Page 100 of Payoff Pitch
She lets out a laugh. “I’m far from perfect. Like I said to you before, sometimes you have to see what you don’t want to know what you do.”
I tuck her hair behind her ear. “Why don’t I draw you a bath? Have you seen the tub? It’s enormous.”
She rests her head on my chest. “Hmm. That sounds good. Will you join me?”
“I thought you might want some time alone…away from me.”
“I know we’re sort of in a weird place, but you’re here and I’d rather be with you. I know things might change when we get home. I just want to enjoy it while it lasts.”
I grab her face. “We will continue to spend time together as long as we both want to do so. Fallon has no say in that.”
“She has a say in who spends time with Harper though.”
“She knows there is no one better to be Harper’s nanny than you. She’ll put Harper’s needs first. She always has.”
Fifteen minutes later we’re sitting in the tub with her leaning back into my chest. I’m rubbing her shoulders, and she sighs. “I’m in heaven. I’ve never been taken care of like this in my life.”
“That’s a shame. You deserve it.”
“Is it wrong that I’m here to bury my mother and yet I’ve never felt more relaxed?”
“Not at all. I’m happy that I’m here with you.”
She turns her head and kisses my jaw. “Me too. Tell me something about you. It doesn’t have to be deep. Maybe tell me what you were like in high school. I bet you were so handsome.”
“Werehandsome, as in past tense?”
She giggles. “You know what I mean.”
“I suppose I did alright with the ladies. I was focused on baseball. Being a professional player meant everything to me. A lot of people, my father included, thought it would happen. I was initially a pitcher being recruited to several top college programs.”
I get a wave of emotion. There’s a reason I never talk about this with anyone.
“And something bad happened?”
“Yes.”
“Was this the incident you mentioned to me a little while ago? The one where you felt you lost control?”
I nod. “It was. My shitty coaches overused me, and I threw my arm out when I was sixteen. My elbow was a mess. I needed surgery. I was out for a year.”
“Oh, Tanner, I’m so sorry.”
She turns around in the tub and straddles me, taking me into her comforting arms.
“I lost my division-one-level throwing speed after thatand was never able to get it back. That’s how I became a shortstop. The division-one offers went away. I decided to play division three with thoughts of working my way up. I was a great defensive player, but my hitting wasn’t there. When you’re a pitcher, you spend time on that, not hitting, so I never developed that properly.”
“Yep. I’ve never even seen Ripley pick up a bat. All she does is pitch.”
I pinch my lips together. The pain feels as fresh as it did back then. “By the end of my sophomore season in college, I knew the realities of my situation. I was never going to be a major league baseball player. I didn’t want to give up on having baseball in my life though. I loved it so much. I still do. My father is the one who suggested becoming a sports agent. It’s easier to break into the field if you’re both a former athlete and an attorney, so that’s how I ended up in law school. I live vicariously through my clients. Layton was among the first I signed. That’s why his career means a lot to me.Meanta lot to me. I suppose it’s over now.”
She grabs my face and gives my lips a soft kiss. “Thanks for sharing all that with me. I know it’s not easy for you.”
She kisses me again. I know she intends for it to be innocent and comforting, but I deepen it. I think we need each other right now, but I don’t want to push her if she’s not up for it. We’ve had a rough few days.
She doesn’t pull away though. She kisses me back every bit as much as I kiss her.
I run my hands down her body to the spot between her legs. “I can help you relax even more if you’d like.”