Page 8

My priority was baseball right now. I shrugged it off. I’d talk to Jane, get this sorted out, and tomorrow I’d think about apartment hunting. “I hadn’t heard about Chad. Don’t worry. I’m sure it won’t take long for me to find a place, and we’ll be on the road half the time anyway. Everything will work out.”

Wally grunted and waved me away from his office. I went to get Ethan, trying to figure out how my move to Red Rock had gotten so complicated.

Chapter 5

Jane

I pulled the tray of lasagna out of the oven, filling the room with the rich smells of tomato, garlic, and melted cheese. My mouth watered and my stomach growled. I’d been so busy at the event, all I’d eaten was the slice of cake earlier. Then the argument with Chad had left me too angry to eat, so now I was overly hungry.

Yet again, Chad had managed to upset my life, although at least this time he’d left without much of an argument when I’d sent him packing. Our last fight, about him cancelling a trip for the kids to come see him, had dragged on for ages.

I tested the lasagna temperature, then slid it back into the oven and popped the foil-wrapped loaf of garlic bread in beside it. Ethan and Carter should be here any minute.

Carter. I swallowed hard and tried to forget the image of him in his suit. He was like a brother to me. A much younger brother. So why did seeing him today have my pulse racing? I was being ridiculous. He was a good-looking man, nothing more. Maybe it was time to try dating again.

The thought made me want to crawl into bed, pull the covers over my head, and hide. My last few attempts had been a bust, with men who were an assortment of boring, controlling, or looking for someone to take care of them. Sorry, I had two kids already, and I didn’t need another one. None of them had been even slightly supportive of my goals. I was not willing to put my dreams on hold for any man, ever again.

I’d sworn off dating while I was trying to make my bakery profitable. Now that I’d landed the contract with the Fliers, I’d be profitable, but would have even less time. Besides, men did nothing but complicate things. Baseball players were even worse. Always on the road, being traded, being tempted by other women. I did not need to relive my past.

I tossed my oven mitts and began washing and chopping vegetables for a salad, thinking about different items that would make perfect ballpark treats. Focusing on sugary creations allowed me to calm down after my confrontation with Chad. Dreaming up new recipes and designs was my happy place.

The front door opened and I tensed. I’d forgotten to lock the door when Chad stormed out. The sound of Ethan’s voice drifted down the hall, and I released the death grip I had on the knife in my hand.

“When you hit that walk-off home run in the bottom of the tenth? That was the most amazing thing. Dad was pissed.” Ethan laughed as he led Carter into the kitchen.

“Ethan, language,” I reminded him, pointing at the half-full swear jar beside the fridge. He rolled his eyes but dug a loonie out of his pocket and tossed it into the jar, the dollar coin clinking as it landed.

I’d instituted the jar for all of us after a particularly curse-filled conversation with my brother about my divorce from Chad. Neither Ethan nor Brooke had heard most of it, but they had heard the tail end of my tirade and ribbed me about my language. I was always riding them about swearing, making me a hypocrite, which both of them pointed out. That had hurt, so I’d challenged them with the jar. Now that they were both older, the jar was a family joke, but all of us still dutifully chipped in the required dollar if we broke the rules.

“You’ve got a family swear jar? I’ll have to watch myself, or I’ll be making some contributions.” Carter smirked.

“Hi, Carter.” My stomach flipped over again when we made eye contact. This was silly. I was asking a huge favour from him, and I needed to get my physical response to him under control. I reached for his suit jacket to hang in the closet, trying to not stare at the way his tailored shirt hugged his muscular shoulders. When he started rolling up the cuffs, exposing forearms covered with a sprinkling of golden hair, my mouth went dry. This man was almost too pretty.

Carter flashed a smile. “Thanks for the invitation. A home-cooked meal on my first night in town? Reminds me of my rookie year.”

A memory of the fresh-faced kid who had stayed with us popped into my head, and the contrast between him and the man who stood before me now was stark. This would be a lot easier if he were still that eager young man.

“Do you want a drink? I’ve got a bottle of red open if you want wine, or I could get you something else.” I tore my eyes away and reached for the bottle. I wanted another drink, even if he decided he didn’t. Carter hadn’t been much of a drinker when he stayed with us, but a lot could change in ten years.

“One glass sounds good. I don’t drink during the season, but opening day is still a week away.”

Carter seemed completely relaxed, acting like it had been weeks since we’d seen each other, rather than years. Some of the stress that had my body wound tight lessened. Maybe he would agree to my impetuous plan. I poured him a glass and ignored the way my skin tingled when my fingers brushed his as I handed it to him.

“How was practice?” Ethan had been working hard on improving his batting skills, was dying to be selected high in the draft after he graduated. As much as I wanted him to go to college first, baseball was his passion. If he was selected, especially by one of his desired teams, he would forgo more school and head for the minor leagues. He wanted to launch his career as soon as possible, and I couldn’t blame him for that. Waiting might mean he lost his chance, and the last thing I wanted was for his dream to slip through his fingers.

“Carter helped me with my leg kick to see if that gave me more power. I think it made a difference.” Ethan poured himself a glass of water and downed it in hurried gulps. “Do I have time to get Carter to sign his league championship poster before we eat? He said he would.”

“You have ten minutes.”

Ethan whooped and took the stairs two at a time, heading for his room.

I hid my amusement. Ethan clearly had a small case of hero worship happening. It was nice, considering how distant Chad had been for the last few years. His easy acceptance of Carter was a relief. If Carter agreed to move in, Ethan probably wouldn’t have any complaints. I glanced back at Carter and caught him staring at me. Wondering about my cryptic text, probably.

“It was nice of you to agree to autograph the poster for him.”

A faint flush climbed Carter’s cheeks. “I’m happy to do it. That series is my last truly good memory of playing ball. After I wasn’t there to help my team in the World Championship, and we lost, that winning the league means even more to me.”

Carter’s confession reminded me of when he was with us before, when he’d talk about his parents and growing up in Ontario. We’d developed an easy friendship then, and it seemed he wanted to pick up where we left off.