
Out at Home
JL Paul
copyright© 2011 JLPaul
All rights reserved worldwide.No part of this ebook may be copied or sold or distributed without prior written permission -- if you have this file (or a printout) and didn't pay for it, you are depriving the author and publisher of their rightful royalties.
All characters in this book are entirely imaginary and any resemblance to persons living or dead or actual events is purely coincidental.
"Taylor Lockwood! Get in here now!"
Groaning under her breath, Taylor banged her head on the desk's hard surface. The bellowing of her editor never failed to unnerve her - especially when his tone was sharp and crisp like today.
"What'd you do now, Taylor?" Josh Parker grinned from the cluttered desk butted against hers.
Flashing a menacing glare, she retrieved a notepad and an eraser-chewed pencil before scurrying across the busy newsroom to the angry man's office. She pulled on the hem of her blouse, smoothing out the nonexistent wrinkles, before knocking on the glass. The man barked out a command for her to enter and she did, nervously.
"Sit," Luther Spencer ordered from somewhere behind his heaping desk. She dropped into a straight backed chair, waiting for him to speak. As she peered over the mountain in his inbox, she waited for him to finish reading over the smudged paper in his beefy hands.
Lowering the paper to his desk, he gave her an expectant smile. "Well Taylor, I have a story for you."
She raised a dark brow. "Another garden party?" she asked, unable to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.
He grunted. "I know you believe your talents are wasted and I tend to agree. But Taylor, although you've worked for me since graduation, you're still very green and I can't just parlay my veterans to hand you a scoop."
She sighed, knowing he was right. She'd done just about everything for the newspaper from serving as receptionist to helping out with the presses. She'd gotten her hands dirty and never complained. Luther had been kind enough to give her a job when she'd needed it the most and she couldn't throw it all in his face.
"Sorry, Luther. I just get frustrated sometimes." Biting her lip, she scooted to the end of her chair.
A sympathetic smile graced his grandfatherly face. "I know, dear. Don't think I don't want to give you good stories. Your writing is better than most of my veterans. It's just that, well, it's the seniority thing."
She reached across his desk, knocking over a small pile of paperwork, to pat his hand. "I understand." Grabbing the pad and pencil in her lap, she flashed a toothy grin. "So tell me, who's throwing a party this weekend?"
He laughed as he leaned back in his chair, tenting his fingers over his bulging belly. "Oh, I think the Anderson's are throwing a little get together to celebrate their daughter's sixteenth birthday, but I didn't call you in here for that."
Scooting further to the edge of her seat, she nearly dropped to the floor. "What? You have something good for me, don't you?"
He nodded as he folded his hands under his chin. "You graduated a year after Tia, correct?" She nodded, brows furrowed. "I thought so. Perfect!"
"Umm, Luther, get to the point?"
"I know you don't like sports..."
"I like sports. I just hate covering them," she interrupted.
He waved away her words. "Whatever. I have a sports story for you. A human interest sort of story." He held a hand up to stop her protest. "You won't be covering an event. I want you to interview an athlete."
Her stomach slowly descended. "I think I know where this is going."
He paused to blink at her. "You do?"
She nodded.
The whole town of Somersville, Indiana had been rejoicing in the latest celebrity of one of their very own. Brady Nolan, former town hunk and baseball player extraordinaire had finally made his big league debut over the weekend with the town's beloved baseball team, the Indianapolis Racers.
After their aging second baseman had suffered a season ending broken leg, Brady had been called up from the minors, dazzling everyone in his first game going three-for-four at the plate and making a stellar play at second.
He'd signed with the team in his second year of college and had played in their farm system every summer, working his way up the ladder rather quickly, and after three years of hard work, he'd finally made it.
Taylor sighed. "You want me to interview that arrogant jackass, Brady Nolan, don't you?"
He smirked at her. "I take it you're not a fan?"
She rolled her eyes. "Not really. How come you didn't let me interview Marcy Maxon when she was at the bookstore signing books? She grew up in Somersville."
"You didn't graduate with her, did you?"
"No," she muttered, leaning back in the chair to pout. "But I like her books."
He grunted. "You like the Racers, too. You and that niece of mine use my season tickets more than I do. If you do this one, I'll drive you myself to interview Marcy Maxon next time she's in town."
"Fine, fine," she conceded, slouching further in the chair. "When do I have to interview the idiot?"
He scrutinized her carefully. "Is there a reason why you dislike him so?"
She hesitated. She could tell him everything and get out of the interview. But if she did, she'd lose the opportunity to write a brilliant piece and earn a little respect from her peers. She'd only been reporting for six months and had never been given anything more challenging than garden parties and society events. This was what she'd been waiting for.
Shrugging, she exhaled loudly. "Jocks irritate me. But don't worry; I'll handle it professionally and knock your socks off with my story."
He gave her a curt nod. "Okay. The Racers will be back in town Thursday; that's their off day. I've arranged with Brady's agent for you to meet at the stadium. I'll have your pass and everything else you'll need before then."
She nodded as she rose. As she reached for the doorknob, she hesitated. "Luther? Why me? Why not one of your veterans?"
He smiled. "When I talked to Brady's agent, he said Brady didn't want to do any interviews right now so I had to think of an in. I remembered Tia telling me that you went to high school with him so I used that. His agent called me back and said Brady agreed immediately when he found out I was sending you." Luther snorted. "He even said he would talk to no one but you."
Taylor bit her lip and nodded. She waved absently before heading back to her desk. When she sank to her seat, Josh looked up at her with lifted brow. "Well?"
Dropping her head to her hands, she moaned. "Shoot me now!"
\*\*\*
She rubbed her temple as she drove out of the small town and headed to Indianapolis. She had a Tuesday evening date that she couldn't reschedule - no matter the burdens stacking up on her shoulders.
The wind whipped her chestnut hair through the open window, making her curse her ancient car's defunct air conditioning. One of these days she'd sit down and write a book, get it published, make the best seller's list, and earn tons of money. Then she'd have a whole garage full of cars with working air conditioning.
She sighed as she pulled into the state run hospital, nosing her car into a parking slot. She hurried across the hot pavement and through the sliding doors, thoroughly enjoying the cool air that rushed forward to greet her. Smiling and waving to the receptionist, she made her way down the hall. She entered a room quietly, noting the drawn blinds and the low volume on the TV. Her face softened when her eyes fell on a man slumped over in a chair near the window, eyes glued to the images flashing across the television screen. She padded over to him and dropped a kiss on the top of his graying head.
"Hi, Daddy," she greeted cheerfully. "How's your day been?"
He blinked a couple times, not turning his head or otherwise acknowledging her presence. Nonplussed, she sat at the foot of his bed so she could face him.
A heavy set nurse with faded red hair and a friendly face entered the room carrying a covered tray. She smiled as she set the tray on the rolling table.
"How are you today, honey?" she asked, bending to hug Taylor.
"Just fine, Karen, thanks."
Karen bustled about the room, sliding the table over and uncovering the dishes. "And how you doing, Evan?" she asked, not expecting an answer. "We have corn, rice, and baked chicken tonight, darling."
Hopping off the bed, Taylor moved closer to her father. "I'll feed him tonight, Karen. Sometimes I think he realizes it's me."
Karen smiled sadly as she handed over the fork in her right hand. "Of course, honey. If you need anything, give me a ring."
Taylor nodded as she cut up the chicken. She carefully spooned some rice into her father's mouth, watching as he automatically chewed. She wiped his chin with a napkin as she spoke softly to him.
"So, guess what, Daddy? I finally get to cover a big story. Of course I have to interview Brady Nolan. Do you remember him? He came to the house a few times back when I was in school."
She received no indication at all that he'd heard her, let alone understood, but she didn't let it deter her.
"I'm sure he's still as cocky as he was in high school, but I think I can handle him. It'll be a challenge anyway."
She spooned some corn niblets into his mouth, pausing to watch his expression. It never changed, no matter what he ate or what was said to him. She resumed feeding him, talking softly the whole time.
"I talked to Teddy on Sunday. He's doing well. He's taking classes this semester but he promised he'd get down here so he can spend some time with us this summer. He misses you."
She continued with her commentary until he'd decided somewhere in his foggy brain that he'd had enough of his dinner. He'd clamped his lips shut, refusing more. Taylor set the fork down in resignation. He didn't seem to know much about what was going on around him but he knew when he was done eating.
"I wish you'd talk to me, Daddy," Taylor said, resting her head on his shoulder. "I miss you."
He didn't respond which was no surprise.
When Karen returned an hour and a half later, she kissed her father goodbye and left.
\*\*\*
The sun was setting as she made the short commute home. Try as she might, she couldn't push the memories of her senior year with Brady Nolan out of her head.
The end of January was nearing and boredom started to set in again. School had resumed two weeks earlier and the excitement of a new term had already faded.
Taylor stood before her locker, exchanging books for her first hour class when she felt his presence behind her. She turned slowly to face him. As much as she despised the jock clique type, she had to admit he was beautiful - not hard on the eyes at all. His short dark hair always had that just got out of bed look which he pulled off perfectly. His green eyes were bright and full of intelligence. He had straight, blindingly white even teeth which showed prominently when he smiled. He stood at about an even six feet and had the signature athletic body, though he was a tad on the lean side. The only imperfection to be found was a tiny scar above his left eyebrow.
"Hi, Taylor," he greeted, leaning against a neighboring locker.
"Hi," she mumbled, clutching her books to her chest.
"I was wondering if you'd be so kind as to help me study for this English test at lunch? I mean, if you're not doing anything."
She smiled at his unusual nervousness. She nodded as she closed her locker, her ability to speak fleeing.
Flashing a brilliant smile, he walked next to her down the hall. "Great because I'm a little lost."
"I thought you usually did very well in that class?" she asked, conscious of the stares she was receiving for merely walking down the hall with Brady Nolan.
Shrugging, he squeezed her shoulder lightly as the warning bell rang. "Hey thanks. I'll see you at lunch."
And that's how it had started. She sat with him everyday that week at lunch, going over a study sheet she'd comprised at home one night. Friday, after their English class, as soon as he walked out of the classroom, he pulled her into a huge hug. She blushed profusely as he gushed about how he never would have done so well on the test had it not been for her. He shocked her even further when he asked her to have dinner with him that night. She reluctantly agreed.
Her nervousness that evening had vanished quickly as she found him to be charming and quite amusing. They'd dined at a quiet pizza place, sipping soda and talking for two hours. She'd been surprised at how easily the conversation flowed between them. He told her about his parents and his siblings. She told him about her younger brother who wouldn't attend their school until the following year.
"Where did you live before you came here?" he asked, studying her face in the low light.
"We lived up north, near South Bend." A wistful smile crossed her face. "My brother and I both want to go to Notre Dame so I'm sure we'll go back someday."
"How did you end up here? In Somersville of all places."
"My dad was transferred to his company's Indianapolis office. He didn't want to live in a big city so we found a house here. It's close enough to easily commute."
Brady took a big gulp of his soft drink. "It must've really sucked to move to a new town and a new school right before senior year."
Looking down, she shrugged. "It wasn't easy."
He reached across the table to gently squeeze her hand. "Hey, people here actually like you. If only you'd talk to people, you'd have more friends."
She looked up and smiled. "Are you talking about your group of friends?"
Leaning back, he crossed his arms over his chest. "Why not?"
She shook her head. "I don't fit in."
"You could if you tried."
"Maybe I don't want to try."
He smirked at her. "I like your attitude."
She narrowed her eyes. "It's not an attitude; it's a state of mind."
He threw his head back and laughed, drawing a cautious smile to her lips. Once he got his laughter under control, he looked at her. "So, if no one's asked you yet, would you like to go to the winter dance with me?"
She snapped back to the present as she parked in the driveway of the small duplex she rented. After she let herself in, she listened to her messages, grinning at the exuberant message Tia had left her. Apparently, her uncle Luther had informed her of Taylor's latest assignment.
She wandered down the hall to the bathroom to start a bath. After collecting some comfortable pajamas, she poured a glass of wine, grabbed the novel she'd been reading, and retired to the tub.
Sinking into the warm bubbles, she released a content sigh. At least the day was finally over.
Wednesday afternoon found Taylor tracing intricate paths through the heaping mound of ketchup with a soggy fry as she sat in the diner, listening vaguely to Tia's latest rant. Tia Spencer chattered incessantly about rude waitresses and how it wasn't her fault that she detested mustard.
"Huh?" Taylor muttered.
"Taylor, you haven't heard a word I've said," Tia pouted.
"Yes I have," Taylor protested. "You said that waitress was grouchy because she had to take your hamburger back because the cook put mustard on the bun. I heard you."
"Hmph."
Taylor rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Tia. Would a little mustard hurt you?"
Tia smiled brightly as the wary waitress placed a fresh, mustard-free hamburger in front of her. "Thanks a bunch!"
The waitress sneered as she scurried away to attend to less picky customers in a nearby booth. Taylor cracked a smile. "You're awful."
Shrugging, Tia inspected her burger carefully for any signs of mustard. "Can't help it."
When she finished her inspection, she happily took a huge bite out of her burger. Taylor laughed, amazed that the girl could eat so heartily and still maintain a trim figure. Tia was only an inch or two taller than Taylor with wavy blonde hair and mischievous blue eyes. She was absolutely stunning and didn't even know it. That's one of the reasons why Taylor adored her.
"So," Tia mumbled between bites. "Tomorrow's the big day, huh? Brady Nolan. Yum! He is so gorgeous."
"Please," Taylor snorted.
Setting the burger down on her plate, Tia's brow furrowed as she studied her friend. "You don't think he's hot?"
"On the outside maybe. Don't you remember him from school?"
With a dreamy smile, Tia nodded. "Yeah. He was hunky back then, too. Most of the girls in my class were hot for him even though he was a grade behind. I never really talked to him, though."
"He was an arrogant ass, let me tell you," Taylor informed her with disgust. She picked up a fry and threw it back down before pushing her plate away from her. "I'm really not looking forward to this at all."
"Taylor, I thought you'd be thrilled. Uncle Luther told me you didn't seem as excited as he thought you'd be. Maybe Brady Nolan is arrogant and cocky, but still, this is a great opportunity for you. You've been waiting for a chance to get a real story for a long time."
Sighing in resignation, Taylor sat back in the booth. She gazed out the smudged windows at the traffic on the main strip. "I dated him. Did I ever tell you that?"
Tia gasped. "No! How could you keep something like that from me?"
Taylor shrugged, eyes trailing an old blue truck chugging toward the farm supply store. "I don't know. I don't like to talk about it."
"Well I'd tell everyone," Tia proclaimed as she finished off her hamburger with zest. She wiped her mouth with a napkin as she chewed. "As I recall, he went through the whole cheerleading squad my senior year - when he wasn't dating Gretchen Smith."
Taylor wrinkled her brow. "I wasn't there when you were, remember? I didn't move here until a few weeks before school started my senior year."
"Brady was already a big man on campus when he hit his sophomore year. His older brothers were athletic and nice looking also, but not nearly as much as Brady," Tia explained. "Everyone adored him. All the girls wanted him and all the boys wanted to be like him."
"That explains his over inflated ego," Taylor mused. "Besides, as I recall, all of his groupies were fake."
"Come on," Tia jeered. "You know what it's like in a school such as ours. Nothing but cliques."
"Yeah and I didn't fit into a single one of them," Taylor remarked. "Not even when I dated Brady. They were all nice to me, but that was just because of Brady. Not a single one of them speaks to me to this day. The only friends I have in this town are you and Josh. Both of you had already graduated by the time I got to Somersville High."
"Well, most of the people from high school high tail it out of here. I don't know if any of Brady's friends are still around. Jason is out in California, I think. A few might be in Indy." Tia sipped her iced tea.
"I don't really care," Taylor said. "I have no desire to see any of them anyway."
"So why did you and Brady break up?" Tia asked, eyes shining with curiosity.
"That's a story for another day," Taylor told her. She frowned as her cell phone rang. "I have to go. It's Josh. Thanks for lunch."
"Call me later," Tia ordered sternly. "I'm going to need to calm you down before you meet Brady tomorrow."
Laughing, Taylor agreed.
\*\*\*
"Have a nice lunch?" Josh Parker asked as Taylor breezed back into the office. He gave her a sexy smirk that crinkled his brown eyes. She ruffled his dark hair and sat at her desk.
"Peachy," she replied. "What's up? Lou Grant in a foul mood?"
Josh laughed at her use of their nickname for their loud, sometimes boisterous, boss. "Nah. Just thought I'd help you prepare for your big interview tomorrow. You know, help you figure out what kind of questions to ask and such."
She flashed a crooked smile. "I'd appreciate that. I need to be in total control of the conversation tomorrow."
As he got up, he nodded at an empty interview room. She grabbed a notepad and followed.
"So, Miss Lockwood, how do you want to handle this interview?" he asked as he closed the interview room door.
She sighed as he slid into the chair across from her. Josh Parker was the first friend she'd made when she'd moved to Somersville seven years ago. His family had lived two houses down from her family and had welcomed them to the neighborhood immediately.
Josh had graduated two years prior and attended a community college in Indianapolis, commuting back and forth instead of living in the dorms. Tall and thin, he loved basketball, though he wasn't very good at it.
He had dark brown hair and the sweetest brown eyes that hid behind wire framed glasses. When she'd first met him, she'd had a tiny crush on him - college boy from a nice family who treated her like he'd known her forever.
That crush had dissipated quickly as a strong friendship had taken its place. Whenever her father had slipped into his depressive hole or had drown his pain in alcohol, Taylor would wander down to Josh's house and they'd shoot hoops in his driveway until it either grew too dark or the mosquitoes drove them inside.
He'd interned each summer for the Somersville Times and when Taylor had needed a job, he'd put in a good word for her with Luther.
"I don't know, Josh. But if he mentions Prom just once, I swear I'll punch him," she said in a firm voice.
Chuckling, he reached for her hand across the table. "I know slugger. That's what I'm worried about."
She slid her hand out of his and flipped open her notebook. "Well, I need to keep the conversation away from that." She turned businesslike as she gazed at Josh's face. "Keep the questions impersonal."
Josh sat back and rubbed his chin. "You can't do that, Taylor. Your edge is going to be that you know him. You have to use that to your advantage."
Her eyes grew as something sharp skewered her heart. "You know what he did. I don't want to dig up that whole sad, sorry memory. It needs to stay dead and buried."
"Sweetie, it's going to be there and you know it. Even if he doesn't want to bring it up, it's going to be there between you two." He eyed her carefully, watching her digest this latest bit of information.
She sat back and folded her arms across her chest, determination filling her gut. "Well, I won't let it control me or the interview. I'm better than that."
His eyes sparkled as an amused grin slid across his face. "That's my girl!" He bent over the table and pushed her note pad at her. "Now come on. Let's go over these questions and when the interview's finished, you can come over and get smashed with me and Lacy."
\*\*\*
That evening she sat on her sofa with the remote in her hand, not really watching the game. She tucked her legs underneath her as she tried to concentrate on the player currently digging his cleats into the dirt of the batter's box. Her eyes glazed as the memories took over her mind.
She fiddled nervously with her dress as her father greeted Brady at the door. Her dad had given her his credit card and she had shopped alone, hoping to find something perfect.
She had chosen a white dress made of some soft, silky material she couldn't identify; she was hardly an expert on fashion. It clung to her tiny waist and attached behind her neck, leaving her back bare while the skirt flowed well below her knees. She loved the 'swooshing' sound it made as it wrapped around her legs when she walked.
Her father surprised her when he handed her a beautiful knit shawl to cover her shoulders. He grinned sheepishly as he told her it had belonged to her mother and he wanted her to wear it that night to keep the February chill away.
Brady kept his arrogance in check when meeting her father and brother, but she could see the cockiness in his eyes as they swept over her body. He presented her with a beautiful white rose wrist corsage which he slipped on confidently and escorted her out the door to his waiting car.
The dance itself was nothing short of spectacular. The smelly gym had been transformed into a winter wonderland, complete with sparkling snowflakes dangling from the ceiling and fluffy, cotton snow banks dotting the hardwood floor.
White and gold lights twinkled overhead like stars in a cloudless sky. The ambiance enchanted and delighted her so much that she clutched Brady's arm tightly as she oohed and aahed over each detail.
Brady smiled gently at her and patted her hand, though she wasn't sure if it was in amusement or not. When he led her to his group of friends, she stiffened momentarily until they smiled and invited her to sit down.
She was surprised to see Amanda Allen hanging off of Jason Smith's arm. Jason was Brady's best friend and another of Somersville High's most beautiful people. Amanda, though nice enough, was sort of plain and not the type Jason usually dated. Jason was comparable to a god with his blond good looks and sexy blue eyes.
Brady's group treated her friendly enough, even though she sensed it was more for Brady's sake than anything else. The conversation mostly centered around themselves, although they did throw in the occasional insulting remark about a person or a couple who was unfortunate enough not to be one of them. Taylor constantly bit back her retorts, not wanting to upset Brady, but it was difficult.
Realizing what it was costing her to keep her mouth shut, he rescued her by whisking her off to the dance floor. He kept her close to his body when they danced, whispering how beautiful she looked in her ear. Her whole spine tingled at the heat of his breath on her skin and thrills as she'd never known shot through her stomach.
And when he drove her home that night, he held her hand as he walked her to the door. Under the soft light on her front porch, in the biting cold air of that February evening, she received her first kiss. It wasn't very long or very passionate, but it was sweet and full of promise. When he broke it, he cupped her cheek, rubbing his thumb softly over her face, and wished her a good night.
When she went inside the house, she was surprised to find her father dozing in his beat up leather recliner, minus the usual empty glass of scotch. She woke him and he fixed them both a cup of hot chocolate which they enjoyed at the kitchen table as she told him of her amazing evening at her first formal dance.
Once they finished their hot chocolate, he kissed her on the cheek, told her she looked beautiful, and sent her off to bed. She floated up the stairs and drifted off to sleep with a smile on her face thinking maybe things would really, finally be okay once again.
She blinked rapidly, suddenly aware of the tears wetting her cheeks. Brushing them away in irritation, she turned off the television, tossing the remote to the coffee table. She wasn't going to let Brady Nolan reduce her to a quivering, emotional wreck again.
\*\*\*
Gazing at her reflection in the mirror, her brows drew together as she frowned. She wanted to look professional and aloof, but not too much; he'd see right through that.
She had tossed and turned all night wondering what to wear, how to do her hair, how to greet him. Finally, she'd rolled out of bed and showered until the water turned cold.
After foraging in her closet, she settled on pale blue cropped pants and a crisp, white blouse with a pair of strappy sandals. Casual, she smirked. Let him think that she hadn't made much of an effort.
She braided her long, chestnut hair and applied a touch of makeup to her hazel eyes. Perfume was a definite no. She didn't want him to think she was trying to lure him back.
She slung her messenger bag over her shoulder, grabbed her cell phone and keys, and headed out of the door.
As she urged her car through the early morning Indianapolis traffic, headed toward Racers Stadium, she ran different scenarios over in her mind. She tried to imagine a more mature Brady - one who would be contrite and apologetic about the past. Unfortunately, a more realistic picture of him would knock that one out of her head - one of him as egotistical as ever and flaunting their past in her face. Sighing, she rubbed her temple before pinching the bridge of her nose.
A fine tremble quivered throughout her body as a sign directing traffic to the stadium appeared. She took the exit and slowly made her way through the vast, empty parking lot. Time seemed to speed up as she begged it to slow down. But no matter what, she knew she'd have to do this - face him once more. Putting it off would only mean dragging out the agony.
She pulled as close to the doors as possible and parked. As she grabbed her messenger bag, double checking to make sure she had ample notepads and pencils, not to mention her recorder, she gathered her courage. She flung her braid over her shoulder and lifted her chin. Exiting her car, she strolled with fake confidence to the glass doors of the administrative area like she'd been instructed.
An ancient security guard opened the door when she flashed the press pass Luther had given her and directed her down a long corridor. Framed photos of past and present stars hung on the blue walls. She glanced briefly at the photos as she walked, wondering absently if some day Brady's face would grace these halls.
The Indianapolis Racers were an expansion team, joining the United League only six years prior. It was a welcome change to the city, as well as the surrounding towns, as sports fans felt they needed someone to root for when the football and basketball seasons ended.
Taylor rounded a corner and stopped near double doors. A sign warning that only employees were allowed was pasted to each door. Taylor tried the knob, dismayed to find it locked. Tempted though she was to turn around and go home, she knocked instead.
A peppy blonde dressed in a stylish navy blue business suit opened the door, extending her right hand. Taylor shook it carefully, a little startled at the other woman's sudden appearance. "Hi! I'm Stephanie Carmichael. You must be the lucky girl who gets to interview Brady Nolan!"
Cringing inwardly, Taylor nodded. "Yeah. That would be me."
"Follow me," Stephanie ordered as she held the door open. Taylor moved past Stephanie and then followed her through a winding hall and down a flight of stairs. Stephanie stopped before a door with a broad smile.
"This is the press room. I think it will work." She pushed the door open as Taylor took a deep breath. Stepping past Stephanie, Taylor was not surprised to find it empty. "Mr. Nolan will be here in a few minutes. Please, make yourself comfortable."
Figures, Taylor thought. He would make her wait; that was always his game. Well, that was fine with her. She'd use it to her advantage.
Taking in the large, spacious room, she tried to figure what would be the best way to position them both.
Her eyes landed on a small table shoved against a wall. She pulled it out and set a chair on each side. Next, she visited the water cooler in the back corner, poured them each a cup, and set them down in front of each chair.
She retrieved her recorder from her bag and checked that it had a fresh, clean tape inside before placing it in the middle of the table.
Sliding into the chair facing the door, she casually bent over the table to flip through her notes. She wanted him to walk in and see her as comfortable as possible.
But as the minutes ticked by on her watch, her confidence started to fade and her fingers itched with the need to smack him the moment he sat down.
Finally, the door opened and she fought the tension that threatened to scrunch up her shoulders. She forced herself to finish reading the sentence she was staring at before looking up to face him.
When she did lift her head, she found him leaning in the doorway, arms folded over his chest, smirk permanently plastered on his lips. He looked nearly the same as he had all those years ago except his hair was cut shorter and he'd acquired a few lines around his mouth.
Dressed in faded jeans and a hunter green, collared shirt, it wasn't hard to see that the well-defined muscles in his arms and chest had developed over the years.
Her heart thudded as her blood pumped fire through her veins. She reached an amazingly steady hand to her cup and sipped slowly at her water, eyes never leaving his. He barked out a short laugh as he pushed away from the door frame and approached her. As he sauntered toward the table, she briefly wondered if she should stand. She decided against it - he wasn't royalty.
"Taylor, Taylor, Taylor," he muttered, smirk still gracing his lips. "I wondered what happened to you." He loomed over her, causing her to look up. Perhaps she should have stood.
"Just sit down and let's get this over with," she told him, glaring coldly. "I have more important things to do."
Laughing, he bent down to plant a kiss on her cheek. "There's that attitude I love. Oh wait, what was it you called it? State of mind?"
"Sit down," she repeated, fighting the urge to childishly wipe away his kiss. "I don't have all day."
"Of course you do," he replied, his smirk lingering as if it was the focus of the interview. "Your editor is dying for this interview. He'd send you away for a week with me if I promised him an exclusive."
She didn't reply, just continued to glare at him, fury dancing in her eyes. With a shrug, he dropped into the chair across from her. She took a deep breath and flipped the pages of her note pad. "Where do you want to start?"
Reaching across the table, he took her hand. She tried to pull away but he held it tighter. "Let's have dinner tonight. We can talk about old times."
She squirmed as little electric currents shot at her heart at the mere touch of his hand. "No. Now let go of me."
He grinned, eyes crinkling in the corners, and released her. "Okay, if you don't want to have dinner, how about you come to a party with me instead?"
She groaned. "I am not going to any party with you Brady. Now can we just move along?"
Sitting back, his narrowed eyes raked over her body. "You're even more beautiful than I remember. I bet you have men knocking on your door, begging you to give them the time of day."
She ducked her head. "No. Now will you please just answer a couple questions so we can move on with our lives and never have to see each other again?"
His smirk faded as he bent over the table, invading her space. He placed his index finger under her chin, lifting her face. His green eyes probed her, hard and firm. "Not at all, Taylor. I have no intention of doing any interview here and I definitely have no intention of letting you go again."
Sitting stiffly in the passenger seat of his car, she glared at the passing scenery, refusing to even glance his way. How the hell had she totally lost control of this situation? One second she was standing her ground with him and the next she's in his car on her way to some cookout-party thing. She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her flesh. How she absolutely loathed him!
"Don't pout, love," Brady said from the driver's seat, that irritating smirk still lingering on his lips. His left hand gripped the wheel while his right rested on the console between the seats. "It doesn't become you."
Folding her arms over her chest, she scowled, feeling a bit childish. "Don't call me that."
"Why?" he asked. Using his free hand, he ran his knuckles lightly over her cheek. "I used to call you that all the time."
Jerking her head out of his reach, she banged it on the window in the process. She squeezed her eyes shut to avoid the amused smile she was certain he'd be wearing.
"Where are you taking me?" she demanded.
He laughed. "Geez, Taylor. You make it sound like I'm kidnapping you."
"You are," she muttered under her breath as she slumped down in the leather seat.
He leaned closer to her, eyes still on the road. "What was that?"
"Nothing," she said as she straightened. "Let's just get there and get this over with. I have other important things to do today."
He tried to take her hand but she moved as far away from him as she could, tucking her hands under her firmly crossed arms.
A tiny smirk toyed with the corners of his mouth. "Come on, Taylor. Loosen up. You'll have fun. And I promised you that I'd do the interview at the party if you'd come with me. It's only going to be a few guys from the team cooking out and drinking beer. We'll have a little chat and then maybe you can talk to the other players, too."
She had to admit that he was right; though she would never say it aloud. After he'd blackmailed her into attending this cookout with him, she'd started turning it over in her mind, figuring out how to use the situation to her advantage. If he did finally talk to her, she'd maybe be able to get some background information from his teammates. If he didn't talk to her, well, he had mentioned that the guy who was hosting this party was his best friend from the farm team. She'd corner him and get a story. It wouldn't be exactly what Luther wanted but it'd be something.
When he exited the highway, he followed a well maintained two lane road through a quiet neighborhood. Huge houses with manicured lawns took up both sides of the road. She wondered vaguely if Brady owned a house like one of these yet or if he was renting for the time being. She knew that his parents had moved out of the area shortly after Brady had graduated high school so he wasn't staying with them. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask him about it, but she refrained. She refused to get too personal, not wanting to give the impression that she had any lingering feelings for him.
Finally he turned into an immaculate condominium community. He stopped at the gate to enter a code into the electronic box. When the gate lifted, he eased his black Maxima past. He obeyed the posted 5 MPH sign as Taylor's eyes drank in the beautifully designed, two story condos.
Most were deep red brick with small flower beds in the front. Yellows, pinks, and reds peered from the planters, adding color to the otherwise green landscape.
An older couple held hands as they walked a leashed mutt of mixed heritage along the sidewalk, conversing quietly with each other. A pang hit Taylor's heart - a longing for her own parents. Would they had been like that if her mother wouldn't have died and her father wouldn't have fallen into - whatever he'd fallen into?
Slowing, Brady pulled into a driveway behind a silver SUV. He killed the engine and gave her a wink. "Ready, love?"
"Who exactly lives here?" she asked as she opened her door and stepped out of the car.
Still grinning, Brady came around to her side to grab her hand and pulled her toward the house. "Kyle Shepard."
Stunned, she froze, somehow managing to yank his hand back. He stopped to face her. "Kyle Shepard? Catcher for the Racers?"
He nodded. "Yeah. I told you a couple of the players would be here."
She resisted the urge to stomp her foot. "I thought you meant from the farm team!"
A slow grin spread across his face and lit up his eyes. "Feeling shy? Nervous about meeting professional players?"
"I....uh...oh hell, Brady! You know I am. I don't fit in with those people," she confessed, trying to keep her voice from turning into an indignant squeak.
His smile disappeared as he bent to look her straight in the eyes. "That's what you said about my friends in school, remember? But you ate them alive."
Wincing, her heart fluttered briefly as she caught a quick glance of the Brady that she'd fallen for years ago. But that Brady didn't last long as he quickly disappeared - vanishing into thin air. The present Brady kissed her nose before grabbing her hand once more. "Let's go, Taylor. Grow a set, will you?"
"I swear to God, Brady, that I will kick you in your set if you don't stop jerking me around," she muttered with every step she took. She didn't see his smirk change to a genuine smile.
Brady pulled her up the front step and rang the bell. Taylor took that opportunity to wrangle her hand out of his. Turning to look at her, his luscious brows crashed together before amusement overtook his face. His lips relaxed into a smile.
A couple seconds later the door flew open to reveal the tall, dark Racers' catcher. His eyes lit up when they landed on Brady. "Finally! I thought you'd never get here." He leaned past Brady to point at Taylor, still pouting behind Brady's back. "Oh, is this the girl you were telling me about?"
Taylor had barely registered Kyle's words when Brady grabbed her arm gently and pulled her forward. "Yeah. This is Taylor Lockwood. Taylor, meet Kyle Shepard."
Taylor smiled and shook his offered hand. "It's really nice to meet you, Kyle," she managed to mutter.
"It's nice to finally meet you, Taylor," he told her, warm eyes shining. "Brady never shuts up about you. Come in. Not everyone is here yet."
Brady motioned for her to precede him and she stumbled through the door, wondering what Kyle had meant about Brady. Certainly Brady never talked about her.
Color flooded her cheeks. Oh no! He wouldn't have bragged to his teammates, would he? Not about something that had happened in high school.
A lump formed in her throat. How could she face these people, too? If they knew....
"Relax, love," he said, leaning over to whisper in her ear. His warm breath tickled her skin, causing an involuntary shudder to work its way through her body. "Enjoy yourself. I promised I would talk to you and I will."
Shivering, she hugged her arms to her body as she followed Kyle out to a huge deck.
Three people looked up as she stepped through the sliding glass doors. The man she instantly recognized as Ian Pitner, shortstop for the team. He came forward to introduce himself with a wide smile on his face.
The women approached her next. The first one was about her height with long, dark hair and friendly green eyes.
"Hi! I'm Tabby Hays," she said, extending her hand. She pointed to the taller brunette behind her. "This is Zoey Martin."
Realization hit Taylor like a brick. She smiled as she shook Tabby's hand. "Yes, I read your column all the time. It's amazing."
A little pink touched Tabby's cheeks. "Thanks." She motioned for Taylor to follow her to a couple of chairs. "So, how do you know Brady?"
"Um, well," she said, her uneasiness returning. "I knew him in high school. But actually I was supposed to be interviewing him today for our local newspaper. He sort of dragged me here."
"Really," Tabby said, leaning forward. "What paper?"
"The Somersville Times," Taylor said.
They talked shop for the next ten minutes, Tabby describing her job as a columnist for a sports magazine, until Brady interrupted them. "Taylor, love, do you want something to drink?"
Her head snapped up as she blinked, remembering that she'd come to this place with Brady in order to interview him. "Water, please. And don't call me that."
Smirking, he swaggered away to fetch her water. Tabby and Zoey exchanged a glance as she continued to glare at his back.
"Trouble in paradise?" Zoey asked, innocence radiating in her eyes.
Taylor snapped back around, her fingers curled into fists in an effort to stop them from trembling. "No! It's nothing like that. I mean, I'm not involved with him or anything."
Tabby flashed a smug smile. "Really? Tell him that."
Taylor's jaw dropped. "No. Honest. He's a smug, egotistical ....."
"Hey, watch yourself. You're going to give these ladies the impression that you don't like me," Brady grinned as he handed her a bottle of water. "We can't have that now, can we?"
She narrowed her eyes as she snatched the bottle from his hand. "No."
His grin reached his eyes as he pried her fingers loose and encased her hand in his. Winking at Tabby and Zoey, he grinned. "If you ladies will excuse us, I promised Taylor I would give her a quick interview."
Pulling Taylor from her chair, he led her back into the house, through the kitchen, and to a comfortable living room. He dropped down to the sofa and motioned for her to do the same. She sat primly on the edge, as far from him as she could get, and dug her note pad out of her messenger bag. He watched her with amused eyes as he sipped slowly from his bottle.
"All right," she started, not looking at him. "Tell me what it's like to finally be playing in the big league so close to your home town."
Sitting forward, he placed his beer bottle on the coffee table. "Come on, Taylor. Is that the best you can do?"
"What do you want me to ask you? How your childhood was? Are your parents proud? Because I have all those questions right here."
His eyes darkened. "Why don't you ask me how my sex life is now that I'm a pro?"
She matched his stare, grinding her teeth. "Because I don't really care about your sex life. I already know too much about it as it is."
He didn't blink, just returned her stare before finally smiling. Grabbing his bottle, he sank into the sofa, taking a quick swig of his beer. "Fine. It feels wonderful to have worked so hard and finally made it where I want to be. Of course, it's constantly in the back of my mind that they could send me back down once Randalph's leg heals."
"I thought he was just going to retire?"
Brady shrugged. "Probably. But you know how professional athletes are."
She snorted. "Certainly. Over paid arrogant jocks who think they can get away with anything."
He leaned forward again. "Is that what all this coldness is about, me 'getting away with something'?"
She ducked her head over her notes. "No. Let's just finish...."
"Taylor, I tried to call you and talk to you but you never answered the phone. You never gave me a chance to explain," he said, his eyes earnest.
"I didn't care to hear your explanation then and I don't care to hear it now," she said in what she hoped was a smug tone. Inside, her heart was shaking and her stomach quivering - and not out of nervousness. Anger raged through her body but she tamped it down - she had a job to do. "It's done and over with. It was a stupid, idiotic high school moment."
He reached for her hand but she yanked it away. "I obviously hurt you and I ..."
"I. Don't. Want. To. Hear. It." She enunciated each word succinctly.
With a sigh, he sat back. "Okay, Taylor. Go ahead with your questions."
She asked him the questions Josh had helped her with and he answered them all perfectly, with just a tad of arrogance. Once they finished she tucked her note pad into her bag and got to her feet. "Will you take me to my car now?"
He stood also. "What's the rush? I thought you'd enjoy meeting the guys. You and Tabby seemed to have hit it off."
"I want to get started on my story," she explained, keeping the pleading from her voice. "While it's still fresh in my mind."
"Spoken like a true writer," an unfamiliar voice said from over Brady's shoulder. Taylor's eyes widened as Alex Miyerson, the Racers' star pitcher walked into view followed by the equally impressive Mark Johnson. They each stepped forward and shook Taylor's hand as they introduced themselves.
"Tell me you're not leaving already?" Alex asked. "Tabby would love to talk your ear off about journalism, I'm sure."
Taylor wondered if men who were good at baseball were born with some kind of gene that made them good-looking, too. Alex Miyerson's dark hair and sculpted looks were testament to that theory. But it was his brown eyes that appealed to Taylor - warm and friendly, urging her to stay.
She smiled at him, her resolve weakening. "I met her already and we did talk shop."
"Stick around," Mark coaxed, moving closer. He wasn't quite as tall as Brady or Alex, but Taylor still had to crane her head to look at him. "We're getting ready to throw some burgers on the grill. And I promise we won't let Alex cook."
Rolling his eyes, Alex gave Mark a friendly punch. "I'm going to get the grill going. I hope you'll stay, Taylor."
He disappeared with Mark closely behind him.
"Come on, love," Brady coaxed, studying her intently. "Stay for a bit then I'll take you to your car. I promise to be on my best behavior."
He reminded her suddenly of a five year-old child begging his mother for one more bedtime story. Her resolve faltered.
"Fine," she relented. "But stop calling me by that stupid nickname."
\*\*\*
Tension hovered like a storm cloud as they drove back to the stadium where Taylor had left her car. Brady tried a few times to engage her in conversation but gave up when she refused to cooperate. He sighed repeatedly, smirking when she'd grunt in irritation.
"Come on, Taylor," he whined. "Admit it, you had a good time. You got along with everyone and they seemed to really like you."
"I'm surprised nice people like that crowd actually put up with you," she retorted.
He barked out a laugh. "What can I say? They find me charming."
She snorted. "As charming as a rabid Rottweiler."
"Not everyone shares your opinion of me," he said curtly.
"Not everyone has a reason," she murmured, not caring if he heard her or not.
He ran a hand through his thick, dark hair, causing it to spring up at odd angles. "I'm really sorry you feel that way."
When they finally turned into the stadium parking lot, she instructed him on where she'd parked her car. As soon as he pulled beside it, she didn't say a word as she practically sprang from his car.
"Taylor, wait," he called. He got out of his car and walked over to the passenger side of hers. She paused, hand on the door handle. "Come to the game tomorrow night. I'll leave you a ticket at Will Call."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Why, Brady? Why are you so insistent that I be in your life again? Didn't you humiliate me enough?"
He rested his arms on the roof of her car and shook his head. "No, Taylor. That's not it at all." Swallowing, he licked his lips. "I screwed up, okay? I want to make it up to you."
She laughed, the sound bitter in her ears. "So that's it. You want to ease your guilty conscience. Let me spare you the trouble. I forgive you, okay? There. It's over and done. Now move on with your life and leave me alone."
Just as she opened her door, scrambling to get in and away from him, he called to her once more. "Taylor, wait. You need to know the truth."
Stopping, she closed her eyes. She needed to get away from him quickly before she lost control. She didn't want him to see her break.
She straightened to face him, lifting a brow in question.
"I lost," he whispered. "I lost the bet."
She froze, not expecting those words to come out of his mouth. Giving him a cold look, she narrowed her eyes. "Really? By a couple hours? Minutes? That must have really pissed you off, huh?"
"No damn it!" He smacked the roof of her car causing her to jump. "I didn't tell. I didn't tell anyone what happened."
She shook her head, refusing to register the words he'd shouted at her. "No. I don't want to hear this."
"Taylor," he begged. "Please. I swear. Just hear me out. I didn't tell anyone, I promise."
She gaped at him while a single tear fell from her eye, followed by another and another.
"I can't talk about this right now, Brady," she whispered. With one last look, she climbed into her car and drove away, avoiding her rearview mirror. She was leaving him behind, again.
She smiled as she heard him approach her from behind. The musky scent of his cologne tantalized her nose as she her shoved books in her locker and replaced them with different ones.
"Good morning, love," he whispered in her ear, wrapping an arm around her waist. "I missed you this morning. Where were you?"
Turning in his embrace, she stood on her toes to place a chaste kiss on his mouth. "I overslept."
He raised a brow before lacing his fingers with hers and leading her down the hall. "Really? Hot date last night?"
She snorted. "No. Just up late with homework and stuff."
Nodding his head in greeting to a couple football players passing them, he turned his green eyes on her. "Everything okay?"
"Of course," she answered quickly, avoiding his eyes. She definitely did not want to tell him she'd spent the evening taking care of her drunken father.
They reached her classroom before the warning bell rang. He pushed her gently against the wall, brushing his lips over hers. She melted into his body, nearly dropping her books.
When he broke the kiss, a smirk slipped over his lips. "I gotta get to class."
He started to walk away but spun back around, smacking his forehead. "Oh, do you mind if Jason and Amanda go to Prom with us?"
"Prom?" she asked, totally confused.
He stepped closer to cup her cheek. "Yeah, Prom. You didn't think I'd take anyone else, now did you, love?"
He kissed her again, only tearing away as the warning bell rang.
She bolted upright, sweat beading on her forehead. Holding a hand to her chest, she caught her breath and glanced at the red numbers of her clock. Only a little after four in the morning.
With a groan, she flipped the sheets back and swung her feet to the floor. No use trying to sleep anymore. Each time she tried, the same images invaded her dreams.
Locating her laptop, she took it to the living room where she got comfortable on the sofa and opened it. She'd started her story on Brady as soon as she'd gotten home, but his parting words had haunted her relentlessly. Giving up, she'd saved what little work she'd had and slammed her laptop shut.
She drew in a deep, cleansing breath and threw herself into the story, consulting her notes often and recalling some of the things his teammates had told her about him.
He had played on the farm team with Kyle for a few years. Kyle had been called up and sent back down a number of times but now it seemed like he was a permanent fixture. Well, as permanent as one can be in the world of professional baseball.
Brady had only received his call recently. Mitchell Randalph, the team's veteran second baseman, had broken his leg during an awkward slide into home. Although the season was still young, Mitchell figured he wouldn't be back at all this year. Besides, he'd been hinting around about retirement since the end of last season.
Taylor had spoken to the other guys at the cookout and was surprised to find that they knew Brady pretty well already. Alex had explained that the team had invited Brady to spring training camp the previous two years and since he and Kyle were friends, they'd all gotten the chance to get to know him.
Taylor often thought that she knew more about sports than the average girl, but after spending an entire afternoon with a group of baseball players, she realized that she was quite the rookie. She'd never thought before about the hopes and disappointments they went through in their efforts to finally make it to the big time. Kyle had described to her how thrilled he'd been when he was called up the first time and how he'd telephoned everyone he knew, sure it was finally his moment. But after only a couple weeks with the team, he was sent back down to the minors.
Brady, in one of his humble moments, had described what an emotional rollercoaster it was for him when friends would get called up, leaving him behind. And when it was finally his turn, he'd been totally elated, until he had to pack up his locker and tell the guys who'd worked beside him every day goodbye.
She included nearly every little piece of information she'd collected and put it together to create a story not only about an athlete whose hard work and persistence finally paid off, but also of the camaraderie between teammates and the struggles they faced together.
She spoke of the heartbreak of another ended season in the minors. She told of the thrill of getting the call, only to be replaced by guilt when the call came due to an injury to another player.
She read through it over and over until she was certain Luther wouldn't totally pick it apart. She saved her work, emailed it to Luther, and shut down her computer.
After she showered, she gathered her things and headed to the office, feeling confident in her work. Brady's words kept floating around in the back of her mind but she kept pushing them away. She wasn't going to let Brady Nolan ruin what was to be a perfect day.
She was the first to arrive so after dropping her things at her desk, she waltzed to the break room and started the coffee maker, waiting patiently for it to brew.
She loved coming in early; enjoying the quiet of the usually busy office. She knew every square inch of the squat brick building by heart. Back when her father first became ill, it had been her one escape from medications and doctor visits. Here, she could be Taylor the eager employee; the girl not afraid of any job. She'd jumped feet first into every task.
Finally, Luther had let her try her hand at reporting. Funny thing about that, Taylor had never really thought about writing. Sure, she'd always been an exceptional English and Creative Writing student, but she'd never once dreamed she'd use it to earn a living.
But after she'd written her first piece, she became hooked. Of course she'd been assigned to the Society section, the first rung on the ladder, but she'd embraced it and wrote every piece as though writing a Pulitzer Prize novel. Her hard work did not go unnoticed; no, Luther loved it. Unfortunately, he had to play along with office politics and forced her to work her way up. She wasn't thrilled, but she understood.
When the coffee finished brewing, she poured a cup - stirring in two spoonfuls of sugar before retreating to her desk. She picked up her phone and dialed her voice mail. She hadn't been in at all the day before and wondered if anyone had even noticed.
Someone did, she thought wryly as she punched a button to retrieve her one mail message. Her hand stilled when she heard Brady's voice.
"Taylor, love," he greeted. "Come to the game Friday night. I'll leave a ticket for you at Will Call. I know you're upset with me but Tabby and Zoey want to see you again. I'll even buy you a drink after the game."
Deleting the message, she slammed the phone down in fury. How could he even think that she'd be remotely interested in being anywhere near him? No, she was through. She got her story and now she could continue her life without Brady Nolan.
"You're here early, kid."
Looking up at a surprised Luther, she smiled. "Yeah. I couldn't sleep so I got up early and finished the story. I already emailed it to you."
He raised his brow. "Already? Excellent." He hurried his heavy frame to his office, calling over his shoulder. "I'll let you know when I'm done reading it."
Leaning back in her chair, she nodded. She looked around the office and realized she had nothing really to do. She'd only had the Brady Nolan assignment and she'd finished that already.
Closing her eyes and tilting her head back, she swiveled left and right in her chair.
"I lost. I lost the bet."
She squeezed her eyes tighter, forcing the image of his torn face from her mind.
"I didn't tell. I didn't tell anyone what happened."
"Must be nice to get paid for sleeping.".
Startled, she jumped, nearly falling out of her chair. "I'm not sleeping, Josh, and even if I was, I deserve a little rest. I worked nearly all night."
Josh sat at his desk and turned on his computer. "I see that. You look like hell."
She snorted. "Thanks."
Following his example, she turned on her own computer, deciding to check her email.
He rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean. So, how did it go? Did he give you any hassles?"
She browsed through her email, eyes never leaving the screen as she answered him. "No, not really. He took me to a cookout."
Josh's brows rose to his hairline. "You're kidding!"
She shrugged as she deleted various spam messages. "It's embarrassing really." She turned her chair toward him and filled him in on the whole story.
Josh laughed. "You have to admit he knows how to get to you."
"He does not," she protested.
"Are you serious? He got you to do what he wanted. I've been trying that for years. And if he's calling you and trying to get you to come to his game, well, it's obvious he likes you."
Closing out her email, she shut down her computer. Getting up, she grabbed her bag, her heart a mess. "No, Josh, he does not. He's trying to clear his guilty conscience."
Josh wandered over to her side and perched on the corner of her desk. He placed a hand on her shoulder, a gentle smile on his face. "But you didn't see him when he came looking for you after graduation."
"I was sort of busy, remember?"
He squeezed her shoulder gently and ran his free hand through his short hair. "Of course I do. But still, he was a mess. I'll never forget it."
She let out a bitter laugh as she brushed his hand off her shoulder. "Yeah, right. Brady Nolan is never a mess. And why the hell are you defending him?"
"I'm not defending him. I know what he did. I just think maybe you should talk to him." He held up a finger to stop her protest. "Before you get all defensive, I'm only suggesting this because I think maybe you need some closure."
She shrugged. "I'm going home. I don't want to think about this anymore."
"You can't avoid it forever, Taylor."
She just waved as she worked her way through the people filtering into the office. When she made it to Luther's door, she rapped quickly on the glass before poking her head inside. "Hey, Lou Grant. I'm beat so I'm heading home."
"Not so fast. Get in here."
She stepped inside, shutting the door behind her. She shifted nervously from foot to foot, feeling as if she was about to face a firing squad.
Looking up at her, he peeled his glasses off his face. He held two sheets of paper up in his free hand. "This is marvelous. I mean, better than newspaper reporting marvelous. You shouldn't be reporting, you should be writing a book."
A furious blush warmed her cheeks. "Yeah well, I need the paycheck."
He sighed. "I know, kid." He leaned back in his chair and folded his hands behind his graying head. "Well, at least this gives me leverage when I start putting you on real stories."
Her face lit up as she dropped into a chair in front of his desk. "Really?"
"Yep. Now get lost and get some sleep," he told her, fighting to keep the embarrassment off his face. "You and Tia take my tickets tonight. Louisville is in town and it's going to be a good game."
He shuffled through a drawer on the left hand side of his desk until he produced a slim envelope. He handed it to her and sent her on her way. She shot out of his office, pausing only to smile at Josh, who was on the phone, as she grabbed the cell phone off her desk. At least the tickets weren't the ones Brady had left for her. Luther's tickets were down the first base line and ten rows back. Brady would never think to look for her there. She could enjoy the game with Tia and not have to deal with his insufferable ego.
\*\*\*
She decided since she was leaving the office early, she'd go see her father. She drove to the hospital thinking the whole time about everything Josh had said. She agreed he was probably right. Maybe it would be best if she sat down and talked to Brady, get everything out. Then maybe she could move on with her life. Maybe she could get out of her funk and find happiness somewhere. Hell, maybe she'd even date...
After Prom, when her world had fallen apart, she'd been much too busy to even consider dating again. But now, with Teddy away at school and her father in the hospital, she spent many lonely evenings at home with her television. Tia always regaled her with tales from her dating escapades and sometimes, Taylor felt a twinge of jealousy. She usually had no desire to go out with anyone; Brady had pretty much ruined that. But other times, especially when Tia spoke dreamily of the way her current suitor held her hand or kissed her softly, she would long to have the same thing. Dining with Josh and his wife Lacy only enhanced the emptiness inside.
But dating Brady Nolan once more? No, definitely not. He'd built her up once only to tear her down. She would never let anyone do that to her again. Especially him.
Her father wasn't sitting in his usual chair when she walked into his room. Instead, he was sleeping in his bed, snoring softly with the crisp, white sheets tucked firmly under his arms. She took a seat next to him, observing how thin he had become in the last few weeks. The doctor had informed her that if he continued to not eat well, they would have to insert a feeding tube. She cringed. She knew her father would hate that.
Resting an arm on the bedrail, she raised her other hand to stroke his thinning hair. She remembered how thick and lustrous it used to be and how her mother would lovingly rake her fingers through it before ruffling it. She'd run from him, laughing uncontrollably, until he caught her around the waist and kissed her.
Taylor rambled softly to her father about how her story had turned out and the cookout she'd attended. She talked of the players she'd met and told him when he got better, she'd introduce them to him.
She started when the door opened and Dr. Edwards entered. The aging doctor smiled at her over his bifocals as he checked her father's chart. He made a few notations then placed it back in the tray at the foot of the bed.
"Miss Lockwood, could I have a word with you in the hall," he asked. Taylor nodded and kissed her father's forehead. She followed the doctor out of the door.
"How is he?" she asked nervously.
Dr. Edwards sighed. "He hasn't eaten at all in the last two days and now he's started refusing water. I've ordered an IV of just saline to keep him hydrated. And I think I'm going to have to order a feeding tube also."
Nodding, Taylor studied the floor, fighting back the tears that were forming in her eyes. "He's wasting away, isn't he?"
"I think that's what he intends to do."
Releasing a long breath, she peeked in at her father resting in his bed. "Do what has to be done. I'll call Teddy and see if he can't come home soon."
He gently squeezed her arm. "That's a good idea. I'm sorry I didn't have better news for you."
She nodded again, gazed once more at her father, and padded slowly down the corridor. Once she reached the parking lot, she called Tia's cell phone and told her to pick her up later; they were going to the Racers game. She hung up with Tia and found her car.
Opening the door, she climbed inside, taking a deep breath. She dialed her brother's number, frowning when it went immediately to voice mail. She left him a message asking him to call her later and flipped her phone shut before starting the car.
\*\*\*
Taylor was fiddling with the radio as Tia maneuvered through the heavy traffic when her cell phone rang. She looked at the screen, frowning at the unfamiliar number.
"Who is it?" Tia asked.
Taylor shrugged as she answered the phone. "Hello?"
"Hi Taylor. It's Tabby Hays. I hope you don't mind but I got your cell number from your editor."
Taylor glanced at Tia briefly. "No, it's okay. What's up?"
"Brady said he left you some tickets at the Will Call. Are you coming to the game?"
Taylor rolled her eyes. "Yeah we are but we have tickets already."
"Forget about those tickets," Tabby cheerfully ordered. "Use Brady's. His tickets are next to ours. You can sit with us and get drunk."
Just wonderful, Taylor thought. She groaned quietly. "I'm with my friend, Tia. We have her uncle's tickets. I need to check with her."
"Okay, call me back. Do you have my number?" she asked.
"It's on my phone," Taylor responded. "I'll talk to you in a few." She flipped her phone shut and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"What?" Tia asked, eyes alternating between Taylor and the road.
"That was Tabby, Alex Miyerson's fiancée. She, uh, wants us to use the tickets Brady left me at Will Call so we can sit with them."
Tia's eyes widened. "You didn't tell me Brady left you tickets! You must have really made an impression on him."
She grunted. "Not the one I wanted to make."
"Cheer up. He obviously likes you or he wouldn't go through all this trouble."
"It's not like, it's guilt," she stated as they followed the stream of cars into the parking lot. "Do you really want to sit with them? It'd be a shame to let Luther's tickets go to waste."
"He'll never know," Tia responded in a flippant manner. "He wouldn't have come anyway. He told me he had a business dinner tonight." Once she parked, she shut off her car and grabbed her purse. "Besides, Brady's tickets are probably better and maybe I'll get to meet a single, sexy baseball player."
A sudden urge to bang her head on the dashboard rushed through Taylor. She resisted and opened her door instead. "You do realize that the players will be on the field and not in the stands?"
"Minor technicality," Tia smiled. "Now where's that Will Call window?"
Groaning, Taylor helplessly followed her exuberant friend.
Taking the seat between Tabby and Tia, Taylor quietly nursed a foamy beer in hopes that it would relax her jangled nerves. Alex Miyerson was on the mound and Tabby was beside herself in ecstasy. So distracted was she that Taylor was able to focus on the game and not listen to some propaganda about how wonder Brady Nolan really was.
Taylor's heartbeat quickened when a batter from the opposing team knocked a line drive between first and second. Brady dove to his right, snatching it from midair. He fell to his knees, grabbed the ball from his glove, and fired it to the first baseman. The crowd around them jumped to their feet and roared.
Tia stood and cheered excitedly, slopping beer on her hand. "Why did he throw the ball to first? He caught it so the batter was out, right?"
With a smirk, Taylor pulled Tia back down to her seat. "The runner on first took off as soon as the ball was hit. When Brady caught it, the runner needed to go back to touch first but since Brady's throw to the first baseman beat him back to the bag, he couldn't tag up so he's out. Double play. Oh, never mind."
"Hey, I never said I understood the game. I just like coming and watching the cute players," Tia said with an indignant shrug.
Taylor rolled her eyes with a smile as the players trotted off the field to file one by one into the dugout. Suddenly, she remembered a baseball game long ago.
Huddling in the light drizzle on the bleachers with Amanda Allen, Taylor's heart fluttered when Brady walked out to the on deck circle and winked at her. Amanda squeezed her arm. "I can't believe you're dating Brady and I'm dating Jason!"
Taylor refrained from rolling her eyes. Amanda was a nice girl and pretty, though nothing like the beauties Jason usually dated. Maybe that was why she constantly expressed her disbelief that she was dating him. But whatever the reason, it was starting to drive Taylor crazy.
"I know," Taylor sighed.
When the batter walked, Brady approached the plate. He watched two pitches go by and listened as the umpire called them balls. He dug his cleats into the dirt, swung the bat twice, and waited. He made contact with the very next pitch and Taylor jumped to her feet at the 'clink' of the ball firing off the aluminum bat. Her eyes followed it as it sailed past the right fielder and over the fence. He blew her a kiss as he jogged past, making his way around the bases. She grinned and continued to cheer with the rest of the fans.
After the game, she waited outside the locker room. When he came out, hair still damp from the shower, he grabbed her waist, pulled her flush with his body, and kissed her so hard she gasped. He broke the kiss to grin. "Tell me how proud you are of me."
Rolling her eyes, she toyed with the ends of his damp hair. "Please. Anyone can hit the ball over the fence."
Laughing, he draped an arm around her shoulders as he led her to his car. "Maybe. But do they look as good as I do when they do it?"
She shook her head at him. "You are your biggest fan."
They reached his car and he leaned against the passenger side door. He gently brought her closer, lifting her chin with his index finger. He kissed her softly before whispering in her ear. "I thought you were, love?"
She pecked him on the lips before pushing him away from the door, heart furiously beating against her ribcage. "I can't compete with you," she told him with a wink before jumping in and closing the door behind her.
"Hello, Taylor. You with us?" Tia asked, brows furrowed.
"Huh?" Taylor answered. "Sorry. I got a little lost in my head for a second."
"I was asking if you wanted another beer," Tia repeated.
Taylor looked at the nearly full plastic cup in her hand and shook her head.
"You okay?" Tabby whispered, worry in her eyes. Taylor offered her a weak smile, nodded, and sat back to watch the rest of the game.
\*\*\*
After the game, Taylor wanted to make a quick escape, but Tabby coaxed them into going back to her house. Tia was beside herself with joy so Taylor didn't have the heart to refuse.
They gathered out on the deck, enjoying the warm, evening breeze. The crickets sang in the grass as the fireflies blinked on and off, celebrating in the joy of summer.
Taylor took a seat at the patio table with the rest of the females, as far away from Brady as she could get. Tabby stuck an icy cold bottle of beer in front of her with a grin.
"Thanks," Taylor smiled, sipping slowly. She wasn't much of a drinker and the two beers she'd already consumed had her far too relaxed.
"Taylor, when does your story on Nolan come out?" Alex asked. He had his tall, lean frame propped against the deck railing. Brady hopped up next to him, sitting atop the rail. They both held sweating bottles of beer in their hands.
"Probably Sunday," she replied. She ignored Brady's glare. It unnerved her immensely the way he kept looking at her and she didn't want to let him see how much it was affecting her.
"I can't wait to read it," Tabby added. "I haven't done a story on him yet."
"You'd do a much better job than me," Taylor blushed. "I've read all the profiles you've written on the players. They were marvelous."
"Maybe you could sell your story on Brady to the magazine," Tabby suggested, excitement brewing in her eyes. "I could talk to my publisher."
Taylor's eyes widened. "Oh, no. I don't think it would compare to your work."
"Don't sell yourself short," Brady said. "You were always the smartest girl in our class."
"I was not," she denied hotly.
"Pretty much. Didn't you tell me you skipped a grade?"
She snorted. "It was only first grade."
"Yeah, maybe, but they don't allow kids to skip grades, even that young, if they're not intelligent," Zoey remarked.
Taylor lifted a shoulder, wishing the attention would turn away from her.
"I told you she was smart. If it wasn't for her, I would have never passed my English class," Brady stated.
Taylor took a big gulp of her beer, looking at him in disgust. "You didn't need me. That was all part of your plan."
All the blood left Brady's face. "No, Taylor. That's not true. Maybe it was an excuse to talk to you but it was never any plan."
With a grunt, she turned her head. She ran her finger through the water rings made by her beer bottle on the table.
Tabby glanced between the both of them. "What plan?"
Brady shot Taylor a look that almost seemed pleading. She glared back at him before replying. "Nothing. Just a disagreement we had."
"Did you two date or something?" Zoey asked innocently, resting her arms on the table.
Taylor choked on her drink so Tia gave her a hefty thump on the back.
"Something like that," Brady mumbled as he studied the bottle in his hands.
"Well, I take it things didn't go well," Kyle observed, giving Taylor a wink. "Maybe a change of subject would be in order."
"How are your dad and brother doing, by the way?" Brady asked. The cocky lift of his lips dared her to contradict him - call him out for asking after her family when she felt he had no right.
"Fine," she replied. "Teddy's in South Bend."
Brady's eyes brightened. "Ah, that's right. Notre Dame. Did you graduate from there as well?"
She looked at Tia for help but Tia only offered a weak smile.
"No, I didn't go to college," she grudgingly admitted, her heart twinging in despair.
Brady slid off the rail, empty beer bottle swinging between his fingers. "But you got accepted. I remember that. They offered you a scholarship and everything."
"That's pretty impressive," Mark stated. "Why didn't you go?"
"Stuff came up," Taylor mumbled, shifting uncomfortably in her chair. "I couldn't go."
"Taylor," Brady pleaded. "Tell me it wasn't because of me. Tell me it wasn't because of the ..."
"No," she snapped, effectively cutting him off. "Not everything revolves around you, Brady."
"Okay," Tabby sighed, trying to relieve the tension. She turned to Taylor. "So, if you didn't go to college, how did you start reporting? I mean, I know a college degree isn't required, but most publications I know want their reporters to have one."
Relief gushed through Taylor as she granted Tabby a smile, grateful to look away from Brady.
"I only recently started reporting. One of my best friends was already interning at the paper and he knew I needed a job so he asked Luther to hook me up. I've been there for years and after I wrote some whimsical piece, Luther let me start writing." She took a drink. "Mostly all I get to cover is garden parties and stuff."
"Uncle Luther told me earlier that the piece you did on Brady was outstanding," Tia exclaimed. "He said you're done doing the garden party kind of thing."
Taylor's cheeks heated and she ducked her head, wanting desperately to crawl under the table. "I hope so."
Brady bent to retrieve another beer out of the color, lifting his eyes to her. "Maybe he'll let you cover who's sleeping with whom and who's been committed to the nuthouse now."
Taylor stood abruptly, nearly upsetting the table. "Yeah and maybe someone will discover a cure for your cocky, arrogant attitude."
With a deep breath, Taylor faced Tabby. "I'm sorry. Thanks for everything but I need to go."
She pulled Tia to her to her feet before she stormed through the sliding patio door.
Brady started after her but Tia grabbed his arm, swinging him around.
"You insensitive bastard," she accused before pushing him away and following her friend's path.
\*\*\*
After letting herself into the front door, Taylor collapsed on the sagging couch. She groaned when her cell phone rang until she recognized the number as her brother's.
"Hi Teddy," she greeted, plastering a smile on her face. She hoped he'd hear it in her voice and not figure out how upset she was. "How are you?"
"Good, T. What's up?" His voice held a tint of concern.
She sighed. "Teddy, when can you come home?"
"Dad?"
"Yeah," she admitted and filled him in on her conversation with the doctor.
"I don't know, T. I just started a summer semester and a new job in the book store. Let me see what I can do, okay?"
"Why are you working, Teddy?" she asked. "You're supposed to be concentrating on your studies. I can send you money if you need it."
"Relax," he reassured her. "It's a light semester and I thought I'd earn my own money. I promise it won't interfere with my course work."
She nodded, not realizing he couldn't see her. "Okay. How's school going?"
"Great. I love it." He paused. "T you sound awfully tired. Anything else going on I need to know about?"
"Nah," she answered. "Except I finally got a real assignment."
"That's cool," he said. "Tell me about it."
Haltingly at first, but with growing confidence, she filled him in on her story about Brady.
"Send me a copy," he requested. "Isn't that the Brady you went out with your senior year?"
"Yes," she grimaced.
"He was a nice guy."
"He was a pompous ass."
Her brother laughed. "You went out with him."
"I know," she sighed. "Don't remind me. Listen, I need to get to bed. Call me when you know when you can come home."
"Okay. I love ya, T. Take it easy."
"Love you too, little brother." She flipped the phone shut with a smile.
She missed him and wished he could be home with her again. They had never really been extremely close until the summer after her senior year when their father's health had deteriorated rapidly and she took over running the household. Teddy, who had been approaching his fourteenth birthday at the time, pitched in as much as she'd allowed. She'd tried desperately to shoulder all the responsibility; wanting her kid brother to remain a kid for as long as possible.
But when their father had been admitted to the hospital and Taylor was hired at the paper, he'd taken on dinner responsibilities. She hadn't been crazy about it, but as long as his homework was finished and his grades weren't suffering, she hadn't grumbled.
She'd worried about how she could possibly put him through college on her salary, even if they did receive some kind of financial aid, but he, too, had earned a scholarship and several grants, making it a little easier for her to breathe.
Her paycheck was modest and she lived as frugally as she could so she could send money to Teddy for the things his scholarship didn't cover. Her apartment was small and shabby, but she kept it clean and furnished it with the stuff from her parents' home she hadn't had to sell. She didn't have much, true, but she took pride in the things she did have. Especially those she'd worked hard to earn.
She pushed all thoughts from her head as she turned on the TV just in time to see highlights from the day's game. She rolled her eyes as they showed Brady's diving catch and ensuing double play. She sat forward and looked at his eyes. Gone was the arrogant, I'm-better-than-you look and in its place was nothing but adrenaline and intensity. He may be a cocky bastard off the field but on it, he was pure determination.
She rubbed her tired face angrily. She was not going to waste her evening thinking about Brady Nolan. His sudden reappearance in her life had caused her enough grief.
When her cell phone rang again, she picked it up warily. It was Tabby Hays.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Taylor," Tabby greeted. "I'm not bothering you, am I?"
"No, not at all. Is something wrong?"
"I could ask you the same question," Tabby remarked, drawing a frown to Taylor's face.
"I'm really sorry for earlier. Brady just really gets to me," she explained, embarrassment suddenly filling her entire body.
"No need to apologize." Tabby paused. "I was wondering if you weren't busy tomorrow if you'd like to come to the game with me. Zoey's not going and I have an extra ticket."
"I don't know. I think I've had my fill of Brady for awhile."
Tabby chuckled. "Yeah, I can see how he really gets under your skin. I'll tell you what, if I promise to keep him away from you, will you come?"
Taylor bit her lip. "Why are you so insistent?"
Tabby sighed. "I just thought we'd talk."
Curiosity got the better of her and even though her instincts balked at the idea of returning to the ballpark - and possibly running into Brady - she relented.
"Okay," Taylor said. "Where should we meet?"
\*\*\*
They settled back in their seats, sipping from icy cold water bottles and munching on deliciously salty popcorn. Excitement radiated from the eager fans scurrying to their seats, anxious to not miss a single pitch.
"So, what did you need to talk to me about?" Taylor asked between mouthfuls of popcorn.
Tabby grinned. "Boy, you cut straight to the chase, huh?"
Taylor shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. Sorry, I didn't mean to sound rude."
"It's all right," Tabby reassured. She pulled her sunglasses off the top of her head and covered her bright green eyes. "I just wanted to talk to you about Brady."
Taylor groaned. "Did he put you up to this?"
Tabby snapped her head to look at Taylor. "No. Oh, no. I didn't mean talk to you like that."
"Oh, good," Taylor smiled. "Sorry."
Tabby rested a hand on Taylor's arm. "It's okay, really." Pulling back, she watched some of the players stretch out on the field. "Taylor, I wanted to ask you about your relationship with Brady. I know it's none of my business but, well, you seem so angry at him and I wondered if maybe I could help."
A puzzled look flashed across Taylor's face. "Help? Help how?"
Tabby moved her sunglasses back to the top of her head and turned in her seat to face Taylor. "Did he force you to have sex?"
Taylor's eyes grew wide as her stomach curled. "No. No. Not at all. He is a jackass but I don't think he's a monster."
Relief flooded Tabby's face. "Good."
Taylor patted Tabby's hand. "I read your article about the man that did that to those other girls, and to...um...you. It broke my heart. I'm sorry."
Taylor had once read an expose Tabby had written about a reporter who had used his occupation - and date rape drugs - to take advantage of women - Tabby included. Tabby had met one of the other young women through a mutual friend and had gained her trust. She had listened to her side of the story and coupled it with her own. Tabby's piece had been powerful and strong and full of emotion. Not only had it helped to bring the man down, and ultimately bring him a conviction, it had also made other publications notice her. She'd received many offers but her love of sports influenced her decision to remain at her job following her beloved Racers around the country and report not only statistics, but also the human interest side of the game.
Tabby pulled her sunglasses back down. "Yeah well, that's how I thought I could help. I thought if Brady did something like that to you, maybe talking to someone would help. That girl that I did the piece on, she stayed silent for years."
Sitting back in her seat, Taylor watched the players jog to their respective dugouts. "He didn't do anything that terrible."
"What did he do?"
Taylor's eyes followed Brady as he sprinted to his spot between first and second, tossing a ball to Ian Pitner. "He broke my heart."
After the game, Taylor thanked Tabby for inviting her before hurrying through the crowd to her car. She didn't want to take the chance of running into Brady. She knew he'd been very much aware of her sitting in the stands with Tabby as his eyes had drifted to her each time he came off the field, heading to the dugout.
She rubbed her forehead as she weaved through the Indianapolis traffic. She was touched that Tabby had been concerned enough about her to invite her today. She genuinely liked Tabby and had enjoyed talking shop with her once they'd finished the Brady topic.
A rueful smirk invaded her face. Imagine someone thinking Brady Nolan had to force a girl to have sex. She snorted. Nah, he hadn't forced her. He hadn't forced her at all.
She admired her reflection in the full length mirror on the back of Mrs. Parker's bedroom door. The pale, peach color of her dress set off her early summer tan. Memorial Day weekend had been sizzling and she'd spent most of it at Brady's house, cooking out with his family and soaking up the sun by his pool.
Her hair had been drawn up in an elegant bun with a couple tendrils hanging down to frame her face. The stylist, who happened to be a friend of Mrs. Parker, also applied a light layer of makeup, enhancing her hazel eyes and highlighting her cheek bones.
Mrs. Parker knocked on the door as she entered the room. "Taylor, honey, you look beautiful!"
Taylor beamed and twirled around once more. "Thanks, Mrs. Parker."
Taylor had originally intended to wear the dress she'd worn for the winter dance to her Prom but Mrs. Parker would have none of it. Taylor's father had slipped further and further into a black hole, often drinking excessively or just sitting quietly in a dark room. Taylor refused to bother him with an issue as trivial as a new dress; that's what she told Josh anyway. He, in turn, told his mother who took Taylor, kicking and screaming, to the mall and bought her a new one. She then arranged to have her hair and nails done.
"I think Brady's here," Mrs. Parker announced when the doorbell rang. Taylor hugged the older woman once more before hurrying down to greet her date.
Brady and Taylor doubled with Jason Smith, Brady's best friend, and his date, Amanda Allen. They endured the embarrassing photo shoot Mr. Parker put them through while Josh stood in the corner, laughter taunting his eyes.
The Prom had a Venetian City theme and before long, Taylor was caught up in all the romance. The walls of the gym were plastered with paintings of Venice, done entirely by the art club, and strands of twinkling white lights once again hovered above them. Someone had procured an actual gondola and couples were posing before it for a professional photographer eager to make a buck on the sentimentality of high school girls.
Brady kept a firm hand on her all night, dancing closely with her and not letting her out of his sight. None of the usual arrogance he displayed in front of the school was present as he plied her with compliments and chaste kisses.
They shared a table with some of his friends and Taylor winced each time one of the girls insulted another girl's, who was unfortunate enough to be below them in the high school caste system, dress or hair. When Monica Temple snorted in disgust and commented on the cheap, department store dress a pretty junior Taylor didn't know was wearing, she couldn't refrain any longer.
"Well, it's obvious that she doesn't need an expensive, designer dress to look good. She could have worn a burlap sack and she'd probably still outshine every girl here," she said with a sweet, sarcastic smile.
Choking on his punch, Brady took her hand, leading her quickly away from the table and out on the dance floor.
"You really know how to put people in their place, huh," he asked, smirk playing around his lips.
She lifted a defiant chin. "It shouldn't matter how much money a person has. I can't stand that your friends are so judgmental. If it weren't for you, they'd have nothing to do with me."
He kissed her cheek softly, his lips trailing to her ear. "It would be their loss, then."
Blushing, she rested her cheek on his chest as he held her tightly and moved slowly to the music.
When the dance ended, Brady took her to a post Prom party at a football player's house in a new, private subdivision complete with a manmade lake. It was loud and rowdy with plenty of alcohol. Brady, sensing her unease, took her hand and led her out of the house. Slipping off his tux jacket, he draped it over her shoulders as they walked past the shimmering lake. He smirked as he guided her to an incomplete house and pulled her inside.
"Brady, I don't think we should go in here," she worried.
He drew her to his chest and kissed her firmly, melting her whole resolve. He had kissed her plenty of times in the past few months and each one left her gasping.
"It's okay, love," he said, his soft voice reassuring. "I have a surprise for you."
He led her up the unfinished stairs to what was soon going to be a bedroom, complete with a balcony overlooking the lake. There he had a blanket spread out and a picnic basket nearby. He motioned for her to sit as he produced candles from the basket and lit them. Next he extracted two wine glasses and a bottle of champagne. Her eyes grew.
"How did you get that?"
He pecked her lips again. "I have older brothers, remember?"
She rolled her eyes. "I should have known." She glanced around as she took the glass he offered. "This is pretty amazing. I would have never expected this of you." Her eyes sparkled in amusement as she lifted her glass.
"I'm hurt, Taylor. I do know how to be romantic."
She snorted. "Have you been reading your mother's romance books again?"
He laughed and took the glass from her hand. "You really know how to put me in my place, too, don't you?" he asked, rubbing his thumb across her bottom lip. He didn't wait for a reply. "That's why I love you."
Her eyes widened as he pulled her mouth to his and tangled his hand in her hair, loosening the tight bun. She broke from her shock and responded eagerly. He moved his hands down her back and eased her body into his. Yanking his shirt out of his pants, she ran her hands underneath. He moaned lightly in her mouth and slowly lowered her to the blanket. He broke the kiss and moved to her neck. She found the buttons on his shirt and quickly undid them, nearly ripping it off his body. He lifted up to grin at her.
"Little anxious, aren't we?"
She blushed but refused to hide her head. "I think you have a nice chest. I can admire it can't I?"
He shrugged. "By all means." His eyes sparkled mischievously. "You have a nice chest also. I can admire it, can't I?"
She narrowed her eyes at him as she sat up to undo the clasp holding her dress in place. He watched her hungrily and when she lowered herself back to the blanket he reached out to tug the dress down. He hesitated and looked her in the eyes.
"Sure you want to do this, love?"
Her eyes never left his face as she nodded.
They undressed each other in record time, kissing and exploring the other's body. Crawling over her, he kissed her sweetly. He broke away to gaze into her eyes. "Are you sure, love?"
She nodded and smiled. Uncertainty lit his eyes briefly before he kissed her again and took her innocence once and for all.
She hadn't realized she was crying until she walked into the house and caught her reflection in the hall mirror. She entered the bathroom, turned the sink taps on, and splashed her face. She couldn't believe what she was becoming. And all because of a guy.
She groaned and dried her face on the hand towel hanging by the sink. It was still early, she reasoned. She'd call Josh and they'd go have dinner.
When her cell phone rang, she rushed to the living room to dig it out of her bag. It was another number she didn't recognize but she answered it anyway.
"Hello?"
"Hey! Have dinner with me tonight, love," Brady purred into the phone.
She clenched her fist with fury. "How did you get this number?"
"From Tabby. I charmed it out of her. I can charm anything out of anyone, as you know, love."
"Well charm your way out of my life," she nearly screamed.
"Hey now, don't burst a blood vessel. Come on. Have dinner with me. We need to talk," he asked in a silky voice.
"Can't. I have plans," she retorted. She was determined to keep him from burrowing under her skin once more.
He grunted with doubt. "With who?"
"A friend."
"Hot date?"
She rolled her eyes. "Please."
"Tell me who you have plans with tonight," he ordered. "Or are you putting me off again?"
She sighed dramatically, longing to end the call. "Josh, okay? I have plans with Josh tonight."
"Josh Parker? Really?"
"Yes really. Goodbye!"
"Wait, Taylor!"
"What do you want?" she asked, her patience quickly draining.
"Have dinner with me tomorrow night then."
"No, Brady. I won't. Please," she took a deep breath. "Please stop calling me."
"This is the first time I've called you," he protested.
Groaning, she rubbed her temple furiously. "You know what I mean."
"Just have dinner with me. Come on. We're leaving Monday for a two week road trip. What are you going to do then?"
"Celebrate?" She released a short giggle. "Look, if I promise to think about having dinner with you tomorrow, will you leave me alone for the rest of the evening?"
"Nu uh. I want to hear you say yes."
"Good night, Brady." She hung up before he could respond and then promptly turned off her phone. She smirked at it in victory as she picked up her cordless and dialed Josh's number.
\*\*\*
"Just go out with him and get it over with," Josh insisted as he handed her a glass of ice tea. He settled in a cushiony chaise that he'd just purchased, a satisfied grin on his face. "You know you want to go."
She groaned as she sipped the drink. "You're starting to sound like him."
"Never. And please, don't insult me that way," Josh declared, hand over heart.
She tucked her legs under her body and peered at him over her glass. "Then why are you so insistent that I go out with him?"
He set his drink on a small table next to his chair. Cocking his head, he stared at her as if she had something growing on her face.
"It's been what, about six years since you graduated?" She nodded. "You've been hurting that long. Don't deny it."
Wrestling her conflicting feelings, she dropped her eyes to the cubes floating at the top of her glass. "I've had a lot to deal with besides Brady Nolan. You know that."
Josh folded his hands over his chest. "Yes, I know. But Brady came to me after graduation. He was really upset that you weren't there."
She snorted in an unladylike manner, eyes avoiding his. "He was upset because he couldn't gloat and parade me around as his trophy."
Sighing, Josh rubbed a hand over his face. "Taylor, listen. I never told you everything that happened between me and Brady that day."
"Tell me," she whispered, eyes nearly as wide as her glass.
He shook his head firmly. "No. It's Brady's story to tell, not mine."
She leaned forward, lowering her feet to the ground as anger swelled in her heart. "What? You have a guilty conscience now, too? You want me to meet with Brady and talk to him so he can tell me everything and it will rid you of your guilt?"
Lips set, he shook his head. "No, it's not like that. I don't have anything to feel guilty about, except maybe for not beating him to a pulp."
She relaxed slowly, shoulders sagging. "Sorry. He's just got me in such a mood lately."
"It's okay. But it's all the more reason to talk to him."
She blew a long breath at the loose hairs hanging in her face. "I will. But not until he gets back from his road trip. I have too much on my mind at the moment."
"Your dad?"
She nodded and filled him in on her latest conversation with the doctor.
\*\*\*
"We need to talk, Taylor," Josh announced as soon as she opened the door. The sappy smile she'd been wearing since she woke that morning faltered a little bit.
"What's up, Josh?" She led him to the empty family room. Her father was still in bed and Teddy was spending the weekend with his friend.
Josh sat on the coffee table, motioning for her to sit in front of him on the sofa. When she sat, he took her hands. "Taylor, what happened last night after Prom?"
She frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Did you go anywhere with Brady?"
"Yeah. We went to a party. Why?"
He scooted closer and squeezed her hand. "Did you go anywhere alone with Brady? Did Jason and Amanda go somewhere alone also?"
She pulled her hand out of his. "I don't know about Jason and Amanda but I do know it's not really your business where I went with Brady."
He dropped his head to his hands. "Oh no. You did, didn't you?"
"Josh what is your problem?"
He took both of her hands again and held them tightly. "Please hear me out, okay?" She nodded and bit her lip. He took a deep breath. "It was a bet, Taylor. The whole thing."
"What do you mean?"
"Honey," he exhaled. "Brady and Jason made a bet. They had to find a virgin, date her the rest of the year, and have sex with her on Prom night. The one who succeeded won the bet."
She snatched her hands out of his as though they were on fire and scorching her skin. "No. Brady's not like that."
"His brother just told me the whole story last night." He moved to sit next to her and draped an arm around her shoulder. "He told me that they were bored so Jason invented this bet. They had all kinds of stipulations. I'm sorry, Taylor."
"No," she protested, shaking his arm off of her body. She got up and stormed into the kitchen. She yanked the refrigerator door open but he appeared behind her and slammed it. Turning her around, he bent to her level.
"I'm so very sorry, Taylor."
"It can't be true," she whispered. She searched his eyes for confirmation. She found none. "It just can't be. He said he loved me."
Josh groaned and squeezed her shoulder a little too hard. "Taylor, I'm sorry I didn't find out sooner."
She jerked away from him. "No, I don't believe you. Please leave. I have things to do today."
"Taylor," Josh pleaded.
"Go."
After Josh left, she flopped on her bed and stared at her ceiling.
She should've known. She was smart, after all. The signs had been there all along. She was a nobody at that school, having started the beginning of senior year. She had no friends and wasn't included in the 'in crowd'. And neither was Amanda. How could she not have seen it - the two most popular guys at school dating two nobodies?
Muffling her sobs in her pillow, she realized that graduation was the next day. There was absolutely no way she could go. How humiliating. How she hated Brady Nolan!
What an idiot she'd been. She'd actually believed him when he'd said he loved her. She'd trusted him. But worst of all, she let herself love him.
She vaguely registered someone shuffling down the hall to the bathroom. She heard the toilet seat bang down followed by a low moan. She sat up quickly, straining to hear any other sounds. The eerie quiet unnerved her so she scooted off the bed and opened her bedroom door. Giving her face a quick wipe, she crossed to the bathroom to investigate. She opened the door as quietly as possible but a scream escaped her lips almost immediately.
"Daddy!"
Ignoring both her cell and her landline, Taylor lounged around the house in old shorts and a raggedy t-shirt on Sunday. She had no desire to talk to Brady yet, although she had decided she would after his road trip. The problem was getting him to agree to it.
She camped out on her sofa with chips and a soft drink to watch the Racers game, her heart only turning once or twice when the camera caught sight of Brady. When the game ended with a Racers victory, she decided to hop in the shower and go see her dad.
Once she dressed, she checked her cell messages, hoping to hear from her brother. She sighed as she received not one message from Teddy. Or from Brady, which was surprising. Maybe he'd given up on her after all. She ignored the disappointment that suddenly hit her, chalking it up to exhaustion.
She hit the road and headed for the hospital, hoping by some chance her father would be sitting up in his chair, his blank eyes focused on the television. Worry ate at her heart, although she did the best she could to not let it totally possess her. She had confidence in the doctors and nurses - but if her father didn't want to get better, there wasn't much anyone could do.
Her cell phone rang, startling her out of her thoughts. Reaching across the seat to get it, she checked the screen, contemplating just letting it go to voice mail but answered it anyway.
"What do you want, Brady?" she asked, her teeth grinding.
"You," he answered, his tone smug.
"Sorry, not going happen. Try again."
"What time can I pick you up tonight?"
She sighed. "You can't. I'm on my way to have dinner with my dad."
"He can join us," he replied cheerfully.
"No, he can't."
"Taylor, quit avoiding me. I'm not going to go away," he whined like a petulant child.
"All right," she conceded. "I know we need to talk. Can you please just wait until after your road trip?"
"You're not going think up another excuse then, are you?"
"No, I won't. I promise." She bit her lip. "Will you please just give me a little time?"
"Okay, fine," he relented. "But I'm going to call you while I'm gone."
"Not every day."
"Every other day."
She caught herself smiling and quickly put an end to it. "Don't be overbearing."
He laughed. "I wouldn't be me if I wasn't. Bye Taylor. Take care, love."
She ended the call just as she pulled into the hospital.
\*\*\*
Finishing up her story, she closed her lap top, grinning in satisfaction. Luther had let her cover a story on a local debate that had the whole town in an uproar. Some big corporation was eyeing a large plot of farmland to build a huge shopping center. Most of the town opposed the idea. They loved their little farm community and insisted it remained as is. The townsfolk countered that if they wanted to shop, they could make the short commute to Indy.
It'd been nearly two weeks since Brady had left for his road trip and he'd kept to his word; he only called her every other day. They were polite over the phone; she more than he. But the underlying tension hovered over them like a black cloud. She knew they'd have to talk soon if she ever hoped to move forward with her life.
Teddy called frequently also. He hadn't been able to break away from his summer semester so he kept in constant contact with her to keep up-to-date on their father's condition. Taylor only wished she'd had better news to give him.
Her father's conditioned worsened nearly every day. They'd inserted a feeding tube but he kept trying to remove it. He constantly ripped his IV's out until the nurses had to restrain him. Taylor, not able to bear seeing her father strapped down to the bed, finally broke down and told them to stop. Defeated, she told them to just leave him be; it's what he wanted anyway.
In order to keep her mind busy, she took Luther's advice and tentatively started working on a book. The idea came to her as she was driving home after an afternoon visit with her father. As soon as she'd walked in the door, she sat on the couch; feet tucked under her, and opened her laptop. After a few moments of indecision, the words had started flowing through her fingertips and onto the monitor.
After she emailed her mall story to Luther, she settled in and started working on her new project. She'd been typing furiously for over an hour when her land line rang. She answered the phone, listening carefully, asking only a few questions, before hanging up without a goodbye. She saved her work on her laptop, closed it, and picked up her cell to call her brother.
\*\*\*
Brushing at imaginary lint on her black skirt, she absently listened to the minister's words. Teddy, sitting stoically next to her, took her hand and squeezed it gently. She looked up into his hazel eyes, so like her own, and smiled. He'd seemingly grown taller in the months since she'd seen him last and his messy dark hair longer.
Josh and his wife, Lacy, sat on her other side. Josh casually draped his arm behind Taylor on the pew and every now and then he would give her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
The minister's words didn't seem to penetrate her ears as she kept her mind blank and her eyes firmly on the lighted cross just over his shoulder. Exhaustion from the last three days crept up on her, but she held it at bay. Only a few more hours and she could succumb totally to it and collapse on her bed.
Teddy had taken the news harder than she'd imagined. She'd done her best to keep him informed, but the death of their father shook him to the core. He'd driven home the morning after she'd called and when he'd reached her house, he held her tightly as he sobbed on her shoulder. She'd comforted him the best she could before feeding him and insisting he use her bedroom to take a nap. There had still been decisions to make and as much as she wanted to shield him from them, she knew he'd want to have some kind of say in the matter.
So she had allowed him to accompany her to the funeral home to make arrangements for their father's cremation and to the church to plan a memorial service. They both decided things should be done in Somersville, because even though they weren't originally from the little town, it had been their home for the past seven years.
"Taylor, are you okay?" Teddy asked. She looked up to find the minister standing before her, offering his hand. Smiling, she stood, accepting his condolences. Teddy draped his arm around her shoulders and turned her to face the many mourners who'd come to express their sympathies. Taylor forced a smile upon her face as she greeted each person, surprised at the number of people who'd come. She listened carefully as nearly everyone had some story or anecdote to share with her.
She was genuinely touched when Tabby Hays and Zoey Martin appeared in front of her.
Tabby's eyes watered as hugged Taylor. "I'm so sorry about your dad."
She smiled and thanked her as Zoey embraced her next. "Um, how did you two find out?"
"I ran into Tia yesterday downtown. She told me what happened," Zoey explained. "I called Tabby last night."
Tabby nodded in agreement, taking hold of Taylor's hands. "I was able to catch an early flight this morning, but the guys had an important team meeting that their manager wouldn't let them miss. Brady was extremely mad but there wasn't much he could do about it. Anyway, their plane should have landed already and they want to come by to see you."
Taylor nodded numbly. "The church is having a luncheon in the basement. We're not going to the cemetery. Dad wanted to be cremated."
Zoey and Tabby quickly glanced at each other, garnering Taylor's curiosity. Maybe they'd expected her to fall to pieces or something as dramatic. They didn't understand that Taylor couldn't afford to do that. There were still so many things to do. Besides, Teddy was grief-stricken and needed her to be strong.
At that moment, Teddy walked up to take her hand, smiling at the other two women. Taylor quickly introduced her brother before leading them all downstairs.
Taylor found a table and quickly claimed a chair, Teddy dropping in a seat next to her.
"You need to eat something, T," he informed her.
"I know. I will. I just want to sit for a second." She pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling a headache sneaking up on her.
He watched her with concern brimming in his eyes. "You've been holding up really well. Too well. I'm worried."
Sighing, she smiled. "Teddy, stop. I'm fine. Just tired."
"Well you took care of me for a long time and I think it's time someone takes care of you."
She patted his cheek before placing a soft kiss on it. She allowed her eyes to rake in his tall, lean frame. He had stubble erupting on his chin and above his lip. He was no longer the emotional teenager she had taken charge of years ago. She smiled fondly at him, proud of the man he was becoming.
"Taylor?"
She tore her eyes away from Teddy's face to meet Alex Miyerson's. She stood and accepted his, Mark's, and Kyle's embrace.
"Thanks for coming."
"Sorry we couldn't be here sooner," Alex said, giving her hand a tiny squeeze.
"I understand," she said, noticing Brady hanging back, glancing around as if unsure that he should be there. Catching her gaze, he moved forward.
He took her hand and pulled her to his chest. "I'm so sorry, love," he whispered in her ear. "I didn't realize he was ill."
She shoved off his chest and offered a weak smile. "Um, thanks for, um, coming. I know today is your off day." She looked over her shoulder at Teddy, motioning for him.
Teddy shook Brady's hand. "Hey, Brady. Good to see you again."
Brady smiled and offered condolences to him as well. Brady's eyes darted around the room, nodding to people he recognized from his childhood as well as former neighbors. His eyes widened when they landed on a familiar figure standing near the buffet line, conversing with Tia.
"Taylor," he said softly.
"Yes?" she asked.
He pointed at the buffet. "Is that Josh Parker?"
She lifted a brow. "It is. Want me to call him over?"
He barked out a laugh. "Not really. He'd probably punch me again."
Kyle leaned close to Brady.
"You couldn't take him? You let him punch you?" he asked in disbelief after sizing up Josh's lean, much smaller, frame.
Brady looked at Taylor, his cheeks a little pink. "Maybe, but I had it coming."
\*\*\*
"What are you doing here?" Taylor asked that night as she opened her door.
"Why didn't you tell me about your dad?" Brady demanded as he pushed his way past her.
"By all means, come in," she replied, a bite in her tone.
"I could've helped, Taylor."
"How?" she asked as she plopped down on the sofa. "He wanted to die and he did."
He ran his hands through his hair, a wild helplessness in his eyes. "When did he get sick?"
A bitter laugh crept up her throat and through her lips. "He'd been losing his grip on reality ever since my mom was killed in a car wreck the winter of my junior year. That's why we moved here. He thought we all could use a fresh start."
He stared at her incredulously. "You never told me that."
"Well you never asked," she snapped. "You were too busy trying to win your bet."
"Taylor, I wish you'd let me explain," he started.
She stood quickly. "No! I don't want to hear it!"
"You don't know how much you frustrate me!" He paced the room, his hands still molesting his hair.
She rolled her eyes. "I do know the feeling well. Trust me."
Stopping near the TV, he eyed her for a long moment before releasing a sigh. "How long was he in the hospital?"
"The nut house you mean? Well, let's see. He nearly overdosed on his anti-depressants, along with the other meds he was taking, the day after Prom. Nice timing, huh?" she asked, her eyes narrowed. He opened his mouth to respond but she continued. "A week later, they sent him to the state hospital where he's been ever since, wasting away, waiting to die."
"Why didn't you call me?" he asked, eyes full of remorse. "I was worried about you."
Shaking her head, she laughed. "Worried that you and your friends couldn't have a laugh at my stupidity? Worried I wasn't there to confirm that you had indeed won that bet?"
"Damn it Taylor! I told you I didn't win. You drive me so damn crazy with your stubbornness." He rested an arm on top of the TV, his eyes dark.
Anger burning in her gut, she strode across the room to stand firmly in front of him, poking his chest with her finger. "Me? You are so insufferable I can't stand it!"
A smirk curled his lips as he took a step closer. Lifting a hand, he gently rubbed her cheek. "There's always been fire between us, love. Do you feel it?"
Jerking her head, she smacked his hand away. "I buried my father today and you're trying to make out with me?"
With a husky laugh, he drew her closer to his body. "This ain't high school anymore, sweetheart. I'm not trying to make out with you."
"Oh, so maybe you think I'll just fall into bed with you?" she asked in disbelief.
"I was kind of hoping you would." His smirk widened as he closed the remaining distance between their bodies.
She narrowed her eyes and clenched her fists.
"You callous son of a bitch," she exclaimed, wriggling away to take a swing at him. He saw it coming and grabbed her wrist. "I hate you! I hate you more than anything!"
He hauled her to his chest, releasing her wrist to wrap his arms around her as all her emotions finally crashed together. He squeezed her gently and stroked her hair as she clutched his shirt, soaking him with her tears.
"I can't do this anymore," she sobbed into his chest. "I can't take it! I just want my daddy back!"
"I know, love. I know," he murmured, stroking her hair. "Let it all out."
Her knees buckled as the weight of her father's death descended upon her shoulders. He held her firmly, supporting her body as she sobbed and sniffed and clutched his shirt tighter in her fists. When her tears slowed, he lifted her chin to smile down at her. "That's exactly what you needed. Feel better?"
Sniffing, she nodded. "You goaded me purposely? So I'd cry?"
He kissed her forehead. "I'm not always a callous son of a bitch."
She rested her cheek on his chest, allowing herself a moment to enjoy the security and comfort of his arms. "I'm sorry, Brady. I shouldn't have said that."
He gave her a squeeze. "You're mostly right." He edged back to look at her. "Is Teddy staying here?"
She nodded. "He's out with some friends right now. Why?"
He ran his thumb under each of her eyes to rid her face of the moisture collecting there. "I don't think you should be alone tonight."
Her stomach quivered slightly so she extracted her body from his arms and headed for the kitchen. "Umm, do you want something to drink, or something?"
"Sure, whatever you have."
Sitting quietly on the couch, they watched a late game until Teddy came home. Taylor was slightly amused at the surprise and curiosity in Teddy's eyes and waited for the questions to come. But Teddy didn't say a word - just greeted them both before escaping to the bathroom to change.
When Brady announced that he needed to go, Taylor walked him to the door.
"Call me if you need anything," Brady said. "I mean it."
She nodded. "Thanks Brady. For, um, everything."
Leaning in, he placed a soft kiss on her cheek. "We still need to talk, love. But I'll give you the space you need right now."
She nodded again and watched him walk to his car before shutting the door.
It took her almost a week after Teddy had returned to school before she finally drew up the nerve to call Brady. He had given her the space he'd promised and now she was ready to put the past behind her.
She invited him over after a Sunday afternoon game, feeling safer on her own territory and knowing he had to leave early Monday morning for another road trip.
He arrived with a pizza from Mario's, the place they used to go to regularly while dating. The irony certainly was not lost on her; or him, judging by the smirk on his face.
She ushered him to the sofa, running to the kitchen to fetch paper plates and ice tea. They made small talk while they ate and when they could eat no more, Brady sat back, his lips pursed and his eyes on her.
"Thanks for inviting me over," he began. "I hope you're ready to let me explain."
Fiddling with her napkin, she nodded. He leaned forward and covered her hands with his.
"Relax, love. Just hear me out, okay?" His voice was confident, yet still pleading.
She closed her eyes and nodded again. "I just want to hear the truth, Brady. No excuses."
"I promise," he told her, leaning back once more and running a hand through his thick, dark hair. He took a deep breath. "We were bored, Jason and I. We had nothing going on. Neither one of us was on the basketball team so we had nothing to do that winter. It was Jason's idea - but I can't place the entire blame on him. I agreed to it, after all."
He stood and walked to the living room window, drawing another deep breath. "Only a few people knew, I swear. Just me and Jason and Jordan. Jordan came up with the terms. Each of us had to find a virgin, get her to date us for the rest of the year, and have sex with her on Prom night. We couldn't do it before or else we'd lose. That was supposed to be part of the challenge. There were other stipulations, stupid ones."
He spoke so methodical as if he was explaining a complicated medical procedure.
"How did you know we were virgins?" Taylor whispered, not quite able to look at him. She could feel the heat and shame filling her cheeks.
He gave a bitter laugh. "Jordan's cousin threw that slumber party a week after we started dating, remember? He convinced her to invite you and Amanda and told her to play Truth or Dare or some stupid game like that to find out if you two were virgins. He told her that Jason and I wanted to know but we didn't want to ask you ourselves."
Taylor nodded, remembering the party well. She'd welcomed the chance to get out of the house for a night, even if it was with girls she didn't normally associate.
"What would have happened if you would have found out that neither of us were virgins?"
Ducking his head, he toyed with the hem of his shirt. "We would have had to dump you and start over." He moved away from the window and sat next to her on the sofa. "But I really started to like you, Taylor. Please believe me."
His calloused hand covered her smooth one as his eyes begged her to listen. "You were nothing like the other girls I had dated. When we were together, I forgot all about the bet. When I'd go home, I'd sit in my room and think of ways to get out of it, or how to tell you. But I chickened out. I was afraid I'd lose you or Jason would spill everything if I quit. So, I just let it continue."
"I wish you would have told me," she whispered, dropping her gaze to the floor. Her heart dangled on a thread, wondering if it was going to fall or be rescued.
"What would you have done, huh?" he asked. "You would have ditched me immediately and run off to Amanda."
"Maybe," she shrugged. "But I really liked you. I thought it was genuine."
He squeezed her hand. "It was genuine, Taylor. Please believe me."
She plucked her hand out of his. "I don't know what to believe."
Rubbing his face, he released a long breath. "Anyway, Prom night came and, well, you know what happened. The next day, Jason and I met at Jordan's house to tell, you know, what happened. Jason talked about how Amanda was putty in his hands and how easy it was to get her to, uh, sleep with him. It made me sick. I couldn't believe how callous he sounded. I knew they both expected me to talk the same way about you but I couldn't. I told them nothing happened, that we just made out but you wouldn't go all the way."
She gazed into his eyes, studying them intently, searching for any hidden lies.
Gently taking her hand, he swallowed. "I fell for you, Taylor. I swear. I wanted to keep seeing you. I left Jordan's house and when I got home, my brother Brad, told me that he knew all about the bet. He told me that he'd overheard Jason talking to me about it before Prom. He was so mad because he truly liked you, that he went to Josh Parker's house to tell Josh. He said that he wanted Josh to find you and warn you but Josh reassured him that you'd never...have sex with me.
"I hurried to your house, scared to death. Well, you weren't home so I went down to Josh's to find out where you were and to sort of sound him out. He was so angry and I couldn't blame him. He pushed me around and punched me in the jaw. I didn't fight back. I deserved it and I knew it. I begged him to tell me where you were. I just wanted to see you; to explain. He wouldn't tell me anything so I kept trying to call you all night and when you didn't show up for graduation, I got twice as worried."
"I was at the hospital," she murmured, tears leaking from her eyes.
"I didn't know that at the time," he said, exhaling loudly. "Three days after graduation, we left for my grandmother's house in Michigan for the summer so I didn't even get to see you. I tried to call every chance I got, but you never answered so I just gave up. My grandmother grew very ill and that's when my parents put our house up for sale so we could move in with my grandmother. I left for college and never came back. When my agent told me that the newspaper from my hometown wanted to interview me, I refused. But when he called again and said they wanted to send you, I thought I would finally be able to talk to you and explain."
Kneeling on the floor in front of her, he cupped her face in his hands. "Taylor, I am so sorry, more than you'll ever know. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."
"Brady, I...."
"Wait, Taylor. Just think about it, okay?"
She nodded and he got to his feet, hauling her with him. He gave her a tentative hug before heading to the door.
"Think about it. I won't rush you or pressure you but I do want you in my life again. Call me when you're ready."
After opening the door, he paused for a moment. "I'm sorry how things turned out and I'm sorry I was such an ass, but I'm not sorry I made the bet."
His smarmy smirk appeared as her head snapped up and she glared at him.
"If I wouldn't have, I would have never talked to you and never got the chance to get to know you."
Giving her a wink, he left.
\*\*\*
The Racers were off to Buffalo for a three game series followed by a three game series in Orlando. Taylor kept busy with the ongoing mall saga. She made daily trips to Indianapolis as officials and residents of Somersville had taken the fight to higher authorities.
Brady hadn't called her since he'd left her house Sunday night nor had she called him. Her heart had forgiven him but she wasn't sure where to go next. She felt something for him, she couldn't deny it. Did she want to trust him again? Let herself fall for him all over again?
She groaned as she pulled into the parking lot at the newspaper office. She'd stupidly left her cell phone on her desk so she intended to run in, grab it, and sneak back out. It was nearly five and all she wanted to do was go soak her tired body in the tub and stop thinking about Brady for five minutes.
"Tia and I are taking you out tonight," Josh informed her as soon as she reached her desk.
She snorted. "Don't you have a wife and a life?"
"Oh shut up and agree already."
"Thanks, Josh, really but all I want to do is soak in the tub."
He glared at her, hands on his hips. "Better make room for me and Tia then."
She rolled her eyes. "Fine. But you two are buying."
An hour later they were comfortably seated on the patio at a local sports bar digging into cheeseburgers and beers.
"Okay, so what's the occasion?" Taylor asked between bites. "It's not my birthday or your birthday. Why the night out?"
"I'm hurt that you think we need to have a reason to take you out," Tia pouted.
Taylor laughed. "No, really. What's the reason?"
"We haven't spent much time with you since your dad died," Josh explained. "We've been a little worried is all."
She smiled at her friends. "Thank you, but I'm doing fine. His estate is nearly settled and I've made arrangements to have his ashes buried next to my mother's. Teddy and I will go up there sometime next month."
"Did you ever talk to Brady?" Tia asked.
Taylor nodded, realizing how busy she'd been lately that she hadn't even taken a few minutes to update her friends on her life. Sighing, she retold the entire conversation, her cheeks blazing.
Pushing her plate out of the way, Tia leaned over the table. "So what have you decided?"
Taylor shrugged and picked at her hamburger bun. "I don't know. I don't know if I want to see him again or not."
"He obviously likes you otherwise he wouldn't go through all this trouble to talk to you."
"Maybe," Taylor sighed. "Or maybe he's trying to clear a guilty conscience."
Shaking her head, Tia looked into Taylor's eyes. "Maybe you should just give it a shot. Go out with him once or twice and see how it goes. Maybe you'll be able to figure out if he's sincere."
Taylor snorted. "I thought he was sincere before."
"Maybe he was," Tia argued. "I mean, he purposely lost the bet. He didn't tell anyone. Seems like he really likes you."
"I don't know, Tia," Josh said. "Maybe Taylor should move on now that she has her closure. Maybe it's best if she just puts Brady Nolan in her past."
Tia fixed Josh with a glare. "You just don't like Brady, that's all."
"It doesn't matter if I like him or not," Josh said.
Taylor nibbled on a fry. "All this love and dating stuff is over rated anyway."
"How can you say that?" Tia asked, absolutely scandalized.
Taylor pointed a fry at Tia. "Look what it got my father."
"I think your father was braver than any of us," Josh said. When both girls gave him equally confused looks he continued. "He allowed himself to love his wife so much and so freely that it actually killed him when he lost her."
\*\*\*
Josh's words echoed throughout her brain for the rest of the week. She rubbed her temples as she walked to her car. She'd spent the day in downtown Indy going through records and interviewing attorneys, getting as much background information as she could while the mall battle raged on.
The farmer who owned the land and the mall developers had agreed on a price and the land was in the process of being purchased. This latest development had startled more residents and they quickly joined ranks with their neighbors to stop the progress.
Taylor smirked as she thought about it. She actually wasn't too concerned, though she'd personally prefer not to have a mall mar her small town. But she was willing to wager that most of the people protesting now would be the first ones to shop at the new mall if it ever was built.
When she got in her car, she leaned back, closing her eyes. It was already after seven and her stomach reminded her she hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. Starting the engine, she headed over to the nearest fast food place.
After she ordered, she sat at a back table, taking her time to eat while enjoying the cool air conditioning. Glancing at her watch, she wondered if the Racers were back in town yet. It was their travel day and they were set to start a home stand this weekend. Brady hadn't called her all week. He'd remained true to his word and left her to make her decision in peace.
She finished eating, threw out her trash, and got back in her car. She tapped her fingers on the steering wheel, trying to decide what to do. Her heart kept saying "Just call him! You know that's what you really want." But her head kept arguing, telling her it was a bad idea. When Josh's words played in her mind again, she grabbed her cell.
He picked up on the second ring.
"Hey, Taylor," he answered in his cool, cocky tone. She could hear voices in the background.
"Where are you?" she asked.
"At the Line Drive Club. Why? Something wrong?" he asked, all smugness gone.
"Nope. Stay there," she ordered as she promptly hung up. She started her car and headed toward the stadium.
She'd driven past the Line Drive Club several times. She'd heard that some of the players liked to hang out at the sports bar after games or on off days so it was no surprise that Brady would be there - probably with several teammates. She hoped that if he was there with guys from the team that it was the guys that Taylor had already met. She needed to talk to Brady and didn't want to do it with strange prying eyes watching.
Ten minutes later, she pulled into the parking lot and parked next to his car. Since it was Thursday, and still quite early, the bar didn't look too crowded, though she still worried she'd have a hard time getting to him. With his good looks and great playing, he'd accumulated quite the little fan club.
But when she walked in, she spotted him right away. He was sitting at a table with Kyle and Samantha, the girl Kyle sometimes dated, along a beautiful blonde girl Taylor didn't know. Her heart sank and she almost turned around to leave but he appeared in front of her before she could move.
He bent to look her straight in the eyes. "Are you okay, love?"
She nodded. "Are you, umm, here with someone or something?"
"Huh?" he asked, brow furrowed. She nodded at the girl sitting with Kyle and Samantha. "No. Not at all. That's Samantha's cousin. She's here visiting Sam for a few weeks."
She released a breath she hadn't realized that she was holding, causing him to smirk. "Not jealous are we, love?"
Narrowing her eyes, she jabbed a finger in his chest. "Shut up, Brady. Don't open your mouth and make me change my mind."
His eyes sparkled in amusement as he took her hand and led her to an empty table. "I'll be good. Now tell me, what's on your mind?"
Taking a deep breath, she concentrated on his face. "Brady, I swear to God that if you ever hurt me again like you did before, I'll castrate you!"
He sat straight up, stunned momentarily into silence, and stared at her wide eyed. Suddenly, his face broke out in a wide grin. "Does this mean you're going to give me another chance?"
"Yes, although I don't know why," she said, holding back a smile.
He leaned forward to cup her cheek. "You can't resist me, that's why."
"I told you not to open your mouth and ruin it."
Laughing, he lured her face to his and brushed his lips lightly over hers. "Now I guess I better take you on a proper date, huh?"
"You probably should, but not tonight. It's getting late and I have to be in the office in the morning," she said.
"Brady?"
Pivoting to peer over his shoulder, he gave Taylor a clear view of Samantha's cousin standing behind him, shifting from foot to foot. He raised a brow at her. "What's up?"
"We're going to go to that club Sam was talking about. Do you want to come?"
Lacing his fingers with Taylor's, he gave her a wink. "Nope. I'm taking my woman out for ice cream, I think."
They walked slowly, hand in hand, down the sidewalk to a nearby ice cream parlor. After they ordered, they sat on the patio at a little table to eat. Conversation remained light, revolving around the upcoming home stand. When they finished, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and escorted her back to her car.
"So you're coming to the game tomorrow night, right?" he asked.
She shrugged. "I guess. It's been awhile since I've been to one."
His signature smirk worked its way to his lips. "Are you going to yell and cheer for me?"
"Only if you do something worth yelling and cheering for," she said.
His smirk deepened to a smile as they reached the club parking lot. Pinning her against her car, he bent his head closer to hers. "But you are going to wear a jersey with my number on the back, right?"
She rolled her eyes. "Ha! Don't push your luck."
He leaned in and pressed his lips firmly to hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck, forcing him closer. He broke the kiss but didn't pull away. "You must not have one yet. I'll get you one for you for your birthday."
He kissed her again before she could protest.
She reluctantly untangled her body from his arms and opened the car door. He stood by as she tried to get her aging car to start. She banged her head on the steering wheel and groaned in frustration as it refused to come to life.
"C'mon, love," he urged, tugging on her sleeve. "You can take me home and use my car tomorrow. I'll call a buddy of mine and have him take a look at yours in the morning. It'll be okay here for tonight."
She raised a brow at him. "Seriously?"
He grinned. "Yeah. I can be chivalrous when I want."
Rolling her eyes, she gathered her belongs, passing her lap top case to him. "I don't even know where you live."
"I rented a condo in the complex where Kyle lives. He can give me a ride to the ball park tomorrow."
Carrying her stuff to his car, he tossed everything in back seat as she climbed inside. He hopped in the driver's seat and turned the key, smiling at her when the engine roared to life. He chuckled when she glared at him.
She racked her brain to think of something to say, hating the awkwardness that had suddenly descended upon them. When they'd dated in high school, they'd always seemed to have something to talk about. He relieved her anxiety when he asked her opinion on the Racers' chances to make the playoffs. She relaxed as she chattered away, grateful to be on a safe topic.
He directed the car through the Indianapolis outskirts and to the condo development she recognized as the one Brady took her to the day of the interview. He backed into the drive of a condo that very much resembled Kyle's and killed the engine.
"Do you want to come in?" he asked, reaching out to stroke her cheek with his knuckles.
"I really can't. I have to get up early," she muttered, skin tingling at his touch.
Removing the car keys off his key ring, he handed them to her and got out of the car.
"Hop over here, then."
She scooted to the driver's side and adjusted the seat to her height. He leaned in the window to gently kiss her, igniting sparks in her heart.
"Don't wreck it," he ordered, lips still on hers.
She smiled into his mouth and wrapped a hand around the back of his neck, resuming the kiss. The sparks grew to flames as her traitorous body inched closer to his. He finally broke the kiss, whispered his goodnight as she started the car.
\*\*\*
She sauntered into the office the next morning, eyes sparkling like a lovesick teenager, and immediately checked her voice messages. Josh waved to her from his desk and ambled over as soon as she hung up the phone.
"How's the story going?" he asked.
She groaned. "It's driving me crazy."
He smiled. "Well, you wanted a real story."
"I know." She flipped on her computer and waited while it ran through its usual virus check.
"Never satisfied, are you?" Henry Lake, a veteran reporter, asked as he walked by her desk. He paused to sit on the corner. "You wanted something better to cover and now that you have it, you complain."
"I wasn't complaining," Taylor informed him, folding her arms in front of her body.
"Sounded like it to me," he grunted. He was a short man with an impressive paunch. He kept his gray hair in a crew cut and his face cleanly shaved. He always dressed in a shirt and tie with pressed slacks and a sports coat that he usually slung neatly on the back of his chair.
She leaned back and eyed him suspiciously. "What's the matter, Henry? Are you jealous that I'm female and caught a good story because I have intelligence? Are you threatened because I didn't have to show a little cleavage or sleep with someone to get to where I am?"
He laughed. "Mighty high opinion of yourself, huh? We all know better."
Josh rose to his feet but Taylor held a hand out to him, signaling him to stop. "Well, maybe if you'd sleep with someone instead of relying on your nonexistent talent, you'd get better stories."
He slid off her desk, an evil glare on his face. "You are such a little bitch."
She leaned forward, danger lurking in her hazel eyes. "Don't forget it, either."
With one last dark glance, he stomped off to the break room.
Sinking into a chair, Josh burst with laughter. "Man! When did Henry become such a big fan of yours?"
Taylor waved him off and returned to her computer. "He's been that way with me since I was assigned Brady's interview."
She went through her notes as she started working on her latest piece. She became so engrossed, she didn't realize it was nearly lunch time until her cell phone rang and distracted her from her computer. She answered it without so much as a glance at the number on the screen.
"Hello?"
"Hey love, how's your day going?"
Her heart leapt as she smiled, swiveling her chair away from her computer to give him her full attention. "Just peachy. And yours?"
"Could be better. You didn't wreck my car, did you?"
She laughed. "No, but I am supposed to meet a few guys from the back at lunch. I challenged them to a race. How fast does your car go, anyway?"
"Not very so don't bother," he said so seriously it caused her to laugh again. "My buddy is working on your car now, by the way. Did you know the air conditioning is out?"
"Really," she asked sarcastically. "I hadn't noticed."
"Yeah. And the starter is out, too. He said he'd fix them both, but honestly love, why don't you just get a new one?"
"Ha! On my paycheck? Are you kidding me?" she asked in disbelief. "Why don't you just run out and buy me one Mr. Big League?"
He snorted. "I'm still a rookie, remember? I don't make the big bucks. Yet."
She rolled her eyes. "I was kidding, Brady."
"I wasn't," he told her cheekily. "Do you need one ticket or two tonight?"
"Just one. Is Kyle picking you up for batting practice?" she asked in a coy tone, smirk tugging at her lips.
"Yeah, why?"
Her smirk turned into a full grown grin. "You need to tell him to get you there early. You've been slumping lately, buddy."
"Yeah, I know," he groaned. "I have been slumping. But I do have a way to get over that particular problem."
Her pulse raced as her face flushed. "I'm not sure I want to hear it."
"Probably not," he quipped. "See you tonight, love."
"Bye," she said, ending the call with a sweet smile gracing her lips. She swiveled back to her computer and ignored the curious glance Josh gave her. She knew if she acknowledged him, he'd come over and lecture her on the dangers of dating Brady Nolan. She knew exactly what he'd say, too; he'd tell her he only wanted her to talk to him and get closure, not start dating him again and set herself up to be hurt once more. He'd hinted around about it ever since that night out with him and Tia. She didn't even want to think about Brady hurting her again. She just wanted to wallow in the sudden joy she had in her life.
\*\*\*
She urged Brady's sleek, black Maxima through the traffic surrounding the stadium and dug his player's parking pass out of the glove compartment. She attached it to the rear view mirror and swung the car past the lines to the crowded parking lots and over to the players' parking area.
Already running late, she cursed as she parked his car in the players' lot and ran around to the other side of the building to the Will Call window. By the time she claimed her ticket and got inside, the top of the first inning had ended. She made her way through the stands and was delighted to find Tabby and Zoey sitting next to her seat. She plopped down and greeted the two women just as the leadoff batter walked.
"Just in time to see Brady," Tabby said.
Pinking slightly, Taylor smiled as Brady walked up to the plate. Brady had fallen into a slump lately and she hoped that maybe with all the weight of their issues off his shoulders, he could get back up to caliber.
He didn't let her down. He smacked the fourth pitch through the hole between the third baseman and the short stop and bounded safely to first. She stood and cheered remembering him asking her last night if she was going to do that exact thing.
When she sat back down, she noticed Samantha and her cousin sitting a few seats down from them. The other girl caught her glance and flashed a haughty look before turning her head. Taylor ignored her and watched Brady take a big lead off of first.
The next batter hit a ball to deep center field. Taylor held her breath as the runner on second tagged up, took off, and scored easily as the center fielder bobbled the ball. She winced as Brady slid into third under the third baseman's glove. The umpire declared him safe and Taylor breathed again. Calling for time, Brady stood to wipe the dirt off his once clean uniform.
Unfortunately, he was stranded on third as the next two batters failed to bring him home.
"So you and Brady finally talked, huh?" Tabby asked, barely containing a smile.
"Yeah," Taylor answered, signaling for the beer vendor. She had a feeling Tabby and Zoey were going to be merciless with their questions.
Tabby put her hand on Taylor's arm. "He finally broke down and told us about the bet. I'm sorry he was such an ass."
After paying for three beers, Taylor passed them down. "Don't apologize. We talked about it and it's over."
"He really cares about you," Zoey added. "It's so obvious."
"I know," Taylor said, taking a sip from her beer. "We decided last night to give it another shot."
Tabby snorted. "That explains the dirty looks Gina keeps giving you."
"Who is Gina?" Taylor asked.
Tabby nodded at the girl sitting next to Samantha. "Samantha's cousin. I think Samantha was trying to set her up with Brady. Too bad Samantha had to bring her tonight. If that girl gives you one more dirty look, I might have to take Alex's bat to her."
Taylor laughed. "Don't worry about her. She doesn't bug me."
They watched the rest of the game in good spirits. Brady finally broke out of his slump and went two for three with an awesome pickoff play at second.
Taylor followed the other girls to the players' parking lot to wait for Brady. Her heartbeat quickened when he emerged from the players' entrance, dark hair still damp from the shower. Walking straight up to her, he kissed her softly on the cheek.
"Are you happy? I finally broke the slump," he whispered.
She shivered as his lips touched her ear. "Yeah and I didn't even have to do anything lewd," she retorted, tamping down the tingling in her stomach.
He winked at her. "Well, maybe not in reality but in my mind you..."
"Don't even finish that sentence Brady," she threatened.
Laughing, he hugged her briefly before waving to the others. He took the keys from her as he ushered her to his car.
"Your car is at my place. They brought it over before I left."
"Okay," she said. "Thanks for helping me out with that."
"It's no problem, love," he said. "The bill has been taken care of, too."
"Brady," she protested, her stomach sinking to her feet. "I can pay for it."
"I know you can," he said, lifting a shoulder. "But I wanted to do this."
Gnawing on her lip, she turned her head to the window. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," he said in a small voice. "Taylor, I know you're this independent, self-sufficient woman, but I just wanted to...you know...do something for you."
"I know," she said, turning to smile at him. "I appreciate it."
He drove to his house and pulled in the drive next to her car. Taking her by the hand, he led her inside. The condo was immaculately clean, almost sterile, but it lacked any of Brady's personality.
The beige carpet was a shade lighter than the walls. The furniture was heavy and bland - more than likely something the owner had picked up in order the stage the unit. The huge television and elaborate electronic devices in the entertainment center were the only things that screamed 'a man lives here.'
"Don't use your work excuse tonight. I know you're usually off on Saturdays," Brady said.
"I wasn't going to use any excuses."
Smiling, he motioned for her to have a seat on the couch. He disappeared into the kitchen and returned a few minutes later with two bottles of beer. He handed her one as he sat down next to her. "I'm trying to get you drunk so you have to spend the night with me."
Her brows rose. "At least you're honest, I guess."
Taking the bottle from her hand, he placed it on the coffee table. He lifted a hand to cup her cheek, his eyes probing hers. Slowly, he eased her closer, pressing his lips to hers. She threw her arms around his neck, raking her fingers through the ends of his hair. The tingling that had started earlier in her stomach exploded into full blown fireworks.
He trailed his lips down her jaw to her neck, moving her collar aside to gain better access. She gasped when his hand moved up her shirt and grazed her breast. The heat shooting through her veins as almost unbearable. Clutching his shoulders, she closed her eyes, the feel of his lips on her body so pleasant.
His mouth drifted back to hers as he used his free hand to yank her shirt up. The cool air that hit her exposed skin jerked her to back to her senses. Shoving him away, she sat up quickly, straightening her clothes. She got to her feet and headed for the door.
"Taylor, where are you going?" he asked, hands furiously running through his hair.
"I'm sorry, Brady. I have to go," she replied before dashing out of the door.
Taylor fled to her car, fighting tears, and yanked on the door handle. Cursing when she realized she hadn't retrieved the keys yet from Brady, she rested her head on the cool metal of the door frame, choking back her tears of embarrassment.
"Forget something, love?" Brady said, slowing advancing toward her. Sucking in a huge breath, she pivoted to face him. But the cocky smirk she expected to find on his handsome face was missing.
"Brady, I'm sorry," she muttered, bowing her head.
He lifted her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. "No, love. I shouldn't have rushed you." A slow grin suddenly appeared on his lips. "It's just hard to keep my hands off of you."
She smiled shyly and stood on tiptoes to brush her lips against his.
Taking her hand, he held it palm up then dropped her keys in it. He closed her fingers around them and pushed her hair behind her ears. "How about that date I promised you tomorrow after the game?"
She nodded, suddenly mesmerized by his bright, green eyes. His grin turned to a genuine smile as he leaned in and kissed her again. "Bring a sexy dress and I'll take you somewhere nice. You can change here after the game."
"Okay," she told him softly, unable to tear her gaze from his. Taking her by surprise, he pulled her into his arms and stroked her hair.
"Drive safe," he muttered as he released her. "And call me when you get home."
\*\*\*
"C'mon Nolan! Get a hit for once!"
Brady's lips twitched while he made his way to the batter's box. Taylor sat in her usual seat next to Tabby and Zoey, enjoying the game. The Racers had a three run lead over Kansas City, but it had been a heated match.
Ian Pitner had crushed a homer in the first inning stirring up a rally among his teammates. They'd managed to score five runs. But when Ian batted the next inning, the frustrated pitcher had hit him in the arm on the first pitch. With a murderous glare, Ian had jogged down to first while the home plate umpire had warned both benches that any retaliation would result in ejection. Brady came up to bat after Ian was hit and promptly launched one over the center field wall bringing the score to 7-0.
It seemed as though the Racers had this one in the bag until the next inning when Kansas City had staged a comeback during the next two innings to make it 7-4.
Brady flew out to centerfield to end the inning and Taylor watched nervously as Ian Pitner, who was on first, exchanged a few words with the pitcher as he made his way across the diamond and back to the dugout. Taylor thought they were going to start throwing punches and apparently Brady thought so, too, as he grabbed Ian's sleeve, pulling him back to their side of the field.
Taylor had gotten to know Ian a tiny bit and he always seemed like such an easy going guy. It shocked her now to see such anger on his face. She exchanged a nervous look with Zoey as Tabby merely shrugged her shoulders as if to say, 'They're little boys. What can you do?'
Mark Johnson was still on the mound for the Racers even though he'd started and it was the top of the seventh inning. Zoey was excited for him; hoping he'd have his first complete game of the season.
It wasn't to be, though, as the third pitch he threw caught Kansas City's star slugger in the thigh. The batter threw his bat down and charged the mound. Zoey gasped as the big guy nearly tackled Mark to the ground. The girls jumped to their feet as the infielders, as well as the outfielders rushed to Mark's defense. A split second later, both benches cleared as the umpires, the managers, and most of the coaches, tried to break up the huge melee on the field. Taylor stood on her seat, trying to find Brady in all the mess, but it was hard to distinguish him from the others.
Tabby and Zoey followed Taylor's lead and stood on their seats also. After what seemed like forever, but was only about five or so minutes, both teams had returned to their dugouts and the umpires started handing out ejections. Of course Mark and the big slugger were ejected but Taylor was surprised to not see Brady return to his position.
"He probably got kicked out, too," Tabby told her, settling back in her seat. "He was the first one to the mound once Anderson charged Mark."
"That was so stupid of Mark," Zoey fumed. "I mean, he had a great game going!"
"It didn't look to me like he did it on purpose," Tabby reassured her. "Besides, Mark isn't the type to retaliate."
Taylor chewed on her lip, constantly glancing at the dugout for signs of Brady. She jumped when her cell phone rang. Her eyes widened when she looked at the screen and answered it quickly.
"Brady? Where are you?" she nearly shouted. Tabby and Zoey looked at her.
"Davies is going to bring you my keys. Can you get my car and pick me at the hospital?" he asked.
"Um, yeah. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, love. See you in a few."
Hanging up, she stared at the phone.
"Tab, give these to Brady's girl," Davies, the third basemen called as he threw a set of keys to Tabby. She caught them and handed them to Taylor.
"C'mon," Tabby ordered, yanking on her am. "I'll get you to the players' parking lot."
\*\*\*
Taylor paced the sterile waiting room while the burly nurse stomped away to find Brady and ask him if he indeed had a girlfriend named Taylor.
"Miss Lockwood," the irritated nurse called out ten minutes later. "This way."
Taylor ignored her brusqueness and followed her through the maze of corridors until they reached a small treatment room. Taylor pushed the door open and found Brady sitting nonchalantly on the exam table, chest totally bare. With heated cheeks, her eyes immediately drank in the hard, chiseled planes of his chest. He turned his head to her and smiled.
"Come in, love," he called. "The doctor left me sitting here."
"Are you okay?" she asked, rushing over to examine him herself. He had a purple bruise forming under his left eye, a cut above his right eye, and one more on his lip. His hair was disheveled and his uniform pants covered with dirt.
"Yeah," he answered, clearly confused. "Why wouldn't I be?"
Placing her hands on her hips, she narrowed her eyes. "You called my cell and told me to get your keys and meet you at the hospital. That's all. What was I supposed to think?"
Jumping down, he yanked her hands off her hip and eased her closer so he could wrap his arms around her waist. Her heartbeat tripled as her pulse raced.
Smirking down at her, he winced slightly, bringing a hand to his cut lip. "It's just a couple of stitches, that's all. The trainer brought me here and I told him I'd call you and have you pick me up."
"Someone obviously punched you one too many times in the head if you didn't think that a call telling me to meet you at the hospital wouldn't scare me."
He squeezed her quickly. "I told you on the phone that I was fine."
Taylor pulled away with a blush as the door opened to admit the doctor and a young nurse. With angry eyes, Taylor huffed at the young woman as she gazed appreciatively at Brady's naked chest. The doctor went to work stitching up the gash above his eye just as his cell rang.
"Get that for me, love, would you?" Brady asked. His eyes crinkled from the weight of his smile as the young nurse reached for the phone at same time as Taylor. Taylor was too quick and snatched it up.
"Hello?"
"Taylor?" an unsure voice asked.
"Yeah, who's this?"
"Alex. Is he okay?"
With a sigh, Taylor twisted to look at Brady. "Yeah. Just getting his face stitched up. I asked the doctor to stitch his mouth closed but he won't do it."
Brady and the doctor both laughed but the young nurse just glowered. Taylor flashed a fake smile before returning to her conversation. "Are you okay, Alex? Did you get hurt?"
"Nah, I'm fine. Hey, when Brady's done can you bring him over to my place? We're kind of getting together to figure out who got ejected and stuff."
Taylor could almost hear the smile in his voice. "Okay. I'll tell him."
"Thanks. See you later."
"Bye," Taylor said as she ended the call.
"Who was that?" Brady asked as the doctor finished stitching the ugly cut above his eye.
"Alex. He wants us to come over once we leave here." Her phone vibrated in her pocket and she pulled it out, reading a text message. "I got a message from Tia."
"Call her back and tell her I was nearly innocent this time."
"Nah, I'll call her later. I need to call Luther later anyway."
The nurse gasped. "That's where I know you from!"
Taylor looked at her, brows furrowed. "What are you talking about?"
"I know Luther and Tia. My dad work's for Luther's paper."
Taylor refrained from rolling her eyes. "Who is your dad?"
"Henry Lake."
\*\*\*
Brady settled in the passenger seat of his car gingerly poking at the stitches in his lip. "So much for making out with you tonight," he sighed.
She snapped her head to gape at him. "What?"
Chuckling, he rested his hand on her thigh. "I'm kidding, love."
She relaxed and placed her hand on his. He laced his fingers with hers and squeezed. "So who is this Henry Lake guy that nurse was talking about?"
"Just some jerk reporter at my office."
Brady started to raise a brow but winced when he his stitches pulled. "Damn it. I can't believe that pansy for a short stop could pack a punch."
"Pitner?" Taylor asked in disbelief.
"No, the other team, love." He shook his hand from hers and moved it up to play with her hair. When her shoulders tensed, he smiled. "Relax. It's just me."
She gave him a weak smile and dropped her shoulders. Her hands tightened on the wheel as he continued to twist her hair around his finger, thrills playing around the base of her spine. She pulled into Alex and Tabby's driveway and nearly sighed in relief. Brady eyed her curiously but said nothing.
He got out of the car and took her hand as if it was the most natural thing. They walked around to the back gate and joined the others on the deck. Everyone called out greetings while Alex pulled out two chairs for them.
Brady sat, yanking Taylor down in the chair next to him while she surveyed the guys for any signs of injuries. Mark had a huge welt on his right eye and a slight bruise on his check. Ian Pitner, who was standing against the rail with a beer in his hand, had only a small scratch on his cheek. Alex and Kyle appeared unscathed.
"Did you do it on purpose, Mark?" Taylor asked. She blushed slightly but kept her eyes on him.
With a sheepish smile, Mark nodded. "Yeah, I did. I knew they would pull Matthews out of the game next inning and I figured he'd instruct his relief to hit either Ian again or Brady." He shrugged before pointing at both Taylor and Tabby. "But don't print that. I'm lucky I didn't get suspended. Yet."
Gasping, Zoey smacked him on the arm.
"Did anyone get suspended?" Brady asked as he took a painful sip of his beer.
Alex shrugged. "We don't know yet. But you, Mark, and Pitner were the only ones ejected from our side. I think Anderson and Matthews from their side."
"We'll probably all get some kind of fine and suspension," Ian said grimly, though with amusement in his eyes. "What the hell! It was fun."
\*\*\*
"Sorry we didn't get to go on our date," Brady said as they drove back to Taylor's car. "Do you want to try tomorrow or wait until I get back in town?"
She shrugged. "Whatever you want to do, Brady."
"How about if we wait until I get rid of these damned stitches?"
Smiling, she took his hand. "Okay."
When they reached her car, she hopped out of his. Brady opened his door and rested his arms on the top. "Do you want come over and watch a movie or something?"
She shook her head, a nervous flutter wreaking havoc in her stomach. "I don't think so. I'll probably just go home and go to bed."
Frowning, he rounded his car to stand in front of her. "Taylor, I promise not to try anything with you tonight."
"I know, Brady, it's just..." she trailed off.
He cupped her chin, forcing her gaze to his. "It's just what?"
She sighed. "I don't know."
He dropped her face and gripped her shoulders gently. "You're fine with me in the car or when we're around other people. You're just scared to be at home alone with me. Geez, Taylor. I'm not a monster."
She dipped her head in shame. "I know that. I just don't want you to feel as though you have to prove something to me because of last night. Or...umm...because of before."
He rubbed the back of his neck in agitation. "You think that being nice to you and considerate of your feelings is because of guilt? You think that I'm going out of my way to make things up to you?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. I just don't want to hurt like I did in the past."
Cursing under his breath, he turned away to run his hands wildly through his hair. He twisted back around to gently grab her face.
"Listen to me, Taylor. Yes, I did feel guilty but I thought that you'd forgiven me. Now all I want is for you to feel comfortable around me and for us to be together. In some kind of relationship."
His gaze darkened and he let out a bitter laugh as he released of her face. "But I'm tired of bending over backwards. This whole issue between us isn't because of my overwhelming guilt. Maybe it's because of your lack of trust in me."
She watched helplessly as he got in his car and left.
Cursing with fury, Taylor hit the backspace key several times. She'd arrived early to get a jump start on her ongoing mall story without interruption from her fellow reporters but it seemed as though everyone had had the same idea. She'd attempted to work all day Sunday; especially when the game was on, but the television set lured her away from her laptop. Brady had never called to ask her how many tickets she'd needed and even though she hadn't expected him to, it still hurt.
"So your boy only got two games, huh," Josh asked, shaking her out of her miserable thoughts.
"What?" she asked, looking up at him.
He dropped the thick Indianapolis paper on her desk. "Suspensions came out early this morning. Nolan received two games while Pitner and Johnson received five."
Taylor snatched the paper, rifling through it until she found the sports section. Her eyes quickly scanned the story. The reporter recapped the whole incident and included quotes from Mark and Ian while mentioning that Brady had been taken to the hospital for stitches.
Josh sat on the corner of her desk, watching while she read. "What, he didn't call you first thing this morning and cry on your shoulder?"
Taylor rolled her eyes, dropped the paper to her desk, and rested her head in her hands. "I haven't talked to him since Saturday night."
"Really? Why?"
Taylor sighed. "He thinks I don't trust him."
"Well you shouldn't."
She snapped her head up, brow crinkled. "You honestly think I shouldn't?"
"Yes," Josh said, his voice succinct. His long sigh eased the tension out of his stiff posture. "Look, I just wanted you to talk to him and get a little closure. I didn't expect you to start dating him again."
Anger swirled in her stomach as she rose to his level. "Do you think he's got another bet going with his teammates?"
"No, I don't. But," he told her, ticking points off his fingers. "He's a pro now. He's got the looks. He'll have the money. He's on the road a lot. He's a player. All that adds up to you getting hurt again."
Groaning, she plopped back down in her chair. "I don't know, Josh. He doesn't seem like that anymore. I mean, he was actually hurt because he thinks I don't trust him."
He put his hand on her shoulder. "Think about it for a second. Remember how he was in high school? He'd pursue a girl and once he got her, he'd date her for awhile before he'd grow bored and drop her. He did it to Gretchen Steel several times. He likes the chase, Taylor."
"Brady Nolan never had to pursue any females. They usually dropped at his feet," she snorted. "Besides, you didn't even go to high school with him."
"No, but I hung out with his brother from time to time and he always bragged about Brady's love life."
She shook her head. "He's matured since then."
Josh stood up. "Maybe." He squeezed her shoulder and walked away.
She bit her bottom lip while she processed Josh's words. She shook her head and forced all thoughts of Brady out of her mind so she could return to her story. Her fingers finally found the right keys and she settled in comfortably, words racing across her monitor.
Suddenly, a figured loomed over her, blocking the fluorescent lights and casting a shadow across her screen. She pivoted her chair, groaning as Henry Lake folded his arms across his chest, a sneer on his lips.
"That's how you get all these good stories, huh?" he leered.
She raised a brow at him. "What do you mean?"
"You're sleeping with Brady Nolan. No wonder Luther assigned you the interview. Did he give Luther season tickets or something so you could get the big stories?"
He eased closer to her, uncomfortably invading her space.
Her eyes narrowed, dark, ugly words danced on the tip of her tongue while anger pounded a nail in her brain. "You jerk. You have no clue what you're talking about."
"I don't? You weren't at the hospital with Nolan Saturday?" He pushed her notes aside and perched on the corner of her desk.
"I don't think that's any of your concern," she answered as the blood drained from her face. She yanked her notes away from him, bouncing the pages on the desk to straighten them.
He leaned closer. "And you claim to get what you want by hard work. I never thought one would consider sleeping with local celebrities to be that difficult."
Slipping off the corner, he stormed off to his own desk.
\*\*\*
Taylor's head pounded with each step as she walked down the sidewalk to the diner on the corner. After her 'conversation' with Henry, she began to notice people in the office giving her curious looks. She'd tried to tell herself she was just being paranoid, but as the morning wore on, she knew it wasn't all in her mind.
Sliding into a booth, she smiled as a young girl with a blonde pony tail approached her with pen and pad.
"Hi. Do you need a menu?" the perky waitress asked setting a glass of ice water in front of her.
"No. I'll just have the BLT, please," Taylor answered.
"Sure." She wrote Taylor's order on her pad. She started to walk away when realization dawned on her face. "Hey, aren't you the reporter that's dating Brady Nolan?"
Taylor groaned inwardly as her heat flooded her cheeks. "No, I'm not."
"Are you sure? Because I know you're a reporter, you come in here all the time and my friend said that Teresa Lake told her that you were at the hospital with Brady Nolan." She smiled as though she'd solved world hunger.
Taylor forced a weak smile in return as she tried unsuccessfully to process the younger girl's words. "You must have me confused with someone else. Now could you please put my order in? I'm in a hurry." She nodded toward the kitchen. "And make it to go, huh?"
The waitress turned away in a huff to place Taylor's order.
The diner wasn't very crowded yet as it wasn't quite noon, the appointed lunch time in Somersville, but the people nearby kept casting curious glances her way. By the time her lunch arrived, she still hadn't decided who she was going to kill first, Brady or that stupid nurse.
She paid for her lunch and took it to a cute park a few blocks from the diner. Sitting alone under a huge oak tree, she munched slowly on her sandwich, not tasting a thing.
Brady had left that morning. The team was due in Denver tomorrow for a three game series and then off to Seattle for an interleague series.
Sighing, she dropped her half eaten sandwich on her lap. He hadn't even called her.
She watched a couple kids playing in the sandbox, filling their buckets to the brim only to dump them out and repeat the entire process.
Of course, she hadn't called him either. She was so confused. She just didn't do well with relationships. Dating Brady in high school had been her longest one and look how that had turned out.
She'd dated men since, but her first priorities had been getting Teddy through high school and her father proper health care.
Digging out her cell phone, she dialed Tia's number. It went straight to voice mail so she left her a brief message instructing her to come over later that evening.
\*\*\*
"Yeah, you're really screwed up," Tia agreed that night as she plopped down on the sofa, diet soda in hand.
"Gee, thanks," Taylor muttered.
Tia set her drink on the coffee table. "Listen to me, honey. Maybe Josh has a point about Brady liking the chase but have you ever thought maybe you like being chased?"
Taylor's eyes grew. "No! Not at all!"
"C'mon, Taylor. What woman doesn't like being pursued by a hot, sexy man?"
"I...," she mumbled. Groaning, she fell back against the sofa. "Oh, hell. Am I really like that?"
Tia took her hands. "Not usually, no. But I think Brady's interest in you has boosted your confidence a bit. Your writing, while always very good, has matured and become even better. You walk a little straighter, not so hunched over. People notice you. I think you like the attention."
"Is that so bad?"
Tia pulled her into a hug. "No, honey. But sooner or later, you either need to let him catch you or let him go."
Taylor sighed as she moved away from her friend. "I had him. I let him catch me. I just didn't know what to do with him after that."
A sad smile touched Tia's lips. "Relax. Let things happen naturally. Brady hurt you once and I honestly don't think he'll do it again."
\*\*\*
She trudged into the office Thursday morning. Sleep had been as nonexistent as Brady's phone calls and both were causing her serious anxiety. She'd spent most evenings pitting Josh's words against Tia's and sadly, had not come up with a solution.
She avoided town as much as possible. Trips to the grocery store and the pharmacy were a joke. People she'd known since she'd moved to Somersville, as well as those she barely knew at all, would approach her to ask all about Brady. She tried very hard to answer politely that she didn't know and leave it at that but some people were persistent. She ended up spending more time that necessary in Indianapolis working on her story. And if she happened to need a loaf of bread or a gallon of milk, well, Indy wasn't that far.
She flung her messenger bag on her desk and flipped on her computer. Disappointed weighed on her heart as she listened to countless, meaningless voice mails, and slammed her phone down.
"That good, huh?" Josh asked as he leaned on the corner of her desk.
"Mmmm," she mumbled as she perused her email. "It's just wonderful."
He chuckled. "Talk to your boy lately?"
She glanced up at him briefly before returning her eyes to the monitor. "No."
"So I guess you've decided to let it all go, huh?"
She twisted away from her monitor to face him fully. "Why the sudden interest, Josh? Didn't you just tell me a few days ago that I couldn't trust him?"
Josh held his hands up in mock surrender. "Just wondering where things are. I'm your friend, Taylor. Remember?"
She snorted. "Well, friend, you and my other friend have me so totally confused right now, I can't sleep at night."
His shoulders slumped as concern etched his sweet face. "Taylor, that's not why I said all that stuff. I didn't mean for you to lose sleep over it."
"I know," Taylor sighed, waving him away. She spotted Henry Lake laughing with a sports writer across the office, both concentrating their gaze her way. Taylor stood, turned her computer off, and grabbed her bag. "Tell Lou Grant I'm working from home, okay? I can't sit here today."
Josh nodded and watched her leave.
\*\*\*
"Brady, damn it! I know you don't have a game until tonight so you can't be at batting practice already. Pick up the damn phone and call me back," she barked into her cell phone as she headed home.
Ending the call, she threw the cell phone to the passenger seat in frustration. She'd called him as soon as she'd pulled out of the parking lot hoping he'd have the answers she didn't. What she hadn't counted on, however, was Brady not answering his phone. She thought for sure that once he saw it was her, he'd pick up immediately.
"Am I that arrogant?" she asked in disgust as she pulled into her drive. "I'm as bad as he is!"
She unlocked her door, dropped her bag, and immediately plopped on the couch. She thumbed through the address book on her phone, searching for a particular number. She reached Tabby's and held her finger above it, wondering if she should bother the other woman with her problems. Tabby was nice and they'd become fairly good friends, but would she want to get in the middle of any problems Taylor and Brady were having?
She set her phone down on her coffee table in confusion. Standing, she paced the length of the living room restlessly. How the hell had her meticulously organized life turned so topsy turvy? And how had she become so emotionally wrapped up with a man?
She jumped when her phone rang. She snatched it off the table, checked the screen, and flipped it open with nervous hands.
"Hello."
"What's the matter, love? Is everything okay?" Brady asked, voice still heavy with sleep.
She smiled into the phone. "I...um....missed you."
He was quiet for a moment. "You got all spastic on the phone because you missed me?"
"Yeah," she said, feeling a little shy.
"Damn, Taylor. I thought something was wrong with you," he chastised.
"Sorry," she mumbled quietly, sinking to the sofa. "I had a bad day."
"It's only 9:30 in the morning there."
"Yeah well, it's been a bad week, okay?" she snapped.
He yawned into the phone. "Calm down, love. What's going on?"
She sighed. "Brady, when do you come home?"
"Sunday night. Why?"
"Can you just come straight to my house when you get back in town?"
"Are you sure you want me too?" he asked in a stiff tone.
"Yes. I'm sorry about the trust thing, okay? I....oh hell! I don't want to do this over the phone." She sucked back the mounting tears. "I just want to talk. Figure stuff out."
His soft chuckles were music to her ears. "Not a problem, love. I'll call you when I get back into town."
"Thanks, Brady."
"It's okay." He issued another yawn, making her do the same. "Hey, did you see me hit for the cycle last night?"
She furrowed her brow. "You did not hit for the cycle. You call going one for three with a strike out and a walk hitting for the cycle?"
His deep laugh echoed in her ear and sent tingles racing down her spine. "Nope, not at all. Just checking to make sure you're still watching."
She smiled. "Bye, Brady."
"I'll call you later, love."
Taylor sat on the sofa, leg bouncing up and down in nervous anticipation. Brady had called half an hour ago and said he was on his way over. She didn't know what she was going to say or how she was going to say it but she did know one thing; she wanted him. Yes, he could very well smash her heart to bits as he had once before and yes, he was a handful but she knew in the end it would be worth it. She smiled as she remembered the way he'd handled her after her father's funeral.
Unable to sit any longer, she stood and crossed the room to the window. Peering through the curtains, she watched the road, waiting for his black car to ease down the street. She needed to have him there in person - to face him. She needed to explain her nervousness and apologize for her behavior.
They were a new thing. They needed to adjust. They needed to take a little time to get to know each other again. High school had been ages and ages ago and certainly both of them had changed.
As patient as she expected him to be with her - she was going to have to be that patient with him. They were going to have to do this together.
But did he still want her? That's the question that had haunted her every waking second. Josh did have a couple of valid points about Brady; with his looks and playing ability, women everywhere, who were far more beautiful and elegant than she, would gladly keep him company during those lonely nights on the road.
She didn't want to travel down that particular path. For as long as she'd known Brady, all throughout high school, anyway, he hadn't been the sort to fool around on girls. At least, from what she could remember. He hadn't been known as a womanizer - just a ... frequent dater.
Did he still want her? She couldn't be one hundred percent positive but she thought that he still did. He'd seemed happy to hear from her when she'd broken down and called him. He'd agreed to come over as soon as he returned to town. And, he'd called her every night since then - not talking a whole lot but long enough to make sure she was doing okay. That seemed to signal that maybe he did still want her.
"We'll find out soon enough," she mumbled as she watched him pull into her drive.
Opening the door, she waited as he made his way toward her. He didn't hesitate once he reached her; he leaned over and kissed her forehead before taking her hand and dragging her in the house.
"You look like hell, love. I hope you're not losing sleep over our....situation," he told her as he stood back to study her.
Turning away, she snorted. "Please. There's more to my life than just you, Brady."
Yanking her hand, he caused her to tumble into his chest. He gently took her face in his hands, his face a mask of anxiety. Her heart thumped as her body crashed into his hard chest. His concerned eyes searched her face. "What's wrong? Something else happening?"
Her heart lifted and she smiled at him. She reached a hand up to gingerly touch the fading bruise under his eye. "You're healing I see. When do the stitches come out?"
"Probably tomorrow. I have to go see the doc in the morning." His signature smirk appeared. "You're avoiding my question. Are you okay?"
She wrapped her arms around his waist and flattened her cheek to his chest. "I'm just glad you're back."
Confused, he returned her embrace, squeezing her gently. He held her for a moment before kissing the top of her head, clutching her shoulders, and gently forcing her back. "Let's sit, love. We really need to talk."
Nodding, she reluctantly left his embrace. She sat on the sofa and motioned for him to sit next to her.
"Brady," she started. "You were right. I didn't trust you and it wasn't fair."
He laced his fingers with hers. "I don't blame you, Taylor. I really don't. But I'm not the same person I was back then."
"I know," she mumbled, ducking her head. "I guess I was just afraid you'd hurt me again."
He lifted her chin and forced her to match his gaze. "Was or still are?"
"Both, I guess."
He pressed his lips to her forehead. "I can't promise you that I won't hurt you but I can promise that I'll do everything in my power to prevent that from happening. I care a lot about you, Taylor and I really want you to be a part of my life. I don't know how else to tell you or show you."
She nodded, fighting back pesky tears. "Can we just start over?"
He chuckled and squeezed her fingers. "We have far too much history for that, love. How about if we just take things one day at a time, huh?"
"I'd like that."
He smiled at her before leaning in and brushing his lips over hers. Flinching, he cursed. Laughing, she kissed his stitched lip softly, ignoring the bristly feeling.
Getting to his feet, he reached for her hand, tugging her off the sofa. His eyes were lit up brighter than she'd seen them in awhile. "Since we can't make out, let's go grab something to eat at that little diner near the newspaper office. I'm starved."
She released a moan as she rolled her eyes. She held tightly to his hand, giving it a little shake. "Let me tell you about that little diner near the newspaper office."
\*\*\*
"We have an off day tomorrow you know," he said after the waitress blushingly took their order. "Can you skip work and hang out with me all day?"
Slouching in her seat across the table from him, she lifted a shoulder. She'd been extremely careful not to meet the eyes of any of the patrons. She didn't want their outright staring to ruin her evening with Brady.
"Maybe in the afternoon after I meet with Luther. And I have a meeting with the mayor in the morning."
His lips turned down in a thoughtful frown. "Is George Hearten still the mayor?"
She wrinkled her brow, curious. "Yeah, why?"
His cheeks actually pinked a little bit. "Don't mention my name."
Her jaw dropped as she leaned across the table to grab his hand. "Brady what did you do?"
He squeezed her figners and leaned back in the booth, familiar smirk smugly planted on his face. He gave her a nonchalant shrug. "I dated his niece. No big deal."
She rolled her eyes and sat back. "You broke her heart and she went to Uncle George and asked him to do something?"
He laughed at her. "No, nothing like that. Although I did break up with her." His cheeks colored slightly again. "I don't think you really want to know, Taylor."
She folded her arms across her chest. "Oh, I definitely want to know now, buddy."
He leaned across the table and looked back and forth, making sure no one was listening. Of course everyone in the diner kept gawking at them, but Brady pretended not to notice. He crooked his finger at her to come closer. She obliged and found herself mesmerized once again by the bright green of his eyes. "We kind of got caught in town hall."
She furrowed her brow. "Got caught? Got caught how? And at what?"
"Shh," he said, shushing her, glancing around once more. Nearly everyone was watching them now that their heads were so close together. "You know, got caught."
He waited until her mouth formed a perfect O and her cheeks pinked before he continued with his story.
"We snuck in and, well, you know, and the janitor caught us. He called George and made us wait in his office until George got there. Pretty embarrassing."
She stared at him a full minute before busting out with laughter. "Geez, Brady! I bet George nearly had a heart attack."
Brady leaned back, face fully red now. "Stop laughing. It wasn't that funny."
She reined in her laughter and reached across the table for his hand. "Sorry. I'll stop."
She actually tried, but a couple more giggles spilled out of her mouth. Amusement danced in his eyes while his lips fought a smirk. He shook his head at her as she cleared her throat and wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Seriously though - was it on that ungodly paisley couch in his office? Because I'm really going to want to avoid that thing tomorrow."
He held back a smile, laughter sparkling in his eyes. "See, I should know not to tell you anything."
She settled down as the waitress brought their food. As they ate their dinner, the conversation drifted toward safer topics. Taylor couldn't believe the weight that seemed to have lifted from her shoulders. And she couldn't stop herself from glancing at him through her lashes, her heart jerking at the beauty of him.
Yes, this was going to work - somehow. She was going to make it work.
He took her home but sat in the car as she made to get out. She paused, hand on door handle, and considered him carefully.
"Brady, you can come in. We can watch a movie or something," she suggested.
He drew her head closer so he could kiss her temple. "Not tonight, love. You've got a meeting in the morning."
She bowed her head. "I'm sorry about before, Brady. I don't want you to think I'm afraid of you."
He took her face in his hands. "I know. One day at a time, remember?"
She smiled and nodded.
He placed a soft, chaste kiss on her lips. "Besides, I'll see you tomorrow and I don't think you can handle too much of me."
She rolled her eyes. "Please. I got you right where I want you."
He kissed her quickly again and gently pushed her to the door. "Yeah, you do. Don't rub it in."
Her heart lifted as she got out of his car and waved goodnight.
\*\*\*
Taylor handled her meeting with the mayor with absolute professionalism. She never laughed outright and held in her giggles amazingly well; especially when he invited her to sit on the paisley couch. She refused, explaining she'd rather they sit across from each other so they could maintain better eye contact. He relented, though his eyes revealed a touch of confusion.
The whole thing went smoothly and Taylor was feeling pretty good until he escorted her to the office door once they finished.
"So, Miss Lockwood." He grinned, something shining in his eyes. "The whole town is buzzing about you dating Brady Nolan."
Although he tried to sound casual, curiosity burned in his voice.
"Funny, the whole town wasn't buzzing when I dated him in high school," she muttered, fake smile plastered on her face.
His expression faltered but he recovered quickly. "Well, he wasn't a celebrity back then. He dated my niece for awhile, you know."
"Really?" Taylor asked in mock surprise. "You know, I think I heard that somewhere." She tapped a finger on the side of her nose. "I think I heard a rumor about the two of them getting into some kind of trouble, but I don't quite remember what it was."
His face paled, a frown pulling on his lips. "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about. But speaking of rumors, word is that you and Brady are quite the item. Things are getting serious."
"Yes, I've heard that rumor myself," Taylor responded, inching closer to the door. "One shouldn't put too much faith in rumors."
"Oh, I don't know. Sometimes one can get some pretty useful information from them," the older man smiled.
"Maybe. But most of the time, all one gets is crap," she smiled back. She shook his hand once more. "Thanks for the interview Mayor Hearten."
She strolled out of his office.
\*\*\*
"Rough day already?" Josh asked as Taylor rested her forehead on the smooth surface of her desk.
"Mmph," she grunted.
"What's that? I can't hear you?"
She raised her head an inch or two. "I just met with Luther about the latest on the mall story and he wants me to try a different angle. I've been covering this story for weeks now and everyone seems to be pleased. Why the change? Does he think the readers won't notice?"
"Slow down," Josh ordered, raising a brow at her. "Did he not like your interview with the mayor?"
"I haven't even written that yet. We were going over the legal piece I wrote."
She released a long breath, blowing the stray strands of hair out of her eyes.
"Is that all you do is complain?"
Taylor moaned in displeasure as Henry Lake parked on the corner of her desk.
"Every time I come near you, you're complaining. Seems to me that you're making a habit out of it."
"Then don't come near me," she muttered, folding her arms over her chest. She resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him. "And you seem to be making a habit out of planting your ass on my desk."
He narrowed his eyes and huffed. "That's the problem; you're always around."
"Yeah, and I'm staying so get used to it."
"Henry, just move along, huh?" Josh asked, trying to keep peace.
"Shove off, Parker. This isn't your business."
"Well my story is none of your business so do as Josh says and run along," Taylor said, struggling to control her rising temper.
He leaned over her desk, invading her personal space. "Sleeping with Parker also? Becoming the town tramp?"
"Back off, Lake," Josh warned, getting to his feet. A curious group started to gather around her desk.
"You're going to defend her?" Henry growled at Josh. "She waltzes in here and gets whatever job she wants and once she starts screwing the hometown hero, she gets all the great stories. Doesn't that tick you off?"
"Not at all," Josh said, gritting his teeth as his face turned a lovely shade of purple. "I know she works hard."
Henry grunted. "Yeah, I bet she works hard. The little tramp works hard between the sheets."
Popping out of her seat, she rounded on him, her hand bouncing off his freshly shaved cheek before she was even aware of it happening. She hit him hard enough that a red hand print slowly formed on his face. "You bastard!"
She nearly jumped out of her skin when hands came down on her shoulders.
"Is there a problem here, love?"
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 Somersville. 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 Somersville 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.
She lifted her head far enough to look into his bright green eyes. Her heart skipped at the desire that filled them. "I've never been more sure of anything."
He shifted so that she was on the bed and he was over her. He planted a kiss on her chin before rolling off the bed to snatch his wallet off the dresser.
"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice husky.
Opening his wallet, he rifled through it until he produced two square packages. A sheepish grin overtook his face as he returned to the bed, a little bit of red in his cheeks.
"I almost took these out of my wallet - I didn't know if you'd somehow accidentally find them and think I'm some sort of..." he said, suddenly shy.
A wave of sympathy washed over her as she took the condoms from his hand, set them on the nightstand, and tugged him closer.
"I'm glad you didn't take them out of there," she mumbled into his mouth.
"Me, too," he said, totally recovered from his bashful spell. His hands worked their way under her shirt, scorching her skin. In one fell swoop, he shoved her t-shirt up her body and over her head.
A little impressed, she couldn't help but smile. "Nice."
"Just wait," he said, trailing his lips from her mouth, over her chin, to her breasts. She wriggled in anticipation, struggling to get his shirt off. He paused to help her out.
When he resumed his ministrations, he kissed his way from her breasts to her stomach, leaving a blaze of fire behind him.
"Brady," she gasped, urging his face back to hers.
He kissed her, leaving her breathless. "Something wrong, love?"
"I want you," she said, her chest heaving.
"We're getting there," he said, attempting a smile.
Apparently, his need for her was just as strong as her need for him as he quickly rid her of the rest of her clothes before ditching his on the side of the bed.
As he ripped open the condom, she shuddered, a smile toying with her lips. She couldn't wait for what was coming next.
Hovering over her, his concerned eyes searched her face. "Have you...you know...been with anyone since me?"
Shrugging a shoulder, she shifted her eyes. "Maybe once or twice."
He kissed her cheek. "I'll be gentle but it might hurt."
Nodding, she closed her eyes, gripping his shoulders. She winced, waiting for the pain. When it came, it wasn't nearly as bad as she'd thought it would be and didn't last long either. It quickly gave way to pleasure as Brady began a slow rhythm, carefully watching her face.
All too soon, her body overheated, causing her to arch into him, digging her nails into his flesh.
He pressed her to his body with one arm, supporting their weight with the other. Once the shudders stopped, he eased them both to the bed.
She curled into his side, tired but happy.
After shutting out the light, he kissed the top of her head. "I'm so glad you're mine again, love. I swear I'm never letting you go again."
In the dark, she smiled.
Taylor inhaled the morning air as she propped her forearms on the balcony rail and watched the sun make its way to the sky. The smile on her face refused to leave, especially when she recalled details from the previous night. Heat rushed to her cheeks as she closed her eyes to relive the sweet, gentle way Brady had explored her entire body. Her skin still tingled and burned from his soft touches and urgent kisses.
But the best part, she thought, was how he'd held her afterward. He'd wrapped her up in his arms until she'd drifted off to sleep. When she woke, he still held her firmly; as though he was afraid someone would come along and take her away while he slept.
She'd stayed in his embrace, listening to his heart beat and his soft snores until the pain in her kidneys reminded her it was time to get out of bed and visit the bathroom. She'd reluctantly untangled herself from his strong arms and snatched off the floor the t-shirt he had discarded sometime that evening. She'd pulled it over her head as she made her way to the bathroom. She hadn't been able to think of a better way to start her birthday than waking up in Brady Nolan's arms.
"There's my shirt."
Jumping, she turned quickly to find him leaning in the door frame, sexy smile curling his lips and crinkling his eyes. She clutched the railing and rested her back against it as she watched him approach clad only in the shorts he'd worn the night before.
"You want it back?" she asked in a teasing tone. Her eyes raked over his chest, drinking in the fine lines and muscles. She blushed slightly when she spotted two small bite marks on his neck.
"Well, hell yeah," he said as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "But not out here. I don't want anyone else seeing my sexy woman."
She released the rail to wind her arms around his neck. "Guess you'll just have to wait. I'm still basking in the afterglow."
He kissed her slowly, immediately setting her whole body on fire once again. "It looks better on you anyway," he muttered, mouth sliding down her jaw line. He grasped both her hands in his. "Want some breakfast?"
She tilted her head and closed her eyes as his lips continued their seductive path down her jaw and to her neck. "Only if we order room service. I don't want to go anywhere for awhile."
With a tiny smirk, he gently tugged her back into the room. "Hmm, I think I've created a monster."
"Oh, please," she teased as she rolled her eyes. "It's just been awhile."
He laughed as he bent over, picked her up, and carried her to the bed. "Maybe we need to make up for lost time."
"Maybe," she mumbled as her lips found his.
"Or maybe you just can't get enough of me," he responded as he dropped her softly on the bed and crawled over her.
"That could very well be the case," she said as she ran her hands over the smooth planes of his chest.
Grabbing the hem of the shirt, he started slowly sliding it up her body when his cell phone rang. He groaned and rested his forehead on hers.
"Don't you even think of answering that, Brady," she ordered, clinging to his shoulders.
With a weary sigh, he sat up, resting on his haunches as he reached for the phone. "I have to answer it, love. If I don't, they'll come pound on the door."
She scooted to a sitting position as he answered the phone.
"What?" he barked. "Oh, sorry, Tabby."
She watched in amusement as his cheeks pinked. He winked at her.
"She's um, here. Do you need to talk to her?"
He passed the phone over to Taylor with a grin. "Tabby wants to talk to you. Apparently she's been calling your cell all morning."
Her eyes widened as she grabbed the phone. "Hi, Tabby. What's up?"
"Where were you, girl?" Tabby said. "I was worried. I thought you were joining us for breakfast."
"Oh, um, sorry. I overslept and I guess I forgot to turn my phone back on." Brady snorted so she gave him a push.
"Well Zoey and I are going shopping. Do you want to come?"
She looked at Brady watching her with his arms crossed over his chest and amusement gleaming in his eyes. "Thanks, but Brady promised to take me to the aquarium today."
When he lifted a brow, she gave him a sweet smile.
"Oh, that's cool. Do you want to meet us later for dinner before we go to the Homer Contest?"
Edging closer, Brady moved her hair away from her neck. He brushed his lips lightly over her skin. She shivered and tried to shove him away. "Yeah, that sounds great. Where do you want to meet?"
He continued to trail kisses down her neck as her concentration slowly evaporated. Finally, she dropped the phone, resisting the urge to chuck it at him, and glared instead. "I hope you know I haven't the foggiest where we're supposed to meet them later."
Picking up the phone, he tossed it on the night table. He eased her back on the bed and resumed his ministrations to her neck.
"Who cares," he mumbled against her skin, smiling as she trembled. "We'll figure it out later. Now let's get back to that other birthday present I was about to give you before she called."
\*\*\*
"Do you think we should get up and do something constructive today?" he asked later as he played with her hair.
"Mmm, I thought we were," she said. She was quite comfortable tucked under his chin with her head on his chest listening to the rhythm his heart was beating out.
He chuckled. "Come on, love. Let's get dressed and I'll take you the aquarium."
She peeked at him. "I only said that to get out of shopping."
He grabbed her face and kissed her quickly. "I know but I think we should do something besides each other on your birthday."
Blushing, she buried her head in his chest. He hugged her to his body and kissed the top of her head. "Go shower and get ready then meet me back here."
"Fine," she grumbled as she grabbed his t-shirt and pulled it over her head. She got up, raking her fingers through her messy hair and paused in the doorway. "Um, Brady?"
After pulling on his shorts, he turned to look at her. "Yeah, love?"
With a shy smile, she ducked her head. "Do you think it'll be okay if I check out of my room and just share yours?"
He grinned. "Most definitely. I do love how your mind works."
\*\*\*
They returned to the hotel after the Homer Contest but instead of going straight upstairs, Brady steered Taylor to one of the small hotel conference rooms.
"What are we doing?" she asked.
Stepping up, Tabby grabbed Taylor's upper arm. "Just come on and stop asking questions."
Tabby opened the door and Taylor's jaw dropped. Navy blue balloons and white streamers hung from the ceiling. Six tables littered the room draped in matching navy tablecloths. Another table, pushed against the wall, held drinks and a beautiful round cake. An actual DJ was set up in the corner, waiting to get started.
She turned to Brady with a glare. "I'm so going kill you later, you know that right?"
He held his hands up in mock surrender. "Hey, I had nothing to do with it. I just mentioned to Tabby that it was your birthday."
Zoey suddenly appeared and grabbed Taylor's other arm. "C'mon! It's your birthday. Did you actually think we were going to let you get away with not telling us?"
"I was sort of hoping," Taylor mumbled as she allowed Zoey and Tabby to drag her inside.
An hour later, she finally sat down at a table and sipped from an icy cold bottle of water. Her muscles were already slightly achy from the activities she'd engaged in the previous night and now they screamed in protest each time Zoey and Tabby forced her to the dance floor.
She spotted Brady near the drink table talking to Kyle and Ian while Alex and Mark had Scott Kinsey, a Racers relief pitcher, engaged in what looked like a serious discussion, judging by their emphatic hand gestures. Tabby and Zoey dropped into chairs on both sides of her, grinning like children who had successfully raided the cookie jar. Taylor glanced at them and cringed.
"So, Taylor," Tabby said, grin threatening to overtake her entire face. "Where were you exactly last night?"
"In bed," she stated.
"Alone?" Zoey asked.
Taylor opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. Blood rushed to her cheeks as she looked between them.
"I...um...I don't have to answer that."
Both women burst out laughing.
"I knew it," Tabby exclaimed. "And I interrupted something when I called earlier, didn't I?"
Taylor's bright red cheeks were answer enough. She nervously took a slug of her water and caught Brady's eye. She desperately sent him telepathic messages to come rescue her but he merely smiled and gave her a wink before returning to his discussion.
"It's okay, hon," Tabby said, patting her arm. "You don't have to say a word."
"Yeah," Zoey agreed. "They way you two kept looking at each other all day gave you away."
"Oh geez," Taylor exclaimed, covering her face with her hands. "Is it that obvious?"
"Yeah," Tabby confirmed gleefully. "But Brady is so smitten. All he talks about is you."
"She's right," Zoey added. "That boy is head over heels in love with you, girl."
Taylor jerked her head at Zoey. "What?"
"He hasn't told you yet?" Zoey asked. "I can't believe that."
"He probably doesn't want to scare her," Tabby said, tapping her chin with her index finger. "You know how overprotective he is of her."
"Hang on," Taylor interrupted. "I'm right here, remember?" She swallowed and licked her lips nervously. "Did he actually tell you two all this?"
Tabby shook her head. "Nope. But he doesn't have to. It's quite obvious."
"Do you love him?" Zoey asked.
Taylor watched as Brady laughed at something Ian said. His eyes lit up in amusement and she recalled how loving and tender he had been the night before. She smiled. "Yeah, I do."
Zoey squealed and clapped her hands. "You just have to tell him!"
Taylor shook her head. "No, not yet."
Tabby rested her hand on Taylor's arm. "Listen, honey. I know he hurt you in the past and I know you've had to rebuild your trust in him but I've really gotten to know him this season. He won't hurt you again."
"I know," Taylor agreed, bowing her head. She plucked at the bottom of the paper table cloth.
"If you would have been there when he told us what he did to you in high school, you would know what I mean. He nearly cried. I thought Alex was going punch him and do you know what? Brady would have let him. I think it actually kills him to think about what he did."
Taylor looked at Tabby. "I've forgiven him for that. And I have to agree with him when he told me that he was glad he made that bet. I am too, now. I wouldn't have him today if he wouldn't have made it."
Tabby smiled gently at her. "Then don't let him go this time."
"Excuse me, ladies," Brady said, cutting into the conversation. He reached for Taylor's hand and pulled her to her feet. "You've monopolized my woman long enough. The DJ's playing our song and I'd like to dance with her."
Taylor rolled her eyes as she fought a smile. "We don't have a song."
He guided her to the dance floor and wrapped his arms around her waist. He pulled her close to his body and grinned. "Every song is ours, love."
"Cheesy, Brady," she said as she rolled her eyes. "Very cheesy."
She rested her head on his chest as Tabby and Alex joined them on the dance floor followed by Zoey and Mark.
He kissed the top of her head. "What were you girls talking about before I interrupted?"
Closing her eyes, she moved slowly with him. "You."
"Ahh, great topic, huh?"
She snorted. "We were talking about how arrogant and egotistical you are."
Chuckling, he leaned back to look in her eyes. "Really, now?"
She nodded. "Yep. And I wouldn't have you any other way."
He kissed her slowly, lips lingering on hers, and brushed his hands up her sides. "I'm really lucky you'll have me at all."
Her heart thumped as heat raced throughout her body. She narrowed her eyes seductively at him. "Well I intend on having you all night, tonight."
He groaned, drew her closer, and kissed her. "It is your birthday, after all. Far be it from me to deny you anything today."
When the music ended, Tabby pointed to the cake. With an irritated sigh, Taylor gave Brady a quick hug. "Let's go cut the cake and then get the hell out of here."
He held her hand and followed her to the cake table. He bent low and whispered in her ear. "Have I told you lately that I love how your mind works?"
"If you like that idea that much, just wait until you see what we do with the leftover cake."
He groaned again as he hurried everyone over to get their cake and wrap things up.
Taylor floated to her desk Wednesday afternoon, goofy grin plastered to her face. Josh raised a brow as he approached her.
"How was the game?" he asked.
She smiled. "Wonderful."
He rolled his eyes. "Well spare me the gruesome details."
Sitting on the edge of her desk, his eyes scanned her face. "Well, you look better, anyway. Tia's back in town and we want to take you out tonight for your birthday."
Biting her lip, she gave him an easy glance. "Umm, tonight is Brady's last night off. We kind of had plans."
Standing up, he heaved a disgruntled breath, throwing his hands in the air. "Fine. I'll call Tia and tell her."
"Josh," she called after him. He waved her away as he headed toward the break room. She dialed Tia's number and relief washed over her when she picked up right away.
"Hey, girlie! How was your little romantic getaway?" Tia teased.
"Fantastic," she replied. "Shall I spare you the gruesome details also?"
Tia snorted. "Hell no! I want to hear it all. Where shall go tonight?"
She sighed in frustration. "That's just it. Tonight's the last night of the break and I made plans with Brady. Do you think we can get together tomorrow night instead?"
"Oh, sure. That's not a problem."
Taylor smiled. "Good. Only you'll have to talk to Josh because apparently I ticked him off when I told him I wanted to spend time with Brady tonight."
"Oh," Tia responded in a desolate tone. "Yeah. He's not too happy that you're seeing Brady."
"I sort of got that feeling when he stormed away from me just now."
Tia snorted. "I got back in town last night and had dinner with him and Lacy. All he did was complain. I think Lacy got a little upset with him."
"Good. He deserves it. I mean, he was the one who pushed me to talk to Brady after all."
"I know," Tia said. "He's an idiot. Don't let him get you down. You and Brady deserve to be happy and if Josh won't join us tomorrow, then you can tell me all the nitty gritty details."
Taylor smiled. "I will."
"Oh! I nearly forgot. I wanted to tell you I'm sorry I couldn't make it to the little birthday party they planned for you. Brady tried to get me there but I was wrapped up in this deal for work."
Taylor furrowed her brow. "I didn't know they tried to get you there."
"Yep. Brady called me and told me about the party Tabby and Zoey planned. I thought it was sweet."
"It was. Kind of embarrassing, though. Wish you would have been there. I missed you."
"Aw, honey! How sweet. Now tell me, have you jumped on that boy yet?"
Fire raced to her cheeks as she swiveled her chair away from the bustle of the busy office. "Umm, yeah."
Tia shrieked so loudly that Taylor winced and pulled the phone from her ear. "How was it? How did it happen? Was it good?"
As she turned her head, she caught Henry Lake glaring at her from across the room. "I'll tell you all about it later. I really should go get some work done now."
"Okay," Tia pouted in the phone. "Call me later."
Taylor hung up the phone and turned her computer on, ignoring Henry's accusatory glances.
She left once to pick up a sandwich, which she ate at her desk. She'd found a very informative legal web site in which she scanned thoroughly. She jotted down notes that she thought would help with her story and became so immersed; she was surprised when Luther tapped her shoulder and told her to go home.
"Just because you took a few days off doesn't mean you have to sleep here all night," he said.
She looked at the clock and was surprised to see it was past five. She grimaced as she shut down her computer and picked up her cell phone. She figured Brady would have called her by now asking where she was.
When she got to her car, she threw her stuff in the passenger seat before dialing Brady's number.
"Hey, love," he answered, making her heart somersault. She could hear what sounded like lots of people in the background. "Where are you?"
"I could ask you the same," she responded.
"I'm at the Line Drive Club. I ran into some old friends."
"Really," she asked, her curiosity perked. "Who?"
"Jason Smith and Jordan Brock."
Her heart stopped somersaulting abruptly, falling flat on its face. "Oh."
"Hang on, love. I can barely hear you. Let me go outside."
"No, Brady, it's okay," she said. "Go hang out with them. Give me a call later."
"Taylor, wait a second," he ordered. She could hear the noise die down as he apparently walked outside. "Okay, now I can hear you better. Where are you?"
"Just leaving the office. Why don't you hang out with your friends and just call me later?"
"Hey, love," he said, his voice soft. "Come down here. They want to see you. I told them we're back together.
Cringing, she closed her eyes, keeping the dreaded sigh inside her tightly wound body. She had no desire whatsoever to see either of them again. "I don't think so, Brady. Why don't you have a boy's night or something? Besides, Tia and Josh wanted me to have dinner with them for my birthday."
He exhaled a heavy breath into the phone. "Okay. But how about when you're done, you meet me at my place? If I'm not there yet, just go to Kyle's and get a key from him. I gave him an extra."
\*\*\*
"So the Terrible Threesome is back together," Tia asked as she speared a tomato with her fork.
"Yep. Isn't it grand," Taylor retorted.
"Cheer up, Taylor. I'm sure Jason will crawl back under whatever rock he came from soon."
She snorted and took a long drink from her ice tea glass. "Do you mind if I indulge in a little self pity for a moment?"
Looking up from her salad, Tia gestured for her to continue.
"Okay, here goes. One of my best friends isn't speaking to me because I'm dating the guy he pushed me to talk to and that guy, who I just spent the most amazing three days with, is out with his high school buddies with whom he made that stupid bet."
Tia grinned. "It's about to get better. Henry Lake and his stuck up daughter just walked through the door."
Taylor rolled her eyes as she turned to meet Henry's sarcastic smirk. They followed the hostess to the back section of the restaurant.
"If that man says one word to me I swear I'm going to punch him first and then his daughter."
\*\*\*
Sitting on the trunk of her car, she waited for Tabby. She'd left the restaurant without a word from Henry and then headed to Brady's house. She knew he wouldn't be there - it was still fairly early - so she'd parked her car in his drive and walked a block down to Kyle's. She'd been a little surprised to find him not at home so she called Tabby on her cell to see if she could get Kyle's number.
"He's at the Club with the rest of the guys. I'm on my way there now. Sit tight and I'll swing by to pick you up," Tabby had said.
Taylor hadn't had a chance to protest as Tabby had hung up quickly. She wanted to see Brady; be with him, especially after their Chicago trip. She just didn't know if she could handle being face to face with Jason and Jordan again.
Tabby pulled her SUV in front of Brady's driveway and leaned over to open the passenger door.
"Hop in," she called.
Taylor reluctantly jumped down from her car and climbed into Tabby's. Tabby smiled as she pulled away.
"Do you want to tell me what's going on?" she asked.
Taylor shrugged. "Brady's down there with two of his high school buddies who I don't care a whole lot for and have no desire to ever see again."
"Oh, I see," Tabby told her. "Jocks? Preps? That kind of thing?"
"Sort of." Taylor yanked on her pony tail in an effort to tighten it. "Jason and Jordan are the guys that made the bet with Brady."
Tabby snapped her head toward Taylor in surprise. "Are you serious?"
Taylor nodded. "Yeah. I haven't seen them since Prom."
"No wonder you don't want to go down there."
"Yeah, well, it's a little humiliating, you know?" She propped her head on the cool glass of the passenger side window.
Tabby glanced at her again. "Taylor, you know one of the reasons why I like you so much?"
Taylor shook her head.
"Because you've got a backbone. You stood up to everything Brady gave you and threw it back in his face. You're tough, Taylor. You and Brady fought hard to overcome all the things you've been through. Don't let these idiots stand in the way or keep you from him."
Reaching over, she took Taylor's hand and squeezed it as she pulled into the parking lot.
"Come on, girl. Show them you're not scared."
As soon as they walked inside, Taylor spotted Jason. Where Brady was tall and dark, Jason was shorter and fair. He had blond, messy hair, and piercing blue eyes. The pair of them had left a trail of broken hearts behind them all throughout their high school days.
Jordan Brock stood against the bar with some curvy blonde in a short, denim skirt whose back was to Taylor. Jordan's sandy brown hair was cut short and neat and his brown eyes were hidden behind stylish glasses.
Taylor's heart nearly stopped when the woman turned and Taylor recognized her. Brady hadn't mentioned that she was here.
Gretchen Steel was blonde, shapely, and just plain gorgeous. She remembered Josh telling her once that Brady and Gretchen had dated on and off their entire junior year and for a few months the beginning of senior year. She was the one he would go back to after each of his 'relationships' had ended.
"There's Brady," Tabby whispered in Taylor's ear as she tugged on her arm. "Come on."
Taylor trudged behind her as they made their way over to the table.
"Look what I found," Tabby announced, calling attention to them both.
When Brady spun around, his pleasure lit up his handsome features. "Hey, love! You made it."
Standing, he pulled her into a tight hug and kissed her cheek. She relaxed in his arms and faced the others. The presence of Alex, Kyle, Mark, and Zoey gave her a little reassurance as Jordan and Gretchen joined the table.
"Hi, Taylor," Jordan greeted sheepishly. "Nice to um... see you again."
"You too, Jordan," she answered in a stiff tone.
She noticed Alex exchange curious glances with Mark as Tabby leaned over to whisper in his ear. His face immediately darkened as he glared at Jordan. Taylor flashed him a small smile and he relaxed.
Gretchen Steel sidled next to her, sizing her up. With a warm smile, she extended her hand. "How have you been?"
Taylor accepted her handshake, forcing her own smile. "Fine, Gretchen, thanks. And you?"
"Oh, you know," she replied, waving a flippant hand. "Same ole, same ole. Can't complain." Her gaze shifted to Brady. "Imagine my surprise when Jason called to tell me that he ran into Brady and we were all getting together."
"I bet," Taylor mumbled, trying to keep the sarcasm out of her voice. Brady found her hand and squeezed it. She returned his squeeze as Jason cut through the crowd, eager to return to the table.
"Well, now," he exclaimed, appraising her with cool eyes. Taylor instinctively moved closer to Brady. He released her hand and slung his arm over her shoulders. "If I would have known you'd turn out this good, I would have picked you over Amanda."
All of the blood drained out of Taylor's face. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Alex getting to his feet. Next to her, Brady's once relaxed body tensed and the muscles in his arms bunched. Placing a hand on his chest, she nearly jerked it back when she felt the rapid beats of his heart.
"Brady," she mumbled. "Don't."
Brady squeezed Taylor's shoulder lightly. "Dude," he said, glaring at Jason, voice cool and even. "That's so not right."
Taylor glanced coolly at the blond man, allowing her eyes to run up and down his body. "Who's to say I would have picked you anyway? I obviously got the better end of the deal. At least that's what Amanda seems to think."
Brady, Jason, and Jordan all stared at her open mouthed. Jordan broke the silence by doubling over and falling into his chair, laughter streaming from every pore in his body.
"You definitely have your hands full, man," he told Brady, punching him lightly in the arm.
Brady gave Taylor an affection smile before dropping a kiss on the top of her head. "Yeah, she keeps me on my toes, that's for sure."
Jason forced a sick smile, mumbling how he was only joking before he dropped into his seat.
Alex had grabbed a couple chairs and pulled them over for Taylor and Tabby. Brady reached under the table and held Taylor's hand.
"So Brady," Gretchen purred snatching the seat next to him. "You're getting us tickets for your game tomorrow, right? I haven't been to a game in ages. And I especially want to see you on the field."
"Yeah, sure," he agreed. "You guys can sit with Taylor."
"Taylor's sitting with me and Zoey," Tabby said, nudging Taylor lightly. Taylor gave her a grateful smile.
Brady shrugged. "That's fine. I'll leave some tickets at Will Call for you."
"Thanks, hon," Gretchen said, squeezing his arm, causing Taylor to stiffen. Brady felt it and draped his arm on the back of Taylor's chair. He leaned over to kiss her on the cheek.
"You ready to go, love?" She nodded, wanting desperately to get away from Jason and his contemptuous eyes.
"Leaving already, man?" Jason asked as Brady and Taylor stood.
"Yeah. We have early batting practice and seeing as I haven't picked up a bat since Sunday, I really don't need to be late."
After they said their goodbyes, Taylor nearly yanked him out of the bar.
\*\*\*
When he tore his shirt off as soon as he walked into the bedroom, she grabbed it and headed to the bathroom. She emerged a few minutes later wearing it and climbed on the bed next to him. He had the TV turned on and was watching the local news in just his boxers. He put the remote on the night stand and wrapped his arms around her.
"Not too crazy about my friends, huh?" he asked.
She shook her head. "Nope. And you failed to tell me Gretchen was there."
His mouth stretched into a lazy smile as laughter lit up his eyes. "She didn't show up until after I hung up with you. Jealous, love?"
She tried hard to glare at him but ended up bowing her head. "Maybe."
His smile fell as he lifted her chin. "Don't be. You have me, not her."
"That's reassuring," she said, her tone sarcastic. "It's quite obvious she still wants you."
He snorted. "So. I don't want her."
"I don't know why not." She extracted her body out of his arms and sat up. "She's gorgeous, Brady. Hell, I'd even go so far as to call her hot."
He barked out a laugh. "Yeah, she may be hot but you're beautiful and there's a huge difference."
Scoffing, she opened her mouth to protest but he put a finger to her lips, stopping her.
"That's all she is, is hot. She uses her body and her looks to get whatever she wants. But you," he smiled as he ran a lazy gaze up and down her entire length. "You are beautiful and not just your body and your face. You are so loving and loyal and caring. But you're strong, too. You're the strongest person I know. And you stand your ground when you believe in something enough."
His eyes darted over every feature on her face as he slowly leaned in to kiss her. Breaking the kiss, he swallowed. "That's why I love you so much, Taylor."
Her eyes widened and she was struck speechless. With a smirk, he rolled over on top of her, careful not to crush her, and took advantage of her slack jaw. He nibbled on her bottom lip and broke her out of her trance. She wound her hands behind his neck, pressing her lips to his, allowing her tongue to anxiously explore his mouth. Her hands loosened and slowly traveled down his muscular, bare back and lingered on the waistband of his boxers. Her fingers inched under the elastic as her thumb hooked the top. She yanked them down quickly, surprising him.
"Smooth, love," he said, sliding his shirt off her body, trailing kisses behind it. Once he tossed it to the floor, she wrapped her arms around his neck and forced his lips back to hers.
"Now this is what I'd call hot," he mumbled into her mouth.
\*\*\*
"Brady," she asked later as she tucked her weary head under his chin.
"Hm?"
"You know that I love you too, don't you?"
He rubbed her bare arm, smiling in the dark. "I should hope so."
She lifted her head to peck his lips. "Well, I do."
He shifted to his side and situated her body so he could wrap her in his secure embrace. "Good, because I ain't letting you go anytime soon."
\*\*\*
Taylor scurried to the seat next to Tabby just as the game began.
"There you are, girl! I was beginning to think you weren't coming," Tabby exclaimed, eyes not leaving the field.
"Well the good people of Somersville decided to hold a protest on the land the developer is buying. I had to spend most of my day there," Taylor answered as she shifted her body to get comfortable.
Glancing to her left, she stifled a groan. Jason and Gretchen were engaged in a heated discussion but Jordan was nowhere to be found. The seat next to Taylor sat vacant and she hoped maybe it would remain that way for the entire game.
"I forgot when I made my valiant offer to have you to sit with us that Brady's tickets are right next to ours." Tabby whispered in her ear.
Taylor smiled. "I'll live. I think I can handle these guys."
The top of the inning ended and the Racers retreated to their dugout to prepare for their turn at bat. Brady caught her eye and smiled. Her body temperature rose so she dipped her head into her program until she could recover.
"Hey, Taylor."
She lifted her eyes and found herself gazing directly in Jordan's warm, brown ones. "Oh, hi, Jordan."
"Do you want a beer? I didn't know for sure if you'd be here so I didn't get you one," he explained.
She smiled at him. "No thanks. Not yet."
Jordan nervously studied the ground for a few minutes and kicked at the seat leg in front of him. "Um, Taylor? Would you take a walk with me? Just over by the patio area so we can still see the game. I just wanted to talk to you for a second."
She shrugged. "Okay, I guess."
They reached the patio area in time to see Brady take his turn at bat. They stood at the railing, watching as he coaxed the pitcher into giving him a walk and jogged down to base. With her eyes still on Brady standing at first, she asked Jordan what he wanted to talk about.
He gave her a weak smile before turning his eyes back to the field.
"I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am about the whole bet thing."
Her shoulders tensed and she concentrated on Brady leading off at first.
Jordan placed a reassuring hand on her arm. "I know you probably don't want to talk about it and to be honest, I don't either. I'm really embarrassed about the whole thing."
"You are?" she asked in disbelief. "Imagine how I feel."
He removed his hand and bowed his head. "Look, Taylor. It was stupid. Probably the dumbest thing we ever did. I don't know why I even got involved. But I did and I began to realize that other people's feelings were at risk." He leaned his back against the rail and faced her. "It was basically Jason's idea but I agreed to be the go between. After a few weeks, I realized that maybe you had real feelings for Brady. And I think he had real feelings for you. I think he wanted to back out and a couple of times I almost approached him about it. I wanted out and I was pretty sure he did, too. But I kept my mouth shut and let it go on. And for that, I'm really very sorry."
Smiling, she squeezed his hand. "I appreciate it, Jordan. Thank you."
Relief flooded his face as he motioned for the beer man. "Let me buy you a beer before we head back to our seats."
They walked back in no particular hurry, awkward moment behind them, and talked about life after Somersville High. Taylor was laughing at one of Jordan's stories when they returned to their seats and Tabby wrinkled her nose. Taylor gave her a brief smile before whispering that she'd talk to her later.
Having loosened up, Jordan kept up a running commentary on the opposing team's offense. His quick wit and amazing sense of humor had Taylor highly entertained. As her resentment faded, she could see why Brady liked him. Even though he wasn't nearly as handsome as Brady or Jason, he was extremely charming. It didn't take him long to have not only Taylor, Zoey, and Tabby, but all the fans nearby, laughing and cheering with him. Although she was having an excellent time, she would have enjoyed herself far more if it wasn't for the dirty looks Jason kept shooting her.
Once the game ended, they headed over to the Line Drive Club to wait for the guys. Jordan pushed a few tables together while Taylor rounded up all the chairs.
"So, do you usually wait for Brady down here after a game?" Jordan asked as he took the seat to her left.
"Not usually. I guess it's just easier for everyone to meet here."
Jason and Gretchen took seats at the table across from her and listened.
"You and Brady are really together?" Gretchen asked. Nodding, Taylor glanced at the door, hoping for a friendly face. Gretchen turned to Jason. "You said they weren't serious."
Jason leaned back in his seat, folded his arms across his chest, wearing a smug expression. "We'll see. He never could stay away from you for long, Gretchen."
Rolling her eyes, Taylor ignored him. She turned to Jordan instead. "So, you're living in Indy now?"
Jason leaned forward. "What'd he do, Lockwood? Did he knock you up or something? Because I know he lied to us about Prom night."
"What are you talking about?" Taylor asked, her patience wearing thin.
"Why is he with you? He could have someone like Gretchen but he's with you?"
"That's enough, Jason," Jordan broke in, eyes darkening.
"It's okay, Jordan. Let him have his say," Taylor smirked.
Jason grinned like a kid at Christmas. "So, what happened? You didn't show up for graduation and you certainly kept a low profile that summer."
Taylor shrugged. "You're right. He did lie. But he did it to protect me."
Jason laughed. "Is that what he told you?"
"No," she said slowly, keeping a tight hold on the anger aching to burst forth and spew all over him. "It's what I figured out on my own. I have a brain you know."
"Whatever, sweetheart," Jason replied, dismissing her. "So what really happened? Did he knock you up? Was that the reason you hid all summer - to keep your little secret?"
"No, he didn't knock me up," she laughed, although there was nothing amusing about the conversation. "I had a family situation."
"Whatever you want to call it." Jason said, still smug. He ran a hand through his blond locks. "Well, now that we're back in touch, it's just a matter of time, sweetheart."
Taylor flashed him a sarcastic smile. "We'll just see about that, won't we?"
Jason leaned forward once more as Jordan and Gretchen looked back and forth between them as though witnessing a tennis match.
"Brady will never change. I've known him longer than anyone. He'll do the domestic thing for now, but he'll get tired of it. Just wait and see."
Still clutching the thin strands of her composure, she grinned. "He's nothing like you, Jason. He's more of a man than you'll ever be."
Jason laughed. "You always were a cold little bitch."
"Don't forget it," she warned, eyes narrowed, as Tabby and Zoey bounded over to their table.
"What's going on?" Tabby asked, sensing the thick tension.
Taylor shrugged. "Nothing."
Slipping into a chair, Zoey glared at Jason. "You sure?"
"Just reliving old memories, that's all," Taylor smiled.
"I'm getting drinks. Taylor, could you help me?" Jason asked politely as he stood.
"Certainly," she said and followed him to the bar.
He gave the bartender his order and then turned to Taylor. "Two weeks on the road and he'll be through with you."
"What is your problem? Why can't you just let Brady be happy?"
"He ain't happy," Jason protested. "He's content right now but he won't stay that way. That's why I'm giving you fair warning. I've known him my whole life and it's just the way he works. Two weeks on the road and he'll be done with you. Prepare yourself."
He threw a wad of bills on the bar, loaded his arm with bottles, and headed back to the table just as Brady walked through the door.
Brady draped an arm over her shoulders as they walked through the humid night air to her car. "Are you staying at my place tonight, love?"
"Hm?" she asked, his question invading her thoughts. "Sorry, Brady. I had my mind elsewhere."
"Your mind's been elsewhere since the game." He reclined against the driver's side door and crossed his arms over his chest. "What's up?"
Leaning into him, she stood on her toes and kissed his cheek. "Just thinking about my story. What did you ask me?"
He eyed her with suspicion before dropping his arms and grabbing her waist. "I asked if you were staying with me tonight."
She pulled his mouth to hers and wound her fingers in his thick hair. Breaking the kiss, she edged back. "Of course."
He kissed the top of her head. "Hey, why don't you just stay with me for rest of the week? We're leaving Monday for a road trip and I'd like to have you to myself as much as possible."
Her stomach dropped at the mention of the upcoming road trip but she kept her feelings off her face. "If you insist," she shrugged as she shooed him away from her car.
That night, her mind wouldn't rest. He held her tightly as he slept but she couldn't seem to shut off her brain.
He'd told her earlier that Jason was going to follow the team on the upcoming road trip seeing as he had no job, nothing better to do, and his parents' money to spend. Brady raved on and on about how cool it would be to hang out with his best friend again.
Taylor hadn't had the heart to tell him about her earlier conversation with Jason as she'd feared it would only raise the trust issue once more. The last thing she had wanted was another ugly argument before he was to leave; especially with Jason accompanying him. She had clearly pictured a smug Jason positively beside himself with glee at the news that she and Brady were on the outs. She only wished Jordan would be tagging along but he had a job with a marketing firm in Indy and couldn't get away.
It wasn't so much that she didn't trust Brady; she didn't trust Jason. He was so intent on reliving his high school days with his old buddy that he didn't care who got in his way. The stories they'd told the others about the pranks and hi-jinks they'd performed in school only intensified Taylor's anxiety. She didn't want Brady to realize the fun he was missing by being 'tied down' and eventually see her as an obstacle.
Sighing, she turned again, molding her back to his body.
"Everything okay, love?" he murmured sleepily in her hair.
"Yeah," she whispered. "Go back to sleep."
He kissed her head and gave her a little squeeze before dozing off once more. She laced her fingers with his and closed her eyes. There was no way in hell she'd let Jason rip him away from her again.
\*\*\*
The next few days flew by far too quickly for Taylor. The team finished up a four game series with Cincinnati, and before she knew it, she was sitting on his bed watching him rifle through his closet.
After the third dress shirt hit her in the face, she let out an exasperated sigh and climbed off the bed.
"You're doing that on purpose so I'll pack for you, aren't you?" she asked.
He peeked his head around the closet door. "Did I hit you again?" he smirked. "So sorry."
"Watch it, buddy or I'm liable to shove you in that closet and lock it."
Diving at her, he snatched her around the waist. He walked backwards toward the open closet door, dragging her with him.
"Sounds kind of kinky, love. Will you be joining me?"
Snorting, she pushed him away. "No. I'll be enjoying the peace and quiet."
He caught her hand and tugged her to his chest. "Stop acting like you won't miss me. We both know you will."
"Ha," she exclaimed. "I'm going to stay here the whole two weeks you're gone and take advantage of sleeping in that big bed by myself without someone snoring in my ear."
His lips fell into a frown as his brow furrowed. "I don't snore."
"Please," she told him, rolling her eyes. "You rattle the windows."
He kissed her slowly, running his hands up and down her back under her shirt. "I wish you were coming with me."
"No you don't," she scoffed. "You'll have fun with Jason. You don't need your girlfriend tagging along."
His fingers traced the line of her spine causing her to shudder. "I always need you tagging along."
She kissed his chin and broke away from him. Her stomach tied itself into a knot and she was afraid traitorous tears would form next. She grabbed a shirt from the pile of clothes he'd thrown on the bed and folded it neatly.
Wrapping his arms around her waist, he rested his chin on her shoulder. "You okay, love?"
She nodded, choking back her emotions. "Yeah. I just figured I'd better do your packing. At the rate you're going, you'll be full of wrinkles for the next two weeks."
\*\*\*
Taylor pushed her food listlessly around on her plate. She forked a piece of lettuce but dropped it before attempting to put it in her mouth.
"You got it bad, girl," Tia observed across the table from her, smile playing on her lips. "How long has he been gone? Three days?"
"Four," Taylor answered. "And I'm just not hungry, that's all."
Tia frowned. "He called you last night, didn't he?"
"Yeah," Taylor muttered pushing her plate away. "And this morning."
Tia set her fork on the table. "What's the problem?"
Releasing a dismal sigh, Taylor glanced around the little diner. She'd invited Tia to lunch in hopes that Tia's peppy personality would put Taylor in a better mood. So far, it wasn't working.
"I don't really know. I mean, I miss him, yeah, but it's more than that. Guess it's because Jason is there."
Tia leaned across the table, questions lurking in her eyes. "Jason went on the road trip?"
Taylor furrowed her brow. "I didn't tell you?"
"No."
"Yeah, he's there." She dropped her shoulders and slumped on her side of the booth. "It's not like they're doing any wild partying or anything but just knowing that Jason's around gives me a bad feeling."
"What aren't you telling me?" Tia asked, concern etched all over her face.
Taylor sat up, took a deep breath, and told her about the conversation she'd had with Jason earlier that week.
"He's a little bastard," Tia remarked matter-of-factly. "And a waste of oxygen, if you ask me. But don't worry too much."
Taylor drew intricate patterns on her water glass with her finger. "I'm trying not to worry."
"When I was a senior," Tia said, her voice earnest, "Brady and Jason were only juniors but they pretty much ruled the school. Jason was a big time partier. I mean booze, girls, you name it. Brady partied with him, although I think he was far more cautious. Brady was always more serious about his athletic future. The more time I spend with Brady, the more maturity I see. Jason, on the other hand, has no responsibility and hasn't had to work for anything."
The knot in Taylor's stomach doubled. "So, what, you think Jason's trying to get his party buddy back?"
"It's exactly what I think. I also think Jason looks at you as an obstacle. And you're not, really. I mean, Brady has a career now. He has to use his head and keep out of trouble. He can't go out on that field hung over and expect to play good ball, not to mention the suspensions and fines he'd probably have to face if he's caught in any kind of trouble. Jason doesn't have anything like that. All he has is his parents' money and all the time in the world."
Taylor grunted. "He'll never grow up."
"No." Tia leaned closer to Taylor. "I heard that Jason bombed out in college in California. All he did was party. But the poor guy's ego was bruised because apparently, he wasn't the big guy on campus any longer like he was around here. He went to three different schools in his four and a half years out there. None of them big names because I don't think they'd have him. So anyway, he decides to come back here where everyone supposedly adores him. Mom and Dad rent him an apartment in Indy and give him a monthly allowance with the stipulation that he either goes back to school or gets a job."
"He doesn't have a job," Taylor pointed out.
Tia shrugged. "Maybe he fed them some line of bull. I don't know."
Taylor digested what Tia told her. "So why is he so hung up on Brady's life?"
Tia smiled. "He wants to get his old 'gang' back together. Party like they used to. Isn't it funny how Jason accidentally runs into Brady and then suddenly, he's calling all their old friends? Now he's following him all over on this road trip. A little sad, actually."
"Pathetic is more like it," Taylor added.
"Don't worry, Taylor. Brady'll see through him soon enough."
"I hope so." But she wasn't totally reassured.
\*\*\*
She sat cross legged on Brady's bed typing on her lap top. She decided to get to work on that book she'd started weeks ago but had neglected lately. She figured it would help to kill time until Brady's return and get her mind off her worries.
She'd spent the morning in court listening to the citizens of Somersville argue with the mall developers before returning to Brady's condo to organize her notes and write up a story to be published in the morning edition. Her cell phone rang next to her and she snatched it up, hoping it was Brady. She wasn't disappointed.
"Hey, you," she greeted. "Tough luck on the game, huh?"
"Yeah," he mumbled. He'd gone oh-for-four in the Racers' loss to Pittsburgh. He yawned. "But we have an off day tomorrow. We don't fly to Milwaukee until late tomorrow afternoon. Then I'll be home Sunday night."
She smiled sadly, aching to just touch him. "I know. My little vacation is almost over."
He snorted. "Don't act like you don't miss me, love. I know better."
She couldn't restrain her smile as it grew. "Dream on, buddy."
"So," he asked in a low, husky voice that tickled her ear and sent tremors up and down her spine. "What are you wearing?"
"No way," she laughed. "I'm not phone sexing you. Give it up."
"Fine," he pouted. "Guess I'll have to wait until Sunday, huh?"
"Yes, you will." She scooted back against the headboard. "Where's Jason?"
"I don't know. He's supposed to meet me here. We were supposed to check out this sports bar some girl told him about." He yawned once again. "But I'm pretty beat so I don't really want to stay long."
She frowned, nervous butterflies beating their wings furiously on her stomach lining. "Well, be careful, please."
He chuckled lightly. "We're not driving, love. It's just down the street from the hotel."
"Brady?" She hated how her voice trembled a little.
"Yeah? You okay?"
She swallowed the lump in her throat. "Yeah. I just miss you."
"I know, love. I miss you too." He called out to someone on his end. "I have to go. Jason's at the door."
"Okay," she sighed. "Call me tomorrow."
"I love you, Taylor. Remember that."
She smiled into the phone. "I love you, too."
\*\*\*
She waltzed into the office the next morning and tried to catch Josh's eye. He pointedly ignored her once again and her stomach fell. She'd talked to Tia about him the other day at lunch and Tia informed her that Lacy had decided to go spend some time with her mother in Evansville. Apparently, his anger at Taylor was spilling over into his own personal life.
Taylor took a deep breath and released it slowly. She had absolutely no clue how to fix this growing rift between her and Josh.
She plopped down at her desk and flipped on her computer. She watched in disinterest as her computer booted up and went through its usual warm-up routine. Once it finished, she signed into her email and began her daily weeding through the junk ritual. One email immediately caught her eye as the return address was from Jason Smith. She bit her lip as she contemplated opening it. Jason Smith was a pretty common name. It could just be more spam.
No, her brain informed her. It's not. Her heart agreed.
She clicked on it quickly, before she could chicken out. Her eyes scanned his typed words carefully, taking in every consonant and every vowel.
Hey Sweetheart,
Didn't I say two weeks? Do I know my man Brady or what?
Jason
Below his words were several pictures obviously taken with a cell phone. All of them showed Brady partying with Gretchen Steel. When did she show up there, Taylor thought as she scrolled through the photos of Gretchen wrapping herself around Brady and pawing shamelessly at him.
Her heart stopped at the same time as the mouse.
There was Brady sitting in a chair with Gretchen in his lap, her lips pressed against his. The next shot was pretty much the same except she had his hand on her thigh, right to the hem of her short skirt.
But Jason obviously saved the best for last. Brady and Gretchen had their arms wrapped tightly around each other as they stumbled into what was definitely a hotel room.
Taylor hit the power button on her computer, grabbed her bag, and pushed past a surprised Henry Lake in her rush to reach her car before the tears came.
Slamming her front door, Taylor locked it, and then slid down to the floor. Her whole body trembled as she clutched her bag to her chest. Her mind, thankfully, went blissfully numb.
She closed her eyes as she leaned her head back against the door. She knew she needed to talk to him; confront him, but she couldn't think about that now. She just wanted to sit in her tiny living room, on the floor, and let the pain wash over her. Then, she could move forward and start to heal.
Her cell phone vibrated against her chest as she realized it was still in her bag. Exasperated, she opened her eyes and pulled it out.
"Hello, Luther," she muttered.
"What the hell's going on, Lockwood? Someone told me you bolted out of here like the place was burning down," he ranted.
She swallowed. "I don't feel well. I just had to get out of there."
"Where's this background piece you told me you were working on?"
"It's almost finished. I'll work on it here and email it to you." She closed her eyes, praying he'd be satisfied.
"Fine. But I want it by noon," he demanded. She could almost see his furry brows angled down in annoyance.
"Okay," she relented.
They were both silent for a moment.
"Taylor," he began, voice softening. "Is everything all right? I know you've been having problems with Lake and now it seems like Parker's not speaking to you. Is there anything I should know?"
She gulped. "No, Luther. Everything's okay. I just don't feel well."
"Okay, kid," he said, releasing his breath. "Try and get that story to me by noon, huh?"
"Yes sir."
After ending her call, she turned off her phone. She forced her body off the floor so she could retrieve her laptop. She sat on her sofa, laptop on her legs, and took three long, cleansing breaths. She swept all thoughts of Brady into a little closet in her mind and locked the door. She focused her concentration on the machine waiting patiently in her lap and spent the next hour working on her background piece without her usual enthusiastic energy.
After she finally proofed it and emailed it off, she was tempted to click on the email from Jason once again. Her hand fisted above the keyboard for a moment. Instead, she signed out of her email program and slowly shut the laptop. She curled up in a tight ball on the couch and closed her eyes, welcoming the blanket of darkness that covered her.
The ringing of her landline woke her that afternoon, urging her body to get up to check to see who was calling.
Tia's cell number popped up on the handset but she let it go to voice mail. She couldn't talk to anyone yet.
She stumbled back to the sofa and flipped on the TV. She avoided all sports channels and local news networks, not wanting to see anything remotely to do with the Racers and especially Brady. She settled on some game show and stared at the screen, not really seeing the program.
How could he do this to her again? What was he thinking? What was she thinking letting him into her life once more? How foolish she'd been to trust him.
Josh had been right. Maybe she should call him. She pondered that thought as she curled up once more on the sofa and let her dismal, depressed mind float off into blissful nothingness.
She awoke late in the afternoon and sat up, sweaty hair in wild disarray. She stumbled to the bathroom and splashed cold water on her once carefully made up face. She ran her fingers through her tangled hair before retreating to her bedroom to throw on a pair of comfortable shorts and an old t-shirt.
She spotted the locket Brady had given her for her birthday and choked back a small sob. Opening it carefully, she peered at the smiling, happy faces of her parents. She'd had a good relationship with her mother. They hadn't been extremely close but Taylor had never hesitated talking to her.
No, she'd been an extremely spoiled daddy's girl at one time. He'd talked her through her first awkward year at high school and had encouraged her to open up more.
Before she'd come to Somersville, she'd been quite popular having joined many clubs and participated in quite a few sports.
She closed the locket and collapsed on her bed. The loss of her father suddenly occurred to her and smacked her in the face. Her lungs clenched in her chest, causing her to gasp for breath. Never again could he guide her through life's ups and downs. Never again would he smile fondly at her and ruffle her hair.
She relented to the shaking sobs that wracked her petite body. She mourned for her vibrant mother and her laughing father. And she mourned for the man she thought could finally fill her heart with love once more.
A fresh wave of despair crashed over her as her mind drifted to Brady. She sat up on her bed, wiping furiously at the sticky mess of tears staining her face.
If this is what it feels like to lose someone you love over something stupid, imagine how Dad must have felt losing the love of his life suddenly in a horrific accident.
A few more tears streaked down her cheeks as understanding seeped through her mind. No wonder he'd been so lost. He'd tried a few times to get it together for his kids, but his pain must have been so overbearing. She smiled sadly and thanked God that at least his suffering was over and hoped he'd been reunited with his beautiful bride once more.
Rolling off the bed, she stumbled to her feet feeling as though she should do something. She wandered down the hall listlessly and spotted her cell phone taunting her from the coffee table. Grabbing it, she checked for messages. She squeezed her eyes shut and clutched at her heart as Brady's voice echoed in her ear over and over.
She deleted his messages, threw her phone on the sofa, and walked to the kitchen. She opened the top cupboard and grabbed a bottle that she'd shoved up there months ago. It contained some kind of fancy vodka Tia had given her after Taylor had written her first story.
She cracked it open and filled a glass half way. She gulped most of it down and winced as the liquid flew down her throat, scorching it and burning her eyes. She paused to catch her breath before finishing the glass.
What the hell, she thought as she poured some more. If it numbed Daddy's pain, maybe it'll numb mine.
\*\*\*
The earth was shaking.
Knives stabbed the front of her brain as the earth rattled her body once more.
"Taylor? Are you okay?" a voice asked from somewhere above.
The cool tile on her heated cheek was more glorious than anything she'd ever experienced.
"Taylor!"
Tia. It was definitely Tia. The earth wasn't shaking her body - Tia was.
"Huh, wha..." Taylor mumbled, grappling with coherency. "Don't do that."
"Taylor, honey," Tia whispered, kneeling down next to her. "What's wrong?"
"That stuff made me sick," Taylor mumbled dragging her face away from the beloved cool tile floor. She pushed her messy hair from her cheeks and cracked one eye open to look at her friend. "What are you doing here?"
"Making sure you didn't kill yourself from alcohol poisoning." She pulled Taylor to a more comfortable sitting position and turned on the taps in the tub. "Get undressed and get your ass in the shower."
Taylor grumbled but slowly did as Tia asked. Her head pounded and her stomach churned but once the warm water hit her, she started to feel as though she'd live.
She climbed out a few minutes later and wrapped a big fluffy towel around her body. She made her way into her bedroom where Tia had set out some clean underwear, a pair of shorts, and a bright yellow t-shirt. She slowly yanked her clothes on and followed the scent of coffee to the kitchen.
Tia smiled at her. "Sit," she ordered and pushed a plate with bland toast and two aspirin in front of her. "Eat that and take those."
Taylor did as ordered, sipping slowly at the coffee.
"Ready to tell me why you went on a drinking binge? And why the hell you haven't answered any of Brady's calls?"
Taylor winced at the mention of his name. She gently set her mug down on the table and rubbed at the dull ache still lingering in her forehead. "Not really."
"Taylor, something awful had to have happened for you to do this," Tia insisted.
"I can't talk about it right now." She bowed her head and spun her mug around on the table. "I hate to say that to you but I'm still trying to process it myself."
"When did you start drinking?"
Taylor shrugged. "Yesterday afternoon some time."
"Did you eat anything?"
Taylor shook her head.
Tia sighed and glared at her friend. "You do realize that its past three on Friday afternoon, right?"
Taylor winced again. "No. I sort of lost track of time."
"Brady's called me three times since last night and when I talked to Uncle Luther this morning, he told me you'd gone home sick yesterday and he didn't expect you back until Monday." She eyed Taylor's bent head. "What's going on?"
"Nothing," she mumbled. "I'll deal with it."
Tia rose from her seat, her anger sending the chair crashing to the floor. Taylor covered her ears to protect her thudding head from the noise. Tia stormed out of the room only to return with Taylor's cell phone. She stuck it under Taylor's nose.
"Call Brady. Let him know you're okay."
"He's playing right now." She lifted her head to meet Tia's eyes.
Tia gave her a stern look. "Leave him a voice message."
Taylor got to her feet, nearly slamming her mug in the kitchen sink. "I don't want to talk to him right now."
"Geez, Taylor! It's just voice mail."
She glared at her friend. "Well then you leave him a message."
A knock on the door startled both women. Tia brushed past Taylor to answer it. A moment later Zoey breezed into the kitchen.
"You look awful, girl," she observed.
"Brady sending in the reinforcements?" Taylor asked, her tone snide.
"No," Zoey answered slowly, flashing Tia a questioning look. "Tabby did."
"She ain't talking," Tia remarked as she leaned against the kitchen counter, crossing her ankles and her arms. "And she refuses to call Brady."
"Then I will," Zoey stated, digging her phone out of her purse. She smirked at Taylor. "They are on a rain delay, after all."
Taylor's jaw dropped as her eyes widened. "Please, Zoey. I can't talk to him right now."
"Why?" Zoey asked, her eyes gentling.
Taylor took a deep breath and sank back into her chair. "Call him and tell him I'm fine, if you must. But I'm not talking to him." She sighed and waved a hand absently at Zoey. "Call him and get it over with. When you're done, I'll show you why."
Zoey nodded. She dialed Brady's number and watched as Taylor nervously shook her leg under the table.
"She's fine, Brady. Just fine," she said when he'd obviously answered. "No, she doesn't want to talk right now."
Taylor caught Tia's eye and quickly looked away.
"I don't know why, but she told me she'd talk to me after I called you." She paused to listen to his side of the conversation, wincing once and pulling the phone slightly away.
"Brady, listen," Zoey snapped into the phone. "I'm just letting you know she's okay. Whatever this is about, I'm sure she'll tell you when she's ready. Now, I gotta go."
She hung up before he could say more. She turned her expectant eyes on Taylor. "The boy's a mess. What the hell is going on?"
With a snort, Taylor got up, motioning for the others to follow. She located her laptop on the coffee table, flipped it open, and signed into her email. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening Jason's message and spinning the computer toward the other girls. She sat back, watching their expressions turn from curious to horrified. They finished scrolling through the pictures and looked at her.
"Oh my God," Zoey exclaimed. "I'm going to kill him!"
Tia sat quietly, lost in thought. "Hang on." Both girls turned to look at her. "I bet anything Jason had something to do with this."
Taylor sighed. "He is the one who sent me the email."
"Yeah, but, remember what you told me? What he said to you that night in the Line Drive?"
Taylor nodded. "I remember. And the little bastard was right. It took less than two weeks."
"What are you talking about?" Zoey asked. Taylor quickly filled her in on Jason's theory.
"These pictures have to be staged," Tia concluded.
Taylor shook her head. "No. You can't stage that. And why would Brady stage them anyway?"
"Maybe he was set up," Tia suggested.
Taylor scrolled back through the pictures and pointed out the one of Brady and Gretchen kissing. "That's not fake. I wish to God it was, but it's not."
Tia studied the picture intently before releasing a long breath. "Okay, so what are you going to do?"
"I don't know," Taylor said, overcome with helplessness.
"Well, you've got to show him these pictures," Zoey said. "Give him a chance to explain."
"No," Taylor told her firmly. "I don't. I don't care to hear it."
Zoey let out an exasperated breath. "That's not fair, Taylor."
"Do you think it's fair that each time I start trusting him, he breaks my heart again?"
"That's just it, Taylor. He wouldn't break your heart again. He loves you so much!"
Taylor scoffed as she stood and started clearing dirty glasses from the coffee table. "He has a funny way of showing it."
"I think Zoey's right," Tia said softly from her corner on the sofa. Taylor paused, her eyes narrowed. "I mean, he needs to know why you won't talk to him."
Taylor shook her head and took her dirty glasses to the kitchen.
"At least let me send these pictures to Tabby," Zoey called. "She can show them to him if you want."
Taylor returned to the living room and crossed her arms over her chest. "Why are you two so intent on defending him?"
"We're not," Tia protested. "But he won't stop bugging you until he knows why you're mad."
"I'm more than mad. I'm through. I'm done with him," she stated, her tone more firm than her heart.
Zoey looked at Tia. "Then let me send the pictures."
Taylor shrugged. "Fine. I don't really care what you do."
She stormed out of the living room and locked herself away in the bedroom.
Taylor fidgeted nervously on the couch. Her eyes darted back and forth between the door and the clock. Tabby had called nearly forty-five minutes ago and said they'd landed and were on their way home. Tabby wanted her to come over - she wanted to talk to her about the photos. Alex, too.
Taylor was still deciding whether or not to go.
The team had played an early game in Green Bay and had flown home immediately after in order for them to rest up for the upcoming series with San Diego. Taylor knew she'd not be able to avoid them as tomorrow was a travel day for San Diego and the Racers had a day off.
Standing, she started tidying up her already immaculate home. Her frantic brain was overloaded with questions. Should she go? Should she stay home and lock herself away again? Should she just call Brady? Confront him alone?
She sighed and plopped back down on the couch. Zoey had forwarded the email to Tabby and Taylor figured Brady had to have seen it by now. He'd stopped calling her, at least. She had no idea if Jason was still with the team or if he'd crawled back under a rock, as Tia had so elegantly put it.
The shrill ring of her cell startled her and she jumped out of her thoughts and grabbed the phone. It was Tabby again.
"Taylor, you need to come over," Tabby urged, forgoing any kind of polite greeting.
Taylor sighed. "I know. I will."
"Good. You need to hear the whole story."
"Is...." Taylor swallowed nervously. "Is Brady there?"
"Yeah. And he's very upset. You need to talk to him. You can talk to him privately here if you want, don't worry."
Taylor nodded. "Okay, I'll be there in a few."
After the call, she dashed to her bedroom to change. She threw off the grungy shorts and t-shirt she'd been moping around in and put on her favorite pair of cropped pants with a white halter. She didn't know why, but for some reason, she didn't want Brady to see her looking such a mess.
She washed her face and put her long hair back in a neat pony tail. She slipped on her flip flops, shoved her phone into her messenger bag, and headed out the door. She took a deep breath as she got in her car and started on her way to Tabby's.
\*\*\*
The trembling in Taylor's hands increased when she pulled up to Tabby's house and saw all the cars parked in front.
What was everyone doing there? Hadn't Tabby said that no one would be there but maybe Brady?
No. No, she hadn't. But still - this was ridiculous. How was she supposed to face everyone after she'd been screwed over by Brady again?
She parked behind Tia's car, taking calm, relaxing breaths. Her first instinct was to run back home and hide - but something else inside of her told her to keep her head up and face these people. They probably wanted to explain somehow - stick up for Brady. They were his friends, after all, not hers.
She'd let them have their say. Hell, she might even pay a bit of attention to whatever it was that they wanted to say. But she was not going down the Brady Nolan road again. She was done with him.
Figuring that they were probably sitting on the deck, drinking beers and cooking burgers, she opened the gate and slipped through, figuring she might as well face it and get it over with. That's what her father would tell her if he was there. She grabbed at the locket that was tucked neatly under her shirt to draw strength as she stepped onto the deck.
"Hi," she said weakly.
All heads turned to look at her. Tabby rushed forward to hug her and she couldn't stop thinking that these people were Brady's friends.
"How are you?" Tabby gushed as she wrapped an arm around Taylor's shoulder, leading her to a chair.
Taylor shrugged as she took the seat Tabby had indicated. Inside she was trembling like crazy but on the outside she was managing to hang onto a cool façade.
"I'm okay."
Her eyes roamed the deck, seeing who exactly was there to witness her latest humiliation. Zoey sat across from her; Alex sat on the rail with Mark, while Tia and Kyle huddled near Brady in the corner. She briefly caught his eye before ducking her head.
"You want something to drink, Taylor?" Alex asked, getting to his feet.
"Just water, please," she answered.
He dug a water bottle out of the cooler near his feet and walked it over to her.
"Relax," he whispered. "We just want to explain what happened."
She nodded, swallowing a lump in her throat. She would not break down. Not here, not now.
"Zoey forwarded that email to me," Tabby started, taking a seat next to Taylor. "She also told me what Jason said to you before we left on the road trip."
Taylor just nodded numbly as studied the condensation on her water bottle. She hated how everyone present knew - and hated how they all thought they had to stick their noses in her business. Why couldn't they leave her alone to lick her wounds? Why couldn't they just let her tell Brady what a prick he was so she could be on her way?
She couldn't look at Brady even though she could feel his eyes burning into her skin.
"Maybe they should talk this out alone," Mark suggested.
"No," Brady said loudly, jumping to his feet. "I don't care who hears this. It's just a load of shit and you all know it anyway."
Taylor's eyes widened at the tone of his voice but she bowed her head again. What happened to the courage she'd summoned before entering the backyard?
Her hand instinctively reached for the locket.
"Listen to me, Taylor," Brady said as he stood over her. "You know I'd never do that to you. And you know what a jerk Jason is. He kept pushing Gretchen on me that night and I kept pushing her away. Yeah, she kissed me, but I didn't return it. I shook her off me and told her to stop. I don't want her. I only want you."
Anger surged through her veins and she stood to face him. "Really? Didn't look like it from my point of view. And what about that last picture, huh? The one where you couldn't wait to get her in that hotel room?"
He barked out a sarcastic laugh. "She was drunk. I was helping her to her room. She was trying to get me to join her but I wouldn't. I asked Jason to help me with her but he kept telling me to just give her what she wanted."
Kyle walked over to stand next to Brady. "It's true, Taylor. Brady called me to help and when I got there, the door was wide open and I could see that she was all over him and wouldn't let him go. Jason was laughing and egging her on. We finally unlatched her from Brady and left. By that time, Jason was nowhere around."
"What I don't get," Brady continued, shooting her a cold glare. "Is why you didn't tell me what Jason said to you."
Taylor shrugged, steeling her spine. "Because I knew you'd laugh it off like you do everything he says. He is your best friend, after all."
Brady's glare hardened. "He might have been at one time, but he's not any longer. I see what he is: I'm not totally blind. Don't you know you're more important to me than he could ever be?"
"I...." she stammered, not knowing what to say, her resolve quickly weakening.
"Yeah, I know," Brady said, the anger rising in his voice. "You still don't trust me. I don't think you ever will so what's the point?"
She bowed her head and swallowed back the tears trying to surface. She wished more than anything that she hadn't come. She wished that she would have just stayed home.
"Forget it," Brady muttered as he pushed past her and stomped out the gate.
"Brady, man," Kyle called as he chased after him. "Hang on." He disappeared out of the gate behind Brady.
Taylor dropped back to her seat, keeping her head down. Her mind frantically tried to process what had just happened.
"Taylor," Tabby said in a soft voice as she took her hand. "I think Brady has a point."
Taylor's head shot up as she looked Tabby in the eye. "No."
"Think about it," Tabby continued. "He's done just about everything he can to show you that he loves you and he was sorry for what happened but it doesn't seem to be enough."
Taylor yanked her hand out of Tabby's and stood. "I forgave him for all that high school crap. You mean to tell me that if someone emailed you pictures like that of Alex, you wouldn't question it?"
"Of course I would," Tabby agreed. "But I would've asked him about them."
"Taylor, he was extremely angry when Tabby showed him those pictures," Alex added. "He told us that he'd never cheated before. He said he hated people like that. And he told us he'd especially never do that to you."
Nodding, Taylor bit her lip.
"Honey," Tia said from her corner. She got up and walked over to the rest of them crowding around Taylor. "You've had so much to deal with, I know. You lost your mother and then had to move to a new town and not only take care of a little brother, but your father also. I know I wasn't there at that time, but I know what you went through."
Edging away from everyone, Taylor stood up to pace. "That has nothing to do with this situation."
"Maybe it does," Tabby put in. "Maybe you're so used to being the...I don't know...victim, that you just automatically assume you're going to be wronged again."
"I do not enjoy playing the victim," Taylor said, appalled. She stopped her frantic pacing. "Do you all actually think I like feeling this way?"
"That's not what she's saying, Taylor," Zoey pleaded. "She just means maybe you jump to the worst conclusions because of everything that's happened in your life."
"Taylor, they're right," Tia added.
Taylor turned to Tia, jaw dropped. "You're supposed to be my best friend and you're siding with them?"
"No one's siding with anyone," Tia said, approaching Taylor slowly. "But I've known you longer than they have and I know your history. And I think that because of your history, you decided he was guilty without even giving him a chance to explain."
Shaking her head, she dropped it and watched as her tears fell to the wood of the deck. "Why are you persecuting me? I'm not the one who had my picture taken with some tramp in a hotel room."
"No one's persecuting you," Tabby said.
"Look," Taylor said in resignation, lifting her chin. "I need to get out of here and figure this out for myself."
She hurried out of the gate, ignoring their calls. She jumped into her car, gunned the engine, and zipped out of the ritzy subdivision. She yanked her sunglasses off the visor and forced them over her eyes to hide her tears from passing motorists.
Something vibrated against her stomach. Glancing down, she noticed that she hadn't removed her messenger bag when she'd hopped into the car. Her cell phone was going off inside so she pulled over, unbuckled her seat belt and removed her bag.
Retrieving her cell phone, she checked the screen. It was Tia.
She jammed her phone back in her bag, red hot fury roiling in her gut. She had absolutely nothing to say to any of them.
Angry fire shot through her veins as their words penetrated the thick cloud of despair lingering in her head. She buckled up, checked her mirrors, and entered traffic again.
What right did they have? Why did they think they had a say in her relationship with Brady? And how had they all of sudden become experts on her life?
She drove around for awhile, realizing she had nowhere to go. Finally, she exited the highway and headed to a little tavern she had frequented with Josh in early spring while he'd been working on a story. No one would think to look for her there and she desperately needed a break.
She sat on a stool at the bar and smiled at the bartender. He recognized her immediately.
"Taylor?" he asked with a smile. He wasn't handsome in the movie star sort of way, but his charming grin probably melted many hearts. "You're Josh's friend, right?"
Taylor nodded. "Yeah. How are you, Ray?"
"Good. Is Josh joining you?"
Her heart sank to her knees. "No, I'm here alone."
Frowning, Ray leaned his forearms on the scrubbed bar. "Everything okay?"
With a shrug, she gave him a weak smile. "Yeah. Just had a long day and since I'm not much of a bar hopper, I thought I'd come here. I remembered how nice this place was."
He snorted. "This dump? What'll you have?"
"Just a beer, please," she requested, reaching inside her bag for her wallet.
He pushed a bottle in front of her. "No. It's on the house. It's not very often someone comes in and calls this place nice."
Three hours and eight beers later, Ray came over to check on her. The little tavern was starting to fill up and he'd had to leave her on her own to take care of his many customers.
"Ray," Taylor said, her head spinning. "Do you know what I've always wanted to do but never have?"
"What's that?" he asked, amusement sparkling in his dark eyes.
"A shot of Tequila."
His brows rose to his hairline. "Seriously?"
She giggled. "Yeah. It looks so cool."
With a lift of his shoulder, he grabbed a bottle full of amber liquid off of a high shelf behind the bar. "Okay, but there's a method."
He put two shot glasses, a salt shaker, and two wedges of lemon on a napkin on the bar. "Some people use lime but I prefer lemon."
He filled the shot glasses and pushed one at her. "First, you have to lick your hand between your thumb and index finger, then you sprinkle a little salt on that spot. After that, you lick the salt, do the shot, and suck on the lemon. Got it?"
A wobbly Taylor nodded, trying to focus on his instructions. Watching as he licked his hand, she mimicked him. He sprinkled the salt before passing the shaker to her. She did the same and waited until he smiled and nodded. At the same time, they licked off the salt, drank the shot, and then grabbed the lemons.
She shuddered and her eyes watered as the liquid burned its way down her throat. She sucked on the lemon, hoping to relieve the awful sensation, but ended up coughing horribly. Ray chuckled and placed a fresh beer bottle in front of her.
"Drink that. It'll help."
She couldn't even smile her thanks - instead she grabbed the bottle and chugged half of it. She set the bottle down and looked at Ray through blurry eyes. "Wow, that was awful."
Ray laughed. "Yeah. Aren't you glad you did it?"
She giggled. "Yep. Shall we do another?"
His jaw dropped. "Oh no. You better wait awhile."
"Fine," she pouted. Her stomach gurgled a bit. "Maybe I could just have another beer?"
He crossed his arms over his chest, concern etched within the wrinkles of his weathered face. "You sure you should have it?"
"Oh yeah," she reassured him. "I'm not gonna drive home. I'll call someone." To prove it, she clumsily removed her car keys from her ring and slammed them on the bar. "See? I'm a responsible driver. And drinker."
Another fit of giggles wracked her body. Smiling, Ray took her keys, storing them under the bar. He placed another bottle in front of her.
"I have to go wait on the other patrons," he winked. "I'll come back and check on you in a second."
She nodded and stumbled to the bathroom. Once she finished, she decided to step outside to hopefully clear her fuzzy, spinning brain. She wandered to the alley behind the building.
"I thought that was you in there pounding beers," a voice called from behind her. She turned to face Teresa Lake and a group of her friends.
"What the hell do you want?" Taylor sighed, hand pressed firmly against the rough bricks to keep her steady.
Teresa sauntered closer until Taylor could smell the liquor on her breath. "You think you're something, don't you?"
"Not really," Taylor answered, swaying slightly. "Not at all."
Teresa snorted. "You come to this town with your nutcase of a father, start screwing Brady Nolan, and take my dad's job."
The liquor loosened Taylor's tongue. "Your father is a useless waste of space."
Teresa swung and connected with Taylor's nose.
Pain shot through her head and she momentarily saw stars. Her reflexes were slow and as her hands cupped her bleeding nose, Teresa swung again, hitting Taylor's jaw.
Taylor stumbled back so hard, her head crashed into the bricks and she banged her side painfully into the corner of the dumpster before falling to the ground.
"You think you're so hot, don't you?" Teresa leered. "Well, you're not looking so hot now."
The girls behind Teresa cackled.
"How about a hair cut?" one of the asked, stepping forward.
Taylor's eyesight would not stay in focus - the black edges of the world were closing in quickly.
Teresa yanked on Taylor's ponytail, causing Taylor's chin to fall into her chest. Before Taylor could protest, one of the girls was sawing at her hair. Too terrified to move her head, all Taylor could do was close her eyes and cry, hoping that they stopped at her hair.
"What a pathetic piece of trash you are," Teresa said, slamming Taylor's head into the bricks again.
"Seriously," her friend said before tossing Taylor's ponytail on the gravel near her feet.
"Let's get out of here," Teresa said. They spun on their heels and left.
Taylor scooted over to wedge herself between the dumpster and the wall, out of sight. Tears leaked from her eyes but she didn't feel them.
"I do not like being the victim," she protested feebly to no one in particular.
Cool drops of water splashed Taylor's face, dragging her back to consciousness. Moaning, she held her aching head as someone slammed the dumpster lid next to her. Rain kept falling, drenching her shirt.
"Someone there?" a voiced called. She tried to tuck her body further behind the dumpster but failed. Ray's confused face peered around the corner and his jaw dropped at the sight of her.
"Is that you, Taylor?" he asked, dropping the bag of trash in his hands.
Taylor squinted her eyes at the gray light trying to make its way through her lids.
"Oh my God," Ray exclaimed as he gently helped her to her feet. "What happened? Have you been out here all night?"
"I....," she stammered, her throat like sandpaper. "What time is it?"
"Eleven fifteen. In the morning," he told her as he lifted her in his arms and carried her through the open door on the other side of the dumpster. He took her to an office and set her in a leather chair behind a beat up desk. He knelt before her, gently taking her face in his hands, examining it closely. "I better call the cops."
"No," she exclaimed, jolting forward and causing a wave of fresh pain to wash over her aching body. "No, please. I'm fine. I just want to go home."
"Taylor, you're in no shape to drive," he protested. "Who did this to you?"
"It doesn't matter," she said, her voice as weak as her limbs. "It was just a little fight. I'll take care of it. I won't implicate your bar in any way."
"I'm not worried about that," he said, getting to his feet and running his hands through his thin hair. "I'm worried about you."
She pulled herself up on unsteady legs. "I was very drunk last night and got into a little argument, that's all. I wanted to sit outside to clear my head and wait for the bar to empty before coming back in, but I must have passed out." Wobbling, she clutched the desk to keep from falling. "Can I have my keys?"
"No," he said, yanking his cell phone out of his pocket. He scrolled through the numbers he had stored. "I'm calling Josh to come get you."
"No, don't," she protested. "Josh is mad at me."
"He's still your friend. He'll take care of you."
An hour later, Josh turned on her street. Neither one had said a word the entire drive home. He'd stormed into the office, taken one look at her, and hugged her to his chest. He'd released her only to talk quietly to Ray. Afterwards, he hadn't said a thing, just led her slowly to his car, strapped her in, and took her home.
"Why are there so many cars in my driveway?" Taylor finally asked as Josh parked on the curb.
"They've been looking for you all night," he said. "I should have known to check Ray's. I don't know why I didn't think of it."
"Did you call them and tell them I was with you?" she asked as he opened her door and helped her out of the car.
"No. I was at the office going through your contacts when Ray called me. I just rushed over to his place."
"Great," she muttered as she wrapped her arms around her body. He led her up the walk and opened the door.
"Oh my God," Tia exclaimed. She rushed forward but Taylor held up her hand to stop her. "What happened to you? Where have you been?"
"Playing the victim," she remarked, the sarcasm pushing through the hoarseness in her voice.
Brushing past Tia, Taylor headed for the bathroom. Alcohol still lingered in her bloodstream making her clumsy and she stumbled. Brady ran forward, reaching out to her.
"No!" she yelled. "Don't touch me."
He backed off, hurt flooding his eyes.
She righted herself and made it to the bathroom unaided. Closing the door, she planted her palms on the sink, looking at her face. A purple bruise had formed on her cheek and her nose was swollen with crusts of dried blood outlining her right nostril. She could hear the others frantically questioning Josh, but he remained silent.
"She'll tell us when she's ready," was all he would say.
A light knocking on the door attracted Taylor's attention.
"What," she muttered.
"Honey? Let me in, please," Tia pleaded. "Let me help you clean up."
Gently fingering the bruise on her cheek, Taylor relented. "Okay."
Tia opened the door and gasped, tears spilling out of her eyes. "Sweetie, what happened?"
Taylor shook her head and sat on the edge of the tub. "Can you just help me get in the shower?"
Each time she lifted her left arm, pain radiated through her side. Tia slowly eased the shirt over Taylor's arms and head. She eyed the ugly black and purple bruise on her side but tightened her lips. Tia supported Taylor's weight while she stepped out of her pants and turned on the shower taps. Once the temperature was right, she stepped in and closed the curtain.
"I'll get you some fresh clothes," Tia said, leaving her to shower in peace.
Taylor allowed the warm water to rush over her sore, stiff body.
"Your clothes are on the toilet seat," Tia called from the other side of the curtain. "Do you need help getting dressed?"
"I don't think so. Thanks."
Tia left again as Taylor shut off the water. She dried off - patting her sore spots with the towel - and pulled the loose shorts and t-shirt over her body. She sat down on the toilet to screw up the courage to face everyone once again.
Her head pounded, her side ached, and her body screamed for sleep. She rose slowly, using the sink for help, and opened the door. Ambling down the hall, she stopped to rest her uninjured side on the corner.
"I'm going to bed," she announced, darting her gaze to avoid their eyes. "You're welcome to whatever you want."
She spun on her heel, entered her bedroom, and shut the door. Once she climbed on her bed, she stared up at the ceiling.
"Love, please let me in," Brady called softly from the other side of the door. "I'm worried. Let me come in and see you."
She swallowed back her tears. "Brady, please, I just want to be alone for now."
She heard him sigh. "Taylor, don't hide from me."
"Brady," she pleaded in a watery voice. "Please."
"Okay. For now. But I'm not going anywhere until you talk to me."
"Thanks," she uttered.
She stayed on her bed with her eyes closed for nearly half an hour, hovering somewhere between sleep and consciousness until she heard a new voice in the living room.
"Where is she? Did you find her?" It was Teddy's anxious voice.
Sobs wracked her already aching body as she inched slowly off the bed and headed toward her little brother's voice. She'd missed him so much and knew he'd always love her no matter what.
She opened the door and stepped toward him on shaky legs. He met her half way and pulled her in his arms.
"What happened to you, T? I was so worried," Teddy whispered in her hair. "Who did this to you?"
She cried quietly in his chest as he stroked her hair, not able to answer for a full five minutes. When she got herself under control, she stepped back to smile at him. "I'm so glad you're here."
He kissed her forehead and led her to the couch. Mark and Alex immediately got up to make room for the pair. He sat her down and took her hand, ignoring the group of people watching them.
"T, they called me early this morning, asking me if I'd heard from you. I got in my car and drove down right away. What happened? Who did this to you?"
She dropped her head to his shoulder, closing her eyes. "I was mad. Upset. I drove around for a bit then went to Ray's Tavern. I'd been there many times before with Josh. I got pretty drunk and went outside to get some air. I ran into...."
Pausing, she lifted her head, opening her eyes a bit. Everyone was looking at her - waiting for her to spill. "I ran into someone I knew. We had words. She hit me a couple of times and I banged into the wall. Her friend was kind enough to give me a little haircut. They left and I stayed outside, waiting for the bar to clear out. I guess I passed out."
Brady stepped up to her and dropped to his knee. His shaking hand reached out to take hers. "Who was it, love? They need to pay for this."
Her bottom lip trembled as shame washed over her. "I did more damage to myself than she did to me." She took a deep breath and allowed anger to overtake the shame. "Besides, I'll take care of her later."
A smile formed on his lips at the fire in her eyes. "I know you want to handle it, but maybe we should call the police."
She shook her head. "No. It's not that big of a deal."
"It was Henry Lake's daughter, wasn't it," Josh said from the corner where he'd been standing, arms folded across his chest. "I asked Ray who was around last night. He said she was a regular and that she'd been watching you all night. We both figured it had to be her."
Taylor's eyes met his. "It was," she sighed.
"That little bitch," Brady exclaimed, rising to his feet.
"Brady, don't," Taylor protested. "Let me handle it. I don't need anyone protecting me. I'm tired of being the victim."
"Taylor, we didn't mean it that way," Tabby pleaded.
Taylor waved her concerns away. "I know and I'm sorry I got so mad. Maybe it struck home."
"What are you talking about?" Teddy asked.
Sitting next to him, Tia told him what had been going on for the past few weeks. When she finished, Teddy turned to his sister.
"Taylor, you're a strong person, but you've had the weight of the world on your shoulders for far too long. You took care of me when Dad got....sick. You didn't go to college so you could work and support us and get me through high school. But Dad's gone now. And I'm an adult. I can take care of myself. It's time you stopped taking care of everyone else and just relax. It's time you started worrying about you and live your life."
Hugging her, he kissed her forehead. She nodded, swiping at the tears in her eyes. "I know. I will. I promise."
He held her close as he cleared his throat. "I think the rest of us should take off somewhere and let you and Brady talk, huh?"
She looked at him wide-eyed then smiled. "When did you become so grown up?"
Chuckling, he kissed her forehead again. "After my big sister did a fabulous job of raising me."
As he released her to stand up, Josh crossed the room. "Come on. We'll get a pizza and hang out at my place for awhile."
Taylor bit her lip as everyone filed out of her house, telling her they'd talk to her later.
Brady followed them and closed the door. Turning back to her, he took a seat on the couch. When Taylor looked up at him, she was surprised to see moisture in his eyes. "Brady, I...."
"No," he ordered as lifted her to his lap. "Don't say anything yet. I just want to hold you."
She couldn't get enough of the comfort his arms offered. He stroked her back softly and she closed her eyes. She nuzzled into his chest, inhaling in his scent.
"I love you," she mumbled as exhaustion finally claimed her.
She woke later, in her own bed and heard Brady in the next room talking on his phone.
"She's still sleeping. When she wakes up, we'll talk." He paused, obviously listening to whoever was on the other side of the conversation. "Tell Teddy I'll call him later."
After he ended his call, he peered into her room. She smiled at him as he stepped inside and sat on the edge of the bed. He reached over to brush back the uneven strands of hair.
"Feeling better?"
She nodded as she gently scooted her aching body up against the head board. "Yes, much."
"Liar," he said with a smile, helping her ease into a more comfortable position. He ran his fingers lightly over her bruised cheek. "I could easily wring that woman's neck."
She reached up to his hand and laced her fingers with his. "Brady, please."
He sighed. "Okay, for now."
She released his hand and patted the spot next to her. "Come here. You're too far away."
He scooted closer and situated his body next to hers. He rested his hand on her thigh and gave it a light squeeze. "Love, we really need to talk."
Biting her lip, Taylor nodded, wincing slightly as she did so.
Brady inhaled a deep breath. "First of all, I know you really want to go after that girl, I can see it in your eyes. You don't need any more problems heaped on you, Taylor. I know you want to take care of it yourself, but just think of all the trouble that could bring." He lifted her chin and looked in her eyes
She smiled and finally nodded, slowly. "Okay. I'll think about it."
"Good," he breathed. "Now, about us. Taylor, I'm sorry about those pictures. I know it must have hurt to see them. I hope you believed me when I told you what actually happened."
She traced the pattern of her bedspread with her index finger to avoid his gaze. "I do. And I'm really sorry I didn't ask you about them. I should have given you a chance to explain."
"I know you're having a hard time trusting me, but..."
"I do trust you, Brady," she protested.
"Love, let me finish, please. I promise to let you have your say." He waited until she nodded. "Maybe I rushed things with you, I don't know. And I think maybe I didn't understand what you've had to go through while I was off at college or playing ball. I guess I just assumed that once we clicked, things would just work out somehow. Kind of like Tabby and Alex or Zoey and Mark."
"But we're not them," she added, forgetting her vow to let him speak.
He smiled at her. "I know that." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Anyway, I guess what I'm trying to say is that what Teddy said earlier kind of opened my eyes. I realize that you did have the weight of the world on your shoulders and had to deal with things yourself. A lot of hard things. Trust doesn't come easy for you and I can't expect to come waltzing back into your life, especially after that stupid bet I made, and expect you to trust me fully."
"But I do trust you," she whispered.
Chuckling, he gave her a soft squeeze. "Not totally, love. But that's all right. I'll be patient and wait while you learn to trust me more every day."
She nibbled harder on her lip. "So, are you saying that you want us to not see each other for awhile?"
He squeezed her again. "Hell no, love. I told you I wasn't letting you go and I'm not. I'm just promising not to push you. But I want you to promise to come to me more. It hurt that you didn't tell me what Jason said to you. If you would have, I would have known what he was up to that night."
She tensed next to him but before she could speak, he continued. "I'm not blaming you, love. I always knew how sneaky and underhanded he could be."
She leaned on his shoulder. "This is so messed up."
He kissed the top of her head. "But we're fixing it, don't worry."
Sniffling, she raised a shaky hand to the tears springing from her eyes. "I'm an over emotional mess myself."
"But a beautiful one," he said, turning so he could take her face in his hands. He leaned forward and brushed his lips softly over hers. "Why don't you pack up some stuff and stay with me this week? I don't want to leave you here alone."
"But Teddy will probably stay the night."
"He can stay in the guest room at my place."
\*\*\*
Ending his conversation, Brady tossed his cell phone in the console and reached for her hand. She scooted as close to him as her seatbelt would allow.
"That was Kyle," Brady informed her as they left the police station. Taylor wasn't exactly sure what would happen with Teresa - it was her word against the other girl's - but at least Taylor had filed the report. "Everyone's at his house and they want you to come over. You up for it?
"Yeah," she sighed. "I need to fix this whole mess."
He squeezed her hand. "You don't need to fix anything, Taylor. Relax. Remember?"
Shrugging, she turned her head to watch the passing scenery. When the courthouse buzzed by, her heart leapt. "Brady! I forgot to call Luther. I bet he's throwing a fit."
Brady laughed. "Don't worry. Josh talked to him already. He told Josh to tell you to stay home this week and recover." Brady smirked as he changed lanes. "I think he's afraid you'll come in and beat up that Henry guy."
Taylor snorted. "So tempting. I better let my aching ribs heal first, though."
Brady chanced a quick glance at her before exiting the highway. "Yeah, about that. I'm going to need to check that out."
A shy smile graced Taylor's lips as her cheeks pinked. "Are you offering to play doctor with me?"
Grinning, Brady winked at her. She laughed as his cheeks turned a slight red. "Maybe in a couple days. But seriously, I want to make sure you're okay."
She rolled her eyes. "I'm fine. Just a little sore and in dire need of a real haircut."
Pulling into his drive, he let his eyes rake over her body. "You look ravishing no matter what, love."
She unbuckled her seat belt and opened her door. "That's so romantic and all, but do you mind if I go freshen up in your bathroom?"
He grabbed her bag and helped her to the door. "Of course I don't mind."
\*\*\*
He held her hand as they walked down the street to Kyle's house. She used her free hand to adjust the baseball cap Brady had given her.
"Stop, love. You look fine. Sexy even."
She huffed. "Please. I look pathetic. I look like a little boy who has been beaten up by the school bully."
Stopping, he spun around to gaze appreciatively up and down her body. "I promise you look nothing at all like a little boy."
She slapped him playfully and urged him forward. He released her hand to wrap his arm around her waist.
Once they reached Kyle's house, they walked around the back toward the voices. Their appearance interrupted the animated discussion concerning the Racers' playoff chances that was taking place on the deck.
Standing, Teddy palmed Taylor's elbow. "You okay now, T?"
"Of course," she smiled. She stood on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Thanks for driving down here."
"Yeah, well, I needed a break," he grinned.
Kyle pulled up a chair, ordering her to sit. She rolled her eyes but her heart warmed at the concern and love radiating from everyone. Not just Brady's friends, but her friends, too.
"I'm okay, you guys. Honest." She paused. "But thanks."
"We have Chinese coming, Taylor," Mark said. "Hope you're hungry. Alex ordered a ton."
"I am, thanks," she said as she wiggled her hand into Brady's.
He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. She sighed happily and rested her cheek on his arm. All the tension and anger she feared would be present was nowhere to be found. The atmosphere was light and the mood mellow as the sun made its daily trek behind the trees, bathing the world in shadows.
\*\*\*
With confidence roaring in her blood, Taylor walked through the room after leaving Luther's office, satisfied smile on her face. It was Friday morning and after she'd dropped Brady off at batting practice, she drove back to Somersville to talk to her boss.
The developers had finally settled the mall matter with the citizens of Somersville. They had come up with a new plan - one the people whole heartedly approved. Instead of a shopping mall, they were going to build a youth center, complete with an athletic facility. One of the developers had actually asked Taylor while she was interviewing him if Brady would even volunteer there during the off season.
Smiling, Taylor remembered Brady's reaction after she'd asked him. His eyes had brightened and instead of answering her, he'd opened his phone and called some other players and before long, they had a list and a preliminary schedule.
"Wipe that self satisfying smirk off your face."
Taylor blinked as she came back to reality. Henry Lake stood in front of her, eyes dark and burning. "Shut up, Henry. I don't have time for you today."
"Feeding Luther more lies about my daughter?"
Josh walked up behind her and rested his hands on her shoulders. "Go away, Lake. Your daughter's guilty and you know it."
Taylor smiled up at him, her hand instinctively going to her newly styled, short hair.
She had talked to Josh the day at Kyle's and he'd apologized for his coldness.
"I just remembered how badly he had hurt you before," Josh had explained. "You're like the little sister I never had and I felt so helpless as I watched your feelings for him change from hatred to something else. I just didn't want to see you fall for him all over again just to have him shove it right back in your face. But, I guess I was wrong."
"Thanks, Josh," she said, eyes burning into Henry's. "But Henry's just as cowardly as his daughter."
Henry snorted. "Who you calling a coward?"
Taylor rolled her eyes. "She only confronted me when I wasn't myself and when I was alone. She had friends with her." Her eyes washed over Henry in disgust. "You, on the other hand, verbally attack me every chance you get. You can't stand that I, a woman, might actually have more talent than you. Instead of trying to improve or even offering to work with me, you put me down in front of everyone to try and make yourself look better."
"It's nothing less than you deserve, being the town whore and all."
Tensing, Josh applied pressure to her shoulders. She clenched her fist and drew in a steadying breath.
"Don't do it," Josh whispered in her ear.
"You have until the end of the day to clear your desk and get out of here," Luther said quietly from behind her. Taylor and Josh each jumped as neither of them heard him approach.
"You're firing me? She's the one that needs to go," Henry ranted.
"You've done nothing but cause trouble in this office for months now. Get out, Henry."
He flashed one last nasty look at Taylor before rushing to his desk. Taylor smiled, wiggling a couple fingers at him.
"You," Luther said, pointing to Taylor. She dropped her hand and clasped them both in front of her. "Get the hell out of here. I don't want to see you back until Monday."
"Aye, aye, Captain," she grinned, giving him a mock salute. "I've got a game to get to anyway."
She paused and watched as Josh waltzed back to his desk, hands in his trouser pockets. "Parker!"
Pivoting, he raised a brow. "What?"
"I have an extra ticket. Interested?"
A slow smile spread across his face. "Sure. The wife is still in Evansville, taking care of her mother and I'm tired of sitting home alone. Besides, I heard that arrogant ass Brady Nolan's playing." He threw an arm casually around her shoulders. "He used to live around here, you know."
"I've heard that," she responded with a smirk.
He kissed her unbruised cheek. "If you're nice, I might be able to get his autograph for you. I have connections."
Laughing, she grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the door.
"What is it about you and hotel balconies?"
Smiling, Taylor turned away from the calming ocean view to face him. "Maybe it's an obsession."
With a smirk, he tugged at his shirt which so happened to be covering her body. He wrapped his arms around her and fingered the strands of her hair. "You need something else to obsess about, love."
Gazing up at him, she lifted a brow. "Any suggestions?"
"A few. But they'll have to wait. We have a wedding to go to, remember?"
Groaning, she rested her forehead against his chest. He kissed the top of her head before leading her back inside the room.
"Let's save time and water and shower together," he suggested with a glint in his eye.
\*\*\*
Leading her to the dance floor, he gathered her in his arms. She tucked her head under his neck and closed her eyes. The past few months had been a rollercoaster of ups and downs but somehow, they'd found way to make things work.
The Racers had finally made it to the playoffs and Taylor couldn't have been more proud - especially at the determined way Brady had played.
They'd made it to the Finals, taking the other team to seven games, only to lose in the bottom of the ninth.
"Beautiful ceremony, huh love?" Brady asked.
"Yeah," she agreed. "Tabby looks amazing."
Kissing her hair, he rubbed her back lightly. "You'll be a more beautiful bride."
She tried to give him a hard glare, but the heat in her cheeks ruined it. "That's not going to happen for awhile, remember?"
He flashed a broad grin. "I know, I know. At least I got you to move in with me."
She snorted. "I only agreed because your place has a huge hot tub."
Laughing, he twirled her around on the dance floor. "I love you, Taylor."
She stood on her toes to kiss him. "I love you, too."
He wrapped both arms around her waist. "I guess Mark and Zoey are next."
She rolled her eyes, hiding a smile. "Yes, Brady. You may have charmed me into moving in with you, but we have plenty of time before we take our turn down the aisle."
A frown pulled at his lips but mischief glimmered in his eyes. "Come on! We're in Hawaii, all our friends are here, and they already have formal wear. It's a perfect opportunity."
She tried to quell his idea with a dark look but he only yanked her into his chest, holding her tighter. He brooded in silence for a few moments before he leaned down and kissed her ear. "How about we just start popping out babies?"
"Yeah, sure thing. Only, you get to be the one to pop 'em out. Okay?" she said, trembling as his breath tickled her skin.
He held up his hands. "Hey, if I could, I would."
She stopped dancing and placed her fists on her hips. "I highly doubt it. You'd cry like a baby when the first contraction hit."
His jaw dropped. "That's not even right. I would not."
She poked him in the chest with her index finger. "You stepped on a sea shell yesterday and didn't stop whining and cursing for ten minutes."
Pursing his lips, he started at her, seemingly deep in thought. "Okay, you have a point."
She smiled in victory, throwing her arms back over his head.
She loved him and never wanted to be without him. But marriage? So soon? She sighed.
He kissed the top of her head. "You're caving."
"I am most certainly not."
He pulled back to kiss her mouth. "Are too."
With a groan, she butted her head against his chest. "Fine, Brady. If you buy the rock, I won't say no. But we're not getting married for at least a year. Probably two."
He smirked before kissing her. "We'll see."
She glared at him until he kissed her again.
"I knew you'd cave."
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