“Where are you headed in such a hurry, Matt?”
“Where do you think? Practice.”
Greg shook his head. “Coach just gave us a fifteen-minute break. He’s going to let Luis and Jim show him what they can do.”
“Oh.” Luis was the pitcher who’d thrown the wild pitch at his shoulder at the start of training camp. Despite his resolve moments ago, he found himself hoping Jim would get knocked around by a few stray balls, too.
He brushed aside his conscience’s disapproval. It’d take time to stop thinking of the rookie as an enemy.
He reversed direction. “Guess I’ll see if the trainer has time for a quick massage, then.” His shoulder wouldn’t object to the pampering.
As he lay on the massage table, relaxing as much as he could while the therapist was performing deep-tissue work, Matt let his mind stray back to his future. In the somewhat relaxed state, the picture his brain conjured was a vivid one. Meg was in the kitchen, flour dusting her cheeks. Three children of varying ages played at her feet as she dropped dough onto a cookie sheet. The oldest, a boy, didn’t look like either of them, but the two girls had Meg’s curls and Matt’s nose.
Poor kids, to be saddled with that schnoz. At least his brother could keep their hair under control. He’d already worked a miracle on Meg’s.
Matt digested the scene without batting an eyelash. He didn’t even move. Sure, he and Meg had only known each other for a few weeks—and her pregnancy had thrown him one hell of a curve ball. But with his subconscious conjuring such a cozy scene, he had less and less doubt their futures were intertwined.
Thanks to his talk with Dave, the thought didn’t frighten him as much as it would have just a few days ago. He might not relish the thought of caring for another man’s child. What sane man would? However, Meg and her baby were a package deal. Inseparable.
And since a future without Meg was as awful to contemplate as one without baseball, he’d just have to get used to it. He made a mental note to try to get some more information about the baby’s father from Meg. He didn’t know much—only that the guy was out of the picture and out of the state.
With a little luck, he could track the guy down and talk some sense into him. If that guy re-entered the picture, he could fill his rightful position as the kid’s father. That’d free Matt to be the cool uncle or something—a position he already knew how to play. Carrie’s kids, his niece and nephew, loved it when he swept into town with gifts and tickets to a game.
Yep. He definitely needed to get in touch with this clown. The sooner the better.
****
“Tell me more about Junior’s father.”
“Excuse me?” Meg stared across the dinner table at Matt, whose casual smile in no way matched his ugly demand. After a long day in front of her computer, she’d been looking forward to enjoying dinner at the Outback. No way did she want to ruin her appetite for a good steak by talking about Tim.
“I said—”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “I heard. I just don’t know why you suddenly think my ex is an appropriate topic for dinner conversation. You don’t hear me asking you about any of your ex-girlfriends.”
“You can if you want.” He grinned.
No doubt he was trying to lighten the mood. Well, it wasn’t going to work. The mere thought of Tim put her in foul temper. “I’d rather not.”
“Okay, then tell me about him.”
“That I’d really rather not do.” She paused to take a bite of her blue-cheese-dressing-drenched salad. Maybe the creamy dressing would help her forget he’d asked. “Let’s talk about your relationship failures instead.”
He shrugged. “You want to hear about Linda or Lila first?”
Linda? Lila? He’d really talk about exes? He was braver than she was. She preferred to pretend her ex-boyfriends didn’t exist. “Your choice.”
“Linda said she loved me, but she just loved my paycheck. Lila pretended she didn’t know who I was, until I heard her talking on the phone with one of her friends about how she had me right where she wanted me. Most recent of the women I wish I’d never met. I stopped dating about a year and a half ago to avoid women like them.”
Wow. His romantic history was just as bad as hers. And now he looked about as grumpy as she felt. That wouldn’t do. One of them needed to be in a good mood or they might as well end the evening right now. She joked, “You mean girls whose names start with L and end with a?”
Matt cracked a smile. Success! “I was thinking more along the lines of chicks who wanted my money, not me—but I like your interpretation better. Mind if I start using it?”
She took a sip of water before replying. “Be my guest.”
He reached across the table to squeeze her hand. “I’ve shown you mine, now you show me yours.”
Meg shifted in her seat. She still didn’t want to talk about Tim, but Matt was right—a little tit for tat was only fair. She gulped down more water to fortify herself before beginning her sorry story. It was the only sustenance she’d get once talking about Tim destroyed her desire for dinner.
“His name’s Tim Royalman. He loved poker more than anything, especially me. He walked out on me to become a professional poker player on the Vegas circuit a month or so before I even knew about the baby.”
God, she hated that story. It made her sound so pathetic. Well, at least he didn’t clean out her bank account when he ran off. Penniless and pregnant would be even worse. She sniffled. “I feel like such an idiot!”
Matt squeezed her hand again. “He was the idiot, Meg, not you.”
Just then, the waiter delivered their steaks. Her mouth watered. Huh. What do you know? Talking about Tim hadn’t ruined her appetite after all. She slipped her hand out of Matt’s so she could pick up her utensils and cut into her steak. She popped a bite into her mouth. It was tender and juicy, just the way she liked it. She savored that bite, and then another. Heaven.
He, too, enjoyed several bites of his dinner before he spoke again. “Have you talked to him since you found out?”
She shook her head, wondering why he cared. “You think I want a man like that in the Pea’s life?”
His look was reproachful. “He is the baby’s father.”
“And he abandoned me.” Why was Matt defending a jerk like Tim? Next thing she knew, he’d be joining her father on a flight to Vegas to convince Tim to come back, face his responsibilities like a man. “I’m pretty sure he gave up any parental rights he could have claimed when he walked out on me.”
“He still has legal rights, Meg.”
Her knee had been brushing Matt’s under the table, but she pulled back. Why get cozy with him while he was on Tim’s side? She frowned. “I should have known you men would stick together.”
Matt held up his hands and his silverware clattered to his plate. “Wait just a minute. I’m on your side, not Tim’s. I don’t want you to think he’s out of your life to stay when there’s a chance he could come back, now or years from now.”
“I doubt he even remembers my name anymore.” Sad, yes. But true. The guy lived with her for six months, and she meant no more to him than the woman who delivered their newspaper.
“Who would dare forget you?”
Meg smiled at him, grateful that he would lie to spare her feelings. This time, she reached across the table and squeezed his hand—and let her knee brush his under it. “You’re a sweet man, Matt Thatcher.”
“And you, my dear, are unforgettable.” When he grinned, she forgot to be mad at him for taking Tim’s side. “After dinner, what do you say we head back to the hotel for dessert?”
More than ready to put bad memories behind her, Meg knew time in the sack with Matt would definitely help her forget. He made her feel like the most desirable woman on earth. “Lead the way, Matt. I’ll follow you anywhere.”
“Anywhere, huh?”
The glint in his eye sent a shiver of anticipation racing down her spine. Nosy questions aside, she was ready to bold
ly go wherever he wanted to take her. She nodded. “Anywhere.”
Now and forever.
She did an inner double take. Was she expecting him to be around months from now?
As she contemplated the question, images of the last few weeks flashed through her head: Matt’s eyes lighting up when he saw her walk into the hotel lobby the day Stan cut her hair…. Matt keeping her from falling when she tripped over the curb…. Arranging a serenade in the hotel hallway… Both of them unable to keep their hands off each other in a public park….
Add all those things to the way he was looking at her right this minute, like he was a cat ready to pounce on a piece of yarn, and she knew the answer. Yes. Yes, she was. What’s more, she wanted him to be.
Later that night, Meg drowsed in Matt’s embrace. She was no longer surprised by how comfortable she felt with him. She did, however, worry how long it would last. Would he tire of her, or decide she wasn’t worth the hassle once she had the Pea? As a rule, men tended to not take kindly to other men’s children.
She had no personal experience with the subject, of course. But she couldn’t miss the stories on the nightly news out of Phoenix. Seemed like every night, some creepy-looking asshole was arrested for shaking his girlfriend’s baby or, in the heat of summer, leaving a baby in a closed-up car.
She pressed a hand to her abdomen, making a silent promise. I won’t let anyone hurt you.
That included Matt. If he ever did anything to hurt her baby, she’d have to cut him loose. She was the only one who could look out for the Pea.
Meg opened her eyes and found Matt watching her with a strange look on his face. He couldn’t read her mind, could he? Surely not. There had to be another explanation. Her hand went to her hair. “Is it time for a trim?”
“No, your hair looks fine.” He chuckled and covered her hand with his, lacing his fingers through hers. “It just hit me that we’re always here, never at your place.”
Since he was the one who always said, “Let’s go back to the hotel,” she was surprised by his observation. But it was a fair assessment. “There’s a reason for that.”
“Because you like having a maid to clean up after you?”
She laughed. “That too. But the real problem is that I have a small apartment.”
“How small?”
“You know how close we are in this king-sized bed?” When he nodded, Meg continued. “Picture us this close in a double bed where you can almost reach the fridge without getting up.”
“That does sound small.”
“It is.”
Matt looked thoughtful. “And you lived there with Tim? No wonder you two couldn’t make it work if you were always on top of each other.” He thrust his hips. “And not in the good way.”
She rolled away, no longer in the mood to cuddle. To Matt’s credit, he let her go.
Maybe he sensed her change of mood. She couldn’t help thinking Matt’s comment held some truth, and it made her a little sad. As much as she’d missed Tim when he was off with his poker buddies, she sometimes wanted to throttle him when they were in the same room.
If she felt that way about Tim, whom she supposedly loved, how would she feel when she was shut in the same tiny room with a squalling baby? Would she have an urge to throttle him, too?
She shuddered at the thought. Looking out for the Pea meant finding a new place. She hated to admit her father was right, but when he actually was right, she had to give him credit. At least to herself. She’d never tell him he was right, as it’d just encourage him to meddle more.
There was no time like the present. She could be moved and settled before she got too pregnant to move comfortably. She turned back to face Matt. “Want to help me look for a new place?”
He didn’t hesitate. “Sure. I’m free tomorrow afternoon.”
“Tomorrow?” She hadn’t counted on getting started quite so soon.
“Well, yeah. I’m only here through the end of the week. And once the season starts, I’ll be on the road a lot.”
So the end of their near-constant togetherness was near. Feeling strangely empty, she snuggled back up to Matt. “Tomorrow it is, then.”
****
The next morning, Meg awakened in Matt’s bed—alone again. She sighed.
“Guess it’s something I’ll have to get used to.”
If she and Matt continued their relationship, he’d be on the road a lot. Since she wouldn’t be traveling with the team, especially once the Pea arrived, she’d be alone more often than not. Matt, on the other hand, would be busy fending off sexy female baseball fans.
She already knew him well enough to know he didn’t go for women like that. They were the type he’d always suspect liked him for what he did, not who he was.
She banished her misplaced jealousy. “So you have nothing to worry about.”
With that thought in mind, she whistled a happy tune on her way to the shower. She was using one of her built-up sick days to meet Matt for lunch—he was finally going to get to try that hot dog he wanted. Then they had an appointment at Jennings Realty at one o’ clock.
Just before noon, her phone chimed with a text message. It was from Matt, saying he wouldn’t be able to make lunch because his coach wanted to put him through some extra drills with the new pitcher. Meg shrugged. She’d have to get used to the demands of Matt’s job, too, even when it meant broken lunch dates.
She took herself to the hot dog joint and ordered her favorite, an all-beef frank topped with cheese and grilled onions. She relished every bite, glad her nausea had been on holiday all week. Maybe the worst was over?
After lunch, she strolled down the street to Jennings Realty. One of the advantages of living in Flagstaff was that, no matter where you were, everything was only a few blocks away.
When Meg pushed on the Realtor’s door, it wouldn’t budge. She tried again, pushing with every ounce of strength she had, and the door responded by moving forward less than a quarter-inch.
She heard a tinkling of bells. Was the door mocking her? Probably not. But the bells did alert someone to her presence. A tall, thin brunette rushed to the door and yanked it open.
“Sorry about that,” she apologized, waving Meg into the lobby. “We installed a weighted door after losing the old one to wind storms twice last summer. The wind caught it, slammed it back against the wall and shattered the glass.”
Meg nodded, all too familiar with the destructive powers of monsoon winds. The wind had ripped her screen door right out of her hands on more than one occasion. Lucky for her, her door had no glass to break.
“Problem is this one’s is so heavy that people keep thinking it’s locked during business hours.” The brunette smiled and offered Meg her hand. “Hi, I’m Melissa. What can I do for you?”
“I have an appointment to look at some apartments.”
“Really?” Melissa’s eyebrows lifted. “You don’t look at all like you sound.”
It took Meg a second to realize what the Realtor meant, but when she did, she grinned. This woman was sharp. “You talked to Matt. He should be along any minute now.”
As if on cue, the bells on the door tinkled. She and the Realtor both turned toward the sound in time to see Matt standing on the other side of the still-closed door, his head cocked to one side.
Meg laughed out loud at his expression and glanced at Melissa, who was hiding a smile. “As entertaining as it is to watch, I’d better go let him in.” With that, she rushed forward to pull it open for him.
He stepped through the doorway, shooting the door another puzzled look.
“Weighted door,” Meg explained.
Matt nodded. “Ah. I was beginning to wonder if I needed to beef up my weights routine.”
She saw how the Realtor appraised Matt’s physique and Meg’s gut twisted with a jealousy she’d have sworn she didn’t feel. She edged closer to him and slid her arm around his waist, leaning in to peck his cheek. Her message was clear: Back off, sister. He’s mine.
Smart woman. She wasn’t going to let lust jeopardize her chance to make a nice, fat commission. Meg rewarded Melissa with a friendly smile and thought again that she was on the ball. She’d be a good one to have on their side while they looked for her new place. “Yes. Let’s.”
Three hours later, they’d been through four apartments and, at Matt’s insistence, three condos. All seven were bigger than her place. Then again, the drive-up window cubby at McDonald’s was bigger than her apartment.
On the drive back to Matt’s hotel room, which was also bigger than her place, he lobbied for his favorite. “Condo two was close to campus. And it had a pool.”
Meg shook her head. If she were seriously considering a condo, that one would be her absolute last choice. “Noisy college parties and a large body of water for the baby to fall into? I don’t think so.”
“The pool’s fenced.” When the argument didn’t sway her, he squeezed her knee. “Then what about the first condo? It was in a quiet neighborhood.”
“Why are you so stuck on me getting a condo? What’s wrong with an apartment?”
“A condo is an investment. You’re just throwing money away in an apartment.”
Matt’s statement sounded like something her father would have said—and his accompanying frown was definitely paternal. Meg didn’t like it one bit. “I don’t need an investment, Matt. I need a bigger place.”
“Why can’t you have both?”
His stubbornness was starting to annoy her. “I don’t want both. I don’t want to worry about repairs. I’d rather just call the landlord to fix things when they go wrong.”
“You can call me.” He gave her a meaningful look, making the offer feel like a caress.
She was reminded of the last time they’d discussed his handyman capabilities. But this time, she wasn’t in a flirting frame of mind. “What happens when you’re on the road? I have to wait until you come home to have the toilet unclogged?”
Matt leaned back in the car’s seat and sighed. “I didn’t think of that.”
Unforgettable Heroes II Boxed Set Page 183