Page 8 of Tame the Player (How To Win At Love #2)

8

CATHERINE

I’m angry for him even though he acts unbothered by it all. What kind of person ends a relationship like she did? I grit my teeth and remind myself that I have to remain professional and I shouldn’t get involved.

“Anyway, I was thinking that before we finalize everything, it would be a good idea for you to meet Cole.”

His eyes light up. “Yeah, that’s a good idea. I’d love to meet him. Let’s do that.”

Why does the fact that he looks genuinely happy to meet my son make my belly do a little flip? “Great, so let me go and get him. He’s outside in the car.”

I walk out of the house and down the front steps, and Cole is leaning against the car. He’s so excited about this, and even though I’ve talked to him about how we’re here for a job and he’s going to have to leave Mr. Gray alone, I know that Cole will be on his best behavior. “You ready?”

His eyes are wide, and he nods his head up and down. It’s like he can’t believe this is happening, and now the time has come for him to meet one of his idols. He spent all morning telling me what a neat job I have.

As soon as we get to the front door, I’m debating if I should knock again or not, but I don’t have to make a decision because the door swings open.

Cole is practically vibrating next to me when Holden holds his hand out to him. “Hey, Cole, I’m Holden Gray.”

Cole shakes his hand excitedly. “Hello, Mr. Gray.”

Holden stands back to let us in. “Cole, call me Holden.”

He leads us back into the living room and points at the couch. My son bounces onto the cushions, and I wince as I look between Holden and Cole. I swear teenage boys never just sit, it’s more of a bounce, thud, or dive than anything else. I look around at the sturdy furniture and think surely Cole couldn’t do too much damage in the two months we’ll be here.

“Can I get you guys something to drink?”

“We’re fine,” I tell him. “Thank you.”

“Sure.” He looks at my son. “Your mom tells me you’re a pitcher and you play first base.”

“I do. I’m on the middle school team.”

They talk baseball for a few minutes, and I let out a sigh of relief. I’m not sure what I expected, but I’m happy to see that they’re getting along. Cole is absolutely awestruck as he answers all of Holden’s questions.

“Have you guys had dinner yet?”

Shoot, I didn’t even think before I came here that it was close to dinnertime. Cole and I are used to eating later because it’s usually after his baseball practice. “No we haven’t. We’ll get out of your hair.”

Holden laughs and shakes his head. “No, I was hoping you’d stay. I can order dinner, and while we wait, I can show you and Cole around the house and where you’ll be staying.”

Cole jumps to his feet. “I can’t believe I get to stay here. Mom said you have a weight room.”

Holden looks as excited as Cole. “I do. I didn’t get to show your mom the other day, but in the backyard, I have a bullpen set up, the infield of a baseball field, and a batting cage.”

Cole’s mouth drops, and for the first time ever, he’s stunned into silence. When he pulls himself together, he’s incredulous. “You have a bullpen, batting cage, and an infield… in your backyard?”

Holden laughs and points in that direction. “Do you want to see it?”

“Do I?” Cole asks as he bounces up and down. I’m so used to him trying to act cool all the time that I love seeing him like this. Happiness is radiating off him as he follows Holden through the house and out the back door.

I'm amazed at everything he has outside. We walk to a huge outdoor kitchen, fireplace, large screen TV, and couches and tables. But Cole doesn’t even notice it because he’s running around the backyard looking at all the things Holden has set up for baseball. Holden stands next to me with a huge smile on his face as my son races through his yard.

“I think he likes it.”

I’m caught up in the moment, and my mouth betrays me. “Yeah, I think I’m going to have a hard time getting him out of here in two months.”

As soon as the words leave my mouth, I know I said the wrong thing. Is he worried we’re going to try and stay or something? Irrational thoughts go through my head, and I can’t avoid his gaze any longer. He has his head tilted to the side, watching me closely. I feel like I need to explain. “I mean, of course, we’re leaving in two months. I just meant, he’s going to love being here… while we’re here… I mean, while I’m here to do therapy on your shoulder.”

I wish I knew what he’s thinking. He’s just watching me, no smile on his face, no frown, just looking at me. He’s quiet for so long that I ask him, “What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?”

He opens his mouth and then closes it, shaking his head.

I smile, but I’m nervous. “What is it?”

“I don’t think you want to hear why I’m looking at you like I am.”

I haven’t even started yet, and I’ve already made it awkward. “Look, I didn’t mean to make it awkward. I don’t want you to think I have any ulterior motives here. In two months, we’re out of here. Cole will be fine. I’ll be fine. I was just commenting on how much he’ll love being here… while he’s here.” I put my hand to my face and gr oan. “Oh my God, I’m making it worse. I just need to shut up.”

He grabs my wrist and pulls my hands from my face. “I’m looking at you because you’re beautiful, Cat.”

For just a tiny sliver of a moment, I want to soak in his words, but just as fast, I know I shouldn’t. What am I even thinking? I’m his physical therapist… and I’m seeing someone. I can’t get all crazy because Holden Gray thinks I’m pretty. As much as I hate to, I pull away from his gentle hold. “Thank you.”

I force my gaze from his and instead watch Cole as he inspects everything in the back yard. Holden is still staring at me, but I don’t have the guts to look his way.

He sighs. “I’m going to order dinner. Pizza okay?”

I clear my throat. “That’s perfect.”

“What do you like on it?”

Cole approaches us, “Mom likes all the vegetables. Yuck. We always get a cheese pizza.”

Holden walks away to call in the pizza. When he comes back, he takes us on a tour of the house. If I thought Cole was going to be spoiled with the backyard, he’s definitely going to be with his bedroom. The guest room Holden gave Cole is decorated with all the awards and accolades that Holden has received in his career. There’s a huge king-size bed, walk-in closet and private bathroom.

My room is next to Cole’s, and it’s decorated with beautiful peach walls, dark mahogany furniture, and a balcony. The bed is also a king-size bed, and I’m not sure what I’m going to do with all that room. It’s huge compared to the full-size bed I’m used to.

“And here’s your private bath. The shower is a rainfall shower system and has dual shower heads.”

I’m nodding as I follow behind him and try not to show any reaction when he mentions this dual shower heads. We’ve lost Cole at this point because he’s still looking at all the trophies in his room. I escape the bathroom because even though it’s huge, it’s still confining being in there with Holden. “Your home is beautiful.”

“Thanks. I had it professionally decorated. If it was up to me it would be TVs, mini fridges, and bean bag chairs.”

“Well, Cole would love that, and there’s something to say about the simplicity of a bean bag chair. It’s lightweight, and you can just drop it anywhere and have a place to sit.” I barely resist rolling my eyes. Am I really having a conversation with him about bean bag chairs? “Thank you again for inviting us to eat dinner. Do you want to go over the schedule I’ve come up with while we’re waiting?”

Before he can answer, I’m leading us out of the bedroom and down the stairs. I don’t stop until we’re back in the living room. I’m glad I saved my notes on my phone, so I open it and start discussing the schedule. We talk about running, therapy, and recovery. “And of course before we start each day, I’ll stretch you out.”

For the first time, Holden looks almost like he’s in pain. “You’re going to stretch me out?”

“Yeah, I think it’s important, especially when we first start. A lot of people think they stretch enough, but most don’t. This way you’ll know what’s expected of you.”

He opens his mouth, but before he can say whatever it is he’s going to say, the doorbell rings. “I’ll be right back.”

Shoot, I left my wallet in the car. “Here, let me run out and get my purse.”

He holds his hand up to stop me. “You don’t pay… when you’re with me, you don’t pay, Cat. ”

I laugh like it’s a joke but then stop when I realize he’s being for real. “But—”

I don’t get the rest out. The doorbell rings again, but he’s not going to be rushed. He leans down until we’re eye to eye. “When you’re with me, I pay.”

I could argue with him and tell him that it doesn’t make sense, but it’s obvious that’s not going to matter. For some reason, this is important to him. I gulp as he stares me down, and when I finally nod, he smiles at me and then goes to answer the door.

I’m trying to catch my breath when Cole comes running, and I meet him at the bottom of the steps. “Come on, we’ll go to the kitchen to get plates.”

As I’m grabbing plates and utensils, Holden comes in and stops at the island. Cole is already seated at a stool, and I put out the plates. We work together like we’ve done this before, and it’s a little disturbing to my need to keep this all professional.

Holden opens a bag and pulls out a big bowl of salad, setting it in the middle. He then opens the cheese pizza box and sets it down in front of Cole. The second box he sets in front of me. My mouth drops when I see the vegetable-covered pizza. “You got me a pizza? I could have eaten the cheese. ”

He shrugs like it’s not a big deal. “You should have what you want.”

My mouth is hanging open as I stare at him. Is he for real? I think this is the nicest thing anyone has done for me in a while. Why am I getting all teary-eyed over a pizza? “Thank you,” I stutter out.

He seems taken aback by my sincerity. He pulls out two pieces of pizza and puts them on my plate. “You’re welcome.”

We eat in silence for a few minutes, and I’m beginning to wonder if this is a good idea or not. How am I going to stay professional if he’s going to do nice things for me? And even though Jeremy and I are not that serious and nothing has happened between Holden and me, I still feel guilty. I have a feeling the next two months are going to be a challenge for me and not because of my job. That I can do. It’s these feelings that Holden evokes in me. These feelings I don’t know what to do with.