Home Run

by Bernadette Marie

  That sentence said so many things, did he even know that? He wanted to keep her alone, in a hotel. There wasn’t an invitation to his home. Had he planned this all along? And he’d been very specific with the one night thing. It was just like him. Promise her forever, take it all back, and then want only one night.

  His mouth was back on hers and she couldn’t think anymore. No, he couldn’t have one night. He couldn’t have any, but when his hand grazed her back again, she felt defenseless against herself. She wanted him. She loved him. He wanted her for one more night. Couldn’t she give him that?”

  “You planned this?” Her voice was weak.

  “Tyler gave it to me.”

  Okay, she’d give him the spontaneity.

  Victoria pulled away from his lips and his body. She picked up her purse and walked out of the banquet hall. In her head she repeated the phrase you only live once.

  She could hear Chris scrambling behind her. As she walked down the hall toward the elevator banks she heard the door push open.

  “Where are you going?”

  “I don’t know,” she called back. “Which room?”

  Christian stood there. His feet seemed to melt into the ground. Was she kidding? He’d planned to wallow in his own sorrows by drowning them and then staying in bed all week. He didn’t anticipate this.

  Finally his body caught up with his brain and he followed her to the elevator.

  She’d already pushed the up button and was waiting for him.

  Christian stood next to her, not touching her, but looking up at the numbers on the elevator. “Are you sure about this?”

  “Chris,” she said without looking at him. “One thing that differs between you and me is when I commit to something I don’t back away. You asked me to stay—one night.” Finally she turned to him. “I want to stay.”

  The elevator door opened.

  They walked inside and he pushed the number four. More than once he tried to replay the conversation with Tyler about what room, but he was sure he remembered that part.

  Between them nothing was said. They didn’t touch. They didn’t even look at each other. But an energy resonated between them that anyone around them would surely feel.

  When the elevator stopped they stepped out and she followed him to the room he was sure Tyler had mentioned. At least he hoped it was the right room. At that moment, the millions of bubbles within that champagne he’d already drunk were swimming in his head. He eyeballed the bottle in his hand. He wondered if either of them would even want to drink it.

  Christian pulled the key from his pocket and Tori took it from him. “I’ll get it.”

  She slipped the key into the lock and the light turned green. She pushed open the door, took a step in, and turned back to him.

  He stood there just looking at her. The most beautiful woman he’d ever known was in his hotel room and was all his for the night. He absolutely didn’t see this coming when he reluctantly put on his tuxedo that morning.

  “One night?”

  “One night,” he promised again knowing that it was all he could offer.

  She nodded slowly then grabbed hold of his shirt and pulled him through the door shutting it behind them, allowing them to forget the world beyond the door.

  Chapter Eight

  Stillness encompassed the room. A small sliver of light crept through the dark curtains to tell Victoria that morning had broken.

  A throbbing in her head reminded her of the night she’d taken part of. The drinking, the kissing, the love making.

  Christian’s arm was draped over her and his soft breath was warm on her neck. She closed her eyes and breathed it all in, knowing that she needed to get out of that bed and get home as fast as she could. Nothing good was going to come from what she’d done. He’d asked for only one night and she was foolish enough to give it to him. Now she had to pick up where she’d left off when he approached her on that veranda. She had to pick up the kids and pretend that she hadn’t done the most foolish thing—sleep with Christian Keller.

  The thought was only a memory when Christian’s lips pressed to her neck and his body to hers. The sign that parts of him had awakened before the rest of him was pressed into her back. His hands grazed over her naked skin. It was very obvious that one night was going to lead into one more time the next morning.

  “I’m glad you stayed,” he whispered in her ear.

  “Christian,” she started to speak, but he lifted his finger to her lips and rolled her onto her back.

  “I want you to stay in my arms all morning.”

  What is he doing, she wondered as he lowered his lips to hers and she accepted him, again. Her fingers pressed into his back. His body moved against hers. Her heart took a tumble and she knew she’d never recover.

  When the moment was over, Christian rested heavy against her. His breath unsteady and his heartbeat rapid against her chest.

  She had to admit that she had longed to hear the words she hadn’t heard from him in nearly a year. In her heart she loved him and would always love him, but she wanted confirmation that she wasn’t just a fling that had fallen into a trap.

  But the moment of opportunity was gone when her cell phone rang. Christian rolled away and she reached for the nightstand and picked up her phone. It was Sonia.

  “Tori, are you okay?” Her voice was bordering on frantic.

  “Yes,” she said softly.

  “It’s noon. Where are you?”

  Victoria sat up quickly and the night’s binge smashed her brain into a million painful knots.

  “I’m still at the hotel. I stayed. I’ll be there as quick as I can.”

  “I’d let them stay, but the kids have a birthday…”

  “I said I’d be right there.” She ended the call.

  Victoria pulled away the sheets and stood.

  “Is everything okay?” Christian sat up.

  “I have to go. Where is my bra?” She began a frantic search.

  Christian stood and looked around, finding her bra on his side of the bed. He held it up. “Let me get ready and I’ll give you a ride.”

  “No. No ride. I need to get to my house and get my car. I can’t have any distractions. I need a cab. I need to call for a cab.”

  Christian looked out the window. “There are cabs out front. But let me give you a ride.”

  She had to weigh it in her head. She really couldn’t afford a cab and he did have a car. But as bad as her head throbbed, his had to be just as bad.

  “I don’t want to owe you anything. I have to get the kids. Remember, the kids that are a burden? I don’t want them to be your burden.”

  Christian watched her gather her clothes and run to the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

  He swallowed hard. He didn’t feel like that—anymore. Sure the kids were a burden. All kids were, in their own way, but he didn’t hold it against her. He never should have in the first place.

  Tunneling his fingers through his thick hair, he let out a long breath. Those words had caused a tear in his future that he never could have imagined. One brief and stupid moment when the pain was too much from both the accident and the end of his career and he didn’t think before he spoke.

  Christian looked for his pants and pulled them on. He could hear her in the bathroom and she was crying. He’d made her cry. Not this morning or last night, but nearly a year ago.

  He hated the selfishness he felt in his heart. After the accident, she had to go through surgeries and intense physical therapy. She had to bury her sister and her brother-in-law and take guardianship of her niece and nephew. It had worked out that she’d moved into their house. That, he was sure, was more a benefit for the kids than for her.

  Sonia had been there for her since her own parents had died. Victoria had been alone to deal with everything, because Christian had been having a pity party for years—the accident only had solidified it.

  The scar on his forehead began to itch again. He rubbed it—cursed
it.

  He found his shirt and gathered up all of the remaining items they’d brought with them, though they hadn’t had much more than themselves.

  When the door opened to the bathroom, Tori stood there as lovely to him as she had been the night before. Though her hair was unbrushed and her makeup was smudged, she was still radiant to him.

  He wanted to compliment her, but he was sure she wouldn’t take it as such.

  She reached for her purse and took it from him. “I’ve decided to let you give me a ride home, if you’re sober enough.”

  “My head hurts, but I’m sober.” He took a step toward her and she took a step back. He didn’t like that. “I can take you to get the kids too.”

  She shook her head. “No. Just a ride home please.”

  With that she walked to the door, opened it, and headed to the elevator.

  Victoria sat in Christian’s car with her fingers tightly laced together. She didn’t want to talk to him. She didn’t want to look at him, because she knew if she did either, she’d begin to cry like a blubbering idiot.

  As soon as Christian turned onto her street she began to dig her keys out of her purse.

  He pulled up in front of her house. “I’m glad you came to the wedding.”

  “It was a very nice wedding.” She opened the door and he reached for her hand.

  “I had a really nice time.” She didn’t respond. She didn’t know how. “How about dinner?”

  “You said one night, Chris. One night.” There were the tears and she wasn’t going to hold them back. Not this time. “I gave you one night.” But really she knew he’d given her one.

  “I didn’t mean it like that.”

  “I never know what you mean.” She sucked in a breath. “Listen, I have to get to Sonia’s. I have to get the kids. I have to call Scott.” She diverted her eyes when she said it because she didn’t really care at that moment about calling Scott. What would she even say? Thanks for all the nice things you said to me and for going to the wedding, but I went to bed with my ex, but you’ll be fine with that right?

  She shook off the thought and decided it wasn’t necessary to be nasty to Christian. After all, she did love him, even if she wouldn’t tell him that.

  “I had a nice evening, Chris. Thank you for the ride.”

  She climbed from the car, shut the door, and ran up the front steps of the house. From behind her, she could hear his car door open.

  Quickly she put the keys into the door, pushed it open, and shut it just as quickly. He couldn’t come in. There was a great necessity in him driving away. Standing behind the door with her back pushed up against it, she waited. A few moments later she heard his car drive away.

  The tears fell freely now. How could she have turned him away? For nearly a year she’d waited to have him back. There hadn’t been a day that she hadn’t.

  Then, as if a bolt of clarity struck her, she moved away from the door. The kids. She needed to get the kids. There were responsibilities and she’d completely blown them off for a night with Christian—one more night.

  Victoria raced up the stairs to her bathroom, where one look in the mirror clearly stated what she’d done all night. Her hair was a mess and her makeup smudged. And the dress Christian’s family had bought her still hung on her the second day.

  She picked up her hairbrush and quickly ran it through her hair, pulling it back and capturing it into a band for a ponytail, high on her head. Scrubbing her face and brushing her teeth made her feel a little bit more human, but no less rushed. It wasn’t until she’d stripped off the dress and pulled on a pair of yoga pants and her old worn out university T-shirt that she realized the car seats were in Scott’s car.

  She fell to her bed and sobbed before finding her cell phone and calling Sonia.

  “Where are you? You’re scaring me,” Sonia answered the phone, her voice shaky.

  “I got home and realized Scott has the kids’ car seats in his car.”

  “And where is Scott? Didn’t he stay with you?”

  Victoria swallowed hard. “No. He got called away on business. I don’t know where his car is.”

  “Craig can take the kids. I’ll bring yours home and we are going to talk. Get a pot of coffee ready. I want to know what is going on with you.”

  Victoria wanted to argue, but she knew better. She agreed, hung up the phone, and quickly got into the shower so Sonia had less ammunition to fire with when she saw her.

  Forty-five minutes later Victoria poured Sonia a cup of coffee and set it on the table as the kids settled in front of the TV to watch Brave for the millionth time. She’d already zipped up Ali’s Merida dress, as that was the uniform for when the movie was on.

  She sat down at the table and looked up at her best friend whose face already wore the look begging her to spill about her night.

  Victoria took a sip of coffee and set the mug back on the table. “Scott had to fly out yesterday. One of his clients got into some trouble.”

  “And you stayed at the wedding?”

  She nodded. “Those people were supposed to be family to me. They invited me, bought my dress, and I wanted to be with them.”

  “Them?”

  “Yes, them.”

  Sonia sat back in the high backed wooden chair and crossed her arms over her chest. “Christian?”

  She cleared her throat. “He was there.”

  “And?”

  Her mouth was growing dry. “And he asked me to dance after we had a few glasses of champagne.” She thought a moment. “Or ten.”

  “So you got drunk at Ed’s wedding and danced with your ex?”

  “Yep.”

  “And common sense had you staying at the hotel?”

  Or lack of, she thought. “Mmm-hmmm.” She sipped her coffee again.

  “You stayed the night with Christian at the hotel.” Sonia’s eyes had grown wider and so had her knowing smile.

  “Don’t be like that. I was drunk.”

  “And he took advantage of you?”

  Victoria thought about the night and how she’d given into him so completely and how comfortable it had been.

  “Not exactly.”

  Sonia leaned in over the table. “Tori, you’re still in love with him. What were you doing?”

  “Having one more moment,” she said softly.

  “And Christian?”

  One more night.

  Victoria stood up and paced the floor. “I made a mistake. I just miss him so much.”

  “And did you tell him that?”

  “No. I know this is too much for him.”

  “A year ago it was too much. Maybe now…”

  “No.” She shook her head and sat back down as to not draw the kids’ attention. “Scott seems very interested in starting something serious. He’s good with the kids. He can provide for all of us. Nothing that has happened before this weekend bothers him. Christian is still too wounded—emotionally.”

  “So are you.”

  That was certainly the truth. Not a day went by that she didn’t think about the accident, the kids, the house, her sister, and of course Christian.

  “I have too many people counting on me and I’m just going to forget about last night. Thank you for taking the kids and for bringing them back.”

  Sonia nodded. “I left the seats on the porch. We have multiple sets. Use them until Scott gets back.” She stood and waited until Victoria did the same. Then she pulled her into a hug. “It’s okay to want him and to love him. Maybe he needs this.”

  “I can’t feel that kind of pain again.”

  Sonia kissed her on the cheek and said goodbye to the kids. As she let herself out, Victoria sat back down at the table and cried. She already missed him so much it hurt. She didn’t want that anymore.

  Chapter Nine

  Christian had returned home, showered, shaved, and dressed. His head was pounding, but he was on a mission. The evening with Tori hadn’t ended the way he’d wanted it to. Whatever he’d said
a year ago was still keeping them apart. He needed to remedy that.

  As he gathered his phone off the table and shoved his keys into his pocket there was a knock on the door. Wouldn’t that be wonderful if that was Tori?

  But there was a grand disappointment when he opened the door and saw his sister and her husband standing on his porch.

  “I want details,” Clara said, pushing past him and into the house.

  Warner followed his wife into the house with a reluctant grin on his face.

  Christian shook his head and shut the door. He’d love to tell his sister that he had plans, but he knew better. If she wanted something she was going to get it—even if he planned not to tell her. She had a gift. She’d read him.

  She was already making coffee.

  Christian walked into the kitchen. “Make yourself at home.”

  “I am. Warner, do you want cream?” Clara asked as she pulled mugs from the cupboard.

  “No. I’m fine.”

  He’d exchanged a look with Christian letting him know that she’d dragged him along and he’d rather be anywhere else.

  “So,” she started her interrogation. “Do I have my future sister-in-law back? You did keep her at the hotel.”

  “How do you know that?”

  She settled her eyes on him. “I’m not stupid.”

  “Okay, we stayed at the hotel together. Neither of us was sober enough to drive home.”

  She was tapping on the coffee maker as if it would brew the coffee faster. “Tell me you worked things out.”

  “Clara, it’s been a year. You just don’t have one night and things are back together.” Though if his sister would leave his house he could head over to Tori’s house and work on getting her back. They’d had one hell of a night and he missed her more than he thought he had.

  He understood that a relationship with Tori would never be easy. It had taken him a year to realize that it certainly wasn’t easy for her. But if he loved her as much as he thought he did, he could accept the fate she’d been given.

  Clara poured each of them a cup of coffee and brought it to the table, where she sat down next to his brother-in-law. “So you did have a night.” The corner of her mouth lifted in a half smile.