Sweet Spot (Summer Rush #1) (18 page)

“I’m a therapist,” she said with a smile. “Marriage and family counseling. Which I guess is kind of ironic, since I couldn’t make my own marriage work.”

“You’re doing what you always wanted to do.” She was proud of her friend even though she’d had nothing to do with her accomplishment.

“I am.” She smiled. “I love my work. It’s really the only thing that’s gotten me through these past couple of years.”

Tenley wanted to ask what that meant, but she assumed Corrie would open up when she was ready. This visit was about reconnecting with an old friend, not interrogating her or making Corrie question her motive for visiting.

“Are you starting your own practice here?”

“Actually I’ll be joining an existing practice. There’s only one other therapist, and he plans to retire in the next couple of years. If all goes well, I can take over for him.”

“That’s great.” Tenley looked around the cozy kitchen, smiling at the positive sayings posted on the stainless steel refrigerator.
Life is Good
.
Count Your Blessings
. Corrie’s mother had always been a glass half-full kind of person. While their mother had always been glass empty… because she drank everything in it. “It must be nice to be back home.”

“It is,” Corrie said, smiling. “But I’m anxious to get my own place. It’s weird living with my parents after being on my own for so long.”

“Have you got any places lined up?” she asked between bites of cookie.

“Yeah, I’m just not sure if I want a house or condo.”

Tenley thought about telling her about the condos available in Brant’s brand new building, but she didn’t want to push her luck. “How’s your family?”

“They’re great. If you can believe it, my little sister’s married with a baby on the way. Jessica and her husband are living in Fresno.”

“Good for her.” Corrie’s sister was Tenley’s age, but she’d gone to a fine arts high school, so they only knew each other casually through Corrie. “Is she still an amazing artist?”

“She’s even better now,” Corrie said, beaming with pride. “She has paintings in galleries all over the country.”

“That’s wonderful.” She was happy for Jessica, but they were the same age and Jess seemed to have her life all figured out while Tenley was still struggling to keep it all together. She was a little jealous.

“But enough about me and my family,” Corrie said, tipping her head. “I want to hear about you. What about this boyfriend? Is it serious?”

“We haven’t been dating long, but I like him. A lot.” Since she didn’t know if Corrie followed baseball, she didn’t bother to tell her about Rowan’s profession.

“And how is Walker?” Corrie asked, her eyes brimming with tears. “God, I haven’t seen him in years. I’ve missed him almost as much as I’ve missed you.” She reached across the table to give Tenley a one armed-hug as she sniffled. “God, look at me. I’m such a mess. I’m sorry, honey.”

“It’s okay.” She wanted to know why she got so emotional when she thought about the past, but if they could rekindle their friendship, Tenley was sure she’d tell her in due time. “Walker is Walker. You know him. Still a player.”

“And…” She cleared her throat. “What about Brant? Is he still a player too?”

Tenley don’t know how she knew her eldest brother had had more than his share of women since they split, but since Corrie had asked her a direct question, she couldn’t lie. “He hasn’t met anyone like you, that’s for sure.”

“Is he happy?” she whispered, looking at Tenley through damp lashes. “Because I want him to be happy. He deserves that.”

Was he happy? He loved his work. Had a great condo. A sweet ride. Great friends who were like his brothers. There was never a shortage of women in his life. But was he truly happy? Tenley didn’t know, which probably made her a lousy little sister.

“He has a pretty full life,” she said, knowing that didn’t answer her question. “He rarely has any down time.”

“His work must be dangerous.” At Tenley’s questioning look, Corrie said, “My dad filled me in. He retired almost four years ago, but he said Brant was one of the best undercover cops they had on the drug task force. He even got a job offer from the FBI, but turned it down, huh?”

Tenley thought it was strange that Corrie’s father had been keeping her apprised of her ex-boyfriend’s career, especially since she’d been married at the time. “Um, yeah. His work is dangerous. Even more so now that he’s infiltrating biker clubs. But he knows what he’s doing. I have to trust that.” She smiled. “Otherwise I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night.”

“And how’s your mother?” Corrie asked, giving her a sympathetic smile.

“You know her,” Tenley said, trying to keep the bitterness from her voice. “She’ll never change.”

“Never is a long time, hon. You never know.”

Tenley knew. But she’d let Corrie hold on to her illusions that people like her mother could change. “I guess I should get going,” she said, glancing at her watch. “It’s getting late, and Rowan’s making me dinner tonight.”

As they stood, Corrie asked, “Rowan? That’s the new boyfriend?”

“Yeah.”

“When I ran into Brant in the store, I asked about you,” Corrie said, putting her arm around Tenley. “He told me that you’re teaching kickboxing now. I’m so proud of you, sweetie.” She laughed. “If I’d kept up with it, who knows, maybe I wouldn’t be so afraid to jog after work.”

She wanted to tell her friend that being a marital artist didn’t make you fearless, just better prepared. “You should pass by the studio where I work.” She turned to face Corrie when they reached the door. “I teach a beginner’s class. From what I remember, you were a natural.”

“That might be fun,” she said, nodding. “I’ve been looking for a new hobby since I moved back to town.”

“Here,” Tenley said, reaching into her purse for a card. “This is where I work. Stop by any time. The first class is free.”

“Thanks,” she said, turning the card over in her hand.

“Do you have a pen?” she asked, rummaging through her purse for one. That was how Corrie spotted the gun.

“Oh my God! Why do you have a gun?”

Since she didn’t want her to worry, Tenley tried laughing it off. “You know Brant. He thinks everyone should bear arms. It makes him feel better, so like my American Express card, I never leave home without it.”

Corrie frowned as though she didn’t buy that story, but she reached into the hall console table to grab a pen without asking any more questions. “Here you go.” She handed it to Tenley along with the card.

She jotted her cell number on the back and passed them back to Corrie. “Call me anytime. I’d love to get together for dinner if you’re not too busy with work and looking for a place.”

“I can always make time for you,” she said, hugging Tenley. “And I’ll text just as soon as you leave so you’ll have my cell number too.”

“Cool,” she said, slinging her purse over her shoulder as Corrie walked her out onto the porch.

Corrie grinned when she spotted the classic Mustang. “Oh wow, I bet Walker is green with envy. I remember how much he wanted one of those when we were kids.”

“Actually, this is Walker’s,” she explained, opening the car door. “I’m just borrowing it for a while. My real ride is a Harley named Pearl.” Tenley winked at her before she slipped her sunglasses into place.

Corrie laughed as she gripped the porch railing. “I love how fearless you are.”

Not fearless, Tenley thought as she slipped into the driver’s seat and checked her rear-view mirror. Just really good at pretending.

Tenley and Rowan were working side by side in his kitchen, with her chopping vegetables for the salad while he seasoned the steaks, when he asked, “How did it go with Corrie this afternoon?”

When she looked up at him, her smile made him feel as if he’d been sucker-punched. That was when he realized he hadn’t been off the mark when he claimed to be falling in love with her. He was falling hard and fast, and he couldn’t help but wonder whether she felt it too. Or was he delusional to think that a girl who’d been through as much as she had could ever learn to love and trust completely?

“It was so good to see her again. Thanks for encouraging me to go.”

He’d do just about anything to see her light up like that, even if it meant pushing her out of her comfort zone once in a while. “I’m glad it went well.”

Rowan reached into the fridge for another bottled water for himself and a bottle of wine to refill her glass. Now that spring training was approaching, he’d traded the alcohol for water, and he felt a hell of a lot better for it.

“I got the impression she still has feelings for Brant,” she said, tossing the salad in a large stainless steel bowl before reaching for the eggplant and zucchini they intended to grill. “Though that may be wishful thinking on my part. I’ve never seen him happier than he was with Corrie.” She sighed. “They were so good together.”

“Kind of like us?” he asked, wrapping his arms around her after he topped up her glass.

She tipped her head back, smiling at him. “We are pretty good together, aren’t we?”

“The best.” He dropped a kiss on her lips as his way of telling her that this was shaping up to be the best relationship he’d ever had. Though he didn’t have a history of long-lasting or healthy relationships to compare it to.

As though she’d been reading his mind, she said, “You told me about your last girlfriend, the one who cheated on you. But what about the others? Any other serious relationships in your past?”

“Not really. Baseball’s been my life for a long time now. That doesn’t leave a lot of time for relationships. Soon I’ll be training several hours a day again and the press will be all over us for interviews about the upcoming season. After winning the division championship last year, expectations are high for us this year.”

The start of a new season meant he’d be working almost every day and on the road more often than not. He hated the thought of leaving her, even for a few days.

“Duty calls, huh?” she asked, faking a smile. He could already tell the difference between a real smile and a forced one. When it was real, those gorgeous blue eyes of hers sparkled like sapphires, making him hope what they’d found could last.

“Yeah, my agent’s been on me about some endorsement deals too,” he said, reaching into the salad bowl for a slice of cucumber. “I really should look those over. See if anything grabs me.”

Rowan was pretty selective about the products he endorsed, which drove his agent crazy because it meant a smaller paycheck for him. Most of the athletes he worked with would slap their names on anything for a six- or seven-figure payday.

“I get the feeling money doesn’t really motivate you,” she said, arranging the veggies on a platter.

“It doesn’t really.” He looked around the kitchen, which was bigger than some of the places he’d lived in when he was growing up. “I have more than enough already. Of course, in my position the arm takes a hell of a beating, so you have to invest, you know, plan for the day when your body can’t take the abuse anymore.”

“Have you thought about what you’d like to do when you retire?” she asked, carrying her wine and the vegetable platter outside while he grabbed the steaks and cooking utensils.

“Maybe get into coaching.” He couldn’t imagine giving up the sport he loved. It was one of the two things that still got his blood pumping. That and Tenley.

She grinned when she plopped down in a lounge chair and put her feet up, flashing him those tanned, toned thighs in a pair of faded jean shorts.

“Damn,” he said, turning on the barbeque and closing the lid. “How the hell am I supposed to keep from burning our dinner with you looking so sexy?” He leaned over to kiss her, trapping her between his arms.

“We could always put dinner on the back burner and have dessert first,” she said, watching him with hooded eyes as his hand trailed up her leg.

“Baby, I’m gonna need all that protein for fuel.” He flicked his tongue over her earlobe before tracing the shell. “Given what I have in mind for you.”

“You’re such a tease,” she whispered breathlessly as he pulled away.

Rowan tried to distract himself by cleaning the grill, but the blood pumping south encouraged him to get this dinner over with in record time so they could get on to that dessert she’d promised him. “You ever think about opening a martial arts studio?”

Tenley slipped the oversized sunglasses perched on her head into place over her eyes as she tipped her head back to enjoy the early evening rays. “I’d love to someday if I can scrape together enough money. But right now, Walker still needs me at the club.”

“Speaking of your brother,” Rowan said, wondering whether he’d misread the signals when Walker met Ace. “Are you sure he’s okay with me setting up Stacey and Ace? I sensed some tension from him when I brought Ace to the club.”

“Honestly?” she asked, turning her head to watch him. “I think my brothers may be as messed up as I am when it comes to relationships and commitment.”

“That’s reassuring,” he muttered.

“What?”

“Nothing.” He shook his head, feeling like a coward for not telling her the truth—that he was disappointed she still considered herself inept when it came to love and intimacy. Rowan knew they still had a long way to go, but he felt as though they’d come a long way in a short time and had hoped she felt the same way. Apparently not.

“How about the truth now?”

He should have known she’d call him out for trying to evade her question. “You were telling me about Walker,” he said, trying to distract her. “You think he still has feelings for Stacey?”

“Yes. Now about you and me…”

That got his attention. After setting the meat on the grill and closing the lid, he turned to face her. The growing knot in his stomach told him he should have thought twice before opening this can of worms.

“What about us?”

“You know I think you’re great, right?”

“Just stop right there,” he advised, raising his index finger. “Because I sense a
but
coming next, and I really don’t want to hear that shit tonight.” He was getting frustrated that she seemed determined to keep putting up roadblocks while he was prepared to barrel full steam ahead.