Page 23 of Caught Stealing

“What about what went right? I miss my girl. I can’t stand the idea of not seeing you in the stands cheering for me.”

“Well, the season hasn’t even begun, so that gives you plenty of time to get used to it. You’ll survive.” I cross my arms and plant my lips in a firm scowl.

Rory jerks back a little, clearly surprised by my response. I suppose it is surprising. It’s not like me to be so snarky, especially with him, but he broke my heart. What does he expect right now? For me to drop everything and pretend he didn’t destroy me?

He recovers and steps forward. “I don’t think I will. I wasn’t ready for the things you wanted and I panicked. Now that you’re not mine, I’m miserable. I did a stupid thing, Lottie, and I hurt you. I know that, but I’m willing to do anything to make this right.” He takes a chance and lifts my chin, running his thumb over my lower lip. “I miss you so much that it hurts to breathe when I think about you.”

I pull away from him and bite my lip. “You should have considered that before looking for something better. I have choir practice. I have to go.”

“Lottie—”

“Goodbye, Rory.”

Leaving him behind, I rush to my car and try to control my heart. It’s pounding but I’m not sure if it’s because those old feelings have come rushing back, or because I’m in fight or flight mode. Either way, this is not good for me. I have to get out of here, get to practice, and refocus. There is no trusting Rory again, and I remind myself of that the entire way back to the church while praying that I’m not making a mistake by letting him go.

Chapter Nine

Andrew

Koa is a few years younger than me, but we hit it off right away. We’ve been close since he was signed to the Sharks. He’s got a good head on his shoulders, so I’m not ashamed to admit when I need his advice. And I really need it now, because right after I messaged Lottie that I had something important to tell her, she seemingly ghosted me.

I’m in a battle between my mind and my heart. One says I need to tell Lottie the truth about my career, while the other says I should wait and let her get to know me first.

“You can’t lie to her. The whole reason she doesn’t want to date athletes is because one lied to her in the worst possible way,” Koa says. He’s working his legs alongside me so I don’t push my shoulder too hard. The steady clang of weights echoes in the room with no one else in the gym but us.

“Yes, the honest and respectable part of my brain knows that. It’s the selfish part that needs to get on board. She’s a catch, for sure.”

“You can tell that by one date? I’m just saying, you don’t date much. I’m not saying she’s not great, just that you might be playing it up more in your head.” Koa’s slanted eyes and passive tone make me question my date with Charlotte for a moment. Did I make it out in my head to be better than it was? Has loneliness made me desperate for a connection? Something that might distract me from the fact that I can’t play right now?

“We’re supposed to talk tonight. I guess I’ll find out.” I grunt and lower the weights while my calves burn. “And then I’ll tell her I’m a baseball player and listen to the slamming of the phone ring in my ear.”

“Kind of hard to slam a cell phone with the same effect, Mr. Dramatic. If it’s meant to be, it’ll work out. Tell her the truth. Tell her you respect her position, but you’d like to see if you can be friends. Spend time together. Let her get to know you without the pressure. She’ll see you’re someone she can depend on and your profession doesn’t change that.”

“It sounds doable when you put it like that.” I lift and lower my legs as the burn of fatigue really sets in. I don’t want to overstress my knees—only one joint at a time to worry about, thanks—so I stand and stretch before grabbing my water bottle.

“Don’t get me wrong. She sounds like a keeper from what you said, but yeah, you should tell her when you talk to her tonight. Try not to rush into it, too. I get wanting to find someone, but this is fast.” Koa finishes his rep and joins me at the water fountain. “How did you find her? This was kind of sudden.”

“Uh, through a friend. Yeah, it just came up.” I take a swig of water to hide my guilt. Technically, what I said was true. I did meet Lottie through a friend in the most roundabout way anyone can, but since the app is by referral only, I don’t dare risk telling Koa about it. Yet. If it works out, I might send it his way. “Might as well start looking for love now that I’m almost retired.”

“Listen, man, you know Doc will fix you up and you’ll finish out the season. If you take care of your shoulder over the break, there’s no reason you can’t squeeze in another year. We need you.”

“Marcus is nothing to scoff at. I mean, I do scoff because he’s a frustrating kid, but he’s going to take my job eventually. Might as well be sooner rather than later if I’m going to have this much trouble with my body.”

Koa pauses with his water bottle halfway to his lips. “Are you saying you’re going to retire? On purpose?”

I cap my bottle and swallow. “I’ve thought about it. I’m not gonna lie. Seems easier than worrying about when I’ll ruin my shoulder beyond repair. I haven’t decided, but when I do I’ll talk to you about it first.”

“Won’t be the same without you. I understand your point, but I have to ask, is that all this woman is about?” Koa sips his water, eyes glued to me. I’m sure he’s searching for any sign I’m holding back on him.

“No, not all of it. I’ve always wanted a family, but baseball came first. You know how hard it is. Owen set the date up, and when I met her I just…knew. I don’t mean to say I know she’s the one, only that she could be. I’d sure like to spend some time finding out.” My lips tug into a grin thinking about her profile picture. After meeting and spending a little time with Lottie, I can honestly say it fits her.

Koa checks his watch and scowls. “I’ve got batting practice. Lemme know how your talk with her goes tonight. I’ll be praying for you.”

“Thanks. I don’t know how concrete her resolve is about it, but I have a feeling I’ll need all the help I can get if I want to change her mind about athletes.”

He smirks and says, “Tell her we play baseball. We don’t take shots to the head on a regular basis like her ex. We still have most of our brain cells intact.”

I chuckle but he’s not wrong. Still, I don’t think that’s exactly the way to get what I want with Lottie. Something tells me she wouldn’t take too kindly to me insulting someone, even if he is her cheating ex. I have to find out what his name is so I can look him up, see if I know anyone who knows him, and maybe send his info to my sister to do a little social media stalking. If he’s local, then he probably plays for the Savannah Arctic, another sports team owned by the same family that owns the Sharks.

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