Page 3 of Accidentally Sliding Into A Second Chance

Scarlett’s hazel brown eyes snap to my face, while Cat’s blue ones, still glued to mine, grow wide.

There was only one person that memory belongs to, and her name was Cat too. Catherine ‘Cat’ Bailey.

My first crush. And my first heartbreak.

Chapter Two

Cat

“Daddy,areyouokay?”Concern furrows Scarlett’s brow. Still watching him, I wonder the same. I know adding a dog to your life can be overwhelming; maybe Jade made a mistake with this pairing. She’s rarely wrong when it comes to this type of thing, but then we don’t often have dogs like the one whose leash I’m still holding.

His light brown hair blows slightly in the breeze, and I have a niggling feeling that we’ve met before. I’m sure my imagination is teasing me. And yet there’s something…

“I’m fine, sweetie.” He gently rubs a finger on her cheek, his stare lingering on me. The clear affection these two have for each other tugs at my heartstrings. His wife is a very lucky woman.

“Oh, good! I thought you hurt yourself and couldn’t play in your baseball game.”

His brows shoot up, and his face relaxes as he turns his soft brown eyes to focus on his daughter. “You thought I hurt myself by just standing here?”

“You did do a lot of running when you were trying to catch Emmy—so, maybe?” She shrugs. A giggle bubbles up as I watch the two of them. At the sound, his dancing gaze lifts to mine, and my breath hitches slightly.

“I’m David.” He stretches his hand toward me. “David James.”

Ahhhh, David James the Smokies shortstop, that’s why he looks familiar. He’s also their PR ‘problem’ and now my responsibility as the team’s new Director of Fan Experience. I’ll be working closely with him—maybe a little too closely, if the gleam in his eyes is any indication.

The knowledge that he’s a widower makes my heart beat a little faster.

Off-limits, girl.I mentally chastise myself—no dating co-workers.

Tossing any and all disappointment that’s surfacing, I take his outstretched hand. Giving it a firm, strictly business-like shake.

When our skin touches, tingles run down my spine. And when his eyes flare, I know he felt it too.

Not a good start to a professional work relationship. Nor is the curious look he’s wearing.

“Your full name doesn’t happen to be Catherine Bailey, does it?” He’s still holding my hand, and my stomach flutters. My brows knitting together, I analyze the shock in his brown, hazel stare. A shade of hazel that triggers a memory of a young boy I knew a lifetime ago. Someone I never forgot.

It couldn’t be. Could it?

“Yes,” I respond hesitantly, the corner of my mouth lifting. “That’s me.”

His eyes sparkle, and his mouth lifts in a smirk. “Catherine Bailey, who lived on Elm Street?”

He drops my hand, and I instantly miss his warmth. “I’m sorry?”

“Are youtheCat Bailey who lived on Elm Street until she was twelve years old? The former next-door neighbor of the James Family?”

He quirks a brow.

“You know her?” Scarlett reaches out, grabbing her dad’s hand, her face beaming. Once again, my heart wrenches.

“If she’sthatCat Bailey,” David grins, unable to stop my cheeks from pulling up in a smile. “I do indeed.”

A memory of me passing a note to a much younger, but no less handsome, David in a classroom has warmth spreading across my chest.

“I can’t believe this,” I say softly, staring at him. “You’re taller than I remember.”

Last time I saw him, we were the same height.

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