Perfect Catch(23)

“And then what? Say it goes great. Say I like you and you like me, and we spend the next three weeks together and it’s all sunshine and rainbows and unicorns. Maybe Olivia thinks you’re great. Maybe I do too.”

“Would that be so bad?”

“Right up until you leave it would be great. What happens after? You run off to California and we’re still here. Forgotten.”

“Alice…”

“Don’t pretend like this can have some fairytale ending. I’ve met baseball players. There’s not a single white knight among you.”

Alex recoiled as if she’d struck him. “Okay, we want hypotheticals? How’s this? I only live in San Fran during the season, and for half of that time I’m on the road. Do you know where I live the other half of the year?”

Alice said nothing.

“I live in Georgia. Do you want me to get Google Maps out? It’s not exactly an insurmountable distance.”

“Now you want to talk about the potential for a relationship?”

“Oh my God, Alice, why are you making this so difficult? I like you, I want to know you better, and I don’t want you using something like my job—my summer only job—to be your excuse not to spend time with me.”

The full shame of her outburst settled over her. She’d been badgering him as if he intended to propose, yet angry because she expected him to hit it and quit it. She was bouncing back and forth between her excuses so frequently they had gotten all jumbled, and none of them made sense anymore.

“Stay here.” She made the short jog up the stairs and handed him the paper bag she’d been clutching, then vanished into the house.

Inside, the living room was flooded with blue light from the television, and she popped her head into the space. Kevin was sprawled on the couch, a beer in one hand and an unsmiling expression on his face. He glanced up when she entered, and lifted his brows by way of greeting. “Hey.”

“Hi.” She leaned against the wall. “How long has he been here?”

“Who, Captain Baseball? I dunno, an hour I guess.”

“You didn’t think to invite him in?”

Kevin snorted and took a swig from the bottle, elongating the pause before he answered. “You wouldn’t have maimed me too terribly for that. Nah, I asked, but he said he didn’t want to interrupt if you weren’t here. Liv had already gone to bed when he showed up. No biggie.”

Alice gnawed on her lower lip, not sure how impressed she ought to be with Alex for his timing and consideration. He was doing everything right, and all she could do was yell at him for it.

“How was she?”

“Liv?”

“No, my other daughter. Yes, of course Liv.”

“Good, I guess. She’s on this kick right now of asking about everything. Like…everything. She wants to know why people on shows do stuff, why characters in books say things, why, why, why, you know?”

“Oh yes. I know.” It had started out really cute, a flashback to Olivia’s toddler days when why had been a constant question. Only now the questions were harder and often revolved around Liv’s father. Alice wondered what the questions would become when, or if, she threw Alex into the picture.

“Is he still here?” Kevin’s gaze drifted to the big front window. From his lowered angle on the couch it would have been difficult to see the porch or the driveway.

“Yeah, he’s still here.”

“Want me to tell him to fuck off?”

“Nah.” No sense in pointing out she’d already tried and it had only managed to make her feel like an asshole. She traipsed into the kitchen and collected two wineglasses and a corkscrew, then headed back to the porch where Alex was sitting patiently, the wine bottle in hand. Alice took the chair next to him and handed him the glasses while reclaiming the bottle.

Once they both had a full goblet of cabernet, she sank back in her chair and let out a sigh, relieved to be off her feet for the first time all day.

“I’m sorry,” she said, feeling the need to be the first to break their companionable silence. “I get… I can get a bit bitchy, but I guess you’ve figured that out.”

“No idea what you’re talking about.” He smirked and sipped his wine. “I think your personality is, to borrow your phrasing, sunshine and rainbows.”

“Oh. You’re a deluded maniac. No wonder you like me.”

“Sorry, you were saying something about what a bitch you can be?”

“Touché. I think what I was trying to do is apologize. For last night. For today. All of it. I have my own…issues, and I think you’re getting the brunt of the fallout.”