Catch of a Lifetime: A Cricket Creek Novel (3 page)

“No . . . I’m just sayin’. There are some hot ballplayers trying out for the team.”

“Yeah, and I’m old enough to be their mom. No, thank you.”

“There’s always Ty McKenna. You keep giving him the brush-off, but the man is so into you, it’s not even funny.”

“He’s into my food at the diner,” Jessica scoffed, and hoped her face wasn’t beet red. She was not about to admit how she looked forward to seeing Ty walk through the door, or their conversations that were getting longer. “Plus, the man is an absolute player, and I’m not talking baseball.”

“Then play with him.”

“Madison! I can’t believe the stuff that comes out of your mouth.” She rolled her eyes and changed the subject. “But I’m looking forward to opening day. It really should bring much-needed tourism back to town and entertain the locals too. Cricket Creek has always loved baseball, and now we finally have a professional team,” she said breezily, but Madison’s comment brought a hot vision of Ty
McKenna slamming into her brain.
Now,
he
sure as hell looks good for forty,
she thought with a little internal shiver. In fact, Ty could still be playing professional ball, but he had said that he wanted to quit while at the top of his game.
In spite of how she felt about his playboy shenanigans, she had to admire that he had walked away from millions to retain his integrity. Ty was one of the investors in the baseball complex aimed at giving major-league hopefuls a second chance at the big show. Ex-pitcher and hometown hero Noah Falcon spearheaded the project, along with another silent partner. Jessica prayed it would bring back prosperity to the once-booming river town. And while business at the diner had improved since she had taken over last year, the renovations had been more extensive than Jessica had first projected. She inhaled deeply and realized that a glass of wine would hit the spot. “I’m going to head out on the balcony for some fresh air.”

“You might see Owen laying down some mulch down by the stadium. Aunt Myra said he was going to be doing some landscaping over there today.” Madison added over her shoulder, “If he looks up, give him a wave.”

“Will do,” Jessica said as she headed to the kitchen and uncorked a bottle of merlot. She had to smile when she thought of soft-spoken local landscaper Owen Lawson and her spunky aunt Myra falling in love. “Crazy love,” she mumbled with a soft chuckle. After pouring a glass of wine, she opened the sliding door and stepped out onto the balcony overlooking the Ohio River. A cool breeze brought the musky scent of muddy water and a hint of fish, sweetened with the fresh fragrance of budding trees. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply before taking a sip of the smoky merlot. “Wow.” Jessica looked over at the shiny new baseball stadium trimmed in fire-engine red and felt hope blossom in her chest. Opening day was already sold out, and season-ticket sales were going strong. Local merchants were sprucing up their shops with glossy paint and stocking inventory where shelves had been bare. Spring pansies cheerfully spilled out of the planters lining Main Street. After several years of
battling the sluggish economy, the sleepy little river town was rubbing its eyes and coming wide-awake. “Think positive like Madison said,” she whispered. “Everything will fall into place.”

Jessica leaned against the railing and smiled. When she had returned to Cricket Creek last year to help revive her aunt Myra’s diner, she had fully intended to go back to Chicago. But the struggling town had gripped her heart, and instead she had sunk her life savings into the restaurant, using her culinary expertise to update down-home dishes and add modern flair. When they finally got their liquor license, Madison had laughingly called it Wine and Diner, and the new name had stuck. But no matter how amazing the food or how inventive the menu, they still needed customers in the seats, and locals weren’t enough. Jessica inhaled another deep breath and tried to push the constant worry from her mind. Positive thinking wasn’t always easy, but Madison was right about one thing: She needed to kick back and have some fun. Maybe it would ease her stress level back out of the red zone.

Jessica took another sip of wine and wondered what was taking Madison so long, but just when she turned to go inside, she spotted Ty McKenna walking out of the side door of the stadium. She watched his long, purposeful stride toward his Audi TT convertible. His hand was to his ear, so she guessed he must be talking on the phone, and unless he looked up, she could watch him unnoticed. Jessica had been floored when the superstar former center fielder had decided to settle down and manage the Cricket Creek Cougars, but she wondered how long it would be before the bright lights, big city called him back to party. Jessica supposed Ty was simply protecting his investment, but she doubted that he would last long in a small town. She watched him open the door of his sleek silver convertible, but he paused to laugh instead of folding his long
frame into the small car. The rich sound of his sexy voice drifted upward and held her rooted to the spot.

Jessica sighed once more. The man was eleven floors down and across a parking lot and still managed to make her heart beat faster. “Damn him!” she whispered.

And just like that, he looked up.

T
he building was fifteen stories high and five balconies across, and yet when Ty raised his gaze, he immediately zoned in on the corner condo where Jessica Robinson was standing. Even at this distance, he knew it was the hot little chef who had been keeping him up at night—unfortunately, only in his dreams and not in the soft, silky flesh. The setting sun glinted off of her golden hair, and in his imagination he could smell the subtle scent of her vanilla and lily-of-the-valley perfume. He knew what it was because he had asked her one night at the restaurant. While she had answered in a clipped tone, the blush in her cheeks had told Ty a different story. She wasn’t as immune to him as she pretended. He swallowed, unable to tear his gaze from where she stood, and the conversation he was having with Noah Falcon faded into the background.

Jessica made no movement to acknowledge him. Ty knew that although she might seem to be gazing out over the river, she saw him standing there. He could feel it. He thought about waving, but for some reason that felt dorky.
Should I give her a little salute?
God, no, that was even dorkier!
Incline my head?
Ty ground his teeth together,
gripped the phone tighter, and simply stood there, feeling like a love-struck fool.

“Ty? Hey, man, are you there?” Noah asked.

“Yeah,” he answered absently. No other woman had ever gotten to him the way Jessica Robinson did. He tried to convince himself that it was all about the chase, but he knew better.

Everything
about her sucked him right in.

For a moment he thought she waved to him, but he realized that she was lifting a glass to her lips. God . . . the thought of her lush mouth made his breath catch, but try as he might, she continued to keep him at arm’s length. The only conversation he could get her to engage in was about cooking. Luckily, he was a total foodie, which was one of the reasons he had frequented Chicago Blue Bistro. Jessica’s menu was inventive and delicious but without the pretence of chefs who went overboard with presentation at the expense of substance. He loved what she was doing with Wine and Diner and was truly fascinated with the process, but Ty knew that Jessica thought he was simply trying to get in her pants. He couldn’t blame her. He had built quite a reputation for himself during his major-league days, and he had his reasons for keeping up that persona, even though now it was coming back to bite him in the ass. He wasn’t exactly what he seemed, but he wondered if he could ever convince Jessica otherwise.

“Are you going to answer my question?” Noah’s voice at the other end of the line again brought Ty out of his trance. “Dude, did you fall asleep on me?”

“Sorry.” Ty dropped his gaze and turned away from the high-rise. “I was distracted. What did you ask?”

“I wondered what you thought of that young pitcher, Logan Lannigan.”

Ty shrugged. “He used to throw some real heat, but an elbow injury screwed him up.”

“He was probably overworked as a kid growing up,”
Noah grumbled. “My dad was careful not to let that happen to me. I hate when coaches and even parents care more about winning than the health of the kids. Pisses me the hell off.”

“Oh, I know.” Ty nodded in agreement and thought of his own overbearing father. “Damn, I hear ya on that one. I’ve seen it all too often myself. Lannigan is working on an effective slider and cutter so he doesn’t have to rely on smokin’ a fastball past the batter. If he can do that, he’ll be a real asset and perhaps be able to claw his way back into the minor leagues, maybe as a middle reliever at first rather than a starter. But I want to make sure his arm is ready. He came back too soon from his Tommy John surgery.”

“Do you think he’s a bit of a head case?” Noah wanted to know.

“Oh yeah. Lannigan thinks he’s God’s gift to baseball and that playing for this league is beneath him, but it’s his only chance to prove he’s still got game, and he damned well knows it.”

“So you’re on board with adding him to the roster?”

Ty nodded again. “Yeah, I figured you could whip his ass into shape. Show him how to throw some breaking stuff. Throw with his head and not just his arm.”

“All right, so we’re on the same page. And, Ty. Look, I know you’re all about that crazy catcher Tate Boone, but we’ve got to talk about that one.”

“He’s a bit of a nut job,” Ty agreed with the lift of one shoulder. “But the kid has some talent. I think we should give him a shot.”

“Okay . . . but he has to calm it down a bit.”

Ty laughed. “You sure about that? He could be a real crowd pleaser. And local boy Reed Wilson is a helluva shortstop.”

“Ty, come on. The boy can’t hit in the clutch. And he’s too damned small.”

“I know he chokes, but we can work with that,” Ty as
sured Noah. “Everyone told me I was too small, and I worked my ever-lovin’ ass off to prove myself.”

“Yeah, but you grew six inches after high school. Most kids don’t.”

“I want him on the team,” Ty answered firmly. “Hustle goes a long way with me. He’ll have plenty of local backing and keep asses in the seats.” Plus, Reed reminded Ty of himself as a young player, and he wanted to give the kid a fair shot.

Noah sighed at the other end of the line. “Okay, I’ll respect your judgment on this one. Hey, by the way, are you going over to Sully’s for Jessica’s surprise fortieth-birthday bash? I just got a call from Madison, and she finally got her stubborn mother to head on over there. Evidently, it took some doing.”

Imagine that,
Ty thought, but then frowned. “I didn’t know anything about it.” He felt a bit put out that he hadn’t been invited. Of course, the way Jessica constantly pushed him away, he supposed he shouldn’t be surprised. Even Noah had no idea how much he was into Jessica. He found his thoughts drifting to her throughout the day. And she could deny it all she wanted, but whenever they were in the same room, you could cut the sexual tension with a knife.

“Well, listen, man. I’ve got to get over to Sully’s now to be there for the surprise, or Olivia will have my ass in a sling.”

“You are so whipped,” Ty commented with a low chuckle; in fact, the schoolteacher was a total sweetheart and he liked her a lot.

“Yeah, I am and I love it,” Noah acknowledged without hesitation. “It makes me happy just to see Olivia smile.”

“Dude, you’ve got to hand over your man card with that sappy statement. Come on . . .
really
? ‘I just want to see her smile,’” Ty chided in a falsetto, but Noah simply laughed.

“Quit giving me a hard time.”

“Where’s the fun in that?”

“Right,” Noah scoffed. “Karma is gonna get ya. You’re gonna fall so damned hard, and I’m gonna laugh my fool ass off when you do.”

“Ain’t gonna happen,” Ty said, but had to use extreme willpower not to glance back up at the balcony.

“Whatever. But seriously, you should come on over to the party. I’m surprised that Olivia hasn’t told you about it. She still has it in her head that you and Jessica would make a cute couple.”

“She tried that last summer, remember? Didn’t work.” Except for a hot kiss that haunted Ty still.

“Olivia’s not one to give up easily. Come on over.”

“I might pop in for a little while,” Ty replied in a noncommittal tone, but knew he wouldn’t pass up the chance to get up close and personal with Jessica. He just might have to give the birthday girl another kiss. “Catch ya later.” After ending the call, he couldn’t help himself and glanced up at the balcony.

She was gone.

Ty raked his fingers through his damp hair. He’d showered in the locker room when tryouts ended and had been wondering what to do with his free evening. Now he knew, but he glanced down at his outfit and grimaced. The faded Lucky jeans were his favorite pair, but he didn’t want to show up in a weathered T-shirt, and yet didn’t feel like going all the way over to the extended-stay hotel to change. Ty was so glad that he was going to move into a condo in the high-rise as soon as the unit he chose was freshly painted. Walking to work was going to be damned sweet, and he loved the river view. In fact, he was seriously considering buying a boat.

Ty inhaled a deep breath and shook his head. When presented with the offer to invest in the stadium and to manage the Cougars, he had been worried that he would go stir-crazy here in Small Town, USA, but Cricket Creek, Kentucky, was already growing on him. In truth, he couldn’t
remember being this relaxed on a day-to-day basis. Time moved slower here. People waved and shouted greetings like “Hey, y’all” or “How y’all doin’?” And Ty had learned that the correct response was “Doin’ all right.”

Ty grinned and then shook his head slowly. Who would have thought he’d be worrying about what to wear to a fortieth birthday party in a honky-tonk bar? With a snap of his fingers, he remembered that he had a clean, light blue striped polo in his duffel bag. “There’s my answer,” he mumbled, and popped open his trunk. A minute later, he tugged his T-shirt over his head and located the polo. It was a little bit wrinkled, but he shook it out and was about to pull it on when he heard the soft, husky voice of Jessica Robinson close by.