Waste of Handsome (Carolina Waves #2)

by Tina Gallagher

  “You’re amazing, you know that?”

  “You’re kind of great yourself.”

  He met my gaze and smiled, the elusive dimple popping out on his left cheek. My lady parts started to tingle and I decided it was time to get out of here before I end up jumping his bones. I blinked, breaking the sizzling connection and pushed back from the table.

  “I’d better get going. I have to go to my hotel to shower and change. I also want to call my dad before heading to the park.”

  I finished my coffee in one long gulp and placed the mug on my plate and reached for Jack’s.

  “I got it,” he said.

  “You cooked. I’ll clean.”

  Jack stood, took my plate, and put it back on the table. Taking my hand in his, he placed a kiss in the center of my palm before resting it on his shoulder. He wrapped his hands around my waist and tugged gently, forcing me to take a small step forward, and rewarded me with a small kiss.

  “Go take care of whatever you have to so you can get to work. I’ll clean up here. I’m sure you’re mentally freaking out because you weren’t at the stadium at the crack of dawn.”

  “Come on, I’m not that bad.”

  “That’s debatable.” He tilted his head slightly to the side, making him look even more adorable. “But before you go, I wanted to discuss something you said the other night.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I didn’t want to ask at the time because you were so upset.” The teasing glint in his eyes didn’t quite prepare me for his words. “But I’d like to find out a little more about how insanely attractive you’ve found me for years.”

  Oh God, I did say that. His low chuckle told me that once again, he could read my thoughts.

  “Doesn’t your ego get stroked enough by all your adoring fans? If I start chiming in, your head will get too big for your helmet.”

  After slowly removing my glasses, I watched his smile widen before he took my mouth in a hot kiss that was in no way tamed by its brevity.

  “To answer your question, now that we’ve gotten to know each other a little better, you should realize that I’m not really affected by ego stroking or what people think about me.” He kissed me softly and rested his forehead against mine and closed his eyes. “Unless I really care about them.” His lashes tickled mine when he reopened them and he pulled back just enough to meet my gaze with hazel-green eyes. “And you are most definitely in the people I care about category.”

  I’ve always agreed with Alice in Wonderland when she said the falling isn’t bad, it’s the landing you have to be concerned about. And for weeks now, I’ve enjoyed every second of falling for Jack, that fear of landing always in the back of my mind. But now that I’ve ended up snug and secure in his arms, totally, madly, and completely in love with him, I can’t remember what I was so afraid of.

  Jack

  I tucked my shirt in and took one last look around the condo. It’ll do, I guess. I usually keep things pretty neat, but I arranged to have someone come in to clean earlier today to make sure it passes the white glove test.

  Settling onto the couch, I put my feet up on the coffee table and waited for Hannah. I’d high-tailed it here after the game to make sure everything was in order. She shouldn’t be too far behind me.

  I’m thirty-four years old and am about to meet the parent of someone I’m dating for the first time in my life. Back in high school, I knew most of the parents of the girls I went to school with, so I never had to do the whole formal introduction thing. After that, meeting the parents would never have been a part of the kind of relationships I was involved in.

  I don’t know if I would have been more or less nervous if this had happened years ago. Then again, I suppose age isn’t really a factor. Until now, I’ve never been in a relationship with someone I cared enough about that I wanted to both meet and impress her family.

  But Hannah is different. This whole thing between us is different. And of course the fact that her father is one of the biggest movie stars on the planet isn’t doing anything to calm my nerves. I’m not often star struck, but I am a huge Mac Flynn fan and today may have me as tongue-tied as the day I met Nomar Garciaparra for the first time. Thankfully I hadn’t made a huge fool of myself then and hopefully the same will be true today.

  A beeping sound from the keypad outside pulled me from my thoughts. I looked over my shoulder and watched Hannah walk through the door and close it behind her.

  “Hey,” she said as she set her purse in its usual spot on the stool at the kitchen counter.

  In the past, anytime any woman I was spending time with got too familiar in my space, I’d make it clear they needed to stop. But the fact that she’s comfortable here has me wondering how she’ll make her mark in my real home. Time will tell.

  She sat next to me and gave me a small kiss.

  “You look nice,” she said taking in my khaki pants and blue and white-checked button-down shirt. I even put on my good Sperrys for the occasion.

  “Thanks.”

  “Great game today, by the way. How’s your hand?”

  An inside fastball caught me on the back of my left hand in the seventh inning. I held it out for Hannah to inspect. Right now, it’s swollen and red, but experience has taught me that it will be bruised and stiff as hell tomorrow.

  She placed a gentle kiss on the injury and said, “Shouldn’t you have ice on it?”

  I definitely should, but I don’t want to greet Aaran Diskin that way.

  “I’ll wrap an ice pack on it later.”

  Hannah opened her mouth to speak, but a knock sounded at the door before she got any words out. Her eyes widened and filled with so many emotions, I was still sorting through them when I heard a second knock.

  “I better let him in before he breaks the door down,” I said. “I’ve seen him do it.”

  That brought a smile to her face, erasing her panicked look.

  I stood and walked to the door then took in a deep breath and let it out before pulling it open. The man on the other side of the threshold looked me up and down with his world-famous blue eyes before meeting my gaze.

  “I’m lookin’ fer Hannah.”

  Nodding, I stepped to the side and opened the door wider. “Come in, sir.” I held out my right hand. “We didn’t meet formally at Arnie’s. I’m Jack Reagan.”

  “I know who ya are.”

  Logically, I know this man is Hannah’s father, but with his icy glare and bone-crushing handshake, I had to remind myself that Mac Flynn wasn’t here to kick my ass.

  “Daddy.”

  With that one word, the man in front of me transformed from a terrifying intelligence agent ready to incapacitate me with his pinky into a nervous father, unsure of his place in his daughter’s life. He stepped around me and slowly walked toward Hannah, looking equal parts nervous and excited. She took a small step toward him and that’s all it took to break down the wall that’s kept them apart for months.

  He took two giant steps and pulled her into his embrace. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest, and they stood there holding each other.

  I felt like a voyeur, watching the intimate scene play out, but I couldn’t look away. My dad and I see each other a couple times a year and there’s never this kind of emotion when we meet. Then again, in order to show emotion, you have to actually give a shit, and my father hasn’t cared about anything since my mother died. Including me.

  Before I could spiral down that depressing rabbit hole, Hannah pulled back and wiped her eyes. Her father did the same.

  “Ah darlin, I missed ya so much,” he said. “I know why ye stayed away, but I’m hopin’ we can work this out, that ye’ll let me explain.” He shifted his eyes to me then back to Hannah. “In private.”

  Hannah looked in my direction and held out her hand. That was enough of an invitation for me. I walked to her side and wrapped my fingers around hers.

  Her father looked at our joined hands and met Hann
ah’s gaze.

  “So it’s like that, is it?”

  She looked up at me and smiled. “It’s like that.”

  “All right then,” he said.

  I squeezed Hannah’s hand. “Why don’t you two get settled and I’ll go grab some drinks?” She nodded and sat down on the couch. I looked at Aaran. “Sir, would you like water, sweet tea, or beer?”

  He sat on the chair and said, “I wouldn’t say no to a beer.”

  I looked back at Hannah and raised my brow. She nodded and I walked into the kitchen, grabbed three bottles of Sam Adams off the shelf, and opened them in turn. When I returned to the living room, they were just sitting there looking at each other, the love between them obvious.

  I handed them each a bottle before sitting next to Hannah. She took a long drink before leaning forward and setting it on the coffee table.

  Leaning her elbows on her knees, she said, “I’m sorry I haven’t called, but it took me a long time to figure out how I feel about this whole thing.” She sat back and pulled my hand into her lap, intertwining her fingers with mine. “Honestly, I avoided thinking about it.”

  “I know it must a been a shock when we told ya,” Aaran said. “Ya know there have been women since your ma...maybe too many women. But this is different. Melanie and me love each other. That’s one of the reasons we waited so long to say somethin’. We wanted to make sure it was real before upsetting ya.”

  Hannah slowly nodded. “And after being together over a year and having a baby on the way, you’re finally sure?”

  “I admit we waited too long to tell ya, but with my filmin’ schedule, time just passed us by.”

  She tightened her fingers around mine, and I stroked the back of her hand with my thumb, soothing her the only way I could at the moment.

  “I’ve come to terms with the fact that my father and best friend are intimately involved. I understand that things just happen sometimes. That you can know someone for a long time and then all of a sudden notice them in a different way.” She looked up at me and smiled before turning her attention back to her father. “I just can’t understand why you both lied to me about this for so long. For over a year, we spoke regularly, spent holidays with each other, and went on vacations together and neither of you mentioned a thing.” She sniffed and wiped a tear from her cheek. “I spent time with both of you at Thanksgiving, and she was already pregnant and neither of you said a thing. Not about the baby and not even about the fact that she’d quit her job to work as your assistant.”

  With Hannah’s every word, her father seemed to shrink into his chair, but his gaze never left his daughter. It’s obvious he knows he screwed up, but he seems willing to do whatever it takes to repair their relationship.

  “Darlin’ I’m sorry. I should a told ya sooner, but I was a coward,” he said. “Don’t blame Melanie. She wanted ta tell ya long ago, but I held her off. I was afraid of what ya would think, how ye’d react. I was wrong. We’ve always been honest and this should a been the same. I just hope ya can forgive me. I miss ya, baby girl.”

  I turned my attention to Hannah, giving Aaron some privacy as he blinked tears from his eyes. Her eyes glistened as she looked at me, but she seemed to be at peace. I squeezed her hand and leaned down to whisper in her ear.

  “I’m going to Dan’s so you two can have some privacy.” I kissed her cheek. “Text if you need me.” Standing, I approached her father and held out my hand. “Sir, it was nice meeting you. I’m a big fan of both your work and your daughter.”

  He stood and shook my hand, less aggressively than he had upon arrival.

  “Thank ya. I’m a fan of your work as well. Hopefully we’ll be gettin’ together again so I can ask ya some things about the game.”

  “Anytime.”

  I closed the door behind me and walked to Dan’s condo. Normally I’d just barge in, but with Sabrina in residence, I knocked. The woman in question opened the door a few seconds later.

  “Hey Jack.”

  I smiled. “Mind if I hang here for a little bit?”

  She opened the door wider. “Not at all.” Closing the door, she followed me to the living room. “Lexi is with the Kasprzyks. She’ll be sorry she missed you.”

  “If I’m interrupting something, I can find somewhere else to go.”

  “You’re good,” Dan said as he pushed up into a sitting position on the couch.

  Sabrina curled up next to him, and I sank into the leather recliner. They both looked at me expectantly.

  “What?” I said.

  “We’ve been dying to find out what’s going on. Hannah’s father is Mac Flynn?” Sabrina practically squealed the last two words. “How is that even possible? Did you know? Are they close?”

  Dan kissed her forehead. “Baby, you should probably let him answer one question before you pile on more.”

  “Sorry,” she said. “Do you need me to repeat the questions?”

  “I think I’m good,” I said around a chuckle. “Hannah’s father is Aaran Diskin. The character he plays is Mac Flynn,” I repeated the words Hannah said to me. “She told me that after the Mac Flynn movies became popular, she didn’t like the whole Hollywood lifestyle, so she went to live with her grandmother and dropped his last name, using her middle name instead, which also happens to be her mother’s maiden name. It surprises me that no one seems to know about their relationship, but I guess it’s not an interesting enough story for them to dig up. I found out at Arnie’s, the same time as you. And they’ve had some issues the past few months, but yes, they’re close.”

  Sabrina smiled. “Well done. I think you answered everything I asked.”

  “They’re at my place getting their relationship in order right now.”

  “At your place?” Dan asked at the same time Sabrina squealed, “He’s in this building?”

  “They can’t exactly meet in public and this building is more private than the team hotel,” I said. “Things were getting pretty intense so I wanted to give them some privacy. I figured I’d come here so I’m close in case Hannah needs me.”

  They both smiled at me. Not small, polite smiles, but huge dopey ones.

  “Cut it out,” I said. “You look like idiots sitting there with those goofy smiles.”

  “I’m sorry,” Sabrina said. “It’s just nice watching you finally spend time with someone who makes you happy.”

  I could have called Sabrina out on the fact that she hasn’t been around long enough to witness enough of my relationships to judge. But I didn’t because for one, she was with Dan during the end of my days with Cindy and of course, she’s had a front-row seat for the aftermath of that debacle. And two, I love her like a sister, and I know she means well.

  “Hannah is great and I enjoy spending time with her.” Jesus Christ, I sound like I’m answering an interview question. I decided to amend my answer. “I really like her and want to see where this goes.”

  Chapter 27

  Hannah

  I tossed my hair dryer into my suitcase and zipped it closed. Looking around the room one last time, I made sure I wasn’t leaving anything behind. It’s amazing how much I settled into this place in such a short time.

  When Mr. Hanover said he wanted me to come down to spring training, I’ll admit I was less than thrilled. Little did I know how much this whole experience would change my life. There had been a few sparks flying between Jack and me back home, but I’m not sure anything would have happened between us there.

  I’d been told things are more relaxed down here, but until I experienced it, I didn’t understand. I live in a laid-back beach town, but St. Pete takes chill to a whole other level. The events I had Jack attend were so casual, I think it allowed both of us to really relax. Being down here also allowed me to have groups come to the stadium on short notice, so we didn’t have to actually go out as much as I’d initially thought. Plus being in-house gave Mr. Hanover a chance to see his plan in action.

  Speaking of plans. I totally changed mine whe
n Jack asked me to drive home with him instead of flying back. We’ve spent a lot of time together recently, but nine hours in a car should let us know if we’re truly compatible.

  We’re also meeting up with my dad and Melanie for lunch along the way. They’re staying a couple hours up the coast from St. Pete and we’re hooking up at a beach shack my dad found. He’s the master of discovering out of the way places...both to stay and hang out. We’ve never vacationed or dined where people go to see and be seen. It’s always somewhere off the beaten path, which works for me.

  After that initial meeting with my father at Jack’s condo, I got together with him and Melanie to talk some more. I still feel a little awkward around them...after all, having your dad knock up your best friend is definitely the stuff of soap operas...but I think we’ll be okay in the long run. Beside the fact she’s my best friend, Melanie will be giving birth to the sibling I’ve always wanted. I would have liked to have had said sibling prior to my third decade of life, but I guess you can’t always plan these things.

  My cell sounded just as I plopped the last of my things in front of the door. I couldn’t stop the smile that crossed my face at the sight of Jack’s number on the screen.

  “Hey,” I said.

  “Hey yourself.” Mmm, just the sound of his voice makes me tingle. “All set?”

  “I just gave the room a last look. I’m all ready.”

  “I’ll come there and load your stuff into my truck, then we’ll head to the rental place to drop off your car.”

  We had this discussion last night. His sense of chivalry or whatever you want to call it won’t allow him to let me load the car myself and meet him at the car rental place. My fear that all the rookies will see Jack and me together makes me want to keep him as far away from here as possible.

  “I can load up myself and just meet you there.”

  Silence zinged between us for what seemed like an eternity. I’m sure the little noises I did hear were his teeth grinding. I don’t want to spend nine hours in the car with a hostile driver.