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Authors: Luann McLane
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railing and then smiled while shaking his head slowly. Jessica Robinson had him so tied in knots that he didn’t know what the hell to think.
Ty stood there and let the cool breeze clear his head. He couldn’t believe he had the nerve to stick his nose in and say the things he had just said to Jessica. Where she was concerned, his good sense took a flying leap out the window. But the thought of a young hotshot like Logan Lannigan taking advantage of her set his teeth on edge. Baseball and babes were all players Logan’s age thought about. He should know; he had seen enough of it.
But her comments hit home. He must have really looked like a jackass to her, coming into Chicago Blue with a different woman on his arm each time, most of them several years younger than he. His past was over, but would Jessica ever believe it?
Hearing the music thumping through the windows reminded him that Jessica had been going inside to dance with Lannigan, and Ty didn’t know how he would handle seeing her swaying in the young man’s arms. This jealousy thing was new territory for him, and it got his blood pumping. Should he beat Lannigan to the punch and ask Jessicato dance first? Cut in? Ask someone else in an effort to make her jealous? Would she even get jealous? He shook his head, unable to decide, and then chuckled softly. “Wow. Noah was right. I’ve got it bad for her.” Instead of the usual urge to retreat, Ty wanted to get closer, and not just physically. He really enjoyed talking to her about food when he ate at Wine and Diner. He loved the passion in her voice, because he understood. Baseball was like that for him—it was his world. But for the first time, he longed for something more in his life than just baseball.
With that in mind, he decided to go for it and snag Jessica for a dance before Lannigan got the chance. But just when he headed across the deck, he heard a car door slam, followed by a hot curse from a cool female voice. “Gravel parking lot? Are you kidding me?” she grumbled, and then leaned over and shook a rock from her shoe.
Ty halted in his tracks.
Wait. Don’t I know that voice?
He walked over and looked around the corner of the building into the parking lot and nodded. “Arabella Diamante . . . ,” he murmured when he spotted the young hostess from Chicago Blue Bistro. The little spitfire kept first and second seating running with smooth efficiency—no easy task in the popular, posh restaurant. Lucky for him, Bella loved baseball and always hooked him up with a good table. Ty grinned, remembering that Bella could be hell on wheels and didn’t take any guff from anyone, no matter who. Giving her attitude was sure to get you a seat next to the kitchen. He heard her curse again and chuckled. “Oh, boy. I do believe the extra surprise has arrived.”
5
Stayin’ Alive
B ella bent over and groaned when another pesky pebble slipped inside her peekaboo, studded sling-back sandal. When she shook the pebble out, her hair fell across her face. “Whoa!” She managed to lose her balance, landing her bare foot on a sharp rock. “Ouch! Damn!” She dropped the decorative pink bag holding Jessica’s birthday gift and glared down at the gray gravel as if it were to blame for all of the problems leading up to this very moment in her twenty-five years of life.
“Stupid rocks!” She blinked back hot tears and then tried to get her sorry-ass self under control. “Okay.
O-kay
. Just chill!” She swallowed hard. After all, the first twenty-four years were pretty darned good. It was only the past few months that had sucked, especially this past week.
Bella slipped her sandal back on, picked up her present once more, and flipped her hair over her shoulder. But instead of walking over to the front door, she stood there and contemplated getting into her Lexus and leaving. She glanced left and right without moving her head, not wanting anyone who might happen to be watching to think she was passing
Ty stood there and let the cool breeze clear his head. He couldn’t believe he had the nerve to stick his nose in and say the things he had just said to Jessica. Where she was concerned, his good sense took a flying leap out the window. But the thought of a young hotshot like Logan Lannigan taking advantage of her set his teeth on edge. Baseball and babes were all players Logan’s age thought about. He should know; he had seen enough of it.
But her comments hit home. He must have really looked like a jackass to her, coming into Chicago Blue with a different woman on his arm each time, most of them several years younger than he. His past was over, but would Jessica ever believe it?
Hearing the music thumping through the windows reminded him that Jessica had been going inside to dance with Lannigan, and Ty didn’t know how he would handle seeing her swaying in the young man’s arms. This jealousy thing was new territory for him, and it got his blood pumping. Should he beat Lannigan to the punch and ask Jessicato dance first? Cut in? Ask someone else in an effort to make her jealous? Would she even get jealous? He shook his head, unable to decide, and then chuckled softly. “Wow. Noah was right. I’ve got it bad for her.” Instead of the usual urge to retreat, Ty wanted to get closer, and not just physically. He really enjoyed talking to her about food when he ate at Wine and Diner. He loved the passion in her voice, because he understood. Baseball was like that for him—it was his world. But for the first time, he longed for something more in his life than just baseball.
With that in mind, he decided to go for it and snag Jessica for a dance before Lannigan got the chance. But just when he headed across the deck, he heard a car door slam, followed by a hot curse from a cool female voice. “Gravel parking lot? Are you kidding me?” she grumbled, and then leaned over and shook a rock from her shoe.
Ty halted in his tracks.
Wait. Don’t I know that voice?
He walked over and looked around the corner of the building into the parking lot and nodded. “Arabella Diamante . . . ,” he murmured when he spotted the young hostess from Chicago Blue Bistro. The little spitfire kept first and second seating running with smooth efficiency—no easy task in the popular, posh restaurant. Lucky for him, Bella loved baseball and always hooked him up with a good table. Ty grinned, remembering that Bella could be hell on wheels and didn’t take any guff from anyone, no matter who. Giving her attitude was sure to get you a seat next to the kitchen. He heard her curse again and chuckled. “Oh, boy. I do believe the extra surprise has arrived.”
5
Stayin’ Alive
B ella bent over and groaned when another pesky pebble slipped inside her peekaboo, studded sling-back sandal. When she shook the pebble out, her hair fell across her face. “Whoa!” She managed to lose her balance, landing her bare foot on a sharp rock. “Ouch! Damn!” She dropped the decorative pink bag holding Jessica’s birthday gift and glared down at the gray gravel as if it were to blame for all of the problems leading up to this very moment in her twenty-five years of life.
“Stupid rocks!” She blinked back hot tears and then tried to get her sorry-ass self under control. “Okay.
O-kay
. Just chill!” She swallowed hard. After all, the first twenty-four years were pretty darned good. It was only the past few months that had sucked, especially this past week.
Bella slipped her sandal back on, picked up her present once more, and flipped her hair over her shoulder. But instead of walking over to the front door, she stood there and contemplated getting into her Lexus and leaving. She glanced left and right without moving her head, not wanting anyone who might happen to be watching to think she was passing
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