Down the Line (Sports Romance) Page 8

  “You know her,” Bella said, pulling her cell phone from the pocket of her hoodie. “She doesn’t take her commitments lightly. When she accepted his proposal, I’m sure she had every intention of following through.” Her fingers flew over the keyboard before it pinged.

  He tried to get the visual of Gracie walking down the aisle to meet Dr. D out of his head. He felt a little guilty for pumping his sister for information he should have been getting from Gracie herself, but he still said, “But she didn’t. Why?”

  “In the end, it just didn’t feel right, I guess.” A slight smile tugged at her lips when her phone sounded with a response.

  “Who’re you texting?”

  “Your teammate actually.”

  “What?” Ethan sat up a little straighter, trying to peer over her shoulder, but she pocketed the phone before he could catch a glimpse of the screen. “Who?”

  “Loran.”

  Loran was a starting pitcher they’d acquired at the start of last season. He’d fallen into the rotation as though he’d been born to it and had been a key factor in taking them all the way. Ethan didn’t know him as well as he knew most of his teammates, but he did know one thing—the guy was a player.

  “How did that happen?” He wanted to warn her to stay the hell away from Loran, but he knew her too well to think she’d heed his warning. Since she and his teammate lived in different states though, Ethan assumed it was a little harmless flirting. It was unlikely they’d ever meet.

  “I friended him on Facebook,” she said, pulling her long, dark hair out of the ponytail and sifting her fingers through it before massaging her scalp. “Sent him a PM to congratulate him on the series win.”

  “You told him you were my sister?”

  “Yeah. Why? You got a problem with that?”

  “I’ve got a problem with him. I mean, he’s not a bad guy. I like him as a teammate, but you and him?” He circled his finger in the air. “That’s a bad idea.”

  “I don’t recall asking for your opinion.”

  “Too bad. You’re going to get it anyway.” ‘Cause that’s what they did, got up in each other’s business.

  “I can take care of myself, you know.”

  He knew that, but she was still his baby sister, which meant it was his job to look out for her. “What kind of shit has he been saying to you?”

  “None of your business.”

  She may not want to tell him, but the next call he planned to make was to Loran. If he had any respect for guy-code, he’d back the hell off. “You may not want to tell me, but I will find out.”

  “I swear to God,” she said, pointing at him, “if you say one word to him about me I’ll—”

  “Whatever.” He was done talking about this. He’d deal with it his own way. “Mom texted me this morning. She and Dad are home tomorrow night. They want us over there for dinner.”

  “I know. She texted me too.” She grinned. “And Grace apparently.”

  He swore softly. “That could be awkward.”

  “You think?” She laughed. “But she has been at nearly every family dinner we’ve ever had, so if she isn’t there, Mom’ll want to know why.”

  “Yeah, but how am I supposed to sit across the dinner table from her and act like nothing’s going on?” He probably wouldn’t be able to keep his eyes off her, which would prompt twenty questions from his parents. They loved Gracie, and if they could have hand-picked a girl for him, it would have been her.

  “I have a feeling they’re going to be more interested in hearing about what happened with Issie.”

  “Oh God.” He slapped his palm against his forehead. “I do not want to talk about my ex in front of my… ex.” Gracie felt like a hell of a lot more than an ex to him, but she would probably disagree. “We gotta get out of this. Or at least find a way to get Gracie out of it.”

  “She told me she’d already accepted the invite.”

  “Didn’t she know I would be there?”

  Bella shrugged as she reached for the remote. “Honestly? I don’t think she cared all that much. Just another dinner at the Shaws’ to her.”

  “What?” Now his blood was boiling. “You can’t tell me after what happened between us last night that she’s—”

  “I heard you got her off in your car.” She laughed as his look of revulsion.

  “I thought she didn’t talk to you about us.”

  “I guess she made an exception,” she said, her dark eyes still twinkling with amusement. “Or maybe that’s part of her new outlook on life. She wants to be a sharer now.”

  “Let’s hope not,” he muttered.

  There was nothing worse than believing his little sister knew the intimate details of his sex life. A thing like that could lead a guy down the road to performance issues. Not that he was too concerned about that. One look at Gracie’s ass in those cute yoga pants and he was good to go.

  “Well, I gotta go,” she said, jumping up. “Places to go and people to see.”

  “Dressed like that?” he asked, taking in her workout gear. “And smelling like that?” he teased, sniffing the air. “Girl, seriously. You’re smelling a little ripe.”

  She tossed a throw pillow at him. “You’re such an ass. I’m going home to shower and change.”

  “Too bad you didn’t do that before you came here. Next time, okay?”

  “I hate you.”

  He chuckled. “No, you don’t. You love me.”

  “I meant what I said about Loran,” she said, narrowing her eyes. “Do not talk to him about me.”

  He saluted, knowing full well Loran’s name was the tenth number on his speed dial and would be the first to get a call.

  * * *

  “Loran.”

  “Hey, Shaw. Good to hear from you, buddy. I’d ask how it’s going, but I heard about you and Issie. Sorry about that, man.”

  “It’s okay. It was bound to happen sooner or later, I guess.”

  “Yeah, she, uh, even made a play for me once. I thought about telling you, but I didn’t want to make a big deal of it. She’d had a few drinks and I just gave her the brush-off, so…”

  “It’s okay.” At least Loran had some morals. Ethan had had a few teammates over the years who wouldn’t have thought twice about banging their buddy’s girl. “So listen, you and my sister, what’s that all about?”

  Nix, or Loran, as everyone called him, chuckled. “I figured you’d hear about that sooner or later.”

  “She was pretty tight-lipped about it, to tell the truth.”

  “Probably ‘cause there’s not much to tell. Haven’t even met the girl yet.”

  It was the “yet” Ethan didn’t like. “Oh yeah? You got plans to meet up with her?”

  “Nothin’ in stone.”

  So they had made plans to meet. Son. Of. A. Bitch. “Listen, Loran, I know we’re teammates and all. I’d like to think we’re friends too. But you and my sister? Yeah, that’s not cool.”

  There was a long pause before he said, “Why not? You got a problem with me?”

  He could list a dozen reasons. And the fact Loran was an over-paid egomaniac who liked to sleep around topped the list. “Not with you. Just with you and my sister. Look, I don’t give a shit what or who you do, but you’re not adding my sister to your list of conquests, so get that idea out of your head.”

  “Who the hell are you to tell me what to do? Besides, your sister’s a grown woman. She can go out with—or bang—anyone she wants to. She doesn’t need your permission. Or opinion.”

  Ethan took a deep breath, reminding himself he had to play behind this guy all season and it would be a hell of a long year if there was tension in the locker room. They were defending champions and all eyes would be on them.

  “You don’t even know her,” he said, trying to approach it from another angle. “My sister, she’s, uh, not like most girls.”

  “Oh yeah? What’s she like?”

  Ethan thought of the best way to describe Bella, but the only thing
he could come up with was, “She’s like a guy.”

  He realized how stupid that sounded as soon as Loran started laughing. “Dude, we’ve Facetimed. I’ve seen pictures of her. No way does she look like a guy. In fact, she’s just about the hottest chick I’ve seen, maybe ever.”

  Ethan’s grip on his cell phone tightened as he realized keeping these two apart would be a hell of a lot harder than issuing a friendly warning. “I didn’t say she looks like a guy. I said she’s like a guy. She acts like a guy.” And still he wasn’t making any sense.

  “Come again?”

  “She’s into sports and racing.” Which was ironic, since she was also a girly-girl who loved to primp and design dream homes. “She drinks beer.” He tried to think of something to deter Loran, since so far, he’d probably made her sound like every guy’s fantasy. “And she, uh, sleeps around.” If Bella were here, she’d knock him out for saying that.

  Loran laughed. “Damn, I think I’m in love.”

  “I don’t mean she sleeps around, exactly. She just, uh, isn’t into relationships.”

  “Good. Neither am I. Sounds like we’d be a perfect fit.”

  Ethan scrambled to think of one logical reason this was a bad idea. When he came up blank, he said, “You don’t get it. Bella’s not the kind of girl you’re used to. You’re into those little groupies who follow you around and take whatever you’re willing to dish out. Bell’s not like that. She’s a hard-ass.”

  He laughed again. “You don’t have to tell me she has a hard ass, man. I’ve seen it in pics.”

  This guy was going to get all his teeth knocked out if he kept talking about Bella like that.

  “I meant,” Ethan said through gritted teeth, “she’s tough. She doesn’t give a guy an inch.”

  “Huh. Sounds like a real challenge.” Ethan could hear the amusement in Loran’s voice when he added, “I love a good challenge, Shaw.”

  “Okay, what’s it gonna take for you to back off?” The problem was Ethan was trying to negotiate with a guy who had all the money and perks he was used to using in a negotiation, so he wasn’t sure what his strategy should be.

  “I like her,” Loran said. “So I’m not gonna back off. Period.”

  “So our friendship means nothing to you then?”

  “Sure, it does. But you’re way off base here. Me and your sister are just looking to have a little fun.”

  There was that damn word again. Fun. He was starting to hate that word.

  “Fun?” he echoed. “And how do you propose that when you live in opposite ends of the country?”

  “Ever heard of an airplane?”

  “You would actually fly here to meet her?” As far as Ethan knew, Loran had never gone farther than the hotel bar to meet a woman. If he was willing to hop on a plane to meet Bella, it was because he was more interested in her than he was letting on.

  “No, we were talking about meeting up in Vegas next weekend.” He laughed. “You should come. Bring a chick. You can be our chaperone.”

  “Is there any way I can convince you this is a bad idea? Because it is. I know Bella. And I know you. The two of you together will be like oil and water. Trust me.”

  “Like I said, I’ve seen her. It’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

  You smug bastard. “Yeah, well, don’t buy that ticket just yet. My sister could still come to her senses.”

  “Hey, how do you know meeting me won’t be the best thing that ever happened to her?”

  Ethan was afraid it just might be the worst thing. Bella had never suffered a broken heart, and he sure as hell didn’t want his teammate to be her first. “Don’t count on that.” His phone beeped, letting him know he had another call. From Gracie. “I’ve got to go. You’re a pain in the ass. You know that, right?”

  “See you in Vegas next weekend, Shaw.”

  Chapter Seven

  “Why don’t you want me to go to your parents’ for dinner tomorrow night?” When Bella had called to tell Grace Ethan didn’t want her there, she’d been hurt. Now she was mad. Who the hell was he to try to exclude her just because they’d… messed around?

  He sighed. “It’s not that I don’t want you there. I just think it would be awkward, don’t you?”

  “Why would it be?”

  “Because we’re sleeping together.”

  “Once,” she said, stepping into her office and closing the door. “We slept together once. And we didn’t technically sleep together. We had sex.” Unforgettable, toe-curling, sweat-inducing sex.

  “You don’t want it to be a one-time thing. We both know that.”

  God, he was arrogant. And right. “So what? It’s not like your parents need to know anything. We’re just having a little fun, not getting back together.”

  “Would you stop saying that?”

  Grace could have sworn he was clenching his teeth, though she has no idea why he was so pissed off. He knew the rules. Hot sex. No attachments. Simple. “Saying what?”

  “That we’re just having fun.”

  She sank into her office chair as a smile teased her lips. “Are you saying you didn’t have fun last night?”

  “You know I did.”

  “Good. So did I. Mission accomplished.”

  “Can you get off work next weekend?”

  “Maybe.” It was easier for her to take time off now that they’d hired a couple of part-time people to help them out on evenings and weekends. “Why?”

  “We may have to go to Vegas to babysit my pig-headed sister. Unless you can talk her out of this dumb-ass idea to meet up with Loran?”

  “Loran,” Grace repeated. “You mean Nix Loran? Your teammate?”

  “Yeah, she didn’t tell you she’s been talking to him?”

  “Hasn’t said a word about it.” And for that, Grace was going to have to kill her. “How’d you find out?”

  “He texted her when she was at my place a little while ago. Gracie, I don’t like this. The guy’s bad news.”

  “What do you mean? He’s not abusive or dangerous or anything, is he?”

  “No, God no. He’s a player though, and I don’t want—”

  Grace couldn’t help but laugh as she eyed the picture of her and Bella that sat framed on her desk. The image of her best friend had that mischievous little twinkle in her eye that said she intended to be bad. Very, very bad.

  “You’re worried about him doing a number on her? If Loran is your friend, you might want to warn him that he could end up with a broken heart.” When he didn’t respond, she softened her approach. “I think it’s sweet that you’re concerned about her, but you don’t have to be. You know Bell. She’s always liked athletes. I’m sure this’ll be another little fling that’ll run its course in a few weeks.”

  “I don’t know. There’s something weird about this one, something that doesn’t sit right with me.”

  “What is it?” She sipped through the straw of her water bottle. “Has she said something? Or has he?”

  “No, but I know them both. And they’re… too much alike. I’m telling you my sister is like the male version of Loran.”

  If that was true, Grace had to meet him. She’d probably love him. “I’m sure you have nothing to worry about, but if you’re serious about Vegas, I’d love to come.” It sounded like fun, but she wouldn’t tell him that, lest he bite her head off.

  “Good, but you may have to sell the idea to Bella. She already knows I’m not cool with her and Loran. If I tell her I wanna go, she’ll think I’m interfering in her life again.”

  “Aren’t you?”

  “No more than she interferes in mine.”

  Grace could relate. She had an overprotective big brother too. “Fine, I’ll try to talk her into it. On one condition.”

  He chuckled. “Another condition, huh? You’re just full of those lately, aren’t you?”

  Ignoring him, she said, “You let me come to dinner tomorrow night.”

  Not that she needed his permission. She intended
to show up whether he liked it or not, but she’d feel better about it if she knew he was okay with it.

  “Like I had a choice.”

  She smiled. He knew her too well. “Glad you realized that. See you tomorrow night.”

  “Hey, what are you doing tonight? I wouldn’t mind a little more one-on-one time with you.”

  As much as she wanted that too, she was going to take her best friend’s advice on this one. Leave them wanting more. “Busy tonight. But I look forward to seeing you tomorrow night.”

  “Busy? Gra—”

  “Byyyeeee.”

  * * *

  “You bitch!” Grace tossed a paper bag at Bella, which she deftly caught. “Why didn’t you tell me you’re dating the hottest freaking pitcher in baseball?”

  Bella peered inside the bag, grinning when she saw her favorite—a carrot cake muffin with cream cheese frosting. “We’re not dating. We haven’t even met yet,” she said before taking a big bite out of the muffin.

  “Yeah, but you’re going to Vegas with him this weekend.”

  Bella’s three-story office building was right across the street from Grace’s gym, and they routinely treated each other to coffee, snacks, or lunch during the day. But this was the first time in a long time that Grace had interrupted her work day for a fishing expedition.

  “How did you know that?” Bella asked, narrowing her eyes. “There’s only one way you could know that.” She groaned when Grace raised one shoulder, trying to look innocent. “Ethan talked to Loran, didn’t he? I’m going to kill him!”

  “Relax, hon,” Grace said, sitting in the chair across from her. “He’s your brother. He’s just looking out for you. My brother would probably do the same if one of his friends was sniffing around me.”

  “Yeah, but your brother’s a cop. Being suspicious is in his DNA.”

  “True, but your brother’s not much better.” Grace had always loved that Ethan looked out for those he loved, but Bella hated the thought of her brother interfering in her love life. Which was the reason she let him believe she didn’t have one.

  “Ugh! Tell me about it.” She reached across the desk for her phone and scanned it. “I’m surprised Loran hasn’t texted to tell me to forget this weekend. Why would he even want to hook up if my brother’s going to give him so much grief about it?”