“Whoa, let’s back this up a little. We are not meeting the parents.”
“Actually, my mom will be here for the game tonight. I was hoping to introduce you to her after the game.”
“Cameron, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why?” I can see her searching her mind for a good excuse, and there aren’t any. I’m into her, really into her, and that’s not going to change anytime soon. I want her to meet my mom. My mother is the most important person in my life, and that will only be rivaled by my wife and kids, and I think Paisley is a good contender for that title. Yeah, I know it’s early, but I really like her. I want to see where this goes.
“We barely know each other.”
“You keep saying that. That’s what dating is for. I want her to meet you. I won’t push you to introduce me to your family. I’ll wait until you’re ready, but, babe, I’m ready for you to meet my mom.” I shrug.
“Why is it impossible to say no to you?” she asks as I place a plated omelet in front of her.
“Because I’m irresistible.” I grin, placing a kiss on her forehead before plating my own omelet and taking a seat next to her at the small dining table.
“You’re something, Cameron Taylor,” she says, shaking her head, before digging into her breakfast.
The conversation is light as we eat, and once we’re finished, Paisley insists on cleaning the kitchen, but I don’t let her do it alone. Instead, we do it together. It’s very domestic and not something I’ve experienced with a woman before. Until I met Paisley, there wasn’t a woman I wanted to spend this much time and effort on. My gut tells me that she’s different.
“Well, thanks for lunch, or brunch, or whatever we just had. It was great.” She grabs her keys and her phone.
“Where are you going?”
“Back to my place.”
“Let me get dressed, and I’ll come with you.”
“Don’t you have some kind of pregame ritual or something that you need to do before the game?”
“No. The only thing I need to do is spend time with you. We can do that here or at your place.”
“What if I had something to do today?”
“Well, I don’t think that you do. You told your dad you were going to do laundry. So, if we need to go to yours so you can do that, we will. Otherwise, we can stay here and maybe watch a movie or something.”
“You’re not sick of me yet?” She raises her eyebrows. It’s more than a question. It’s a statement, one she thinks she’s going to get a reaction to, but she’s wrong.
“Never.” My voice is steady, and my reply is quick.
“What kind of movie?” she questions, placing her phone and her keys back on the counter.
“You pick.”
“You’re letting me pick?” she asks in disbelief.
It takes me three steps to stand in front of her. “Yes, you get to pick. You see, my agenda here isn’t the movie, Paisley. It’s you. I just want to be close to you. I want to spend time with you and get to know you. I want you to see that when I tell you that I want you, it’s not just your body I want. I want you in my life. I can’t explain it, but you’re different, and I want us to see where this goes.”
“Wow.”
I can’t help it. I have to kiss her, so I press my lips to hers. It’s just a quick peck, but I need to feel her lips against mine. “I’ll set the alarm in case we fall asleep. Go pick out a movie while I grab my phone from the bedroom.”
She nods and turns toward the living room. I’ve rendered her speechless, which I love. I meant what I said. I want us to see where this leads. Besides, I’m starting to think that Paisley Monroe is my good luck charm. I went to a Blaze game and met this amazing girl, shared a kiss to rival all kisses before her, and two weeks later, I’m finally called up to the majors. During last night’s game, I was on fire, and here we are today. Life is better with Paisley. I just need for her to see that as well.
Chapter 9
Paisley
Cameron insisted we ride to the stadium together. He said it just made sense, considering we were traveling to the same place and then coming home to the same place. I didn’t have a good argument or reason not to ride with him, so I gave in.
Luckily for me, once we got to the stadium, we both had jobs to do, so I’ve been able to avoid him. He’s a lot to take on, and I’m trying to figure out his endgame. The only issue is that I can see the conviction in his eyes and hear it in his voice. This isn’t a game to him.
It’s overwhelming and confusing, but I’ll be the first to admit it’s also thrilling. I’ve never met a man like him before. One who seems to be more interested in me than my dad or my last name, or even the connections he can get from me. If that’s his play, he’s hiding it well.
After helping the senior trainers get the players that need it taped and stretched, I get busy preparing the drinks for the dugout. I’m the low man or woman on the totem pole, but making sure the players stay hydrated is an important part of a trainer’s job, so I don’t mind it. I’m in the dugout of the Tennessee Blaze. I’m in the heart of the sport and the team that I love. Life doesn’t get much better than this.
“Can I get one of those?” I hear from behind me.
I let my smile free until the cup is full. Then I school my features when I turn to face Cameron. “Sure,” I say, handing him the cup. I don’t know why I’m trying to be so indifferent with him. I guess I’m still leery that he’s out for something other than my attention. My heart tells me that’s not the case, but I’ve been burned too many times to set the possibility free.
“You busy?” he asks.
“No. I just finished setting up.” I point at the coolers behind me.
“Good. Wanna help me stretch?”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to refuse, but it’s my job to do so. “I can do that.”
He moves to the field and lies down on the grass. Silently, we work through a series of stretches that I know he’s already done. I saw him working with one of the other trainers earlier. I don’t know him well enough as a player to know if the extra stretching is essential to his game or if it’s just a way for him to be close to me. My guess is it’s the latter.
“I got next,” Travis Henderson, a second baseman, says, sitting in the grass next to Cameron.
Cameron gives him a hard look before turning his attention back to me. “So, Mom’s going to stick around after the game. She’s going to follow us home.” I don’t miss the way Travis’s eyes widen when he hears Cameron say this.
“I can actually get a ride with my dad.”
“No. We rode together. We leave together.”
“Cameron, it’s not a big deal. We’re neighbors, and your mom is in town.”
“She’s staying with me tonight.”
“See, all the more reason I should just have my dad take me home.”
“I want you to meet her.”
“Can we talk about this later?” I ask, lowering my voice.