Chapter 22

“Did you miss me?” Gavin said the next morning as Jessica entered the PT room, her gym bag slung over her shoulder.

He wasn’t sure at first, but when she grinned at him he was certain something had changed. She looked…really pretty. She still had her hair pulled back, but instead of seeming haphazard, the tendrils framing her face looked to have been styled that way. Her eyes seemed to sparkle more than ever, and he noticed what appeared to be amethyst eye shadow.

Eye shadow!

“Yeah.” She smirked. “So what?”

He grinned back. He was about to compliment her when his thoughts went back to his conversation with her brother. Rory had been right about how to approach her. And he knew not to compliment her at work, within earshot of her team. Yet he was sure that a part of her longed to express her womanly side, and he was just the guy to bring it out…

“So are we still on for a walk?”

“Sure, Slugger,” she said. “Let me update my calendar and we’re out of here.”

As she turned to her tablet, he saw that her yoga pants were new and of a better quality than what she had been wearing, and were more form fitting. The top she had on was stylish, a beautiful fluttery gold thing as opposed to a simple tank, and he thought he saw the strap of a black lace bra peeking over her shoulder, enticing him to find out for sure.

He swallowed hard. Nothing had changed between them, he thought dryly as his body reacted to her closeness. What was it about her that made his heart throb with awareness? He wanted nothing more than to slip off that top and see what she wore beneath, tease her like she was teasing him…

“So I met your brother,” he said, trying for idle conversation as they ventured outside and walked the track.

“Rory.” She nodded, her eyes meeting his, unreadable. “How is he?”

“He’s great. We went out and had a couple of beers. I enjoyed his company.” He glanced at her and grinned. “Of course he grilled me about you.”

She actually stopped in her tracks. “What?”

“A hundred years ago he would’ve come right out and asked me what my intentions were where you were concerned. Since that doesn’t fly in this decade, he pretty much asked me what my intentions were where you were concerned.”

“You’re kidding,” she said, her eyes glittering. Embarrassment replaced outrage as she stared at him, obviously hoping it was just a joke.

“I didn’t mind,” he said. “He was just looking out for you. I was an only child, but if I had a sister I would like to think I’d do the same thing…”

“Really?” She rounded on him. “So just because I got upset when Zach was here, I’m suddenly incapable of taking care of myself? For chrissake. Wait till I get hold of him.”

“It’s not like that,” Gavin said firmly. “Neither your brother nor I think you are some weakling. He knows what the deal is with a lot of young ballplayers, and he just doesn’t want to see you hurt again. Neither do I. And I told him that.”

“You really did?”

“Yeah.” He shrugged. “He seems like a reasonable guy.”

She barked out a laugh. “You think so?”

“He wound up buying me a couple of beers, and then warning me about you.” This time he did tease her, unable to resist the temptation. “That you wanted nothing to do with athletes, let alone baseball players. I told him I already knew about Zach. But he was pretty adamant that this was a road you had no intention of going down again.”

“And?” She looked him dead in the eye.

His gaze locked with hers, equally intense. “I told him the truth. I am crazy about you; nothing will stop me from pursuing you. And I will do it in the right way, with the best of intentions.”

He had the satisfaction of watching her mouth fall open, and then just as quickly close. It took her ten whole seconds to recover.

“That’s pretty funny.” She shoved him playfully, certain he was joking. “Now if you’re done with the amusement at my expense, especially with my brother, who by the way I plan to murder, I bet I make it to home before you.”

She took off, and he smiled, aware that he had hit a nerve. Jessica didn’t know what to do with the prospect of being courted by him.

And that he found delightful.

—

“Hey. I was just getting ready to call you,” Rory said in a-matter-of-fact way.

Jessica paused for a moment in surprise. She’d wasted no time in reaching out to her brother as soon as they returned to the PT room, fully intending to read him the riot act for interfering with her life, so she didn’t anticipate this reaction.

“What do you mean?” she asked, puzzled.

“Mom just called. They are having a little get-together for Memorial Day. I guess she didn’t get around to telling you yet? In any case, I think I can go. We’re playing the Orioles, but I can head up right after the game.”

“Well, that’s good,” she mused, her mind racing. Darcy’s shower was that weekend, but on Sunday. So a barbecue at her parents’ place would work out for her as well. And she always enjoyed seeing her brothers.

Even if they did drive her crazy.

“Who all’s going?”

“Colin and Coulter for sure. Liam maybe. And of course, Logan’s out.”

“You mean he’s not coming home from Europe for some hot dogs and burgers?” She grinned, settling into the chair in her office, her annoyance momentarily forgotten. “Glad the twins are coming, though. I haven’t seen them in ages. But football season doesn’t start until the end of summer, so I guess they’re going to grace us with their presence.”

Rory chuckled. “That’s about the size of it. So it should be a good time. Think you can go?”

“Yeah. At least for a few hours. Some of my clients need day-to-day work, but I can figure something out.”

“Great.” He started to hang up, but recovered quickly. “Oh, I meant to tell you. I met your buddy Gavin.”

“So I heard,” Jessica said indignantly, remembering the reason she’d called him. “What’s the big idea of grilling him? This isn’t the Victorian period, you know.”

“What, did he dime me out?”

“No. He actually said it made him like you more, that you were looking out for me. He also stated if he had a sister, he would do the same thing.”

“Okay, then. What’s the problem?”

Suddenly she didn’t know how to explain. “Well, it implies that I make bad choices, can’t handle my own love life.”

“It doesn’t mean that at all, and Gavin knew it. As do you. Look, I can’t help you with a lot of things. But if you are interested in a ballplayer, instead of sitting on the sidelines I can find out where his head’s at easier than you can. Right?”

She knew he was correct, but didn’t want to admit it. “But still, how would you feel if I were interrogating one of your prospective dates?”

“I would think you were concerned, and you had my back.”

She couldn’t say anything to that. It was true. And if she had to think back, she did grill his girlfriends. So she heaved a sigh of disgust instead. “What am I going to do with you? All of you?”

He laughed. “Get used to it. And by the way, I’m thinking of inviting him for Memorial Day.”

“Him who?”

“Gavin. After all, he hasn’t been in New Jersey long, probably hasn’t made a lot of friends yet. I figured he might appreciate the invite.”

“What?” Jessica said, now pacing. “Why? Don’t you think that’s kind of weird?”

She couldn’t explain the panic that had set in. Obviously, Gavin had earned the Hart seal of approval. But the thought of having him there with her family, at her parents’ home, after what had passed between them, made her feel more jittery than being stuck on the New Jersey Turnpike at Exit 8, where thirty-minute delays were common.

“I don’t see why. He seems like a decent guy, and we all bring pals along when we get together. See you later, baby girl.”