Dare to Dream: The Maxwell Series

by S. B. Alexander

  I peeked over my shoulder. She’d been looking at Shaun. He was sauntering over. “Last thing on my mind, girl.”

  “He seems like a loner, doesn’t he? It’s kind of sad. It’s also odd that I haven’t seen him hang with any guys. He seems to be attached to us.”

  A lot of kids in school were loners. I didn’t see that as a big deal. I lowered my voice since several kids were hanging out, soaking up the sun like Becca and me. “Maybe his thing is to hang with girls.”

  She leaned in. “You think he’s gay?”

  “You’re asking the wrong person.” My ex was gay, and I hadn’t picked up on it.

  “Hey,” Shaun said as he folded himself into an empty chair and opened his laptop. His unruly blond hair was a little oily today.

  Becca and I said hi at the same time. Then we both dissolved into laughter. It felt good to release some tension.

  “Laughing at me?” Shaun gave Becca and me a cursory look.

  My phone rang. “Hey, Dad. Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah. After I get done at the club tonight, I’m going to crash here since I have to be back in Boston in the morning. I’ve already spoken to Hunt. I’ll check in with you when everything is done and I’m in Pitt’s office like we talked about. Okay? Maybe you should stay at Kade’s tonight.”

  I moved to an empty table. “That’s not necessary. I stay at the house with Hunt for most of the night anyway. A few more hours alone won’t matter.” Dad usually got home from the club just past two in the morning. “Call as soon as you have the box. I’m dying to know if the ledger is in it,” I whispered, scanning the tables. Everyone seemed to be absorbed in conversations or books.

  “Love you,” Dad said.

  I stared at the pavement for a minute then went back to our table.

  “Everything okay?” Becca asked.

  “Yeah.” I smiled, but my insides didn’t.

  “Do you want to grab a bite after practice today, Lacey?” Shaun asked. “We can talk pitches and make sure you’re ready for the scout.”

  That wasn’t a bad idea. I didn’t have anything to do. It would keep my mind focused on baseball. “Sure.”

  Becca gaped at me.

  A minute or so ago she had been suggesting Shaun and I get together. “What? We’re teammates. It’s food.”

  Shaun half grinned. “And we’re friends. Nothing more.”

  School and practice came and went, albeit slowly. Shaun and I decided to meet at Wiley’s Bar and Grill. I drove with the window down, letting in the warm night air. The music was turned up high as I sang “Thinking out Loud” by Ed Sheeran. There was nothing like a beautiful night, good music, and a dark country road for singing at the top of my lungs. Oncoming headlights shone in the distance. I switched off my high beams and flicked my gaze to my rearview. Two cars trailed me. I knew one was Hunt and his partner. I wasn’t sure about the other. I thought it was Shaun since he’d pulled out of the practice lot behind me. I kept singing, but then the words died in my throat as my eyes widened. The oncoming vehicle was in my lane. I squinted just to be sure. Panicked, I blew the horn and flashed my lights. If I swerved right, I might go off the embankment. If I went left, the other car might too, and then we would still crash head on. So I swerved right and started to careen down the embankment. Just as I did, the oncoming car veered back into his lane. With my heart pounding in my chest and my hands gripping the steering wheel, I cut the wheel hard to my left and maneuvered my Mustang back onto the road before pulling off to a small clearing.

  The car behind me screeched to halt. Hunt ran up to my car. Then Shaun came running too.

  “Lacey! Are you all right?” Hunt asked. Shaun echoed his concern.

  Hunt reached in and pried my hands from the steering wheel then turned down the radio. “I’ll be right back.” He trotted to his black Escalade and said something to his partner as the car that had swerved into my lane faded into the distance.

  “That was close,” I said in a trembling voice.

  “Um. Yeah, it was. Probably someone texting or playing with the radio.” Shaun opened my door, squatted down, and rubbed my arm. “By the way, who’s the guy?” He jerked a thumb at Hunt.

  “A friend of Kade’s.” I inhaled and exhaled to regulate my heart and the buzzing in my head.

  “Does he always follow you?” Shaun asked.

  No one knew about my bodyguards. They were supposed to blend in. I glanced in the rearview. The Escalade was headed in the opposite direction while Hunt strode back.

  “I’ll drive,” Hunt said. “Kade’s house isn’t far. Let’s wait there for my guy.” His tone was decisive.

  “Hi, I’m Shaun,” Shaun said to Hunt as he rose.

  Hunt towered over Shaun. “Thanks for stopping. I can handle it from here.”

  “Hunt, I’m fine,” I said. “Shaun and I are grabbing a bite at Wiley’s.” There was no reason to go to Kade’s, and I didn’t want to draw too much attention to Hunt and why he was guarding me.

  “It’ll only take five minutes. I need to speak with Kade anyway. Lacey will meet you at Wiley’s,” Hunt said with finality.

  “Go ahead,” I said to Shaun. “If anything changes, I can text you.”

  “You sure? You can ride with me.” Shaun considered Hunt before he slanted his gaze to me.

  Hunt’s booted foot was halfway into the car.

  Shaun and I swapped numbers. Then Hunt slid in. I had no choice other than to climb into the passenger seat.

  “I don’t need to see Kade,” I said when the car began moving.

  “I do.”

  “Why? Can’t it wait?” My good mood was turning bitter. I didn’t want a confrontation with Kade. I didn’t want to drum up a conversation about our breakup or our relationship in general. Not tonight.

  “Lacey.” His tone hardened. “The big day is tomorrow. I don’t know what just happened back there. I hope my partner can get the car before we lose him. I need to make damn sure that wasn’t a threat or an attempt to kidnap you, and right now, the safest place until my partner calls me with some information is Kade’s.”

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Kade

  Chloe and I sat at the kitchen island going over slopes and other algebraic equations. We’d changed the tutoring venue from the library to my house since it was quiet and free of onlookers or gossipers. Since I wasn’t with Lacey anymore, the rumor mill was in full force. I got tired of hearing the whispers around school about why we’d broken up. It went from Lacey showed him who wore the pants in the relationship at his party to she was in love with Tyler. How they came up with those reasons was beyond me. All I knew was I missed Lacey like a crack addict missed their injections.

  I also didn’t try to push Lacey into talking. When she was ready—if she was ever ready to talk or give me another chance—I’d be ready to listen. I wasn’t aloof about the breakup. I didn’t want to agonize and make myself sick or bring the mood down around my brothers. I saved my moping for nights alone in bed.

  I also kept apprised of the Lorenzino situation through Hunt. I knew the big day of Mr. Robinson’s meeting was tomorrow. I’d asked if I could help and join in on tailing Mr. Robinson. Jeremy had said no, and so had my father. The best place for me was in school, making sure Lacey was safe.

  Kelton waltzed into the kitchen and flipped on a switch. The kitchen lit up like an airport runway, the fluorescent lights glinting off the gold-specked black granite countertop on the island that my mom had handpicked when we moved into the house. “How can you two see?”

  I had the pendant lights on over the island, which were enough for me. “Do you mind? I don’t need all those lights.”

  “Are your migraines back?” Chloe asked.

  “No, it’s just better on my eyes when the light is directed at the book.”

  “You two almost done? I’d like to steal Chloe,” Kelton said. “By the way, your girl pitched like a star during practice today. I think she’s ready for those ASU scouts to
morrow.”

  I snarled as he mentioned Chloe then grinned at the news about Lacey. Chloe and Kelton had hooked up about the time Lacey and I had broken up. Chloe had called him, and before I knew what was happening, they were snuggled up on the couch in the theater room just before one of her tutoring sessions. Part of me wanted to pry Kelton away from her. I had my own problems, and they were adults. I didn’t know what Pitt would think if he found out. Hell, maybe he knew.

  On the other hand, I was stoked to hear Lacey was ready for the scouts. Her dream was close, and that sent a wave of warmth and a pang of fear through me. If I couldn’t make amends with her before she left for ASU, I might never get her back.

  The doorbell rang.

  Kelton made himself useful while Chloe finished her last problem. She’d been doing well. She was smarter than she thought. Her issue with math was that she tried to do everything in her head rather than work the problem out on paper.

  Kelton returned with Hunt and Lacey. Her stiff body posture told me something was wrong.

  “What happened?”

  Hunt had one of his mean grizzly looks like he wanted to punch a wall.

  Chloe jumped up. “Lacey.” She glided over to her cousin and threw her arms around her. One thing about Chloe—she liked to touch people. She often used her hands when she talked, either to wave them around or to touch someone.

  “Hi,” Lacey said. “Math test again?”

  Chloe beamed from ear to ear at Kelton.

  “Well, that’s my cue to steal her,” Kelton said in a husky voice. “Come on.” He grabbed her hand. “We have time before your bodyguard whisks you back to Boston. I want to—”

  “Kelton,” Hunt and I said together.

  Chloe waved at Lacey as they left. “We’ll talk soon.”

  Lacey removed her ball cap, her hand quivering. “I hate to say this, but I’m glad to see Kelton with someone who may give him a run for his money.”

  “Or maybe he’ll get his private parts chopped off,” I said.

  Lacey smiled weakly.

  “What’s going on?” I asked, not moving from my barstool. I was afraid if I did I would carry Lacey off to my room, lock the door, and not come out until we were a couple again.

  She blew out a breath. “A car came at me head on, on Meyers Road. Hunt thinks it might not have been coincidental, with the timing of tomorrow.”

  I arched an eyebrow at Hunt.

  “I don’t know,” Hunt said as he scrolled through his phone. “Hopefully Mike will track down the car that took off.”

  Lacey went over to the sink and got herself a glass of water. “It was probably someone doing something that distracted them from the road. Can we go now? I’m meeting Shaun for dinner.” She peered at Hunt over the top of her glass.

  Keep it together, Maxwell. Between the almost accident and dinner with Shaun, my insides were going haywire.

  “It’s best if you cancel, Lacey.” Hunt’s tone was unyielding. “I’m responsible for your safety, and my gut is telling me something’s not right.”

  She dragged her gaze from Hunt to me. I wasn’t about to take anyone’s side, at least not out loud. I agreed with Hunt. Precaution was the name of the game. I blanked my face as best I could.

  Lacey gulped down her water then texted someone. Shaun, I imagined.

  Hunt’s phone rang, and he walked out.

  “Are you okay?” I swept my gaze over her, slow and steady. I hated to be so obvious, but she was standing in my kitchen, sweaty and way too sexy. My libido was fighting for control while my protective side wanted to comfort her.

  “I’m good.” She lifted her chin.

  No, she wasn’t. She was trying hard not to show how flustered she was. “Are you ready for the game tomorrow?” I hated small talk and the awkwardness behind it. However, if it kept Lacey here and talking, maybe the topic would shift to our relationship.

  “Nervous about the scouts. Nervous about my dad. I hope by the time I take the mound everything is over with and he has the ledger. But then the question becomes what next? He’s not certain what he’s going to do with it yet. If the ledger is even in the safe deposit box.”

  Everyone was assuming that the ledger resided in that box. “I’m sure if it’s there your dad will make the right decision.”

  Hunt came back. “Mike was able to get the license plate of the car before he lost track of it. We’ll check into it.”

  “Again, it was probably a false alarm,” Lacey said, sounding as though she was trying to convince herself it wasn’t the mob trying to kill her.

  Hunt growled.

  Any other time I would’ve smacked anyone who growled or snarled at Lacey. But Hunt had every right. He was on edge. He had a job to do. She didn’t need to be riding him for protecting her.

  “I’m going to use the bathroom then say goodbye to Chloe.” She marched out of the kitchen.

  “Breathe, dude,” I said, finally stretching my legs. “She’s nervous too.”

  “How much do you know about Shaun, that new guy on the team?” Hunt asked.

  “Not much. I know his name is Shaun Spears. Lacey mentioned he moved up from North Carolina. He likes to hang with her and Becca at school. He’s a good pitcher. I don’t like that Lacey was meeting him for dinner. But that’s my own jealousy coming out. Why?”

  “No reason. I’m just making sure I have all bases covered. He was following behind us, but they were headed to Wiley’s. Keep an eye on her at school tomorrow. It’s a home game, so she shouldn’t have any reason to leave school property. The bodyguards will be on extra alert too.” He scratched his neck. “When are you two going to kiss and make up?”

  “Now, if she’d let me.”

  “She’s a great gal. You can’t lose her,” he said.

  Don’t I know it.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Kade

  After seeing Lacey last night, sleep was impossible. Every part of my body ached. I craved to have her in my arms again—to feel her velvety skin against mine, to taste her watermelon lips, to feel her fingers in my hair, to hear her soft mewls of pleasure as I kissed and licked every inch of her body. Fuck, I was torturing myself.

  I got up and took a cold shower. By the time I’d dressed, a ray of morning light beamed through the barely open curtains. I buckled my belt as I padded to the kitchen. I grabbed a container of juice from the fridge and closed the door as my father walked in. His footsteps were heavy on the wood floor.

  “You’re not working today?” I asked, snagging a couple of glasses from the cabinet adjacent to the sink.

  Normally, he’d at least be dressed in his suit pants and not sweats. He rubbed his eyes as he straddled a barstool. “I’m working from home this morning, then I have a full afternoon of patients.”

  I poured juice in both glasses then gave him one.

  “Have you thought about what you’re going to do after graduation?” He drank his juice, his gaze fixed on me.

  Where did that come from? When something was bothering my father, he didn’t beat around the bush. I didn’t question him, and it was too early to argue with him.

  “I haven’t. I was hoping Mom would come home, and I’d get to spend some time with her. With you working, I could help by taking care of her and the house.”

  He scrubbed a hand over his unshaven jaw. “Son, I appreciate how dedicated you are to this family. I love the man you’ve grown into. It’s time to stop worrying about us. It’s time to let your brothers make their own mistakes. I know you want your mother home. God, I do too, more than anything. But live your life. Find something you want to do. It doesn’t have to be college, although I’d love it if all my boys went to college. But sometimes a year or two out in the world gives you time to decide. Has Lacey been accepted into Arizona State?”

  “Dad, remember we’re not together anymore. I do know she submitted her application a couple months ago.” Lacey would be heartbroken if she didn’t go to ASU, and even more so if she didn’
t get the baseball scholarship.

  “Son, give it time. She’ll come around. In the meantime, why don’t you think about taking a year to travel? It would be a good experience for you.”

  The idea of wandering around the country had a certain appeal—even more so if Lacey could join me. But that was unlikely. “I’ll think about it.”

  “Good. Let me know how things go with Mr. Robinson and how Lacey does at her game.”

  I trudged back to my room to brush my teeth. On my way, I noticed a faint light coming from the guest bathroom. I poked in my head. A cell phone sat on the sink, lit up with an incoming text message. Lacey’s phone.

  * * *

  * * *

  I jumped out of my truck and hightailed it into school. I had five minutes to find Lacey and give her phone to her before the bell rang.

  The smell of fresh cut grass hung in the air as the sun’s rays beat down. I hurried past a slew of kids and through the main entrance into school. The halls were jammed. Normally, I’d find Lacey either at her locker or hanging outside of her homeroom class, talking with Becca. But when I reached her locker, she wasn’t there. I went down two doors to her homeroom class. She wasn’t inside. Becca wasn’t around either.

  I called Hunt. “Lacey at school yet?”

  “She’s running late. I took extra time turning over my shift to the bodyguards. I wanted to make sure everyone was on their game.”

  “I have her phone.”

  “You were my next call. She realized it this morning. I’ll let her know.”

  “The bodyguards ready then?” I asked, blowing out a breath.

  “Chill, dude. I’ll check in with you after I get some sleep.”

  I had no reason to worry. Up to this point, Hunt and his partner had done a great job on the night shift, and the dayshift bodyguards were great too. Given that today was the big day, I’d feel better when I knew Lacey was in class. With her running late, I anticipated she wouldn’t get into school until midway through her first period. The bell was about to ring for homeroom. Since she had English after homeroom with Kelton, I sent him a text.