Page 18 of Caught Stealing

I try to think of myself and what I like, but baseball really does eat up my life. “I spend a lot of time at home with my dog. I like hanging out, mostly. I’m kinda boring I guess, but I did buy a drum set a few months ago. I’ve wanted to learn since I was a kid, but so far I stink at it. I’m trying to self-teach by watching videos.”

Lottie beams again and swings our hands between us. “I’ve played since I was eight.”

“What? No kidding?” Is there anything this woman cannot do? Is she gorgeous? Check. Smart? Double check. Talented? It looks that way. Where is her fatal flaw? There must be one, but the longer this date lasts, the less I care what it might be.

“I haven’t played in a long time, but my parents made my sister and me learn an instrument. Neither of us wanted to, but they insisted we needed to be well rounded, whatever that means. Rebecca, my sister, chose the xylophone to be annoying, and I one-upped her with drums.”

I raise an eyebrow. “I bet that frustrated your parents.”

She shakes her head and rolls her eyes. “You’d think, but they called our bluff. That’s why I am a pro on the drums and Rebecca can play xylophone like it’s a full time job.”

I can’t help laughing again. There is nothing about this date that I don’t enjoy, especially now that we seem to be moving into a comfort zone. The company is perfect, the pacing is slow but sweet, and I’m genuinely enjoying my time. “You’ll have to show me sometime.”

“I could teach you. I’ve done lessons before.” Lottie wiggles her hand free and pulls a hair tie from her pocket. She locks her long, wavy tresses into a high ponytail, and little wisps of hair curl at the nape of her neck. I swallow hard and note that there is a perfect line of freckles from her jaw just under her ear, to the damp hair.

“That could be fun,” I say and shove my hands in my pockets. This was an epic mistake because she had, apparently, intended to take my hand again. When it’s not available, she drops her hands to her sides in an awkward plop that makes her cheeks redden.

“Sure. Hey, do you hear that?” she asks, pausing to crane her neck. In the distance, an outdoor band plays and just down the street, people gather around and dance. “Want to dance?”

Do I want to dance? Yes, if it gets her into my arms. Absolutely. Even though I’m not the best dancer, I figure I can’t botch a slow dance too badly.

“I’m not great at it, but absolutely. This is a date, after all.”

Lottie slides her hand around my bicep and lets me lead her down River Street toward the music. Along the river, the boats are loading up for their dinner cruises. I make a mental note to reserve one for us. The sugary maple scent of fresh pralines drifts through the air from the candy shop, mixing with the salty aroma of the river. The lapping of the water against the barrier blends with the music, creating a calm rhythm.

“Do you know there are bull sharks in the river?” It’s one of the few things I know about Savannah and the surrounding area. That, and sometimes alligators like to hide under cars, but that seems less interesting than the shark fact at the moment.

“I do, actually, but I’ve never seen one.” She veers to the railing and we’re walking closer to the river. Periodically, she peeks into the water. After a few strides, she nudges me. “Should we throw you in as bait and test the theory?”

I grin and tug her a little closer. “I think I’m going to have to pass on that offer. What else have you got?” We dodge a few people on our way to the dancing crowd.

Lottie’s full lips turn into a pout but only for a moment before she’s laughing again. “I guess we’ll stick to dancing.”

The music is loud enough now that I can barely hear her over it, so I turn back to the brick walkway and take her hand, spinning her out and away from me. She giggles and lets me pull her back. Her free hand settles on my shoulder and she presses against me. Not too much, but enough for me to know she feels secure enough to let her guard down. To let me lead this dance. I wrap my arm around her and we sway to the music. Fortunately, I do not step on her feet, but we do stumble a few times. No one seems to notice as they dance and laugh, keeping time with the band.

Dancing with Lottie is easy, simple, and she fits so well in my arms. This woman has my full attention, which is not only surprising but also terrifying in many ways. I’m not supposed to like her this much already, not when I have a secret that might turn her into an entirely different sort of woman—the kind that only sees fame and fortune instead of a real person. But she makes me smile and laugh, two things I want in a companion. I don’t want this to end, and it could if she discovers I’m a pro ball player. I push the thought away, not wanting to even consider it. She is the first woman I have dated since college that doesn’t know I play ball for a living, and I need this time to get to know her—the real her—before that knowledge comes into play.

I spin her around and admire how tendrils of her hair fly out of the ponytail and frame her angelic face. Her freckles, I have noticed, tend to lead to places whose softness I want to test with my lips…the corner of her mouth, her jaw, the nape of her neck, the inside of her wrist. These are not first date thoughts. I shove those away too.

“Are you having fun?” she asks, pausing before putting her hand back on my shoulder.

“Hmm?”

She furrows her brow. “I asked if you’re having fun. You look like you’re being tortured.”

Oh. Shoot. “No, I’m having a blast. You should know up front that I look that way when I’m thinking. My friends all say the same thing. Evidently, I have that kinda face when I’m focused.”

“Ah, okay. I thought maybe I was terrible company.” She smiles, then immediately frowns. “Unless that’s what you were thinking about that made you look grumpy.”

“What? You? No, not a chance. You are not terrible company. I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed a first date like this with anyone before.” My confession only seems to lessen her worry a smidgeon. “I mean it, Lottie. I’ve enjoyed spending time with you. I’d love to see you again very soon. If you want to, of course.”

“Even though it was a little…stifled? At first, I mean. It’s not now.”

Ouch. But yeah, she’s right. “Even though I was nervous and made it boring at first, yes.”

She swats me. “I did not say that. I was nervous too.”

“Well, let’s chalk it up to a brave façade thanks to the app and remember that the banter we had there is still here, just…” I have no idea what to say now, but she picks up where I left off.

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