Baseball and Other Lessons (Devil's Ranch Book 2) (32 page)

The situation really was kind of ridiculous.

“Seriously, guys. What the hell did I just see?”

Jenn surprised him by stepping to the side and facing Chase head-on. “You just saw two adults kissing each other. I realize it might be a lot for your pre-pubescent brain to comprehend right now, but I promise you you’ll understand it one day.”

Matt really wanted to turn around and see Chase’s face at that, but considering the raging hard-on he had right now he didn’t think that would be the best idea. And then Jenn stepped between him and Chase, close enough so he could still feel her. Matt turned, effectively shielding the situation in his shorts from his brother’s view for the time-being.

“I know what I just saw, smartass.” Chase’s brown eyes had gone almost black—a sure sign he was pissed off. “What I don’t understand is why you were kissing each other. Y’all hate each other.”

Matt sighed. “I thought we’d cleared that one up?”

Chase waved a hand in the air, and for the first time Matt noticed the butcher knife.

Well, that escalated quickly.

Matt glanced at Chase’s hand. His brother turned his head, saw the butcher knife and lowered his hand. “I’m gonna go set this down in the kitchen real quick.”

“That might be a good idea,” Matt said.

Jenn’s body shook with silent laughter as Chase walked back into the kitchen.

Matt whispered to Jenn, “Sorry. I’m not sure what happened. I just saw you and couldn’t not kiss you.”

She looked up at him, a small smile playing at her lips. “It’s okay. We were gonna get busted sooner or later.”

“You’re not upset?”

She shrugged. “I told Jo everything last night. It was time.”

“Everything?” he asked, wondering if that meant everything now or everything
everything
.

“Everything. The whole sordid ten-year mess.”

He dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “You okay after that?”

She reached back, grabbed his hand and squeezed before letting it go again. “I’m okay.”

“How’s Jo?” he asked somewhat belatedly.

“Hurt but determined. Slightly hungover. She’s on her way back to Austin now.”

Chase finally walked back into the living room, gave them a cautious glance and leaned against the back of the couch. He crossed his arms and pinned them with a stare Matt had seen numerous times during Chase’s pitching days.

He almost laughed again. Almost.

“So does anyone care to explain what the hell is going on?”

“Well, see, when two people like each other they sometimes express that by kissing and touching each other. Sometimes they even have sex,” Jenn said.

“You are such a smartass,” Chase muttered.

Matt laughed, causing Chase to narrow his eyes.

“And you. What the hell, man? I told you not to hurt her.”

Matt held his hands up in the air. “Did it look like I was hurting her?”

“You know what I mean.”

“No, I don’t. Why don’t you spell it out for me?” He did know what Chase meant, but he wanted his brother to spell it out. Some masochistic part of himself needed to know just how little his brother thought of him at times.

“You don’t stick, Matt. You go from woman to woman. Find ‘em, fuck ‘em and forget ‘em, right?”

Jenn tensed in front of him and he wanted to punch Chase in the face. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Chase snorted. “Bullshit. How many times have I heard you say that in the past? Too many. If this were anyone other than Jenn I wouldn’t give a shit—you’re a grown man and make your own decisions. But that’s my best friend you were just kissing. My best friend who’s like a sister to me, which, by the way, makes what I just saw even weirder.”

“Chase, seriously. I know you love me and I love you, too, but what’s going on between Matt and me is our business alone. Besides, you’re kind of the last person I would go to for relationship advice right now all things considered.”

Go, Jenn.

Chase dragged a hand through his hair and blew out a long breath. “I know I fucked up with Jo, and I have a plan to fix it. Right now, though, I’m trying not to throat punch my brother.”

Jenn stepped away from Matt and stepped towards Chase until they were virtually nose to nose. She poked him in the chest as she spoke. “You are not going to throat punch him. He just had brain surgery for crying out loud!”

Jenn protecting him made him feel weirdly warm and gooey. Matt rubbed a hand over his chest at the sensation, not knowing what to do with it.

“Jenn, seriously, what are you thinking here? You hate Matt.”

Jenn took a step back and stuck her hands in the back pockets of the denim skirt she was wearing. The same denim skirt that showed off her long legs and had made his tongue nearly stick to the roof of his mouth.

“I don’t hate Matt. I’ve never really hated Matt. There was a misunderstanding once, a long time ago, but we’ve talked about it and we’re fine.”

Chase narrowed his eyes. “That’s the second time in less than twenty-four hours I’ve been told there was some sort of ‘‘misunderstanding’ between you two.”

“Dude, let it go,” Matt said in the same tone of voice he often used with rookies.

Chase threw his hands up in the air. “Whatever. Everyone around me is clearly going effing nuts these days.”

“Yeah, including yourself.”

Chase grimaced at Jenn’s words. “Yes, including me.”

“Speaking of,” Jenn shoved Chase in the chest, pushing him back a couple of inches. “What. The. Fuck. You’ve been sick all this time—for freaking
years
—and never said one single god damned word to me about it. So imagine my surprise when I find out last night you’re sick—like really sick—and are going to need a
fucking kidney transplant
! And then, to top it off, you broke up with Jo? Seriously, Chase? What the fucking fuck?”

Matt walked the few steps it took to reach Jenn and calmly touched her shoulder. She wheeled around and looked up at him, and he could see all of her hurt and confusion and anger written all over her face. He wanted to make it better, but this wasn’t his to fix. This one belonged to Chase.

For some reason that thought rubbed him the wrong way.

Almost like he was jealous. Of his brother.

And isn’t that just messed up?

“And you knew all this time and didn’t say anything to me, either.”

“It’s not my story to tell.”

She nodded once, understanding what had remained unspoken—that she of all people should get that. She turned back to Chase, but leaned slightly in to Matt, almost as if she needed the support or simply wanted to be near him.

Whichever it was, he was more than happy to oblige, and he wrapped a hand around her hip.

Chase looked down and then back up, shaking his head. “This is way too weird for me.”

“Stop changing the subject,” Jenn’s tone brooked no argument.

Matt would bet hard-earned money she’d just used her teacher voice on his brother.

Chase grimaced. “I should have said something, I know that. I just didn’t know how, especially considering we didn’t know when or if it would even get to this point. I didn’t want to worry you, and I think by not telling people what was going on it was my way of avoiding reality.”

“I get that. Believe me, I completely understand keeping secrets as a way of avoiding reality.”

Chase once again flicked his gaze between the two of them, curiosity in his eyes. “Something tells me there’s a whole lot to this story y’all aren’t telling me.”

Jenn shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not. We’re not the subject at hand here.”

Chase sighed and Matt almost laughed. “Fine. I’ll get to the bottom of this eventually, though.”

“Probably. But until I’m willing to tell you the entire story, back off, okay?”

“Fair enough.”

Jenn relaxed under his hand. “At any rate, I kinda sorta told Jo I was going to kick your ass for her.”

A pained expression crossed his face. “I figured you probably had. How is she?”

“A little hungover and probably on her way back to Austin by now. She was going to Gran’s to pack up her stuff and was leaving right after that since she has to be back at work in a few days anyway. She figured she could get settled in this afternoon, clean up and go grocery shopping tomorrow before the work week started.”

Chase tunneled his hands through his hair before rubbing them over his face. “I fucked up bad.”

“Hello, Captain Obvious.”

Matt snorted at Jenn’s comment.

Chase just looked like he wanted to cry, which was kind of disturbing considering his brother was a grown ass man, but then determination etched his features instead and Chase said, “Okay, I have a plan, but I could really use your help, too, if you think you can forgive me.”

Jenn stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Chase’s neck. “Of course I can forgive you. I’ll even forgive you enough to give you a kidney.”

Matt swallowed the lump that had suddenly lodged itself in his throat. NO way was he going to cry like his brother, though.

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I know. But I love you, and that’s what friends are for, right?”

“Right.”

Jenn stepped back towards Matt. “So what’s this plan of yours?”

Chapter Twenty-Two

Matt: Chilling out with Chase today. He’s beating himself up pretty bad.

Jenn: As he should be. He’s an idiot. ;-)

Matt: He knows he’s an idiot.

Jenn: I know. And have fun with mopey pants.

Matt: Mopey pants?

Jenn: It’s a Jennism. Don’t question it.

Matt: Jennism? Is that a thing?

Jenn: It is now.

Matt: Fair enough. I have a DR appointment tomorrow. OK if I come by when I get back into town?

Jenn: I guess. ;-) Good luck.

“So I have some
good news and some bad news. Which do you want first?”

Matt resisted the urge to glare at Dr. Cushon as he walked into the exam room, and instead said, “I guess good news first. I could use some.”

Dr. Cushon sat on the stool and smiled. “The good news is that I can clear you for all activities.”

A mixture of emotions pinged through him. Relief. Elation. Brief panic. “That’s great. So what’s the bad news?”

“Well, the bad news is that while I can clear you for all activities, the team doctor’s still nervous about you getting back out on the mound.”

“I can deal with Andrews.”

Dr. Cushon raised an eyebrow. “If you say so. I don’t doubt you can. At any rate, you’re free to go. Just be careful with your head, listen to your body, yada yada yada.”

The neurologist stood and held out his hand for Matt to shake. He stood and took the doctor’s hand, his thoughts spinning in his head. “What, no lectures about how I should step away from baseball?” he teased.

“You already know how I feel about that. You’re a grown man, and it does no good to lecture you.”

“Could you try telling that to my mom?”

Dr. Cushon laughed at Matt’s joke. “I’ll see if I can write out a prescription for that. In the meantime, though, it’s been a pleasure working with you, Matt, and I really do wish you nothing but the best.”

Matt nodded. “Thanks. I appreciate that. And thanks for dealing with me. I know I can’t have been the easiest patient in the world.”

“Easier than some, more stubborn than some, but that’s partially why you’re such a great athlete.” He turned towards the door. “Anyway, it’s been great working with you. Good luck.”

And with that, Matt was left alone in the exam room, the weight of future decisions weighing heavily on his healed brain.

#

“The team wants me at the Triple-A club tomorrow.”

Jenn stepped back and opened the door completely, her head spinning with a million different questions with Matt’s sudden announcement. He stepped inside and she closed the door behind him, turning the lock for good measure.

They stood there, staring at each other, and instead of elation she saw cautious happiness tinged with doubt etched across his features. She reached up and touched his cheek with her fingertips. “I’m happy for you. I really am.”

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in close, resting his chin on her head. He breathed deeply, and she wrapped her arms around his back.

“Are you really happy for me?” he asked, his words slightly muffled by her hair.

She nodded. “Of course I am. This is what you wanted, right?”

His hold on her tightened. “Of course it is.”

He didn’t sound like he was convincing himself much less her.

She curled her hands into his polo shirt, grabbing the only anchor she could find in the storm of emotions that seemed to be swirling around him. “What’s wrong, hon?”