Charming the Shortstop

by Heather B. Moore

  “Not exactly,” she said in a low voice. “I was, uh, sort of unsure about calling you, but I didn’t forget. So... I, um...”

  “Decided to come to a game instead?” The slight breeze blew a bit of her hair against her cheek, and he wanted to touch her cheek and brush her hair back.

  “That’s right.” Her lips curved some more.

  She was wearing some sort of lip gloss. He wondered if it was scented too. He had the sudden urge to kiss her and find out. That is, if there weren’t so many people around. He could just imagine the photographs that would hit the sports section if he did.

  “It’s been a week,” he continued. In for a penny, in for a pound.

  She lifted her hand and tucked the stray lock of hair behind her ear. “I know.”

  When she dropped her hand, she gave him an oh-so-innocent smile.

  Axel’s heart felt like it might pound out of his chest. “Well, maybe you should give me your number since I seem to be the more responsible one here.”

  “You are responsible, Axel Diaz,” she said. “I’ve been reading up on you.”

  For some reason, that made him very happy. “And what did you find, Brighton West?”

  She lowered her gaze. “Well, most of it I had guessed at, but it was nice to have it confirmed.”

  Axel raised his brows, waiting.

  “Let’s just say you’re an impressive man.” She looked up at him. “Good enough?”

  His gaze moved from her violet eyes to her straight nose, to those glossy lips of hers. “For now,” he said. “What are you doing tonight?”

  She lifted her shoulder. “Not sure. Nothing else can top your home run, so everything else would be a downer. Maybe I’ll go home and call it good.”

  Axel reached for her hand, his fingers connecting with hers. “Don’t go anywhere. After I sign those kids’ baseballs, I’m getting your phone number.” He let go of her hand and took a couple of steps backward to make sure she wasn’t going to leave.

  He nearly bumped into Gabe. “Don’t let her leave.”

  Gabe chuckled. “Don’t worry.”

  “And I know you don’t have a brother.”

  Gabe’s face went red, and Axel turned and headed back to the kids’ group. Thankfully, Ross was signing T-shirts and posters, keeping the crowd happy.

  When Axel arrived, he signed as quickly as he could, taking frequent glances toward Brighton. She merely stood, arms folded, as she watched him.

  Gabe paced back and forth, still holding that baseball. Maybe Axel would sign it anyway, and Gabe could do what he wanted with it.

  “Thanks, Mr. Diaz,” the final kid said, and Axel shook his hand.

  “You’re welcome, kid,” Axel said.

  Finally. He walked back to where Brighton and Gabe stood.

  “I’m really sorry, Axel,” Gabe started to say.

  “No worries, man,” Axel said. “Thanks for coming to the game.”

  Gabe smiled. “You were amazing. I mean that home run. Huge!”

  “Thanks,” Axel said. “Hopefully we’ve broken our losing streak now.”

  “Hey, I’m going to grab a drink at the concessions if they’re still open,” Gabe said, looking at Brighton. “Are you okay here for a minute?”

  Brighton smiled at him. “Sure.”

  When Gabe had walked away, most of the people had vacated the field.

  “So where’s your phone?” Brighton asked.

  “In the locker room,” Axel said. “Come on. I’ll show you around.” He led her across the infield, past the dugout, and through the portal that led to the underbelly of the stadium.

  “I never realized this place was so big until I came down on the field and got a view of the stands,” she said. “And those lights. They’re blinding. How do you catch anything?”

  “We practice by shining flashlights in our eyes at home.”

  She laughed. “What?”

  “Kidding.” Axel smiled over at her. “I can’t believe you came.”

  The mood between them shifted into something he couldn’t pinpoint.

  She glanced at him, then away. “I wasn’t sure how serious you were.”

  He stopped in the hallway, and she stopped too. “You think I’m a player, Brighton?”

  When she wouldn’t meet his eyes, he sighed. “I was serious when I told you that I don’t date much and haven’t for a while.”

  She still wasn’t looking at him.

  He frowned. “What else did you read?”

  She lifted those beautiful eyes to meet his gaze. “Stuff.”

  He almost laughed. Stepping closer, he said in a low voice, “Stuff? As in... ?”

  She watched him approach, unblinking. “Twitter stuff. But it doesn’t matter,” she said. “I believe you.”

  That stray lock of hair had escaped again, and this time he tucked it into place. “You can ask me anything, and I’ll tell you the truth. Please don’t hold Twitter against me.”

  She seemed to be thinking about his statement, and he wished he could read her mind. He knew she had trust issues because of her ex-fiancé, but did that extend to all men?

  “Did you drive your motorcycle here?” she asked.

  She couldn’t have changed the subject any more drastically.

  “No, I brought my truck.”

  “That’s good,” she said. “Because I might take you up on your offer to hang out tonight.”

  Axel might have kissed her then and there, but he could hear voices coming along the corridor. At any second, they’d have company.

  “What about Gabe?” he asked.

  “I’ll call him,” she said. “He drove anyway. Can you take me home after?”

  He couldn’t hold back his smile. “Of course. Let me get my stuff. Come on.”

  They rounded the bend and passed a few people as they neared the locker room.

  “Are you okay to wait a few minutes?” he said. “Women in the locker room creates chaos.”

  She smiled. “You couldn’t pay me to go in there. Besides, I’ve got to call Gabe.”

  “Okay, I’ll be quick.” Axel’s feet felt like lead as he forced himself to turn and push through the locker room doors. Brighton had suddenly appeared tonight, and she could just as easily disappear.

  “There he is,” someone called out as he walked through the locker room. “Home Run Axe!”

  Axe nodded and smiled, but he made a beeline for the showers.

  Twelve minutes later, he was dressed in street clothes. He slung his duffle over his shoulder and left the locker room to find Brighton still waiting.

  She looked up from her phone as he came out. He decided that she wore the Sharks fan shirt very well.

  “Hi.” She smiled, her gaze scanning him. “Back to normal?”

  “I think I’m in a uniform more than anything else.” He was rather enjoying the way she was checking him out.

  “Where’s your phone?” she asked.

  “Oh, that’s what you’re looking for?”

  Her cheeks pinked, and he laughed, then he opened his duffle to sort through and find his phone. He turned it on. Dozens of text messages flashed across the screen. It appeared that the Six Pack had either seen or heard about his game-changing home run.

  Without reading any of them, he handed over the phone to Brighton.

  “Make sure it’s your real number,” he said.

  Brighton smirked. “Are you going to test it?”

  “I am.”

  She leaned against the wall as she typed in her contact information. “There you go, baseball boy.”

  Axel took the phone and pressed SEND on her number. She held up her ringing phone.

  He grinned. “See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?”

  She pushed away from the wall. “So where are you taking me, Axel Diaz?”

  CHAPTER 14

  After Gabe had hooted for a full five seconds, Brighton had told him she’d text him later about her date with Axel. But for now, Axel would be taki
ng her home. She’d literally held the phone away from her ear as Gabe let out a whistle. Then she’d said, “You’re lucky he’s not with me, because that was really immature.”

  Gabe laughed, and Brighton was glad she could share this moment with a friend. Because Axel Freaking Diaz had asked her out again. He’d made the third move.

  When he’d seen her on the field and pushed past all those kids with their baseballs, then walked straight toward her with his gold-brown eyes solely focused on her, Brighton totally understood how women in those black-and-white films could swoon.

  “Mamma Mia,” Gabe had whispered.

  “Holy Hector,” Brighton had added.

  Axel Diaz in a baseball uniform, up close, was enough to keep her awake the rest of the night.

  And now she was waiting for him outside the locker room of the Sharks, a Major League Baseball team. Brighton couldn’t quite wrap her mind around it. But she had to, and quick, because she was about to go on a second date with Axel. What had been surreal in Belltown was about to become reality in Seattle.

  By the time he came out of the locker room, all freshly showered, wearing a Henley shirt pushed up at the elbows and low-slung jeans, all the melty feelings returned with full force. Not that they’d exactly gone away, but she had been trying to keep things in perspective. As in, Axel was just a guy when all was said and done. Who happened to be a professional baseball player. And who was gorgeous. And sweet. And kind of bossy. And he’d insisted on getting her number.

  When she asked him where he was taking her, he said, “Hungry?”

  “I could eat.”

  “Then let’s eat.”

  She almost expected him to take her hand or even kiss her by the way his gaze wasn’t leaving her face. Had he been this intense in Belltown? Maybe he was kind of a tiger.

  “So you have about a million texts,” she said. “From the Six Pack?”

  He glanced at his phone. “Yeah, looks like it.”

  “Do you guys keep in touch a lot?”

  Axel opened the door that led out of the stadium, and she stepped through.

  “They’re a chatty bunch,” he said. “Mostly making fun of each other, but once in a while, there’s a real congratulations thrown in.”

  “One well deserved,” Brighton said. The parking lot they walked into was mostly empty, and she guessed it was just for the players and coaches.

  A white truck was parked in one of the first stalls, and Axel used his key fob to unlock it. He opened the door for her, and Brighton had to brush past him to climb inside. And yep. He smelled good. Did he keep cologne in his locker or did Axel Diaz have his own scent?

  He shut the door, and she settled into the leather seat. The truck was newer and had all the bells and whistles. Not that she’d ever fault a man for spending his hard-earned money, especially when he could well afford it. How would it be to not live paycheck to paycheck? She watched Axel walk around the front of the truck, looking at his phone. Lines appeared between his brows, and he paused before opening his door.

  When he got in, the frown was still there.

  “If you need to change plans, that’s okay,” she offered.

  His gaze snapped to hers. “No, we’re fine. It’s just my sister. Before I left for the game my mom told me she found a vape pen in Silvia’s backpack. So I went over to talk to her. She wouldn’t say how she got it. I broke it and threw it away.” He held up his phone. “She just texted: I hate you.”

  “Ouch,” Brighton said.

  Axel nodded, his expression grim. “I guess she’s still mad at me. Although any punishment is up to my mom, Silvia knows I’ll support it.”

  He started the truck and drove out of the parking lot, and it was clear his mind was still on his sister.

  “Why does she vape?” Brighton asked.

  “Why?” Axel seemed surprised at the question. “I didn’t ask her. Bottom line, she could get suspended from school if caught. Besides, there’s no FDA regulations on the stuff. Who knows what ingredients they contain.”

  “She likely knows those risks, right?” she said. “So then why is she willing to risk so much to vape? There must be a reason.”

  “It doesn’t matter what the reason is,” Axel said, his tone hard. “It’s wrong. And it’s not good for her. She’s fifteen.”

  “You’re right, but think about when you were fifteen,” she said. “Did you take risks?”

  He looked over at her as he slowed the truck at a stoplight. “That was different. I’m a guy, and—”

  “Really? You’re going to use the man card?”

  He didn’t look very happy to be called out. “What do you suggest?”

  “Listen to her,” Brighton said. “Give her a chance to explain.”

  Axel sighed.

  “Go home, talk to her,” Brighton said. “We can go to dinner another time.”

  Axel maneuvered his truck over to the side of the road to get out of traffic and stopped. “How about I call Silvia right now instead, and then you can’t back out of our date.”

  Brighton’s heart thumped at the intensity in his gaze, and despite herself, she smiled. “That works too.”

  “I am the responsible one here,” he said.

  “Ha. Ha. I think that’s called stubbornness.”

  “Okay, I’m calling,” he said, holding up his phone.

  Brighton didn’t want to listen in on his personal conversation, but she really had no choice. He called his mom and asked her to get Silvia on speaker phone since he wanted to talk to both of them.

  He asked Silvia several questions, and the conversation turned from tense to concerned. The conversation lasted more than ten minutes, and when Axel hung up, he was silent for a moment.

  Brighton had never had a male relative do anything for her, and she thought Silvia was pretty lucky, even if she was upset right now.

  “My mom’s going to ground her for the weekend, and Silvia seems reconciled to her punishment. But I’m worried this isn’t the end of it.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Silvia said she vapes because a couple of her friends dared her. So instead of saying no, she went along with it. She just doesn’t seem to care about the things she used to. She gets in fights with her friends, she’s on her phone all night, she back talks my mom, and now she’s vaping and who knows what else.”

  Brighton was struck with how much Axel cared about his sister, and how much he must do for her. “Have there been any major changes in her life recently?”

  “Not that I know of, unless you count teenage hormones.”

  “What are her hobbies?” Brighton asked.

  Axel shrugged. “Reading? Is that a hobby?”

  “Who are her favorite authors?”

  “I don’t know,” he said. “Even if she told me, I probably wouldn’t recognize their names. I haven’t read anything but textbooks or required English literature in school.”

  “Talking to her about books might be a good starting place,” Brighton said. “It will show her you’re interested in her life... beyond the rules. And maybe instead of vaping next time, she’ll come to you with her problems.”

  Axel’s brows lifted. “Do you really think it’s that simple?”

  “I don’t know, but it’s a start.”

  He held her gaze for a long moment. “I think you’re a smart woman, Brighton West.”

  “You’re no dummy yourself, Axel Diaz.” She smiled.

  He chuckled. “So... does this mean we’re still going out to eat?”

  The air in the truck was feeling really warm.

  “I’m still hungry,” she said.

  “Me too.” He winked at her, then pulled away from the curb. He didn’t ask her what kind of food she liked, but about ten minutes later he turned into a diner that looked like it needed some TLC.

  “Ever been to Gerald’s Diner?” he asked as he parked.

  “No.” Brighton gazed at the nearly deserted parking lot. There were only two other cars. Had they hit a dead hour,
or was the place not all that great?

  “Come on, you’ll love it,” Axel said and opened his door.

  When he came around the truck and opened her door, she climbed down and said, “How do you know I’ll like it?”

  “Well, I come here a lot, so I’ve tried nearly everything on the menu,” he said. “And they have several dairy-free dishes.”

  “Oh.” Well, okay. “Sounds good then.”

  He pulled open the door of the diner for her, and she walked inside. The booths were bubblegum pink, and only one table was occupied by an older couple.

  “Axe!” a man said, coming through swinging doors that must lead to the kitchen. The portly guy with a huge gray mustache was grinning. “And who do we have here?”

  “Hey, Gerald,” Axel said. “This is Brighton.”

  Gerald wiped his large hand on the white apron tied around his ample waist. He stuck out his hand. “Brighton, huh? Nice name.”

  “Thanks,” she said, shaking Gerald’s hand. “And you are Gerald—as in Gerald’s Diner?”

  “That’s me,” Gerald said, then looked again at Axel. “Some game tonight. Showing off for the ladies?”

  Axel laughed and clapped a hand on Gerald’s shoulder. “Whatever you say. Can you get us a menu? Brighton is most interested in your dairy-free choices.”

  “Sure thing,” Gerald said. “You’re all over the news, you know.” He nodded toward a small television mounted in the corner of the diner.

  The sports program was on at low volume, and all the highlights were of the game. Brighton watched as the TV station replayed Axel’s home run.

  “Let’s sit down,” Axel said close to her ear while touching the small of her back.

  “Don’t like reruns?” she asked.

  “I don’t like to focus on the past.”

  Brighton let him guide her to a booth, where she sat on one side. When Axel was settled across from her, she said, “That play was like two hours ago.”

  Axel smiled. “Yeah, like I said, the past.”

  It wasn’t fair that he was so effortlessly handsome. His Henley shirt was simple, yet the light brown enriched the coloring of his olive skin, making his eyes a darker brown. She caught the glint of his gold chain beneath his collar.