He keptme.
“I don’t know what to say, Cade. Professionally speaking—”
“I know,” he stops me. “You don’t have to say a word. I just wanted to tell you the truth. Now, diagnose me with your special agent powers and tell me how to fix my whole life.”
A brittle laugh escapes me as I drop my hand. “Can’t promise you that, but I have two questions.” I step away from the gate. “Number one. What do you want from life?”
His nose scrunches adorably. “Life?”
“Yeah.” I nod. “Screw what everyone else wants. What doyouwant?”
He thinks for a moment. “I just want to be Cade.”
“Does that include baseball?”
A pause. “I don’t know.”
“And that’s okay,” I say. “Question two. What’s something you want to do foryourself?”
This answer is immediate. “Finish my degree,” he says, and I smile. That’s something I can help with. “Wait,” he continues. “You don’t care that I’m not sure about baseball? Shouldn’t you tell me how much of a mistake quitting would be, and how I’ll ruin my image?”
“I don’t care about your image, Cade. I care aboutyou.” Swinging my bat over my shoulder, I shrug. “Your career is yours, and I’m here to support whatever decisions you make. Because I knew you, I do want you remember why you loved baseball. That spark in your eyes is special, and I’d hate to see you lose it forever.”
Cade loved baseball, and not because he was good. At one point, it made him happy.
After a moment, he grabs the bat. “Okay. What’s step one?”
“This.” I wave my hands around. “Doing things that make you happy, like being here and hitting balls.”
Clear, intentional eyes meet mine, and his lips tilt. “Maybe I was happy here because I got to be with you. Did you ever think about that?”
I press four fingers against the gate. “Rule four, Cade. No flirting.”
His laugh breaks out, sharp and unguarded, filling the cages with a joy so familiar, it aches. I still know that sound better than my own heartbeat, and I love it just as much.
“Whatever you say, Agent Shay.” Pointing his bat at me, he taps the cage—aimed right at my heart. “You don’t have to say it, but I think deep down, you know you’re happy with me too.”
My lips stay sealed, but he’s right.
And his laugh says he knows it.
Chapter Eighteen
My nosy best friendis rubbing off on me.
Most days while walking around Permian, I overhear my coworkers talking about me. Their favorite topics revolve around my flowery perfume that’s too distracting, my pink and overly professional outfits, and my off-putting intensity. Their words have never affected me, but the conversation happening in Trevor’s office hooked me like a fish to bait.
“Garrett Blane won’t chooseher,” Trevor bites out. “But she thinks she’s special because she’s taking him to the golf course today.”
A grating wheeze from Jonah, a fellow junior agent, slips into the hallway. “Everyone has been to the golf course with a client except her.”
“It’s a waste of time,” Kyle adds. “Just tell her no.”
“I would, but I don’t need shit from Winston today. He’s already upset because another client didn’t re-sign with me last week, which wasn’t my fault.” Trevor pauses for validation from his fanboys. “And for some reason, he likes Turner.”
“We all know why,” Jonah says, and it’s easy to imagine the suggestive raise of his brows as they all burst into laughter at the implication of me sleeping with the CEO.
As if that’s the only reason Winston isn’t a dick to me.
