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“I don’t complain about that either,” Maria chortled.
Damn them. She thought back to the first time Linc had gone down on her and her entire body flushed with the recollection.
“Won’t hear one from me about that. What about you, Emma? Linc as good at that as I bet he is?”
“Yes.” The answer rolled from her mouth before she could even pretend to corral it and stuff it into the box it should be in.
“Yeah, doesn’t surprise me.” Dawson huffed. “We’re going to have to run again.”
“Wait, I thought we weren’t supposed to run from a T-Rex. I thought it was supposed to be standing still for that one.”
“Who said that?” Maria questioned.
“Jeff Goldblum.”
Both laughed. “So, you were staring at the man on the screen, not hearing what he was saying.” Dawson slugged her in the arm. “I’m about to die by dino teeth because you were thinking with your ovaries about Goldblum.”
Emma tossed her hands up. “It’s his walk—that damn swagger. Don’t judge!”
Those bitches were judging. Totally.
Chapter Nineteen
Linc hefted the bats and helmets from the bed of his truck and carried them to the dugout. This was the last game of the season for his kids and it was an away game. No doubt the stands would be filled. He dreaded seeing Emma cheering on their girl. And yes, despite his colossal fuckup, Greer was their girl. Much like Emma was his woman.
“Hi, Linc.”
Dropping the gear, he turned to find Melissa Towery, mother to Karly, one of the high schoolers who helped out at the center, standing there.
“Mrs. Towery. What can I do for you?”
“I just wanted to stop by before others arrived and tell you how sorry I am that you and Emma broke up.” She settled a hand on his arm, her bloodred nails curling to dig into his skin. “I’m around if you need anything.”
He removed her hand and walked by her. “Thanks.”
At his truck, he began reaching in for the cooler when a pair of arms came over the side and pulled it out. Adam.
“What are you doing here?”
“It’s baseball. Where else would I be?” A grin. “Besides, I wasn’t about to turn down an opportunity to meet the woman who kicked your ass and turned your world upside down.”
His heart ached. “She’s probably not coming.”
Adam snorted. “Man, I’ve already met her and Greer. Tully and Mitchell were right. She’s far too good for you.”
Tell him something he didn’t know. Then it hit him. Adam said she was at the game. Immediately he scanned those gathered, searching for her. It had been nearly a week since he had gone to her house. She was polite if they saw each other at the center but she did a damn good job of not running into him.
There.
It wasn’t just a visual that told him he’d found her. His entire body reacted to her. Heart pounding hard, breath coming faster and, of course, soul sighing in relief. She crouched by the bleachers, speaking to Greer, who wore her uniform and had her long hair braided down her back.
After a nod to her mother, the child scampered over to the dugout and vanished.
“Take that for me, will you?”
“Sure,” Adam called out with a chuckle.
Linc was over by the bleachers before it sank in what he was doing. What the fuck am I doing? Approaching her?
Too late to move away, he was beside her and she looked up at him when he cleared his throat. It was fast how she masked her true emotion, but he saw it. This time. Before, he had missed it, but this time, it was as plain as the nose on his face. She missed him and still had feelings for him.
“Emma.”
“Mr. Conner.” A slow blink. “Something I can do for you?”
“Could I have a word with you?” He noticed how many gazes were on them. “In private.”
Hard to ignore the people who snickered behind their hands. Emma took a deep breath and gave a small nod. Linc held out his hand to her and the depth of pain that lanced him when she ignored it almost brought him to his knees.
Dawson watched him, her expression cold and calculating. That woman would be the first one to Emma’s side if he fucked up any more than he already had.
She walked with him until they were barely out of earshot of those doing a shitty job of pretending they weren’t trying to eavesdrop on the conversation. Tipping his head, he scowled when he noticed she wouldn’t meet his gaze.
“Say your piece, Mr. Conner. I have to get back and watch my daughter play her last game.”
“I’m sorry.”
She glanced up at him, expression blank. “Is that all?”
“Freckles, please. I’m trying to fix this.”
She walked away and he cursed before turning to watch her climb the bleachers.
He couldn’t, wouldn’t, give up on her. He had to apologize and make this right. She was the one for him. That was obvious and it should have been sooner. Like before he opened his mouth and accused her of shit that, had he been thinking rationally, he knew she wouldn’t ever do.
