Swinging the bat in a circle to loosen his shoulder, JP resettled his helmet and stepped up to the plate. Reconsidering, he stepped out of the box with a hand held up, halting play. Charlie was standing in the dugout by the steps, eyes locked on the game. When he saw JP looking at him, the kid grinned and gave him two excited thumbs up. For some reason the boy’s sign of encouragement made his chest feel a little warm and tight.
Shaking it off, JP pointed at the kid and tipped his head to him. Then he stepped back into the box and pulled the bat, cocked and ready for action. The Padres pitcher wound up and sent it flying. Following the ball with eagle eyes, JP held until the last minute and then he swung, connecting hard with the white leather.
As soon as he felt the bat vibrate he dropped it and took off at full speed toward first. The ball cleared second base and dropped dead in the outfield, barely rolling once it hit the ground. San Diego’s center fielder scooped it up, but it was too late. JP had made it to first and Brexler had crossed home safely for the win.
The Rush won 5-4.
Back in the locker room the boys were in high spirits. They were having one of those seasons where everything was clicking, and they were well on their way to the playoffs. Arriving at his designated space, JP reached into his locker and stiffened when he received a hard smack on the ass.
Looking over his shoulder to find Peter there, he relaxed and joked, “Please sir, may I have another?” Animal House, with John Belushi, was one of his dad’s favorite films.
Laughing, Pete retorted, “Only if you’re good, pretty boy.”
Before he could respond to that, Mark garnered his attention. He tossed a sweat-soaked towel at JP and said, “The fiancé wants to have pizza and beer at our place and watch the recap on ESPN. You in?”
JP hooked his thumb at Pete. “Only if he’s gonna be there to do that again.” He winked at the pitcher. “I liked it.”
Drake snorted nearby and stated, “You need to get laid, boy.”
Amen to that. “I’m working on it, hoss.”
The player scratched the thick patch of curly, brown chest hair and shook his head. “How’s a guy as pretty as you have such a hard time getting a woman in the sack?”
Because he chose women with standards. “I don’t see any problem.”
Drake made a tsk-tsk sound and shot him a look full of mock pity. “Do I need to sit you down and give you a tutorial, brother?”
“You got any pop-up books?”
“Nah, but I got a shit ton of movies.”
Wasn’t that the truth. Drake’s porn collection was legendary.
Cutter interjected while he took off his shin guards, “Bring your lady friend and her kid. This thing’s a family event.”
Pete dropped his pants and wrapped a towel around his waist. “Man, I’m still amazed you landed somebody as awesome as Lorelei. You let her know that I’m available when she gets tired of you, all right?”
“She gets tired out every night, bro,” Mark said, and he looked damn happy about it.
Out of the corner of his eye, JP saw Charlie enter the locker room, his hands full of equipment. The kid was in the wrong place, but JP thought it was a good opportunity to talk to him about going to Mark’s. “Hey, slugger.”
Charlie looked over the pile in his arms. “Where’s this stuff go?”
Drake answered, “In the equipment room down the hall, little big man. Want me to take you?”
The veteran stepped toward Charlie and JP cut him off. “I’ll take him.”
Leading the way, they dropped the stuff in the room. Charlie kept up a monologue the whole way, eager to share his version of the day’s game. All the chattering kind of made his eyes cross, but JP hung in there, knowing that the boy would run out of steam eventually.
When Charlie finally stopped for air, JP spoke up. “So hey, some of the guys are heading to Cutter’s place for pizza and to watch the recap on the sports channel. I don’t suppose you’d want to tag along, would you?”
Charlie stopped dead in his cleats. “Are you serious? That’d be awesome!”
JP looked down at the kid. “Yeah?”
“Totally!” The boy pumped his fist.
Sweet. “You think your mom will be up for it?”
Charlie wrinkled his nose as he considered. “I think so. I mean, it’s not Saturday or anything.”
That’s right. He’d forgotten about her weird Saturday phobia. “Cool. I need to shower and change. Why don’t you find your mom and ask her while I’m cleaning up?” He had dirt smeared across his face and the front of his jersey from a slide into second. He’d dug hard and still had some sandy grains in his mouth.
The kid’s blue eyes were full of earnestness. “Okay.” He took a step and stopped, turning back to JP. Suddenly looking shy, Charlie asked, “If she says yes, do you think I could ride with you?”
That same warm and tight feeling from earlier settled in his chest again as he took in the boy’s hopeful expression. How could he turn that down? “Of course. But your mom’s got to say you can, all right?”
Charlie nodded vigorously. “Okay.”
JP tapped the brim of the boy’s ball cap, lowering it over his eyes. “Go find your mom and I’ll meet you two outside the locker room in fifteen minutes.”
Pushing the bill back up, Charlie grinned big, already inching down the hall. “You got it!”
Watching his back for a minute before it disappeared, JP thought about the boy. He really was a good kid. Eager and bright and curious. To be honest, he kind of reminded JP of himself as a kid. There was a lot there he could relate to.
Because of that it made him think about how much he’d needed his dad when he was Charlie’s age. How he’d looked to his dad for guidance, direction, and encouragement. Though John Trudeau wasn’t perfect by any means, he was hands down the greatest man he knew. He’d taught JP what it meant to be a man.
Who was going to teach Charlie?
Sonny was a terrific mom. That much was clearly evident. But there were some things a boy needed to know that only a man could show him. Things about how to be in the world and how to relate to those around him.
The boy should know these things, JP thought as he re-entered the locker room. Pushing his musings aside, he made quick work of a shower and dressed in near record time. He was clean and ready in under ten minutes. He ran into Pete at the door. The pitcher had his duffle, too, and was carrying a motorcycle helmet. A few months back he’d bought a Ducati and now he rode the thing everywhere. Said it was the next best thing to flying.
“You heading over to Cutter’s place too?” JP asked as they passed through the door into the hall.
The pitcher nodded, his pale blue eyes full of humor. “You know it. I wouldn’t miss an opportunity to see our boy pussyfoot around his sweet little fiancée.”
Yeah, that was going to be fun.
Catching sight of Sonny down the hall, Pete whistled softly. “Damn, dude. That’s one fine looking woman you’re after.”
JP glanced down to where she was standing, looking gorgeous and casual in a little yellow tank top, ripped jeans and flip-flops. She had a few hemp bracelets on her wrists and her hair was down. He knew how soft it felt and his fingertips tingled at the memory.
When she waved at them, his chest started to get all tight again. He was starting to think that maybe he had an affliction or something, and wondered briefly if he should have it checked out.
Charlie came running up to him. “Mom says I can go with you.”
Pete shot JP a look. “You’re giving the kid a ride?”
He shot one right back. “Got an issue with that?”
Kowalskin shook his head. “None. It just surprised me is all, taking it up a notch like that.”
Charlie looked from JP to Peter and back. “What are you guys talking about?”
JP placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder and squeezed gently. “Responsibility. Chauffeuring you around town is a big deal.” He gave Charlie an easy smile.
Peter chuckled and slapped JP on the back. “See you there, Mr. Belvedere.”
Charlie wrinkled his nose, confused. “Who’s Mr. Belvedere?”
JP glanced at Pete’s retreating form. “Beats me, kid.”
But whoever it was, he was sure it wasn’t a compliment.
Chapter Nine
* * *
SONNY ACCEPTED THE beer JP held out to her and watched the commotion behind him. When they had arrived at Mark Cutter’s place they’d found some of the players deep in a card game. Apparently there had been some kind of bet and the player with the worst hand was saddled with the consequence of breakdancing on the hardwood floor for everyone’s amusement.
Pitcher Peter Kowalskin had lost and was currently shoving furniture out of the way to clear a spot. The catcher’s condo was huge, but she guessed that Peter needed more space to properly execute his moves. She watched the dark-haired player push a leather couch flush against the wall while Drake Paulson egged him on.
Taking a pull of the yeasty New Belgium microbrew, Sonny pointed the bottle at the pitcher and asked JP, “Is this sort of thing normal for you guys?”
He stood next to her, his butt leaning against a table and his long, hard legs crossed at the ankles. “Yeah. The guys do stuff like this all the time.”
And here she’d thought ballplayers were sophisticated and refined.
Stealing a peek at him, she replied, “What about you?”
He grinned down at her, his brown eyes dancing. “Nah. I’m more composed and mature than that.”
Right. “Uh-huh.” She wasn’t buying that for a minute.
JP rubbed his chin, the other hand holding the beer bottle loosely on his thigh. “Well, there was that time a few weeks back after we won the Phillies game.”
“And . . .? What happened?”
A drop of beer shimmered on his bottom lip and he wiped it with a thumb, making her breath catch in her throat. The guy had a terrific pair of lips—firm and full and well-sculpted. And he knew how to use them. Boy did he ever.
No wonder the media adored him.
Forcing herself to look away, Sonny waited for his response. Hormones awakened from their slumber, causing her blood to warm, and she tried hard to push them aside. JP did all kinds of crazy things to her libido, and after it being on hiatus for half a decade she was a little afraid she might blow a fuse or something.
“The guys wanted to celebrate the win and I’d made clutch plays that game, so they decided I was the guest of honor. I downed way too many pitchers of beer and busted my nuts on the mechanical bull at the bar. Jacobs over there got me back to the hotel and I passed out with a giant bag of ice on my balls. The next morning I woke up with a mild case of frostbite and couldn’t walk right for over a week. Wearing a cup was torture.”
Her eyes went huge and she choked on her beer. “Are you serious?”
The look he gave her was almost comical in its embarrassment. “Sadly, yes.”
“And here I was thinking that you were impressively mature for your age.” Myth successfully dispelled.
JP slid a look at her and she got sidetracked by his thick black lashes. “You know the truth just makes you want me more.”
A laugh rose in her chest and let loose. “Oh, for sure.”
They grinned at each other. Then JP’s gaze dropped to her mouth and his head began to lower, causing her heart beat to speed up. The spark of amusement in his eyes melted as the heat turned up, and they went dark like burnt whiskey.
Charlie chose that moment to appear and Sonny jerked away from the shortstop. Funny, but she felt out of breath. “What’s up, kiddo?”
Her son waggled his thumb at another boy standing next to him. They looked about the same age. “Me and Ryan want to play his 3DS. He’s got a Pokemon game and Mark said we could use the guest room. Is that okay?”
She didn’t see why not. “Of course. Just make sure if you two create a mess, you clean it up.”
Charlie nodded and waved up at JP. “See ya.” And the boys took off, already the best of friends.
“What the hell are Pokemon?” JP asked. “I’ve been meaning to ask him.”
Sonny shook her head. “Don’t. I did once and Charlie went on so long about them that my brain cramped.”
The shortstop smirked. “I noticed he likes to talk.”
That was an understatement. “I love my son, but he can make your ears numb from yapping so much.”
Another drop of beer clung to his lip and this time he licked it off, his expression suddenly serious. “Charlie mentioned on the ride over that you’re thirty-one. Does my age bother you?”
That gave her pause. “Honestly? It does some, yes. I know it’s only five years, but it feels bigger than that. Maybe it’s because we’re at such different places in our lives.”
JP seemed to consider that and his eyelids lowered, shielding his eyes. “Not so different, Sonny.”
Her gaze lifted to his face, surprised. “You don’t think?” From where she was standing there was a whole world between them.
“Sometimes things look different on the outside that aren’t. But you have to peel back the layers to see the similarities.”
“Why aren’t you like the typical twenty-something guy, JP?” she demanded to know with equal parts exasperation and frustration. It’d been a question she’d chewed on for a few weeks now.
“Because I’m special.” He answered through a crooked grin.
She couldn’t help smiling back. “For real, though. Sometimes I worry that you’re just too young and naïve to know better than to go sniffing around a single mom my age.”
The look he was giving her went instantly dark and hot. “Do I look naïve, Sonny?”
Not in the least. “I just can’t wrap my head around why you’re interested in me.” She gestured with a hand at the other ballplayers. “You’re a young, hot, professional athlete.”
JP stared hard at her for a few moments. Instead of answering, he said, “I have a terrific family. I’m one of six kids. Did you know that?” She shook her head and he continued. “We’re all really close, even though I live here and they’re all still in Iowa. My youngest sister Sadie is sixteen and after she was born the doctors discovered my mom had cervical cancer. I was about Charlie’s age when she went through surgery and chemo. She almost died and it was scary as hell. But we stuck together with support and love and a lot of sacrifice to get her through.”
Compassion filled her. “That must have been tough.”
He nodded. “It was. But I saw the way my dad held steady like a rock for her and us kids. He did it because there was nothing more important or better out there than his family.”
“I get what you’re saying.” At least she thought she did. “But you don’t have a wife and kids. You’re good looking, smart, and you’ve got a whole career ahead of you. You can have whatever you want.”
JP straightened from the table and gave her a look full of unreadable emotions. “Peel the layers, Sonny.” And then he walked away, leaving her standing there in stunned silence.
Though she hadn’t meant to, she could tell that she’d upset him. What was it with the shortstop? Try as she might, she just couldn’t get a handle on him. She’d thought he would be glad that she was letting him off the hook so easily. A little flirting, a few kisses—but it didn’t have to be anything more. If she were a young single guy like him she wouldn’t choose somebody like her. It was too much work. Too much baggage and preexisting conditions.
Or maybe that’s what she was telling herself to keep a wall between them.
Thinking that she should apologize, Sonny set her beer bottle down and was about to set off in search of JP when she was stopped by her hostess, Lorelei Littleton. They’d met when she’d first arrived, but there’d been so much going on that there hadn’t been much opportunity to chat. It seemed that the pretty brunette had fou
nd some time.
The catcher’s fiancée settled beside her and gave her a friendly smile. “Sorry it’s taken so long to get a chance to talk. Team get-togethers like this can get hectic.” She pointed to where the pitcher had taken center stage in the living room. “As evidenced by what we are about to see here.”
Following Lorelei’s gaze, she bit back a laugh as Peter held his hands out at his sides and prepared to bust a move. He’d turned his ball cap backward and rolled up the sleeves of his plain white T-shirt. A tattoo showed briefly on the inside of his right bicep and he had on Vans or Skechers or something. They were some kind of skater shoe.
Sonny thought of something. “Is Peter from Philadelphia?”
Lorelei looked at her with curiosity, “What makes you ask that?”
She tilted her head to the side and studied the pitcher. “He kind of has that G. Love-East Coast-Philly vibe.”
Lorelei tipped her head to the side, too, and considered. “You know, I think you’re right.” Straightening, she called out to the player, “Hey, Kowalskin! Are you from Philly?”
Peter tossed her a lopsided grin full of a whole lot of naughty and broke out a breakdance move. “You know it, sweetness.”
At that moment a gorgeous woman stepped up beside Lorelei and gave her an air kiss on the cheek. The blonde was absolutely stunning with her sleek shoulder-length bob, floral-print halter sundress, and heeled espadrilles. Her nails were poppy red and her makeup was flawless. “Hey, y’all. Sorry I’m late.” Belatedly she noticed the rearranged furniture. “What do we have going on here?”
Lorelei made introductions. “Sonny, this is Mark’s sister, Leslie.” She turned to the other woman. “Sonny’s boy Charlie is filling in for one of the regular batboys.”
Leslie’s smile was all Southern charm and hospitality. “Nice to meet you. Love your hair.”
Happy for the compliment, Sonny replied, “I was just thinking the same about yours.” It was the perfect shade of cool blonde. Probably cost a small fortune to maintain, too.
Music cut through the noise and someone let out an ear-piercing whistle. That brought Leslie back around, asking, “What are the guys up to?”
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