Fair Catch

by Ruddick, Jessica

  The microwave dinged, and the moment was gone. He stepped away so I could turn to retrieve the plate. Trying not to feel disappointed, I reminded myself once again that he was my boss. You’re here for money, not shenanigans.

  I set his plate on the table. “I hope you like spaghetti.”

  “I’ll eat just about anything, especially if I don’t have to cook it.”

  “Noted.”

  “Will you stay for a while longer?” he asked. “I know you’ve been here for hours, but I haven’t seen you.”

  “Okay,” I said easily. It had been odd being there without Jake when his presence was everywhere. His hoodie was hanging on the hook in the hall, his handwriting was scrawled on the white board in the kitchen, and the framed family pictures were all over the living room. Not all of them were professional photos—some of them were candid shots taken when the subjects were unaware. The one thing the pictures all clearly conveyed, though, was the love his parents had had for each other and their children. The picture I liked best was taken on Jake’s signing day. His parents had stood behind him, wearing VVU shirts and beaming with pride, as Jake signed his letter of intent.

  The walls had still been empty when I’d stopped by the other day to pick up a house key. Emily had told me the four of them had made a day trip to Richmond the weekend I’d been at the baby shower to retrieve some things that had been put in storage when their parents died.

  Jake twirled spaghetti onto his fork. “Did they get their homework done?”

  “Yes, but Ben didn’t want to do the work for the classes he’s retaking in summer school. He made a solid argument, but eventually he sucked it up and did it.”

  Jake sighed. “I know. I’ve heard it too. It was exactly the argument I would have made, except he did it way better. When he realizes he’s smarter than me, I’m so screwed.”

  “He probably already does.”

  Jake frowned. “Hey.”

  Laughing, I shrugged. “Just stating a fact. I’m smarter than my older sisters, and I knew that from an early age.”

  “Is that a fact?” he said in a teasing tone.

  “It is one hundred percent a fact.”

  “You don’t talk much about your family.”

  “I’m not close with them. Except Eli.”

  “Art major, right? Studying abroad?”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Yes, actually. He leaves for Paris in a few days.” He’d decided to put off talking to our parents until after his trip, wanting to take the time to think it over. Plus, he didn’t want to leave things on a bad note when he would be a continent away.

  “See? I do pay attention.”

  “I never thought you didn’t.”

  Jake put down his fork and leaned on his forearms. “Go out with me on Saturday night.”

  I blinked at the abrupt topic shift. “What?”

  “Just you, me, and no kids. An actual date.”

  I ran my fingers along the grain of the table. “You’re my boss.” That means no. Money, not shenanigans, remember? But shenanigans would be so much more fun. Shenanigans and money would be even better.

  “Are you saying this is workplace harassment?” he asked dryly.

  I laughed. “You know that’s not what I mean, but you are indeed my boss. It complicates things.”

  “So what else is new?” He stretched his arms out. “Look around you.”

  “I don’t want to add to it.”

  His eyes darkened as he ran a finger down my forearm. “My life is full of complications and uncertainties. The only thing I’m certain of is you.”

  My breath caught, and my heart stopped beating momentarily. My brain struggled to keep up with the firestorm of thoughts and emotions. I’d been psyching myself up to keep the friend line firmly in place, but all he had to do was look at me with those whiskey eyes, and my resolve went to hell.

  Shit. Shenanigans it is.

  “When are you picking me up?”

  CHAPTER 16

  Jake

  I HAD NEVER been nervous before a date, but then again, I’d never had my twelve-year-old sister critiquing my every decision. If the whole acting thing didn’t work out and she still wanted to be famous, she could easily make it on one of those shows where the host cuts down the contestants.

  She wrinkled her nose from her spot on my bed. “Are you wearing that shirt?”

  My fingers briefly paused over the buttons before moving on to roll up the sleeves. “Is there a problem with it?” It was a green Oxford, and I’d always looked good in green.

  “Does Rachel like green?”

  “I don’t know, but I doubt she hates it.”

  “You should have found out her favorite color and then worn that.”

  I spun to face Ashley. Leaning against the dresser I’d just bought, I crossed my arms. “What if her favorite color is neon pink?”

  My sister rolled her eyes, like that was a stupid suggestion. “Her favorite color isn’t neon pink.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Because she’s cool, and neon colors are lame.”

  I hadn’t realized neon was so reviled. Lesson learned. But what did I know? I was just a dumb boy, or so Ashley had told me when I’d refused to let her go over to a boy’s house when his parents weren’t home. She’d only been at school a few weeks and was already on her second boyfriend. I didn’t worry too much since middle school relationships, if they could even be called that, were harmless. I just hoped she stuck with middle school kids and didn’t wind up hanging out with high schoolers again, which was how she’d ended up drunk that night. Stupid freshman boys.

  I turned back to the mirror to run my hands through my hair one last time. It was getting too long, but I hadn’t had time for a haircut. “I’m glad you think she’s cool.”

  “She is, but Katie is even cooler. Did you know she was an actress? Her sister is Kassidy Sterling.”

  “I did know that.”

  “Maybe if I do good in the theater camp, Katie can ask Kassidy to help me get a part in a movie.”

  “Do well,” I corrected absentmindedly. I didn’t have the heart or energy to tell her that there was no way in hell I was letting her audition for movie roles, not that it would come down to that. Ashley would likely lose interest in drama as quickly as she lost interest in everything else… except boys. She’d been boy crazy since she was Emily’s age.

  “What?”

  “It’s ‘do well,’ not ‘do good.’” Jesus. I’d turned into one of those people. I’d always known the difference between good and well, but I’d never called anyone out on it. Lately, though, it seemed all I did was correct these kids. Some of their manners had slipped in the time they’d lived with Aunt Christy.

  “Whatever.”

  I walked over to the bed and mussed her hair, just to annoy her. I might be her guardian, but I was still her big brother. “Listen to Ben while I’m out.”

  “I’m twelve, not two.”

  “And he’s almost fifteen, so he’s in charge.” I started toward the stairs then spun, narrowing my eyes at her. “And stay out of my room while I’m gone.”

  She jumped off the bed in a huff. “Fine.” But she smiled as she passed me. I’d quickly learned that Ashley showed affection by being annoying, so I’d taken to giving it as good as I got.

  After saying bye to Ben and Emily, I got in my truck to go pick up Rachel. Checking the time, I gave myself a mental pat on the back. I’d been late to nearly everything since the kids moved there, but I was right on time for my date.

  Katie answered the door with a smile. “Come in. She’s almost ready.”

  “Thanks.” I stepped in.

  Wyatt lounged on the couch. He inclined his head. “Hey, Jake. What’s up?”

  “Hey, man. How’s it going?”

  “You here for Rachel?”

  I nodded.

  “Cool. She’s a good girl. Ya’ll going anywhere nice?”

  I grinned. “Flavio’s, of course. W
here else is there?”

  Wyatt laughed. “Nowhere. At least not in this town.” He lifted his arm so a fluffy orange cat could stretch across his lap, then he started petting it. The feline narrowed its yellow eyes at me suspiciously.

  “I didn’t know you were a cat person,” I said. It was odd seeing the revered football quarterback nonchalantly stroke the furball.

  “I’m not,” he grumbled. “But this cat is a Wyatt person… or a Wyatt cat. Whatever. You know what I mean.”

  “That’s Princess Buttercup,” Katie said. “She’s actually Rachel’s cat.”

  I’d had no idea Rachel had a cat. I’d never been inside her apartment, and the subject of pets had never come up. Still, I felt like I should have known.

  A door opened, followed by the sound of Rachel’s derisive snort. “She stopped being my cat the moment she set eyes on you.”

  Rachel stepped into the living room, wearing a tiny, strappy yellow dress that skimmed her thighs. I was sure there was a name for that type of dress, but being a dumb boy, I had no clue. The only thing I knew was that she looked hot as hell. I’d bitched about the recent heat wave when training outdoors, but now I was thankful if it meant Rachel wore tiny dresses.

  “Princess Buttercup loves you too,” Katie told Rachel.

  “But not best,” Rachel muttered, then she smiled at me. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

  “I’ve only been here a minute.”

  Flashing a toothy grin, Katie opened the door for us. “You kids have fun! Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

  Rachel smirked as she passed her friend on the way out. “That gives us plenty of options, then.”

  “I heard that!” Katie yelled as she closed the door.

  I took Rachel’s arm as we walked down the stairs. “I didn’t know you had a cat.”

  “It’s a long story. But the short version is she was originally my sister’s cat, and—”

  “Which sister?” I interrupted.

  “Jenna. She’s the second sister. Cara is the oldest, then Jenna, then me, then Eli, then Brooke. Anyway, Jenna always wanted a cat, but my parents didn’t allow pets. She finally got one, but then her husband made her take her to the shelter when she scratched his dog across the nose. But what did they expect her to do? The dog was antagonizing her. At the shelter, she wasn’t getting adopted, probably because she’s… how do I put this nicely… she’s an acquired taste. So I adopted her. It bothered me that they cast her off like that instead of working to get her acclimated to the dog. I’m the first to admit that she’s a pain in the ass, but she’s a loving cat once you get past that.”

  I would take her word for it. The animal had looked like she wanted to scratch my eyes out. Good thing for me she’d been too content on Wyatt’s lap to get up.

  When we reached my truck, I opened the door for Rachel and offered my hand. She took it and climbed in.

  I crossed over to the driver’s side and slid behind the wheel. “We had a dog when I was growing up. He died right before my parents passed away. They were devastated—it was like they’d lost one of their children.”

  “Exactly,” Rachel said. “They don’t call them furbabies for nothing.”

  When we got to the restaurant, Rachel modestly held down the front of her dress as she climbed out of the truck. I’d been too busy looking everywhere else when I first saw her to notice the dangerously high heels she was wearing. It looked like she was walking on a set of nails attached to some straps. Though they looked horribly uncomfortable and I had no clue how she walked in them, I appreciated the effect—her legs looked amazing.

  Still holding her hand, I stepped away so I could run my gaze over her entire body. “You look amazing.”

  She self-consciously ran a hand over her hair. “Thanks. So do you.”

  “For the record, what’s your favorite color?”

  “Purple, I guess. I don’t really have a strong preference. Why?”

  “No reason.” I didn’t bother telling her that she got to keep the cool card Ashley had bequeathed her for not choosing neon pink.

  Since Bleaksburg’s population was chopped in half during the summer, I hadn’t made reservations, but we were still seated right away. We talked about everything from my siblings, to her revelation that she wanted to be a guidance counselor, to my football training.

  When our food came, she closed her eyes and inhaled the sweet aroma of oregano coming from her lasagna. “After eating here, you’re not going to want to eat my cooking anymore.”

  “Untrue. You’ve only been helping out a week, and I can’t begin to tell you how much less stressed I am. Not having to cook dinner every night is an unexpected bonus.”

  She smiled as she cut into the lasagna with her fork. “Some of that is self-serving. I’m at your house at dinnertime, and I get hangry. So making dinner is actually for the good of everyone. The kids won’t think I’m nice anymore if they see my hangry side.”

  “I’d kind of like to see your hangry side.” Who was I kidding? I wanted to see Rachel’s every side. She was kind, sweet, fun, and foxy as hell. Yet she didn’t seem to know she was all of those things.

  She shook her head. “Trust me. You don’t. It’s ugly.”

  “You could never be ugly.”

  Her lips stretched into a sexy smile, and she leaned forward to rest her elbows on the table. “Flattery will get you everywhere. Keep talking.”

  ***

  Rachel

  JAKE SAID ALL the right things. He was charming and attentive, not to mention he cleaned up so nicely. I mostly saw him in sweats or workout clothes, which had an appeal of its own, but I also appreciated the polished side of him. The green shirt brought out the lighter tones in his whiskey-colored eyes and showed off his tan and muscular forearms.

  As I sat across from him on our first official date, I studied him, seeing him in a light that I hadn’t before. He had the face of a poet—soulful, with a generous mouth and an intense gaze. His nose was aristocratic, something I hadn’t noticed before. If football didn’t work out, he could always go into modeling. Or maybe I was biased, because the more time I spent with him, the more attractive he became.

  He was a catch in every sense of the word. But I was quirky and pretty when someone saw me in the right light. I wasn’t sure how I had ended up there. I’d known I was selling myself short with Adam, but with Jake, I worried I was out of my league. Except he didn’t strike me as the type to care about stuff like that.

  I ordered dessert even though I was stuffed because I didn’t want our time together to end.

  “When does football practice officially start?” I asked. He’d been training, but as far as I knew, there hadn’t been any official practices.

  “The coach isn’t allowed to formally work with us until August, so right now it’s mostly strength training. Wyatt, Carson, and I have been running drills and stuff, too, though.” He rubbed his brow. “I let myself go in the past six months, so I need to work harder than the others to get back to where I need to be.”

  Good God. If his body was this amazing when he’d let himself go, I didn’t think my ovaries would be able to handle it when he was back in top form. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. It was a tough time.”

  “Yeah.” He was silent and reflective for a moment. “In some ways, it’s so much harder having Ben, Ash, and Em here. But in other ways, it’s so much better. I didn’t realize how alone I felt before. Carson was a good friend during that time, but he didn’t understand. He couldn’t, you know? They do. Anyway”—he cleared his throat—“are you ready to go?”

  I tried to hide my disappointment, but I supposed we couldn’t keep the table all night. Once we were in the truck, though, Jake didn’t turn in the direction of my apartment.

  I frowned. “Where are we going?”

  “You’ll see.” With a glimmer in his eyes, he glanced over at me. “You’re not one of those people who hate surprises, are you?”

  “What if I am?�
�

  “Then, shit.”

  I grinned. “I’m not.”

  Laughing, he visibly relaxed. “Don’t mess with me like that. You had me worried I was totally screwing up.”

  Even if I minded surprises, which I didn’t, I wouldn’t have told him. He was obviously pumped about whatever he’d arranged.

  I was surprised when he turned onto campus and into the empty parking lot at the stadium. Before he opened his door, he reached into the back seat and tossed a bag in my lap. “You’ll want to put those on.”

  I peeked in the bag. “Flip-flops?”

  “Yeah. You won’t be able to walk in those shoes.” He pulled another bag from the back and threw it over his shoulder.

  I took his word for it and unstrapped my shoes, flexing my feet as soon as they were free. I was more of a tennis-shoes-and-flats kind of girl, so the cheap rubber flip-flops were more my speed anyway. Too bad the blue clashed with my yellow dress.

  He led me to the gate blocking off the stadium and opened it. Clutching his arm, I skidded to a stop. “Are we allowed to go in there?”

  He grinned. “Afraid of getting in trouble?”

  “Yes, actually. What can I say? I’m a rule follower.”

  “I know. But don’t worry—the grounds crew is doing maintenance tonight.”

  “On a Saturday night?”

  He put his hands up. “I didn’t make the schedule. They’re painting and repairing chairs or something. The head guy’s name is Jim. He said he didn’t care if we come in as long as we’re gone by the time they leave.”

  “Okay.” Still, I was tentative. It didn’t sound like Jake had gone through the proper channels.

  “Come on.” He took my hand and led me through another gate, which led onto the field.

  The stadium lights illuminated the field, and when I looked up into the stands, the lights were blinding. The stands seemed to stretch up into the sky. I’d had seats in literally the last row before, and I was glad I hadn’t seen how high up they were from this angle. I generally wasn’t afraid of heights, but this was dizzying.