Jake was still smiling, but I could hear his teeth grinding. Especially when Gary bought them all another round. He was going to get me a drink, too, but I waved him off, lifting my cup and taking a sip. Jake tried to refuse, too, but no one listened to him. Apparently, it was a source of pride among fans to be able to buy alcohol for their favorite ballplayer.
And then there was more baseball talk, and cheering, as other players hit ball after ball. Luckily, Rob was still in the lead an hour later, but the derby wasn’t over yet. Meanwhile, Pops had managed to slide into Gary’s seat when the man had left to get more food with his son. Pops was reigning king of the box as he talked baseball like a math genius. And though he got more and more intoxicated, I had to admit, he had a certain charm.
Jake laughed along with everyone else, but I could tell the joy had gone out of him. He still smiled for his fans and even waved to the camera when we showed up on the big board. I had enough time to see our faces—huge on the JumboTron—before he planted a kiss right on my lips.
The embrace was scorching hot—for the cameras. For me, it was too abrupt and way too public. But that was what I’d signed up for, right? Being his special girl this season, complete with thirty-foot images of us in a lip-lock.
Jake tried to soften the kiss. I could feel the pent-up emotions inside him fighting to get loose, but there was too much going on. And so when I pulled back, he let me go, his expression twisted into a rueful apology. Then he leaned forward to give me a hug. But instead of the heartfelt squeeze I expected, Jake whispered into my ear.
“You can leave whenever you want. I’m so sorry. This sucks.”
I pulled back in confusion. “It doesn’t suck…” I protested, but he shook his head and leaned over and spoke into my ear again.
“Maybe not yet, but it will. I’m going to have to find Pops a hotel room.”
Ah, yes. Pops wasn’t going to be sober any time soon. And he sure as hell couldn’t drive in his current state.
I pressed a kiss to his cheek. “No problem. I’ll stay.”
“I wanted to go dancing with you tonight. I wanted to talk about us. About being together for real.” He weighed his words carefully, and gave me a look that had my heart slamming into overdrive. It started me thinking about rings and white dresses, but there wasn’t time to ask anything else because his father decided to interrupt once again, asking some question about a statistic I didn’t understand. Jake’s expression shifted to one of hot fury, blistering the air between us. But he wasn’t angry at me. No, he was royally pissed at his father, who was still holding court one row back.
I wondered, for a split second, if Jake missed the attention. After all, Pops was a charismatic guy who knew how to entertain a crowd. All he asked in return was a steady flow of beer, and lucky for him, everyone here was all too happy to oblige. From the minute the older man had appeared, the flow of attention had shifted from Jake to his dad.
But one look at Jake’s face told me that he didn’t care about the attention. Though he’d been happy to smile for photos, the minute his fans had walked away, he’d turned back to me. I’d even seen a few flashes of annoyance cross his face when we’d been interrupted for seemingly the millionth time.
So it wasn’t the lack of attention that bothered him. It was more about having to take care of Pops. But I didn’t see that for sure until much later. It started when Rob won the Home Run Derby. That was exciting as hell, and I was cheering as loud as everyone else. But when Jake would have liked to go down and celebrate with his teammates—there were as many as a dozen Bobcats collecting down near the field—he didn’t go. He couldn’t. He didn’t want to leave his father alone.
“He will wander off or decide to drive home. I can’t risk it,” he whispered to me. I offered to stay with Pops, but he refused to lay his burden on me.
Those were his exact words, and I began to see the problem in very clear terms.
After the derby was over, people started leaving the ballpark. It was the end of the day’s events, but many were going to check out the bands that had started playing, taking advantage of the previously captive audience. Pops wanted to go, too, but he could barely stand. Truthfully, given how much he’d had to drink, I was surprised he was even conscious. Jake helped his father up, then handed me the car keys.
“Go back to the hotel. I’ll drive his car.”
“No, no!” Pops exclaimed. “You two go dance. Why, me and your mother…” A really funny story followed about how Larry had been conceived after an All-Star Game dance, but neither of us was really listening. There was no way the man could take care of himself.
“I’ll stay with you until you get to his truck.” Then I flashed him my phone. “I’ve made a reservation at our hotel for him.” Fortunately, they’d had a last-minute cancellation, so were able to get him in. Thank you, hotel gods.
Jake’s eyes widened with surprise. “You’re a lifesaver.”
No. It was clear Jake was the real lifesaver. He’d saved mine during the hotel fire, and now he was making sure his father arrived at the hotel in one piece. Because there was no way Pops would survive on his own, not without someone watching him. The burden seemed to be split with his brother, but right now, he was Jake’s problem. And mine, too. It was a long, awful trek to where Pops had parked his truck. By the time we found it, Jake was almost carrying his father.
I had to dig the keys out of Pops’s pocket, and his drunken comments were now embarrassing rather than funny. At least the lots were mostly empty by the time we got Pops settled. Although it was a tight fit, I managed to squeeze in beside him, and Jake drove me to where my car was parked in another lot.
Then we both drove back to the hotel. By the time we’d arrived, though, Pops had completely passed out. Getting him into a hotel room was excruciatingly difficult, and I worried that the man was so drunk, he would need someone to watch him all night. I suggested an ER, but Jake shook his head.
“Do you know how many nights I’ve spent in an ER during the All-Star Game?” he asked. “I’ll stay with him for a few hours here, but the danger is over.”
I smiled. “I’m a nurse. I can—”
“Not a chance. This is supposed to be your vacation.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “Please. Go get some rest.”
There was no arguing with him. He was determined, and so I nodded and went up to our room. He’d gotten us a beautiful suite on a very high floor. I could see so much of the city right outside the window. But it wasn’t as nice without him. And the shower felt cold, because I knew he wouldn’t be waiting for me when I got out. And that was nothing compared with how lonely it felt climbing into the large, empty bed by myself.
It was official. I’d fallen head over heels in love with Jake.
Chapter Nineteen
