Stealing Second Read online

  Katherine’s cheeks heated. “That slipped out.” She put a hand to her stomach as it rumbled loudly and seemed to echo in the quiet ballpark. “And that’s my stomach reminding me I haven’t eaten since breakfast. I’d better go feed it.”

  Tom cocked his head to the side and studied her with amusement. “You still like cheeseburgers?”

  “Of course.” She couldn’t help but smile. “It’s the perfect meal. All of the food groups are represented.”

  His low, deep laugh warmed the night. “Have you been to that new burger joint on Townsend?”

  “No. I didn’t know something new had opened up nearby.”

  “You’re missing out. Harlan’s has the best burgers I’ve found since I left Texas.” A grin spread across his handsome face as her stomach growled again. “I was planning on heading over there for a late dinner. Why don’t you come along?”

  “I don’t know.” She lifted her hand to brush a few loose strands of hair from her face. His casual invitation shouldn’t cause her heart to beat faster, but the fluttering in her chest was a telltale giveaway that it had.

  “You gotta eat. You can’t go to bed with an empty stomach. I recollect whenever you did that you always woke up cranky.” A knowing grin curved his lips.

  “Cranky?” She frowned. “I’m never cranky.”

  Tom rolled his eyes. “Right. Come on. It’s not far from your building. We can walk.”

  “How do you know where I live?”

  He lifted his shoulders in a half shrug. “Kelly mentioned you recently leased one of the condos in the building she lived in a couple of years ago.” The teasing light vanished from his eyes. “I’ll update you on Rizzo’s status and we can talk about Taylor. It’ll be a working dinner, and since there’s a doubleheader tomorrow it’ll mean one less meeting for both of us in the morning.”

  She thought about it for a few seconds. Doubleheaders were always crazy—especially if the Blaze had a promotion going on. Which they did. Not only was it the initial release of the much-anticipated Matt Scanlon bobblehead doll, it was also Irish Heritage Night, and she and Kelly would be attending the pre-game party on the promenade plaza before the second game.

  Despite her resolve to spend as little time as possible outside the ballpark with Tom, she was starving and she did love a good cheeseburger. Besides, they’d be talking baseball, so what was the harm?

  Thirty minutes later, Katherine sat across from Tom in what could only be called a throwback to the burger joints of the 1950s. Harlan’s black-and-white-checked floor, chrome-edged black counter and tables, along with the candy-apple-red vinyl-covered stools and chairs harkened back to an era she’d only read about or seen in the movies.

  The second she’d preceded Tom inside, the mouthwatering aroma of French fries almost made her swoon. Some people had a weakness for chocolate, but her Achilles’ heel had always been thick juicy cheeseburgers with cheddar cheese, a side of salty fries and a strawberry milkshake. She didn’t indulge as often as she had in high school, mostly because back then she got a lot more exercise. Now it seemed she was so busy, the most she could manage was the short walk from her condo to the ballpark every day.

  “How did I not know about this place?” she asked after she’d finished half of her cheeseburger and leaned back against her chair to let it settle. “It’s not that far from my building.”

  “Probably because you don’t pass by it on your way to the ballpark.” He picked up a French fry from his plate. “I rent an apartment in the building across the street. I’ve seen the construction progress for the last few months, and when I found out it was a burger place instead of another sushi restaurant I was pleasantly surprised.”

  “I have a feeling I’ll be eating a lot more cheeseburgers from now on.” She glanced around the room. Although it was after ten, the place was packed, save for a few stools at the counter. At one of the tables next to the window, a young couple sat across from each other. Judging by the way they stared deeply into each other’s eyes—like there was no one else in the restaurant—it was safe to assume they were in love.

  “How involved do you want to be in regard to Rick…media-wise?” she asked, forcing herself to look away before her heart took an unnecessary stroll down memory lane.

  “As little as possible.” Tom dragged the fry through a pool of ketchup on his plate. “That’s more Doug’s concern than mine. My main focus needs to be on the current roster and on making it to the post-season. As far as I’m concerned, Dawson from Player Personnel can assess Rick’s physical condition and skill level.” He popped the fry in his mouth and chewed.

  “But you do want to be apprised of that information, right?”

  “Absolutely. Rick was a beast in the gym, and he may be in excellent shape, but I’m not convinced his fundamentals will be at the same level as they were when he got injured.”

  “He could surprise you.”

  “It wouldn’t be the first time. Maybe I’ll see him at spring training.” He gave her a self-deprecating smile. “If I make it to spring training.”

  A ping of alarm erupted in her chest. As inexperienced at business as she was, at least Ava McCandless was a known quantity who had so far left the day-to-day running of the team to Doug. A new regime might not be as hands-off. “If the team is sold, do you really think the new owner will fire you?”

  Tom shrugged as he picked up his soda. “Who knows? Anything’s possible.”

  “Does this rumor have legs?”

  “I think so. Ava McCandless is in over her head when it comes to owning a franchise, and from what I’ve heard she’s beginning to realize it. Doug can’t do everything.”

  Katherine frowned. “I wonder why Simon made her a partner. He had to know she wasn’t qualified to run the team if something happened to him.”

  “Love makes you do some crazy-ass shit.” He peered at her over his glass, his gaze holding hers for a long beat that heightened her pulse. “I’m sure you remember that.”

  Katherine’s cheeks warmed. There was a lot she remembered, and a lot she wished she could forget.

  “What’s the news on Rizzo?” she asked to keep the conversation from veering into personal territory. The past was the past and that was exactly where it needed to stay. If they could communicate in the future as pleasantly as they were doing right now, things would be just fine.

  “Doc Keen has cleared Rizzo to play in Colorado.” He took a sip of his soda, then set the glass down.

  She breathed out a relieved sigh. “It’s been a week for good news. First Rick…and now Rizzo. Oh, and Kelly and Matt got engaged.”

  “I heard. I also hear you’re hosting a party in their honor.”

  “Where’d you hear that?”

  “Dorie. She said she was helping you out.”

  “Yes. She’s been a big help.” So Dorie had called him back. Her heart twisted jealously as she imagined them talking and laughing intimately together. Pasting on a smile, she tamped down the useless emotion. Jealousy was immature considering the number of years that had passed. Who Tom dated was none of her business and hadn’t been for a long time. Besides, it wasn’t as if she’d lived like a nun since she left Dallas.

  “You’re invited, by the way,” she said. “There’ll be food and plenty of champagne. Or beer, if you prefer.”

  “I’ll be there.”

  Katherine picked up the tall old-fashioned glass that held her real fruit milkshake and sipped through the straw. Tom’s gaze lowered to her mouth. Her pulse fluttered and for a moment she was transported back to one of their favorite hangouts in high school. Dee’s Dairy Freeze, also known in their circle as Double D’s.

  Early into their freshman year, Tom had kissed her for the first time in a black leather booth in the back by the old-school jukebox. Even now she could remember the feel of his mouth against hers, the sweet taste of Dr Pepper on his lips, and the aroma of garlic fries permeating the restaurant. If her life up to that point had been made into a mov
ie, that kiss would have been the perfect ending. Just like when Jake kissed Samantha in Sixteen Candles.

  She and Tom had been made for each other. Or at least that’s what she thought…right up until the moment he left for the University of Texas without as much as a goodbye.

  * * *

  Tom couldn’t control the arrow of heat that speared straight through him. That damn beauty mark just below the left side of Katie’s mouth was still as sexy as hell. And now, with her lips pursed around that straw he was reminded of something else that sweet mouth of hers had been wrapped around. He shifted in his chair to ease the sudden ache in his groin—an ache he might need to take care of when he got back to his apartment. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d jacked off thinking about Katie.

  “Nice of you to throw them a party,” he said, averting his eyes from the beauty mark he’d kissed a million times. Give or take.

  “I thought having it before the team scatters in the off-season was the best idea.” She set her glass on the table and gave him a tentative smile. “The darn thing has taken on a life of its own. Kelly’s sister and brother-in-law are flying up from LA, and with the Padres in town this week, J.T. and Angie will be able to make it, as well.”

  “Isn’t her sister an actress?”

  Katie nodded. “Yes. She played an army nurse in a World War II miniseries last year.” She smiled at him. “Remember when I took that drama class junior year?”

  “As I recall, you said you wanted at least one easy class that semester.”

  “And I recall you telling me acting was harder than it looked.”

  He couldn’t help but smirk. “And I was right, wasn’t I?”

  “There’s a statute of limitations for gloating.” She picked up a French fry and popped it into her mouth. An impish gleam lit her eyes. “So shut it, Morgan.”

  Despite his laugh, Tom’s chest tightened. Until this moment he hadn’t realized how badly he’d wanted to see this Katie again. Ever since he’d joined the team, she’d looked at him with such cool disdain that he’d almost forgotten the way her eyes lit up and how her cheeks turned bright pink whenever they bantered back and forth.

  Even if he lived to be a hundred he would never forget the first time he laid eyes on her. Two years after his parents’ divorce, his mother had moved him and his sister from Amarillo to Dallas, just after he’d started his freshman year in high school. He didn’t remember much about his first day in his new school, but he remembered Katie. With eyes that reminded him of the bluebells that had bloomed in his mother’s Amarillo garden, auburn hair and full bee-stung lips, she was a teenage dream. His teenage dream.

  His natural athletic talent and success in youth baseball had given him a shitload more confidence than most of his peers, but it still took him two weeks to gather up the courage to talk to her. Two weeks in which he’d learned from a few other classmates that she was the smartest girl in school and the daughter of one of the richest men in Texas. A little intimidating since academics didn’t come as easily to him as baseball, and he came from a family closer to the lower middle class than to the upper 1 percent.

  At the time he didn’t know if she’d given him a second thought. Although well liked and seemingly popular, she didn’t hang out with the cheer girls or the football jocks who made up the elite cliques everyone wanted to be a part of. She ate lunch with the same two girls every day and ducked into the school library after school at least three times a week. Not that he was stalking her. He just paid attention to everything she did.

  That library was where he’d finally spoken to her. She was sitting at one of the tables with her biology book open in front of her when he sat down across from her, ostensibly to write his English paper. The second he took his seat she glanced up. His young heart pounded so hard he could barely catch his breath. Then she smiled shyly at him, and just like that, he was a goner.

  “Tom?”

  He blinked and found Katie gazing at him expectantly. “Sorry,” he said, forcibly willing the memories to disappear. “Did you say something?”

  “Yes. I asked if Sheila will need tickets for the entire series with the Diamondbacks.”

  “I’m not sure.” He glanced at the sports watch on his wrist. “It’s too late to call her now. I’ll check with her sometime tomorrow and get back to you.”

  “Great. If you could let me know by Tuesday, I’d appreciate it.” She studied him thoughtfully. “What were you thinking about? You zoned out there for a few minutes.”

  Since talking about their past could only jeopardize the shaky truce they’d formed this evening, Tom fabricated a less polarizing reply. “I was debating on pulling Scanlon from the lineup tomorrow and letting Espinoza start. Matt’s been working with him and I’d like to see if it’s paying off.”

  “I wonder if Matt will go into coaching when he retires.” She picked up the other half of her cheeseburger.

  “I’d hire him if he does. If it wasn’t for Matt mentoring him, I’m not sure J.T. would have realized his full potential. He’s having a helluva season in San Diego.”

  “Don’t be so modest. The starts you gave him last season spoke volumes. It gave him the confidence he needed to believe he’s as talented as Rick or Matt.”

  “Any halfway decent manager would have done the same,” he said, pushing his plate aside. “So when’s the engagement party?”

  “Wednesday night at seven thirty. Unless we go into extra innings, the game should be finished by five,” she said, then bit into her cheeseburger. She closed her eyes and let out a low moan so sensual that every nerve in his body went taut.

  “That good?” he asked, grinning as she opened her eyes wide and blushed. Her mortified eyes darted around the restaurant. “Don’t worry, you weren’t that loud. Only the people at the counter heard you. Maybe we should tell the cook his cheeseburgers are orgasmic. Or better yet, we can post it on Yelp. That should bring in more customers.”

  “Great idea. I’ll say the cheeseburger I had tonight was way better than any sex I’ve ever had.” She gave him a pointed look. “With anyone.”

  He leaned forward, still grinning. “You could. But it’d be a lie. Unless you said it was better than any sex you’ve had since you left Texas.”

  One delicate brow arched. “Don’t flatter yourself.”

  “I don’t have to. I spent four years memorizing every line and curve of your body. I know what turns you on better than you do.”

  If he was a betting man, he’d put money on the odds of her going off on him right now. The narrowing of her eyes and the sudden stiffness of her posture as she set her cheeseburger on her plate were his first clues.

  “I knew this was a bad idea. I told you when you started working for the team that I didn’t want to talk about the past.”

  “You’re the one who brought up the past,” he pointed out.

  “Well, we’re dropping it right now,” she said, glaring at him with eyes that had turned icy cold. “It doesn’t matter anyway. We’ve both moved on.” She pulled her napkin from her lap and flung it on the table. “At least I have.”

  Barbed wire twisted around his stomach. “With Logan?”

  “He’s a good man. And they aren’t easy to find.” Her chair scraped the floor as she pushed it back and stood. She retrieved her tote bag from the back of the chair and stared down at him with the same contempt he’d seen ever since he got to San Francisco. “I’ll see you at the ballpark tomorrow.”

  As she stalked out of the restaurant, Tom fought the urge to go after her. Maybe she was right; it was a bad idea for them to spend time together outside the confines of team business. Still, after years of being sober, he was finally ready to hear the reason she’d left him four days before they’d planned to leave for Austin together all those years ago. Maybe then he could close the book on their relationship and be free from the past.

  Forever.

  * * *

  Katherine lay on her bed staring at the art deco crown molding
medallion on the ceiling. That she could make out the antique light fixture in the center of it proved that she’d been lying awake long enough for her eyes to grow accustomed to the dark.

  As tired as she was, sleep was elusive. If only she could turn off her brain like she could turn off the lamp on the bedside table. If only it was that easy.

  Accompanying Tom to dinner was a terrible idea all the way around. All it had accomplished was to stir up old memories and feelings. More disturbing, however, was that, despite everything that had happened between them, she was still dangerously attracted to him. That was why she’d implied she was involved with Adam. She didn’t want Tom to know how much he affected her. Not to mention that, given everything that had happened in the past, it was utterly ridiculous to still feel such a magnetic pull toward him.

  But as absurd as it was, she couldn’t deny her body’s reaction to the man who’d been her first lover. She’d read that people sometimes romanticized the past and that, in reality, the past really wasn’t the good old days everyone proclaimed it to be. But she knew better. A year after her mother died, Tom came into her life and brightened everything that had been dark and lonely. Falling in love with him, and having that love returned, was the best time of her life.

  For years she’d blocked out the magical time when she and Tom were a couple. At first, it was too painful. Then it was all about self-preservation, and the need to ensure that nothing or no one ever got the chance to shatter her heart that same way again. But tonight, over a stupid cheeseburger, it all came rushing back. With a vengeance.

  I know what turns you on better than you do.

  From any other man, those cocky words would have made her laugh. But the sad truth was she’d never given herself to anyone as freely as she had to Tom. Her absolute trust in him and his love had stripped away every single inhibition she might have had and allowed her to explore her budding sexuality without fear or guilt.

  While the rest of their classmates were hooking up, then breaking up, she and Tom had stayed rock-solid. Then, after three years of major foreplay, they mutually decided to go all the way the summer before their senior year. It was her first time, and his. And despite their inexperience it had been an amazingly intimate night—a night that brought them even closer.