Charming the Shortstop

by Heather B. Moore

  She had to look away from Axel then because it was impossible to say no while looking into those soulful eyes of his. “There’s only two seats anyway,” she said. It was a valid excuse.

  But maybe she wanted him to talk her into coming, because she felt her resistance crumbling.

  “Sit on my lap,” he said. “The hotel isn’t far, and if Dawg gets pulled over, then he’ll get the ticket anyway.”

  Brighton doubted that.

  Cole revved the engine of the Ferrari, and muffled music blared from inside.

  “You took a sick day and flew in for the game,” Axel said. “And now you want to go back to your hotel by yourself. To do what?”

  Her lips twitched against her will.

  “I brought a good book to read.” She felt a smile tug against her lips. “And maybe I’ll take a bath.”

  “Don’t torture me.” Axel brought her hand to his mouth and pressed a kiss on her wrist. “Move me up on your list.”

  Cole revved the engine again, but Axel ignored it.

  “I think I’m going to heal a lot faster if you’re with me,” Axel told her. “There’s gotta be some studies out there, you know, where TLC speeds up the healing process.”

  “There’s studies on everything. You’re the one who’s torturing me.” She was both teasing and serious, because for some reason she felt on the verge of crying again, and she hated it.

  Axel took a step toward the Ferrari, keeping hold of her hand. She stepped forward. He kept pulling, and she kept stepping. He opened the door of the Ferrari, and without letting go of her hand, he sat down.

  Cole turned down the thumping music and grinned at the two of them. “I’m going to get a citation, you know.”

  “Then don’t get pulled over in the first place,” Axel said. He tugged Brighton onto his lap. Then he shut the door.

  So, sitting on Axel’s lap hadn’t been Brighton’s plan. But here she was, pressed against him because there was no room. He had one arm around her back, and his other arm resting across her thigh. She looped one arm around his neck so that she wasn’t bumping her shoulder into his chin.

  It seemed that Axel wasn’t holding back around the Six Pack anymore about his interest in her. The thought of things becoming more concrete with Axel had her pulse jumping. That, and the speed at which Cole was driving his Ferrari.

  “Take it down a notch,” Axel growled to Cole.

  He laughed, but decelerated. “Brighton doesn’t mind, do you, darlin’?”

  “I’ll mind if we get pulled over,” she said.

  “Understood.” Cole shifted down and turned a corner. “Should I stop and get food, or are we getting room service?”

  “Room service,” Axel said. “I’m supposed to limit my activity, remember?”

  His breath was warm against her neck, and Brighton tried to keep her mind focused on things that didn’t have to do with sitting on this man’s lap.

  “Glad you listened to the nurse after all,” Cole said. “She was kind of mean, don’t you think?”

  Axel’s hand moved slowly along Brighton’s back, out of sight from Cole. “I don’t really remember. I’m just glad to be out of there.” His phone rang, and Brighton tried to move so that he could pull it out of his pocket.

  When he saw the Caller ID, he said, “Did you text my mom, Dawg?”

  “I did,” he said. “Is that her?”

  “Yep.” Axel answered. “Hi, Mom. I’m fine.”

  He held the phone away from his ear a couple of inches, and Brighton could hear a woman talking rapidly. She didn’t sound happy.

  Axel spoke again. “Tomorrow. No, by myself, unless you count the two hundred other people on the plane.” He paused, and there was more rapid-fire speech from his mom. “He did? Not surprised.”

  He cut a glance toward Dawg.

  “What?” Dawg asked, but the smirk on his face told Brighton that he knew perfectly well what.

  Axel’s hand moved to her hip. “Yeah, she’s with me, and yes, you’ll meet her.”

  Brighton’s breath caught. His mom was asking about her? What had Axel said? He wasn’t surprised. His tone didn’t sound bothered or annoyed, just... resigned?

  How long had his mom known?

  Brighton was impatient to get out of this car, to get away from Cole and ask Axel what was going on.

  “Okay, love you too, Mom.” Axel hung up.

  “Am I in trouble?” Dawg asked, amusement in his tone as he pulled up to the front of a hotel.

  “Always,” Axel said.

  Dawg parked, then opened his door and waved the valet over. “If y’all scratch it, you’ll pay.”

  “Yes, sir,” responded the mustached man, who was at least a foot shorter than Dawg. Brighton turned to pop open her door, but Axel managed to do it first.

  She climbed out, then Axel got out of the car. She had questions for him, and she hated that she’d have to wait. He was already talking to Cole about the pitcher Javier again, but Axel grasped her hand.

  What had he told his mom, and when, and what did it mean?

  They walked into the hotel together, and Cole said, “What are you guys hungry for? I can go order it, then meet you up at the room.”

  “Anything that’s red meat,” Axel said. “And hot.”

  “And what about you, darlin’?” Cole asked, his blue-green eyes intent on Brighton.

  “If there’s a salad with vinaigrette, I’ll take it.”

  Cole wrinkled his nose. “That ain’t food, sunshine. You wouldn’t last an hour in Texas with that type of food choice.”

  “She’s allergic to dairy,” Axel filled in for her.

  It was kind of nice, she decided.

  “Get her some chicken, though,” Axel continued. “See you in a few.”

  Once they were in the elevator, Axel rubbed at his head, and Brighton decided to wait on her interrogation about his mom. He had to be exhausted.

  “Are you feeling okay?” Brighton asked.

  “Just a minor annoyance,” he said, dropping his hand. “I’m more mad at myself than anything. But we needed that run.”

  “Maybe next time don’t get a concussion,” she said.

  He scanned her face. “I wish we could ditch Big Dawg. I mean, it’s cool that he’s helping with so much, but I’m sort of sick of other people right now.”

  Brighton lifted her brows. “What about me?”

  He smiled and ran his fingers over her cheek, then behind her neck. “Never.”

  CHAPTER 23

  The elevator dinged open, and it was probably a good thing because Axel really wanted to kiss Brighton. Yet he was feeling kind of dizzy again, and he was also feeling something else. Attached.

  Like he dreaded Brighton leaving that night and flying out for her job in the morning, and he dreaded then not knowing when he’d see her again. And he’d start the waiting all over again.

  Maybe his concussion had affected him in an unexpected way.

  He was also waiting for Brighton to bring up his mom; surely she heard enough of the conversation. But first, he needed some water and more aspirin. At some point, a shower would be good too.

  They walked out of the elevator and to his hotel room. He pulled the keycard out of his wallet and opened the door, then flipped on the lights.

  “This is pretty,” Brighton said, walking in.

  He supposed it was a decent room; he hadn’t really paid attention. Hotel managers liked to impress.

  Axel let the door shut, then picked up a water bottle from the kitchenette and guzzled the whole thing down. When he finished, he found Brighton watching him.

  “Are you really going to take two weeks off?” she asked.

  “Doctor’s orders.” But he shrugged because he knew if there was any wiggle room in his diagnosis, he’d take it.

  Brighton crossed to the small kitchen table next to the wall. “And are you going to tell me about your mom?”

  Brighton wasn’t wasting any time. Might as well get it
out in the open before Cole showed up. “She wants to meet you,” Axel said.

  “I thought you weren’t going to tell her,” Brighton said.

  “She found out last night from Silvia,” Axel said. “Remember when I said I needed to talk to you about something when I called?”

  She nodded, then leaned against the kitchen table.

  “So that was what I wanted to tell you,” Axel said. “But then we got off on the tangent of your mom at the airport.” He moved to the bench where he kept his duffle bag. After digging through, he found a bottle of aspirin. He shook out a few and swallowed them dry.

  Brighton still hadn’t moved, and her eyes weren’t exactly connecting with him.

  “Like I said, my mom can be overwhelming with all her expectations,” he said, crossing to Brighton and standing in front of her. “I told her that we’re dating and she’d better not scare you away.”

  Brighton exhaled. Her breath was slow and shaky.

  “What’s wrong?” Axel touched her chin and lifted it so that she’d look at him.

  She blinked, and he swore she had tears in her violet eyes. Again.

  Brighton drew away from his touch and moved past him. When she reached the kitchenette counter, she turned around. “I didn’t meet Leo’s parents until we were about a week from the wedding. I knew right away they had issues with me. You know, a flight attendant is sort of the bottom of the barrel compared to an airline captain. But Leo assured me they were the type of people who took time to warm up to someone new.”

  Axel hated that anyone would make Brighton feel that way. “My mom’s the opposite,” he said.

  Brighton looked down for a second, then back at him. “I really like you, Axel, more than I thought I would.”

  This should have made him happy, but despite her words, her tone was wary.

  “My mom thinks you walk on water, and she’s right... you pretty much do.” Brighton smoothed some hair from her face. “And you have this adorable sister who might cause you grief, but you’re the constant in her life. The man who will always be there for her. Now you tell me your mom wants to meet me, and before you didn’t want to say anything to her because of how she’d jump to conclusions.”

  Brighton stopped talking, and Axel had no idea how to respond. Was this all bad stuff? Good stuff?

  She folded her arms. “If your mom hadn’t found out about me, would I be meeting her any time soon?”

  That was a question he couldn’t answer, because his mom had found out. And maybe he wouldn’t have admitted it to himself two weeks ago, or even a week ago, but he did want Brighton in his life. All of it. Which included his family, his friends, his career.

  He walked toward her, and she kept her chin lifted, looking at him. When she didn’t move away from him again, he placed his hands on the counter on either side of her. “My mom wants to meet you. And I want you to meet her. Simple as that. I can’t read the future, but all I know is that whatever stupid thing I said in front of my sister should be completely forgotten. Okay?”

  She wasn’t moving, wasn’t agreeing, but he saw the softening in her eyes.

  “And I like you too, Brighton.”

  Her lips parted, and his gaze strayed to them. He wanted to pull her into his arms and breathe in her orange scent.

  “I don’t know if I can do this, Axel,” she whispered. “When you got your concussion tonight, something changed inside of me.”

  He moved a hand up her arm. “What changed, babe?”

  “My heart changed,” she said in a quiet voice. “It became involved, and it hurt. A lot. Because I was helpless to do anything. I couldn’t even find you until Cole drove me to the hospital.”

  “I’m fine,” Axel said, resting his hand on her shoulder and brushing his fingers against her neck. “I promise I’m fine.”

  She exhaled. “But I’m not fine. You’re like the ideal guy, too good to be true, yet you’re absolutely real. And me? I’m a flight attendant who lives paycheck to paycheck. My mom would rather marry and divorce every year for the rest of her life instead of developing a relationship with her own daughter. Your mom’s and sister’s worlds are centered on you. You’re needed by so many people—your friends, your coaches, your team, your family. No one needs me, not really. I have literally nothing to offer a man like you, and your mom will see that in a heartbeat.”

  Axel couldn’t believe Brighton was saying all of this. He wanted to punch Leo out for making her feel like she was worth so little. Or maybe he should start with her mom, but since he couldn’t hit a woman, he’d punch Leo twice instead. A connection clicked in his mind, and he felt like he was hearing these same concerns from his sister, Silvia, who was doing stupid stuff to make people like her.

  There was nothing wrong with Brighton’s profession, and there was nothing wrong with her as a person or a daughter.

  “Brighton,” he said in a quiet voice. “I’m not Leo, and my mom’s not Leo’s parents. I don’t know how to convince you of this and get that bastard out of your head. But I’m asking you to have a little faith. In me. And in yourself.”

  She wiped at her cheeks because tears were falling again.

  “If you don’t want to meet my mom yet, that’s fine,” he continued. “Both of our schedules are crazy anyway. My mom can wait, and I can too.”

  “I do want to meet your mom,” Brighton said. “But I don’t know if I can take more rejection.”

  Axel grasped her hand. “The world might see me as some pro baseball player, but I’m living my life one day at a time like everyone else. We’re more alike than you think, babe.”

  She released a shaky breath.

  He rubbed his thumb over her wrist. “Promise me you’re not going to disappear on me.”

  Someone knocked on the door, and Big Dawg called out, “Room service,” in a horrible accent.

  Axel didn’t break his gaze from Brighton’s. “Promise?”

  Brighton wiped at her cheeks again, then she stepped forward and wrapped her arms about his neck.

  Axel’s pulse went into overdrive. Was this a yes? He pulled her close, wishing that he could magically erase her ex-fiancé from her head. But Axel also knew she had to choose him over her past, and only she had the power to do that.

  Another knock. “I guess you like cold steak?” Dawg said through the door. “Or no steak, because I could definitely eat two.”

  “Coming,” Axel called, but he didn’t release Brighton.

  She took a deep breath. “You can get the door. I wouldn’t be surprised if he really did eat your steak.”

  Axel drew back and looked into her eyes. She wasn’t crying anymore, but the pain and worry were still evident. He kissed her forehead. “I can get rid of him if you want.”

  She shook her head. “No, let’s eat. Then you need to get rest.”

  He released her, still feeling like things weren’t exactly resolved, but he had to take hope in her embrace. Axel moved to open the door, and Dawg stepped in, pushing a cart with platters of covered food.

  “You really are room service,” Axel said.

  Dawg chuckled. “When have I ever lied?”

  Axel scoffed. “You wanna go down that road?”

  “Maybe not.” Dawg moved the cart to the table, glancing at Brighton. “The kitchen staff assured me they have the best vinaigrette salad in the West. But I’ll let you decide, darlin’.”

  Dawg put the platters on the table, but there were frown lines between his brows, and Axel knew Dawg had noticed Brighton’s distress. Dawg was a sharp guy, especially with the ladies.

  “Thanks for the salad, Cole,” Brighton said, sitting next to Axel at the small kitchen table.

  Axel cut his steak, then beneath the table he reached for her left hand, and she took it.

  He could eat with his left hand, no problem.

  Dawg set in on breaking down the game, and he even pulled up video feed of the last innings Axel had missed of the game. Brighton contributed to the conversation,
but she was quieter than normal. For now, Axel was happy that Dawg was proceeding as normal.

  When they’d finished eating, Axel said, “I need to take a quick shower, but you guys can find a movie on the TV.”

  “Are you supposed to take a shower?” Dawg asked. “What if you pass out again?”

  “I’ll be okay,” Axel said. “Unless you’re volunteering to soap me up.”

  Dawg chuckled. “Y’all know I’ll do anything for you, man.” His gaze cut to Brighton. “Unless Brighton here already called dibs.”

  Without looking at Brighton, Axel had no doubt that she was blushing. “I’m good, really. If I pass out, I’ll call for you.” He released Brighton’s hand and stood. After pulling out a couple of clothing items from his duffle bag, he headed into the bathroom.

  The stuff that Brighton had told him was still bothering him. With all that had happened today, even if Cole weren’t the third wheel, so to speak, it might not be a good time to drill down. Besides, he’d never seen Brighton so emotional and upset. With his mom and sister, he’d learned that things take time. Even a few hours could settle emotions.

  He turned on the shower to a lukewarm temperature, just in case what Big Dawg had said about passing out in the shower was a possibility. Axel finished quickly, then got dressed. When he walked out, the food and cart were gone, and Brighton was standing on the balcony; Dawg was sprawled out on the bed, flipping through channels.

  “That’s my bed, Dawg,” Axel said. “At least keep your feet off it.”

  Dawg grinned and rubbed his feet back and forth on the bedspread.

  “I hope this place has those invisible mites and they all just jumped on your leg.”

  Dawg laughed, then said, “Move out of the way. I want to see the news.”

  Axel continued past the TV and went out on the balcony.

  Brighton turned as soon as he stepped out. Her arms were folded, and she looked pale and vulnerable in the moonlight.

  “Are you okay?” Axel asked, wrapping his fingers around her upper arms.

  “Um, I should be asking you that,” she said, scanning his face. “How’s your head?”

  “Better now with the food and aspirin,” he said. “Should I kick Big Dawg out? You could stay here.”