Short Stop to Love Read online

  By the time they left the convention center, it was dark outside, and they had to rush to get to the shelter. Thankfully, Jacob was waiting for them and they arrived at the shelter in just enough time to start dinner prep. Throughout the prep and serving, Jeremy stared at Keri, beguiled by her natural beauty and ease with everyone around her.

  She had dark brown hair that fell to mid-back. She normally wore it down and naturally wavy, but he’d seen her with it styled before. He preferred it down. When he first met her, he often dreamed about running his fingers through her hair, imaging how the silky tresses would feel falling through his fingertips.

  She had bright blue eyes that seemed to sparkle no matter what she was doing. Her eyes crinkled on the sides when she smiled and that’s how he knew she was genuine. She didn’t care about “frown lines.” She cared about experiences.

  He especially admired her when she talked to the people she was serving. He’d noticed some volunteers didn’t treat the people in the shelter with any respect and that bothered him immensely. Just because they needed an extra hand didn’t make them less than anyone else.

  Jeremy tried to model himself after her. She always had a nice word for everyone, engaging them in conversation. It helped to put people at ease and made volunteering pleasant for all. While Keri’s outer beauty was spectacular, it was what she had on the inside that ultimately attracted him to her. She was one of the most genuine people he’d ever met.

  As they finished their clean up, Jeremy turned to Keri and asked, “Would you like to join me for dinner?”

  Keri nodded. “I’d love to.”

  Jeremy doubled his efforts with clean-up, wanting to finish quickly so he could whisk her away.

  “What about the Italian place right around the corner?” Jeremy asked as he escorted Keri outside.

  “I can always eat pasta.”

  Jeremy walked to the car and told Jacob where they were going. Jacob parked closer to the restaurant while Jeremy took Keri’s hand and walked with her. On the short walk to the restaurant, Jeremy concentrated on how right it felt to hold her hand. Even through their gloves, he swore he could feel the warmth of her hand and it just seemed to fit into his.

  When they stepped into the tiny eatery, the hostess’ eyes widened slightly, but she didn’t say anything. She showed them to an intimate table at the back. The decor was kitschy with red-checked tablecloths and candles stuck into the top of empty wine bottles that had wax hardened on the side. Even with the decor, the restaurant was intimate and Jeremy was thankful it wasn’t full.

  A waiter stepped to the table to take their order. “Would you like wine?” Jeremy asked Keri.

  She nodded. “Sure.”

  Jeremy turned to the waiter, ordering a bottle for them to share. While they waited for him to return, they opened their menus.

  “What are you ordering?” Jeremy asked.

  “I’m not sure,” Keri said as she scanned the menu. “It all sounds so good.”

  “I have to agree,” Jeremy said. “I think I’m going with the Chicken Parm.”

  “There are too many choices!” Keri exclaimed while laughing. “But I think I’m just going to get Fettuccine Alfredo.”

  The waiter returned and asked if they were ready to order. Once he took their order, he quickly disappeared.

  “So, what did you think of the food festival?” Jeremy asked as he sipped his wine.

  “I really enjoyed it. Though, it felt like we were being stared at.”

  Another opportunity presented itself to come clean, but Jeremy ignored it again. “I’m sure we weren’t. There were a lot of people there. Who knows, maybe someone famous was there too.”

  Keri shrugged. “If you say so, but I could honestly swear I thought people were openly gaping at us. I’m pretty sure I saw a little boy pointing at you while tugging on his dad’s pants.”

  If Jeremy didn’t want to out himself, he needed to change topics. Fast.

  “Would you go back to the festival again?”

  Keri nodded. “I would. What was your favorite thing we had today?”

  “I think the alligator.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. I wasn’t sure I’d like it, but I was pleasantly surprised. I’d eat it again.”

  He leaned back in his chair, feeling more comfortable now that they were no longer on the topic of the gawkers from earlier.

  Keri wrinkled her nose. “I liked it, but the dim sum was by far my favorite.”

  “I’ll have to find a place that serves it and take you.”

  They were both silent in the wake of his words.

  Jeremy cleared his throat. “That was presumptuous of me. But it’s true. I was hoping to take you out again. Maybe this upcoming week we can go to a movie or something?”

  “I’d like that. How about I plan something?”

  “I think I can live with that,” Jeremy said, smiling. It had been a while since a girl took him out. “I look forward to seeing what you come up with.”

  Their conversation flowed throughout the rest of dinner and Jeremy became even more enamored with Keri. She consumed him and he wanted to know more about her.

  At the end of the evening, Jeremy walked her to her apartment. He followed her to her apartment door where he pulled her into his arms, kissing her. What started out as a chaste kiss quickly turned into something more passionate. His arms wound around her, one at her waist and the other her back. One hand fisted in her hair, holding her to him. The feel of Keri’s body against his was almost too much to bear. She was all womanly curves and soft skin.

  Forcing himself to pull back, he looked into her dazed eyes. Her lips were swollen from his kiss and she looked unfocused. He was sure he looked similar. With one final light kiss, he stepped back. “I’ll see you this week?”

  Keri nodded and brought her fingers to her lips. He smiled, pleased he seemed to have surprised her. With a quick wave, he jogged down the stairs and slipped into the back of his SUV. His phone buzzed and he sighed as he pulled it out. He wanted to stay in his bubble with Keri for a little longer.

  He closed his eyes and groaned when he saw the email. It was mid-January, and he was already receiving emails about spring training, which started in two weeks. He always looked forward to it because it meant he was immersed in baseball again and he would be in warm weather well before Seattle warmed up since they trained in Arizona. This year he wasn’t ready to go. He sighed as he realized he’d have to let Keri know he’d be gone for several weeks. He wondered if he could convince Keri to visit him in Peoria for a few days.

  He blanched as he realized he would need to tell Keri exactly who he was. He had ample opportunity today to tell her and hadn’t. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to tell her, but he wanted to enjoy his time with her before bringing all that bullshit into the situation.

  When he arrived back home, Jeremy walked into his home gym. This was not only where he worked out in the off-season but where he kept all his baseball gear. He went through his practice gear, noting anything that needed to be replaced. He would order it and have it shipped to the small house he kept in Peoria. Though he could easily lease something short-term, he found it more prudent to have something that was his own.

  He spent the next hour going over his gear and reminiscing about his start in baseball. His father gave him his first glove and he still had it to this day. He hoped to one day give his own son a first glove and start his love of baseball

  Inventory done, he looked out the floor-to-ceiling windows as he pondered the dilemma he now found himself in. His eyes didn’t see the glittering Seattle skyline as he thought over his dilemma. He needed to come clean; he wasn’t sure how. It wasn’t something you blurted out in conversation.

  While he pondered this, his phone buzzed. He saw it was Troy calling. He smiled as he thought of how he could let Keri know who he was, and Troy would help him.

  After talking to him and hanging up, it was only a few minutes later his phone
started blowing up with texts from his sister.

  Emily: You met a girl?

  Jeremy: Who told you?

  Emily: Troy. You know he can’t keep a secret.

  Emily: Better me than Mom. You know what she’s like.

  Jeremy: Slight mercies I guess.

  Emily: Tell me about her.

  Jeremy: About who?

  Emily: The girl you met!

  Jeremy: Not much to tell.

  Emily: If you’ve gone on two dates and want her to visit you in Peoria, then there must be something to tell.

  Jeremy: Jesus, did the two of you braid hair while talking about me?

  Emily: No, but we did throw back a few shots.

  Jeremy: And I wasn’t invited?

  Emily: No. This was a strict “gossip about Jeremy” party. We couldn’t invite you.

  Jeremy:…

  Emily: You love me. Now spill.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Keri

  “Yeah, I’m just finishing up my packing. Troy and Joann will be by soon to get me,” Keri told Jeremy as she tossed a few pairs of shorts and a bathing suit into her suitcase.

  Jeremy left a week ago for business in Peoria, Arizona, and he would be there until late March. She was going to see him with his brother Troy and Joann. As a weird twist of fate, Troy was now dating her roommate Joann. It shocked her when Joann told her she was dating Troy. Things were serious enough that she was staying with Troy more often than not.

  “Okay. I can’t wait to see you. I wish I could come get you from the airport,” Jeremy said with a sigh.

  “I know. Me too, but you’ve got a lot going on today, so I’ll see you this afternoon at the ball field, right?”

  “Yeah,” Jeremy said, coughing.

  Ever since she agreed to come to Peoria to see him, he had been evasive about what exactly he was doing. It was getting to the point that she thought he was hiding something from her, but she wasn’t sure what.

  “Oh! I forgot to tell you. I saw you on TV the other day.”

  “You did?”

  “Yeah. It was a commercial for Old Spice, I think?”

  “Yeah, I don’t know why I agreed to do it. I don’t like endorsement deals that involve commercials.” Jeremy’s voice cracked and Keri paused.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine.” He cleared his throat again.

  Keri wasn’t sure she believed him, but she decided to not say anything further.

  He continued, “I won’t see you until you get to the field. But, I’ll get there as soon as I can, okay?”

  “Ok, that’s fine.”

  “I have to run. I’ve got a few meetings before I see you this afternoon.”

  “Alright. I’ll see you soon.”

  “I can’t wait.”

  Keri fantasized about what seeing him again would be like. It had been lonely without his presence at volunteering and their conversations. Since he left, she was lucky to get a phone call at night and text in the morning.

  Keri threw her phone onto the middle of her bed and turned back to her suitcase. She double-checked that she had everything she thought she might need and quickly zipped it up. Though she’d never been to Peoria or Arizona for that matter, she was excited to go. February in Seattle was dreary. Arizona promised hot weather and sunshine. She was going to take full advantage of it, which is why she threw summer clothing into her suitcase.

  Her phone buzzed with a text from Joann.

  Joann: We’ll be there soon. You better be ready.

  Keri: Shouldn’t you be telling yourself that? You’re the late one.

  Joann: Just checking that you’re packed.

  Keri: I am.

  Joann: Did you pack some sexy stuff?

  Keri: Sexy stuff?

  Joann: Yeah, you know…stuff for the bedroom.

  Keri: *eye roll* I’ll see you soon.

  She stepped out the front door just as Troy pulled Joann’s compact car up to the curb. Troy helped Keri get her small case into the back. She cocked a brow and looked at Troy when she saw the three suitcases in the truck.

  Troy shrugged. “Joann swore she couldn’t figure out what she wants to wear.”

  “I’m somehow not surprised,” Keri told him as they rearranged the trunk.

  Keri slid into the backseat as Troy got back in the front.

  “So, are you ready for warm weather?” Joann asked as she turned in the front seat.

  “Yeah, I am. It’ll be nice to not wear a raincoat or boots all the time.”

  “Tell me about it. I can’t wait to get some sun too. Maybe layout by the pool?”

  “Will it be warm enough for that?”

  “I don’t care. Anything is warmer than here.”

  Keri glanced out the window and had to agree. It was raining and cold, normal winter weather for Seattle. The change in temperature would be nice.

  Once they arrived at the airport, butterflies fluttered in her belly. She was excited and nervous to see Jeremy. Going to see him while he was away on a business trip was a big step and she was anxious to lay eyes on him again.

  Upon arriving at the Phoenix Airport, Troy handled getting their rental car and Keri looked at the scenery. She was surprised to see a lot of green. When people mention Arizona, the barren desert popped into mind. It was much more lush than she imagined.

  They were soon at their hotel. Before going into their rooms, Troy said, “Thirty minutes until we need to leave.”

  With a smile and a wave, she stepped into her sumptuous room. She rummaged through her clothes for something to wear and was soon knocking on Troy and Joann’s open door.

  “Ready?” Troy asked as he flipped through the TV channels.

  “Yep. Where’s Joann?”

  Troy waved his hand toward the bedroom. “She’s trying on outfits or something.”

  He stopped the TV on SportsCenter and Keri remembered watching it nonstop with her father growing up. ESPN would play all day on the weekends. While it annoyed her when she was younger, it was something she now missed doing with him. She would never have the chance again.

  She glanced at the screen and saw they were covering baseball. The anchor started talking while they went through shots of players practicing: “Spring training has just kicked off and all the MLB teams are at their training camps. We’ve been following some of the big contenders for this year, hoping to get a glimpse of how ready they are for the coming season…”

  Troy quickly changed the channel, making Keri furrow her brow. He looked uncomfortable and wouldn’t meet her eye, but before she could ask him about it, Joann walked out in a pair of cut-off denim shorts and a tank top.

  “Ready?”

  Soon, they were at the stadium watching batting practice and warm-ups. They would play San Diego later. Keri wished her dad were still alive to appreciate this experience with her. This was just the type of thing he would have enjoyed. Keri forced herself to bury the memories of her father and his love of baseball, instead concentrating on enjoying the day.

  “Is Jeremy here?” Keri asked.

  “Uh, yeah. Our seats are on the third base line. There’s a net and an overhang, but make sure you pay attention. It’s just BP, so it shouldn’t get too crazy, but weirder things have happened.”

  She and Joann nodded and Keri bit her lip as the field came into view. The field was overrun with men in white baseball pants and teal t-shirts. “Back in Black” by AC/DC played over the loudspeaker. She couldn’t wipe the smile from her face as Troy led them to their seats right behind the dugout.

  She looked at the field. The pitchers were in the bullpen right down the third baseline warming up with the different catchers. A cluster of guys in the outfield threw balls back and forth to warm-up. One of the coaches stood to the side with a bat and bucket of balls. There was more activity than she anticipated.

  In the infield, there were players at each base and at the shortstop with a coach behind a net on the mound. Home plate was covered
with a rolling net and one of the players was stepping up to the plate.

  She turned back to the players in the infield and let her gaze wander over them. They all looked similar from this distance, but she had to admit their asses all looked great.

  Her eyes kept getting drawn back to one particular player on the field. He was the shortstop. He was well built and wore his pants well. But, he was also graceful when he was fielding a ball. He would watch the hitter and commanded the respect of the other players on the field. It was something else to watch and Keri felt guilty about ogling a guy who wasn’t Jeremy.

  Keri turned to Troy. “Do you know where Jeremy is?”

  “Um…” Troy said, his eyes darting around not looking at her.

  “What is it? Every time I’ve mentioned Jeremy today you’ve looked uncomfortable. Is he not here? What’s going on?” Keri asked, growing frustrated.

  “No, he’s here…” Troy hedged.

  “Then where is he?”

  Troy coughed and looked past her. Keri turned and noticed the shortstop she was watching earlier hopping the railing to the stands and making his way to them. His cleats clacked on the concrete as he moved closer, drawing Keri’s eyes to his feet. She slowly moved up his legs to his chest and finally his face. Her eyes widened as she met a familiar pair of gray ones. She blinked rapidly as she tried to figure out if she was really seeing Jeremy in front of her in baseball practice gear.

  “Keri,” Jeremy said nervously when she didn’t answer.

  “Jeremy,” she said, still staring at him.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Well, sure, if you count finding out the guy you’re seeing is apparently more famous than you thought. This explains so many things.”

  They stared at each other for several moments. Keri tried to process her realization that Jeremy was the shortstop for Seattle and he hadn’t told her. This was huge. Jeremy kept a huge part of his life from her. Emotions bubbled inside her. Was she angry? Upset? Annoyed? All three?

  “Keri?” Jeremy asked, jerking her attention back to him.

  “I just…I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.”