Chapter 24
They won. Jimmy pitched almost a complete game, going deep into the eighth and allowing only one run. He could have stayed in, but I couldn’t have been happier when the skipper took him out and replaced him with a reliever. Jimmy had done his job and then some. We needed to save his arm.
After the game, Jimmy and I weren’t going to be hanging out since his dad was in town. They had invited me to go to dinner, but I didn’t want to intrude. They should have time together. Plus, my head was still reeling from what my grandfather had told me.
Hopefully—and not that he had to prove anything—seeing Jimmy’s brilliance on the mound had stifled any talk of a trade. I shivered at the thought of it. Wanting to get that out of my head, I sent a text to my girls. It had been a while, and I missed them. I popped open our Ride-or-Die group message and let my thumbs do the talking.
Me: Hey! Anyone up for drinks tonight? Say in an hour? At Chasers?
Annie: Congratulations on the win. And yes!
Me: Thank you! So excited!
Lila: I’m in!
Sarah: Me too!
Two hours later, my girls and I sat in a booth, enjoying various martinis thanks to that night’s special. We were all laughing with Sarah as she told us about a guy she’d met in the Mingle Room. “Look, I have nothing against older guys. I mean, if Sommer’s future father-in-law was single, I’d be all over that man.”
“You’re ridiculous.” I shook my disbelieving head at her, although I believed every word she’d just said ... less the father-in-law part.
She shrugged. “I’ve said it before, that man is as hot as his son. Anyway, as I was saying, Jeremy’s profile information and picture put him at forty-one. Except when he got there, he definitely was a hell of a lot older than that.”
“He lied? ” Lila asked, licking a bit of salt off her glass before taking a sip. “Did he come clean and fess up?”
“No, he didn’t need to. The first sign was his receding white hair. Yes, ladies, white ... thin strands of comb-over bright snowlike hair. Then, thinking he could win me over, still not divulging his age despite me asking, he pulled out his wallet to show me a picture of his dog.” She drained her drink, raised her hand, and twirled her finger around after catching our server’s attention. “That was when I saw his five grandchildren.”
“Some people can be grandparents in their forties,” Annie simply stated.
“To fifteen-year-olds?”
Lila and I exchanged a glance, each of us doing our best not to burst out laughing. Yet Annie, the calm, rational one, said, “Maybe they’re adopted?”
“He’s seventy!”
“What?” we all shrieked in unison.
“Yup. Seventy fucking years old. I mean, did he not think I’d notice or not care? He had hair growing out of his ears, for fuck’s sake! And ... I knew I’d seen his profile picture before. Dashing-looking guy, little bit of gray in his beard and at his temples. Then he went to clean his glasses, and I realized his online picture looked familiar because it was a stock image my optometrist had framed in his office to promote the latest eyewear.”
Annie frowned. “Sorry. You guys had great conversations, too, right?”
“We did. What does lying accomplish? Especially when you’ll eventually come face to face with it? So frustrating.”
“Maybe he thought you wouldn’t care?” Lila offered as some sort of explanation.
“Right, not care that he was collecting social security? Even if I didn’t, and to be clear, I do, he lied. Should be called the Liars’ Room. So far, I’ve met a married man claiming to be single, I’ve met a widower whose wife was alive and well, taking care of their kids, and now this guy. I’d say that’s three strikes.” She looked at me. “Speaking of strikes, where’s your hot boyfriend?”
Their conversation continued, but it all sounded muffled. I’d been lying to Jimmy. How was I better than Mingle Room Jeremy? She was right—lies always came out, and I’d told a big one. He’d asked about my job, and I hadn’t told him.
“Sommer?” Sarah waved her hand in front of my face. She laughed when I looked at her. “Are you okay? Where’d you go?”
The server came by with another tray of drinks. We thanked him, and I stared at the pretty pink liquid.
Annie covered my hand with hers and repeated Sarah’s question. “Honey? Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m sorry. My mind wandered. It’s been a long day.”
“Pfft. Tell me about it. At least you didn’t get offered geriatric dick.”
We all burst out laughing, and I made a decision that tomorrow morning, I’d come clean to Jimmy about my promotion. My grandfather would just need to understand. I’d figure out something. It was bad enough that Jimmy and I were keeping our relationship a secret—which had become more difficult as the days passed.
Lila ordered another round. Thank God it was a Saturday and I didn’t need to go to work tomorrow. Sitting with my friends made me happy. Maybe it was the alcohol or the constant talk about men, but I found myself thinking about Jimmy. I stared off into the distance, remembering how his pretty blue eyes sparkled when he smiled, the warmth of his hand when he held mine, how he’d lace our fingers to the point where it looked as though they were one. And the gentle tone of his voice when he’d whisper sexy things into my ear.
My body came alive when he walked into a room or stepped onto the pitcher’s mound. The way his uniform molded around his ass and long muscular legs was a complete libido accelerator. Then there were his arms, which would hold me so tightly yet never hurt me. He could command an entire stadium or a small room with just me in it—and as much as I hated not being in charge, I loved it when it came to him.
Don’t get me started on the sweet nothings that were more like sweet everythings he’d tell me while we were in bed. Some might call that pillow talk, and I couldn’t get enough of it. Jimmy called me his girl; we talked about having kids one day; he told me I’d be a great mother.
What did that all mean? And why didn’t I freak out?
“Sommer!” That time Annie’s hand waved in front of my face, forcing me to blink a few times. “We keep losing you.”
“I love him,” I softly admitted. Annie smiled, Sarah nodded, and Lila, who sat next to me, threw her arm around me and gave me a squeeze.
“We know, honey,” Lila said. “I think maybe you need to tell him.”
“I agree,” Annie stated.
“Ditto,” said Sarah.
Maybe it was the tequila, the company, or the high I felt just thinking about Jimmy, but she was right. They all were. I couldn’t go to him tonight—Cash was there—but in the morning, I’d tell him that I wanted to not only be his girl. I wanted to be his forever.
* * *
The morning sun sliced through my blinds, stabbing my eyelids. A relentless bass drum concert banged in my head, reminding me of the many cocktails I’d enjoyed last night. I groaned and slowly rolled over, thankful the bed didn’t start spinning.
Ugh. I’m never drinking again,I thought as I sandwiched my head between two pillows. Nothing could stop the rhythmic pounding that seemed to get louder and louder. At first, I dismissed it as a reminder of why I despised hangovers. But as the banging persisted, I heard a voice that sounded like Jimmy’s.
Very slowly, I removed the memory foam from the side of my head, eased my way to a sitting position, and did my best to move my tongue off the roof of my mouth. The pounding stopped, and I let out a sigh, wondering if I should get up or go back to bed. Since the cotton on my tongue begged to be brushed off, I headed into the bathroom and took care of business.
When I made the mistake of looking in the mirror, I cringed at the sight of my frizzy hair, smudged eyeliner, and remnants of makeup—a clear indicator that I hadn’t washed my face the night before. Coffee. I needed coffee and water ... maybe not in that order.
The incessant noise I thought I’d only heard in my head sounded off again. Moving toward it, I realized it was my front door. Trudging barefoot down the stairs, then through my house, not caring that I wore only Jimmy’s T-shirt, I made my way to the door.
“Coming!” I yelled and winced at the sound of my voice.
I yanked the door open and there stood my boyfriend. His eyes raked up and down my body. Wow, I must look hideous. He usually smiled in appreciation when he saw me. At that moment, he looked at me the opposite way. Almost how he did the first time I saw him.
Memories of me telling my friends that I loved him popped into my head. And while he might be scowling, I did the opposite.
“Hi, come on in.”
After he wordlessly stepped inside, I closed the door and wrapped my arms around him. But, like my smile, he didn’t reciprocate. I lowered my arms and stared up at him. Daggers shot back at me.
“What’s wrong? Would you like some coffee? I need aspirin,” I spouted off, faster than normal. “Sorry, I had one too many last night.”
I had turned to walk toward my kitchen when he barked, “Sommer, stop. I don’t want coffee. The only thing I want is for you to tell me why you didn’t tell me that I might get traded at the end of the season.”
My mouth opened and closed, and if I thought I had a headache before, I sure as hell had one now. “I’m sorry, what?”
Jimmy raked his hand through his hair. I’d never seen him like this. He looked as though he wanted to explode. I wrapped my arms around myself. I needed to know what the hell had happened. I moved toward him, but he shook his head, stepped back, and began to pace.
“Don’t, Sommer. Don’t come near me. I called and called, and you ignored me. You knew. I know you did. How could you not? It’s all over the news. You’re Miss PR Extraordinaire and you’re telling me you didn’t know?”
“No.” I looked around and saw my purse on the sofa table. When I opened it and took out my phone, I turned it to face him. “It’s dead.”
“Well, at least you were telling the truth about that. Here’s the deal, Sommer, do you want to know what I know?”
I thought about shaking my head because I had a feeling whatever he said wouldn’t be good. Except I stood still and listened.
“You’re an amazing secret keeper. You’re an even better liar. I heard you’re getting a promotion, too, thanks to the report you wrote. Which helped make the decision to trade me.”
“No, Granddad said he wasn’t going to do that.”
His head slowly bobbed. He inhaled deeply, and his eyes swirled with emotion. I’d never seen them like that before ... angry and distant.
“Let me ask you this. And if you could answer honestly, that would be great.”
God, please let this all be a nightmare. I curled my hand into a fist and dug my nails into my palm. Nope. I was one-hundred-percent awake. “Okay, what’s your question?”
“When I asked you if you heard anything about your report, and you said no, was this why?”
I thought back and shook my head. “I never said no.”
He scoffed, reached up to his hair, and tugged on it before tossing his hands out to the side. “Right. You said you didn’t want to talk about it, and then we showered. Jesus. I’m an idiot. Imagine how I felt last night when my father got a call from Mason.”
“Mason called your dad?”
“Well, he is my agent, so yeah, our GM called him.”
I reared back at his intensity.
“That’s usually what happens when a trade is on the table. And to Omaha? One thing I can promise you, if I end up going there and playing against the Hawks, you’ll realize what a grave mistake you made.”
I wanted to make him understand. In a soft tone, I whispered, “Can I say something now?”
Jimmy crossed his arms over his chest and widened his stance. He looked so powerful ... and cold. “Sure, but make it quick because I’m meeting someone soon.”
“Someone?”
He lifted a brow, and I bit my lip, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill down my cheeks.
“Okay, I’ll make it quick. You’re right, I didn’t tell you about my promotion because Granddad asked me not to. I should have told you. Actually, I was going to do that today.” When he didn’t say anything, I continued to explain. “I only found out yesterday morning. We were at the park, you were about to pitch, and your dad was there. It wasn’t the time for me to say anything. But I should have said something, and I’m sorry.”
“You’re sorry? What about me getting traded? Did you know about that? I don’t care if it hasn’t been decided. I was blindsided. Do you get that? Even my dad, who keeps his ear to the grindstone, was shocked. Yet there’s a deal in the works.”
What the hell? A deal? That couldn’t be right. “I’ll get to the bottom of that because there wasn’t a deal. Granddad said as much. He put a pin in it.”
“A pin?” A maniacal chuckle burst out of him. “I’m the best fucking pitcher on the team. I’m the best in the league. You know that, and so does everyone else. Go ahead, trade me. I don’t give a fuck anymore.”
I reached for his hand, but he angled his body back. Maybe it was frustration, the fact that I still didn’t have any coffee and I’d had minimal sleep, or because nothing I said had gotten through to him, but I found myself saying, “Fine. Don’t believe me. But whether or not you like me right now, I love you. I’m in love with you, Jimmy.”
Tears dripped down my face. Uncaring to wipe them away, I let them fall. All he did was stare. I could feel my lower lip tremble, and nothing I could do would stop it. I’d just told him that I loved him.
“Did you hear me?”
He slowly nodded. “I did. You love me. Yesterday, I would have scooped you up into my arms and told you I loved you, too, but today, I find your timing a bit too convenient.”
His head dropped and he shook it. When he looked up, all I saw was sadness and hurt. All of which could have been avoided.
“You don’t care that I love you?”
“Oh, I care. I’m just not sure I believe it. I need to go. Congrats on your promotion. I’m sure it’s well deserved. Take care of yourself, Sommer.”
My heart hammered against my ribs, and the sheer pain in my chest trumped that in my head as I watched him turn to leave. I hurried and put myself between him and the door.
“Take care of myself? You’re going to give up on us?”
“No. You did that. Please move.”
I closed my eyes, and the pressure to burst into tears overwhelmed me. My entire face burned with sadness. “Please, can we sit down and talk?”
“I’ve been up all night. I’m done talking.”
“To me or in general?”
When he didn’t answer, I nodded. Resigned that we were over, I stepped aside, and he opened the door. Jimmy looked at me, and through blurry eyes, I could still see his disappointment. “I’m sorry, Jimmy. I’ll make sure you stay a Hawk.”