Baseball is my life, and I love it endlessly, but being away so much is growing harder every year. Don’t get me wrong, the time spent on an airplane is worth it. There’s nothing I would rather do with my life than get to play the greatest sport on Earth.
We won three of the four games against Texas, and Roman was smiling the entire flight back to Vancouver, so there isn’t much to complain about. The team was happy and relieved after losing our last series against them. I played great yesterday and know that a night at home in my own bed will soothe the aches in my body better than any amount of stretching ever will.
Yet something still feels off.
I’m not going straight home from the airport to soak in an ice bath and order from my favourite sandwich shop before going to bed before the sun has set. Instead, I’m sitting shotgun in Wes’ brand-new Bentley on the way to eavesdrop on Aubrey’s next date. The same one I set up from my hotel room this morning.
“Can I be honest about something?” Wes asks, cutting through the silence.
“Of course, man.”
“I never thought I’d see the day when you took to setting Aubs up with a man of your choosing. It was surprising when you let her go out with the guys we suggested, but this? Are you really that unbothered?”
I look across the white-leather interior and arch a brow at him. His smile is coy, wicked in a way that tells me he’s got a lot more to say. Considering how silent he was on the drive to the restaurant recommended to me by Kellan earlier this week, I should have seen this coming. He’s been cooking this up for the last thirty minutes.
“Well, was I supposed to let you try again? She can date who she wants to.”
“No, that’s not what I meant. I actually quite like having my balls intact.”
“So?” I press.
“So, isn’t this weird for you? At all? Not even a little bit?”
I roll out the lactic acid pooling in my shoulder and wince at the lingering soreness. “I don’t see why it would be. This isn’t the first time I’ve set her up with someone. It’s just been a while since I got involved like this.”
“Stop playing, Finn.”
“I’m not playing anything. What’s up with you?”
“How long have we known each other?”
“Seven years.”
“And how long have I known Aubrey?”
I narrow my eyes at the knowing tone of his voice. “The exact same length of time, Wes. Why does this matter?”
“Do you remember the first conversation we ever had in the clubhouse? Because I do, and I also recall the way you lit up when you used about two-thirds of our time together talking about her. Nearly everything you said was about how excited you were to play for the Havoc, but also how your best friend, Aubrey, couldn’t wait to come and meet everyone, too. She wassuch a big fan of the team and hadn’t stopped talking about how excited she was to watch you play here for the first time.”
“I remember. And if my memory serves, you and everyone who was close enough to hear us gave me a hard enough time about it then.”
With a jerky motion, Wes steals an empty spot not too far from the restaurant. When he puts the car in Park, he clicks his tongue on the roof of his mouth. When he twists in his seat, it’s a flat expression that greets me.
“Clearly, there is. I don’t want to bag on you, but I don’t know what the hell you’re doing here.”
“It’s pretty self-explanatory. This is what she wants, so I’m helping her. Sure, I’d prefer her go on dates with men she’s actually interested in and met herself, but you know what’s going on. There isn’t really much time for that.”
His groan is heavy and has my defenses rising. “Cut the shit. That’s not what I’m talking about.”
“Stop with the mind games, Wes. I’m exhausted.”
“You’re seriously not at all bothered by her doing so much dating? It doesn’t make you feel jealous at all to be the one responsible for her spending the night with some random guy?”
“I don’t think she’s going to be spending the night with him,” I snap, surprising myself with the venom suddenly flooding my mouth and chest cavity. With a low clearing of my throat, I shove that reaction away and push forward, ignoring Wes’ probing gaze. “This is for her job.”
My initial reaction doesn’t escape him, and I know exactly what he’s going to say before the words escape.
“And if she did? You wouldn’t be upset?”
