He could only imagine what else Gunner had heard. He remained quiet, hoping his stony silence would intimidate Gunner into shutting his trap and throwing the stupid ball. Gunner waited as if he had all afternoon to stand there and get an answer to his asinine question. Brayden pulled his chin down. “Yep. Throw the ball.”
Gunner did. This one hit the plate. Newton dropped to his knees to block the ball and recovered it quickly, sending it back to Gunner.
“So you’re not a thing anymore?”
Athing? That’s what people said these days. We’re a thing. We have a thing. You two are a thing. What did that even mean? He could have easily classified what theywere. They were in love. They had a committed, healthy relationship. They were best friends. They created kisses that inspired romance songs. They were solid.
And he’d pushed it all away. “We’re not dating.”
“Good.” Gunner wound up and threw a beautiful cutter. He turned and grinned at Brayden with anI winglint in his eyes.
Brayden headed for the exit. He should stay and oversee Gunner’s progress, but he couldn’t stand to answer any more questions about Tilly. Talking about her in the past tense was like walking over his heart’s grave on the night of a full moon while carrying a strand of garlic. “Throw fifty more and then you can gloat.”
Gunner laughed. “I wasn’t gloating about the pitch.”
Brayden slammed through the doors. “I really hate that kid,” he muttered.
Chapter Sixteen
Tilly
Tilly couldn’t quite get over Gunner’s wink. Not that she liked it in a girly-giggle kind of way, but she liked knowing that she’d caught someone’s eye. That she still had it and that men noticed.
She stood in front of the mirror where those stupid ticket stubs were still tucked into the frame, and took a hard look at herself. She had bags under her eyes and a few more lines on her forehead than she remembered having before. Her dreads hung down to her triceps. She picked one up and looked it over. She always kept her hair clean and smelling nice. There was a fine line with dreads between being hip and different and being weird and different. She’d always thought that she’d walked that line with finesse, but it was time for a change. She had the whole morning off. Her tour didn’t start until two that afternoon, and then she’d work the home plate section during the game that night. If she got to a salon soon, she could be a new woman before she arrived for her shift.
Tilly rubbed her head. Four hours in a swivel chair with several hands working combs and conditioner through her dreads had tugged her scalp sore. The result was undeniably shocking. She couldn’t wait to show Elise.
Looking both ways, she dodged down hallways and around corners without seeing Brayden. She wasn’t quite sure what he’d think of her new look, and wasn’t ready to reveal it to him either. He’d loved her dreads. She couldn’t count the number of times he’d lifted one between his fingers and played with it before pressing a kiss to her lips.
Sigh. She missed kissing him. He was so talented with those lips.
She slipped into the PT room and tapped Elise on the shoulder. Elise spun around, and her jaw dropped. “Wow!” She grabbed the hair by Tilly’s neck and lifted it off her shoulders. “Holy moly. This is so crazy.”
Tilly laughed. “I thought the dreads were crazy.”
“Oh my gosh! I can’t believe how long it is. I think it’s almost as long as mine.”
“I know. I didn’t realize how much hair was here.” Tilly ran her fingers through the strands all the way to the ends. She hadn’t stopped playing with it since she left the salon. The vast amount of conditioner they’d used had done wonders. “I promised to go back for some layers or something in a couple weeks, but I just want to let it hang loose.” She giggled.
Elise nodded. “It’ssopretty. All those natural highlights. I’m jealous.”
“Stop. Your hair is stunning.” Elise had red hair, the kind supermodels paid big bucks for and spent hours maintaining.
Elise made a face. “I can’t stop looking at you. You look so different.”
“Good different?” Tilly bit her lip. What if Brayden hated it? She shouldn’t even care if he liked her new look, but she did.
“Yeah. I mean, you’ve always been gorgeous, but this is just amazing.” Elise grabbed her hands. “Has Brayden seen you?”
“Not yet. I’m still trying to avoid him. Going cold turkey is much easier that bumping into him over and over again.” She forced a laugh. “That makes me sound like a Brayden addict or something.”
Elise frowned in sympathy. “You’re amazing. I think I’d still be crying every day.”
“I can’t. I work with children.” Tilly glanced at the clock on the wall. “Speaking of that, I’d better get going. My tour starts soon.”
“Go get ’em, girl.” Elise grinned. “And let Brayden see you—he’ll eat his heart out.”
Tilly laughed her way to the front lobby, where her little class of fifth graders waited. ShewantedBrayden to eat his heart out. The image she’d left with Maverik was kind of pathetic. No makeup, tears, and once again all beat up and brokenhearted. She didn’t want to be like that. She didn’t want to be seen as the pining, damaged ex, even if that was exactly what she was.
