall behind them and several chairs in front. People milled around, settled in the chairs, laughed and talked across the table. Several pairs of eyes wandered to Addie and Sawyer. She felt the tension emanating from him. He kept his hands to himself, but more than that, he seemed untouchable.
Her stomach felt like she was being tickled from the inside. She hadn’t met a man’s family in years. Other than Liam’s, but that didn’t count. She only met them because she was best friends with Isla and because the Cruz family did not believe in a single person eating Sunday dinners alone.
“Good to see you, man,” the guy—he had to be Sawyer’s brother—said, clapping his back and then pulling away. His eyes roamed over Addison and stopped at her face. “And who do we have here?”
Sawyer’s eyes sparked with irritation, and Addison immediately stepped closer. She stuck out her hand in an attempt to be cordial and cover the awkwardness.
“Addison Carlisle.”
“Brooks McBain,” he answered, bringing her hand to his lips and pressing his mouth against her skin. It was an over-the-top gesture, and she wondered if Sawyer’s brother felt the pressure to compete with his superstar status. In Liam’s family, they all seemed to roll with it because in the end, he was a brother, son, nephew, and all-around good man before he was anything else. But from what Addie had pieced together, Sawyer’s family didn’t see him outside of his profession.
“And I’m the soon to be Mrs. McBain,” a striking woman with jet-black hair, bright red lips, and a gorgeous, shimmery and definitely designer blouse said as she sidled up to Brooks.
The way she eyed Sawyer had Addison swallowing back a growl. The woman pressed her voluptuous body against Sawyer’s and Addison was all too aware of her small—in every respect—body. But when Sawyer barely allowed the woman to hug him before pulling Addie closer, her irritation smoothed. She’s his ex for a reason.
“Lena.” Sawyer’s voice was tight. She couldn’t imagine how…weird this moment must be for all of them.
Addison reached out and shook the woman’s hand. “Nice to meet you, Lena. Congratulations on your upcoming wedding.”
Lena gave Addie a once-over, much like her fiancé had, and a cool smile tipped her full mouth upward. “Thank you. We’re very happy,” Lena said, her gaze assessing. Her eyes flitted to Sawyer.
Brooks pulled his fiancée closer. “Some things are just meant to be.” He looked at Sawyer and his jaw clenched. “Whether you want them to be or not. You can’t always pick who you fall for.”
Sawyer shook his head. “I’m here celebrating you two. How about we leave the drama aside?”
Others started to say hello and ask Sawyer a barrage of questions about the season and the way it ended. Politely nodding and mumbling quick answers, he pulled her to the end of the table. A striking woman with long blonde hair and Sawyer’s eyes watched them as they sat across from her and the gray-haired man who had his arm around her.
Sawyer went around the table, leaned forward, and pressed a quick kiss to the woman’s cheek. “Mom. You look good.” He shook the man’s hand. “Dennis.”
“You brought your girl. How lovely. I wasn’t sure I’d get to meet you,” his mom said, locking eyes with Addie.
Sawyer sighed. “Been a little busy, Mom. This is Addison Carlisle. Addie, this is my mom, Rita, and her husband, Dennis.”
The introduction was almost robotic. Cold. She stared at him, but when he avoided her gaze, she turned on her work persona and shook both of their hands.
“Nice to meet you, Addison. Tell us about yourself,” Rita said. Addie was grateful seats hadn’t been saved closer to the bride and groom to be. A waitress came to the table.
“Hi. I’m Rochelle, your server for tonight. Can I get you two something to drink?”
Rochelle didn’t look much older than their hostess but the lines around her eyes suggested she was already tired. Addison had a feeling tonight would be a long one for all of them.
“I’ll have a cola,” Addison said when Sawyer raised his brows, waiting for her to go first.
“Same. Thanks,” Sawyer said, smiling tightly at the server. It reminded her that he didn’t like crowds in general and worked hard to avoid his family. The part of her that wanted to mend things for people, make lives easier, hoped that tonight would be a sort of bridge. He’d opened up so much in the weeks since they’d met. Tonight was a chance for him and his family to connect away from the media, his profession, and any expectations.
“So, what do you do, Addie?” Rita asked when the waitress walked away.
“I work for the Nashville Slammers organization as the director of special projects and team wellness.”
She got a little thrill every time she said it. She loved her job. Even when it was challenging. Sawyer’s mom’s brows rose right into her bangs.
“That’s quite the title. How long have you and my son been hooking up?”
Before she could answer, Sawyer covered his face with his hand and sighed. When he lowered it, he shot his mom a hard look. “Nice way to put it, Mom.”
“What? A mother can’t ask? The only personal details I get from you are the ones I read in Tell-All magazine.” She looked back and forth between Addie and her son.
His body stiffened. “That would be due to your tendency to overshare anything I tell you with that magazine’s competitors. Addie and I have been seeing each other for a bit, okay?” He stared straight ahead, but Addie felt the impact of his next words like a burn. “We work together, we became friends, it turned into more. No big deal.”
Dennis smiled. “Least this way she can keep tabs on you, huh, son?”
Sawyer made a low growly sound that would have made her laugh if she hadn’t caught Lena’s obvious interest in the conversation. Her fiancé was telling a story that involved him being in a less than dressed, quite inebriated state that didn’t sound all that fun. But he and his friends found it hilarious. Addie didn’t like the way Lena watched Sawyer, like she was wondering if she’d made a mistake.
Hell yeah you did.
“How’s the knee, Sawyer?” Dennis asked.
Sawyer glanced at Addie, his gaze shuttered. A chill tickled her skin. This Sawyer, the one around his family, was aloof; closed off. It made her sad to think that his family brought that out in him. Despite his having said, only seconds before, that they were “no big deal,” she placed her hand on Sawyer’s jean-clad thigh under the table. His muscles spasmed, making her smile. At least he couldn’t hide an honest response.
“It’s good. Rehab helped and now that the season is over, I’ll be able to rest up. I’ll be starting once we’re back,” he said.
“Your brother said you went out to see an old friend who specializes in reconstructive surgery,” Dennis replied.
Addie arched her brows. Sawyer didn’t meet her gaze. “A while back I got a second opinion.”
Addie waited to see if he’d say anything about the new direction he was considering.
“They going to give you a raise?” His mother took a drink of her margarita, eyeing her son over the rim.
“What? No. I signed a contract, Mom. Can we not talk about this? Please?”
“What do you pay your agent for? If I were you, I’d fire that woman. You should be doing endorsements with Reebok or Nike.” Rita set her drink down.
Sawyer picked up a menu and ignored his mom. Addie felt the tension start to seep into her pores. She’d expected some awkwardness—she knew his family rubbed him the wrong way.
“Don’t ignore me, Sawyer. I’m worried about your career,” his mom said.
“Give it a rest, Mom. Things are fine.”
He looked at Addie, his eyes giving her nothing. “Wanna share an appetizer first?”
She hadn’t expected the strange mix of anger from his mom’s tone and Sawyer’s almost zoned-out responses. “Sure.” She wasn’t sure if she’d be able to eat.
Dennis smiled at Addie. “Don’t mind us, dear. This is normal. Just giving each other a hard time like family tends to do.”
Sawyer rolled his eyes, and Addie just sat there hoping the dim room made it too hard to see the flush of embarrassment she knew was highlighting her cheeks. The conversations at the table overlapped and drowned each other out. Brooks kept telling stories and asking his friends to back him up about how funny it was. Several of the men talked to Sawyer about the season, the team, and the perks of being on the road.
“It’s not easy being on the road. For one thing, most teams play better at home. You’re not sleeping in your own bed, you’re eating somewhere different every night. It can throw you off,” Sawyer said to a woman sitting kitty-corner to them who’d asked about traveling.