If We Never Met

by Barbara Freethy

  "Yeah, something like sitting down at the wrong guy's table and assuming he's your date."

  "That was not embarrassing. That was lucky."

  "It was both for me," she admitted.

  "All right. Here's one. I was twenty-five. One of my friends was getting married, and I was in charge of the bachelor party, which involved hiring a stripper. I was texting with the stripper one night, and at the same time, I was getting texts from a woman I had just started seeing."

  "Uh-oh, I think I know where this is going."

  "I got the text threads mixed up, and I asked the woman I wanted to date how far she would strip down and did she do lap dances?"

  She laughed. "That's a good one. What did she say?"

  "She said I was creepy and to never text her again. I tried to explain, but she blocked my number."

  "That's worth a point."

  "Well, I'm not playing this game alone. You tell me something embarrassing, something that precedes you assuming I was your date."

  "Remember when I said I wasn't really a party girl? Well, that's partly because I had a very bad experience with vodka shots when I was working in New York. I got drunk at a Fashion Week party, and I was trying to find the bathroom, but there was a long line, so I headed to the patio, but I didn't make it. I threw up on the very expensive shoes of an incredibly talented Spanish designer named Manuel Valdez. He was not happy."

  "I bet. What did he do?"

  "He sent the bill for the shoes to my employer. Since I didn't have the money to pay, my boss said she'd pay it if I watched her monster kids for a three-day weekend. And when I say monster, I mean wild children. They threw toys at me. They painted on the walls, and they dumped spaghetti sauce into my purse."

  "I'm surprised. I would have thought that kids would love you."

  "They hated me, but they really hated their mom, who had dumped their dad and was off with her new boyfriend. We managed to come to a peaceful agreement on the last day. But I learned my lesson. No more vodka shots."

  "That's worth a point."

  "Hey, it should be worth two."

  "Now who's the competitive one?"

  "Me. I am competitive. Maybe not like a pro athlete, but I like to win. It's much more fun than losing."

  His smile broadened. "Definitely more fun."

  She let out a sigh. "This is so nice. And I don't want to get out of this bed, but I think we should probably go home soon."

  "We have a little more time, don't we?"

  "More time…but no more condoms."

  "We can do some other stuff," he said with a spark of mischief in his eyes.

  "We already did other stuff."

  "I was just getting started."

  "You are very tempting."

  "I want to show you the benefit of not being just friends."

  "You've already done that."

  He ran his fingers through her hair as he gazed into her eyes. "I like you, Keira."

  A shiver ran down her spine. "I kind of figured, but it's nice to hear."

  "I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since we first met."

  "You've been on my mind, too, even when I didn't want you to be. And no matter what happens, I want you to know that I don't have any regrets."

  "It's not morning yet."

  "The sun won't change my mind," she said, hoping that was true. "I wanted to be with you tonight. Whatever comes next, even if it's nothing, is fine."

  A frown played across his lips. "This is starting to sound like goodbye."

  "No, it's not goodbye. I'm not ready for that yet."

  "Good. Can I see you tomorrow?"

  "Well, if you come by McLaren Park around noon, my friend Gianna's stepdaughter will be playing softball, and I'll be cheering her on. It's Hailey's ninth birthday, so I'm going out to support her and the team."

  Indecision played through his eyes. "Softball, huh? I don't know. I've been avoiding anything related to baseball."

  "It's just going to be little girls who can barely hit. I want you to meet Gianna and her husband, Zach. Chloe will probably be there, too. Jake is the coach, so Hannah will also show up."

  "Maybe I can meet you after."

  She didn't love his answer. It made her feel like everything was on his terms. And it was, wasn't it? She wasn't having regrets, but she did feel like she'd just gotten a wake-up call. He was so consumed by his injury, his feelings about baseball, that he couldn't even watch a little kid's game, even if it meant spending time with her and her friends. "Sure, all right," she said shortly, sliding away from him. "I should get home."

  He sat up, his brows drawing together as he frowned. "You're mad."

  "I'm not."

  "Yes, you are. The one thing I've liked about you the most is that you're really honest."

  He had a point. "Fine. Your decision about tomorrow just makes me realize how much baseball controls your life. I don't want to forget that."

  "It's not controlling me." He licked his lips, his gaze darkening. "I need to explain."

  "No, you don't."

  "Yes, I do. I'm not that great at expressing my feelings, but here goes."

  She waited as he searched for words, fascinated by the play of emotions going through his eyes.

  "Watching a baseball game feels like putting salt in an open wound," he said. "It reminds me of where I started, a little kid playing a game that became my whole life. Baseball kept me going after my mom died. Baseball gave me purpose. And being good at it gave me something to feel happy about." He paused. "Pitching is the one thing I'm really good at, Keira. I don't know who I am if I'm not a pitcher. I don't know what I'll do next, and facing that uncertainty is terrifying. Maybe that sounds selfish. No. It doesn't sound selfish; it is selfish," he added. "You want me to meet your friends, and I'm making a little kid's game about me and my problems."

  His brutally honest and self-revealing words made her feel bad. "I'm sorry, Dante. I didn't realize what I was asking."

  "How could you?"

  "I was thoughtless."

  "No, you weren't. You asked me a normal question, and I made it weird."

  "Well, you did do that."

  A slow smile spread across his mouth. "I haven't been this honest with anyone ever, Keira. In my family, if I had a problem with someone or they had a problem with me, we usually just resolved it by hitting each other in the face. Same thing with my teammates."

  She grinned back at him. "You spend a lot of time with guys."

  "Too much testosterone," he agreed. "But talking to you…I don't know. I can't seem to stop telling you how I feel. It's like I've turned into someone else."

  "Don't you dare say a woman," she warned.

  He laughed. "I wasn't going to say that. Because I've been with a lot of women who cannot get honest, either."

  "A lot, huh?" she muttered.

  "Maybe not a lot, but some."

  "We were just talking about being honest," she reminded him.

  "Right."

  "So how do you feel now that you've shared your worries with me?"

  "Strange and a little unsettled."

  "You can trust me, Dante. Whatever you say to me will never go any further."

  "I believe that." He met her gaze. "And I have to admit, I haven't always been able to trust that someone will keep my secrets."

  "You don't have to worry about that with me. As much as I don't want to see you leave any time soon, I really, really want you to get better and get back to the mound. I want you to be happy."

  "Thanks. I'll come to the game tomorrow."

  "No. You don't have to do that. It's not a big deal. We're actually going out on Adam's boat tomorrow after the game. Adam is Lizzie's brother."

  "The cop, right?"

  "Yes. Why don't you join us for that? If you want to. No pressure. It's nice to see the lake from the water."

  "It sounds great. And for the record, I want you to be happy, too."

  "I'm extremely happy right now," s
he said, lightening the mood. "And just so you know, pitching is definitely not the only thing you're really good at."

  "I'm glad you think so, because I am not ready to let you out of this bed, not without showing you what else I can do."

  "You really are an overachiever, aren't you?"

  He laughed. "This will be worth more than one point."

  "I'll be the judge of that."

  He gave her a gentle push, rolling her onto her back, and lowered his lips to her stomach, sliding his tongue around her belly button, sending all kinds of delicious chills through her body. She closed her eyes and let him have his way with her. Then it would be her turn.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Saturday morning, Dante didn't wake up until his alarm went off at eight. He felt tired but really happy. After leaving the cabin around two o'clock in the morning, he hadn't gotten more than four hours of sleep. He wished they'd been able to spend the whole night together, which was odd, since he rarely wished for that. But Keira was different in so many ways.

  He'd followed her home from the cabin, making sure she was in her house before heading back to the inn. It was late enough that everything was quiet. He hoped the tabloid reporters had left the area, but that was probably being too optimistic. He just wished they'd concentrate only on him and leave Keira alone, but that was also a foolish thought.

  He hated that Keira was having to deal with the press and also with Nikki's lies. She didn't deserve to have her reputation shredded online, but he was glad she hadn't shut him out because of it. He'd had more fun with her than he could remember having with a woman, and that wasn't just because of the great sex they'd shared. It was everything else, too.

  He'd liked being with her. And he'd enjoyed talking to her. He'd told her things he hadn't told anyone, and he felt a little lighter today, maybe because he'd let some of the fear and worry out.

  After a quick shower, he dressed and headed down the stairs, eager to grab breakfast before he headed to rehab. Today's session would only be two hours, but he wanted to have the energy to do it well. He walked into the dining room, filled his plate with fruit and eggs, grabbed a cup of coffee, and then looked for an empty table. There were several open. It was early, and most of the guests were probably taking a slower start to the day. But Mark Langley was up and sitting at a table by himself, sipping coffee as he gazed at his phone. He wasn't wearing a suit today, but he wore a short-sleeve button-down blue shirt with tan chinos, looking casual but also put together.

  He hadn't planned on sitting with anyone at breakfast, but it seemed like too good of an opportunity to pass up. He moved over to Langley's table and said, "Mind if I join you?"

  "Of course not." Mark tipped his head toward the open chair as he set down his phone. "How are you today?"

  "Good. I'm heading to the rehab center in a few. Wanted to get some food first."

  "How's your rehab going?"

  "Very well. The center and the therapists are impressive."

  A gleam of pride entered Mark's eyes. "I'm happy to hear that. We're still rolling out some of our services, but I believe the rehabilitation center will eventually be one of the finest in the country."

  "I believe you're right. How did you end up here in Whisper Lake? Were you working at another center before this?"

  "Yes. I was at a clinic in Las Vegas, but I needed a change, and the mountains seemed perfect. Plus, I wanted the opportunity to manage such a new and cutting-edge facility."

  "I can understand that."

  "You've become good friends with Keira, haven't you?"

  "I have."

  "She probably told you that her mother and I grew up together."

  "She mentioned that you dated in high school."

  "We did, and it's been great getting to know Ruth again. We hadn't seen each other in years, but it feels like we picked up right where we left off."

  "She doesn't seem different to you? Keira said her mother had an accident and a serious brain injury."

  "She doesn't remember some things that I do, but she seems like she's doing very well," Mark replied. "I'm sorry she had to go through all that. But she's a fighter. She always has been. She raised Keira pretty much on her own."

  "That's what I heard. Did you know Keira's father?"

  "No. I never met him, but what I heard about him, I didn't like much. He always sounded selfish and narcissistic. But Ruth was in love with him. She says now she was too young when they married. She didn't realize what he was like. When you're young, you don't look too closely at things. You skip over red flags and ignore alarm bells, because attraction is a powerful thing."

  "Are you speaking about Ruth or yourself?" he asked curiously, as Mark seemed to have gone off into the past.

  Mark started, as if surprised and displeased he'd said so much. "Both, I suppose. I was married for thirteen years, but it was only good for the first three." Mark shrugged. "It was a mistake, but I got my son out of it, so I'll never regret the choices I made."

  "Where is your son now?"

  "He lives in Los Angeles."

  "Do you see him often?"

  "Unfortunately, no. My son blamed me for the divorce. There were so many things he didn't understand."

  "Maybe one day he will. Does your ex-wife live in Los Angeles?"

  "She passed away a few years ago."

  That was new information. "I'm sorry to hear that."

  "It was sad. But we hadn't been together in a long time, so I didn't really know her anymore."

  "Now you've reconnected with an old flame. I always think it's interesting when people who dated in high school find each other again decades later. It seems like it might be meant to be."

  "We'll see. It is nice to talk to someone who shares some of the same memories." Mark lifted his coffee mug to his lips and took a sip. Then he said, "I'm not sure Keira thinks too highly of me. She seems suspicious of my motives."

  "Keira seems to be a very fair-minded person," he said. "Maybe you should talk to her. Tell her more about yourself. She just wants to protect her mom. If you're up front with her, and you get to know each other, I'm sure she'll give you a chance."

  "I hope so. Ruth is very important to me. I'd like to get to know Keira better. I definitely want Ruth's daughter on my side."

  Mark said all the right things, but there was still something about him, something in his conversation that felt a little too smooth. He needed to shake him up a little, see if he could surprise him into saying something. "It's none of my business, but I was in the parking garage the other day and caught the end of a somewhat intense argument between yourself and a woman with dark-red hair. I hope everything is all right."

  Mark stiffened. "I didn't see you."

  "I hope she wasn't a dissatisfied patient."

  "No. She has nothing to do with the clinic. I apologize if that was awkward."

  "More concerning than anything else. She seemed very angry."

  "She's just going through some personal issues. I've been trying to help her out."

  "She's a friend then."

  "Not really a friend." Mark checked his watch. "I should leave. Ruth and I are going to the farmers' market to pick up some fresh vegetables and fruit." Langley pushed back his chair and stood up. "I'm sure we'll talk again soon."

  "I'm sure we will. We're on the same floor."

  "Yes." Mark paused. "The woman I was arguing with, she's someone from my past. Did you mention her to Keira?"

  "I did," he admitted.

  "I should probably talk to Keira then."

  "You should. From what I know, Keira and her mother are very tight. If you want something with Ruth, you're going to need her daughter to get on board."

  "You're right. I'm going to make that a top priority. Have a good day."

  "You, too." As Mark left, he wondered if he'd made a mistake in admitting that he'd told Keira about Mandy. On one hand, it gave Mark time to come up with a story to explain the argument with Mandy. But on the other ha
nd, Mark had also been put on notice that his relationship with Mandy was more public than he'd realized. Mark could either share the nature of that relationship with Keira and her mother, or he could go for a cover-up. Whichever choice he made would be revealing. Hopefully Keira would see it that way.

  He finished his coffee and then headed out the door. He needed to get to rehab, and then he was going to have to face his past at a child's softball game. Even though Keira had told him to skip it, to meet them at the harbor at two, he was going to make the game. He'd never let fear control him; he wasn't going to start now. And besides that, he really wanted to see Keira again.

  Keira arrived at the park at the beginning of the second inning. Chloe and Hannah were standing off to the side of the first-base dugout, watching Chloe's almost three-year-old son, Leo, dig in the dirt along the fence.

  "Hi there," she said. "Looks like someone is getting dirty."

  Chloe smiled. "He found a stick, and that's all it took."

  "How's the game going? Has Hailey batted yet?"

  "No, her team is in the field," Hannah interjected. "She's at second base."

  "I see her." She gave Hailey a wave as the little girl looked in their direction.

  Hailey smiled and gave a small wave back before turning her attention to the girl in the batter's box.

  Jake, who was standing in the dugout nearby, shot them all a look. "Don't distract my players," he said.

  Hannah rolled her eyes. "Jake is taking his coaching role way too seriously."

  "It's nice of him to do it," Chloe said.

  "He was just going to sponsor the team until the coach had to have his appendix out. Zach couldn't do it, because he has his hands full designing Justin's new office complex. It's going to be something else, from what I hear."

  "I'll bet. More business coming to Whisper Lake," she said. "And more jobs."

  "The town is growing fast," Chloe agreed. "I might have to hire more help. We're busy seven days a week now. It's all good, but I'm used to having more downtime."

  "I know what you mean. The shop is busy, too." She paused as Gianna came over to join them.

  "Keira, thanks for coming," Gianna said.

  "No problem. I'm hoping our girl gets a hit for her birthday."