by JL Paul
Standing, he pulled her into a tight hug and kissed her cheek. She relaxed in his arms and faced the others. The presence of Alex, Kyle, Mark, and Zoey gave her a little reassurance as Jordan and Gretchen joined the table.
“Hi, Taylor,” Jordan greeted sheepishly. “Nice to um... see you again.”
“You too, Jordan,” she answered in a stiff tone.
She noticed Alex exchange curious glances with Mark as Tabby leaned over to whisper in his ear. His face immediately darkened as he glared at Jordan. Taylor flashed him a small smile and he relaxed.
Gretchen Steel sidled next to her, sizing her up. With a warm smile, she extended her hand. “How have you been?”
Taylor accepted her handshake, forcing her own smile. “Fine, Gretchen, thanks. And you?”
“Oh, you know,” she replied, waving a flippant hand. “Same ole, same ole. Can’t complain.” Her gaze shifted to Brady. “Imagine my surprise when Jason called to tell me that he ran into Brady and we were all getting together.”
“I bet,” Taylor mumbled, trying to keep the sarcasm out of her voice. Brady found her hand and squeezed it. She returned his squeeze as Jason cut through the crowd, eager to return to the table.
“Well, now,” he exclaimed, appraising her with cool eyes. Taylor instinctively moved closer to Brady. He released her hand and slung his arm over her shoulders. “If I would have known you’d turn out this good, I would have picked you over Amanda.”
All of the blood drained out of Taylor’s face. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Alex getting to his feet. Next to her, Brady’s once relaxed body tensed and the muscles in his arms bunched. Placing a hand on his chest, she nearly jerked it back when she felt the rapid beats of his heart.
“Brady,” she mumbled. “Don’t.”
Chapter Sixteen
Brady squeezed Taylor’s shoulder lightly. “Dude,” he said, glaring at Jason, voice cool and even. “That’s so not right.”
Taylor glanced coolly at the blond man, allowing her eyes to run up and down his body. “Who’s to say I would have picked you anyway? I obviously got the better end of the deal. At least that’s what Amanda seems to think.”
Brady, Jason, and Jordan all stared at her open mouthed. Jordan broke the silence by doubling over and falling into his chair, laughter streaming from every pore in his body.
“You definitely have your hands full, man,” he told Brady, punching him lightly in the arm.
Brady gave Taylor an affection smile before dropping a kiss on the top of her head. “Yeah, she keeps me on my toes, that’s for sure.”
Jason forced a sick smile, mumbling how he was only joking before he dropped into his seat.
Alex had grabbed a couple chairs and pulled them over for Taylor and Tabby. Brady reached under the table and held Taylor’s hand.
“So Brady,” Gretchen purred snatching the seat next to him. “You’re getting us tickets for your game tomorrow, right? I haven’t been to a game in ages. And I especially want to see you on the field.”
“Yeah, sure,” he agreed. “You guys can sit with Taylor.”
“Taylor’s sitting with me and Zoey,” Tabby said, nudging Taylor lightly. Taylor gave her a grateful smile.
Brady shrugged. “That’s fine. I’ll leave some tickets at Will Call for you.”
“Thanks, hon,” Gretchen said, squeezing his arm, causing Taylor to stiffen. Brady felt it and draped his arm on the back of Taylor’s chair. He leaned over to kiss her on the cheek.
“You ready to go, love?” She nodded, wanting desperately to get away from Jason and his contemptuous eyes.
“Leaving already, man?” Jason asked as Brady and Taylor stood.
“Yeah. We have early batting practice and seeing as I haven’t picked up a bat since Sunday, I really don’t need to be late.”
After they said their goodbyes, Taylor nearly yanked him out of the bar.
***
When he tore his shirt off as soon as he walked into the bedroom, she grabbed it and headed to the bathroom. She emerged a few minutes later wearing it and climbed on the bed next to him. He had the TV turned on and was watching the local news in just his boxers. He put the remote on the night stand and wrapped his arms around her.
“Not too crazy about my friends, huh?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Nope. And you failed to tell me Gretchen was there.”
His mouth stretched into a lazy smile as laughter lit up his eyes. “She didn’t show up until after I hung up with you. Jealous, love?”
She tried hard to glare at him but ended up bowing her head. “Maybe.”
His smile fell as he lifted her chin. “Don’t be. You have me, not her.”
“That’s reassuring,” she said, her tone sarcastic. “It’s quite obvious she still wants you.”
He snorted. “So. I don’t want her.”
“I don’t know why not.” She extracted her body out of his arms and sat up. “She’s gorgeous, Brady. Hell, I’d even go so far as to call her hot.”
He barked out a laugh. “Yeah, she may be hot but you’re beautiful and there’s a huge difference.”
Scoffing, she opened her mouth to protest but he put a finger to her lips, stopping her.
“That’s all she is, is hot. She uses her body and her looks to get whatever she wants. But you,” he smiled as he ran a lazy gaze up and down her entire length. “You are beautiful and not just your body and your face. You are so loving and loyal and caring. But you’re strong, too. You’re the strongest person I know. And you stand your ground when you believe in something enough.”
His eyes darted over every feature on her face as he slowly leaned in to kiss her. Breaking the kiss, he swallowed. “That’s why I love you so much, Taylor.”
Her eyes widened and she was struck speechless. With a smirk, he rolled over on top of her, careful not to crush her, and took advantage of her slack jaw. He nibbled on her bottom lip and broke her out of her trance. She wound her hands behind his neck, pressing her lips to his, allowing her tongue to anxiously explore his mouth. Her hands loosened and slowly traveled down his muscular, bare back and lingered on the waistband of his boxers. Her fingers inched under the elastic as her thumb hooked the top. She yanked them down quickly, surprising him.
“Smooth, love,” he said, sliding his shirt off her body, trailing kisses behind it. Once he tossed it to the floor, she wrapped her arms around his neck and forced his lips back to hers.
“Now this is what I’d call hot,” he mumbled into her mouth.
***
“Brady,” she asked later as she tucked her weary head under his chin.
“Hm?”
“You know that I love you too, don’t you?”
He rubbed her bare arm, smiling in the dark. “I should hope so.”
She lifted her head to peck his lips. “Well, I do.”
He shifted to his side and situated her body so he could wrap her in his secure embrace. “Good, because I ain’t letting you go anytime soon.”
***
Taylor scurried to the seat next to Tabby just as the game began.
“There you are, girl! I was beginning to think you weren’t coming,” Tabby exclaimed, eyes not leaving the field.
“Well the good people of Somersville decided to hold a protest on the land the developer is buying. I had to spend most of my day there,” Taylor answered as she shifted her body to get comfortable.
Glancing to her left, she stifled a groan. Jason and Gretchen were engaged in a heated discussion but Jordan was nowhere to be found. The seat next to Taylor sat vacant and she hoped maybe it would remain that way for the entire game.
“I forgot when I made my valiant offer to have you to sit with us that Brady’s tickets are right next to ours.” Tabby whispered in her ear.
Taylor smiled. “I’ll live. I think I can handle these guys.”
The top of the inning ended and the Racers retreated to their dugout to prepare for their turn at bat. Brady ca
ught her eye and smiled. Her body temperature rose so she dipped her head into her program until she could recover.
“Hey, Taylor.”
She lifted her eyes and found herself gazing directly in Jordan’s warm, brown ones. “Oh, hi, Jordan.”
“Do you want a beer? I didn’t know for sure if you’d be here so I didn’t get you one,” he explained.
She smiled at him. “No thanks. Not yet.”
Jordan nervously studied the ground for a few minutes and kicked at the seat leg in front of him. “Um, Taylor? Would you take a walk with me? Just over by the patio area so we can still see the game. I just wanted to talk to you for a second.”
She shrugged. “Okay, I guess.”
They reached the patio area in time to see Brady take his turn at bat. They stood at the railing, watching as he coaxed the pitcher into giving him a walk and jogged down to base. With her eyes still on Brady standing at first, she asked Jordan what he wanted to talk about.
He gave her a weak smile before turning his eyes back to the field.
“I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am about the whole bet thing.”
Her shoulders tensed and she concentrated on Brady leading off at first.
Jordan placed a reassuring hand on her arm. “I know you probably don’t want to talk about it and to be honest, I don’t either. I’m really embarrassed about the whole thing.”
“You are?” she asked in disbelief. “Imagine how I feel.”
He removed his hand and bowed his head. “Look, Taylor. It was stupid. Probably the dumbest thing we ever did. I don’t know why I even got involved. But I did and I began to realize that other people’s feelings were at risk.” He leaned his back against the rail and faced her. “It was basically Jason’s idea but I agreed to be the go between. After a few weeks, I realized that maybe you had real feelings for Brady. And I think he had real feelings for you. I think he wanted to back out and a couple of times I almost approached him about it. I wanted out and I was pretty sure he did, too. But I kept my mouth shut and let it go on. And for that, I’m really very sorry.”
Smiling, she squeezed his hand. “I appreciate it, Jordan. Thank you.”
Relief flooded his face as he motioned for the beer man. “Let me buy you a beer before we head back to our seats.”
They walked back in no particular hurry, awkward moment behind them, and talked about life after Somersville High. Taylor was laughing at one of Jordan’s stories when they returned to their seats and Tabby wrinkled her nose. Taylor gave her a brief smile before whispering that she’d talk to her later.
Having loosened up, Jordan kept up a running commentary on the opposing team’s offense. His quick wit and amazing sense of humor had Taylor highly entertained. As her resentment faded, she could see why Brady liked him. Even though he wasn’t nearly as handsome as Brady or Jason, he was extremely charming. It didn’t take him long to have not only Taylor, Zoey, and Tabby, but all the fans nearby, laughing and cheering with him. Although she was having an excellent time, she would have enjoyed herself far more if it wasn’t for the dirty looks Jason kept shooting her.
Once the game ended, they headed over to the Line Drive Club to wait for the guys. Jordan pushed a few tables together while Taylor rounded up all the chairs.
“So, do you usually wait for Brady down here after a game?” Jordan asked as he took the seat to her left.
“Not usually. I guess it’s just easier for everyone to meet here.”
Jason and Gretchen took seats at the table across from her and listened.
“You and Brady are really together?” Gretchen asked. Nodding, Taylor glanced at the door, hoping for a friendly face. Gretchen turned to Jason. “You said they weren’t serious.”
Jason leaned back in his seat, folded his arms across his chest, wearing a smug expression. “We’ll see. He never could stay away from you for long, Gretchen.”
Rolling her eyes, Taylor ignored him. She turned to Jordan instead. “So, you’re living in Indy now?”
Jason leaned forward. “What’d he do, Lockwood? Did he knock you up or something? Because I know he lied to us about Prom night.”
“What are you talking about?” Taylor asked, her patience wearing thin.
“Why is he with you? He could have someone like Gretchen but he’s with you?”
“That’s enough, Jason,” Jordan broke in, eyes darkening.
“It’s okay, Jordan. Let him have his say,” Taylor smirked.
Jason grinned like a kid at Christmas. “So, what happened? You didn’t show up for graduation and you certainly kept a low profile that summer.”
Taylor shrugged. “You’re right. He did lie. But he did it to protect me.”
Jason laughed. “Is that what he told you?”
“No,” she said slowly, keeping a tight hold on the anger aching to burst forth and spew all over him. “It’s what I figured out on my own. I have a brain you know.”
“Whatever, sweetheart,” Jason replied, dismissing her. “So what really happened? Did he knock you up? Was that the reason you hid all summer - to keep your little secret?”
“No, he didn’t knock me up,” she laughed, although there was nothing amusing about the conversation. “I had a family situation.”
“Whatever you want to call it.” Jason said, still smug. He ran a hand through his blond locks. “Well, now that we’re back in touch, it’s just a matter of time, sweetheart.”
Taylor flashed him a sarcastic smile. “We’ll just see about that, won’t we?”
Jason leaned forward once more as Jordan and Gretchen looked back and forth between them as though witnessing a tennis match.
“Brady will never change. I’ve known him longer than anyone. He’ll do the domestic thing for now, but he’ll get tired of it. Just wait and see.”
Still clutching the thin strands of her composure, she grinned. “He’s nothing like you, Jason. He’s more of a man than you’ll ever be.”
Jason laughed. “You always were a cold little bitch.”
“Don’t forget it,” she warned, eyes narrowed, as Tabby and Zoey bounded over to their table.
“What’s going on?” Tabby asked, sensing the thick tension.
Taylor shrugged. “Nothing.”
Slipping into a chair, Zoey glared at Jason. “You sure?”
“Just reliving old memories, that’s all,” Taylor smiled.
“I’m getting drinks. Taylor, could you help me?” Jason asked politely as he stood.
“Certainly,” she said and followed him to the bar.
He gave the bartender his order and then turned to Taylor. “Two weeks on the road and he’ll be through with you.”
“What is your problem? Why can’t you just let Brady be happy?”
“He ain’t happy,” Jason protested. “He’s content right now but he won’t stay that way. That’s why I’m giving you fair warning. I’ve known him my whole life and it’s just the way he works. Two weeks on the road and he’ll be done with you. Prepare yourself.”
He threw a wad of bills on the bar, loaded his arm with bottles, and headed back to the table just as Brady walked through the door.
Chapter Seventeen
Brady draped an arm over her shoulders as they walked through the humid night air to her car. “Are you staying at my place tonight, love?”
“Hm?” she asked, his question invading her thoughts. “Sorry, Brady. I had my mind elsewhere.”
“Your mind’s been elsewhere since the game.” He reclined against the driver’s side door and crossed his arms over his chest. “What’s up?”
Leaning into him, she stood on her toes and kissed his cheek. “Just thinking about my story. What did you ask me?”
He eyed her with suspicion before dropping his arms and grabbing her waist. “I asked if you were staying with me tonight.”
She pulled his mouth to hers and wound her fingers in his thick hair. Breaking the kiss, she edged back. “Of course.”
H
e kissed the top of her head. “Hey, why don’t you just stay with me for rest of the week? We’re leaving Monday for a road trip and I’d like to have you to myself as much as possible.”
Her stomach dropped at the mention of the upcoming road trip but she kept her feelings off her face. “If you insist,” she shrugged as she shooed him away from her car.
That night, her mind wouldn’t rest. He held her tightly as he slept but she couldn’t seem to shut off her brain.
He’d told her earlier that Jason was going to follow the team on the upcoming road trip seeing as he had no job, nothing better to do, and his parents’ money to spend. Brady raved on and on about how cool it would be to hang out with his best friend again.
Taylor hadn’t had the heart to tell him about her earlier conversation with Jason as she’d feared it would only raise the trust issue once more. The last thing she had wanted was another ugly argument before he was to leave; especially with Jason accompanying him. She had clearly pictured a smug Jason positively beside himself with glee at the news that she and Brady were on the outs. She only wished Jordan would be tagging along but he had a job with a marketing firm in Indy and couldn’t get away.
It wasn’t so much that she didn’t trust Brady; she didn’t trust Jason. He was so intent on reliving his high school days with his old buddy that he didn’t care who got in his way. The stories they’d told the others about the pranks and hi-jinks they’d performed in school only intensified Taylor’s anxiety. She didn’t want Brady to realize the fun he was missing by being ‘tied down’ and eventually see her as an obstacle.
Sighing, she turned again, molding her back to his body.
“Everything okay, love?” he murmured sleepily in her hair.
“Yeah,” she whispered. “Go back to sleep.”
He kissed her head and gave her a little squeeze before dozing off once more. She laced her fingers with his and closed her eyes. There was no way in hell she’d let Jason rip him away from her again.