Play Safe (Make the Play #1) (22 page)

It smells like excitement.

It smells like fresh cut grass and leather baseball gloves.

It smells like popcorn and chips.

It smells like my childhood.

I’ve spent so many hours sitting in the stands during baseball games throughout my life, but I love it. I especially love the first game of the season. Nothing beats the buzz of anticipation, the energy radiating around me. Mom and Dad sit a few rows over, sharing a bag of kettle corn. I would sit with them, but I wanted to be in the first row. I wanted to be close to Christian. So close that he could glance over from where he crouches at home plate, and have a clear view of me cheering him on.

It’s the first game I’m attending as his girlfriend. The sentiment is not lost on me. For years I sat in the stands lusting after Christian. I’d watch him with rapt attention, knowing that he saw me as nothing more than his best friend’s little sister. But now he saw me as so much more.

The game is about to start and my legs shake agitatedly. I find myself counting each bounce of my foot without even meaning to. One. Two. Three. I freeze, smelling her before seeing her. She always did wear too much perfume. I ignore Ashley as she passes me, and I don’t have to see her face to know that it bothers her. She hates when people don’t notice her. Being noticed is pretty much her only goal in life.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see her sit down a few feet from me. Pink flickers in my line of vision, but I keep my gaze trained forward. I’m not exactly surprised that she’s here since she and Josh are still dating, but her presence does put a damper on things. Determined not to let her steal any of my joy, I search for Christian. When I catch a splash of his catcher’s mask from the bullpen, my pulse quickens. And suddenly Ashley and her antics are a million miles away. Chris is all that matters to me right now.

“Hey, Emerson.”

My head snaps up at the sound of Olivia’s voice. She wears a flowing shirt, cut off shorts and Birkenstocks. Her hair is pinned back with bobby pins, and bracelets line her arms. Dan stands on the other side of her. I greet both of them, and then they take a seat next to me. Biting my lip, I return my attention to the field. I’m not sure how Christian will take Dan sitting with us, but I’m hoping he’ll be okay with it.

Honestly, he seems to be accepting Olivia and Dan’s relationship better than at first. The last couple of weeks he’s softened a little toward Dan. I think it has a lot to do with the change in Olivia. She’s happier now, not so sad or stressed. Not that Christian talks about it much. But I don’t press him. Christian has always been a little guarded about his family issues, and I respect that. He’ll open up when he’s ready. Besides, I have an older brother. I know how out of touch guys are with their feelings. I don’t expect Christian to blab on about his feelings like a girl.

The announcer begins talking, pulling me out of my internal thoughts. Olivia reaches over and squeezes my shoulder. I smile, the enthusiasm in the stands contagious. Sitting forward, I watch as the Prairie Creek Panthers take the field. Christian looks so hot in his uniform that my insides quiver. He glances over in my direction swiftly, and I swear I see the flicker of a smile before he takes his position behind home plate. I wish he’d given me more, but it’s okay. I’ll take it. I know how focused the guys get during a game. Any acknowledgment is huge.

Cal throws out his first pitch, and it sails past the batter, sliding seamlessly into Chris’s glove.
First strike
. I smile. It’s always amazing to watch Cal and Christian in action. Only someone who knows them well can see the silent signals they flash to each other, the unspoken language between them. But I see it, and it makes my heart swell. My boys. That’s what they’ll always be to me.

Since Christian and I started dating, the dynamic has changed. It’s no longer Cal and Chris with me trailing behind. Now I’m more intricately involved. There are times when Christian and I want to be alone, but there are times I give them their space too. Either way, we’re making it work, and Cal is coming around. He doesn’t cringe or whine as often as he used to. We still can’t kiss in front of him without him covering his eyes, but we can hold hands, even hug.
Baby steps.

But no matter how we evolve and change over the years, one thing will remain the same. The bond they share, and the bond I share with them. They’ve always provided me protection, a safe place. They’ve been my confidantes, my mentors, my friends. And I know they always will be.

After that batter is struck out, another one approaches. I clap loudly, cheering on the boys, having no doubt the Prairie Creek Panthers will begin their winning streak today. This time the batter hits the ball, and it careens toward second base. Josh leaps for it, but it grazes his glove and lands in the grass. Cal shakes his head. I feel bad that the team didn’t get the out, but a small part of me feels satisfaction that Josh bumbled the play and not Cal or Chris.

Josh kicks the dirt with his cleat, expletives pouring from his mouth. Dan sits forward, as if silently willing his son to get it together. Hayes shouts something out to Josh. I can’t hear what he says, but knowing Hayes I’m sure it’s encouraging. Chase and Nolan offer words of encouragement too, and Josh nods, his confidence returning.

Then to my right, Ashley hollers. “It’s okay, baby.”

I stiffen, knowing it’s not the right thing to do. The girlfriend doesn’t speak during the game. I learned that the hard way. Josh glances over, shooting daggers in her direction. Closing her mouth, she slumps in her seat.
Man, this game keeps getting better and better.

Holding my breath, I watch the next batter step up to the plate. He’s a big guy, his muscles bulging. As he swings the bat, I cringe. Clearly he’s a hitter. Cal doesn’t look fazed though, so I sit up straighter. The first pitch is a ball, and I wince.

C’mon, Cal.

The next one is a strike.

Here we go.

Chris and Cal have one of their silent conversations, and I sit up straight, waiting. Sure enough, two more strikes and that guy’s outta here. Only one more out to go, and then we’re up to bat. I find my shoulders relaxing a bit.
We’ve got this.

After the next batter takes the plate, Cal fires a pitch. It looks good. And apparently it is, because the batter hits it straight up. I squint trying to see where it goes, only I don’t see it at first. Then again, the sun’s in my eyes. But Chris takes off, moving back toward the fence. Moving toward me.
Ah, it must be a foul.

He sprints for the ball, holding out his arm and skidding in the dirt. I hop up, peering down at him. Then I let out a loud shriek when I see the white ball nestled in his brown glove. The stands erupt in cheers. When Christian stands, he holds up the glove, and his teammates holler. Then he throws off his catcher’s mask and whirls around to face the stands.

My heart stops.

His gaze crashes into mine.

I freeze.

Stepping forward, he lifts his free arm and points at me. Then he curls his index finger toward himself, as if motioning me forward. I cock my head to the side, my lips curling a little. What is he doing? The entire place goes silent. My palms moisten, and my legs wobble. But I force myself to move forward like he’s asking.

When I reach the fence, he says, “You’re not gonna leave me hangin’ in front of all these people, are you?”

“What?” I’m confused.

“I need a kiss from my girl.”

My mouth goes dry, my body warming. I look around. “Won’t you get in trouble?”

“Baby, I’m already in trouble. Don’t make it for nothin’.”

Giggling, I move closer. Wrapping my fingers around the cool metal, I angle my face toward Christian’s through the fence. Leaning forward, I press my lips to his. I figure it will be a short kiss. A tiny peck. So I’m surprised when his tongue slips out, coaxing my lips open. I hold tighter to the fence in order to stay upright as our kiss deepens. It’s amazing the affect Christian has on me. I know that I’m in front of a baseball stadium full of people, but for some reason it feels like it’s just the two of us. Like we’re the only two people in the world.

“Alcott, what the hell are you doing?” Coach Hopkins’ voice rings out, jolting me back to reality. “This is a baseball game, not a scene from the Bachelor. Get over here!”

Chris draws his lips back. I blink as if I’m coming out of a daze.

“Emmy,” Christian says softly, his fingers touching the edges of mine where they curl around the fence. “I love you.” With a quick smile, he spins around and jogs toward his coach.

My head spins, and I feel dizzy. Did he say that he loves me?

“Wait!” I call after him. I can’t let him leave after what he said. I need to tell him I feel the same way.

He cranes his neck.

“I love you too,” I say.

“I know,” he responds with a smile.

Stunned, I watch him as he follows his team into the dugout. My whole body heats up, sweat forming on my brow. I feel simultaneously embarrassed and giddy. Unhooking my fingers from the fence, I step away from it. When my gaze sweeps the stands, I am greeted with awed expressions. Expect for Ashley. She looks downright pissed.

Ignoring her, I walk unsteadily back to my seat. Lowering into it, I try not to look at Olivia. I know she loves me, but I’m not sure how she feels about me making out with her son in the middle of his baseball game.
Not exactly a moment for the scrapbook
. That reminds me that my parents are sitting a few rows up. Curling in on myself, I wish I could be like a turtle with the ability to hide in its shell. That would be useful right about now. Still, I don’t regret what happened. It was the single most romantic moment of my life. And to top it off, Christian admitted that he loved me. That’s huge.

It’s more than huge.

It’s everything I’ve ever wanted.

THE END

PLAY HARD (Make the Play #2) – Cal’s story - coming winter 2016!

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The Playing for Keeps series was my first sports series. When the first book, FOR THE WIN, released almost a year ago, I wasn’t sure how my readers would respond to it. But I was pleasantly surprised. Not only did my readers embrace it, but I gained many new readers. I found a whole new audience for my work – a readership hungry for sports romances. So after penning FOR THE SAVE, the last book in the Playing for Keeps series, I decided to keep writing in the sports romance genre.

I’ve always been a fan of small-town romances. I was once a big fan of shows like Dawson’s Creek and One Tree Hill. So I decided to write a series centering around one high school baseball team set in a small town. At first I kicked around the idea of following one couple throughout the series, but the truth is I’ve never been good at that. I like to write spinoffs much more than I like to write actual series. As much as I love every couple I write about, I do get a little bored writing their story after awhile. I enjoy the rush of starting something new, of getting to know new characters. So in the end, I decided to write about a new couple in every book. Still the book is considered a series because the books will need to be read in order. And if you love Christian and Emmy, don’t worry, they will be in the subsequent novels.

When I sat down to figure out the plot for this book, the first idea that came to mind was falling for the older brother’s best friend. It’s a premise I’ve always enjoyed reading about. I mean, what girl doesn’t, right? And that’s when Christian and Cal emerged. After I had them, I came up with the remaining characters on the team. The name Prairie Creek came from one of my readers -   Ginelle Blanch - so thank you so much! After having that, I had the completed roster for the Prairie Creek Panthers. That’s where the real Coach Hopkins came in. Both of my brothers are ball players. My brother Matt coaches and plays recreationally, and my brother Kagen is a professional pitcher. So I sent the roster to my brother Matt with stats on each character – age, weight, personality. Then he put them all into positions for me. This is when the story really came to life in my mind. I started to see the team, their dynamics, etc.

And that’s when Emmy began talking in my head. Meeting Cal, Christian, Josh, Emmy and all of the other characters was such a fun experience. I really enjoyed writing their story and I hope you enjoyed reading it.

As always, I have many people to thank:

First, I have to thank the love of my life, Andrew. There were days where I struggled with this book. Days where I stared at the screen willing the characters to give me something – anything. On those days I would receive random texts from my husband saying things like, “You’re amazing.” “How did I get so lucky?” or “Miss you.” And boom, I’d feel inspired again. Sorry, Christian, but you pale in comparison to the man who owns my heart.

Second, I have to thank my kids – Kayleen and Eli. They are constant inspirations to me. They encourage me, love me, and drive me nuts simultaneously. But I’m always blessed by their presence in my life. And I love them more than words can express.

Third, I have to thank those who helped me shape this book. They are as follows:

Matt and Kagen – your baseball knowledge is priceless.

Lisa Richardson – your editing skills are unmatched. So lucky to have you.

Megan Squires – Thank you for reading as I wrote and encouraging me along the way.

Susan Griscom – Thanks for beta reading.

Fan club – Your enthusiasm keeps me going.

Matt at the Cover Lure – Your cover is so perfect. I’m in love with it.

Beth Shelby – Thanks for being my blurb fairy.

And mostly, thank you to God. Everything I do is for you.