“It wasn’t problematic last night…”
“No one was here last night.”
“I was.”
I wondered just how much Laurel had told her. Then a mischievous grin split Willa’s lips.
“This is exactly why you have to come to the game today. Then you can decide if whatever sparked last night between you two is still, you know, there.”
“All right. You win. What time does it start?”
“Twelve thirty. Why don’t you meet me and Ryan down here and we can all go together?”
“Sounds good.” I gestured to the basket of muffins I held. “Mind if I take one of these to tide me over until the game?”
“Go ahead.”
I nodded. “Okay. I’ll grab a juice and then bring the tray back in here for you. I only need the one glass.”
“Oh, you don’t have to do that.”
I looked at the chaos surrounding us. “It’s the least I can do.”
“Thanks, you’re a lifesaver.”
“It’s no problem at all. I’ll see you down here at…twelve fifteen?”
“Perfect.”
Willa went back to her muffins as I headed out into the dining room, and I couldn’t help but think about getting Laurel alone somewhere at this game and working out a way to convince her to go to dinner with me.
Baseball had been our thing. I’d play; she’d cheer. It seemed like the perfect trip down memory lane to warm her to me—right?
18
Laurel
“YOU PLAYING TODAY, or is your head throbbing a little too hard?”
I glanced over the roof of the car to where Jake was hiking his sports bag up his arm. “I already told you, I’m not hungover.”
“Uh huh. That’s why you look like you haven’t slept all night.”
Awesome. That was good to know, considering I was about to see ninety percent of the town this afternoon. “Haven’t I taught you not to ever tell a woman she looks anything other than perfect?”
Jake laughed as he came around the hood of the car. “I mean, you don’t look bad. But the big old sunglasses, the baseball cap? You look like you’re hiding in there. And there’s only one reason you’d do that.”
“Oh? And what’s that, genius?”
“Bloodshot eyes.”
“I do not have bloodshot eyes.” I slid my glasses down my nose. “See?”
Jake made a show of inspecting them then shrugged. “A little baggy, maybe.”
I shoved him in the arm. “You’re horrible. I’m disowning you.”
“You’ve been threatening that for years.”
“Yes, and one day I will follow through.” I pushed my glasses back in place and shut the car door behind me. “Now get going, would you? I might not be playing, but I’m pretty sure Betty won’t be impressed if her star player has a sudden leg injury from a kick to his shin.”
Jake chuckled as he took off jogging toward the field, and I quickly turned around to take a look at myself in the car’s side mirror. I winced at the picture I made. Jake was right: I looked like one of those celebrities who shoved on the hat and glasses, then made a mad dash for their favorite fast food restaurant, hoping the paparazzi wouldn’t see the Quarter Pounder and large fries they just bought for a late-night binge session.
However, I wasn’t out here trying to score some greasy fries. I was just trying to hide from someone. Someone very specific—Noah.
Not long after I got home this morning, Willa had sent me a text letting me know he would be coming to the game today. It shouldn’t have been that much of a surprise, really—Noah had been one of the best baseball players in Chamberlin during high school. Of course he’d come to the Sunday game. But that had been the last thing I was thinking about this morning. I’d been too busy focused on the way he’d kissed and touched me the night before.
Heat curled in my stomach at the memory, and the ache I’d managed to ease this morning returned tenfold.
Great. This was hardly the time or the place for that to happen. I was here for baseball. Good, fun, family-friendly, PG-rated baseball. The last thing I needed was my body to start wishing it was off somewhere having a good time.
After a quick pep talk with myself, I tugged the bill of my cap further down in the hopes of covering my flushed cheeks, and cursed my fair complexion. I might as well have a GUILTY sign stamped across my forehead. It didn’t need to say of what, because I had a feeling everyone in town would draw their own conclusions after five minutes in Noah’s presence.
The fact that they’d be spot-on was enough to make me rethink my appearance today. I mean, would it really be so bad if I left? It wasn’t like I actually got called up to play all that often.
Just as I’d talked myself into making a break for it, I turned and ran straight into—yeah, thank you, God—Noah. Shit.
“You know, we really need to stop meeting like this.”
I brushed at the crumbs decorating my shirt and looked at the squashed basket of muffins I’d collided with. “It does seem to be a habit these days.”
“Not one you’ll ever hear me complain about.”
Aaaand there go my cheeks again.
“But how about we try this the right way?” There was that killer grin that seemed to have increased in potency over the years. “Good morning.”
“Uh, yeah, hi. I mean, you know, morning.”
I could’ve kicked myself for my rambling. My eyes flicked to Willa and Ryan, who were looking at me as though I was acting really weird—which I was.
“Hey, guys.”
Willa clamped her teeth into her lip, barely containing her laugh. “Hey.”
Ryan—the much nicer of the two—winked at me then bumped into Willa’s shoulder. “Hey, Laurel. How goes it?”
“I’m good. Just heading to the game,” I said, gesturing to the field I’d been in the process of running away from.
“Then aren’t you going the wrong way?”
My eyes shifted to Noah, whose grin had turned smug. Of course he’s smug. I’m acting like a high school girl with a crush—and he would know.
“I, uh, left something in the car.”
Noah looked like he believed that about as much as he believed in the tooth fairy. “What?”
“Huh?” I asked.
“What did you leave in the car?”
I narrowed my eyes, but when he didn’t react, I realized my death stare was being hampered by my glasses. “My water bottle.”
“You’re playing today?” Willa said, and when I aimed the death stare her way, she seemed to get it—glasses or not. “Oh, would you look at that? I see Miss Betty calling us, Ryan. We better take her the muffins.”
As they started off toward the gathering crowd, Noah called out, “I’ll be there in a few. I’m gonna keep Laurel company.”
Alarm and something much more inappropriate hit at the prospect of being alone with Noah. But before I could protest, Willa waved and walked off, dragging Ryan with her.
“Did you really leave your water bottle in the car?” Noah asked.