“No, no problem at all.”

“Good. I’ll catch up with you later.”

She walked away, and he had a good glimpse of the rear view, something with her he always enjoyed. When his eyes lifted, he saw Phil giving him an understanding smile. Was he that transparent?

If so, he didn’t want her to catch on and maybe permanently transfer his case to someone else. So he went back to pumping iron, grateful to have something physical to do. It wasn’t until she disappeared into her office that he finally lowered the weights and allowed her assistant to ice him.

He was sure they could work together after that kiss. He’d prove it to her. And to himself.

When he returned to the locker room later that day, he passed Jake in the batting cage. A longing filled him, and he watched as the shortstop nailed a ball and sent it soaring into the humid air.

This was something else he would have to get used to on the East Coast. Even though the chill had thawed and spring finally seemed inevitable, the air just seemed heavier, wetter than what he was used to. It had rained last night, and the ball field still glittered with droplets. The sky was overcast, and he knew at this time of year the forecasts would probably contain lots of showers. It was a factor he would need to take into consideration, for humidity actually decreased air density and a ball would go considerably farther.

And that’s what was happening with Jake. He slammed the next pitch, and they both grinned when it sailed over the wall. The shortstop felt his eyes on him and turned, holding up the bat, one brow arched in a question.

He didn’t hesitate. Although he wasn’t supposed to do this yet, Gavin didn’t give a damn. His hands ached to hold that Louisville Slugger and do what he was meant to do. Eagerly, he went into the batting cage as Jake stepped aside and he gripped the bat, feeling the familiar weight of it in his hand.

“Don’t pivot or lean on that leg,” Jake warned, watching him closely. “But I know how you feel. Go ahead, give it a try. I’ll keep an eye on you and let you know if something looks off.”

He nodded, and made contact with the next pitch. It didn’t go as far as Jake’s, but he’d choked his hold on the bat and shortened his swing so he wouldn’t torque his body. He was rewarded with that indescribable thrill of seeing the ball take flight.

His throat actually got tight and he stepped forward to take another shot, assuming his normal stance. Jake held up his hand to stop him, and then indicated the plate.

“Lean more on the right side. I know this is going to feel awkward, but when you swing make sure you don’t transfer the weight like you normally would. Let your upper body do the work right now.”

“Right.” He did as Jake advised, even though it felt awkward. But it was safe, and would allow him to hit a few balls without hurting himself. He missed the next two, unable to get used to the position and losing his rhythm. But he nailed the next one, and he felt a ridiculous grin break out on his face as it soared into the atmosphere.

“Smoked it,” Jake said, and they both laughed. For the first time in a long time, Gavin felt normal. He stepped up to try again, but Jake put his hand on the bat.

“I think that’s enough today. I don’t need that redhead coming after me.” He smirked, and Gavin nodded, understanding. “But tell you what. We’ll keep this our little secret. I’ve been taking extra practice around this time every day. Find a way to pop over so that no one notices. You can start out slow, like this, and then work up as your knee heals. We can even set up a stool in the cage so you can’t cheat.”

“Thanks.” His eyes met Jake’s. He didn’t know how to express what he was thinking or feeling. Thankfully, he didn’t have to.

“You’re welcome.” As they walked away from the cage, Jake indicated the locker room and put an arm around his shoulder. “By the way, we’re pranking Chase tonight. His wedding invitations just went out, so we filled his locker with Playboy magazines and condoms, just to remind him of what he’ll be missing. Make sure you get there before him. This should be pretty good.”

Gavin chuckled. “You guys are brutal.”

But he was beginning to be glad to be one of them.

Chapter 12

The Cincinnati Reds rode into town with a flourish. While they were not as good a team as the Sonics, they had a way of playing the role of a spoiler, costing the team games and keeping them off balance for much of the season, so the Sonics did not approach the series with confidence.

But for Jessica, it was the awareness that Zach was here, right in her backyard, that was more than a little nerve-racking.

She’d meant what she said to her brother, that she couldn’t run away every time he came to New Jersey. She was in her career for the long haul, and as a sports therapist for a baseball team, she was bound to cross paths with him occasionally. She just wished there had been a little more time for the emotion to die out before she’d have to see him again.

And she knew it would, eventually. Zach couldn’t understand her breaking up with him over cheating, told her she was being ridiculous. When she made it clear there was no going back, he got angry and spiteful. She had wanted to stay friends, but he made that impossible. He would send her irritating texts at strange hours and phoned her day after day, hanging up if she answered. She’d heard that he had moved on, was dating a gorgeous actress, so she didn’t understand his need to try to get an emotional rise out of her.

So she asked him politely to knock it off, and when he persisted, she changed her number. That was a royal pain, but well worth it for her peace of mind. She now understood when people had rules about dating coworkers, especially professional athletes, where the chances of success were less than one in a million. Even though she wasn’t part of the team, the circumstances were enough that he would always be a presence in her life.

And, as if she needed it, he was a constant reminder to stay away from sexy baseball players. Like Gavin.

So she expected him to walk in at any moment, a thought that kept her slightly off-kilter. She didn’t know what he was liable to say or do, how he would feel by now. She hoped he’d grown past all that and had truly moved on. When she dropped her clipboard for the second time with a clatter and swore, Gavin looked over at her curiously while Phil simply kept his distance. She gave them an apologetic shrug, and then tried to return to work.

So she was a little relieved when the door opened and instead of her ex, Pete entered, his arm around a pretty brunette.

“Hey, Jess. Want you to meet Nikki Case. She’s one of the best PR reps in the business, did some work for us last year. Got some real good stories out there about the team.”

Jessica stood up and extended her hand. “Nice to meet you. I’ve heard nice things about you.”

“Likewise.” Nikki’s smile was genuine as she glanced about the room, her gaze settling immediately on Gavin. “I take it you are our reluctant hero?”

Gavin shrugged from the exercise table where he was working out. “I don’t think I’d go that far. Right now all I’m doing is taking up bench space.”

“We know that will change,” Nikki said decidedly, and then turned to Jessica. “I heard you had some issues with the press, reporters trying to get some dirt on the new player. The management team thinks it’s really important that we take control of what is being published about Gavin, his progress, things like that. You were right to shut that down. Not only does it violate his privacy, but bad news to reporters is good news. More emotional, gets people all worked up. But that doesn’t help our cause.”