Like a well-placed kick in the balls, henearly spit out his coffee at her suggestion. He hadn’t played inyears. Had made it to college on a damn baseball scholarship.Working for the fucking government had been more important, so he’ddropped baseball as quickly as he’d dropped everything else.
“Yeah, I’d like that,” he accepted her ascheerfully as he could muster.
She grinned through a mouthful of breakfastsandwich as she annihilated the rest of her food in a few bites,somehow managing to remain neat as a pin.
“Can you wait for me to shower first?”
She nodded in ascent, delighted he’d saidyes.
~
Payson felt an odd thrill at his easyacceptance. She’d seen a hint of something in his eyes.Nervousness? She watched him walk back to the master bedroom. Hislimp improved with each step as the soreness eased; was it thetrain accident that caused that limp? His shirt clung to his back,and she couldn’t help but notice the way it hugged some seriouslydefined muscles.
Well, wasn’t that interesting? She couldimagine pressing her body up against his, feeling some ripped absunder that shirt. An intensely heated kiss. Her imagination wasgetting the better of her; she hadn’t had sex in well over a yearnow. Yikes, that may be an optimistic estimate.
A few minutes later, he came out fresh andclean. Wearing yet another pair of antiquated jeans and what waslikely the nicest t-shirt he owned, a baggy camo crew neck, withthe same worn hiking boots he always wore. His wet hair was pulledback into a tight pony and a slightly less ragged massive beardthat he had attempted to tame. Didn’t seem to help, he still lookedlike a vagrant. Well, maybe more of a metal-head than a vagrant. Avery appealing metal-head vagrant.
Where had that come from? From under all thathair, his penetrating glacial blue eyes watched her every movement.She’d thought they matched Maddy’s eyes, but there was something…darker in them. Where Maddy’s revealed a silent grace, his werepiercing, like he was a hawk and she his prey.
Grabbing the re-heated breakfast sandwich hehadn’t touched, she followed him out the front door. Ronan stoppedand looked up and down the street, “Uh, Payson. Where’s yourcar?”
She suddenly felt a bit embarrassed. “It, uh…It doesn’t handle very well in the snow. I could try, but I don’tdrive in the snow very often so I’m not very good at it, and yourhouse is pretty much straight up hill from mine, and the rec centerup yet another hill. I like to walk anyway. I try to leave itcovered in the carport most of the winter. I could drive thedelivery van, but I would much rather walk than drive that ugly oldthing all over town. Besides, it’s only two miles on a beautifulday. But, yeah, that’s why the food was cold.” She was babblingagain. What was wrong with her?
He shook his head after patiently waiting forher to finish her nervous speech and let out a warm laugh. “Noworries. We can take my truck.” Opening the garage, he ducked underwhen the door was up open far enough and unlocked the passengerdoor.
The garage was filled with Chase’s exerciseequipment. “I thought Chase brought all this equipment to he andMaddy’s place?” She hoisted herself up into the truck. She had anodd sense of déjà vu as she sat down on the torn vinyl seat, shecould almost feel blasting heat warming her bones.
As the engine roared to life, Ronan flippedon the radio and shifted the truck into reverse. “Nah, he comeshere to work out most days; drags me out with him. Maddy refused tofill her garage with all this crap. She has access to gym equipmentat the police station. He’s trying to find some entrepreneur toopen a gym around here. In the meantime, I don’t mind him cominghere.”
“That sounds like Maddy. She was graciousenough to accept his fancy new bedroom furniture and gigantic tvwhen he moved in. She gets quite attached to her decor.”
Ronan let out a rare, uninhibited laugh,smiling at his sister’s quirks. “Yeah, that’s Maddy. She doesn’tput up with anyone’s shit, even from those she loves. Want to handme that sandwich?”
Unwrapping the breakfast sandwich to make atravel-friendly package, Payson handed it to Ronan. He managed toshift between bites, sipping his coffee now and again, too. She’dbet money he was a good juggler. “Do you have six arms orsomething?”
Smiling as he swallowed a bite, he joked,“Nah, I’m just talented.”
Payson watched him as he pulled into the reccenter parking lot. Through his beard, she could see subtle dimplesthat she hadn’t noticed before. Frank’s dimples; no one else in thefamily had them. They were adorable on Frank, and she suspectedthey added an irresistible charm when Ronan flashed his.
She felt oddly content; relaxed in a way shehad never been with anyone else. Must be all the bickering thatbroke down some sort of wall between them?
“You coming?” He asked as he stepped out ofthe car. She realized she had been wool-gathering and shook awaythe heavy emotions that threatened, following him out of the truck.Pasting a smile on her face, she followed him into the reccenter.
The place was pretty empty for a Saturday.There was a birthday party for a thirteen-year-old with about sixadolescents running around screaming, and a small family with theiryoung kids; otherwise no one was here.
The very wrinkled ticket-agent sat behind thefront counter, eyeing them suspiciously as they entered. “Tendollars each,” was all he said. As it was her idea, Payson dug intoher purse for the cash. Ronan pulled out his wallet and handed theguy a twenty before she could argue.
“I dragged you here, I’m paying,” sheinsisted.
“And I’m thanking you for dragging me out ofthe house and making me smile. I’ve been a total asshole to you,and you’re being awfully nice to me. Now shut up and put your moneyaway this time,” he flashed her a sly wink and led the way to thebatting cages.
…
Payson slipped her hand into his and followedalong at his side. Heart thundering, from her touch or from nerves,he couldn’t have said. He hadn’t been here in ages. This place hadbeen his refuge in high school. He had usually come out here a fewtimes a week, mostly when he’d been so enveloped by his studiesthat he needed to blow off steam.
Grabbing a wooden bat, he took a few practiceswings and stretched a bit before loading the pitching machine.“You play?” he asked Payson, hoping she’d be the damsel so he couldstand behind her, pressed against her behind as he taught her theproper stance.
Not Payson. She cocked out a hip andcontrived a pensive look, “A bit. You’re up first, cowboy.” Therewere several cages, but it would be more fun to take turns andeither rile or cheer each other on.
