Page 10 of Striking Out In The Mountains

The cops stop their celebrating to come out of the dugout and shake hands.

“Come on, guys,” I say, clapping my hands as I keep my eyes on my girl. She lingers back and then lines up in the rear. “Let’s go shake hands.”

I stay in the back as my team heads out to shake hands and end the game on a nice note. The crowd of townspeople clap as we start saying ‘good game’ to each other.

Ryland has a satisfied smirk on his face when I shake his hand. Normally, I’d want to slap that grin right off, but I’m feeling such euphoria at being so close to my soulmate that I don’t care. More than anything, I’m thankful that he brought her into my life, even if it did mean we lost.

My heart pounds as I shake James’ tattooed hand. She’s next.

We meet face to face and my heart twists into a tight knot.

“Good game,” she says with those beautiful green eyes looking up at me.

I slide my hand onto hers and shiver when I feel her soft skin. I don’t want to pull away too fast, so I hold on.

“Greatgame,” I say with a smile. “You’re amazing.”

“Thank you,” she says, smiling shyly. Those adorable cheeks turn pink and I have to fight back the intense urge to kiss her right here and now.

I just want to take off her baseball cap, pull out her ponytail, and let that soft brown hair tumble down onto her strong shoulders.

Finally, I’m forced to let go of her hand before it gets weird, but I don’t move. The rest of the players have walked back to the bench and are either joking around, grabbing beers out of the cooler, or gathering their stuff. We’re both still standing by the pitcher’s mound, totally focused on one another.

“Where did you get an arm like that?” I ask as I put my hands on my hips, gazing down at her.

“I played in college,” she says with a grin. “I used to be pretty good.”

“I bet that’s the understatement of the year,” I say with a laugh. “You’re new on the force?”

She nods as she looks up at me. “I started three weeks ago.”

I don’t know how to feel about that. On one hand, I would never deny someone their calling. I know how strong the pull to serve your community can be. I’ve had it my whole life. But on the other hand, I don’t want this angel in any danger. I don’t want her to be around anyone who could harm her or lay a finger on this perfect body. Just thinking about her driving around in a uniform is making me all edgy inside.

“And before that?”

“I was working in Chicago,” she says. “It was pretty rough. I got shot and decided a change would be good for me.”

“Shot?” I say, my stomach dropping. “Someone shot you?”

I’ll hunt them down. I’ll make them regret ever being born. I’ll tear through the Earth itself to find them and make them pay for hurting this angel.

“In the leg,” she says, gesturing to her muscular left thigh. “It went in and out, but it shook me.”

I grit my teeth as I look at her black leggings. That fucker damaged that gorgeous leg. I want to rip him apart.

“It’s all good,” she says with a shrug and a smile. “It brought me here to this beautiful place.”

She looks around at the Greene Mountains in the distance, but I just continue staring at her. I’m admiring those luscious lips that I’m dying to kiss, at her cute light freckles dotting the bridge of her nose and cheeks, and at her collarbone peeking out of her blue T-shirt.

I’m falling hard for this woman. I already know that she’s mine. I wonder if she realizes it too.

“I guess we can expect to lose the next fifty softball tournaments with you here,” I say with a grin. I want to keep it light, so I try to shake out all of these intense possessive thoughts raging through me, but it’s hard. These barbaric needs and desires are cementing themselves in my bones—mine, mine, mine.

“The next sixty,” she says with a flirty smile. “I’m only thirty-three.”

“The boys might not be taking it well, but I’m glad you’re here. Losing several dozen tournaments seems like a small price to pay to have an angel in town.”

“Thanks,” she says, blushing. She licks her lips and my knees wobble.Goddamn…

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