The Perfect Play (Southern U O'Brien Brothers)

by Cookie O'Gorman

  He shook his head and met my eyes. "The whole team's counting on you."

  I forced out a laugh. "No pressure. Right?"

  "Nah," he said, slapping a hand on my back. "Just do you, brother. Everyone knows you're going to have a killer comeback."

  "Yeah, I hope so," I mumbled.

  My phone rang, and after pulling it out of my pocket, I picked up.

  "Hello?" I said.

  "Hi Chase, this is Jackie Conners from North Carolina Sports Weekly. You remember me?"

  "Yes ma'am, I do. How are you?"

  "Oh fine, fine," she said, "but that's not important. I called to see how you are. Do you have time for a quick interview?"

  Hmm, how to answer? If I said no, she'd assume something was wrong, most likely with my recovery. If I said yes, it would prolong this conversation. Both options were unappealing.

  "Sure, I have a minute," I said finally.

  "How's that arm?" she said.

  My shoulder tensed and rotated in response.

  "Doing much better. Thanks."

  "Was there any lasting damage? Will we be seeing you out on the field in the near future? Inquiring minds want to know."

  "No, there wasn't, and yes, hopefully you will. My doctor should let me know something soon."

  "So, your MLB hopes are still alive?" she asked.

  "Alive and kicking," I said.

  She hummed at that. "I noticed the Wolves had a hard time today against the Cougars. Your brother Baylor stepped in as a relief pitcher, but he seemed to have difficulty finding his stride. Do you think you could've done a better job than your twin?"

  I frowned, holding the phone away from my face in disbelief.

  "Chase?" she said. "Should I take your silence as confirmation?"

  With a sigh, I answered. "No way. In fact, Jackie, I can't believe you just said that. Baylor was a huge part of the team's win today. The Wolves came together in the face of very bad odds. They killed it."

  Baylor suddenly grabbed the phone.

  "Hey Jackie," he said, "this is Baylor O'Brien. I'm pretty sure you know you're supposed to direct all inquiries to the Coach's office."

  I heard her say something on the other end, and she sounded peeved.

  "Yeah, yeah," Baylor said, "but what do you think Coach O'Brien aka our mother would do if she found out you're harassing her son with dubious nighttime phone calls?"

  A squawk of indignation came through the speakers.

  "Oh, I didn't mean Chase. I meant me," he said. "It was one date. Booty calls are fun, but I thought you understood that we're done. Quit being a stalker. You can include that in your article if you want."

  There was a curse, and then the only thing I heard was dial tone.

  "Guess she was done talking," Baylor said as he handed back the phone.

  "Thanks for that," I said.

  "No problem. Conners is the worst."

  I gave him a look. "Says the guy who dated her."

  Baylor balked. "Hey, we all make mistakes."

  There was another knock at the door, and Archer poked his head in.

  "Chase," he said and gave Baylor a nod. "Done with the PT?"

  "Yeah," I said.

  "Everything go okay?"

  "Yes, Arch. It's all good. You don't have to check up on me."

  "I wasn't," he argued, but I could tell it was a lie. Archer was naturally protective. In the days after my injury, he'd refused to leave my side.

  "It's fine, Mama Bear," Baylor said. "I was here to deflect the gossipy reporter."

  Archer frowned. "Call me that again and see what happens."

  Baylor just grinned.

  "If anyone's bothering you, let me know," he said to both of us.

  I nodded to placate him but didn't mention the various other calls I'd been receiving. Jackie Conners was just the tip of the iceberg.

  "I came to see if you guys want pizza."

  Baylor lifted a brow. "They run out of pancake mix downstairs?"

  "They did, but that's not why I'm asking." Archer grinned. "My girl sent me a text. She and her friends are at this place across town. Said the food's amazing."

  I felt a smile forming on my lips. "Did she actually invite you?"

  "Honor told me she missed me." He shrugged, but I saw his eyes soften. "I took it as an invitation. Thought you might want to come, get out for a bit."

  "Right," Baylor said, walking to the door. "Let's head out."

  Archer tilted his chin. "I was asking Chase."

  "But I know you wouldn't want to hurt my feelings by excluding me, so…I'll come along."

  Shaking my head, I followed after Baylor, and Archer fell into step beside me.

  "Pizza sounds good," I said, tugging on my jacket.

  "Thought you might want to get away, too," he muttered. "I know you don't love parties, even mellow ones like this."

  "Thanks."

  As we made our way to the door, people shouted to us. Several fans and guys from the team even stopped me. They all said some variation of the same thing.

  "Can't wait till you come back."

  "We need that arm, bro."

  "The Wolves are counting on you, Chase."

  "After all this time off, I bet you'll be better than ever."

  "You're what we were missing tonight, man. Hope that doctor gives you the greenlight."

  The air had gotten thicker by the second. I didn't even realize how tense I was until I got in the car and could finally take a breath.

  "What are we doing?" Dex said as he jumped into the seat next to mine.

  "Pizza with Honor," Archer said.

  "Cool." Dex glanced across the backseat and gave me an odd look. "You okay, Chase?"

  I couldn't wait to get out of there.

  "Yeah," I said, "just hungry."

  The further we drove from the house the more relaxed I felt. After five minutes, I was actually feeling normal. At ten, I couldn't remember what I'd been so anxious about in the first place. We drove for another few minutes, snagged a space in the small parking lot, got out and walked to the door.

  "You sure this is it?" Dex asked, eyeing the small brick building. "Doesn't look like much from the outside."

  Archer nodded. "It's right. Honor told me the name. I put Village Pizza in the GPS, and it led us here."

  "Ton of cars," I said, pointing out the obvious. We'd circled the place several times, looking for an open spot before finding one as someone left. "Must mean good food."

  Baylor reached the door first. "I don't care if it's good or not. My stomach's been growling since we left. I'm so hungry I could eat spaghetti out of one of Archer's stinky cleats."

  "So dramatic," I said on a laugh.

  "And disgusting," Dex added.

  "As if yours smell like roses, Bay."

  "Trust me, they don't. As his roommate I can attest to that," Archer said, pushing past us. "Come on. My girl's waiting."

  We entered into a small lobby area. It was bright on the inside, open concept with tables and booths to the right, black and white checkered floors. There were Christmas lights strung across the ceiling along with colorful lighting fixtures, chandeliers and even a disco ball. The walls were covered with miscellaneous memorabilia, framed posters and pictures, one completely covered with stickers. My eyes moved up again to the guitars and pizza boards seemingly suspended in mid-air. There was even an actual life-sized suit of armor guarding the bathrooms.

  "This place is amazing," I said.

  "Smells good, too," Baylor added.

  "I wonder how Honor found it."

  Archer's eyes moved through the crowd in search of her. "I don't think she did. Pretty sure Charlie suggested they come here."

  I didn't know why, but that surprised me. Village Pizza was eccentric, quirky. It was a charming hodge-podge of things that really shouldn't go together but did. I already wanted to come back at some point just for the ambian
ce. Charlie seemed to be more into the club scene. Then again, she was also turning out to be unpredictable.

  "What…who the hell are those guys?"

  I followed Archer's gaze to a small table in the back.

  Honor, Charlie, Emmy and June were all sitting there together.

  And four guys were with them.

  They surrounded the table, their big backs to us as they chatted with the girls.

  "They look cozy," Dex commented.

  Archer hummed his agreement.

  "Maybe you didn't come fast enough, so she replaced you," Baylor joked, but Archer's eyes narrowed as the guy closest to Honor touched her shoulder, and she shied away. "Or maybe not."

  "Only one way to find out," I said, walking past him toward the table.

  I wasn't afraid Archer would do something rash. He wasn't like Dex or Baylor, who both seemed to react first and ask questions later. Dex, in particular, loved a good fight—when the situation warranted it, which in his opinion was a lot. But Baylor sometimes stuck his foot in it without even meaning to. Before anything else could be said, I figured we'd better go over there, set the record straight.

  Charlie caught sight of us first, and her eyes widened.

  I couldn't tell what she was thinking.

  When I was a few feet away, though, she smiled and suddenly stood.

  "There you are," she said, striding toward me with purpose. Her light blue eyes were intent on mine. "I was wondering when you'd get here."

  As she stopped in front of me and threw her arms around my neck, she whispered quickly, "Don't read anything into this. It's nothing. I just need you for a second."

  But it wasn't nothing.

  The thought flitted in and out of my head as her lips landed on mine.

  A spark traveled through me at the contact. I wondered if she felt it, too. I was so surprised, that for a second, I couldn't move. That didn't seem to bother Charlie. Her mouth pressed against mine, soft and smooth, her fingertips feathering through the hair against my neck. My eyes closed, hands moving to her waist, clasping her gently. So good, I thought as she nibbled my lower lip. Dipping my head to meet her fully, I tried to prolong the kiss, not wanting it to end. But before I could do more than press back, she was already pulling away.

  I opened my eyes and caught Charlie staring at me. I had no idea what she saw, but…

  Holy wow.

  My first kiss.

  I couldn't believe it.

  It came out of nowhere and left me stunned.

  I could still feel her lips against mine, knew I'd be dreaming about it tonight.

  Charlie's face was full of questions, but I only had a few.

  Could she tell it was my first kiss?

  Had it been good for her, too?

  And most important: When could we do that again?

  CHAPTER 5: Charlie

  Was that his first kiss?

  Couldn't have been, I thought. My mind refused to believe it. And yet…

  The way he'd frozen, the flush suffusing his cheeks now, his genuine response. All evidence pointed to the answer being a great big yes.

  It was crazy to even think it, looking at him. Chase O'Brien was very attractive. His brand of male beauty could not be denied. I mean, those piercing gray eyes, the golden brown hair, that deliciously fit body. If they weren't so stuck on baseball, he and his twin—any of the O'Briens really—could've been models. They'd sell so many pairs of boxer briefs, I thought then shook myself.

  The point was Chase didn't look like someone who'd never been kissed.

  He hadn't moved to kiss me back until the end, so I couldn't be sure. Maybe I'd just surprised him. My intuition, though, was buzzing.

  How did a guy like Chase get to this point in his life, a college junior, star athlete in his prime, and not make-out with a single girl? Or several? Or heck several guys?

  I knew he had to have admirers on both sides of the aisle.

  Could it really have been his first kiss?

  To think, my lips may have been the first to touch his.

  And if that was the case…was he really a virgin?

  Sure, he told Honor he was in that article she wrote about him, but honestly, I'd thought it was all a bunch of crap, a ploy to get more action. In my experience, most guys would say anything to get laid. But maybe that wasn't Chase?

  No, I decided. I'd simply shocked the heck out of him.

  And to be honest, he'd done the same to me.

  I couldn’t remember the last time I'd felt anything, let alone actual electricity, with such an innocent kiss. I'd die before admitting it. To Chase or to anyone. But there had been something…

  "Well," he said, clearing his throat, "that was—sorry, Charlie. What was that exactly?"

  "Oh," I said. Shooting a look over my shoulder, I exhaled. Devlin and his crew were finally clearing out as the three other O'Brien brothers loomed over them. "See those guys? I was trying to get them to leave us alone."

  He frowned. "Were they bothering you?"

  "They're harmless. Just couldn't take a hint."

  Chase was glaring at the guys like he might go say something. It was cute but unnecessary.

  "I told them my jealous boyfriend was on his way and that they might want to make themselves scarce."

  Chase nodded. "I take it that's supposed to be me."

  "Yeah," I said.

  "And that's what the kiss was about."

  "Of course."

  His eyes narrowed. "Maybe I should go talk to them, make sure they got the message."

  Okay, I wasn't going to lie.

  Chase's willingness to defend my honor was kind of hot.

  But again unnecessary.

  "Nah, it's okay," I said. "You played your part well."

  His fingers flexed against my waist. It was only then I realized he was still touching me, had been the entire time we'd been talking. Taking a quick step back, watching his hands fall, I ran a hand through my hair.

  "Anyway, thanks," I said, and his eyes came back to mine. "That kiss was…interesting."

  With that, I turned and walked back to the table.

  I knew he'd follow—but I hadn't expected Chase to slide into the booth right after me, the sides of our thighs ending up pressed together. He shrugged as I lifted a brow.

  "Jealous boyfriend, right? Figured we should keep the ruse going," he said. "Otherwise, those guys might come back."

  Baylor chuckled. "From what I hear, she might like it if they did."

  Chase turned to him and asked, "What do you mean?"

  "Apparently, they came over after June was giving them the 'signals' that Charlie taught her."

  I winced, but Chase just looked confused.

  "What kind of signals?" he said.

  Dex grinned. "The seductive kind."

  June's face was red, but she crossed her arms in defiance.

  "I don't see what the big deal is," she said. "So Charlie showed me how to attract a guy. What's wrong with that?"

  Baylor threw her a frown. "You really think if you learn some stupid moves guys will start hitting on you? Come on, June. Get real."

  "It seemed to work on Devlin. He asked for my number, and I was about to give it to him when you walked in."

  "And you want a tool like that?"

  "Would you be jealous if I did?" June asked, and Baylor sat back.

  "No," he said. "Of course not. But that doesn't make it any less sad."

  June got up from the table and excused herself. The wounded look on her face made me want to reach across the table and smack Baylor. Unfortunately, he was too far away.

  "If you were closer, I'd slap you," I growled.

  "Me, too," Emmy said.

  "Me three," Honor agreed.

  Archer reached around and popped Baylor on the back of the head.

  "Hey," Baylor cried. "What did I say?"

  "The wrong thing," Dex muttered. "A
s usual."

  I lifted my chin at Archer. "Thanks for that."

  "No problem. He had it coming," he said.

  Honor's boyfriend and I didn't have the best relationship. I still hadn't forgiven him for how he'd treated Honor last year, his dumb self-imposed absence after Chase got hurt. But since then Archer had made my best friend happier than I'd ever seen her. And he did try to keep his brothers in line—though he wasn't always successful.

  "Why isn't anyone else upset about this?" Baylor said.

  "About your crap comments?" Emmy said. "Trust me, we're all mad about it. Please shut up now."

  "I'd take that advice, Bay," Chase put in.

  But his twin didn't know when to quit.

  "June's so innocent. I don't want anyone corrupting her," he mumbled. "I won't apologize for that."

  "We aren't the ones you should apologize to," Chase said.

  Baylor's brow furrowed.

  "Go find June, and make sure she's okay."

  I shook my head. "I wasn't corrupting anyone. We were just having fun."

  June came back to the table with a basket of garlic knots, and Dex scooted over to make room for her.

  "These things are amazing," June said, and I was proud of how cool and composed she sounded. There was no trace of the upset from a few minutes ago. "You guys have got to try some."

  Dex was the first to dive in, and the others followed.

  "Hey," Baylor said softly, "you alright, Junior?"

  "Totally," June said.

  "Sorry if I made you upset."

  "You didn't." She looked to me and smiled. "Devlin caught me on my way back. He said he'd call tomorrow."

  I nodded. "Way to go, June."

  Emmy whooped, holding up her hand for a high-five. "Yes, girl! That's awesome."

  The smallest and only female O'Brien sibling threw Baylor a look that promised death if he gave the wrong answer.

  "Isn't that awesome, Baylor?" she said.

  He grunted. "Yeah, sure. Whatever."

  "I guess this means Charlie's instructions for seduction worked," Dex said.

  Honor nodded. "A little too well. They came over and refused to leave."

  "Even after Charlie told them about her big, scary, made-up boyfriend," Emmy added. "Which I assume was the reason for the kiss you laid on Chase?"