“Not one of them,” she said, trying to interpret the twinkle in his eyes.

“Good to know,” he said as the twinkle went smug, and her heart thudded wilder than it had all day. “Any particular reason why you don’t date baseball players?”

This was the last thing she’d imagined discussing with him today, and her mind raced to find the quickest least personal way to explain it. “Let’s just say I have in the past and haven’t had any luck. Not looking to get my heart, and especially Clair’s heart, broken. So I steer clear now.”

Mercifully, her parents and Clair finally came out, and they all got caught up, checking out the things they’d bought her. As exciting as her breathless moments around AJ had been, Addison was mindful of her too-eager heart. This was Andrés Josiah Romero, someone she thought would never live up to the expectations she’d held him up to for so long. Yet after spending just one day with him, not only had he done just that, he’d exceeded them.

Flirting, if that’s what she’d call what it began to feel like, was something that was probably the norm for a man like him. She would not, could not, allow herself to get swept away so easily again. She wasn’t that same weak little girl anymore. Any type of relationship she might develop between her and her daughter’s best buddy needed to be handled with the utmost caution.

Chapter 5

AJ

Normally, his time away from home was the only thing AJ had ever resented about his dream job. Now he appreciated it. Weeks after spending such a staggering day around Addison he still couldn’t stop thinking about her.

He kept telling himself there wasn’t anything extraordinary about her. He’d been around plenty of beautiful women before. This was nothing to get himself so worked up over or even consider the possibility of taking such a risk. She’d even made it clear she didn’t date baseball players. For weeks, it was a compelling enough argument. He’d actually thought he squashed any troublesome thoughts that he could actually be feeling anything for a girl he barely knew. Someone he was obviously physically attracted to but nothing more. He didn’t know enough about her except that she came with some major baggage. Albeit the most beautiful and amazing baggage he could easily get on board with. He still knew too little about her to care.

If he thought the feelings of protectiveness had been bad before, they only got worse now that he felt she was more of a friend than just the coach’s daughter and Clair’s mom. A lot worse. Her saying she didn’t date baseball players should’ve been a deterrent. Instead, it’d begun to feel like a challenge he was eager to take on, especially after hearing she’d never dated any of the guys on the team. Unlike in the beginning where he let a lot of the comments the guys made go, he knew he wouldn’t now and he’d been right.

He’d finally managed to stop thinking about her nonstop for at least a few days. They were in the locker room after a game a day before heading back to San Diego again. After his blow up at Biggs, while he’d been annoyed with himself for letting the guy get to him so quickly, he’d been glad he made a statement. Any disrespectful comments about Addison were not going to go over well around AJ, not then, but more than ever, not after the day he’d spent with her. Everyone knew how close he and the coach were, so it couldn’t have come as too much of a surprise that he’d step up and defend the coach’s daughter’s honor like he had. Only AJ knew there’d be so much more to it from here on.

AJ had been talking to Sabian and Parks, the pitcher who’d pitched and won that day. He’d already ignored a comment he’d heard earlier about the coach’s daughter being hot. There was more than one coach on the team, and while he thought these idiots should respect every one of their daughters, Lara was his mentor. He was the only one AJ felt that special bond with. Even though AJ was expected to be a leader, these were guys in a locker room. He couldn’t be checking them for every vulgar thing that came out of their mouths. He’d never stop smashing mouths if that were the case. It was what you expected to hear in men’s locker rooms.

Then he heard another comment coming from the same guy who’d made the “coach’s daughter is hot” remark earlier, the rookie outfielder Tad Sims—something about a MILF.

“What was that?” AJ asked, turning to Sims, interrupting his own conversation.

Sims turned to him, still smiling. “A MILF? It means a mom I’d love to f—.”

“I know what it means, Sims,” AJ said, standing up from the bench he’d been sitting on and taking few steps toward them. “Whose mom are you talking about?”

The locker room quieted, as if they all suddenly remembered the exchange he’d had with Biggs a few weeks prior. Even the guys who hadn’t actually been there had heard plenty about it by now. “I didn’t mean anything by it,” Sims said, holding up his hands as AJ stared the kid down. “I was just messing—”

“Let me tell you something,” AJ said, trying hard to keep his cool, then glowered at the rest of the guys staring at him now, some of them smirking. “All of you. Lara is my coach. He’s in charge of the catchers, so with the exception of you three,” he said, pointing at the three back-up catchers, “that makes me closer to him than any of you. I have more respect for the man than I ever did for my own father. And that little girl, his granddaughter, is my little buddy. If I ever hear any of you disrespecting my coach’s daughter, my buddy’s mom, again you’re gonna answer to me.”

There were some snickers and some eye rolls, but not one of them said a thing except for Sims. “I’m sorry,” the kid said, his face nearly white now. “It won’t happen again.”

Later that evening on the plane ride home, AJ took the window seat next to Sabian, who was already smirking before he sat down. “You know what I just remembered?” Sabian asked.

“What?”

“Clair mentioned you were spending the day with them at Niagara Falls a couple of weeks ago.”

AJ had a feeling where Sabian might be going with this, but he leaned his head back and closed his eyes, responding as indifferently as he could to his friend’s observation. “Yeah?”

“So I take it that means you spent the day with her and her mom.”

“Uh huh.”

“Is that what that little speech in the locker room was about?”

“No,” AJ said a bit too quickly, so he kept his eyes shut, careful to not sound so defensive. “It wouldn’t matter if I ever hung out with her or not. I meant what I said in there. I’d do the same if they were talking about Millie or Madge. It’s disrespectful and I ain’t having it.”

Millie and Madge were Sabian’s twin sisters. AJ may not feel for them what he was feeling for Addison now, but that was the point of him mentioning them. They were Sabian’s sisters and Sabian was a good friend now. AJ would be just as adamant if he heard anyone disrespecting them too. He also knew Sabian would do the same if any of them ever dared say something about one of AJ’s sisters.

“Oh, I get that and I’m totally with you.” Sabian went quiet, surprising AJ that he wasn’t going to push this, but a few seconds later, he continued. “I was just wondering if there wasn’t any more to it.”

“Nope,” AJ said simply.

“Alright. Alright,” Sabian said, a bit too agreeable, and though AJ still hadn’t opened his eyes, he could feel Sabian push his seat back.

The guy finally went quiet, and AJ kept his eyes shut, hoping to get some shut eye on their four-hour flight. But he didn’t lie back like Sabian. He preferred sitting up.

“It’s good to know though,” Sabian started up again, and if AJ didn’t still have his eyes closed, he’d roll them in exasperation. “Because with all due respect, she is pretty hot.” AJ opened one eye but waited. “Clair did mention once or twice how she’s never met her dad. I’ve never dated a chick with any kids, but with a girl like Addison, I think being that kid’s part-time pappy would be worth the sacrifice. If you know what I mean.”