"You didn't tell me you were a baseball superstar," Mav said as she edged off the base a couple of feet and waited to hit second.
"We all have secrets," she said, moving another couple of inches toward second.
Then so fast she almost missed it, Jon turned and threw the ball to Mav, making her drop down and slide back to the base before he tagged her out. Her forward motion was too fast, though, and she connected with Mav's legs.
The ball went flying and Mav teetered in the air before toppling over, landing right on top of her. The breath rushed from her lungs and then the field faded away as their eyes connected.
"If you wanted me on top of you, all you had to do was ask," he murmured before closing the gap between them and taking her lips hard and fast.
Lindsey was completely enchanted by him, forgetting all about the game-until she heard the catcalls from the other players.
Mortified by what she was doing, Lindsey pushed against Mav's chest, and with obvious reluctance, he pulled back, his eyes heated and confused.
"Do you two want some privacy?" Jon called out through laughter.
Mav got his wits back and scrambled to his feet to help her up. The scarlet hue on her cheeks was enough to guide a sleigh as the game resumed, along with a bunch of snickers from the guys.
Though there was a lot more flirting going on the rest of the evening, Lindsey took it in stride. This team was a group of really great guys with pretty dang big hearts.
When it was all over she was disappointed to leave. But she didn't walk away empty-handed. The team signed her jersey, insisting she leave it on while they did it, making her giggle and causing Mav to scowl. They gave her some baseballs and other gear and told her she'd better come back and visit them again.
She'd thought dog walking had been the best day ever, but playing baseball at Safeco Field would be unbeatable. She felt almost in another world as she rode back to her cottage with Maverick.
She even allowed Mav to hold her hand as he walked her to her door, not once trying to pull it away. She wasn't sure how the evening was going to end-or how she wanted it to end. He'd already kissed her a few times now. And she was sort of hoping for another kiss as they reached her door.
But then the door swung open.
"Did you two have a good evening?"
Sherman was standing there, holding Princess in his arms as he grinned at both of them ear to ear.
"It was amazing. We played baseball with the Mariners," she told him, feeling all the excitement all over again.
"There's nothing quite like being on a major league field, is there?" Sherman asked her as Princess wiggled in his arms to be let down.
"Have you done that before?" she asked, taking Princess in her arms. Lindsey was immediately attacked with kisses as Princess squirmed her greetings.
"What are you doing here, Uncle Sherm?" Maverick asked as he followed Lindsey into the house.
"I showed up to visit with Cooper, and when the kids got tired I told them I'd watch Princess until you two got home."
"That was thoughtful." Though Mav said the words, Lindsey was picking up on some weird vibes between uncle and nephew. She wasn't quite sure what that was all about.
"I'm a helpful guy," Sherman said with a wink.
"I'm sure you two have a lot to talk about this evening. I'll leave you youngsters alone. I did leave out a bottle of wine for an after-date drink, though," he said with a sly smile as he gathered up his coat.
"It wasn't a date. We were speaking to the manager about the fund-raiser," Lindsey was quick to point out.
Mav grumbled something that made Sherman smile, but didn't correct her, thankfully.
"How did the meeting go?" Sherman asked.
"Perfectly," Mav said, almost sounding impatient, which confused Lindsey. She didn't want Sherman to feel unwelcome.
"You don't have to rush off. I'm on sort of an adrenaline high right now from the game and stuff," Lindsey said, trying to fix the situation. "Would you like a glass of wine?"
"Thanks for the offer, but I have to drive home. Even half a glass is too much for me these days when I have to get behind the wheel," he told her. Then he leaned in and kissed her cheek before she could even think about stopping him.
Lindsey automatically took a step closer to Maverick without thinking about it. And just like that, Sherman disappeared out the door.
"My uncle is quite meddlesome," Maverick said with a laugh as he took a step away from her.
She didn't like the instant feeling of emptiness when he wasn't close. That didn't bode well for her sanity.
"I'm going to take off too. I'd feel better if I see that Sherman gets home safe and sound. He might not want to admit it, but his eyes aren't the best these days," Maverick told her.
"You're not staying at Coop's tonight?" she asked, surprised by the disappointment. When had she gone from not wanting him so close to almost needing him nearby?
"Not tonight. I miss my bed," he said. Then there was a look in his eyes like he wanted to say something more, but he began making his way toward the door and she brushed it aside. She must be imagining things.
"Thank you again for taking me out to the field, Mav," she said shyly, setting Princess down and following him to the door. He faced her on the porch and gave her a sizzling look before smiling.
"It was my pleasure," he said, and then he took off at a brisk pace back to his truck. She watched him pull from the driveway before she went back inside and sat down, Princess immediately jumping into her lap to curl up.
Sitting there for a while, she petted her dog, finding the peace she'd been without for a while. Between Maverick and the dog, she really did feel like she was letting go of the fears that had held her in their grasp for too long.
Later that night when she curled up in bed with Princess snuggled to her side again, she realized Mav was right about it all. These excursions were helping her in a way nothing else had been able to.
She was beginning to become more herself. And now that she was finding her happiness again, she wasn't so sure she was willing to let it go.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
As good as Lindsey was at pacing, she considering applying to have it recognized as an Olympic sport. She certainly would win gold if it were. Chewing on a nail on one hand, she looked down at her other, which was gripping her phone.
To call or not to call, that was the question. She hadn't heard from Maverick in a few days. Now that really wasn't much time at all, but she hadn't really thanked him properly either after her incredible night of baseball.
The man had taken her out twice on dates-yes, she was admitting they were dates. He could say it was about the fund-raising, but really, they'd spent a total of a half hour talking to one donor and they'd spent hours having fun. He might be sneaky on how he did things, but really, he was smarter than she would have ever given him credit for. Her time with him at these events had been fun. He was thoughtful and considerate, and she had to admit, she had an incredible time when she was with Maverick.
So how did one thank a person for going above and beyond to make your day absolutely unbelievable? The only thing she could think of was baking. She was a great baker. She couldn't cook super well, but she could bake as well as Betty Crocker.
Was Betty Crocker an actual person? Or was she a brand? Maybe she'd have to look that up sometime. Ugh! Shaking her head, she continued walking a circle around the path surrounding the guest cottage.
Her nails were down to nothing, and her phone was hot from being squeezed so tightly in her other hand. This was so stupid. He'd said he wanted her to chair his event and she'd agreed. That meant he obviously planned on seeing her again.
So it wasn't a big deal for her to call him up and invite him over for dessert. It didn't mean anything, really. It was just a thank you from her to him for believing in her when a lot of people would have given up.
She stopped walking and plopped down on the patio chair as Princess sniffed the bushes looking for a place to go potty. The dog had been following her the entire time she'd been pacing and was probably exhausted. At least Princess was getting exercise.
Lindsey looked at the phone as if it were her mortal enemy and then decided a text message was just as good as a phone call. And that way if he couldn't come, she wouldn't have to hear his voice. He'd just say "Thanks but no thanks." Easy peasy.
Now the key was to not sound too dang needy. That she could do. It was simple. She was just going to give out a quick invite. Still, she retyped it a dozen times before she finally decided the message was good enough.
I'm baking today. If you aren't busy, or if you have a sweet tooth, I'll have extra. No big deal.
Before she could change her mind, she hit Send. Then, of course, she began second-guessing herself. What if that did sound sort of needy? She was getting ready to send another message that said she might not bake after all when her phone chimed. Her fingers trembling, she opened the message.