I haven't seen any striped pants with plaid shirts and polka-dotted sweater vests."
He laughed. "I wear solids so I don't have to worry about prints clashing, and my uniform isn't much of a challenge."
"When were you thinking of going?"
"Tomorrow?"
"That's the day I was planning to go out to lunch and
shopping with my friend, Roz."
"Oh, well, maybe some other time. It was mostly an excuse to spend more time with you, anyway."
Merry's cheeks heated. "You sure are a charmer."
"Nah."
"Ah ha! I knew you were too good to be true."
"What do you mean?"
"I've been waiting for some kind of imperfection to show up. Liar, liar, pants on fire."
He raised his eyebrows. Either that was so immature it bothered him or… oh, maybe they were on fire, figuratively speaking. She glanced at his crotch. Yup, a nice big bulge right at the intersection of said pants.
The giant "duck" rolled into the water of the Charles River. As its tires left the boat ramp, the vehicle floated. The breeze picked up and chilled him, so Jason zipped up his jacket. He'd caught Merry stealing a glimpse at the tent in his pants before he covered it, though. Not that he wasn't proud of his assets, but it was damn cold. Better hide it before there's any shrinkage.
"Want to go inside?" he asked.
"Sure, but when we sit down, can it be my turn to ask the questions?"
He smiled. "Turnabout is fair play—as they say."
The tour guide had apparently been told to take the night off from commentary. He smiled as the couple reseated themselves and remained quiet. Then he turned his back and let them have their privacy again.
Jason took the opportunity to cup Merry's cheek and give her a tender kiss. She melted into him and wrapped both arms around his back. They fit as if they were made for each other. Her lips were so soft and kissing her
warmed him like no jacket could.
Jason knew he was falling fast and hard, but for some reason putting on the brakes felt like the wrong thing to do. When they finally pulled apart, she sighed and said, "You're very good at that."
"So are you."
"I doubt I've had nearly as much practice as you've had. You must inspire me."
He smiled, then kissed her on her forehead. Better move on to another subject. "So what else did you want to know about me?"
"Oh, I don't know. What's important to you— besides baseball?"
"Yeah, that's pretty much a given. I like other sports, too. I played football back in high school. I like to swim. When I finally had to concentrate on one thing, it wasn't hard to decide. Baseball is where my heart has always been."
"Swimming, huh? I love to swim too. I grew up near the beach and my parents felt we all needed to learn to swim as early as possible, for safety if nothing else. Where did you swim in land-locked Minnesota?"
"I guess you don't know our state's nickname. Land of Ten Thousand Lakes?"
"Oh, yeah. That sounds familiar now."
"My family had a place on Lake Superior. You'd be surprised how much it resembles the ocean. Complete with lighthouses, fishing boats, and seagulls."
"I'd love to go there someday. But then, I'd love to go anywhere. I've never been out of New England, except for a couple of trips to New York."
"Seriously?" Jason caught himself, but it was probably too late. He didn't mean to point out how unworldly
she was.
"I guess you've traveled all over the country."
He laughed. "Yeah, I've seen quite a bit of this big mud ball we live on."
"More than the United States?"
"Yeah, besides Canada and Mexico, I've been to Europe, Russia, and Japan."
"Japan? You're kidding! When did you go there?"
"In college. Baseball is a huge sport in Japan, and I was curious about the place."
"So you just up and went there?"
"Yup."
"By
He laughed. "I wear solids so I don't have to worry about prints clashing, and my uniform isn't much of a challenge."
"When were you thinking of going?"
"Tomorrow?"
"That's the day I was planning to go out to lunch and
shopping with my friend, Roz."
"Oh, well, maybe some other time. It was mostly an excuse to spend more time with you, anyway."
Merry's cheeks heated. "You sure are a charmer."
"Nah."
"Ah ha! I knew you were too good to be true."
"What do you mean?"
"I've been waiting for some kind of imperfection to show up. Liar, liar, pants on fire."
He raised his eyebrows. Either that was so immature it bothered him or… oh, maybe they were on fire, figuratively speaking. She glanced at his crotch. Yup, a nice big bulge right at the intersection of said pants.
The giant "duck" rolled into the water of the Charles River. As its tires left the boat ramp, the vehicle floated. The breeze picked up and chilled him, so Jason zipped up his jacket. He'd caught Merry stealing a glimpse at the tent in his pants before he covered it, though. Not that he wasn't proud of his assets, but it was damn cold. Better hide it before there's any shrinkage.
"Want to go inside?" he asked.
"Sure, but when we sit down, can it be my turn to ask the questions?"
He smiled. "Turnabout is fair play—as they say."
The tour guide had apparently been told to take the night off from commentary. He smiled as the couple reseated themselves and remained quiet. Then he turned his back and let them have their privacy again.
Jason took the opportunity to cup Merry's cheek and give her a tender kiss. She melted into him and wrapped both arms around his back. They fit as if they were made for each other. Her lips were so soft and kissing her
warmed him like no jacket could.
Jason knew he was falling fast and hard, but for some reason putting on the brakes felt like the wrong thing to do. When they finally pulled apart, she sighed and said, "You're very good at that."
"So are you."
"I doubt I've had nearly as much practice as you've had. You must inspire me."
He smiled, then kissed her on her forehead. Better move on to another subject. "So what else did you want to know about me?"
"Oh, I don't know. What's important to you— besides baseball?"
"Yeah, that's pretty much a given. I like other sports, too. I played football back in high school. I like to swim. When I finally had to concentrate on one thing, it wasn't hard to decide. Baseball is where my heart has always been."
"Swimming, huh? I love to swim too. I grew up near the beach and my parents felt we all needed to learn to swim as early as possible, for safety if nothing else. Where did you swim in land-locked Minnesota?"
"I guess you don't know our state's nickname. Land of Ten Thousand Lakes?"
"Oh, yeah. That sounds familiar now."
"My family had a place on Lake Superior. You'd be surprised how much it resembles the ocean. Complete with lighthouses, fishing boats, and seagulls."
"I'd love to go there someday. But then, I'd love to go anywhere. I've never been out of New England, except for a couple of trips to New York."
"Seriously?" Jason caught himself, but it was probably too late. He didn't mean to point out how unworldly
she was.
"I guess you've traveled all over the country."
He laughed. "Yeah, I've seen quite a bit of this big mud ball we live on."
"More than the United States?"
"Yeah, besides Canada and Mexico, I've been to Europe, Russia, and Japan."
"Japan? You're kidding! When did you go there?"
"In college. Baseball is a huge sport in Japan, and I was curious about the place."
"So you just up and went there?"
"Yup."
"By
Similar Books
