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It gratified the hell out of him to see Josie run the tip of her tongue over her lip. A quick, surreptitious taste that sent a surge of longing through him so strong it stole his breath.
“I’ll grant you this,” she said finally, her voice light but certain. “That was a whole lot more persuasive than your first reason.”
“I’ve been wanting to do that since the first night in my mother’s kitchen,” he admitted, scavenging the will to straighten, knowing he’d never see the end of the game if he kept touching her this way. “And now that you know what I want, the next move is yours.”
*
Josie couldn’t thinkabout anything else but that kiss through the game’s final innings. What did she want to happen next? She wanted more time with Cal. Of course she did. He was an incredibly appealing man. Add to that his obvious closeness with his family—doing chores for Everett, showing up here tonight for Nate even though it clearly made him uncomfortable on a lot of levels—and Josie was sorely tempted to accept his invitation for an affair.
It sounded so illicit. So hot. Even the time limit held appeal for her since she was skittish of men after the Tom Belvedere disaster. By giving their relationship firm boundaries and a clearly agreed-upon end date, Cal had struck just the right note to entice her, even if she had been hoping to stick around Last Stand after her job ended. Maybe she should have mentioned that to Cal—about her hope to find work on the farm after her job with his mother was over. He’d been so upfront with her.
Sitting beside him now, back in the reserved section for Last Stand fans, Josie was aware of his every movement. His every look. She could feel his gaze on her like a physical caress, and it made her wonder how she could get through two more weeks living next door to himwithoutacting on his tantalizing proposal. Maybe she should just scrap her hope of staying here after the job ended and throw herself into a wild affair with Cal for the rest of her time here.
Seize whatever happiness she could while she had the chance.
She’d forced herself to pay attention to Nate’s final at-bat of the evening when he struck out looking, which was apparently some sort of unforgivable crime according to Clint Ramsey.
She tried to ignore the man’s loud diatribe behind them, but Cal was clearly irritated by his dad’s running commentary. Josie was glad when the game came to an end. Nate’s team won by two runs, sending the home team off the field early. Cal’s dad left the party deck, hands shoved in his trouser pockets, his head down, while his much younger bride hurried after him in shoes that would have twisted Josie’s ankles within ten steps.
“There’s a happy surprise,” Cal muttered darkly, watching them leave. He withdrew his phone and started texting. “I’m letting Nate know the coast is clear if he wants to meet us here.”
“He must not have his phone on the field,” Josie observed, pointing to where his brother stood talking to a couple of teammates near third base.
A couple of their players were being interviewed by media outlets—or at least that’s what she guessed the camera crews meant. Music played over the stadium speakers while the majority of fans left the bleachers to find their vehicles. Closer to Josie and Cal on the party deck, Nate’s friends and supporters were moving toward the railing, waiting their turn to say hello.
“You’re right,” Cal agreed, pocketing the phone and moving closer to the railing with her. “I thought he might return to the clubhouse before he came up to the stands.” He peered around the deck full of Last Stand residents waving T-shirts and hats for the players to sign. “I know he’s anxious to see one friend in particular.”
“Right.” Josie remembered hearing Nate mention a woman’s name in that phone call she’d heard between them in Cal’s car. “Who is Keely Harper?”
“An old girlfriend of his.” His flat voice told Josie what he thought of her.
“And that’s a problem because…?” Curious to learn more about the Ramsey men’s romantic relationships, she was intrigued.
“Keely broke things off with him as soon as he signed a contract,” he said in a low tone for her ears only. “Between you and me, I’m pretty sure she broke his heart. So for her to show up now when he stands a chance of getting into the big league—”
He shrugged, letting the observation dangle unfinished.
“You think she’s after his money?”
“Possibly. The jump from minor league to major league pay is fairly staggering. Baseball keeps its minor leaguers earning just over minimum wage, while the players at the highest level are some of the best paid athletes in the world.” Cal frowned as he scanned the fans from Last Stand, some still sitting at their tables with friends and family, some crowding near the railing. “But I don’t see Keely.”
“He’s heading this way,” Josie noted, wondering if Cal’s concerns were normal older-brother protectiveness and not based in reality. She remembered how Nate had sounded in that phone call when he asked about the woman—clearly, he’d looked forward to seeing her.
She watched Nate Ramsey as he neared the bleachers, a collective shout going up from his hometown fans. Dressed in a gray-and-blue baseball jersey with blue pants smudged with dirt, he was tall—well over six foot—and lankier than his brother. With light brown hair and dark brown eyes, he had an infectious grin and an easy, loping walk. She could see him catch his brother’s eye right away, although he turned his attention to signing balls and T-shirts for the kids first and foremost. He had a kind word for everyone as he passed back programs and gloves, thanking parents for coming.
“He seems like a charmer,” Josie whispered to Cal when his brother was almost done signing.
“He may be a changeling,” Cal joked, although his pride in his sibling was evident in his voice. “He’s definitely the most likable Ramsey.”
Josie frowned. “I’d still pick you,” she assured him. “And is that fair to your youngest brother?”
“Wes is the best ballplayer, and that comes with its own rewards, believe me,” Cal told her drily, palming her back to nudge her forward now that Nate had finished signing. “Come on. I’ll introduce you.”
Her skin tingled where he touched her, reminding her she had a serious decision ahead of her where this man was concerned. Did she want to take him up on his offer of a two-week affair? Her heart sped faster while the brothers clasped hands.
“Hello, Brother,” Nate greeted him, scaling the wall with the railing using his long legs.
Cal kept hold of his hand, tugging him up and over, onto the deck just above field level. “Good game, Nate. Sweet double.”
