by Jody Holford
When he got to the door, he didn’t think; he just reached for her and pulled her into a hard, one-armed hug. He’d been thinking about all the walls he needed to start putting up now that everything was different. But nothing prepared him for the kick in the heart when he saw her. Dressed in a pair of pink, checker-patterned pajama pants and a matching pink tank top, she looked soft and unpolished. Sweet.
“I’m glad you came,” she whispered.
“Me too.”
She pulled back, and he saw that she wore no makeup. Her long reddish-brown hair was in a ponytail. As odd as it seemed, he loved that she didn’t dress up for him.
She looked real. And so incredibly sad.
He had to tell her; these feelings punching him from the inside couldn’t go anywhere.
“Come in,” she said, holding the door open so he could come through.
The apartment was gorgeous. Hardwood floors and high ceilings with decorative detail that added opulence without making it pretentious. It could be a movie star’s or a highly paid executive’s place. Yet it was comfortable, and he knew that would be the feature Isla appreciated.
Liam already felt so connected to her that knowing what he needed to do, for both of them, was like pulling apart the pieces of a puzzle that had been glued together. That, from afar, looked seamless and perfect.
He slid her bag off his shoulder and, because he worried he wouldn’t get the chance to do so after he talked to her, he pulled her back in for another hug. This time, when he leaned away, he stared at her mouth, wanting to lower his head more than he could ever remember wanting anything. And that shook him up inside. It had been only a day; how could this woman have woven her way under his skin so deeply?
It didn’t matter. They couldn’t. And because of who she was, who he was, he wouldn’t.
Liam stepped back, ignoring the desire in her eyes that he knew was a mirror of his own. “You really okay?”
She nodded. “I know who you are,” she whispered.
And there goes everything.
He dropped his forehead to hers and closed his eyes to take a few deep breaths. Opening them, he told her, “I suspected, but then you said your last name is Bennett. The coincidences seemed…too much, and I probably should have told you. But honestly, I just wanted to spend time with you without who I am getting in the way. Not that I had any idea it would become this complicated.” Who the hell could have foreseen something like this?
“I know. I didn’t make the connection either. I had no idea one existed. My father used his mother’s maiden name. Liam. This changes everything,” she whispered.
The muscles around his heart squeezed painfully. “I know.”
She turned, walked into the kitchen. He followed. When she looked back over her shoulder, she gave him a half smile, but there was some remorse in it, too. “I’m not sure if I’m glad I got to kiss you before we found out or if we’d have been better off not knowing.”
Liam’s laugh morphed into a groan. Damn, she was awesome. “Trust me, I’ve been wondering the same thing.” Some of the unease left his body, loosening his neck muscles. It wasn’t awkward. He should have known she’d find a way to smooth things over, make him laugh. Make him ache with wanting her.
He leaned on the counter while she pulled out a bottle of white wine.
“You want a glass?” she asked.
“Sure.”
She reached into the cupboard, and he had the pleasure of seeing her tank top creep up to reveal a sliver of gorgeous pale skin. His body tightened, forcing him to breathe through his nose. He gazed down at the counter, tried to memorize the pattern or think about anything but the way her body had felt pressed against his.
“Nice thing about this place is it’s furnished.” She poured two glasses and handed him one.
Their eyes met and, unable to help himself, he cupped her jaw in his hand, the glass of wine in his other. “To you staying in Nashville.”
Clinking her glass to his, she gave him that same quiet smile she had last night. How was it only last night? He felt like his entire world had shifted on its axis and he didn’t know which way was up.
“I guess that’s the silver lining,” she said before taking a sip.
He had so many questions and concerns, for the team, for himself. For her. And yet, all he could think about was pulling her close and finding a way to make her smile—a real one that lit up her eyes the way their day had.
“Did your dad and brother make it to town?”
She frowned. “Yes. Ian has been calling nonstop. My father has left several surprisingly tame voicemails. Not sure what that’s all about. I have a meeting with everyone day after tomorrow. It’s not much, but it’s an extra day to get my bearings. And I guess it won’t be everyone, since it’s the off-season. But my father, brother, and my grandfather’s wife are invited. I’m guessing you’ll be there too, as any players who are able are invited.”
Liam stopped himself from covering the hand she put down on the counter. “I’ll be there. You’re overwhelmed.”
She nodded, staring down at her hand. “I am. And I’m going to have so many people coming at me from so many directions, there’s no room for me to feel this way.”
Deciding, to hell with it—he could be a friend and a damn shoulder to lean on—Liam set his glass of wine down and took her hand, leading her over to the wide, plush black couch. He sat down and tugged her so she fell beside him. She gave a soft laugh that warmed him up inside.
“You need to let yourself feel and grieve and process, Red. You sweep it under the rug and it’ll just eat away at you. You tackle things one step at a time. The team has advisors, managers, physicians. Everything is already up and running, but don’t be afraid to bring in your own people. People you trust.”
Looking at him through lowered lashes, she said softly, “I trust you.”
Liam groaned. “Jesus, Isla. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted a woman the way I want you. I’ve never felt this kind of pull for anyone.” Could he work around this? It went against the grain, but God, he wanted her in ways he didn’t know were possible.
She held up a hand. “Please don’t say anything else.” Her voice broke, gutting him. “We can’t. It’s the same for me. It’s got to be some sort of karmic kick in the ass that the first time I meet someone who makes me feel things I never have, it can’t go anywhere. But it can’t. For both our sakes.”
Tears filled her eyes. “Putting this aside is almost as hard as the hill I have ahead of me. But that doesn’t change the fact that I do trust you.”
Laying his arm along the back of the couch, he curled his hand into a fist so he didn’t play with the hairs that had fallen loose from her ponytail.
He swallowed the sudden tightness in his throat. “Good. Because I’m in your corner.”
“Liam.” She looked down.
“What is it? You just said you trust me, so whatever it is, it’s okay.”
She took a deep breath, raised her chin, and stared him straight in the eyes, sucking him in. Under. “I don’t know anything about baseball.”
He blinked once, then let loose a deep laugh. God, she was adorable.
When he stopped laughing, she was still staring, not even a hint of a grin on her lips.
Liam tilted his head. “You didn’t recognize me, but I figured, a girl from Colorado, you’re probably a diehard Rockies fan.”
Isla’s lips pursed together, forming a little pout.
“Isla?”
“I don’t follow baseball. I never have. When I say I know nothing, I mean, nothing. And I’m going to have to face a room full of people who don’t want me to own this team, with a small handful of others who will have my back, and pretend I know what I’m talking about.”
He leaned forward. “Have you ever watched a game? Been to one?”
She shook her head.
“Played? In school? On a league team?”
She shook her head.
“But you k
now about the game itself, right? It’s America’s pastime.”
She bit her bottom lip. “I know some Babe Ruth quotes. But not by heart.”
Liam laughed. “You have to know more than that.”
“We grew up surrounded by athletes. Not a lot of famous ones, but my dad’s fitness empire is his everything. I know kinesiology inside and out. I understand the way muscles work together and support one another and how to pull together a dynamic presentation in record time. But sports were not a thing in my house. Looking back, I see how intentional that seems. But I have no idea why. Either way, it is what it is.”
Liam’s jaw dropped as the pieces slid together in his head. “Hank Bennett is your dad?”
“That’s the second time someone has called him Hank.” Her face went pale.
“You don’t know.” He shook his head, unable to wrap his mind around the fact that she didn’t know.
Isla’s breath wobbled. “It’s turning out there’s a lot I don’t know. But what are you specifically referring to?”
“Hank Bennett was, once, marked as the next rising star for the Nashville Slammers. This is way back. Your grandfather was, for a time, the GM. He didn’t own the team, and he was new to the position. A shoulder injury sidelined your dad, and he was switched down to the farm team for rehab. Pretty standard routine, but Hank never came back up to the show. Your granddad finished out the year but didn’t stay in the major leagues. In fact, he all but disappeared until about eight years ago when he bought the team.”
Liam shook his head and blew out a deep breath. Hank’s daughter not only owned the team but knew nothing about how to run it. And he was falling for her faster than he could slam a ball out of the park.
She fidgeted with the fabric of the couch. “It’s like I don’t know him at all. How could I know so little about my own father?” The devastation in her voice undid him, and he didn’t trust himself with his own feelings. He pulled out his phone and texted Talia. Liam couldn’t be who he wanted to be to her and for her, but he could damn well show her that she had people to count on. It wouldn’t even be that difficult, since everyone in her life had clearly done such a lousy job of stepping up so far.
He returned his gaze to her haunted one. “Kids know what their parents want them to. You’ve never had a reason to dig, Isla. It’s not your fault you trusted someone who is supposed to be your rock. Your guide. I know you’re dealing with a lot, and the emotional piece of this is going to make it that much harder. But you’re not alone.”
She gave an uncharacteristically sardonic laugh. “Seems like I have been up to now. More than I knew.” But even as she said the words, her shoulders, her spine, straightened, like, once again, she used the knowledge as fuel to be stronger.
Irritation on her behalf swamped Liam. From what he’d seen, just in two days, Isla was not a woman to be underestimated. Sure, he might have a heavy dose of lust coloring his opinion, but he was a good judge of character. And Isla had more than held her own so far; she’d been a rock about her grandfather’s death and even now, she had a fire in her eyes at the thought of going head-to-head with her dad.
He got up and went to the coat he’d discarded at the counter.
“You’re leaving?” She craned her neck to follow him, and he winked at her.
“No way. We have a long night ahead of us.” And because he knew that as well as he knew how much he wanted her, he’d called in backup.
The look in her eyes when he returned with a small box in his hand just about leveled him. He could read the desire in them easier than a book, and damn if he didn’t want to give in.
“What’s that?” she asked when he sat down close enough that their legs brushed.
“It’s for you. Consider it a congratulations, despite the circumstances, on getting the team gift.”
She took it from him, her eyes wide and locked on his. “You got me a gift?”
Liam shrugged. The few times he’d given women gifts, they usually squealed in delight and thanked him, naked. Isla was looking at him like he’d just given her the keys to the city, and she hadn’t even opened it yet.
“Why?”
He wanted to reach out and touch her. God. He couldn’t believe the difference a day or two had made in his life. “I care about you. And I’m giving it to you now because you need to know that the last almost forty-eight hours have meant a lot to me. I have no idea what kind of storm you’re facing, but I know it won’t be easy. I’ve asked Talia to come over. I hope that’s okay. One, I think it’s a good idea to…maybe have a chaperone.”
She laughed like he hoped she would.
“But also, my sister knows as much as I do about the game.” He smiled. “Plus, I wanted you to have a reminder of one of the best days I can ever remember having.”
He wanted to say more, but it would lead them in the wrong direction. Still, his fingers itched to graze her jaw, his mouth watered with the desire to lean in and taste her one more time.
He’d asked the woman to hang on to it for him in the store and had sent Talia a text. She’d picked it up for him and dropped it off earlier. Before everything had blown up.
“Walking into your bar was the best thing I did.” The words were soft, almost whispered. Acknowledgment. A sad kind of closure.
He tried to smile but his lips felt stiff. “You don’t even know what it is.”
“I know I haven’t had a lot of people in my life who are thoughtful, so it matters that you are. That you’re here now. Gift or no gift.”
When she opened it, her mouth dropped open and tears filled her gorgeous eyes. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and bit down, and he knew she was trying not to cry. Her fingers went over the vintage pendant she’d eyed earlier that day. Standing beside her, he’d liked the look on her face—a thoughtful sort of happiness—when she’d been considering it. Though not nearly as much as he liked the look she was giving him now.
Pulling in a shuddery breath, she took the necklace out of the box. “I can’t believe you bought this. I love it.”
“At the time, I thought you were leaving and I wanted…” he said, stopping for a moment before getting up the courage to tell her the rest. “I wanted to make sure you had something to remember me by.”
She held out the necklace and turned so he could help her. Holding her ponytail out of the way, Liam leaned forward to close the clasp and couldn’t help breathing her in. He was in dangerous territory here, and he had no clue what to do about it.
When she turned back, they stared at each other, their breathing charged, heavy.
“Thank you,” she whispered, her face coming infinitely closer.
“You’re welcome.”
His heartbeat felt thick and heavy, like it was running through a wave. He needed to get things back on a platonic level and fast. The last thing either of them needed was gossip about the Slammers’ heavy hitter hooking up with the new owner.
Isla deserved more than that, and she already had enough to face.
His phone buzzed. Glancing at it, he sighed in relief. Talia was on her way. Never had he been so happy to know an interruption was en route. “Okay, Red. Get some paper and a pencil. It’s time you learned about baseball.”
He grinned like he wasn’t affected, but in his gut, he knew, not being with her was going to be one of the hardest decisions in his life.
Good thing they had baseball. Before her, it had always been enough.
Chapter Eleven
Isla was in serious trouble. Not just because she knew nothing about baseball and now owned a team. That mountain felt doable in comparison to her other challenge: not dropping her romantic heart directly into Liam Cruz’s hands.
Fortunately for her, she was well schooled in the world of having to show her game face even as her emotions tangled up inside. Though she’d never been in a situation quite like this before. The feelings bouncing around inside of her like a dozen rubber balls were completely foreign.
The b
uzzer announcing Talia filled her with relief. She honestly did not trust herself to be alone with this man—at least not until she wrapped her head around who they now were to each other.
She touched her hand to the pendant. It was more than thoughtful. It was generous and kind and so incredibly sweet, it was good she’d been sitting down when he’d given it. Otherwise, he would have swept her feet out from under her.
“I’ll get it?” he asked, like he knew she needed a minute.
When he left the room, emotions, a kaleidoscope of them, stole her breath. She was good at multitasking, but she’d never had to put so many things into separate little boxes to deal with one at a time. The boxes marked betrayal, grief, and anger simply had to go up on the shelf for now.
Grabbing her phone, she texted Addie once more to ask if she was sure. Liam had shared his plan and at first, she’d thought he was joking. Then she’d been overcome with gratitude because, not only did he mean it, he was bringing his sister in on it to maximize her comfort level. Calling Addie through Skype was not only efficient, it centered her.
Talia walked into the room just as Isla was grabbing her laptop from the shelf. She pulled Isla into a hard hug.
“A lot of stuff in one day. You give new meaning to the phrase go big or go home,” she said against her ear.
Isla not only accepted the hug, she returned it, so grateful she’d met these two people. “I didn’t mean to, but yeah, I guess I do.”
Talia pulled back. Liam stood in the archway between the dining area and the living room, holding two brown paper bags. “She brought food.”
“Now you’re my favorite,” Isla said.
Liam’s laughter rubbed over already sensitive skin. He had a really great laugh. “She’s fickle that way. This morning that title was mine.”