He shook his head and accepted a fresh ice pack from the assistant. As Jake helped him back outside, he got into the car and simply stared out the window. For the second time in his life, he realized how quickly everything could go to hell in a handbasket.

His career. His life.

Jessica.

He couldn’t bear thinking about it.

—

Gavin asked that Jake drop him at home instead of returning to the party. The shortstop wasn’t surprised and complied with his request. When Jake returned without him, Nikki turned to Darcy. “I’m going to call her.” She fished for her cell inside her purse.

“Jess?” Darcy questioned, and when Nikki shot her a look, she frowned. “Do you think it would be a good idea to tell her what happened? I know she was upset when she left.”

“I guess you’re right.” Nikki sighed, her fingers tapping restlessly on the iPhone. “I can’t help but think, though, if this was Jake, I would want to know.”

“Me too.” Darcy nodded, and then shrugged, seeing the wisdom of that thought. “Okay, let’s call.”

Nikki tapped the number, but the call immediately rolled into voicemail. “I’m not going to leave a message,” she said, putting the phone back into her bag. “She’s probably turned off her cell.”

“Maybe you could stop by in the morning, before the breakfast?” Darcy suggested. “That way you could tell her in person.”

“That’s a great idea. With her knowledge and training, I think she could help Gavin. But having his ex show up like that, out of the blue? That had to be a shock. You are probably right. It would be better for her to have some time to digest all this.”

“Thank God after tomorrow, my dating days are over.” Darcy shivered. “I remember how painful that was, always being uncertain where things stood, especially in my situation when I couldn’t tell Chase the truth.” She shook her head at the memory.

“But in this case, it’s even worse,” Nikki said softly. “It was clear Gavin hadn’t invited Kristin, and he was obviously surprised that she showed up. I feel bad for all of them.”

Darcy couldn’t agree more.

Chapter 33

He hadn’t called.

Jessica gazed at her black cellphone in the morning, more than aware that no green message light blinked, but as she flicked her finger across the missed calls, she confirmed what she already knew. Gavin’s number wasn’t there.

Her stomach tightened as the possible implications flooded through her. Maybe he thought she was angry, and wanted to give her some space? Perhaps he had stayed at the party late, and hadn’t wanted to call after midnight.

But the most disturbing thought of all wouldn’t leave her: was he back with Kristin?

She’d thought he had more character than that. But she had been fooled before, and having grown up with brothers knew men didn’t always think the same way when it came to sex, or love, for that matter.

And the stunning model had meant something to him once. She’d been his California girl, and distance sometimes made the heart grow fonder.

She couldn’t stand the tangle of emotions fretting within her, and nothing seemed to help. Not a shower. Not coffee. As she paced the room, she glanced at the clock.

It was still early. She didn’t want to call anyone, worry anyone at this time of day. Chase’s wedding was this weekend. What if she hadn’t heard from him by then? Cringing, she pictured the Sonics, and Darcy and Nikki, all looking at her in pity, an empty chair beside her. She knew Gavin wouldn’t show up with her replacement on his arm.

She hoped.

The coffee was beginning to churn in her stomach, and her head throbbed. She had to get away, even if for just a day. She called the office and cleared it with Phil, and then tossed the cell on the kitchen counter as she went into the bedroom to pack.

Tossing a few things in her bag, she left a message for Terrell to feed the kitty, and then got into her car and started for the Jersey shore. Escape was all she could think about. She had done this before: when she found out about Zach, she’d gone to the beach and spent some time alone to get over the pain. The ocean had a calming effect on her, and the solitude had helped her to heal. Even though she didn’t have a reservation, she wasn’t concerned. She would find a place to stay.

She always did.

—

Gavin sat on the examining table while the physician looked at the results of his new MRI.

“It looks good,” the doctor announced. He glanced at the baseball player, who exhaled the breath he’d been holding. “The cut is superficial. And the surgical scar has healed nicely.” He put his hand on Gavin’s thigh. “Push up against me.”

Gavin complied, and the doctor repeated the muscle testing before standing erect and giving him a reassuring smile. “You got damn lucky. I don’t know how this occurred, but the cartilage looks excellent. And whatever physical therapy you’ve been doing has been working really well. Your muscle tone is good, reflexes…You appear much stronger than someone who had this procedure just a few months ago.”

“Thank God,” Gavin breathed, and shook the doctor’s hand in gratitude.

“If you start to notice any redness or swelling, call the office immediately. And let this heal up before going back to physical therapy, or any kind of workout. Any questions?”

“No. You’ve made me a happy man.”

“I wish all my cases were so easy.”

Gavin left the office, a strong sense of relief surging through him. He was going to be all right. The previous evening now seemed like a bad dream, and even though his knee ached when he walked, that was to be expected until it healed. But to know that the injury was nothing permanent meant everything.

He couldn’t wait to tell Jessica, and as soon as he got into his Jeep, he synced his phone and called her cell. He had been deliberately waiting to make the call, unwilling to upset her without having any answers. And while the urgent care doctor had tried to reassure him, he knew they would need the MRI results to really understand where things stood.

Now that he had a clean bill of health, his thoughts went back to the previous night when Kristin had crashed the party, certain that she knew it was over between them. It was only when he’d faced her and stated it in no uncertain terms that she finally seemed to comprehend the truth.

And after she had kicked him, she couldn’t get out of New Jersey fast enough. Kristin was not the kind of woman to face up to what she had done to him. Now he didn’t worry about her showing up anymore; he was only worried about Jess.

The phone rolled into voicemail, and he left a message. Glancing at his watch, he realized she was probably working. So he swung by the ballpark, intending to find her and explain everything.

“She’s not here,” Phil said from one of the cots as he tended to a player’s sprained elbow. “She said she needed a few days off.”

Dumbfounded, Gavin stared at the man in bewilderment. “She just called out? No other explanation?”

Phil looked at him sympathetically. “I guess this is a female version of a man cave. She probably just needed a break.”

Gavin nodded, and then turned on his heel and left the room.

One thing he knew for certain: no way in hell was he taking Phil’s advice. Left alone for a period of time with nothing but doubt, who knew what Jessica would decide?

It wasn’t worth the risk.

—

She found the perfect place, a charming little cedar-shingled cottage on Long Beach Island nestled within a stand of tall pine trees, only a few blocks from the ocean.

Normally, she would have had to bring her own sheets, but the owners had left some linens and towels, and she had remembered to bring her own pillow, so she was in good shape.