Catching Luke

by Debra Elise

  “He doesn’t know yet. But, you want to know what I think, Lara? No don’t answer that.” He raised his hand when she opened her mouth to respond.

  “Let me phrase it another way. I think you like Luke but not his reputation with women, and that’s why you’re hesitating. And I think something did happen between you two, and now you don’t think a professional relationship will work. Am I right?”

  She sat back down with a “humph” and folded her hands on the edge of his desk. “Have you been talking to Caris? You sound more like a relationship counselor than a baseball team owner.”

  “Let’s just say I have a sixth sense for this stuff. Hasn’t helped me in my own life . . .”

  Lara opened her mouth to respond, but he waved her off.

  “But we’re not here to discuss me.”

  She knew it. There was something up with him and Noel and maybe this was his roundabout way of bringing it up.

  She let it go, for now. Men were so complicated. Talking in riddles because they were afraid to open up to their true feelings. She couldn’t wait to corner Noel and find out what was really going on between the two.

  “T.S., I really appreciate the offer, and you are right. Some things have gone on between us, and I think it may be too much to ask for us to set aside our personal feelings and work together as patient and therapist. I know that you’re down a trainer with Manny on paternity leave, but you have another one on staff, right? Why isn’t he working with Luke?”

  “Let’s just say Luke and Nelson have past issues. Nelson has refused to work with Luke and the feeling’s mutual. So that leaves me with finding someone local, someone who can begin right away, and someone we can trust. Blake is making some inquiries with several other PTs out of town, but we want you.” He stood up and walked to the end of his desk and perched on the corner and smiled down at her.

  “Lara, please. Think it over. Talk to Kelsey, get her thoughts. I think she’s in her office. But I need an answer soon.”

  “T.S., this whole thing is ridiculous. There are plenty of PTs out there who would jump on a plane tonight to work with a USBL team and with Luke Garibaldi.” Lara threw up her hands and made a move to stand up again.

  “You would think so. But, his reputation with trainers is not stellar. He tends to yell and he’s been known to throw things when he’s pissed. A lot of people don’t put up with that shit.”

  “And you think I will? You’re a fool if you believe that.” She grabbed her purse and walked toward the door.

  “Some men can’t handle being injured, Lara. And I think he’d benefit from your softer—”

  “Be careful, T.S. Don’t make this a ‘because you’re a woman’ thing. I swear I’ll—”

  “—approach,” he finished.

  Lara laughed out loud. “You’re delusional, T.S., if you think you’ll sway me with that statement. If I take the job, I will be anything but ‘soft’ with Luke. Rehabbing from a torn meniscus takes hard work, especially if he wants to play again in a couple of months. And there’s no guarantee his injury will respond that fast.”

  “So you’ll do it?” T.S. flashed a hopeful smile.

  “I’ll . . . think it over and discuss it with Kelsey.”

  “Perfect.”

  She left his office wound up and agitated from the heated conversation and whispered, “Don’t hold your breath,” before she firmly shut the door behind her.

  CHAPTER 12

  Lara walked by T.S.’s secretary Lois, who sent her a sympathetic smile, and marched down to Kelsey’s office and began talking a mile a minute until she realized that Kelsey was on the phone. She watched as Kelsey ran her hand through her hair and grimaced at whatever was said to her. Her tight-lipped expression was out of character for her.

  Lara turned to leave but Kelsey waved at her and motioned her to sit in the guest chair. She openly eavesdropped. She was fascinated at the range of emotions on Kelsey’s face.

  “Yes, I’m sure he’ll be more cooperative once he’s had a chance to recover. It’s early days yet, and it sounds like you caught him off guard . . . No, that’s fine. I understand. Thank you for calling, Mr. Landon.” Kelsey replaced the receiver and let out a low growl.

  “What was that all about?” Lara asked.

  “Luke.”

  “Ah. So who’d he piss off now?”

  “That man needs a keeper.” Kelsey gathered her hair and adjusted the up-do she’d ruined while on the phone. “That was a local restaurant owner. Apparently instead of going through me or Luke’s agent, he called Luke directly about a prescheduled meet-and-greet. He wanted to make sure Luke wasn’t going to back out just because he’s injured.”

  “I’m sure that went over well.” Lara’s temperature rose. She could just imagine the choice words Luke shared with the clueless businessman.

  “Understatement of the year. He tore the guy a new one, and now this guy wants me to guarantee that Luke meets the commitment.”

  Lara could see the case building against her working with Luke. Pissed because he was now out for weeks if not months—and cranky, thanks to a boneheaded businessman. Both just validated her choice to tell T.S. she wasn’t the right person for this.

  Kelsey interrupted her inner battle. “Look, Lara, I know that you have mixed feelings about Luke. But this is a good opportunity for you and we really need you. I’m asking as a friend. Besides, I know you better than anyone else and I think you can set aside your attraction to him and help him rehab his knee.”

  She still hadn’t told Kelsey about her night with Luke and now it was too late to avoid hurt feelings. They shared everything that happened in their lives. Not telling her best friend about her unforgettable night with Luke was just another reason she should turn down T.S.’s offer.

  “Lara, please? As a favor to me. Can you help the team and Luke out?”

  Her temple began to throb and her reasons for not helping the Outlaws with Luke seemed small and petty. So she caved. She sat staring out at the river in the distance and listened as Kelsey called T.S.’s secretary to let her know.

  She had some conditions though. One, she would still work at the clinic where she had clients who were depending on her. In particular, the children she saw on a weekly basis. And two, Luke had to agree as well. She had no clue if he’d been told about this possibility, and she wasn’t positive he’d be happy since he’d made it clear he was only interested in one night with her.

  She’d tell him herself that this was business only. What had happened between them was in the past and she wasn’t using this to spend more time with him. Besides, she wasn’t emotionally strong enough to be his physical therapist and play slap and tickle.

  Later that afternoon after arrangements had been made with the Outlaw organization and her boss, she read through Luke’s chart and noted the doctors were split on his prognosis.

  The only thing they could agree on was that he was probably out for four to six weeks and would need rehab. The X-rays indicated a tear in his meniscus, which meant he probably wouldn’t need surgery. If he listened to her and followed her plan, without complaint, he had a good chance to play again before the season ended.

  She questioned herself again as she thought about the night they’d spent together. Could she push those images from her mind and keep things a hundred percent professional?

  Lara didn’t sleep much that night. Every time she came up with reasons not to work with Luke, a mark in the pro column would pop into her brain and taunt her and she knew was being petty.

  Had he required surgery their urgency to have a physical therapist ready to go today wouldn’t be an issue. The team would have time to search and bring in someone else.

  Someone not tempted by images she knew would remain burned in her memory. What would she do if he treated her indifferently? Could her ego take the hit? Her life had seemed so much simpler before she slept with Luke Garibaldi.

  The next morning she was to meet T.S. at Harmony Hospital. It woul
d be the first time she’d seen Luke since he left her bed. As she lay sleepless she decided she needed to come clean with Kelsey and Noel about what happened between her and Luke. She needed their support if she was to get through the next month or so of up-close-and-personal contact with Luke.

  CHAPTER 13

  David Cameron, the newest member of the Idaho Outlaws, was cracking on the second baseman’s latest escapades with his new girlfriend while the team manager, Blake Anderson, former MVP and seven-time All-Star for the Thunderbirds, threw in his thoughts on Cruzer’s luck with the girl of his dreams.

  Luke held on to his bruised ribs while he laughed and tried not to let the rumbling travel down to his throbbing knee. “Cruzer, you have a better chance of making a walk-off run than scoring with Priscilla. Her preacher daddy holds the key to that one’s chastity belt. She’s not giving up the pink without a ring, buddy. And you’re too damn smart for that.”

  “You’re such a cynic, Garibaldi. What if the next woman who walks through that door is the one for you? Are you going to lay there in your sick bed and tell me you’d give up a chance at paradise because you don’t believe in true love?”

  Luke grinned wide. “Without a second thought, bro. Women and men are good together for just a few things, and living together forever isn’t one of them.”

  “That’s sad, man. You’re going to be one lonely and grouchy old man. Wait a minute, I forgot you’re practically there.” Cruzer snickered but stepped back from the hospital bed.

  “Keep it up, Cruzer. When Miss Priss gets her hooks into you without offering a sample, you’ll be looking for the nearest exit. While I’ll take the next beautiful woman I see to nirvana and send her on her way the next morning. No way I’ll ever . . .”

  “Ever what, Garibaldi? Sounds like another tall tale being told.” T.S. strode into the room and held the door for someone behind him.

  A slim hand reached out to take the door and entered at a slower pace. Luke’s gaze noticed the long blond locks first. He lay back into his pillow and took the gut punch as T. S. introduced Lara to the room.

  “Gentlemen, I’d like to introduce Lara Andretti, the Outlaws’ newest physical therapist. She’s graciously signed on to work with you, Luke, until we get Manny back.”

  A loud bark sounded from the corner of the room. Maverick covered his mouth and walked over to greet Lara. He flashed a smirk toward Luke. “Well, well, if you’re not a sight for sore eyes, Lara. Hi there, beautiful. I believe you’re just what the doctor ordered.”

  Luke watched with hooded eyes as Mav gave a her a bear hug.

  “Thanks for signing on. I’m sure we’ll hear all about why we were lucky enough to steal you away from your job at the clinic.” Maverick turned back toward a stunned Luke. “What do you say, Luke? Looks like you’ll be proving us all wrong sooner than you thought, huh?”

  The rest of the players broke out in howls of laughter. T.S. frowned. “Okay, what the hell did we miss?”

  Mav answered for Luke and the rest of them. “Oh, nothing important. Just guy talk.”

  Lara stepped to the side of T.S. and acknowledged everyone in the room before looking at Luke.

  He studied her looking for signs of what she was thinking. Not sure what he wanted to see, he sat up straighter in the hospital bed and cleared his throat.

  “Hi, Lara. Uh, thanks. I appreciate you signing on to help me out.”

  The look she sent his way gave him pause. The heat from the other night was gone. The woman before him was pure professional. Not sure if he liked her cool detachment, he gave her his best smile and a wink.

  “Luke.” She nodded. “I’m sorry to hear about your accident. And just to be clear, I’m still with the clinic. I have other clients that I just can’t up and leave. However, I’ve assured T.S. and Blake you’ll receive top priority.”

  He relaxed a bit. Now that he’d decided he wanted another taste of her, this was the perfect opportunity, albeit at the price of his knee. But he’d make the best of it and he’d make sure her full attention included more of them together—naked.

  Luke arrived late for his first physical therapy appointment thanks to a group of fans that had camped outside the front door. Somehow word had leaked out. And that’s how Lara found him. An overenthusiastic female fan had just asked him to sign her T-shirt, right above her left breast.

  The fan gave Luke, Lara, and anyone within a ten-foot radius an eyeful of her ample cleavage as she bent down to look for a spot on his leg to sign.

  Luke caught her eye at that exact moment. His face was flushed and he gave her an embarrassed grin. He took the girl’s arm and brought her back to a standing position and offered to sign an autograph. “I appreciate the support, ladies. But my therapist is waiting.”

  He scribbled his name on her shirt and turned his attention toward Lara. “I’m ready when you are.”

  Lara felt like a voyeur and gave him a quick nod before she did an about-face and headed toward the gym. She didn’t bother to wait for him. Total unprofessional behavior, but she needed to get away from the uncomfortable situation as fast as she could.

  He cleared his throat and tried again. “I know it’s going to be strange, but I think we can make this work.”

  “Look, we’ll make the best of it.” Lara sounded—distant. “We both knew, I knew, that the night we spent together was just to scratch an itch, right? We’re grown-ups and I believe we can keep things on a professional level for the next few weeks.”

  Shit. A logical solution. It wasn’t like he wanted her to beg him, right? One and done. He’d more than learned his lesson with Syndi. But this situation, this woman was different. He wanted to discover why he couldn’t stop thinking about her. He still wasn’t looking for forever, but maybe she would be open to having a little fun while they were now going to spend a lot of time together.

  Luke tried to read Lara’s features but she was wearing a poker face and he had no clue what was going on inside her gorgeous head. His gaze dropped down to her lips. Lips that just days ago were wrapped around . . . and hello, hard-on.

  “So why did you agree to work with me?” Luke asked.

  Instead of answering him, Lara moved equipment around the gym making room so he could maneuver his crutches around another patient. She waved him over to the bench and motioned to where she wanted him to sit.

  He hobbled over the five or so feet and prayed he wouldn’t make an ass of himself. He sat down and lifted and held on to his knee as he swung his body onto the too-small bench and looked up to see her staring just over his shoulder.

  “Lara?”

  “A lot of reasons. One, I’m a physical therapist; it’s what I do. Two, T.S. and Kelsey are my friends and they asked.”

  “I hear a three coming.”

  “No. No, that’s about it.”

  “You mean, you didn’t give a thought to what it would be like working together after we had sex, not to mention one heck of an elevator ride?” Luke kept pressing. He didn’t like how cool and unaffected she was. And dammit, he wanted her to show just a little bit of the desire that was riding him hard.

  Her face was flushed, and he watched as she clasped and unclasped her hands. A good sign finally, until she gave him her third reason.

  “I’m going to interview in a couple of weeks for a new job at Seattle Children’s. So what happened between us doesn’t really factor in to my future plans. Sure, we’ll see each other at the wedding, but beyond that . . . Oh, and by the way, my boss doesn’t know that’s what I’m doing, so please don’t say anything. I need the time to phase out my current clients and find new PTs for them before the job begins after Labor Day.”

  Luke couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

  “So you don’t have the job yet, but you’re betting on it, and since you’ll have to give up your clients anyway you decided to work with me so you don’t have to tell your boss now that you’ll be leaving at the end of summer, huh? Wow, win-win for you. I’m flattered.”


  Damn. It had nothing to do with their one night together and everything to do with her dedication to her other clients. Talk about an ego deflator. He should just be happy she wasn’t trying to cling to him like so many of his past ball girls did.

  But instead of just accepting her response at face value and shaking it off, he said something he’d never said to a woman before. “I can’t stop thinking about the other night, Lara. I keep picturing you underneath me, being inside you, and I’m hoping you haven’t stopped thinking about it either. I thought maybe we could take advantage of our time together. You know, friends with benefits . . .”

  He let the question hang. He couldn’t help pushing her buttons. And he wanted another chance to do more, much more.

  He watched as her body went rigid and her face flushed a deeper red than before with his bold statement. He watched as she fought an internal battle and then took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Little did she understand the challenge she was presenting.

  At Luke’s blatant offer of more naked time together, Lara’s hand froze before she touched his shoulder to help guide him backward to lie flat. It was bad enough she was having naughty thoughts about her new patient and one-time lover.

  Ever since he hobbled into the room her palms had been itching to touch him again even if it was for therapeutic purposes, and now she had a choice. Accept his offer of pursuing the personal while somehow maintaining a level of professionalism. Could she do it? Images from their night together reminded her just how good it had been between them.

  She closed her eyes and prayed for divine intervention, anything to help her make a decision. No, no she couldn’t compromise herself this way. Work before romance, or sex. Her integrity before guaranteed orgasms. Damn, sometimes it sucked being a rule follower.

  “Luke, I’m going to be straight with you, and as appealing as your offer is . . . wait, you are offering, right?”

  “Anytime, anywhere, sweetheart.” He’d been watching her closely the entire time she’d been debating with herself, making it hard to forget him relaxed and so damn sexy after they’d devoured each other.