Author: Jaci Burton

AFTER DINNER, ELIZABETH HELPED WITH THE DISHES, then went looking for Gavin. She found him out back cleaning the grill.

“Chicken was good.”

He smiled at her. “Yeah, it was.”

“Your mother is awesome the way she’s taken control over everything. How she handles it all . . .”

“She holds up well. She’s got him home, and he’s going to be fine.”

She sat on one of the patio chairs. “Yes, he’s going to be fine. Which means you need to get back to work.”

He paused, stared at the grill. “Not yet.”

“Gavin, you need to work.”

“I’m not ready yet, Lizzie. A few more days, just to make sure he’s okay.”

“You’re not really doing anything here, Gavin, other than driving yourself crazy. Your dad is on the mend. Mick is here to help out your mom. Jenna has the bar under control. Tara is local, too. Your dad has plenty of help.”

His gaze shot to hers. “I said I’m not ready yet.”

“What are you so afraid of?”

“The question is, Elizabeth, what are you so afraid of? That Gavin will be replaced, and you’ll lose more money?”

She turned her gaze on Mick, who pushed the screen door open and stepped out back.

She knew this conversation should have waited until they were back at Gavin’s house. But he’d been so tense lately, and watching that game today had nearly done him in.

He needed to get back to work. Not for her. God, not for her.

For himself.

“Mick, please. Let me have a minute with Gavin.”

“Why? So you can needle him about how important it is that he play for the Rivers? God, Elizabeth, don’t you ever let up? Is the job always number one to you?”

She stood, wiped her hands down the sides of her Capris. “It’s not like that. I was just—”

“I know what you were just. You were just going to convince Gavin that time is money. Play is money. Image is everything, and if he doesn’t get out on the field, he’s losing image points. Possible contract renegotiation position. I know how you think.”

She shook her head. “No, you don’t. If you’d just let me—”

“Can’t you just for one second think about someone else besides yourself and your career and what’s important to you? What about Gavin, my mother, my father? What about what’s important to them? Did you once stop to think that maybe my mom needs Gavin here for emotional support?”

“I did. I thought—”

“No, you didn’t think at all about that. All you thought about was getting Gavin back on the ball field, so millions of people could see him play. God forbid he’s not out there front and center, on television, in the media. I know the game, Liz. I know your game. And this time I’m not going to let you use Gavin to play it.”

Her gaze shot to Gavin, who hadn’t said a word.

Didn’t he know? Didn’t he understand what she was trying to do?

He didn’t. He believed every word Mick said. He thought it was about the money, the PR, the face time. Not about what was best for Gavin the person, what was best for him inside.

Tears pricked her eyes, and she’d be damned if she’d cry in front of them.

“I’m sorry.”

She brushed past Mick and opened the screen door, past Tara and Gavin’s mom.

“Elizabeth. What’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry. I have to go.”

Tears blinded her as she grabbed her purse and fled to the front door. She pulled it open and ran to her car, peeled out of the driveway and hit the street. She hoped like hell Gavin wouldn’t come after her.

He wouldn’t. She already knew he wouldn’t.

Gavin had believed Mick. Mick’s words had sunk in, had made sense to him. Otherwise, he’d have spoken up, would have said something, would have stopped Mick from saying those awful things.

But he hadn’t.

Deep down Gavin believed Elizabeth was just as bad as Mick thought she was.

She should have seen it, should have known.

At least now she did.

It was over.

GAVIN WAS SUCH AN ASSHOLE. HE’D STOOD THERE AND listened to Mick make those accusations against Elizabeth and hadn’t said a goddamned word.

So fucking typical, wasn’t it? Mick, the big brother, who always knew what was best, right?

Only maybe this time he was right.

Gavin wasn’t ready to go back to the game yet. Mom needed him. So did Dad. And Elizabeth was probably anxious about Gavin missing so many games. She had his professional interests in mind, not his personal ones.

Didn’t she?

Mick had just stood there and stared at him after Elizabeth ran inside, then said, “You know I’m right about this. Open your eyes and see her for who she really is before she hurts you.”

Then he’d gone inside, leaving Gavin alone out there with his thoughts.

All his thoughts.

Only he wasn’t sure which thoughts were the right ones.

“Gavin, what happened?”

His mother stepped outside, a dish towel in her hand.

Gavin bent his head over the grill and scrubbed. “Nothing.”

“Elizabeth ran out of here, and I’m pretty sure she was crying. That doesn’t seem like nothing.”

He shrugged. “I’ll handle it.”

“Did Michael say something to her?”

“Probably nothing that wasn’t the truth.”

She took a seat on the chair. “Expand on that.”

“She wanted me to go back to the game.”

“And?”

“Mick accused her of selfish interests. That she’s only concerned I’ll be replaced.”

“And you said what to that?”

He lifted his gaze to his mother. “I said nothing.”

“So basically you allowed your brother to insult the woman you love, and you didn’t say a word.”

He frowned. “I don’t love her.”

“Is that right?”

“Yeah.”

“You’re sure about that? Because from what I’ve seen of the two of you together, it seems to me you do love her.”

“Don’t tell me how I feel, Mom. We’ve had some fun together. That’s all it is.”

His mom tilted her head and gave him her trademark bullshit look. “You’re so good at denying how you feel.”

He didn’t respond.

“But she’s also your agent. It’s her job to look out for your career.”

“True.”

“And her doing so means she should be lambasted by your brother just because he carries a grudge?”

“That’s his issue to deal with.”

“And you let him continue to do so, with a woman you’ve been seeing and should at least care enough about to defend. I raised you better than that, Gavin.”

He inhaled, let it out, closed the grill, and jammed his fingers through his hair. “I don’t know. This is all so complicated. It wasn’t supposed to be complicated.”

He sat in the chair next to hers. She smiled at him and took his hand. “Relationships are always complicated, Gavin.”

“It’s not what I set out to have with Lizzie. It was just supposed to be something fun.”

“Have you been having fun with her?”

“Yes.”

“So what happened?”

“No clue. I guess somewhere along the way something happened.”

“Something like . . . love?”

He’d never wanted that to enter the picture. Not with Elizabeth. But maybe it had, and he just hadn’t realized it. He sure as hell didn’t want to talk about it with his mother. “I don’t know, Mom. Honestly, I don’t know. I feel something for her. I don’t know what it is.”

“Maybe it’s time you stop running away from it and figure it out.”

“I don’t know if I want to. Elizabeth isn’t easy.”

She laughed. “Neither, my sweet boy, are you.”

THE SECOND GAME WAS WELL UNDER WAY BY THE TIME Gavin joined his dad in the living room.

They sat in silence and watched for a while. Mick and Tara had gone home, and Jenna was at the bar.

The Rivers were behind one run in the seventh inning. The middle of the order was up to bat.

“Your replacement is two for three so far in this game. Stole a base in the third, and drove in a run in the fifth.”

“That’s good. Let’s hope we can win.”

More silence while one player hit a grounder to third for the first out, and the second batter popped out to right field.

Stallings was up next. Gavin leaned forward to study the kid. Decent batting stance; wasn’t afraid of the pitcher’s curveball or his fastball. Wasn’t fooled easily as he took two balls and one strike. When a pitch came sailing over the plate, he launched it over the left field fence for a home run.

Shit. The kid was good.

“Too bad there wasn’t anyone on base,” his dad said.

“Yeah. Too bad.”

Gavin leaned back.

“Saw Elizabeth hightailing it out of here earlier. You piss her off?”

“No. Mick did.”

“About?”

“Don’t worry about it, Dad. You just need to rest.”

His dad leaned forward. “Stop treating me like an invalid. I never had high blood pressure so it’s not like I’m going to explode over here.”

Gavin glanced over to his mother, who was sitting in her chair sewing something by hand. She didn’t look concerned or give him a warning look. In fact, she didn’t look up at all.

“Well?”

“Elizabeth suggested I get back to the game. Mick accused her of trying to manipulate me for her own personal gain.”

His dad snorted. “Your brother isn’t thinking clearly where Elizabeth is concerned, and it’s damn time he got over it already. And didn’t I tell you the same thing? That kid is looking like a hotshot at first base. I’ll bet he makes a damn site less than you do, too.”

Gavin sank into the chair and didn’t say anything. The Rivers were out as the next batter swung on a good pitch.

“So what did you say while Mick was reading the riot act to Elizabeth?”

“Nothing.”

“You’re dating her, and you didn’t defend her?”

Gavin felt like he was eight years old again. Getting a lecture from his dad had never felt good then, and it didn’t now. “No.”

“Because you think she’s manipulating you, that she only cares about your career and not you?”

“I don’t know what to think.”

“And here I thought I raised smart boys. Right now I’m thinking you’re both dumber than dirt.”

Right now that’s about how Gavin felt.

TWENTY-ONE

IF ELIZABETH WOULD HAVE HAD HER WITS ABOUT HER, she could have gone toe-to-toe with Mick. She never let athletes knock her on her ass. If they got in her face, she got right back in theirs. So why had she let Mick do that to her? She should have stood up to him and told him exactly how he was wrong in his thinking. And then told him to stick his opinions about her up his ass once and for all, because she was tired of hearing them.

Dammit.

It was because of Gavin. Okay, and also because she didn’t want to cause World War III at his parents’ house. Not with his dad recovering. She’d never do anything to upset him.

She pulled into the parking lot at Riley’s bar, not sure what the hell she was doing here. Hadn’t she had enough Rileys for a while? Did she need to get her ass kicked by yet another one?

Maybe she was a glutton for punishment. After all, Jenna hadn’t read her the riot act yet. Might as well let her have a turn.