“Hmm. You have one shot to not mess it up.” I meant the words as a half-joke, but he nodded. “I think you have two strikes from earlier, still.”
“Fair enough. I’m pretty good at staying alive with the count full.” He winked, which only some people could pull off. Hedefinitelypulled it off.
He motioned for me to follow him and led me to a window. “Let me open it really quick and I’ll help you get up.”
“Take your time. I’m being nosy.” I inspected the pictures on the built-in desk in front of the window. “Is she your sister who you were shopping for?”
“Yes. I wasn’t lying.” He pushed the panes open, the fresh air smelling fantastic. “I told her all about you.”
“Yeah?” I blushed and grinned at his comment. “And?”
“She already likes you for not giving me your number.” He hopped up onto the desk and held out his hand for me to join him. I took it and he pulled me up with little effort. We sat side by side, our legs pressed together. I froze, the attraction drowning me.
“Is this the place you usually take your conquests? Your desk?” I tried joking, but it came out like an awkward grunt. “I mean, it’s nice and all, but…”
“Yes. My desk usually seals the deal.” He laughed and scooted back farther and now sat on the roof. “However, the roof is actually the spot I wanted. Come on.”
He held out his hand, crouching on all fours, and I took it. The moon shone in the background, the music pounded from the basement and yet time seemed to freeze like a Hallmark movie. I must’ve stopped moving because his eyes narrowed in concern. “Callie? It’s pretty level out here. You won’t fall. I promise.”
I gave him a shaky smile, letting him believe the height had trigged my mental freak-out. I crawled out of the window and sighed as we sat on the roof of an old house. It leveled out and although my heart raced like a clown was chasing me, a sense of ease surrounded me. Comfort with him and his words, his kind eyes and the way his body pressed against mine.
“I love a challenge, so, quiz me, woman.” He sat with his arms around his knees, his large frame looking childish. The gesture warmed my heart and I mirrored his stance, our shoulders touching in the process. He shifted his weight to glance at me, those eyes doing things to me, and I gave him a shy smile.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
“Zade Willows.” He leaned closer, his ear inches from my neck. His heart beat against my back and I broke out in goosebumps despite the humidity. “What’s your last name, Callie?”
“Williams.” His name rang bells, sounding familiar, but I had no idea how. I frowned, thinking as hard as I could where I might have heard that name.
“Callie Williams. I like your name. Is that an odd thing to say to a girl?” he asked.
“I don’t think it is. I’ll take the compliment. I went to high school with a girl named Afreeka. I’ve been blessed with a simple name.” I enjoyed how his body shook with light laughter. “I know your name somehow and it’s frustrating as hell because I can’t think of how. Did we secretly know each other already?”
“Hell, no. I wouldn’t have stayed away if I knew you before.” He spoke with such unabashed certainty that I blushed. I didn’t blush easily.
“I oddly believe you with that statement. You seem to be someone who goes after what they want.” I played with a loose hem on my jeans and thought about my next question. “What’s the story about being a Detroit fan?”
“Ah, yes. I’ll explain, but then I need to hear your White Sox story. It’s only fair. Also, I’ve been dying to know how you clearly know a lot about baseball.” He shifted. Now he sat in front of me. We weren’t touching, but we had nowhere to look but at each other.
“Of course.” I waited, desperate to learn anything and everything about him.
“My family is my mom, sister and me. It isn’t some sad struggle story, but my dad left us when we were kids and the three of us grew closer. We lived outside Detroit and my mom always got free tickets to Tigers games from her work and we went to them every summer as a family. It’s nostalgic and built the first blocks of my love of the game.” He took my hand in his. A tremor went all the way through my body as he intertwined our fingers. Butterflies broke out…no, more like a damn zoo stampede. “I promise this isn’t a trick or some line I use, but my sister is honestly one of my best friends. Our family is close and baseball is a shared love.”
“No, I believe you.”Swoon. Everything is almost too easy, too coincidental, and I should be freaking out.But I’d promised myself I wasn’t playing those mind games. I needed to take chances and live. I worked hard enough to find some enjoyment. “Zade, baseball is romantic. The history, the fans, the players, traditions, the camaraderie…everything is romantic from the first pitch to the last out. I get it. I’d hate for you to think this is a line I use on guys a lot, but my family lives for baseball.”
He chuckled and squeezed my hand tighter. “Oh, yeah? How’s that?”
“My dad is a college coach and every summer we traveled with his team. I always kept score in the dugout and my mom pretty much became the mother hen of the team. Snacks and towels and water and all that. We’ve had players live with us in the summer and off months and we’ve been to five weddings. Baseball is a way of life. It takes Dedication and hard work to be a fan of the sport.”
“God, that is probably the sexiest thing you could say to me.” He bit his lower lip in a seductive grin, one I’d never get out of my mind. “How do you know about the Mud Hens, though?”
“One of my dad’s players and my friends, Bryce, plays for them right now. My parents went to one of his games earlier in the summer, but I couldn’t make it. He has a lot of potential throwing, but he still has some kinks to work out before they call him up.” I sighed, momentarily thinking about Bryce and his arm. I should call my dad the next day to catch them up on my weekend thus far. The thought of my dad made my stomach tighten—we were not on the best of terms. My departure for a school hours away had not sat well with him. But I pushed it to the back of my mind and focused on the handsome guy in front of me.
“That is fucking awesome. I’m glad you decided to move here.” He did his half-smile at me, but I frowned.
“How did you know that?” I never remembered Greta mentioning him as one of her friends and the wheels started turning. I was in a romantic daze where my brain acted slower than normal, but I had a feeling I knew who he was. And it wasn’t a good feeling.
“Jeff told me.” He looked self-conscious but met my eyes. “I was at my sister’s tonight helping her. She really is sick.” He winked again, his magical eyes toying with me. “But I saw a video from Aaron and you were in it. I rushed over here.”
