by Sandy James
He had no idea what time it was—a problem he’d had a lot since he’d met her. His “day” had always been a few degrees from normal since he owned a place that was open until the wee hours on the weekends, but now that he was in a relationship with a woman who worked night shifts, he’d gone even farther afield.
Maybe one day they’d sync their lives.
He really needed to get up and stretch out his stiffness. “Josie,” he said softly.
The woman woke up faster than anyone he’d ever known. Her head jerked up, a motion followed closely by a drawn-out groan as her hand went to the back of her neck.
“Stiff?” Russ sat up and started to rub the tightness where her neck met her shoulder. “I’m sorry I didn’t wake up sooner so you didn’t get a crick.”
She let out another groan as he dug his fingers into the knots that had formed in her muscles. “I was stupid for not lying down.”
As he gave her a neck massage, he leaned in to brush a kiss on her lips. “Good morning, by the way.”
Her eyes darted to the large clock by the front door. “It’s already six. We should be at the park, warming up for our run.”
“How about we skip the run today and I take you out for a nice breakfast?”
Rolling her shoulders, she smiled. “Like I’m letting you off the hook that easy.”
Russ yawned, resigned to a morning run.
“Didn’t you get enough sleep?”
“I’m fine.”
Josie’s smile faded, and she brushed his hands away. “There’s something I want to talk to you about…”
The ominous tone raised his radar a notch. He quirked an eyebrow.
“I’m thinking about switching my shifts in the ER to days,” she said.
His eyes widened in surprise.
“You can close your mouth now,” she teased.
Shutting his jaw, which had slackened at her announcement, he had to resist the urge to get to his feet and cheer.
Then he realized exactly what she was doing. Josie was suggesting that she change her entire lifestyle to suit his needs.
He shouldn’t have been surprised. He’d been doing the same thing by staying up through the nights on days she didn’t have ER shifts, although it hadn’t been a huge hardship since his schedule was already crazy.
Russ wasn’t about to let her do something so extreme. Simply knowing that she was committed enough to the success of their relationship to take that major a step was all the reward he needed. “You don’t have to do that, sweetheart. Things are working fine the way they are. I don’t want you to do something that drastic just because I yawn from time to time.”
“I’ve actually been thinking about it for a few weeks.” She wrinkled her brow. “I suppose that’s something couples should talk about, isn’t it?”
He nodded, a bit perplexed that she could be her age and have never learned the rules. Not that he was an expert, but he knew the game. “How old are you?” he blurted out.
At least her smile returned. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you it’s not polite to ask a lady her age?” She tossed him a wink. “I’m thirty-one, Russ. And exactly how old are you?”
Loving how she turned the question back on him, he grinned. “Thirty-four.”
“What made you ask my age?”
He gave her a shrug.
“Seriously, why was my age suddenly so important?”
Since she was sounding irritated, he told her the truth. “I was thinking that by the time a woman was your age, she should know how couples decide important things.”
This time she was the one who shrugged. “I’ve always made important decisions on my own.”
“Every decision? What about when you were a kid? You know, when you were sick?”
“My mom always said it was my disease, so she let me make the call on what treatment I wanted. The oncologist would give me my options, and I’d choose what I wanted to do.”
What was he supposed to say to that? A preteen facing her own mortality and the parent who hadn’t run away dumped all the important decisions that had to be made directly in Joslynn’s lap.
If he ever met her mother, he hoped he could keep his anger under control. “How do you two get along now?”
She snorted. “We don’t. We’re not close. She lives in California, and I haven’t even talked to her in five years. She’s got her own life out there. I’ve got mine here.”
“No wonder. Shit, Josie…She should’ve been more involved. She really let you choose treatment?”
“It was what I wanted,” she insisted. “Even then, I was bossy. Besides, there weren’t many options. The doctor said it was pretty straightforward on what worked best.” The smile she gave him seemed so phony that he reached out to put his arms around her.
Pushing him away, she got to her feet. “I’m heading to bed.” She picked up the empty wineglass from the night before and carried it to the sink. “I need some more sleep before I go to the hospital tonight. I spent most of last night watching TV while you snored.” She winked.
Russ followed her to the bedroom, refusing to end such an important discussion so abruptly.
She stood next to the bed, folded her arms under her breasts, and stared at him. “What?”
Obviously, discussion about her illness was going to get him nowhere, so he focused on the choice she had to make. “We still haven’t talked about you switching to days. I don’t want you to do that for me.”
“Like I said, I’ve been thinking about it for a while. The administration proposed it several weeks back, and at first I just blew it off. But now that we’re together…Well, it might make things simpler. Working the night shift is tough. I make it work, but the switch might be good.”
He sat on the edge of the mattress and patted the spot next to him. “Why would it be good?”
Josie dropped down beside him. “I could be on sync with the rest of the world. You. Savannah. It just seems like I miss a lot of things because of sleeping during the day.”
“I have to admit, it would be nice to spend time with you when one of us isn’t snoring.”
“I don’t snore!”
“Yeah, you do. But it’s cute,” he said, and kissed her nose.
“So how does a couple make a decision?” she asked.
Russ took her hand in his. “First, they talk about the pros and cons.”
“All right.” Josie pursed her lips as she thought for a few moments. “Pro, I would be on the same schedule as most of the civilized world.”
“True.”
“Pro, I could teach more yoga classes since I won’t be starting work in the evening.”
He nodded, glad she was catching on. It wasn’t as though he’d made a lot of joint decisions before, either. But he wasn’t about to let her start making choices based on what he wanted. She’d grow to resent him if that choice turned out wrong.
“Pro, you and I could spend more time—at least more quality time—together.”
“I’m glad you think that’s a pro.”
A frown filled her face. “Why wouldn’t I see it as a pro? I care about you. Of course I want to spend time with you.”
He grinned. “Told you it would get easier to say.”
The frown swiftly changed to a smile. “Yeah, it is.”
Giving her hand a squeeze, he said, “Any cons?”
“You know what? I really can only think of two.”
“First?”
“I’ll lose my late-shift pay, but I don’t really need the extra money.”
“Second?” he asked.
“I’ll need a few days to adjust my days and nights.” She cocked her head. “You know, I really think it would be a good change for me…and for us.”
That statement earned a kiss.
“What do you think, Russ?”
“I think it makes sense to work days. I just didn’t want you to do it only because of me.”
“I wouldn’t do that,” Josie insisted.
He let out a chuckle. “I don’t think you would, either.”
This time she was the one to offer the kiss.
“So I’m doing this. I’ll talk to my boss when I get to the hospital tonight. It’ll probably be a few weeks before I switch over.”
Flopping back on the bed, Russ waited as Joslynn lay down and snuggled up against him. Then he kissed the top of her head. “And that, sweetheart, is how a couple makes a decision.”
Chapter Eighteen
You made it!” Russ said, waving his arm at Joslynn. Her last night shift at the hospital had ended this morning, and he’d expected that she’d go home and sleep. Adjusting to working days would probably take a while.
She waved back as she jogged over to meet him at the team bench. “I did. Are you surprised?”
“A little. I know you’re probably exhausted after working last night.”
Shrugging, she set her bag on the grass. “Tired but stressed. Last shift was rough. Figured watching a little softball might shake the bad thoughts right out of my head.”
Russ took her hand and gently pulled her closer. Then he kissed her, letting his lips linger against hers even though people were staring. “I’ll take you home after this. How about a nice massage? Then you can sleep.”
Her smile always hit him on a visceral level. “That sounds like heaven.”
“Geesh, Russell. Are you bringing in another ringer?” The grating voice of Robert Campbell, owner of the Black Stallion, almost stole away Russ’s good humor. While he could normally stomach Robbie’s over-inflated ego, Russ didn’t like the way he was eyeing Josie.
Introductions were probably in order, despite the fact he wanted to keep her to himself. She was sure to recognize the name, because Russ had told her several stories about the competition between Words & Music and the Black Stallion. While both venues were extremely popular, Russ and his partners liked to best Black Stallion whenever they could, probably because Robbie Campbell could be such a horse’s ass. Not only did they compete to book talent, but the two bars played in touch football and softball leagues with several other clubs. Ethan especially liked to brag about beating their biggest rival. His favorite thing was to tease that by marrying Chelsea, he’d taken away Robbie’s most profitable act. All Russ cared about was being able to rub Robbie’s nose in any loss.
“Josie Wright,” Russ said, “this is Robbie Campbell.”
“I own the Black Stallion,” Rob added.
“Ah, so you’re here to get your butt kicked,” Josie said with a cheeky grin. “I suppose you’re used to it. I mean, Words and Music always has a better crowd than the Black Stallion.”
Russ didn’t even bother smothering his laugh at the deep blush that spread up Rob’s neck to reach his face. While the rivalry between the two clubs was well known in Nashville, Russ and his partners had the upper hand since both Chelsea Harris and Savannah Wolf were frequent headliners.
“She doesn’t have a uniform,” Rob grumbled. “Can’t play without a uniform.”
Josie glanced to Russ. “Got another T-shirt lying around?”
He hadn’t expected her to even consider playing. Whenever the Words & Music staff faced off against the Black Stallion employees, things had the potential to turn ugly. “I do. But you don’t have to—”
“I’d love to play. It’ll help take my mind off that crappy shift. Are you playing fast or slow pitch, Robert?”
“Fast pitch,” Rob replied. “We’re serious about this game.” His gaze traveled from her head to her toes, lingering too long on her breasts.
Russ wanted to punch him in the nose, but Josie must’ve followed his train of thought because she narrowed her eyes at Rob. “Serious is the only way I play.”
Rob dismissed her with a flip of his wrist. “Fine. Whatever. Play, then. Girlfriends and siblings are eligible, and it’s clear you’re dating this idiot. Hope you enjoy losing.”
Recognizing her coy smile, Russ decided to wait to ask her what she knew that he didn’t. “We’d be happy to have you, Josie.”
“Whatever,” Rob said again. “Just get your roster to the umpire before you’re disqualified.” He stomped away, leaving little clouds of dust in his wake.
As soon as he left, Russ shook his head. “You don’t have to play just ’cause Robbie’s being an asshole.”
“I know.”
“So what are you hiding?” he asked.
She glanced down and dragged her toe across the dirt. “Who said I’m hiding anything?”
“Oh, please. I know that smile, that smug smile.”
Her grin grew. “Did I ever tell you my college intramural team won every single game we played whenever I was on the mound? I’m a pretty good pitcher.”
“That’s impressive.”
“So…let’s go kick that windbag’s ass.”
* * *
Her energy restored, Joslynn donned the T-shirt in the restroom while Savannah chuckled.
“What?” Joslynn asked as she used the mirror to adjust the shirt.
Savannah’s reflection smiled. “I haven’t seen you look so happy before. Russ is good for you.”
“Yeah, he is.”
“And you’re good for him.”
“I am?”
With a nod, Savannah said, “What’s it been? A month?”
“Six weeks.” Great. Now she’d become one of those women who tracked the time of how long she’d been with her boyfriend.
What’s wrong with that? her heart asked.
More and more she’d been listening to that heart, which in and of itself was a huge change. Her whole life had been about logic—about leading with her wit and not her emotions.
“He brings out the best in you,” Savannah added. “And vice versa.”
Turning to lean back against the counter, Joslynn adjusted her ponytail. “You’re right. We’re good for each other.” Before this turned into some overly mushy discussion, she switched the topic. “Where’s Caroline? Figured she’d be here as a cheerleader.”
“She spent the night with my parents. They’re bringing her here in a little bit. Love me some softball, so pregnant or not, I had to play.”
“Just don’t do any headfirst slides,” Joslynn teased. “Where’s Chelsea? Figured she’d be here too.”
“She’s in Miami. At least I think that’s where she is.” A laugh rose from Savannah. “That woman tours so much, it’s impossible to keep track of what city she’s in.”
“Is Ethan playing?”
Savannah shook her head. “He’s on the road with her this time.”
Joslynn’s eyes widened.
“I know, right? Who would’ve expected him to ever go on tour?”
“Not me. You told me how much he hates publicity.”
“He does, but as much as you’ve been good for Russ, Chels has been good for Ethan. He doesn’t mind dealing with her fans anymore. Not that he’ll ever be like his parents. They embraced their celebrity. Ethan tolerates Chelsea’s.”
Joslynn checked her watch. “We should get out there.”
As she walked with Savannah to the dugout, she took inventory of the people warming up on the Words & Music team. She recognized some of the waiters and waitresses, although she didn’t know all their names. Leslie Guinan was playing catch with her sous chef. The surprise was seeing Leslie’s brother jogging from the parking lot toward the field. After Marc showing up at the yoga class, Joslynn worried about Russ. But he’d promised not to be jealous, and she was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Following Savannah to a large plastic tub full of equipment, Joslynn tried a couple different gloves before she found one that would work. She also grabbed a softball. Just as she turned to ask her friend if she was ready to catch a few pitches, Marc came up behind her and swiped the ball from her mitt.
“Wanna warm up?” he asked, tossing the ball lightly in the air and catching it a few times.
Before she could answer, Russ was there, his voice a rumbl
ing growl. “I’ll warm her up. I’m catching today, and I need to get a feel for her pitches.”
“You’re pitching?” Savannah asked.
“I’m going to try,” Joslynn replied. “It’s been a few years since I played. I should take a few swings with the bat too. Hope it all comes back to me.”
“I’m sure it will.” Marc nodded at her and then Russ before trotting over to his sister.
“You two have fun,” Savannah said. “I’m gonna go warm up with Brad.”
Russ grabbed a catcher’s mask from the tub. “I forgot he was going to be here.”
“I imagine he’s a pretty good athlete,” she said, picking up another softball since Marc hadn’t returned the one he’d taken from her.
“I sure hope so. It would be great to watch Robbie go down.”
Joslynn gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Let’s see if I can help with that.”
* * *
Russ grinned as he tossed the ball back to Josie. She wasn’t a good pitcher; she was a great pitcher. She’d just struck Robbie out swinging, and the way he grumbled profanities under his breath as he walked away from the batter’s box was music to Russ’s ears.
Although he hadn’t intended to bring in a ringer, that was exactly what she’d turned into, and he was loving every minute of watching the Black Stallion staff go down in flames.
“One more out,” he said as he punched his mitt. Then he held up a finger to his team. “Only one more out.” He eyed the runners on first and second, threatening with a glare should either decide to make a move.
Since Words & Music led three to nothing, all his team needed to do was get out of the top of this inning. They wouldn’t even have to bat if Josie could strike out the next batter. Unfortunately, the next man up to the plate was the head bouncer. Built like a brick house, the guy took a couple of swings before spitting in the dust and stepping into the box. He’d gone two for two with a single and a ground-rule double, so he was capable of doing some damage. And Josie was tiring. She might’ve struck out Robbie, but this bouncer was another story.