“Yes, hello.”
“Can I get your autograph for my son?” a pretty woman, likely in her mid-thirties, asked. “He’s a huge baseball fan. He plays for the Riverdown High School Cougars.”
Grant glanced from the woman to Piper, who nodded at him. “Go ahead. I’m going to grab some canned pumpkin before it’s gone.”
“Better hurry,” one of the ladies said. “It’s going fast.”
Grant turned to call after her as she left, “If it’s too high up to reach, let me know and I’ll grab it for you.”
“I’m not short,” she shot back.
“You are to me,” he answered, to several chuckles around him.
“Oh, you’re tall, all right. And light and handsome,” one of the ladies staring up at him added. “Not tall, dark, and handsome. You know, on account of your blond hair.”
The others laughed.
He smiled but sighed inwardly as he put on his Pro Face, not wanting to disappoint fans when he really wanted the time to flirt with a pretty real estate agent. But first, duty called.
* * *
Piper pretended to not be bothered about Grant and his admirers. It didn’t help that several turned out to be the type more interested in his looks than his skill with a bat and ball.
She huffed and grabbed more groceries, growing more irritated as the minutes passed. She knew that as a professional athlete, Grant was famous. But seeing it put their differences into perspective. She sold houses for a living and enjoyed life in a small town. He made millions, was used to being on TV playing baseball to earn his keep, and lived in a huge city, traveling half the year. Ha. Talk about a bad candidate for a boyfriend.
Not that I’m thinking about him like that at all. But we did kiss. Of course my thoughts went toward something deeper than friends.
Feeling like an idiot for pursuing that line of thinking, she did her best but couldn’t forget their kiss. No, kisses—as in, more than one.
Piper had been shying away from men since Sam. Not counting her quick relationship after him, which hadn’t even lasted two weeks, she’d intentionally kept herself apart. But a woman could only deal with hurt for so long. No way she’d allow some louse to ruin her for other men. The right guy was out there somewhere. And maybe, just maybe, she could start her road to dating-recovery with a casual fling with a man she liked.
A handsome man who didn’t need to use her for anything. Who had his own money, his own career, and would never hurt for female companionship.
Hmm. The thought of a fling with Grant Weston sounded like it made sense the more she thought about it. Though Piper had never been one for one-night or even two-night stands, perhaps it was time to move past a mopey non-existent social life for something that made her happy.
Not happily ever after, but happily for now. Didn’t she read enough books about love and a woman’s journey through life to reward herself? Why keep to traditional conventions where dating had to lead to marriage? Sometimes dating could be just for fun. Or not dating and simply having sex.
Bone-melting, passionate, scorching sex with a man she could easily envision naked.
Geesh. Time to visit the frozen section and cool off.
Ten minutes later, Grant found her in the veggie aisle while she dithered over potatoes and beets.
“Sorry. Got a little overwhelming when a lady brought her kid and his friends over. They play baseball for Jenna’s high school.”
“No problem.” She studied him, thinking he looked a little frazzled. Interesting. “Are you okay?”
“Honestly? No. I love baseball, and having fans is a natural aspect of professional sports. But when the ladies get clingy and touchy-feelie, it’s a little cringey.”
“Who touched you?” Sudden protectiveness for Grant took her aback. “I mean, are you okay?”
He scoffed. “I’m fine. But I can imagine the news if I went around feeling up women’s arms and staring in a creepy way. Might get a little awkward.”
“It might,” she said drily, imagining that nightmare of a scenario. “It would definitely get on the front page of the paper.”
He winked at her. “But if you’re needing any publicity, I’m happy to feel you up in public so we can make the front page.”
He said that just as Marsha Gaines, part owner of the local paper and foodie columnist turned gossip girl, approached.
