Henry’s eyes widened larger than dinner plates when Brady spoke. So intent he'd been on arguing with Taylor that he hadn’t noticed the other man’s arrival.
“Nothing I can’t handle, Brady,” Taylor replied, tension fleeing from her shoulders at his touch. She looked up to give him a reassuring smile but stopped at the cold fury in his eyes. He didn’t look down at her but kept his murderous gaze on Henry.
“Are you sure, love? Because I could have sworn I heard him accuse you of being a tramp.” His tone was low and even, containing not even a smidgen of the amusement usually present when he spoke.
“What the hell is going on out here?” Luther shouted as he stormed through the parting crowd. His beady dark eyes darted back and forth between Taylor and Henry as he rested his fists on his hips, his thin lips pulling into a frown. The onlookers backed away and Josh plopped down in the nearest chair.
“Nothing, Luther. Just a mere misunderstanding,” Taylor told him, thankful for his appearance. She glared at Henry. “It’s done and over.”
“Don’t just dismiss this, Taylor,” Brady protested squeezing her shoulders.
“Leave it, Brady,” she hissed out of the corner of her mouth, stepping on his foot.
“Well, don’t let this kind of thing happen in my office again! Lake, get the hell out of here. Come back when you have a better attitude.” He turned to look at Taylor. “I thought you were leaving, Lockwood?”
“I am now,” she said, shaking Brady’s hands off her shoulders. She yanked her bag off the back of her chair, shooting one last glare in Henry’s direction before motioning Brady to follow her.
She stormed out of the building and to the parking lot, Brady in hot pursuit. He reached out, caught her shoulders, and spun her around to face him.
“What in the hell was that all about?”
She inhaled deeply and exhaled the anger out of her body like poisonous fumes. “Nothing. Really. He’s an idiot.”
“No it’s not nothing. I’m not going stand around and let that bastard insult you and degrade you that way in front of everyone in your office.” Sighing, she eased his left hand off her shoulders and clutched it with her own. “Brady, it’s okay. I don’t care what he says about me. You and I both know it’s not true. That’s all that matters.”
He studied her for a few moments, allowing his anger to slowly seep away. Reaching up, he tucked her blowing hair behind her ear before lightly running his knuckles over her cheek. “If he gives you anymore trouble, please tell me. Or make a fist when you hit him. More effective.” Her eyes widened. “Speaking of fists, your stitches are gone.”
He furrowed his brow as he cocked his head. “I don’t understand your logic but yeah, they are gone.” Warmth flooded her cheeks. “Well, they were kind of getting in the way.”
His smirk returned as he draped his arm around her shoulders. “I agree. C’mon. I’m off and you’re the lucky person who gets the pleasure of my company for the rest of the day.”
“Oh boy,” she cheered sarcastically.
He held a hand over his heart. “Hey. Don’t hurt my ego.”
She snorted. “Nothing can hurt that ego of yours.”
***
They enjoyed an early dinner at Brady’s favorite diner then he surprised her by taking her to a small cinema in Indy that was running a Disney film marathon. She gasped but he just winked at her before whispering in her ear.
“Don’t play innocent, love. You were a Disney maniac in high school and I’m sure nothing’s changed.” She gaped at him. “You remember that?”
He kissed her temple. “I remember everything.”
After they chose seats in the back, he hung his arm over her shoulder. She munched happily on greasy popcorn as she tried to recall the last time she’d been so unburdened.
He toyed with a couple strands of her hair as she gradually leaned into his side. He shifted to whisper in her ear, inquiring about her comfort.
His warm breath danced across her skin as a shudder racked her body. Thinking her to have chills from the air conditioning, he pulled her closer and rubbed her bare arm. Her heart picked up an extra beat as her blood boiled. Heat radiated from her nether regions and all she could think about was how good he'd looked sitting on that exam table weeks ago with his shirt off.
Excitement flushed her system, causing the popcorn bucket to slip out of her hands, spilling to the floor. She sent a thankful prayer heavenward, grateful the theater was dark and Brady couldn’t see her heated, most likely red, cheeks.
“Do you want me to go get you some more popcorn?” he murmured in her ear, setting off a whole new chain reaction.
She took a deep, calming breath and shook her head, hoping the movie would end quickly. She desperately needed to put a little distance between Brady and herself.
When they exited the theater hours later, the sun had already set. He held her hand as he walked her to his car.
“The MVP break is next week you know,” he reminded her as he opened the car door for her. “It’s in Chicago.”
“I know,” she said as he closed the door and climbed in on his side. “Don’t tell me all your fans hopped on the bandwagon and voted you in at the last minute.”
His melodious laugh rang out and her heart flipped three times. “No, sorry. Not this year. But Miyerson and Pitner made it in.” She nodded. “I heard. That’s great.”
He pulled into the light traffic and headed back to Somersvil e. He grasped the wheel with his left hand and rested his right arm on the console separating the seats.
“Well, Kyle and some of the other guys are thinking about going. He wants me to go.”
“You should,” she said, biting back her disappointment. She had been looking forward to spending that time with him, especially since her birthday fell on the MVP break that year.
He laced his fingers through hers and squeezed gently, keeping his eyes firmly on the road. “I want you to come with me.”
“Brady, I don’t know,” she said, her erratic pulse racing.
“You don’t have to share a room with me; I’ll get you one of your own.” He sighed quietly, quickly glancing at her from the corner of his eye. “I just thought it’d be fun. And I want you to be with me. I wanted us to spend some time together.” He sounded so much like a whiney, tired child that she had to smile. “I’ll see what I can do but I can’t promise anything. I’m still working on that mall story.”
“Tell your boss you’ll cover the MVP game and the Homer Contest,” he said matter-of-factly.
She snorted. “Yeah, right. You want me to get another reporter in the office upset with me?” He glanced at her once more before returning his eyes to the road. “What’s the deal with that jerk, anyway?” Groaning, she gazed at the streetlights whipping past her window. “He’s just mad because Luther gave me your story and then the mall story.
Those two stories are the biggest ones we’ve had in our little town in a long time.”
“So he’s ticked because Luther gave his best writer the biggest stories?”
She blushed at his compliment. “Well, Henry’s been there a lot longer than I have.”
“Don’t sell yourself short, love,” he ordered, tightening his grip on her hand. “I’ve read your stuff and you’re amazing. I never did thank you properly for the story you did on me.” He paused to turn off the highway at the Somersvil e exit. “Remember that poem you did in our English class?
The one I asked you if I could have?”
She eyed him curiously. “Yeah, I remember that.”
“I still have it.” He grinned when her jaw dropped. “It was so amazing. I couldn’t believe someone our age wrote it. I remember showing it to my mom and she nearly cried.”
Taylor sat speechless. Her heart softened as her eyes misted. “You still have that?” He turned on her street and smiled. “Of course. It was the only thing I had left of you.” When he pulled into her driveway, he shut off the car. She turned in her seat to face him.
“I’ll work it out with Luther, Brady. I’ll come to the MVP game with you.”
***
Taylor changed into a pair of gray, cut off sweat shorts and an old, tattered Notre Dame t-shirt before stepping out onto the small balcony of her hotel room. Although it was late, the night was still very warm and humid.
After convincing Luther that she needed a break and that the mall story was currently stalled, she’d packed a bag and left that morning with Brady for Chicago.
Although he had very much disapproved of her plans with Brady, Josh had promised to keep an ear open for any new leads and would call her if anything developed.
They’d checked in that afternoon and had taken a short tour of the city. Later, they’d met their friends in the hotel lounge for dinner. They hadn’t attracted as much attention as Taylor thought they would because the whole city was teeming with professional baseball players. She smirked; you couldn’t spit without hitting one.
The Homer Contest was scheduled for Monday night and the MVP game Tuesday. No one from the Racers was to participate in the Homer Contest but Taylor was excited to be going just the same. It was her favorite part of the festivities and she recalled the previous years when she’d made bets with her father on who’d win. The loser usually wound up making ice cream sundaes or milkshakes
and
had to clean up the mess afterwards.
Brady had been so attentive and sweet that she’d actually pinched herself on a couple of occasions, just to be certain she wasn’t dreaming. Of course he’d ruin it by opening his mouth. She would just smile; he wouldn’t be Brady without that bit of arrogance.
She bent over, resting her arms on the iron rail and closed her eyes as the soft breeze ruffled her hair. Brady had somehow managed to worm his way deeper and deeper into her heart each and every second they spent together. She’d fought valiantly against the feelings that had flooded her heart with warmth and shrouded her head with confusion.
Releasing a long breath, she brushed a strand of hair from her eyes. She couldn’t deny what was happening and she just needed to let go and trust her instincts. She shoved away from the railing, walked back inside, and stopped at the door connecting her room with Brady’s. She bit her lip and knocked softly, opening the door at his muffled invitation.
He was dressed only in a pair of black shorts and a Racers’ Spring Training t-shirt. He was sprawled on the bed, propped up against the headboard, legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles, listlessly flipping through the channels on the television.
“Everything okay, love?” he asked, sitting up, lazy grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.
“Can’t sleep,” she responded, shifting nervously from foot to foot in the doorway.
His grin widened as her stomach flipped and her heart melted. He patted the spot next to him. “Well come here. I have something for you.” Curious, she kept her eyes on him as she made her way to the bed. As soon as she climbed up next to him, he jumped off the bed and rummaged through the bag he’d tossed on the floor earlier.
“I was going to wait until tomorrow but since you’re here now…” he drifted off over his shoulder.
When he returned to the bed, he handed her a beautifully gift wrapped rectangular box. He bounced like a little boy as he watched her. “Go on, open it.”
“What’s this for?” she asked, fingering the pretty navy blue and white paper. Racers colors.
He halted his enthusiastic bouncing to raise a brow. “Did you think I didn’t know tomorrow is your birthday?” She stared at him, mouth hanging open, eyes as big as saucers. “How did you know?” Grinning at her reaction, he pecked her lips. “You told me when we dated in school.” He rolled his eyes at her and ruffled her hair. “I told you, I remember everything.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Really?”
“Yes,” he exclaimed. He pointed at the rectangular box. “Now open it.”
She gingerly tore the pretty paper to reveal a plain, white shirt box. She yanked the lid off and pushed aside the glittery tissue paper. She smiled as she drew out a blue and white official Racers jersey.
A grin fought for possession of his face. “Turn it over. Look at the back.”
She flipped it over and printed on the back in block letters was NOLAN with the number five below it. Laughing, she immediately pulled it over her t-shirt.
“I told you I was going to get you one for your birthday.” With a lazy grin, he resumed his earlier position against the headboard.
She threw her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his. He explored her mouth briefly before tearing away to take slow, steady breaths.
“There’s something else in there,” he said, pointing at the box.
She blinked a couple times, then rifled through the tissue paper until she found another smaller box. She lifted it out and opened it slowly to reveal a gold, oval locket with two hearts engraved on the front, suspended from a fine, gold chain. With shaky fingers, she unclasped the locket and flicked it open. On one side was a small picture of her smiling mother and the other, a picture of her father laughing. Tears ran down her face as she gazed lovingly at her parents. A soft touch to her cheek brought her out of her trance as she met Brady’s tender, green eyes.
“Teddy helped me out with that one. I hope you like it.”
She couldn’t speak. Instead, she looked down at the locket once more before launching into his arms. “I love it. Thank you so much.”
“You’re very welcome, love,” he responded while squeezing her tightly. He kissed the side of her head. “Happy birthday.” She reluctantly left his embrace in order to put the locket gently back into the box and set it on the table next to the bed. She turned back to Brady and studied his face. All her misgivings slowly seeped out of her body as she crawled over him. She ran her hands up his chest and connected them behind his neck. She leaned in and kissed him slowly at first, gradually adding more passion as it shot through her body. She eased him down on the bed and shivered as his hands gripped her hips.
She broke away from his mouth to slip off the jersey and straddle him. He ran his hands under her t-shirt and traced intricate patterns on her stomach, igniting sparks in her groin. She crushed her mouth back to his, nipping at his bottom lip.
“Are you sure about this, love?” he asked, mouth still on hers, hands rubbing her back.