Page 20 of Caught Looking

Someone had also overheard my conversation with Isaac after she left because there was a quote floating around with the pictures. It wasn’t accurate but it was close enough.

How did the playboy fall? “She keeps me on my toes,” Butler was overheard telling team manager Isaac Anson.

Wes and his best friend, our second baseman, Erik Cassidy, sat down across from me in the locker room.

I put my phone away. “To what do I owe this honor?” Erik was a good guy. He took care of the team. If I was on his radar something was up. Or down.

He studied me for a second. “Watch out for the fans tonight.”

Not what I was expecting but, “Okay?”

“You know we get a shit-ton of New York fans at these games.”

Yeah. It was Florida. And New Yorkers liked to retire here. We always had as many, if not more, New York fans at these home games. “So…?”

“They’re going to try to get to you.”

I didn’t follow his line of thinking at all…oh shit.“You think they’re going to give me crap about Annalise?”

“They heckle you at every game.” Wes pointed out.

Which was true. They loved to get seats in the outfield and yell down whatever shit they thought might rile me up. Sometimes they even brought signs.

But I’d never cared about anything they said. They could call me a shitty ballplayer. They could call me a cheater—I’d never cheated a day in my life—they could even make fun of the way I looked.

How was I going to react if they said Annalise’s name?

I bit my tongue.

“Exactly,” Erik said. “Look, we both have women we’re in love with.”

“I’m not in love with Annalise,” I said automatically. I liked her. I wanted to have fun with her.

But love was probably never going to happen because, well, I was Seth Butler. Women didn’t fall in love with me. Lust? Sure. But never love. All I could hope for with Annalise was to keep her happy as long as possible. I knew it would eventually end—even if I didn’t want it to.

The men stared at me before Erik waved me off and kept talking. “We know what it’s like when a fan uses someone you care about to get a reaction. So we’re here to prepare you.”

This was all very specific. Almost like they knew what was coming. “Do you know something I don’t?”

Wes looked everywhere but at me.

“Wes?”

“These things happen,” he said, still not looking at me.

“Wes.”

For such a big guy, he sure could sigh like a toddler. “Fine. You know I’m kind of a big deal on social media, right?”

“Like you’ve ever let any of us forget, Mr. Insta.”

Wes grinned. “I’ve been given a heads up that there has been some chatter on the socials about you and Annalise.”

My hands clenched into fists because based on his tone it wasn’t the good kind of chatter. “What kind? And why do you talk like a grandma sometimes?”

“Because it’s fun.”

“The chatter is fun?”