“It’s a rental.” I shove a piece of cheese in my mouth.
They don’t look convinced, but the conversation shifts to talk of Miller and Preston pranking Chase with an equestrian helmet in case he decides to steal any more horses. For the night, I forget about the unknown with Grant and enjoy a night with my two favorite women in our happy place.
Looking out the window of my office, I see the crowd already forming at the right field entrance where the meet and greet will be hosted before tonight’s game. The team has worked tirelessly to make it a smashing success and if the excitement of the fans gathered is anything to go by, they all deserve a bonus and a special gift. I make a note on my desk to have Teresa arrange something. She’s better at it than me. I’m merely the face attached to the credit card.
A knock at the door steals my focus, and when Taylor steps into my office, my heart skips a beat. She looks like the girl I once knew in her wide leg jeans, white sneakers, and a Troubadours shirt.
“Hey.”
“Hi,” she whispers and her cheeks flush. Putting her bag down on the table on the opposite side of my office, she pulls her phone out and turns to me. “Should we get going?”
I motion for her to lead the way and follow her down to the tunnel connecting the office building with the stadium. When we exit the tunnel onto the concourse, the crowd I saw from above looks even bigger up close.
“Do we need to go over the plan again?” Taylor asks Chase as we join him near the outfield lawn.
“Don’t think so. Smile. Talk to fans. Take pictures.” He pauses when Gabby walks up and chats with the officersrepresenting the horse patrol unit tonight. “Seems pretty straightforward.”
Taylor goes over the plan again, but Chase isn’t paying her a bit of attention. His single-minded focus is on Gabby. She told me there was a history between them, but if I were a betting man, I’d say there’s a future too. He watches her the way I watch Taylor—like there’s no one else in the world.
“He’s not listening to me is he?” Taylor asks.
“Nope.” I rock back on my heels to keep from leaning into her.
She checks her watch then signals to the staff milling around. “Let’s get this show on the road.”
The gate is unlocked, and the attendant directs the line of fans into the concourse where Chase stands with Herbert the horse and his fellow officers. The fact they named this horse like he’s an old man cracks me up. I look on as Chase diligently meets fan after fan, signing autographs, taking pictures, and engaging with everyone on a personal level. We made the right choice calling him up. I still stand by that decision. He’s proven in the last month that he meant the words he told me during the initial meeting after his arrest. Chase has shown up early for practice every day, he’s put in extra work with the training staff, he hasn’t missed a community service event and he’s contributing in a meaningful way to the team. The event tonight is another step in the right direction, and despite it being a dog and pony show, he’s taking it seriously and making the team look good.
I couldn’t ask for anything more. He’s fast on his way to becoming the face of our franchise, which is good considering I don’t know how many seasons I have left in Fields and Miller. The thought of them retiring hits a little too close to home. I retired almost ten years ago, but we’re close enough in age that the idea of them retiring feels like I’m playing my last game all over again.
“Those two just need to fuck and get it over with.”
I choke out a startled laugh when Taylor stops beside me. “What?”
“Gabby and Chase,” she says. “They’re making me all hot and bothered with all that sexual tension.” She motions to Gabby and Chase standing by Herbert, but I’m too distracted by the idea of Taylor being turned on and the desire to be the one to get her there.
A shriek from Gabby draws my attention. The horse sprayed water all over her by the looks of it, and Chase is transfixed on her chest as he removes his hoodie and shoves it in her direction.
When he pulls her towards the side entrance of the clubhouse, Taylor spins back to me with a shrug. “See? Maybe they’ll bang in the supply closet and then we can all take a breath.”
“Taylor,” I groan. Now, I’m sweating and I have a hard-on at work.
“What?” She grins like she knows exactly what she’s doing to me.
“I’ve got to go.” I take two steps away when she grabs my hand and stops me. Flames lick their way from my fingertips up to my neck. My cock twitches in my pants, begging for her to touch him next. I will him to stop before I break and push her up against the nearest wall to show her just how much she affects me.
She drops my hand like she touched an electric fence by mistake.
“Want to get dinner?” Her words surprise me, and I can’t stop the genuine smile that follows.
“What about the game?” I regurgitate the words she gave me the last time I invited her to dinner. Taylor simply shrugs.
“Did you drive?” I ask.
“That fancy new car? You bet your ass I did.”
My smile widens. I’d buy her a new car every day if it meant making her happy. “Since you asked me to dinner, you get to drive.”
I spin on my heel and walk towards the parking lot.
