“I don’t know.” And that scared her more than anything.
***
Dani had never been more grateful for her work. It kept her mind occupied so she couldn’t dwell on the things she couldn’t change. But when Ro popped her head in the door around lunch time, Dani was ready for a break.
“Can you do me a favor?” Dani asked.
“Anything.”
That was what Dani loved most about her best friend. She was always willing to help. “Can you take me to get my car? I left it in the parking lot after Ace’s game last night.”
“I didn’t know you went to the game. I thought you said you had a birthday thing for your dad?”
“I did, but it didn’t work out. I met Ace at the field after his game, then we went back to his place.”
“And?” Ro laughed when Dani rolled her eyes as she shut down her computer. “Come on, you can’t leave me hanging like that. I’ll be an old married woman soon. I’ll have to live vicariously through you. Sex with a hot pro athlete? It doesn’t get much better than that.”
“No, I guess it doesn’t,” Dani said, smiling as she reached for her purse and keys. “But honestly, I have a hard time thinking of him that way. To me, he’s just Maceon. My first love.”
“And the fact that you can look at him and see him for who he is is probably one of the many things that makes you so appealing to him. Can you imagine how many groupies he has to fight off every night?”
Dani had thought she was hungry until Ro reminded her of yet another obstacle in their relationship. “No, but thanks for reminding me of that right before he leaves on a road trip.”
“You guys are sleeping together, right? You don’t think he’d sleep with anyone else, do you?”
“How the hell should I know?” Dani snapped. God, she was starting to sound like her mother, snapping and growling at people. “I didn’t think Mike would cheat on me either, so what do I know?”
“He was an ass,” Rosanna said, throwing her arm around Dani’s shoulders as they walked to the door. “And if you ask me, you’re better off without him.”
“I know I am.” Dani smiled at a few employees they passed on their way to the elevator. “But how can I trust someone after that?” she asked, lowering her voice.
“How can you not?” Rosanna challenged, crossing her arms after punching the button to take them from the top floor that housed the offices to the ground floor parking garage. “The alternative is to let that bastard win, let him steal any chance you have at a solid relationship with a man who loves you and would never cheat on you.” She held her hand up before Dani could interject. “I’m not saying Ace is that guy. But maybe he is. Who knows, right?”
Dani was beginning to feel there was so much she didn’t know, and so little she did.
***
Dani was surprised to find Ace standing beside her car when they arrived. “How did he know I was—”
“I texted him.” Rosanna grimaced. “Don’t be mad at me. He called the office earlier and gave me his number in case I ever wanted to talk to him.”
“Why would he do that?” Dani was uncomfortable with the idea of her best friend and lover conspiring behind her back.
“Because he cares about you and so do I.” She pointed at the door handle. “Now get out and talk to the man. Put him out of his misery.”
“But I don’t know what to say.”
“You’ll figure it out.”
“What about lunch? I thought we were going to stop on the way back.”
“I’ll grab something for us from the hotel kitchen. We can meet back in your office and you can fill me in.”
Before Dani could argue, Ace opened her door and leaned in. “Thanks for texting me, Rosanna.”
“My pleasure.” She winked at him. “Just make sure you hit one out of the park for me tonight.”
“I’ll do my best.” He took Dani’s hand and helped her out of the car before he slammed the door and watched Ro speed off. “I hope you don’t mind that I’m here. I needed to see you before I left. I didn’t feel good about where we left things this morning.”
They’d kissed and hugged, but it had felt perfunctory and was definitely laced with fear and uncertainty. “No, I’m glad you’re here.”
“I’m sorry if I’m being too pushy.” He stepped back, pushing his sunglasses up on top of his head. “I don’t mean to be. It’s just that being with you again feels really good, and I don’t want to lose that.”
“I don’t either.” In the days and weeks after losing her brother, she’d felt numb, but as soon as she was able to feel again, grief and sadness had consumed her. And not just because she’d lost her twin. Because it felt like she’d lost her entire family and her soul mate.
“You don’t?” He tipped his head to the side. “You sure? Because this morning, it seemed like you were having second thoughts about us.”
“I won’t deny I’m still confused.” She readjusted the purse strap on her shoulder. “About a lot of things. You came back into my life at the worst possible time.”
“Because of what your fiancé did to you?” He tipped his head back, blowing out a breath. “I still can’t believe anyone would be stupid enough to cheat on you, but I get why you’re gun-shy. You have plenty of reasons.”
She took his hands. “Ro thinks I’d be giving him too much power if I refused to trust another man because of what he did to me.”
“She’s right, you know.”
“I know.” But she’d trusted Ace too, and he’d let her down. She’d trusted him to keep all of his promises to her, to make all of their dreams come true. He was going to get a big-league contract. She was going to finish school, maybe travel with him for a bit. They were going to have the big white church wedding, a couple of kids, and live the good life.
“But this isn’t about him, is it? It’s about me.”
“A part of me died a long time ago,” she said quietly, her gaze hitting the pavement beneath her high heels. “I can’t ever get that back. I’m not the same girl I was when you loved me.”
“I know that.”
“Do you?” She tipped her head back to look him in the eye, trying to figure out whether he was trying to rekindle a relationship with her to ease his guilt and shame over the past.
“Of course I do, Dani. You think I’m the same egotistical, self-centered kid who thought he had the world by the tail? I’m not.” He shook his head. “That part of me died right along with the part of you that died. Neither one of us will ever be the same. How could we be, right?”
She nodded, feeling her heart break all over again for everything they’d lost. Including the things he didn’t even know about yet.
“But change isn’t always a bad thing. Sometimes it can be good. I like to think that I’ve changed for the better. I’m more humble now. I don’t take anything for granted.”
“I can see that.”
“Can you?” He scrutinized her closely. “Can you really look at me and see that I’m not the same dumb kid who broke your heart?”
She felt tears well up as she whispered, “Yes.”
He framed her face with hands that made people compare him to a superhero because of the incredible plays he made on the field. “I may not be the boy you fell in love with, but I’d like to be the man you learn to love all over again.”
Love. It was a terrifying word because it came with the potential for heartache. But it also came with the promise of a happy ending, something she’d always secretly wished for. She wrapped her arms around him, holding him tight. “I’ll be counting the minutes ‘til you come back to me.”
“So will I, baby.”
***
There was no feeling in the world like playing in front of a roaring crowd, even when they were cheering for the opposing team. The crunch of a breaking bat brought the crowd to their feet, but Ace silenced them when he jumped several feet, robbing their designated hitter of an RBI as the ball landed in his glove with
a satisfying thud.
This was the game he loved, his reason for hauling his ass out of bed most mornings, and there was nothing he’d rather do with his life.
He watched Rowan throw two balls, followed by two strikes, as he visualized another ball headed in his direction. Part of being a top-notch ball player meant seeing the play even before it happened, and he was an expert at that. He had a sixth sense, almost as though he could see where the ball was going based on the batter’s stance alone. He’d learned how to read people. Too bad he couldn’t read Dani as easily.
He shook his head when a picture of her popped into his head. She was lying under him, her nails skimming his back as she whispered his name. Not here. Not now. On the field, he had to stay focused. Especially with a dangerous hitter and a full count. Their team was up two runs at the bottom of the eighth with a man on third, and he refused to be the reason they went back to the hotel with one in the loss column.
Ace watched the ball sail over his head as he heard their right fielder call for it. Two men stranded, one on first and one on third, as they ended the inning and jogged into the dugout. Rowan was still pitching after eight strong innings with only eighty-nine pitches logged. That meant he had a good chance of pitching a complete game, his first of the season.
“Nice job out there,” Ace said, tapping gloves with Rowan.
“Thanks, you too, man. I thought for sure that ball was gone.”
“Yeah, so did I for a minute there.”
They sank down on the bench, both reaching for their water bottles as they watched the bottom of their batting order prepare to hopefully widen their lead. They wiped sweat off their foreheads, letting the towels hang over their heads as they drained their bottles.
“Nice homer in the first, Ace.”
It was a two-run lead-off homer that took the raucous fans out of the game early, so it was a big one. “Thanks. A win here today means we take first. I know it’s early in the season, but it always feels good to be on top.”
Rowan chuckled. “Not always.”
Ace thought about how good it felt to have Dani on top of him. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
Ace could hear the boys around them talking shop. The opposing team had called in their second reliever already, and they could see their opposition’s hotshot closer warming up in the bullpen. That was the one thing he loved most about baseball—there were no guarantees. One swing of the bat could turn the tide in the other direction.
“So you and Danielle? How’s that going?”
Ace kept his eyes on their batter, groaning inwardly as he struck out. Two runs weren’t enough to take the edge off. Not when they were playing last year’s World Series champions, the same team who’d stolen the ring from them in the seventh game.
“It’s going,” Ace said finally, itching to get another turn at bat. Their Skip had been playing around with the line-up lately, so Ace had started the season in the lead-off spot, but gotten shifted down to third when their regular right fielder ended up on the DL with a calf strain.
Rowan looked at him sideways. “That’s all you’re gonna give me?”
Ace chuckled. He never thought he’d have another friend like Linc, who felt like more of a brother, but Rowan proved that sometimes it was possible to move on and forge new bonds. “What do you want me to say, man? I’m into her.”
“Literally?”
Ace scowled before rubbing the towel over his face. “Shut the hell up.”
“Protective of her, huh? I was just making sure that you’re serious is all.”
“You have to ask that after everything I went through to get another shot at talking to her?” He grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds, popping one after another in his mouth before he leaned over to spit out the shells. “Me and Dani, we’ve always been the real deal.”
“Yeah, I got that from what little you’ve told me about her.”
Ace clapped once as the pitcher walked their next batter, adrenaline rushing through his veins as the chance of widening their lead improved. “I’m just trying to take it slow. Give her time to think things through, come around on her own.”
“You think that’s smart?” Rowan asked, looking skeptical. “Could be if you let her over-analyze it, she’ll talk herself right out of being with you.”
“What other choice do I have?” Ace asked, feeling frustrated. “I can’t force her to be with me if she decides that’s not what she wants. We have history, a lot of bad history.”
“Maybe that’s the problem. She’s too caught up in the past. She remembers the guy you were and the one stupid mistake you made. Show her you’re not that guy anymore.”
“What the hell do you think I’ve been trying to do?”
“Let her into your world. Take her to some charity events, the children’s hospital, show her how much you do to give back. Let her get to know your friends and teammates. Hearing from you that you’ve changed is one thing, but hearing it from the people who know you best is another.”
At this point, Ace was willing to do just about anything to gain ground with her, because if there was one thing he hated it was spinning his wheels. “I’ll think about it.”
“Tenley’s having a birthday party for Stacey when we get back. You should come, bring Danielle.”
“You really think it’s smart to bring her to my ex-girlfriend’s birthday party?” Ace asked, considering how he’d feel if she invited him to her ex’s party.
“Hey, you and Stace are just friends now. She’s trying to work things out with Ten’s brother. What harm can it do? Maybe Stace can put in a good word for you.”
Ace and Stacey had ended their relationship on good terms because it was obvious to him that she was still in love with her ex, something he could definitely relate to. “I’ll think about it, man.”
“Just don’t think about it too long. You need to get some skin in the game, Ace. I get the feeling Danielle’s a lot like Tenley was when we first met. She’d been burned before and didn’t want to let her guard down again.”
That was precisely the problem. “So how’d you convince Tenley you weren’t like the other guys who’d hurt her?”
“I was there for her, proved to her one day at a time that she could trust me. I let her into my world so she could decide for herself whether she wanted to be a part of it. I developed a relationship with her brothers.” Rowan winced as he looked at Ace out of the corner of his eye. “Sorry, I know getting in good with her family isn’t an option for you.”
“That’s the thing,” Ace said, grabbing both ends of the towel wrapped around his neck. “Her parents are never going to understand why she’d be willing to give me another chance. They hate me, and rightly so. So how can I have a future with this girl?”
“You’re right,” Rowan said, nodding. “You should cut your losses and move on. Find someone else.”
“I don’t want anyone else!” Ace cleared his throat when a few of his teammates turned to look at him. The bases were loaded now, and the pitcher was down three and one. He was on the verge of walking in another run. Ace had to get his head back in the game, where it belonged.
“Then quit whining about the things you can’t change. Forget about the past. Focus on the present.”
“Yeah, but that’s easier said than done.”
Chapter Eleven
Dani opened her door, expecting to find Ace on the other side. He was finally home from his away games, and after talking to him every night, she couldn’t wait to see him.
“Mike. What are you doing here? How did you get in?” she asked. He’d given back her house key and the passkey for the exterior doors, and he hadn’t called up.
“I live here now.” He braced a hand on her doorframe. “Don’t look so surprised. You know I always loved this building. A one-bedroom came up for sale on the third floor, so I snagged it.”
Great, just what she needed. Her ex as a neighbor. “Why would you do that? We’re both trying to move on and—”<
br />
“You may be trying to move on. I’m not.”
She walked away from the door, knowing she had to take a few minutes to set him straight. Hopefully Ace was running late. “It’s over. You made that decision when you cheated on me,” she said, watching him enter and close the door. “So if you think there’s a chance in hell that I’ll take you back, you’re deluding yourself.”
“Your father came to see me at the station today.”
“What?” Her heart beat faster as she imagined what they talked about. “Why? What did he say?”
“He said you told him about the breakup, the reason for it. Naturally he was pissed at first, but I told him how sorry I was, that I’d made one stupid mistake and it would never happen again. Then he told me not to give up on you.”
“Well, that’s not his decision to make, is it?”
He narrowed his eyes, looking smug. “After I met Ace Phillips here the other day, I did a little digging. I knew he was a hometown boy, but I didn’t know you and he went to the same high school. At the same time.”
“So what?” she asked, trying to play it off.
“He was the one, wasn’t he?”
She didn’t have to ask what he meant. It was obvious. “It’s none of your business.”
“You’re actually thinking about getting back together with the guy who killed your brother. Are you really that desperate?”
Rage bubbled up inside her as she glared at him. “I’m the one who’s desperate? You’re the one who banged a stripper at a bachelor party, remember?”
“Do your parents know you’re seeing him?” He smirked. “Of course they don’t.”
“And you’re not going to tell them.”
He stepped closer, crowding her. “Why wouldn’t I? What’s in it for me? Why should I keep your dirty little secret?” He picked up a strand of her hair before she swatted his hand away and stepped back. “And why should I keep his?”
“What are you talking about?” she asked, losing her breath.
“Everyone thinks he’s a hero. The people of this city love him. But how do you think they’d feel if they found out he’d killed a man while driving drunk?”
Hit and Run (Summer Rush #2) Page 10