She leaned up and whispered in his ear. The words playful but the tone held an underlying seduction. “I’d never put myself in anyone’s hands but yours, Mr. Valentine.”
Damn. He didn’t know if thinking about baseball was going to be enough.
When they stepped up to the plate in their cage, he said, “OK, now position your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees, but keep them soft and supple. Extend your hips out behind you.”
She turned to him, her lips trembling with the obvious effort to tamp down a smile. “I’m so sorry. I swear to God, I’m taking this seriously. It’s just that every single word you just uttered sounded like a double entendre. And there are so many jokes running through my mind about what that was actually instructions for, instead of how to bat.”
He sighed. “I know. It’s a minefield. How are we going to solve it?”
She winked and said, “Hmmm…maybe some hands-on training might be in order?”
She turned and took her stance at the plate, glancing at him over her shoulder while she waited. He stepped to her, laid his hands lightly on her waist.
She smiled softly, her eyes flickering with a steady low burn. “Yeah,” she whispered. “This feels right.”
Shit, yeah. Thinking about baseball definitely wasn’t going to work.
Chapter 13
The doorbell rang and the butterflies in Alison’s stomach sprang to life, as predictably as if Pavlov himself had trained them to respond to the sound.
Tonight was kind of a big deal. Ella was bringing her two best friends, Gen and Abby, over to hang out. Abby owned the wine shop in town, so she was going to be providing the liquid refreshment. All Alison had needed to do was set out snacks.
Still, she couldn’t help but be nervous. Gen and Abby and Ella were more than just three potential friends – they were the significant others of Troy’s three brothers. Alison was pretty sure that this evening was more than just a “get to know you” hang. It was an audition.
She took a deep breath, smoothed down her blouse over her fluttering belly, put on her brightest smile and opened the door.
Ella stood in front of the group of three, a wine bottle in each hand and a wide grin on her face. She held the bottles up in the air. “Hey, girl. We’ve got grown-up grape juice and a whole night in front of us with nothing to do but drink it and talk. Are you ready?”
Alison laughed, instantly at ease. “More than. Come on in!”
She stepped aside and gestured toward the living room. As the women filed in, Ella continued, “This is Gen. She runs all the cool festivals and stuff in town, and also does event planning at the Hearts Afire Resort and Spa. And this is Abby. She owns the coolest wine shop, where she curates all the most amazing local vintages. And, as you know, she supplied the social lubricant for tonight.”
“Wow!” Alison chuckled. “I’m going to have you introduce me from now on. You’re damn good at it.”
“Agreed,” Abby said. “I had no idea I was half that cool. It’s so nice to meet you, Alison.”
“Oh, I was well aware of my coolness,” Gen grinned. “But it was nice to hear it confirmed. And it’s great to meet you, Alison.”
“I’m so happy to meet both of you. I’ve really been looking forward to this, ever since Ella called and suggested it.”
“Yeah, I am kind of brilliant that way,” Ella replied.
“So, one great thing about this house is that it’s got a climate-controlled sunroom in the back. Or a glass enclosed deck? Not sure, exactly. I just know that we can enjoy the sunset without freezing our fingers off.”
“Sounds great!” Abby said, and Alison led the three ladies back to the room, where she had arranged comfortable chairs in a gentle semi-circle, to facilitate conversation but also make it easy to see the view.
“Wow!” Gen exclaimed. “You must have one of the sickest views in Valentine Bay.”
“Well, my landlady does. I guess that means that I do, too. For the next couple of months, at least.”
They settled into their seats and Abby uncorked the first bottle, pouring the gem-like liquid into each waiting glass. They clinked the delicate stemware together, creating a soft, high chime, and Alison said, “Here’s to new friends, and new adventures. Here’s to us!”
“To us!” the other three echoed, and they all took their first sip together.
Alison gave a deep and contented sigh. “Oh my gosh, that is delicious,” she breathed.
Abby grinned. “Hey, what can I say? I’m good at my job.”
“No doubt.”
As the evening wore on and the four of them chatted, Alison relaxed. It wasn’t that she had changed her mind about this being an audition. She was still almost certain that it was. It was just that it was an audition that was going well.
The sunset filled the sky with brilliantly clashing hues of pink and orange, tinting the bottom of the clouds that passed across the horizon and making them look like oversized cotton candy. She thought it must’ve been one of the most beautiful sites in the world.
Alison leaned her head back, contentment washing through her. She’d never known peaceful evenings like this in her old life, enjoying a sunset and low-key conversations with friends.
It wasn’t that New York was bad. Far from it. It was brilliant, spectacular, the most exciting place in the world. But one thing it wasn’t was a place where you could lounge in a wooden chair on your back porch with friends you just met while sharing a bottle of wine and watching a slow sunset over crashing ocean waves.
She was ready for a little peace and contentment. Brilliant, spectacular, and exciting could take a backseat for now. They’d had their day. Mama needed a break.
No brilliant, spectacular, and exciting? I think you’re forgetting about one Mr. Troy Valentine!
“Hey, what were you thinking about just then?” Gen asked.
“What do you mean?”
Gen barked out a laugh, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “Don’t play innocent, missy. Just then, you had a thought. A specific thought. I saw it on your face. What were you thinking about?”
Alison blushed. She couldn’t help it.
This whole blushing phenomenon was new to her. After all, she worked in an industry where costume designers poked and prodded every inch of your body. Where the press dissected every single picture ever taken of you. It wasn’t a line of work for the faint of heart, or people who were easily embarrassed and couldn’t handle attention. In fact, before arriving in Valentine Bay, Alison couldn’t remember the last time she’d blushed.
But since she’d met Troy it seemed like her cheeks were permanently red.
She opened her mouth to answer but then snapped it shut again, pressing her lips together tightly. She didn’t know what she was ready to share about her budding relationship with Troy, especially with his three de facto sisters-in-law.
She didn’t want to jinx it. Or, to think of it in a less mystical way, she didn’t want to put too much outside pressure on it too soon and crush it while it was still young and vulnerable.
Ella took the option of remaining mum on the subject of Troy away from her, though. She clapped her hands together in front of her chest and leaned forward, her face lighting up with pure joy. “You’re thinking about Troy, aren’t you? I can tell. Don’t even bother to deny it—it’s written all over your face.”
Alison took a long sip of her wine and nodded. “Okay, yes. You got me. I was thinking about Troy.”
She gave the girls a shy glance and decided to take the plunge and confide in her new friends. “In fact, it kind of seems like thinking about Troy is pretty much all I do, lately.”
Abby grinned. “That is such great news!”
“Is it?”
“Absolutely!” Ella agreed. “Troy deserves happiness. He deserves a good woman in his life, and even though I don’t know you super well, I can tell that you’re one of those. I have artistic intuition. I’m a great judge of character, and I spotted you rig
ht off the bat—you’re very empathetic and loyal. It’s all over your aura. That’s exactly what Troy needs. He’s such a good guy.”
“He seems like a really good guy,” Alison agreed. “I don’t know if I would call myself a spectacularly good judge of character, but I don’t think I need to be one to know he’s a good person. It’s pretty obvious in everything about him.”
Gen nodded. “It sure is. I mean, look at the way he gave up his professional baseball career to come home and take care of Mila. None of the rest of the family was in a position to do that at the time, and he did it without a second thought.”
“Wow. I knew he used to be a pro ballplayer. And I knew he’d come home to take care of Mila. But I didn’t know that he actually gave up his career to do it. That’s a major personal sacrifice.”
“Troy is an amazing guy,” Abby confirmed. “But I think you’re coming to that conclusion on your own.”
Alison nodded, warmth spreading slowly through her chest. Yeah, she’d come to that conclusion, all right. She just wasn’t sure what it meant for the future.
Chapter 14
Troy stepped through the front door of Main Street Eats, the diner that sat prominently on one end of the short downtown block of Valentine Bay. He scanned the dining room and didn’t see his grandmother.
He breathed a little sigh of relief. She didn’t take too kindly to people being late. And it wouldn’t have mattered that he was there ten minutes ahead of schedule. In her mind, if she arrived before someone else, regardless of the time, they were late.
He smiled a little to himself. Of course, she didn’t apply the same standard in reverse. If she arrived after the other party, she just viewed that as the way things ought to be.
He didn’t know why she’d called this meeting today, but he had an idea. There had only been one development in his life recently – he’d met Alison. He knew Grandmother Valentine well enough to know that she was going to have something to say about that.
“Hello, Troy, honey! Come on in. Anywhere you want to sit is fine.” Grace, one of the owners of Main Street Eats, greeted him from behind the counter and he gave her a wave of acknowledgement.
“Thanks, Grace,” he replied. “I’ll be over in the corner booth. I’m expecting my grandmother any minute now, so point her my way, will you?”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Ooo, la la. The grand dame of Valentine Bay. To what do we owe the honor?”
He chuckled. “You’ll know as soon as I do.”
He settled into the booth and pulled out a menu, although that was completely unnecessary. He could’ve recited the entire thing from memory. He’d been coming to Main Street Eats since before he could remember. He’d known the owners, married couple Grace and Serge, just as long. This place was part of the DNA of Valentine Bay.
The bell over the front door chimed and he heard his grandmother’s imperious voice. “Hello, Grace. Has my grandson made his appearance yet?”
He had to grin. Talk about things that are part of the DNA of Valentine Bay…
Being a member of the founding family, no matter how many generations removed, had both its benefits and its responsibilities. Both of those things were encapsulated in the person of Grandmother Valentine, the matriarch of the family and the oldest surviving descendant of the town founders.
Troy stood and gestured to get her attention as Grace said, “Sure enough. He’s over in the corner booth. He didn’t beat you by much, though.”
With that little dig, Grace met his eyes and winked. Troy had to smile. Grace knew his grandmother’s philosophy on tracking tardiness. She’d done it on purpose.
He watched as Grandmother Valentine made her slow and stately way across the room. He would’ve gone to her and escorted her to the table, but she was accompanied by the latest in her revolving door of handsome, strapping young health care workers. It was one of her indulgences, and although Troy knew it probably should’ve made him cringe, he actually thought it was kind of cute. I mean, hell – if a person couldn’t do whatever the hell they wanted when they made it to her age, when could they?
He stood when she arrived at the table and greeted her with a kiss on the cheek. “Hello, there, Grandmother. How are you?”
“Excellent in both health and spirit, thank you for asking,” she replied, then turned to her home health aide. “Thank you, Brock. You can go. Keep your phone on, please. I’ll call when I’m ready.”
The man nodded and left the diner. Troy grinned at his grandmother. “His name’s really Brock?”
“Honestly, I’ve stopped trying to remember their names. They come and go and it’s a waste of mental energy. I knew a young man named Brock when I was a girl, so I’ve taken to calling them all Brock. None of them have complained, but they are quite well-paid, I wouldn’t expect them to.”
“I have a lot of follow-up questions about that explanation.”
“They’ll have to wait for another time. I’m on a schedule. Speaking of which, is it correct that you were nearly late today?”
“I was ten minutes early, if that’s how we’re defining ‘nearly late.’”
She waved her hand. “No matter.”
“Good.”
“So, to the reason I called this meeting. I understand that you’ve been seeing a young lady recently.”
“True.”
“Excellent. I understand she’s a performer.”
“She is. Her name is Alison Bartholomew.”
“I’m aware.”
Troy shouldn’t have been surprised. Not much went on in Valentine Bay that his grandmother wasn’t aware of, and nothing of consequence.
“That’s why you called me here today?”
“Indeed. I had Brock search for the young lady on the internet. I viewed several hours’ worth of performances and interviews.”
Dang. Even Troy hadn’t gone that deep into the cyber stalk…er…researching.
“And what were your thoughts?”
He was hesitant to hear the answer. If things went further between him and Alison, he’d be the first Valentine brother not paired up with a hometown girl. He didn’t know how his grandmother, the matriarch, might feel about a founding family member dating someone so far outside the Valentine Bay sphere.
“Troy, I am of the opinion that you should, as the young people say…lock that down, I believe is the expression?”
Troy laughed. “That definitely is the expression.”
“Good. Well, I’ve delivered my message. You can do with that what you will.”
He grinned. “Thanks for the advice, Grandmother. Wait, aren’t you staying for lunch?”
He was confused as she stood, pulling her cell phone out of her leather clutch to call “Brock.”
“No, dear, as I said. I’m on a schedule.”
“Why did you want to meet at Main Street Eats, then?”
She smiled at him, and he could see genuine affection in the grin as she patted his cheek. “I know it’s your favorite lunch spot. I thought it would be nice to treat you.”
With that, she headed for the door, catching Grace’s attention and telling her to put his order on her tab as she left.
Grace nodded and hustled over to the table. “So, what’cha having, hon? The usual.”
“Sounds good,” Troy confirmed.
Grace smiled, her eyes sparking with mischief. “So, was she for or against?”
“What?”
“Your new lady friend.”
Troy groaned. “You’re just as good as she is at knowing everything that goes on in this town, aren’t you?”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“Anyway. She said I should ‘lock that down,’ if you can believe it.”
Grace chuckled. “I can believe it. Because she’s a smart woman, and it seems like she gives pretty good advice.”
He smiled. “Agreed.”
Chapter 15
Alison fidgeted nervously in her car, grabbing the handle to get out and then
letting it go more than once as her nerves got the better of her.
God! What is wrong with me? I’ve performed in front of royalty and presidents and haven’t been half as nervous!
But, again, she knew the answer to that question without searching too hard. It was the answer to most questions she asked herself lately, and it boiled down to one word.
Troy.
She was like a kid around him. She hadn’t been this bubbly, nervous, and giggly around a guy since Jared Feinstein in the fifth grade, and she’d only been so head over heels for him because his parents had had a built-in Jacuzzi in their backyard and she thought it made him the height of cool.
Troy didn’t have a Jacuzzi. His cool was all natural born, with no assistance required from bubbling chlorinated water.
Finally, she plucked up her courage and pushed open the door, propelling herself out of the car before she could mentally talk herself out of it. She was almost late at this point. If she hadn’t been, then she would’ve probably still been sitting in that driver’s seat. The prospect of embarrassing herself by walking in conspicuously late was the only thing that had overcome her fear and pushed her out the door.
She hadn’t been nearly this nervous before dinner the other night. Dinner was easy. Dinner was a breeze. All you had to do to impress someone during dinner was be effortlessly charming. She’d been doing that in both personal and professional situations for years.
This whole softball thing? Well, that was a whole new ballgame, pardon the tortured pun.
At the batting cages the other night, she’d learned the basics. But she couldn’t lie, she’d been a helluva lot more focused on Troy’s arms wrapped around her from behind, her back pressed against his chest, than the lessons he’d been trying to impart.
She knew that this whole major, debilitating case of nerves really boiled down to one simple fear: she didn’t want to look foolish in front of someone who was so cool in her eyes. And, taking her usual level of athletic prowess into consideration, there was little doubt that she was about to look very, very foolish.
Playing By Heart Page 6