Refraining from frowning, AJ glanced down at her hands casually. At least she wasn’t wearing any rings. But just because she was the brainy daughter of the coach—a man he had the utmost respect for—and she was doing a damn good job of raising one of the most amazing little girls he’d ever met, it didn’t make her a good girl by default. Brainy or not, she’d already gotten knocked up once by someone who didn’t care to stick around. Judging from her age and Clair’s, she’d been pretty damn young when it happened too.

As much of a curiosity as she’d been even before he knew who she was, AJ could admit the fact that she was the coach’s daughter and that alone should make her off limits, made her even more intriguing. Still because she was the coach’s daughter, or rather especially because she was, not to mention his best buddy’s mom, he’d have to take extreme caution before considering anything with Addison.

Her friendliness with the guys earlier made him curious about something else suddenly. “Why haven’t I met you until—?”

“There you are.” Miranda cozied up next to him. “I’m glad you made it on time. I was worried after our long night last night you might be late.”

Feeling the heat of annoyance rise up his back and neck, AJ turned to Miranda, not sure how best to respond to her comment.

“Are you AJ’s girlfriend?” Clair asked, curiously tilting her head.

“No,” AJ responded a little too quickly but couldn’t even look at Addison now, so he focused on Clair’s curious eyes. “No, she’s not.”

“Not yet anyway,” Miranda winked at Clair. “I’d say after last night we’re at least more than friends now.”

Feeling every muscle in his body tense, AJ had never in his life felt the urge to tell a woman to shut the fuck up. Things only got worse.

Miranda laughed softly then offered Clair her hand. “I’m AJ’s friend and you are?”

“I’m Clair, AJ’s best buddy,” Clair said, shaking Miranda’s hand. “This is my mom and my nana,” she said, doing the introductions.

“Oh, nice to meet you Nana and Mom,” Miranda said, reaching her hand out to both.

“McKayla,” Mrs. Lara said as she shook Miranda’s hand.

“Nice to have met you both,” Addison said without offering her name but shook Miranda’s hand.

She didn’t bother looking at AJ again. Instead, she turned to Clair. “We gotta get Nana up to the suite. Her leg wasn’t feeling so good earlier, remember?”

“Have a good game, AJ,” Clair said as she began walking off with Addison and McKayla through the crowded infield.

AJ took a deep breath as he finished buckling his catcher’s gear, not just to calm down from being too rude to Miranda when he dismissed her, but because Addison hadn’t gone straight to their suite like she said she would. Clair and her nana did—without Addison. She seemed in enough hurry and concerned for her mother’s leg when they walked away, yet she’d easily been sidetracked by a few of those same players she’d been chatting with earlier.

Within minutes, she was giggling again in that way that shouldn’t but irritated AJ to no end.

Chapter 2

Addison

From the time she’d been a little girl, Daddy’s girl, Addison had had a weakness for baseball players. She loved everything about the sport and everything about her daddy. She’d had her entire future planned from about the same age as Clair. She would grow up to be either a major league statistician or become the best baseball scout that ever was. She’d marry a baseball player, and she’d homeschool their kids so they could follow him all around the country during the season and not miss a single one of his games. So far, she was oh for three. From the look of her stats, they’d likely stay that way for good.

Addison had been born late in her parents’ lives, a sort of miracle baby who, after years of trying, they’d finally been able to have with the help of in vitro fertilization. Her mom did confess that, by the time one of the many tries took, she’d been ready to just give up and accept they’d never be parents.

With them becoming parents so late in life, by the time she’d graduated from high school at only seventeen, her dad had already retired from playing and moved on to mentoring and coaching. Back then, he was still mentoring in the minors, but it was perfect for her. She had access to meeting and being around up-and-coming young baseball players not much older than herself.

Having been such an academic loner her entire life, she knew little about socializing and even less about boys. When she graduated from high school, instead of a trip anywhere exotic and because she already had a brand new car, her parents had gotten her what she’d requested for her seventeenth birthday: a transformation. She’d been tired of being that bookworm with the thick glasses and reputation of a recluse. That was never going to land her the baseball-playing boyfriend she’d always dreamed of.

It was stupid and shallow, but she’d only been seventeen at the time. She was a high-school graduate and had never even held a boy’s hand, let alone been kissed by one. She’d been so ready and excited about the change: a brand new Addison.

Her mom, bless her heart, had been all for it. Addison got a new hairdo complete with highlights, contact lenses, a makeover, and an entire new wardrobe. She even finally took up her much more outgoing and popular cousin on her invitations to go out with her that summer, and Addison finally got that first kiss. The bad thing was she began to enjoy the new change too much, particularly the boys who took more than a liking to the new Addison. She was quickly out of control then discovered yet another character flaw: how easily her inexperienced heart fell for the wrong guys—especially baseball players.

It was a hard life lesson learned, but at least the lesson came early in life. It was also the reason why she’d decided to take the position in Chicago. After years of being away from all this, she felt stronger and wiser now.

Addison had known coming back to live with her parents was a risk. This weekend was exactly what she’d been trying to avoid all those years—getting back into the routine of meeting or getting close to any of her father’s trainees and players. Since they’d moved out here, she’d spent her time avoiding making it out to any of the games. Already she’d spent the better part of her first weekend back in her dad’s world mingling with the guys—guys she’d known from way back in their minor league days and she hadn’t seen in years.

Now here she was on her way to spend the rest of the evening with a bunch of them. After spending the last two days catching up with some of the guys and meeting new ones, she was beyond confident she’d conquered her weakness for ballplayers. Addison was older, wiser, and knew better now. More importantly, it wasn’t just about her anymore. She had someone far more important to think of now. She may’ve been careless when opening up her heart to anyone in the past, when it was just her own heart she was risking, but now she had Clair’s to think about. No way was she letting that little girl’s heart be crushed by some guy Addison brought into their lives, even if he was one she’d been lusting over for years. She hadn’t even been in the man’s presence longer than a weekend, and already he’d confirmed two things she’d feared might be the case with him.

He was as arrogant as she’d expected a superstar athlete like himself to be. And he was a lady killer, one who’d promptly stomp all over her heart if she let him.

Addison’s father and Clair spoke highly of the guy. Her father had often referred to him as a class act. Clearly, he was a different man when it came to women. She’d seen the way he’d checked her out, eyeing her from top to bottom at one point then sauntering away as if to make his point that he’d give her the time of day when he was good and ready.