I nod my head, unable to speak because of the happy tears that are falling.
Sawyer chuckles in my ear. “Are you going to cry when they give me my World Series ring, too?”
“That depends. Do they give those out right there at the last game?”
Something changes in his eyes. And the way he looks at me is … different. He shakes his head sadly. “No. It normally takes months to make them.”
“Oh. Well, that’s too bad. I would have liked to have seen it.”
He cocks his head to the side. “You really think we’ll make it to the Series?”
“Why wouldn’t I? The Nighthawks are a great team. And with you leading them, anything is possible.”
“Thanks,” he says. “It really means a lot to me that you feel that way.”
I turn my head and stare at him. “You had the perfect opportunity to say something cocky just now, yet you said something nice again, Tom Sawyer,” I whisper. “You’d better watch out or you’ll be labeled a good guy before you know it.”
“Shhh,” he whispers back, his hot breath flowing over my ear and neck. “Don’t tell anyone.”
He grabs my hand and entwines it with his. I realize he’s only doing it for show, but it feels nice. And even though I know he’s just playing a part, his thumb rubbing slow circles around my knuckles sends pulses of want and need throughout my body.
Does he know what his touch does to me? Does he even care?
I take a peek at Brooke, who’s on my other side, and notice the smile on her face when she sees our clasped hands. She thinks if I’m off the market, she has a better chance with Bass. But I’m not so sure it’s me who has anything to do with it. I can see it in his eyes, he doesn’t want her like I want Sawyer. But maybe being with somebody is better than being with nobody.
I look back at Sawyer and realize just how different these two men really are.
Bass wants a relationship so badly, he’s willing to accept someone he doesn’t love. Sawyer is so scared of one, he’ll throw away love without giving it a chance.
And then there’s Denver.
Boy, do I have some screwed-up men in my life.
“Come on,” Brooke says, standing up and tugging on my arm after the last graduate crosses the stage. “Let’s head outside for the reception.”
Champagne is flowing freely and Bass quickly gets drunk, making up for lost time after having sworn off alcohol during his training. He grabs two glasses off a nearby tray and hands one to Sawyer after Brooke and I refuse it. “Come on, someone has to keep up with me,” he says.
Sawyer takes the glass, clinking it to Bass’s.
“See,” Bass says, putting an arm around Sawyer’s shoulders. “This is why I like this guy. We think alike.”
“Oh, you like me now, do you?” Sawyer asks.
“I always liked you,” Bass slurs. “It’s just that I’m watching out for our girl.”
I see Brooke cringe out of the corner of my eye.
“I’m watching out for her, too,” Sawyer says.
Bass snorts. “Yeah, right. For what, three more months? Then what?”
“What happens in three months?” Brooke asks.
I kick Bass in the shin and stare him down.
“Oh, shit,” he says. “Right. I mean, in three months the season will be over and what then? Are you going to take our girl on vacation? Someplace nice maybe? She deserves it, you know.”
“Maybe I will. Ever been to the Florida Keys?” he asks me with a raised brow.
Thoughts of Sawyer and me on a secluded beach infiltrate my head.
“The Keys?” Brooke says like it’s a bad word. “Take the girl to someplace exotic like Hawaii. I’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii. My parents got married there and I grew up hearing stories about how wonderful it was.”
“That sounds good too,” Sawyer says. “I guess we’ll have to think about it.”
“Brooke, you wanted to meet Jim’s wife,” Bass says. “She’s over there, come on, I’ll introduce you.” Bass turns to Sawyer and me. “We’ll catch you guys a little later. Hang around and enjoy some more drinks.”
“We will,” Sawyer says, raising his glass to him as they walk away.
As soon as Bass and Brooke leave our side, several people come over and ask Sawyer for autographs and pictures. He obliges. He’s always pretty nice about it as long as the fans aren’t too unruly.
“I can’t take you anywhere,” I joke after the last fan snaps a selfie with him.
“Does that bother you?” he asks, motioning to the people watching us from around the courtyard.
I shake my head. “No. As long as they don’t drape themselves all over you.”
He raises an amused brow. “Jealous much?”
“About as jealous as you were of Trent Dugan.”
His jaw tightens and his lips form a thin line.
“See – I knew it. I knew you were jealous of him.”
“I’ll admit to nothing,” he says.
I see a fireman’s boot being passed around. It’s customary at firehouse events to donate to whatever cause they are supporting. But I realize I don’t have any cash on me.
“Do you think you could spot me a twenty?” I ask Sawyer, nodding to the boot being circulated.
“Sure,” he says, digging into his pocket. His hand comes out with a wad of cash, but then something shiny drops onto the tile pavers with a ping.
“Shit,” he says, getting down on a knee to retrieve whatever fell. “I forgot I had this.” He shows me the beautiful ring that I recognize from Murphy’s finger. “Caden was in a hurry today and he left this sitting on the bench by his locker.”
“Oh, my God!” someone shrieks. “He’s proposing!”
Suddenly, people gather around us, circling us with bodies five-deep.
I look down in panic at Sawyer, who’s still on one knee. How are we going to get out of this? Cameras are already out and recording.
“What do we do?” I ask Sawyer through the loud murmurs of the crowd.
A devious smile curves his lips. “Just go with it,” he says, so only I can hear.
“Quiet!” someone yells in the background.
The crowd falls silent. You could hear a pin drop. My heart is pounding through my chest wall.
“What do you say, Aspen Andrews?” he says, holding Murphy’s engagement ring out to me. “Want to get hitched?”
My jaw drops. I have to keep myself from rolling my eyes at him. I know we’re being filmed. I know this will be all over the internet and television in ten minutes flat.
I see him begging me with his eyes. He’s begging me to play along. To save his career.
And I’m sure the photogs will go crazy over the shots people are getting of the tears rolling down my face. Tears they think are from happiness. But all I can think about when I nod my head yes, is how ironic that the only proposal I’ve ever dreamed of, I’m getting from the man who doesn’t mean it.
Cheers erupt around us as he slips the ill-fitting ring onto my finger and then pulls me into his arms.
“You’re out of your mind!” I shout into his ear.
“Congratulations!” Brooke screams as she drags a stunned Bass over to my side.
Bass looks from Sawyer to me and I can’t tell if he’s going to hug him or hit him. But what he does next is more surprising than anything. Bass gets down on one knee and holds out his hand to Brooke. “In the words of this tool standing next to me, what do you say, Brooke Carlisle? Want to get hitched?”
Brooke’s eyes go wide. “You’re drunk,” she says, motioning for him to stand up.
“Yeah, Bass, you’re drunk,” I reiterate.
“Shhh,” he hushes me. “This is our moment. You already had yours.” Then he turns back to Brooke. “I may be a little drunk, but I still know what I’m doing. Come on. We’re perfect for each other, don’t you think?”
“Yes, I do,” Brooke says. “I just wasn’t sure you thought so too.”
> “We are.” He turns to me. “Right, Penny? Isn’t she perfect for me?”
Brooke puts her hand on Bass’s face, forcing him to look back at her. “Is this for real?” she asks. “Because if you’re just messing with me—”
“It’s for real,” he says. “Marry me, Brooke.”
A glorious smile creeps up her face and he stands up right before she jumps into his arms.
“What the hell is happening here?” I ask no one in particular.
Sawyer pulls me aside, letting them have their moment. Phones are still videoing. People are still cheering. A waitress comes out offering fresh glasses of champagne so everyone can toast the happy couples.
When the frenzy dies down and Brooke heads for the bathroom, I excuse myself from Sawyer and drag Bass into a hallway. “Have you gone completely bat-shit crazy tonight?”
“No more than you have, Mrs. Mills,” he spits out.
“You’re delusional, Sebastian. My engagement is fake. Sawyer and I both know that. Brooke thinks yours is real.”
“It is.”
“So you love her? Because I’ve never heard you say it. And I’m willing to bet she’s never heard you say it either. You can’t hurt her like that.”
“I do love her,” he says without looking me in the eye.
“Are you sure? Because there’s a difference between loving someone and being in love with them.”
“Why can’t you just be happy for me, Aspen? I’ve supported you through this whole charade. I’d think you could show a little fucking excitement for me. That is unless you have feelings for me.”
I stretch my neck around the corner and look at Sawyer talking with some of Bass’s friends. Bass’s eyes follow mine. He watches me watch Sawyer. Then he slumps against the wall and runs a hand through his hair. “You really love him, don’t you?”
“I do. And he loves me. But I don’t think he’ll ever admit it.”
Bass laughs at the irony. “We’re two messed up people, aren’t we?”
I pull him into my arms. “We are. But we’ll always have each other. I promise you that.”
“I love you,” he says to me like he should be saying to Brooke.
“I love you too,” I tell him.
“But you’re not in love with me like you are him.”
I shake my head. “I’m sorry.”
“I know,” he says. “It’s okay.” He wipes a tear from under my eye. “Now let’s go find our fiancées.”
“Good idea. But don’t be surprised if Sawyer and I duck out of here. I’ve got some major ass-whipping to do.”
He laughs. “Go easy on the guy, Penny. You are pretty irresistible. And a damn fine catch.”
I motion to Sawyer as we make our approach. “Maybe you could tell him that.”
“I have,” he says, giving my arm a squeeze. “Time and time again.”
Chapter Thirty-one
Sawyer
“Congratulations!” the cab driver says after we get situated in the back.
Aspen gets a disturbed look on her face when the cabbie displays a picture of us on his phone. A picture with me down on one knee.
I grab her left hand and kiss it. “Thanks,” I say.
She gives me a biting stare. I shake it off and play with her. “So, where shall we take our honeymoon? Hawaii, like Brooke mentioned? Or maybe someplace more exotic, like Bali.”
Aspen shakes her head at me in frustration. I know she’s upset with me. But it’s more than that. I saw her face when Bass proposed to Brooke. She wasn’t happy about it.
We ride in silence back to my townhouse. But once we’re safely inside the door, she turns around and punches me in the chest.
“I told you, you can’t do things like that, Sawyer!” she shouts, throwing her purse on the table.
“It’s not as if I had a choice,” I say. “I was down on a knee with an engagement ring in my hand.”
“You did have a choice. You could have told the truth. That the ring belongs to Caden’s wife.”
“They wouldn’t have believed me.”
“Who cares what they believe? But I think they would have,” she says. “Lots of people know he carries the ring in his back pocket when he plays. You should have just said that he left it in the clubhouse and you were going to return it to him but it fell out of your pocket. It’s the truth. You didn’t have to do what you did.”
“Come on, it’s no big deal. You’re blowing this way out of proportion.”
Her eyes narrow and I swear I can see smoke come out of her ears. She digs her phone out of her purse and taps around on it. Then she shoves it in my face. “Look! It’s all over the internet. We’re supposedly engaged. People will ask us about it. I’ll be bombarded with questions. ‘When’s the big day?’ ‘Who will design your dress?’ ‘How soon will you have kids?’ Are you prepared to answer those questions? Because I sure as hell am not.”
She looks down at her left hand, removing Murphy’s ring. “And what do you think will happen when people notice I’m not wearing a ring? I imagine Murphy will want this one back.”
“Okay, you’ve proven your point. I didn’t think this through.”
“Do you ever, Sawyer? Do you ever think things through? I mean, what are we even doing here? You’re saving your reputation for now, but what about next season – are you going to hire another girl? And the season after that? When does the charade end? Your whole life is going to be a lie. How can you live that way?”
She has no idea that I already do.
I walk over and take the ring from her. “We’ll think of something. We can put people off, saying we want a long engagement and won’t make any plans until after the season. That way we won’t have to deal with questions. See? Easy.”
She shakes her head. “Nothing about this is easy. Don’t you realize how your actions affect others? And I’m not just talking about me. Bass proposed to Brooke tonight. That never would have happened if you hadn’t done what you did.”
I loosen my tie and then pull it off, hanging it over the back of a chair before I remove my suit jacket. “That’s really what this is all about, isn’t it? You’re mad that Bass got engaged.”
“Of course I’m mad. He doesn’t love her.”
“Maybe that’s not for you to say.”
She looks at me in disgust. “Well, somebody has to. He’s making a huge mistake. He was drunk and upset about us. He had no right to ask her. She’ll be devastated tomorrow when he takes it back.”
“How do you know he’ll take it back?”
“What is it about ‘he doesn’t love her’ that you don’t understand?”
I go to the bar and pour myself a drink. “Who says you have to be in love to get married?”
“Oh, my God, you did not just say that.” She leans against the arm of the couch and takes her shoes off, letting them fall to the floor with a thud. “How can you be so cavalier?”
“I don’t know, years of practice?”
She picks up a shoe and throws it at me.
I catch it and walk it back over to her. “The real question here is, why are you so damn upset about Bass’s engagement? He’s an adult. He can marry for love or money or companionship. It’s not for you to decide. Not unless there is something else going on. Not unless you’re still carrying a torch for him.”
“Carrying a torch for him? Are you crazy?”
I hold up the ring in my hand. “Apparently, I am.”
“I’m not in love with him,” she says, unconvincingly.
“The hell you aren’t.”
“What is it with men? None of you seem to understand that you can love someone without being in love with them.”
“So you do love him?” I ask, pacing behind the couch.
“Of course I love him. I love him like a brother, Sawyer.”
“Did you love him like a brother when you were screwing him?”
She throws her shoe at me again. It’s a good thing I know how to catch fast moving ob
jects.
“I’ve told you many times, we never slept together. I don’t know why you can’t get it through your thick skull. I guess the steroids are making you stupid.”
She makes her way to the stairs and I follow her up.
“I’ve never done that shit, Aspen. That’s a low fucking blow.”
She walks into her room and tries to reach the zipper around her back. I stand in the doorway for a minute, watching her get frustrated.
“Damn it!” she yells. “Well, are you going to help me with this or not?”
I walk over to help. I unzip it just enough to see the black lacy bra she’s wearing under her dress. I look at the creamy skin of her back, thinking of the two times I’ve been able to touch it. My hands are screaming at me to let them have a feel. It takes everything I have not to let them.
“I just don’t get how a man and a woman can live together for years and not hook up. It’s unnatural.”
She spins around and holds up her dress so it doesn’t fall off her shoulders. “Will you get over yourself? Bass is my best friend. He’ll always be my best friend. I don’t really give a rat’s ass if you are too immature to comprehend it.”
“Best friends fuck all the time,” I say.
“No they don’t.”
“Yes they do. There have been a dozen movies made about that very thing.”
She laughs. “Because that’s what sells movies.”
“No. Because that’s what women fantasize about.”
“You are crazy,” she says.
“I’m crazy to think that you want him? Or that you love him? Maybe you’re crazy because you won’t admit it.”
“Oh, my God, would you quit saying that? I don’t love him, Sawyer. How could I when I’m in love with you?”
The same time the words leave her mouth, her hand slips from her shoulder and her dress falls to the floor, pooling around her feet leaving her standing practically naked in front of me.
She looks horrified after realizing the dress fell when she was yelling at me. She leans down to pick it up.
I’m not sure my brain even comprehends what she said, because it’s too busy taking in her body. The body I dream of every night. The body I try to stay away from every day. The body that fits so perfectly with mine.
The Perfect Game: A Complete Sports Romance Series (3-Book Box Set) Page 82