“You little stinker!” Addison said, kissing Clair’s forehead as she stood up then turned back to an uncharacteristically too giddy daughter. “But only because it’s your birthday.”
Unlike the lethal glares she’d initially gotten from AJ, he smiled at her as she approached him. Breathing in deeply, she smiled back, trying not to gawk too obviously at his big arms and shoulders holding up the snake. She’d always known that seeing him in person would wreak havoc on her will to resist giving into so much as a crush. Meeting him finally had confirmed it. Seeing him in his uniform and catcher’s gear had been impressive enough. But with him in jeans and snug T-shirt now, AJ’s tanned muscled arms and shoulders did strange things to Addison’s body. Things she hadn’t felt in years.
As she reached the handler, who got out from under the other end of the snake, which she was apparently going to place on Addison’s shoulders, she had to think quickly. Did she want this slimy-looking thing on her bare shoulders or her brand new white jersey? She quickly took her jersey off and placed it on the chair nearby. “It’s brand new,” she explained to the handler, who nodded.
When she turned to AJ for just a fleeting moment, she felt his eyes devour her, closing in on her chest, but he glanced away quickly enough. It was the only part of her she didn’t have to transform. She’d spent her entire middle and high-school years hiding how annoyingly top heavy she’d become almost overnight. For years, she’d hid her ample breasts behind baggy sweatshirts and T-shirts. The only thing she’d had to transform about them was her mentality and to learn to embrace them, which she had. And she’d since realized just how much attention she got from men because of them. She just hoped now AJ didn’t think she was flaunting them for his sake.
The roomful of people laughed when she let out a screech as the heavy boa was placed on her bare shoulders and neck. “Clair, you’re gonna pay for this.”
Clair giggled louder this time. Addison loved seeing her so happy. Watching her smiling little face not just then but throughout the day, had only confirmed that at least for Clair’s sake, she’d made the right decision moving back to California. All of Clair’s Chicago birthdays had consisted of just the two of them. Even though Clair seemed to have had a blast at the different amusement parks and museums Addison had taken her to each time, nothing compared to a party with all her friends in attendance, even if most were adult baseball players. But some had brought their kids along, so it wasn’t all adults.
Once the show was over, it was time for the gifts. First, the team presented Clair with a framed bat and ball both signed by the entire team and a certificate officially adding her to the team. The certificate was something many of the players and coach’s kids and grandkids were often presented with, usually the ones who were really into the team. Not all were. Of course, Addison had more than one.
Then AJ gave her his gift. Addison watched curiously as Clair ripped the small box open anxiously. It was jewelry, not expensive-looking jewelry that might be considered inappropriate, but cute little-girl stuff: a bracelet with what looked like little dog bones and circles and a cute little beagle that hung off the end, along with a matching necklace and earrings.
“Oh my goodness,” Addison said as Clair handed her each one by one so she could inspect them close up. She glanced up at AJ and his breathtaking smile. “This is the cutest thing.”
“I won’t take all the credit,” he admitted with a playful smirk. “I asked my sisters for advice on what to give Clair for her birthday, and one of them called from the mall a few days later to tell me what she’d found.”
Addison was still gazing at him when Clair nudged her. “Look!”
Clair was holding what appeared to be matching dog tags that were engraved. One said “Snickers” with all his information, something she gathered AJ must’ve gotten from her dad, and the other said “Clair Bear—Baseball Princess.”
“You can put his on his collar and yours on your backpack or something,” AJ suggested.
But there was more. Clair pulled out what appeared to be some kind of written receipt and read it. “Oh, look, Mom. I can take Snickers to get groomed for free.”
Addison glanced back at AJ, smiling curiously. “My sister’s a groomer,” he explained. “She owns a couple of those grooming vans. I’ve been telling Clair one of these days I’ll take her to check it out.”
Ignoring her thudding heart, Addison thanked him and watched as Clair hugged his neck when he knelt down and thanked him too. Slightly ashamed that her eyes would roam and take in his arms again as he hugged Clair, she cleared her throat.
“Okay, now mine,” Addison said, reaching into her purse and pulling out an envelope she handed to Clair.
Clair opened it quickly, her little eyes sparkling behind her thick lenses. Addison watched as her daughter’s already excited eyes grew even bigger. “Season passes to the zoo, Lego Land, and Sea World?”
Clair had been thrilled about going to the parks when Addison had told her about moving to San Diego. Well, second only to being able to hang out with Papa and the team. Addison squished her daughter right back when she thanked her profusely.
Addison’s dad stepped up. “My turn.”
Addison turned to him immediately. “Dad, no. You said this party was your gift to her. This is more than enough.”
“She’s my only granddaughter, and I’m entitled to spoil her,” he said, motioning to someone by the entrance of the birthday area. “Bring it around.”
They all stood there and watched as two guys wheeled around a trailer that held a Jet Ski. “No, you didn’t.” Addison turned to stare at her dad, mouth open, as her daughter squealed.
“I did. If she’s gonna be a California girl, she’s doing it the right way.”
With the gift-giving part of the party ending on such a high note, it took a while waiting for Clair as she jumped on her Jet Ski and touched every single gadget on it. Some of the players began to say their good-byes. They all had early flights to catch the next morning. So it was understandable that most of the single ones said they couldn’t hang around for the tram tour of the zoo.
Addison watched AJ talking to Clair, who was still sitting on the Jet Ski. Nick’s mouth so close to her ear so suddenly made her yelp like an idiot; then they both laughed. She felt stupid, but Nick apologized, laughing, as he leaned into her ear again.
“I was just gonna say,” he whispered, “that if you ever need private lessons, I own Jet Skis and go out all the time. I’d be happy to give you a few pointers.”
Why he was whispering or standing so close to her for that matter was beyond her. But she’d since established he was an insatiable flirt. Her father had also warned her about the outfielder. Only her embarrassing reaction to his startling her made her refrain from pulling away or making a big deal out of it.
“Thanks for the offer,” she said with a polite smile. “I’ll keep it in mind.”
Keith, one of the relief pitchers, nudged Nick, smiling politely at Addison. “You ready to go, man?”
“Yeah,” Nick said, turning back to the guy.
Addison thanked them both for coming and for their gifts. They began to walk away, but Nick turned around one last time. “I’m serious, Addi.” He lifted to fingers to his ear. “Call me.”
She nodded, feeling her face warm, wondering if AJ or anyone else had noticed the exchange. Most of the guys were saying good-bye to her dad and even stopping by to say good-bye to Clair.
One glimpse in his direction and she had her answer. That arrogant glare she’d been greeted with those first few times she’d seen him in person was back. Only it felt even harder this time.
She thought of what Nick said yesterday when she’d called out to AJ and he’d waved her off rudely. She’d felt so embarrassed she was sure she’d blushed and Nick caught it. “That’s probably more for me than you, Addi,” he’d said with an air of sympathy. “Don’t take it personal. Rage has never really warmed up to me. Seems the guy always has hai
r up his ass when I talk to him.”
For a fleeting moment, she had the insane idea her exchange with Nick might’ve been the reason for his hardening expression. Nick’s flirting so openly with her, with no regard to the possibility of her daughter hearing it, might’ve irritated Clair’s best buddy. Addison had already been touched by how he fawned over her and spoke to her. He was by far the closest to Clair of all the team’s players.
Addison started toward them, a bit apprehensively given how his expression hadn’t changed.
“Are you coming on the tour with us?” Clair asked as AJ turned that heavily lashed glare away from Addison to help Clair down from the Jet Ski.
It was probably just part of his raging personality, but Addison could actually see him work his jaw before responding. “I would if I could, but I have to get out of here.”
Clair pouted. “She is your girlfriend now, isn’t she?” she said as Addison reached them. “You should’ve brought her then. She could’ve taken the tour with us too.”
“She isn’t my girlfriend,” AJ said, bending over to kiss the top of Clair’s head.
The tenderness in his eyes as he straightened out immediately hardened again when they met Addison’s. “But since I leave tomorrow, I did promise to meet up with her one last time tonight.”
Of course. And even as the alarmingly disappointing comment settled into her now churning insides, she was glad for the reminder. No matter how sweet and perfect AJ was as her daughter’s best buddy and her dad’s apprentice, he was the worst kind of guy Addison should even be considering to let in her life.
“We’re in,” a few of the guys with kids she’d known from way back said with big smiles.
A couple of the single ones she’d spoken to earlier also said they’d hang around and take the tram tour with them.
“You see,” AJ said, and Addison turned to him at the sound of his voice. His thick lashes seemed to move in slow motion as he glanced up from Clair and met Addison’s eyes again. “You’ll have plenty of company without me.”
As much as it didn’t make sense, it felt like a jab again, like the one she was now certain he’d taken at her yesterday. And like yesterday, he’d stalked away before she could recover from it.
Chapter 3
AJ
The whispers and buzzes about the coach’s hot daughter among AJ’s team members while on the road shouldn’t have been as unbelievably annoying as they were. He kept telling himself that it was only because of who she was, the coach’s daughter and his buddy’s mom. They should be more respectful, damn it. But he hadn’t snapped as he’d been tempted to on more than one occasion. He knew exactly why too.
For starters, the visual of her enjoying Travis’s whispering in her ear and then agreeing to call him in front of everyone was one AJ wouldn’t be forgetting anytime soon. Any whispers the team might be exchanging about her, she’d brought on herself. Travis was a douche, and if she were really as smart as her dad made her out to be, she should’ve seen right through him already. Instead, she’d encouraged him by smiling and laughing at his stupid ass.
Mostly AJ knew the main reason he hadn’t snapped yet was because he hadn’t heard anything that actually crossed the line. But he could feel it building with every whisper or comment he did hear. He almost wished they would cross the line. Snapping because someone commented about her good looks or sweet smile would be too obvious. Just hearing her name or rather the idiots who’d taken it upon themselves to call her Addi, had him clenching his teeth every time.
One of the days in Boston during batting practice the coach excused himself to take a call from Addison. He’d mentioned earlier how she and Clair would be meeting him and his wife at their next stop in Toronto against the Blue Jays. They’d be taking that trip to Niagara Falls Clair had originally requested for her birthday.
AJ was supposed to be concentrating on warming up to bat next. Up until then, he’d been doing well, beyond well with his short fuse. He’d made excellent progress in keeping his cool on and off the field, but the continued whispers about Addison had begun to chip away the wall of patience he’d worked so hard to build for years. Festering thoughts of what Addison’s eyes that close up had done to him and the unreasonable annoyance he’d felt when he’d seen Travis get so close to her weren’t helping either. He couldn’t even look at the guy now without feeling irritated, not just at Travis but at himself for getting so worked up over a girl he hardly knew.
Biggs, one of several guys standing by him, said something that got his attention. “Umm, mmm, Coach’s daughter.”
AJ had instantly stopped swinging the bat and turned to him. “What about her?”
“Who knew she had all that going on?” he said, shaking his head.
AJ gripped the bat, feeling his insides heat as he peered at him but said nothing.
“I mean I could see she was cute when Lara brought her around the day before and again the day of his grandkid’s birthday party. But when she took her jersey off at the zoo, hot damn, what a pair of—”
“Don’t.” AJ shook his head, warning Biggs as calmly as he could. “Don’t do that, man. That’s Coach’s daughter you’re talking about.”
Biggs lifted his hand in the air with a smirk. “I don’t care who she is. I see something like that and my dick starts—”
“Hey!” AJ’s voice boomed suddenly as he took a step forward, pointing his bat at Biggs. “That’s the coach’s daughter you’re talking about. Clair’s mom, asshole. Have some fucking respect.”
He’d been as stunned about his reaction as everyone else there. But he hadn’t cared even as everyone had gone quiet and stared at him. He’d glared at Biggs until the guy nodded a bit hesitantly then shook his head with a scoff but finally agreed.
The enormous tension he was feeling spilled over from batting practice to the game. For the first time that season, he’d nearly lost it against an opposing team’s player while still on base. He managed to keep his cool, but he knew he had to get a grip.
He didn’t want to be attracted to Addison, but from the moment he first noticed her, he’d felt an unexplainable draw. At least that’s what he’d called it until he realized her uncanny resemblance to Clair had made him feel like he knew her before he even met her.
So what now? Now that he knew that was all it was? Not only that, but she might be into Travis or worse. She might be one of those girls. Coach Lara made her out to be a brain. From the looks of her high-school-graduation picture, she’d certainly fit the description of what he’d expected: a quiet mousy bookish girl. What happened to that girl?
Then he remembered what his brothers often said. The quiet ones are the worst ones. Addison had gotten knocked up right out of high school. Possibly while still in high school based on Clair’s age and how old Addison appeared to be. If that were the case, then his brothers wouldn’t be too far off in their conclusion about quiet girls. Couple that with all the giggling she’d been doing with the guys on the team and her obvious enjoyment of their attention. If he let himself give into whatever he was feeling after being around her just once, he’d be dealing with the worst kind of girl—a flirt—one who he’d be forced to watch engage often with all his idiot teammates. Fuck that.
He did not have the patience for a girl like that, especially when he was already so damn intrigued by Addison and he barely knew anything about her. He could only imagine how much more exasperating it would be if he gave into what he was feeling. The tension and unease he’d been feeling about the whole thing only worsened when they arrived in Toronto a few days later for their series against the Blue Jays.
AJ knew he’d likely be seeing Addison again. He still hadn’t decided if he should play it safe by remaining indifferent toward her or be stupid and attempt to get to know her a little better. All he knew was not being able to stop thinking about her was annoying as all hell.
Seeing Clair run toward him on the field during batting practice before their last game in Toronto was beyo
nd elating. After having anticipated them being there the two prior games and feeling enormously disappointed when they hadn’t showed up, he didn’t even try to contain how happy seeing her little face made him.
It was alarming, actually, because he knew it had so much more to do with the fact that her mother couldn’t be too far behind. AJ had apparently misunderstood the coach. When he said they were meeting him in Toronto, AJ thought he had meant for the entire series.
Since Clair was still in school, they couldn’t make it out until Saturday’s game. Sunday would be the team’s travel day with no games scheduled when coach and his family were headed out to Niagara Falls.
“Yeyo couldn’t make it out here with us,” she said as soon as she reached him.
“Who’s Yeyo?” AJ asked, feeling strangely nervous about what her answer might be. Make it out here with them?
“He’s Papa’s brother. He was supposed to fly out to see Niagara Falls with us, but his blood sugar got so high this past week he had to be admitted into the hospital. He got out last night, but the doc wouldn’t sign off on him being well enough to fly yet.”
AJ nodded, once again shaking off a relief he shouldn’t be feeling, relief that Yeyo wasn’t a friend of her mother’s, who hadn’t been able to make it out with them.
“So guess what?”
“What?” AJ smiled at the sight of his little buddy’s big bright eyes.
“The tour passes to Niagara Falls tomorrow are already paid for and non-refundable, including Yeyo’s. So we have an extra pass. Papa said it’d be okay for me to invite you to come with us.”
The invitation and what it meant had barely sunk in—he’d be spending an entire day with Clair and her mom—when AJ saw Addison walking toward them, looking even more amazing than he remembered, despite how much more covered she was this time given the weather.