Chapter Fourteen

Tristan

Tristan looked blankly at Alyssa. “What?”

“Yeah. Surprise.” She closed her eyes and shook her head, like she was trying to ward off the conversation they were about to have. “Let’s go outside. Fresh air might help fix this…thing we’ve gotten ourselves into.”

Thing? Was it a thing? He hoped it was a thing, but she was right—they had a problem. “Okay, let’s go.”

Alyssa waved to her dad on the way out. He waved back, giving Tristan a shrewd look. Tristan did his best to look respectable…or as respectable as he could in a sleeveless T-shirt he intentionally wore to get Mr. Kaplan’s daughter’s attention. The man’s eyes narrowed, and Tristan scurried out the door.

Once they were outside, crossing the field, Alyssa raised her arms over her head and stretched. The hem of her shirt pulled up, revealing taut, olive skin.

Tristan tripped over his own feet.

She glanced over at him, the corner of her mouth turning up. “You okay there?”

Not exactly. “Yeah. The grass jumped up and grabbed my leg.”

“Hmm.” She didn’t look convinced. His ears were on fire, and that was probably a dead giveaway.

“Fine. I’m a hot mess.” He spread his hands wide, grinning at the horrible luck that had brought them together. “And, let’s be honest, maybe you are, too.”

Oh, for fuck’s sake… Could you stop being stupidly honest for one second?

Alyssa laughed, though. “You’re right. Maybe that’s why it’s easy to be around you. We’re kind of the same.”

The way she said it sounded anything but “easy”—underneath her words, he heard a quiet promise. One that said “us” and “we” and “ours.” The air caught in his chest. This girl had him hooked. “I’m glad you didn’t punch me for saying it.”

“I don’t punch people for the truth.” She waved for him to catch up. “Now that we’re out of my dad’s earshot, what are we going to do?”

He stretched out his stride until they were side by side. She pointed at a dirt track disappearing into a thin line of trees winding around a creek. He’d had no idea something like this was out here. “What creek is this?”

“Not a creek. A tributary… Welcome to the Elm Fork of the Trinity River. It’s down a lot right now, but when we had that big rain a few springs ago, it came over its bank and halfway up the hill to our ball field.”

Tristan glanced over his shoulder. Swing Away sat on a little hill. He hadn’t noticed that, either. As they ducked into the shade beneath the trees, he asked, “So, your friend… Who is it?”

Alyssa sighed. “You probably don’t know her. She didn’t even know your name until today. It’s a random crush, but Lauren takes these thing seriously. She’s had her heart broken a few times, so I’m pretty protective of her when it comes to guys.”

“Same here…about Dylan, I mean.” Tristan rubbed at the back of his neck, warding off the tension headache he could feel building. “Pitchers are divas in their own way, and I’m worried if Dylan finds out I’m with the girl he wanted, it will throw him off.”

It sounded like a stupid reason, and most girls would’ve said so, but Alyssa nodded. “As a former pitcher, I know that’s true. Look, I already turned him down.”

“Ummm.” Tristan winced. “Not exactly. He thinks there’s a chance you’re thinking about it.”

“Crap.” Alyssa shook her head. “I’ll set him straight…after the Allen game, if that’s what you think I should do.”

Tristan let out a relieved breath. “Thanks. What about your friend? You want to talk to her?”

Alyssa stooped to pick up a rock from the path and threw it into the creek, fork, whatever it was. “I already did. I… God, I panicked. I told her you had a girlfriend.”

He couldn’t help smiling. “You did, huh?”

She rolled her eyes, but even in the shade, he could see her cheeks turn pink. “I did, but that ‘she’ went to the private Catholic school in Plano.”

He stopped and turned to stare at her. “Alyssa, that’s not going to work out well. For either of us, or Lauren.”

“I know.” She took a step forward and bent so the crown of her head rested against his chest. “I don’t know what to do. I tried to tell her you weren’t her type, and she started getting all pissed at me. We’re prepping for auditions for this summer dance camp in Dallas. She’s high-strung, just like Dylan, but she’s been my friend for years.” Alyssa looked up at him with pleading eyes. “Usually I’ll let her get her way, because I’m not so hung up about things and I don’t want her to be hurt. But, this time… I like hanging out with you. I like you. And for once, I’m not going to step aside and let Lauren have her way.”

The wistful sound to her voice made him stand up a little taller. This time, she’d said. He slid an arm around her waist. “You say that like I don’t have a choice.”

Alyssa snorted. “She’s tall, long-legged, slim, with straight blond hair and blue eyes. You don’t have a choice.”

He tightened his arm around her waist. “What if I like curves, curly hair, and a girl who can throw a fastball?”

She went still. “You do?”

Her voice—she sounded so skeptical. He put a finger under her chin and lifted her head. “Yep. You don’t give yourself enough credit, I think. You’re hot and confident—which is hot on its own—and you care about things I like. I’d give anything for my parents to enjoy baseball. Your dad owns batting cages, and you work there. Hell, when I saw you wielding that wrench earlier….”

She bit her lip, and her eyes were shining. “You get turned on by girls using tools?”

“When certain girls do…” He brushed his lips across her forehead. “Oh, yeah, I do.”

“Next time you come to Swing Away, I’m going to wear my tool belt, then. Try to control yourself.”

“You have a tool belt?” He grinned down at her. “That’s it, I’m going to marry you.”

She laughed. “Can we wait until we’re twenty-five first?”

“Sure.” He leaned closer. “How about I kiss you instead?”

“How about you do that,” she whispered, and her eyes fell closed.

He kissed her, softly at first, while the Elm Fork burbled behind them and the leaves rustled. She was so warm and fit against him like she was made to be there. He tangled his free hand in her hair, deepening the kiss, pulling her closer. Right now, it was hard to care about Dylan’s feelings, or Lauren’s. Alyssa was the only person who mattered.

Even if it came back to bite him later.

She pulled away. “Are you sure about this? Hiding from our friends?”

He took her hand and started walking down the trail again. A couple of lovesick frogs sang the song of their people, and he knew how they felt. He wished he could tell everyone about this great girl he met, but he’d keep it quiet—for a while. It wasn’t a bad thing, keeping it to themselves. In a way, they could keep it perfect, without intrusion, at first. “I’m sure. As long as you are.”

She leaned into him. “You know what? I am.”

He squeezed her hand. “Good enough for me.”

Ignoring that little twinge of guilt wouldn’t be all that hard, right?