“You’re very good. You know how to throw. You need to believe in that again. You’ve lost faith in your arm. It’s time to find it again.”
The furrowed brow and tilt of his head returned. Not unlike Casey when he had something on his mind. It didn’t hit her until that moment how alike the two were. Both men of few words with something always brewing in their beautiful minds.
“I mean it. You didn’t have to think about your arm being strong enough before. That’s what you’re worried about now. But Tyler says you’re ready. So don’t think, just throw.”
He laughed again. A sound she was getting addicted to in a hurry. “You never cease to amaze me, Baylee.”
She shrugged and went back to her meal. “I call ’em like I see ’em. That’s all.”
“Yes. You do.”
They finished their meal, chatting about how Casey was doing in school, their favorite movies and music. Baylee soaked it in. Although she lived in the moment, the truth haunted her from the back of her mind that Drew was leaving soon. This couldn’t last. But could it? A tiny hammer of hope banged away at her doubts. But there were so many unknowns. What she did know was she was falling for the man who sat across from her, laughing at her jokes and looking into her eyes as if she were the only woman on the planet. Something she’d never experienced before, not even with her ex.
No. Drew was different. She prayed her heart could handle whatever was coming. She was getting dangerously close to not being able to see a day without Drew in it. She’d asked him to be honest about what he wanted. Maybe it was time she answered that question for herself.
Chapter Ten
Drew pulled up to Baylee’s house on Sunday night, excited as a school kid and nervous as if it were opening day. Their date the other night had ended with yet another stellar kiss on her front porch, which rattled him almost as much as their conversation had. Baylee had a knack for looking straight through any of his BS and having no fear of calling him on it. Well, Kate usually called him on it, but he had zero intention of spilling his guts to his sister. Didn’t seem to have trouble doing so with Baylee though, which confused the hell out of him. In such a short time, she’d gotten under his skin, into his heart, and could all but read his mind.
The past two days of training had been his best so far since his surgery. Even Tyler asked what had gotten to him. It didn’t take a genius to see that Baylee’s little pep talk at dinner had made an impression. Or maybe it was the woman herself changing his mind and helping him throw better. Whatever it was, he liked it. All of it. Spending time with Baylee, seeing her smile, hearing her laugh. Holding her close and kissing her until they were both breathless. His heart sank a little in his chest. He wanted it all. He wanted a chance with her. But how could he? He wanted baseball too. A chance to keep playing and end strong. They hadn’t talked about a long-distance relationship. They hadn’t talked at all, really, about where this was going. Were just enjoying it. He had a few weeks left. Maybe that was where they needed to be. For now. In the moment. Soaking it all in.
His phone dinged with a text.
“You gonna sit out there all night in the car or come inside for some dinner?”
He laughed and looked up to find Baylee waving at him from the front window of her cabin. She’d caught him staring and thinking.
He typed back, “On my way.”
She grinned and moved to open the front door for him. He got out of the car, a paper grocery bag in hand.
“Now, what have you got there?” she asked.
Her hands were on her hips and her blonde curls pulled back with a clip. Man, she was the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen. He reached her and leaned down for a kiss. A soft touch, lasting only a moment but sending a rush through him that went all the way to his toes.
He stepped into the house and she closed the door behind him. “I brought a few things for you and Casey.”
Her eyes lit up. “Really?”
He’d bring her something every single time he saw her if it meant seeing that look on her face over and over again.
“Really.” He reached in and pulled out a book. “I got this at that little book store on Seapoint Blvd. Well Read, I think it’s called. Anyway, it’s a book of baseball stats and information. I thought Casey might like it. I asked the lady who owns the store about the age level. I wasn’t sure where he was on that, but she said she knew you guys and Casey would do fine. It’s a book for kids. And I noticed he reads really well for his age.”
Her eyes watered as if tears were forming and thinking about whether to fall or not.
“What? What’s wrong?” His heart sank.
The book was a bad idea. Damn it! He thought for sure with the way Casey took to all of Vin Scully’s comments and stats about baseball that he’d enjoy a book, but maybe not. Maybe...
Baylee reached out and took the book from his hand, holding it as if it were made of precious material. She ran a hand over the cover. “Drew. This is...this is perfect. Thank you.”
Her eyes found his again and no tears fell. Thank God. Her face lit up from her smile.
“You’re welcome. Are you sure it’s okay?” He searched her face for answers, still unsure of what had just happened.
“No one has ever really thought of Casey like this before.”
“What do you mean?”
She shook he head. “Nothing.”
“No. It’s not nothing.”
“I... just... well, no one beyond Meg has really reached out to him. His teachers are wonderful, yes, and Kate and Maggie and anyone who’s ever met him, but...”
“But the men in your life don’t try to connect with Casey.”
She nodded, sadness returning to her eyes.
He lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him. “Casey is as wonderful as his mother. You both deserve the best.” He kissed her then, another soft touch like before but one that lasted longer.
His hand cradled her face, his lips tasting vanilla, spice, all that was Baylee. Like a drug, he couldn’t get enough.
She pulled back and met his gaze. “You sure know all the right things to say to a girl. And if you keep kissing me like that, I might fall hard for you, Drew MacIntire, and then where would we be?”
Ah. A question he’d asked himself daily since dancing with Baylee. And one he couldn’t give an answer to quite yet.
She blinked and pulled back. “I’ll go give this to Casey. He’s in his room, drawing. Please, make yourself at home.” She pointed to the sofa, headed down the hall, and disappeared into Casey’s room.
Baylee stepped into Casey’s room, closed the door and then leaned back against it. The book pressed to her chest, she tried to catch her breath. Between the amazing gesture of bringing Casey something, kissing her senseless, and then her admitting she was falling for him, she couldn’t decide if she should hide under Casey’s bed all night or make a run for it out the window.
So caught up in the moment, the words in her head had just poured out her mouth. Sure, she’d love to have an answer from Drew about his feelings for her, but, well... did she? Her heart ached at the thought of him leaving. And he had to leave. There was no question about it. Baseball was his livelihood. His life. And her life was here.
“Hi, Mama.” Casey looked up at her from his little desk.
His sketchpad was in front of him. She blinked. Lost in thought, she’d forgotten she was in Casey’s room.
“Is Mr. MacIntire here? I made him a drawing.”
“That’s awful sweet of you, Case.” She moved away from the door and closer to her son. As she leaned over his shoulder to admire his work, she ran her hand through his silky blond hair. “And Mr. MacIntire brought something for you too.”
“What is it?”
“A book about baseball.” She handed him the book.
He took it and opened it, laying it on top of his sketchpad on his desk. Without another word, he bent his head and lost himself in the book.
Baylee shoo
k her head. In a mere few weeks’ time, Drew had understood Casey more than his own father did having known him his whole life. How was that possible? She thought of what a friend had told her after Casey was born. She said, “Parenting isn’t something you do. It’s a relationship.” She’d never forgotten that. And she tried to relate to Casey as a person, not just as a mom or a disciplinarian. In the same way she had to communicate with her mom or sister or anyone in her life she cared about, she had to do the same with Casey. And after only a few weeks, Drew was willing to do the same.
She squeezed her eyes shut tight as a piece of her heart broke off and fell within her chest. When Drew left, a part of him would go with her, but what about Casey? Was she letting him get too close as well? As much as she wanted a great evening with Drew, they had to talk about the future, where things were going. It wasn’t about just her. It was about Casey too. She had to guard his heart as well as her own.
She ran her hand through Casey’s hair one more time before turning for the door. “I’ll be out here if you need me. Dinner will be ready in a bit.” Casey didn’t answer, his head still buried in the book. She pulled the door to but left it cracked.
Drew was in the kitchen, placing items from the bag he’d brought onto the counter. “Is he okay?”
The worried look on Drew’s face warmed her heart. The man was concerned with how much her son loved a book or not. Good Lord, she was in deeper than she thought.
“He loves it. He even stopped drawing to start reading it. That’s saying something.” She moved next to him and looked at the items on the counter. “What have you got here?”
“Well, I brought the movie The Natural to watch. If you aren’t in love with baseball now, you will be by the time it’s over.” He smiled down at her and her tummy did a funny flip. Oh, she was in love with baseball all right. A baseball player, more like it.
“Okay. Sounds good. And I thought we could bake cookies. I have dinner all ready to go. I hope you like lasagna. We just need to heat it up when we’re ready to eat.”
“You had me had at cookies. The lasagna is a major bonus though. You’re going to ruin all my training, woman.” He patted his six pack abs as he teased.
Baylee laughed. There was no way her cooking, or baking, would ruin the physique he had going. She turned to the sink to wash her hands, as well as to avoid him seeing the heat that flushed her cheeks. She had a Greek god in her kitchen, joking with her that her food would make him fat. Gracious, how her life had changed in a matter of a few weeks.
From the kitchen drawer she retrieved an apron from the bakery and tied it around her waist. “You want one?”
Drew looked as if he’d eaten a lemon. “Um. No. I’m not an apron kind of guy. Most guys I know aren’t.”
She laughed hard. “So, not even one of those guys who has a grilling apron that says something fun like, ‘I turn grills on’?”
Now he looked absolutely mortified. “Definitely not.”
“Well, now I know what to get you for your birthday.” She teased as she turned to pull her cookie sheets from the cupboard.
“You get me that for my birthday and I’ll wear it, but only for you.”
He didn’t see her smile. Her back was to him as she laid the cookie sheets out on the counter. The smile faded though. She didn’t even know when his birthday was. Another reminder of how little they still knew of one another.
They moved through the kitchen together as she gave him instructions. He pulled chocolate chips and flour from the pantry, along with brown sugar, sugar, and vanilla extract. She combined ingredients in a certain order then began mixing it with a large spoon.
“I know that a mixer is much quicker and works better, but I like to do it by hand. I think it makes the cookies taste better. Things blend better.”
Her arms began to ache and her muscles moved with each whisk of the spoon. Lost in thought as she usually was when baking, she jumped a bit when Drew brought his arms around her from behind.
“Let me help.” He began to stir the mixture, holding the bowl with one hand, the spoon with the other.
She wrapped her hands around the bottom of the bowl, helping him hold it in place, as well as giving her something to stay grounded. His breath was warm on her neck, his body flush up against hers. His forearm muscles flexed with the movement of the spoon. He placed a soft kiss on her earlobe and then one on her neck drawing a heavy sigh from her. Never before had baking been this good. Never.
“I think I like baking.” He whispered in her ear.
She giggled. “I had a feeling you’d take a liking to it.”
“I’ve taken a liking to my teacher, that’s for sure.”
She placed her hands on top of his. “Okay. We’re good on the stirring. Now it’s time to put them on the cookie sheet and get them in the oven.”
“Okay.” He took a step back to give her room, her body missing his immediately.
When she turned, however, he made up for it, running his hands through her hair and kissing her until she was backed up against the counter, forgetting her own name.
“Mama.”
Casey’s voice brought them back down to reality. Baylee jumped but Drew took a smooth step back and said, “Hey, Casey. How’s it going?”
Baylee smoothed down her hair and apron. “Hi, Sweetie. You ready for some dinner?”
“Yes, please. Thank you for the book, Mr. MacIntire.” The baseball book in hand, Casey turned and left the kitchen, plopped himself down at the table and began reading again.
“Man, I love that kid.” Drew grinned at her son.
Caught off guard, she blinked, unsure of what to say. He loved Casey? Did that mean Drew loved her too? Her heart raced in her chest.
“He says what’s on his mind and moves on. It’s awesome.” Only then did Drew look from Casey to her. He must have seen something in her expression because his smile faded. “What? What’s wrong?”
“What are we doing?”
“What do you mean? We’re making cookies. Having dinner...” He put his hands out, gesturing to the kitchen.
“No. I mean you and me. What are we doing?”
Drew dropped his hands to his sides, the look on his face not one that screamed, “We’re falling in love and it’s amazing and everything I’ve ever wanted.”
“I don’t know.”
Baylee certainly didn’t intend to get into this in the middle of the kitchen before they’d even had dinner, but there it was, laid out in between them, waiting for an answer.
“I need to know, Drew. I have a son. I can’t be flippant with relationships, or my life.”
“I know.”
She took a deep breath in and let it out. “I’m so sorry. I’m making this sound as if it’s all on you and it’s not. I haven’t been leading you on. At least, I haven’t meant to. I really...”
“Neither have I.” He stood three steps away from her in the small kitchen, his head down.
Way too far away. She wanted him close. Wanted reassurance this would work. But she knew as much as he did that wasn’t going to be easy to give.
“I want this.”
He looked at her then. “You want this, but...”
She shook her head. “There’s no but. I want this.”
One side of his mouth lifted, a smile wanting to form, but still unsure. “There’s a lot to ‘this’, ya know?” He pointed between the two of them. “I have to go back to New York. I want to play baseball. But I want us to have a chance too. My life, my world there is planets apart from this one, Bay. I don’t know if it’s fair to you to pull you into that.”
“I understand. But we won’t know unless we try, right?”
He looked at Casey in the next room then back to her. “I don’t want you or Casey to get hurt.”
She nodded, her heart surging with hope that maybe, just maybe, he wanted this too. Really wanted it. “I don’t want that either.” She took a step towards him. “But more than anything, I don’t want to
go through life wondering if we could have made it work.”
He took the two steps that closed the gap between them. Close enough now to look up into his eyes, at the moment more blue than grey, she put her hands on his chest as he wrapped his arms around her waist.
“I can’t imagine my life now without you in it. You’ve ruined me, MacIntire.”
His chest rumbled beneath her hands from his laughter. “Well, we can’t have that, can we?”
He covered her mouth with his own, whisking her away to heaven right there in her own little kitchen. Her head still floated with doubts, but her heart, overwhelmed with love for Drew, fought back. They could make it work. Besides, it was too late to turn back now. She’d fallen for him, her head way far over her heels.
Chapter Eleven
Drew looked down at Baylee now curled up against him as they watched a movie. It was the final scene in The Natural where Robert Redford’s character, Roy Hobbs, hits a home run and smashes the lights, causing a fireworks display as he runs the bases. Based on the sniffling noises, Baylee was as moved by the movie as Drew was every time he watched. He kissed the top of her head, the scent of vanilla filling his senses. Having his arm wrapped around her, snuggled up on her sofa while they watched a movie was better than any other night he’d had in a long, long time.
The credits began to roll and Baylee sat up to reach for a tissue from the box that sat on the end table.
“That was so good! I love that movie.”
“Told ya.” He grinned at her. She’d turned to face him, her feet curled up under her, her emerald eyes shimmering with tears.
“It’s so sad, and yet so wonderful.”
“All true.” In the story, Roy Hobbs had lost baseball but came back.
Loved the sport enough to stick with it. End his career his way. Drew’s story wasn’t quite the same as the movie. But he did understand loving the game enough to do everything possible to stay in it.
Saving Drew Page 8