Gavin got up and grabbed a towel and tossed it to Rory, who grinned as he wiped the mess from his face.

“Thanks, man.” The hitter handed him back the towel. “Aren’t you…”

“Gavin King.” He extended his hand, and Rory shook it. “I’ve been working with your sister in rehab. She’s great.”

“Jess. Right.”

Was it his imagination, or did something subtly change in the ballplayer’s friendly demeanor? He wondered if she had said something about him, and then immediately dismissed the thought. Jessica wouldn’t diss him to her brother for no reason.

But then maybe she thought he had given her one.

“You up for a beer?”

“Sure,” Gavin responded, surprised at the invite after what he’d just thought. Maybe it had been nothing, or a misjudgment on his part. He’d find out soon enough.

“Why don’t we go to the Beer Works? There’s a back room where we won’t be running into fans. Work for you?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. It’s right across the street, and I can drop you at the hotel later. Let me explain to the guys and I’ll catch you in front of the stadium in about fifteen or twenty minutes.”

He nodded, more puzzled by the moment. Jessica’s brother was going out of his way to talk to him.

And he had a feeling it wasn’t about baseball.

—

Rory met him out front in less than the time stated. They walked together across the street to the brewpub, taking care to stay far away from the clusters of fans still hanging around.

Entering through a back door, Rory led him into the private room. Gavin saw there was a small bar set up with taps, a couple of wine bottles, and a bartender. The petite young woman in a black tee-shirt with a bottle opener sticking out of her jeans gave them a smile.

“The usual?”

“Nah, I’ll go with the Bay State,” Rory said.

“Make it two,” Gavin said, digging into his pocket.

“I’ve got this,” Jessica’s brother insisted. “I’m all set up here.”

“Thanks.”

“So how do you like being with the Sonics?” Rory accepted the frosted glass from the bartender and drank deeply of the ale.

“It’s different,” Gavin said with a grin. “They are a young team, and struggling. But a hell of a lot of fun.”

He knew the sports talk was just a way of breaking the ice, as was the beer. He waited for the questions Rory was certain to ask, taking a liberal pull of the ale. He found it was excellent. On close inspection, Jessica’s brother looked even more Irish than she did. His hair curled around his face, and he was decidedly good-looking in a Gabriel Byrne–type way. He wondered if the guy had his own romantic entanglements.

“So how long have you known my kid sister?” Rory asked casually, getting around to the real reason for this meeting.

“I started working with Jess in April. She really knows what she’s doing with the physical therapy.”

“Yeah, she does. But not everything.” His eyes met Gavin’s, measuring, weighing. “She got involved with a baseball player last year, some guy who played for Cleveland.”

“Zach,” Gavin acknowledged. “He was here last week. I think he upset her.”

Rory nodded. “I know it’s always tough to see someone you once cared about when things don’t work out. But he was pretty nasty to her when she walked away from him. Jessica isn’t the kind of girl to call me crying, but she did last summer. Maybe at the time she was just inexperienced, didn’t know that she couldn’t trust every guy and wear her heart on her sleeve.” He looked Gavin right in the eye. “He did her some real damage. I don’t want to see that happen again.”

Gavin took a deep breath. Rory had every right to look out for his sister; he couldn’t blame him for that. “I get what you’re saying. And I’m going to be honest with you; I’m attracted to her. I think she’s beautiful, funny, and just great. But she has some doubts, and after seeing her with Zach, I get it.”

He didn’t tell him the rest, that both of them had already crossed a line unintentionally. Gavin knew better. After all, even if he developed a friendship with the guy, Rory was still her brother. And that would always be his first loyalty—Gavin didn’t expect anything else.

Some of the clouds seemed to leave Rory’s face, and he gestured to the bartender for refills. “I’m really glad to hear that. The last thing she needs is a rerun, another guy walking all over her feelings.”

“I have no such intention; I like her too much to hurt her. I very much want to see her, to treat her the way she deserves.” Gavin accepted the drink with a grin. “But your sister can be a little stubborn. She has decided that she won’t date another ballplayer. I intend to change all that.”

“Good luck, pal.” Rory snorted. “You are right about that. In all the years I’ve known her, I have yet to see her back down or change her mind once it’s made up.” His brow furrowed thoughtfully. “You know not to try the candy-and-flowers thing, right?”

Gavin had a feeling that in spite of everything, he had passed some kind of test and Jessica’s brother was on his side. “I thought about all that, and don’t know what it would take to win her. She’s not your average girl.”

“You’re right about that,” Rory agreed.

“But I get a sense that there is a part of her that would enjoy the feminine stuff. She doesn’t get to express that side of herself much, especially in her line of work. Romantically, I think she would like to be courted.”

Rory choked on his beer and Gavin pounded his back. When he could talk, he grinned in admiration. “This ought to be good. To strength and patience.” He tipped his glass to Gavin’s. “You’re going to need a boatload of both.”

Gavin tipped his glass in return.

Chapter 21

“Okay, ladies. We need to make a final decision around our exotic dancer.”

Nikki handed out photographs of the top contenders for Darcy’s bridal shower. Cara and Jessica shared the stack with the other women from the Communications Department, each of them setting aside their personal favorites.

As she sipped a cocktail, Jessica thought this was one party that was turning into a load of fun. She had dreaded showers in college, since traditionally it meant a lost afternoon of watching the prospective bride unwrap the latest digital iron or place setting.

That didn’t hold a candle to drinking cosmopolitans while being entertained by half-naked men.

She had to hand it to Nikki. The PR rep knew how to make an event memorable for one and all.

“So we seem to have narrowed it down to three eligible bachelors.” Nikki grinned, setting out the top picks and turning the others facedown. “We have Tall, Dark, and Handsome, Bookish and Interesting, or Muscles and Mustache. What do we think?”

“I like the bookish guy,” Emily said decisively. “He’s sort of a Clark Kent type.”

“What?” Cara scoffed. “Look at Tall, Dark, and Handsome again. Very Taylor Lautner. You know, the werewolf in Twilight.”

“Gotta love that movie.” Emily sighed blissfully. “They used every possible excuse to show him without a shirt.”

“But Muscles and Mustache is cute too,” Kelly interjected. “Kind of Lance Gross.”

“Decisions, decisions.” Nikki sighed, gesturing for another round. “One more drink and we have to pick.”

“Maybe we should choose a first-, second-, and third-place winner,” Jessica suggested. “Just in case our dream guy isn’t available. After all, Memorial Day is a holiday weekend. Some people may go on vacation or take off to see family.”

“Good point,” Nikki said as the second order of drinks arrived. “I vote for Muscles and Mustache, then Twilight, and then Clark Kent.”

“Agreed,” Jessica and Cara concurred. The communications girls bickered among themselves, but then gradually came around to the majority viewpoint.