“You came?”
The soft whisper from Addison’s right seized her full attention and her neck flamed from the thoughts still dancing around her brain. Ami’s sweet, compassionate demeanor always gave her a feeling of warmth. “Of course, I did.”
“Good, Logan’s leading off. I was hoping you’d get to see him throw. He’s amazing,” Ami added, her eyes gleaming with pride.
Addison’s focus returned to Ami’s brother. He was no longer facing her, but turned at an angle, with one foot up before he released his first live pitch.
“Strike,” the umpire yelled as he stretched his arm toward first base.
Ball after ball flew across home plate as batters swung, missed, and returned to the dugout.
“He just struck out all three of them.” Addison was saying the words more to herself, but Ami joined in, though her enthusiasm seemed minor compared to Addison’s shock.
“I told you he was good.”
“Yeah, I know. But I wasn’t expecting all that,” she teased, though in truth, she had scrutinized his every motion, expecting nothing less. Logan walked toward the dugout and, after waving at Ami, met Addison’s gaze and awarded her a gentle smile. The weightless flutter that tickled her middle nearly took her breath.
“Logan can be aggravating, but he’s something special. And I’m not just saying that because he’s my brother. You just have to give him a chance and get to know him.”
Addison laughed not only at Ami’s comment, but at the pleasure still flowing through her veins. She wanted nothing more than to get to know Logan better.
Coming here today was definitely worth it.
At the bottom of the eighth, Logan sat in the dugout, struggling to stay focused on the game. Adrenaline had driven each pitch, every inning, knowing Addison was there.
Philip had stood behind him in center field, but it wasn’t Philip she was watching … it was him.
Addison sat on the bleachers to his right, in his perfect view and Philip leaned against the fence just a few feet from him. Philip shifted, though his eyes never moved. Even though they were nearly hidden beneath the ball cap, Logan saw the creases that seemed permanently etched across his forehead. Philip looked agitated.
If Logan were the one dating Addison Morgan, he would be smiling from the inside out, not fuming because Addison might ruin things with the blonde Philip was all over before the game—before Addison arrived.
Logan knew he wasn’t the main reason Addison had come. But when he made a point to look her way after each inning and found that same smile aimed at him, he hoped he was part of the reason.
Especially when their gazes met, and she wasn’t the first one to look away.
Not once.
He finished the game, the full nine innings, with only 105 pitches, eleven strikeouts, and ending with a shutout.
After the coaches finished their post-game talk, Philip lingered in the dugout. Was he waiting for the blonde? How could Philip do that with Addison right here?
He wanted a reason to pursue Addison and had hoped Philip would mess up. But he didn’t want to see Addison hurt. It didn’t matter whether Philip got caught; his intentions were less than honorable. And Addison Morgan deserved better than him.
Logan stepped out, eager to see her, but couldn’t approach her. Not with her boyfriend coming out any minute. Her uneasiness was evident, and Logan stood by the fence where he could see her clearly.
He had no choice but to wait and observe her reaction to Philip. And that’s exactly what he aimed to do.
When Philip approached the blonde, Addison kept her eyes on Ami. But inside she cheered. She was wrong. He was finally moving on.
Her gaze instinctively roamed her surroundings. Where was Logan? She had hoped to speak to him before leaving. To tell him how much she enjoyed the game.
To congratulate him on the win.
Who was she kidding? She could tell him all those things, but in truth, she only wanted to be near him.
Heat rushed to her cheeks when her gaze wandered toward the dugout and caught Logan leaning against the fence, watching her.
“Addison,” Philip called from thirty feet away.
If she didn’t go to him, he would come to her. It was better to comply. “I’ll be right back, Ami.” She felt guilty for not including her but didn’t want to introduce Logan’s sister to Philip.
“Baby, I’m glad you came.” He glanced over her head as he placed a hand on her shoulder. “I’ve got to take one of the guys home tonight.”
She wanted to tell him it didn’t matter. That nothing had changed. But it would do no good to bring that up now. She’d made it clear already.
“Who’s your friend?” Philip asked, glancing in Ami’s direction. “Wait. Isn’t that Tant’s sister?”
Addison looked in that direction just as Logan approached Ami. “It is.” She didn’t have to explain why she’d been spending time with Ami … with her family. It was none of his business.
“What are you doing here with her?” A scathing huff blew from his mouth. “Are you trying to embarrass me?”
Under her breath, she said, “Why don’t you go back to your girlfriend?” Addison turned, annoyed that she’d made the mistake of coming over here. Philip yanked her arm, shifting her back toward him, and squeezed her wrist. “Let go. You’re hurting me.”
“You’re here to see Tant? I should’ve known you little—” He pulled her closer. “You will not make me look like a fool in front of my team.”
“Me and my friends have nothing to do with you,” she snapped, but his white-knuckled grip tightened, expanding the fear bleeding through her veins. “You’re only embarrassing yourself. Go take your buddy home and leave me alone.”
With another jerk of her arm, he leaned in near her ear and whispered, “I wish I had never met you.”
Eyes misting, she tried to shrug him off, but Philip clutched her closer. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.” He pressed his lips hard against hers, holding the back of her head. Releasing his grip, he stepped back. “I’ll see you later, baby.” His voice climbed a whole octave. “I love you.”
Pain ricocheted up her arm when Philip turned and walked away as if nothing had just happened.
Addison hesitated, her chest pounding. She took a deep breath, turned, and searched for Ami, searched the place where Logan had been standing. He was no longer there.
Ami rushed to her side. “Is he your boyfriend?”
“No, not anymore.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. It was your idea to break up?”
Suddenly exhausted and fighting back a new layer of tears threatening to spill, Addison clutched her stomach. “Definitely.”
Ami’s eyes twinkled. “He must still love you to kiss you like that.”
“You saw that, huh?”
“Yeah, so did Logan. He didn’t like it too much.”
Chills prickled her arms. She suspected Philip wanted to confirm his claim on her, for Logan’s sake. But she hadn’t thought Logan witnessed Philip’s twisted display of affection. How much did he see? How much did everyone see? “Why do you say that?”
“As soon as your boyfriend kissed you, Logan grunted and walked off.”
12
On Tuesday night, Logan drove toward Olive Garden for the date he’d made last night, right after the game. The girl had followed him on Instagram weeks ago and kept messaging him about getting together. So, he gave in last night, still fuming over seeing Philip kissing Addison ... and Addison letting him.
Addison was off-limits and he needed to stop this nonsense of imagining what he wanted to happen. His gut had told him it was the best thing to do.
Now he had second thoughts. He knew nothing about the girl he was meeting except she was persistent.
He needed to get his head and heart focused on something else. Anything other than those midnight blue eyes that were driving him mad.
It had been a long time since he’d been on a date. Exactly three y
ears.
Shoving his hands into his pockets, he walked to the front entrance and toward the hostess. He put his name on the list hoping the wait wouldn’t be too long. What if he had nothing in common with this girl?
He stepped back outside and sat on an empty bench to wait.
A young couple walked from the restaurant, capturing his attention. Their backs facing him, he imagined strolling hand in hand with—
“Logan.” The high-pitched voice behind him made his head swivel in the opposite direction.
“Meredith?” The significant differences comparing her now to her profile picture and the few others of her he’d glanced at astonished him as he moved toward her. Was she the same girl?
Her dark green eyes flashed. “That’s me.” She moved into the space next to him. Too close.
Logan fumbled with the vibrating device as it hummed and he turned quickly, putting more distance between them. “Wow, that was fast. They said it would be ten to fifteen minutes.”
He stood and led her to the door but lingered behind as she approached the front desk.
The hostess led them to a corner booth, and he waited until Meredith sat before taking his seat.
“Matt’s told me all about you.”
“Matt?”
“Your best friend.”
Slow comprehension draped over him. Matt had put her up to this?
“You play baseball, right?”
“Yeah. I uh ...” he stammered, still wrapping his mind around Matt’s involvement.
“I’d love to watch you play. When’s your next game?”
He wasn’t sure how to reply. Meredith wanted to come to his game, but what if … What if nothing. Addison’s dating Philip. “We play—”
“Hi, welcome to Olive Garden,” the waitress interrupted. The familiar voice heightened his pulse from a slow tread to a bolt of lightning.
Addison?
“I’ll be serving you tonight.” Lines of strain settled across Addison’s forehead as she lifted the bottle of wine she held. Had she noticed him? “Can I interest you in a—”
“I’ll have a Diet Coke,” Meredith interjected before Addison could finish, her demanding voice causing a sharp whip of his head in Meredith’s direction.
Addison turned slightly and faced him. “What would you like?” Addison’s soft voice held more compassion than disappointment, but still she wouldn’t look directly at him. She was completely focused on removing the two wine glasses from the table.
“Iced tea,” Logan said, training his gaze on Addison, waiting for the precise moment when she would give in and glance at him. When she finally did, a tiny but confident smile broke free, her beauty leaving him breathless. She gave no hint that she knew him, and, regarding her, he returned her smile.
“Can I start you off with an appetizer?” She stated a few items to choose from, but her words fell on deaf ears. He studied her hands, the hint of clear nail polish glistening against the soft light. Her delicate fingers curled tight around the goblets.
“Can you give us a minute? We just sat down.”
“Yes, of course. I’ll be right back with your drinks.” Turning her attention fully on Logan, Addison asked, “Would you like lemon?” Her voice was softer and quivering with emotion, reminding him of that first day at his house. She bit her lip while waiting for his answer.
“Yes, I would love lemon. Thank you.” Logan stopped himself before saying her name. He worried familiarity would spill from him, and he would give into his yearning to reach for her trembling fingers.
It wasn’t Meredith’s fault Logan was distracted. And his responsibility in providing a nice date for this girl, if only for tonight, could not be ignored. Logan surrendered to the pledge he’d made and focused on Meredith as she spoke. Wrestling to keep his gaze from zooming to the same door where Addison had disappeared took all his effort.
From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Addison walking toward them and lost the battle to keep his attention on Meredith. His glance in Addison’s direction was rewarded with a warm smile from her, but then it faded completely. Meredith burst into laughter, breaking his trance.
Logan’s smile came naturally, knowing Addison was returning to their table, but still his brow crinkled at Meredith’s amusement. “What’s so funny?”
Another wisp of laughter fell from her lips. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t. The waitress is coming with our drinks.” She reached across the table, placing her hand over his. “I’ll tell you when she leaves.”
Logan slipped his hand out from underneath Meredith’s and leaned back. When Addison reached across him to place the glass on his beverage napkin, he inhaled, catching a trace of her scent. “Thank you.”
Addison’s expression tensed, like she wanted to make sure he wouldn’t tell his date that they knew each other. “You’re welcome.”
“This is not diet,” Meredith rebuked, spouting her lips in a spitting motion as she pushed the glass toward Addison. “I asked for diet.” Her harsh tone sliced through the moment.
Addison’s eyebrows slanted inward. “I’m so sorry. I’ll be right back.”
“Can you believe that?” Meredith’s somber voice thickened as her eyes darkened.
Logan leaned forward, squaring his shoulders. “Are you diabetic?”
“Who, me? Of course not.” She leaned back, her innocent expression returning. “It just took me completely by surprise when I tasted it. You would think she would pay more attention. Especially if she’s expecting a tip.”
He didn’t even have time to blink before she continued.
“I can’t wait to come to one of your games. What position do you play?”
Logan was now sure he didn’t want Meredith sitting in the stands cheering for him. He wanted someone else, and that someone else was heading back to their table now. It no longer mattered that Philip held her heart. Being Addison’s friend would be better than nothing. “Our next few games are out of town.”
Addison placed Meredith’s drink in front of her and waited while Meredith took a sip. “Is that better?”
“Yes, now that I had to wait for it.”
Logan took a sip of his drink, too embarrassed to look at Addison. He’d agreed to this date with Meredith despite knowing nothing about her and was paying for his mistake.
“I’m so sorry about that. Are you ready to order?” Addison’s voice was certain, confident. She ignored Meredith’s bickering, and Logan’s chest swelled with pride.
“Yes, we are,” Meredith snapped. Logan cringed. “I’ll have the lasagna and, on my salad, I don’t want any olives or peppers and please make sure you get it right this time.”
Insecurity wrinkled Addison’s forehead when she glanced at Logan.
“Aren’t you going to write it down?”
It was as if Meredith tried even harder when her quarrelsome tongue didn’t offend Addison.
“I’ll remember.” Addison licked her lips and frowned.
The unflattering sound that spewed from Meredith’s lip startled him yet infuriated him further. “I’ll have the Tour of Italy and I don’t want the soup or salad.” Logan wanted to make it as simple as possible. But then in the last second, he changed his mind. “Actually, I’m sorry. I would like a salad, if you could bring me a separate one.”
“Oh, well, we can share.” The unmistakable regret in Meredith’s voice made him squirm.
“If you don’t mind, I’ll take everything, just as it comes,” he rushed on, ignoring Meredith’s remark. “But I’d like ranch dressing, please. Thank you, Addison.” He glanced at her name tag, but his tongue embraced her name with full recognition and affection.
13
Glancing at her watch two hours later, Addison felt her shoulders loosen. Finally. The long hour of Logan’s visit had kept her on edge. Every visit to their booth, every comment, every minute, she’d expected something to go wrong. Tears had threatened to spill several times throughout the night. Determined not to cry in front
of Logan or his arrogant girlfriend, she’d held them back. With her section now cleaned and money turned in, all that waited was a long, hot bath and her warm bed.
Her body aching from hours of constricting every muscle, she stepped outside into the moonless night. Its eerie darkness raised her awareness as she turned the corner toward the parking lot. Every sound intensified, and her breath quickened. Regretting her decision to leave before the other girls, she stole a glance at the restaurant, hoping to see one of the other waitresses. In such a hurry, she hadn’t thought about walking outside alone—something she never did.
A truck faced her car in the opposite parking lot. An icy shiver slithered down her arms when she thought about the sleazy guys she’d had at one of her tables. They had left an hour ago, but what if they were still here waiting? Keeping her head down, Addison sauntered forward. It was too late to turn around now. She was almost there.
A door slamming rattled her, the noise shoving her forward, faster as she held to her keys with a white-knuckled grip. Breaking out in a cold sweat, she glanced over her shoulder. No one was there.
Chattering voices forced her attention on a couple climbing into their car parked several spaces down from hers. There was nothing to worry about. Nobody was waiting. The heightened rate of her pulse pounded as she took the last few steps to her car.
“Addison?”
She stumbled, her hand flying to her chest as she caught herself, her keys slipping from her grasp. Logan reached for them as a relieved breath swooshed from her lungs. “Logan, what on earth are you doing here? You scared the daylights out of me.”
“I’m so sorry. I should’ve waited inside.”
He was waiting for her?
Even though he didn’t say it, the stabbing realization hit her ... the extra twenty dollars he’d left on the table. “Oh, your change, I was going to give it to Ami when I saw her.”
Logan’s ready smile materialized, easing the tension through her middle. “That was your tip.”
“No, I mean the extra twenty on the table.” Addison fumbled through the bills in her apron.
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