Caught (Men of the Show Book 3) (2 page)

Peeking out the side window by the front door, Matt saw her car no longer sat in the driveway. He sighed, relieved that perhaps the drama was over, and returned to the kitchen. Natalie had pretty much killed what little appetite he’d had after the loss, but he had to eat something. Otherwise, his stomach would wake him up in the middle of the night starving and he hated that. He wanted nothing more than to pack up and head home to Arizona and be away from everything—Natalie, Detroit, the Rockets, baseball, women. He wanted to get away from it all and forget, but leaving wasn’t an option. He had a lot to do before then and one of them included standing up in Jerry’s wedding.
 

And now, a new addition to his list. He had to change his locks.

Chapter 2

Resting her forehead against the steering wheel of her rental car, Shannon Morrison turned off the engine and let out a deep breath, more than happy to be off the road. The usual forty-five minute drive from the airport to her sister Karen’s house had taken close to two hours because of a fresh snowfall, and her eyes were beginning to cross. And after barely making her flight out of Chicago because she’d been convinced she could squeeze in a last-minute consultation before taking off for a long weekend, her tank was empty.

The front door opened as she trudged up the steps in her heels, trying not to slip and twist an ankle. She smiled at her soon-to-be brother-in-law, Jerry Smutton.

“You made it,” Jerry said with a big grin as his brown eyes twinkled at her. He reached forward to grab her bag out of her hand.

“Ugh!
 
What a horrible drive.”

“I could have picked you up. You didn’t need to rent a car.”
 
He pulled her into a hug.

“I know, I know. My parents offered as well, but it’ll be easier for everyone if I have my own ride.”

He took her jacket from her. “Well, thank God you’re finally here. She’s been going back and forth all day between being happy you’re coming and bitching that you’re not here yet. Now she’ll shut up.”

Despite the timing of the wedding not being the best for her schedule, Shannon was excited to return home for Detroit’s version of the Wedding of the Century. The ceremonies were still a few days away but Karen had declared, in her own dramatic fashion, she needed Shannon home early and, if not, then she should prepare for World War III. It wasn’t as if Shannon wasn’t planning to get there as soon as she could, but Karen was already slightly irritated at her due to her lack of participation in any of the planning. Shannon really had wanted to help, had had every intention to, but work had always gotten in the way. Even Shannon had to admit her involvement was appalling if she didn’t even know which groomsman she was walking down the aisle with (which she didn’t) and she’d only seen her dress in a picture online. She’d failed as a little sister and co-Maid of Honor, and guilt would eat at her for a long time, but Karen understood, as she always did. She recognized the pressure put on Shannon from her job and, while she bitched about it, she respected it.

Shannon laughed and headed toward the kitchen. “Where is the lovely bride-to-be anyway?”

Walking through the archway, she found Karen exactly where she always was—behind the stove. She had her Because I Said So apron on and her blond hair shoved into a messy bun. She was chopping a variety of vegetables on a cutting board, but she stopped and put the knife down, her blue gaze hard as she took her in from head to toe.

Shannon rolled her eyes. “Yes, I’m here, in the flesh, and in one piece.”

Karen’s mouth twisted as she fought a smile before stepping around the island to pull her into her arms. “It’s about friggin’ time.”

“Sorry. I got here as soon as I could get away from work.”

As an Associate Attorney in the law offices of Bickles, Bickles and Barnes, Shannon was at the bottom of the totem pole and therefore, requesting time off was not encouraged, but this was for Karen, her only sibling, and so of course, Shannon had asked for the personal time. Consequently, however, no doubt her schedule was going to be a bitch when she returned, and new grunge tasks would show up on her to-do list. But she’d suck it up and pay her dues.

Karen squeezed her tighter before going back to her chopping. “You work too damn much, it’s unhealthy, but I’m so glad you’re here. Everything finally feels real now.”

Shannon peeked in the simmering pots, enjoying the hearty and spicy scents tickling her nose. There was no arguing her sister was an excellent cook. “What are you cooking?”

“Some soup.”
 
She nudged Shannon out of the way to dump the vegetables in. “I figured it would help de-stress you after all of your travels.”

“It smells amazing. Thank you,” Shannon smiled at her sister before leaning down and kissing her on the check, which was rosy from the heat of the stove. “You look great. I’m so excited that you’re getting married.”

Karen flashed a big smile. “I know!
 
I am too, but don’t tell Mr. Ego that. It will just inflate his head even more.”

“Don’t tell me what?” Jerry asked as he stepped into the kitchen. “I put your bag in the guest room at the end of the hall,” he told Shannon.

Shannon laughed. “I’m not even going to ask how you knew Mr. Ego was you or why you’re okay with it.”

He shrugged and grinned, which popped his dimple. “It’s only one of her many endearing names for me.”

“And you deserve them all,” Karen said with a sly smile at her fiancé, whose eyes visibly warmed in return.

Shannon smiled at their exchange. They were crazy about each other, even though they had both acted like fools the year before. Neither had wanted to admit their true feelings, insisting things between them were strictly casual, but eventually a hit to the head—literally in Jerry’s case—knocked some sense into them. Now they were inseparable when Jerry was in town, and Karen was on cloud nine, exactly where she deserved to be. Shannon was ecstatic that Karen finally found her “one,” even if it made her a teensy bit jealous. Who wouldn’t be?

Shannon cleared her throat loudly as she sat on one of the stools lining the island, toed off her heels and removed her black blazer, hanging it over the back of the chair. “Now, now. You have a guest. No getting hot and heavy, you lovebirds.”

“You heard her.”
 
Karen shooed him away. “Let us girls chat. Go in the other room and stop distracting me.”

He leaned over and planted a loud kiss on her lips before heading toward the basement where he was the lord of his domain. “Let me know when dinner is ready. I’m starved.”

“When aren’t you?” Karen asked his departing back. She turned to Shannon with one hand on her hip and sighed. “I swear. I love to cook and all, but that man is going to wear me out with how much he eats. Where does he put it?”

“He must burn it off with all of the sex you guys have,” Shannon teased.

“Okay, but then why doesn’t that work for me?
 
I’m an active participant too.”

“Who knows.”
 
Shannon eyed her sister and, while she couldn’t put her finger on it, something stood out as changed. “What’s going on?
 
You look different.”

Karen scowled as she stirred the soup. “Different?
 
What are you talking about?”

“I don’t know,” she said with a shrug. “You just look…different. Maybe it’s your new bridal glow or something.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Karen muttered before she turned with a smile. “Tomorrow you try on your dress. They said they should be able to make any changes, if needed, in time, so we need to get there early.”

After the dash through the busy O’Hare airport followed by the stressful drive on the slick roads, Shannon needed some liquid assistance in order to relax before they dove into wedding planning. She stood and opened the fridge, pulling out a bottle of wine. She held it up to Karen with an arched brow in question.

“No, thank you,” Karen said. “I’m good.”

“You’re good?
 
You’re turning down wine?” Shannon asked in disbelief.

“Yeah, I had some before you got here,” she replied as she kept her back to her, busying herself with wiping down the counter.

“Hmmm.”
 
Shannon pulled down a crystal stemware from behind the plate glass cabinet. “Never stopped you before.”

“I’ll have some with dinner, probably,” Karen replied in a noncommittal tone as she turned her focus back to the soup.

Shannon took a sip and pondered this anomaly—her sister
never
refused a glass of wine—when it clicked. Karen had told her she and Jerry wanted to start a family, but Shannon hadn’t realized she meant so soon. Since Shannon didn’t want to ruin the surprise, she wouldn’t prod further. She’d let Karen spill the news in her own time, even though she was thrilled with the prospect of being an aunt.
 

“So, who am I walking down the aisle with exactly?” Shannon asked instead. “You mentioned it before, but I forgot. Jerry’s little brother?
 
What’s his name?
 
Nate?”

“Nick. His name is Nick.”
 
Karen spun around and leaned against the counter. “See?
 
This is why I say you work too damn much. You can’t even remember what his name is and you’ve met him at least a couple of times.”
 
She gave Shannon a good big-sister stern stare, which made her shrink in shame. Karen didn’t let her say anything in her defense, however, as she pressed on. “But there’s been a change. You’re walking with Matt.”

Shannon’s heart tripped in her chest. If it was the Matt she was thinking of, things were about to get interesting. “And Matt is?” she asked hesitantly, almost afraid to hear it was Jerry’s thirteen-year-old cousin or something, rather than a gigantic step up from Jerry’s younger brother.

“You know Matt.”
 
Karen frowned. “At least I thought you did. You’ve met him before, haven’t you?
 
The catcher?
 
Hot, Chris Evans lookalike?”

Shannon stopped herself before she threw up a thank-you to the heavens. “Um, yeah. I met him once a long time ago. He does sort of look like Chris Evans. Bigger though,” she said casually as if they weren’t talking about the same man who’d played a starring role in all of her fantasies since meeting him.

“Oh, yeah. The guys are always teasing him, especially when people who don’t know Rockets’ baseball ask him if he’s Captain America. I think they’re just jealous,” Karen said with a chuckle. “Anyway, when he finally let Jerry know he’d be his Best Man along with Chase, we switched things around. So, we put you and Matt together, because obviously we’re going to keep Maddie and Chase together,” Karen said of her best friend and her new husband, Jerry’s teammate and former roommate. “It should be good since Matt’s tall. You won’t have to worry about having heels on and towering over the guy, like I know you always do.”

Shannon tried to play cool even though internally she was doing handstands and back flips. “Okay, sounds good.”

“He’s a nice guy, too,” Karen went on, apparently still believing she needed to justify things. “I don’t know him that well, but from what I do know, he seems real sweet. He and Jerry are pretty close, so that should give some indication as to what his personality is like. You’ll meet him at the rehearsal dinner Friday night.”
 
She clapped her hands. “We have so much to talk about and we even have tomorrow night, since Jerry will be gone for his bachelor party.”

“Sounds good.”
 
Shannon took another drink of her wine, tuning out her sister as she visualized Matt and his crystal blue eyes. She shivered, recalling how they had trapped her, as if seeing right through her, causing her skin to tingle and flush. Perhaps the festivities were not going to be as bad as she originally feared. She’d pretty much planned to have to endure one well-meaning family member after another asking when she was next. When she would settle down and have some kids, particularly since everyone had believed only she would ever get married, considering Karen’s aversion to the possibility for the longest time. But Shannon’s life was work, no more, no less. She didn’t have room in her life for anything else. She didn’t question her decisions, but she did get tired of defending them constantly. No one understood, except for her father. She envisioned the look of pride on his face as she filled him in on everything related to her work, and a glow of pleasure washed over her foreseeing his approval. She enjoyed that they shared a common interest and that he was proud of her.

She was going to have to find some way to ignore the comments and not let them get to her. Her life was the way she wanted; she had no reason to be ashamed.
 

And if she could manage to hang around a hot guy for the night, then perhaps some good could come out of the Wedding of the Century for her after all.

Chapter 3

Heavy bass throbbed throughout the dark room while strobe lights flickered and pulsed, casting scantily clad women in and out of darkness as they gyrated on a pole and ground against the raised floor. An upscale club with trendy and sleek décor, Pink’s boasted having the sexiest, most desirable women in the metro-Detroit area and for a hefty price, exclusive party rooms were available for private groups, giving the occupants a bird’s eye view of the dancers while separating them from the rest of the crowd. It was in one of these rooms that Jerry and his best buds gathered for his bachelor party.