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“He’s a lawyer,” I remind him, pulling the bill of my hat down, shading my eyes. Behind the fence, James lifts his beer and tips it in my direction, toasting me. “He must work for Sara’s dad’s firm.”
“Wow.” Declan’s gaze widens for a second. “And you didn’t know?”
I shake my head. “Cari never mentioned which firm he was with and it’s not like I cared enough to ask.” I take a quick look at Sara. She’s watching Declan and me from her spot in the dugout. If she knows what’s going on, she deserves an Oscar for best actress because I can see the confusion on her face from here.
“You think he’s looking for Cari?” Declan’s tone drops, low and dangerous. There are few things that can crack my cousin’s shell faster than a guy who roughs up women.
“Probably.” I keep watching them. They’re talking. Looking in my direction. Laughing. I get the feeling this isn’t about Cari. At least not directly.
“They get back together?”
The question is valid. Declan doesn’t know about me and Cari. The only reason Conner and Tess know is because those meddling assholes orchestrated the whole thing. Even though it’s an honest question, the thought of that douche nozzle anywhere near her makes me dizzy. “No.” I shake my head, that one word heavy enough to shut down my cousin’s assumption. “She’s not with him.”
“Alright.” Dec rolls his neck and I hear it pop. Even though he and I were ready to beat the shit out of each other less that twelve hours ago, he’ll back me, whatever it takes. I don’t even have to ask. “What do you want to do?”
“Fuck it,” I say, jerking my hat off my head to slap it against my thigh. “Let’s get this game over with so we can have a little chat .” I pull my hat over my head again and walk away.
The game ends thirty minutes later in a tie. As soon as it does, James and Travis bounce, high-tailing it to the parking lot and into James’ douchemobile before I can wade through the sea of kids and parents I’m surrounded by. Before he pulls out of the parking lot, he gives his horn a brisk honk and sticks his hand out his open window to wave at me.
“What was all that about?” Sara says, standing next to me while our teams walk past each other and slap hands in a show of good sportsmanship.
“I don’t know, Sara—you tell me,” I say to her, shooting her a heavy dose of side eye. “Why didn’t tell me James Templeton works for your father?”
She turns toward me and shakes her head. “Who?”
“Cari’s ex-boyfriend,” I tell her. “The guy who almost ripped her arm off the night you and I met.”
Recognition dawns on her face and she turns, looking toward the empty space where James’ car had been parked just a few seconds ago. “That was him?” she says, looking back at me with wide eyes. “He works for my dad?”
The kids are done and Declan is rounding our team up on the other side of the field around an ice chest full of water. “I don’t know why else he’d be here, wearing a LH&H shirt, do you? I mean,” I laugh and shake my head. “It’s not like he has any fucking kids.”
“My parents are divorced. I grew up in Chicago. Before I came here for college, I saw my father twice a year.” Sara narrows her eyes at me. “I have no idea who works at his firm and who doesn’t,” she says, jerking her chin at a park worker laying chalk lines on one of the neighboring ball fields. “For all I know, that guy over there just made junior partner.”
It isn’t her anger that deflates me. It’s the hurt I see on her face when she realizes what I’m accusing her of. That she somehow set this whole thing up. “I’m sorry, Sara,” I say, reaching out to give her hand a quick squeeze. “He caused a lot of trouble for Cari, for a long time. Seeing him here was a surprise.” And not the good kind, either.
Sara nods. “Maybe he was just here to watch the game,” she says, offering an explanation. It makes sense. James was a climber and the firm-sponsored team was coached by a founding partner’s daughter. It could be that he was here to kiss ass. Use the game as a way to get in good and score points with Sara’s dad. It made total sense. Exactly the kind of thing a guy like James would do.
I’m not buying it for a second.
“You’re probably right,” I say, smiling in an attempt to put the last few minutes behind us. “Burgers and beers at Gilroy’s?”
“It was a tie,” Sara says, giving me a relieved smile. She’s as eager to put it behind it as I am.
“That’s why we’re going Dutch,” I tell her, starting to walk away, toward where Declan is collecting equipment and passing out water. “Meet you there in thirty minutes?”
She laughs. “Last one there buys the beer?”
I grin at her over my shoulder. “You’re on.”
Forty-two
Cari
I can hear themas soon as I open the front door to our apartment. Laughter. Music. The loud clack of pool balls. The smell of burgers cooking on the flat grill. Gilroy’s is closed on Sunday but what good is having access to the family bar if you don’t abuse your privileges every once in a while?
“Sounds like a party,” Chase says on the stairs behind me. “Are we invited?”
Even though I’m not entirely sure we are, I nod my head and laugh. “Being a member has its privileges.”