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"Most girls don’t make me laugh like you. And most girls sure don’t know how to…" He paused to give her a sweet, lingering kiss with enough tongue to let her know exactly where his mind was headed with his next comparison. "…talk baseball like you,” he finished.
They both dissolved into laugher, with Katie beaming and preening over the compliment, until Landon finally tugged her off the counter and said, "Let’s go back to bed, baby."
For the second night in a row, they fell asleep watching television.For the second night in a row, she slept soundly, the solid warmth of his body providing all the security she needed. And for the second morning in row, Katie woke up alone toThe Caro and Jim Morning Show.
chapter 17
Katie yanked the alarm clock’s cord out of the wall just in case Jim and Caro started talking baseball again. Landon had two days off and the plane to Texas didn’t leave until noon tomorrow. He’d mentioned it more than once last night. He'd certainly had the time to say a proper good-bye.
She tried to get up, but instead fell back onto her sheets to smother a defeated moan by rolling into her pillow. The pillow that smelled like Landon.
A jiggling sound perked her ears. She sat up on the bed with wild hair and flushed cheeks just as Landon strolled through the door carrying a small paper sack. He came right over to the bed, grabbed her phone off the nightstand, and dropped it on the bed in front of her.
"Call in sick to work."
Katie shook her head right away. "I can’t. I’m still toonew to call in sick."
"I didn’t realize illnesses checked dates of hire. New employees get sick too, Katie. C’mon, I want to show you some cool stuff. I can’t remember the last time I had a day off during the season with nothing else on my schedule, not to mention someone to spend it with."
"Even if I didn’t have to work, you know we can’t be seen out together. You can’t even get coffee without twenty people wanting to take a selfie with you."
"I’ve thought of all that, and I have the whole day planned out— see, aplan,just like you like—and we’ll fly under the radar the whole time."
"That seems awfully risky, Landon…"
"It’s not, trust me, and you definitely need a day off too. I’ve seen the way Lori runs you ragged. Call it a mental health day."
Just one more time, Katie thought, the same promise she kept making to herself and failing to keep. Except those promises had been for a kiss or one night. How could she pass up spending an entire day with him? Just one day to make it all worth it if she ended up losing her job. Then, before the Mavericks flew off for their next stretch of away games, she would end it once and for all with him. Cut off contact completely. Cold turkey.
"Okay, butunder the radar. I mean it, Landon."
While she showered and dressed, he dug into the paper shopping bag and attached an extra security lock to her door jamb. It was the first time since her dad passed that anyone had tried to make her feel secure and Katie had a hard time putting on her eye makeup listening to him work.
She waited until she was fully dressed to make the dreaded call, which as expected, Lori did not take well, then they made the short walk from her apartment to his truck. The day was already hot, but Katie wore a hoodie over her sleeveless blouse and denim shorts, hood up, and she added a pair of sunglasses for good measure.
"So where are we going?" she asked once they were on the road.
"To breakfast. The best breakfast in town actually."
"Landon…"
"Katie…" Landon mimicked, then added. "You’ll love the view if nothing else. Just relax and trust me."
She had some success with that, right up until Landon took the exit for downtown. Downtown meant crowds and people. Seeing as she’d been accused of being uptight a time or two, she bit her tongue, but her leg bounced in the passenger seat as the skyscrapers got taller and the sidewalks more crowded. When they pulled up next to another vehicle at a stoplight, her hand moved up to hide her face.
"Relax. The windows are tinted. Not that anyone could pinpoint your identity over there Unabomber."
"Ha ha," Katie threw back, but she did slip the hoodie off her head.
A few blocks later, he flipped on the blinker and pulled onto a side street, then into an underground parking garage beneath a tall building with a cream colored brick facade. The gate blocking the entrance eased open almost automatically, and Katie leaned forward to look for some signage as the truck rolled into the tunnel. The Four Seasons. The fanciest hotel in town with a brunch rumored to be stellar. Even Katie had heard about it in her short time living in the area.
Her heart sank a little. Probably another staff of Maverick fans and a private room in the back. She could appreciate Landon’s effort, but even that was getting risky. Sure, they all promised to be discreet, but some of them had to be talking to the tabloids.
Katie fretted over her options, nibbling on a thumbnail as they drove down into the dim concrete garage where nearly every spot was occupied with a high-end vehicle. Landon drove down three rows, all completely full, before finding an open spot in a back corner that at least seemed semi-private. Only five parking spaces shared the alcove, which included an elevator with the Four Seasons logo and the words "Private Entrance Only" right below it in gold script.
Landon had to enter a code to call the elevator which thankfully showed up empty and apparently required no further direction as to which floor to stop on. She hesitated when the doors opened again, but Landon grabbed her hand and tugged her through with a shake of his head.
"Geezus, Katie, will you trust me? It’s private."
