Waste of Handsome (Carolina Waves #2)

by Tina Gallagher

  “Coffee?” she asked.

  “No thanks, I’m good.” I looked at her forgotten cereal and remembered Dan telling me his housekeeper took off for a family emergency. “Mrs. Evans still off?”

  She nodded. “She’ll be helping her sister out for another month or so.”

  “How are you guys holding up without her?”

  “We’re good. Dan wanted to find someone to fill in temporarily, but I don’t think it’s necessary. Honestly, I’m still getting used to having a housekeeper. I can’t imagine having to deal with someone new. I’m not exactly Martha Stewart, but I can cook a few decent meals and keep things semi clean.”

  I looked around. Dan’s house has always been more homey than mine, but since Sabrina moved in, you can tell there’s a woman in residence full time. I can’t put my finger on specifically why that is, but it’s definitely there.

  “So what’s up with you?” she asked. “Getting ready for spring training?”

  “Yep. And thanks to you, Dan will be there too. You’re a miracle worker.”

  “He did all the work.”

  “And you’re smart enough to know when to push and when to hold him back,” I said. “You’re good at what you do, Sabrina. Own it.”

  “Thank you, Jack. That means a lot to me.”

  I nodded, acknowledging her words, then changed things up before they got too mushy. “Are you and Lexi going to St. Pete?”

  “We’ll be heading down for a couple long weekends and during Lexi’s spring break, which is the last week you’re down there. So we’ll all be able to travel home together.” She chuckled. “I mean, Dan, Lexi, and I will.”

  “I’m hurt,” I said around my own laugh.

  “I’m sure you have your own plans,” she said.

  “Not this year.”

  Her eyes rounded, but before I could clarify or she could ask a question, I heard Lexi coming down the stairs behind us.

  “Mom, can you braid my hair?” she yelled. Her feet pounded on the hardwood floors then she skidded to a stop as she entered the kitchen. “Uncle Jack!”

  I slid off the stool as she closed the gap between us and bent my knees so she could throw her arms around my neck. She screeched as I stood and twirled her around. Kissing her on the top of the head, I set her back down, making sure she was steady before totally letting her go.

  She climbed into the chair between Sabrina and me.

  “I brought a brush,” she said to Sabrina.

  “Did you bring an elastic, too?” Sabrina asked as she stood and pushed her stool out of the way. Lexi nodded and held up a purple hair tie.

  “So what are you up to today?” I asked Lexi as Sabrina brushed the knots out of her hair.

  “We’re having a girls’ day,” she said, wiggling in her seat. Sabrina reminded her to sit still as she started braiding. “First, we’re going shopping and out to lunch.”

  “Sounds like fun,” I said.

  She nodded and Sabrina stopped what she was doing until Lexi sat still again.

  It’s amazing that just a year ago, these two didn’t even know each other and now they’re so natural together. Lexi even asked to call Sabrina “mom” and Dan said they’ve filed paperwork for formal adoption. Since Lexi’s mother gave up custody when she was born, that should be a pretty simple process.

  “Lexi has turned me into a shopper,” Sabrina said. As she braided the final few strands of hair, Lexi held up the hair tie. Sabrina wrapped it around then smoothed the end. “How about some cereal?” she asked.

  “I’ll have some Cheerios, please.”

  “Jack, can I get you anything now?”

  “Just a bottle of water,” I said. I’m not really thirsty, but I remember how my mother wouldn’t relax until she was able to serve a guest something.

  “I got it.” Lexi jumped off her chair, ran over to the refrigerator, grabbed a bottle of water, and handed it to me.

  “Thank you,” I said and gave her a wink.

  Lexi stole my heart the moment we met. She was a little over a year old the first time she came to spring training. At the time, Dan and I were just starting out and stayed at the team hotel. A bunch of the players and their families were hanging near the pool as they wound down before bed. A few of the single guys and I stopped to sit for a bit before heading out for the night.

  So there we all were, just hanging out, and Lexi slipped off Dan’s lap, toddled over to me, smiled, and held out her arms. I awkwardly picked her up and set her on my lap. She settled in, rested her head on my chest, and proceeded to fall asleep. I sat like that for two hours with her cradled in my arms, falling more in love with each second that passed.

  Sabrina set Lexi’s cereal in front of her and she dug in.

  “So you’ll be going to spring training alone?” Sabrina asked as she slipped back onto the stool next to Lexi.

  “Yes, I’ll be both going and coming home alone.”

  Considering what my pattern has been, I knew it would come as a shock. I’m just hoping most people don’t ask me about it. I really don’t feel like explaining. Hell, I don’t even know if I can.

  Before she could pry further, Dan walked through the back door. Truth be told, he kind of semi-limped through, which wasn’t going to bode well for him.

  He kissed Sabrina and Lexi, then said, “Hey Jack, what’s up?”

  “Just popped in. Figured I’d see my favorite girl and find out how you’re doing.”

  “I’m good. Real good.”

  “And he’d be even better if he didn’t push his run,” Sabrina said. Dan glanced in her direction and she shook her head. “Did you seriously think I wouldn’t notice that limp?”

  “Busted,” I said then took a long drink of water.

  “Sit with your leg elevated and put the ice wrap on,” she said. “Lexi and I are going shopping. You better be on the couch when we get back. Are you sticking around for a while, Jack?”

  “I can hang for a bit.”

  “Good. Make sure he doesn’t do too much.”

  I’m not going to argue with that tone.

  “Will do.”

  “Ready Lex?”

  “Uh huh. I just have to grab my boots.” She ran out of the room and was back in the blink of an eye wearing a pair of pink Uggs. “I love you, Uncle Jack,” she said as she hugged me.

  “Love you too, Lex.” I kissed her forehead. “Have fun with your mom.”

  The beaming smile she directed at Sabrina could have lit the room. “I will.”

  Once all the goodbyes were said and Dan and Sabrina shared a semi-indecent kiss, the girls left.

  “Come on, let’s go to the family room. My damn knee is killing me.”

  He grabbed an ice wrap from the freezer and I followed him to the other room and dropped into an oversized chair. Once he was settled with his knee propped on two pillows and the ice wrapped firmly in place, he said. “So what’s up? I thought I would have heard from you yesterday after your meeting.”

  “I was too pissed to talk to anyone yesterday, so I just worked out until I was too exhausted to move.”

  “That bad?”

  I shook my head. “It could definitely be worse, but I’m not happy.”

  “What did they say?”

  “I’m sure you won’t be surprised about the fact that Mr. Hanover isn’t happy about the book.”

  “That’s not surprising at all.”

  “Hannah came up with a bunch of PR crap I have to do, which will hopefully divert attention from the book.”

  “What kind of stuff?”

  I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

  “For years, I’ve been giving pretty heavy donations to both anti-drunk driving and anxiety and depression groups.”

  “Okay.” He raised his voice at the end turning the word into a question.

  “I never said anything about it because I didn’t want anyone asking why I support those organizations specifically,” I said. “So no one knew, but somehow Han
nah found out and now she wants me to attend a bunch of fundraisers for them.”

  “If you’re not comfortable doing that, why can’t she just find other groups for you to support?”

  “I asked that and she said it would seem like I was just doing it to make myself look good. But since I’ve been giving to those two groups for years, no one could say that.”

  He raised his brow. “Makes sense.”

  “It does. I’m still not comfortable with it, though.”

  “Would it be awful if the reasons you support the groups got out?”

  “No, my reasons are just personal and not something I want to share with the whole country.” I sat forward, propping my elbows on my knees and stared at my shoes. “You know my mom died when I was in junior high. I just never told you she was hit by a drunk driver.”

  “Oh man, I had no idea.”

  I looked over at him. Might as well put it all out there.

  “After my mom died, my dad crumbled. He’s been battling depression for years.” My sarcastic chuckle echoed through the room. “Actually, he’s not even battling it, he just kind of settled into it. For years I worried he was going to kill himself. They were high school sweethearts and he said more than once that he didn’t know how to live without her.”

  “Did he ever try to commit suicide?”

  “No, he actually told me he wouldn’t because of me. But he’s not really living, and it’s not like he was ever there for me. He used to go to work, come home, and veg in front of the TV.” I cleared my throat. “Anyway, I don’t want to talk about all this in a press conference any more than I want to discuss my favorite sex position, which seems to be the other option.”

  “I can understand that. And so far, the Waves have been keeping personal questions about the book off limits. I’m sure Hannah will come up with some PR speak about your support of those groups.”

  “Yeah, I guess.”

  “And you know all you need to do is call her if you have any issues.”

  “Actually, I won’t need to call her because she’ll be with me every step of the way.”

  My mouth curled into a smile remembering the look on Hannah’s face when I told her that.

  “Really?”

  “I told Mr. Hanover that I’d feel much more comfortable with her by my side.”

  “She’s probably not happy about that. You know she likes to stick to the office and stay out of the spotlight.”

  “Oh I know. But it was her idea, so if I’m going to suffer through this, so will she.”

  Hannah

  “Mr. Hanover, do you really think this is necessary?”

  “Jack specifically asked for you, Hannah. You know that questions will be asked and comments will be made, and he doesn’t want to say or do anything that could harm the team’s image.”

  What a jerk! He actually played the team image card, knowing full well Mr. Hanover would agree to anything he wants.

  “But what about all my work here? There’s still a lot of planning to do for the season and opening day is—”

  “Hannah, knowing you, I’m sure the plans for closing day are finalized, nevermind opening day.”

  He’s not wrong, but I still don’t want to be away from my desk so long. Especially with Jack. Nothing good can come from that. But I know better than to argue with Mr. Hanover. He’s generally a fair man, but he is my boss and once he has his mind set, you’re not likely to change it.

  “Didn’t you have something set up for him to attend prior to spring training?”

  “A local anti-drunk driving group is holding a fundraiser at Lucca the week before spring training. It was sold out, but I convinced them to squeeze in a table for us.”

  “You’re amazing, Hannah. I don’t ever want you to wonder if you’re appreciated here. You definitely are.”

  “Thank you for the compliment, but having the Waves at my disposal to dangle as bait when I need it helps.”

  He chuckled. “Who’s filling the table?”

  “I was thinking Dan and Cal would help ease Jack’s nerves a bit. And I’m sure Dan will bring Sabrina.”

  “With you that makes five. How many does the table fit?”

  “Six.”

  “Maybe Kenny will be around. Unless there’s someone you’d like to bring?”

  “No.” I wanted to mention that I don’t even want to be there, but refrained. “I can ask Kenny and if he’s not available, I’ll call some of the local players.”

  “Good plan,” he said. “Thanks Hannah. I know with this in your hands, everything will be fine.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Hanover.”

  If only I could share his confidence.

  This is going to happen so I may as well accept it and make a plan to keep it organized and professional. Definitely professional. No ogling his abs. No listening intently to his voice to detect slips of his New England accent. And definitely no sniffing for his unique scent.

  After booting up my computer, I opened Excel and created a new spreadsheet. I spent fifteen minutes filling it with the dates and events I had saved in my calendar and noted where there was room for more. First on the list is the fundraiser coming up in a couple weeks. As much as I don’t want to, I have to call Jack and see if he’s spoken to Dan or Cal. I’m sure he hasn’t, so my call will also serve as a reminder.

  Using my desk phone so the caller ID would show as the Waves, I dialed Jack’s number. Don’t ask why I know it by heart. He answered on the second ring, surprising me.

  “Hi, uh Jack?”

  “Hey Hannah.” He didn’t sound happy to hear from me, but he didn’t sound totally not happy either. “What’s up?”

  “I uh…” I cleared my throat. “I wanted to touch base with you on the dinner at Lucca in a couple weeks. Did you happen to speak with Dan or Cal about attending?”

  “No, I was kind of hoping it would go away,” he said around a short laugh. “I’m actually with Dan right now. Hold on.” He must have removed the phone from his ear because his voice was a little muffled when he said, “Hey, you and Sabrina want to come to a fundraiser dinner in a couple weeks?” I heard muttering in the background, but couldn’t make out the words. Then he was back. “Dan and Sabrina are in. I’ll text Cal in a little bit. Can you send me your number so I can just text you back?”

  “Sure.”

  Oh God, Jack Reagan is going to text me. My heart is pounding like a 7th grader with a crush.

  “Do we need anyone else?” he asked.

  “If Cal goes, there’s one extra seat. Mr. Hanover suggested Kenny attend.”

  “Ugh,” he said. “Nothing against Kenny, but it will be more fun if Bossman Jr. isn’t there.”

  “Any other suggestions?”

  “Will there be kids at this shindig?”

  “Yes.”

  “What about Lexi?” he asked. “She can be my date.”

  As if the man isn’t attractive enough, he goes and says something like that.

  “Sounds like a plan. I’ll let Mr. Hanover know we don’t need Kenny.”

  “And I’ll text you about Cal.”

  “Thank you,” I said. When he didn’t respond, I felt compelled to fill the silence zinging across the line. “And Jack, don’t worry about all this. I’ll do everything I can to protect your privacy and keep focus off the book.”

  There was a pause between when my words ended and his began and I swear I heard him swallow.

  “I appreciate that, Hannah.”

  Hanner.

  I already broke one of my rules when I noticed that. Hopefully I’ll be able to follow the others.

  Chapter 3

  Hannah

  Looking around my closet, I’m at a loss. What to wear? What to wear?

  Yes, I’ve had two weeks to prepare for this dinner, but have pushed it off, hoping it would go away.

  No such luck.

  I’m torn between donning my normal business attire and mixing it up a bit. There are enough dresses in every s
tyle hanging in front of me, so it’s not that I don’t have anything to wear, it’s more that I’m second-guessing why I’m tempted to play dress up. I mean, I know why I am, I just don’t want to be.

  This ridiculous crush I’ve been harboring for years needs to go away, especially now that I’ll be spending so much time with Jack. At least before, I could avoid being alone with him. Plus I feel more secure when I’m working. On my own turf I can hide behind the professional persona I’ve created for myself.

  Grabbing a dark gray suit and pale blue blouse, I left the closet, and threw them on my bed before heading to take a quick shower. I reversed direction as my phone chimed its old-fashioned ringtone and vibrated across the nightstand. It may not be a trendy song or fancy tune, but it reminds me of my grandmother’s old rotary phone and makes me smile every time it rings. My smile faded as my father’s face flashed on the screen. Declining the call, I made my way to the bathroom, closing the door to shut out the callback that would inevitably follow. As if I’m not stressed enough about tonight, he had to call. I swear the man has a sixth sense that makes him contact me at the worst times.

  Turning on the water as hot as I could stand it, I stepped into the shower and concentrated on relaxing. I took in deep, calming breaths and let them out slowly as the hot water streamed down my back. By the time I got myself together, the water lost some of its steaminess. Knowing I only had a few minutes before it was barely lukewarm, I grabbed my body wash, lathered up, and rinsed off in record time.

  I went about getting ready, careful to avoid my cell. Every once in a while, it beeped letting me know I had a message, but I stayed strong while I curled my hair and applied makeup. But as I approached my bed to get dressed, I caved. Picking up my phone, I swiped and tapped the voicemail app. My father’s Irish brogue filled the room.

  Hannah, how ya been, ma girl? I know you’re not happy with me right now, after what happened at Christmas, but I was hopin’ you’d a settled down and called by now. I’m gonna be headin’ to Key West for a shoot and thought we could get together. I can fly up to meet ya when yer not workin’. Or if yer wantin’ a holiday, I can fly ya down. Just let me know.