Page 69 of Chasing the Sun
Brody grinned and readied his first pitch. “All right, let’s show these kids how it’s done.” His throw was steady and even, hurtling toward the batter.
The kid swung, the bat cracking against the ball.
My head whipped as I followed the movement of the ball flying high into the outfield, sailing over the home run wall without stopping.
I shook my head. “Fuck me.”
So much for respecting their elders. The WarDogs dominated, beating us in a pathetic 12–2 game.
Nursing our sore muscles and wounded pride at the Lantern was our only option.
In the dugout, I slipped off my dusty cleats, wiggling my toes and stretching out the muscles in my legs before they had the opportunity to cramp. As I leaned forward and tried desperately to reach my toes, I flipped my phone over to see if Levi had called to check in.
After the incident with the barn, he was grounded indefinitely. So far he was accepting the consequences like a champ.
As I stretched, I held the phone to my ear, listening to a voicemail from an unknown number. “Good evening, Mr. Blackwood. This is JP King from Tower Business Ventures.”
My jaw clenched as the voicemail continued: “I’m calling in regard to the Drifted Spirit Inn. I understand you’re seeking a partnership to expand the Drifted Spirit to the neighboring farm property. I have to say, a farm-to-table restaurant with on-site accommodations and views like that are highly intriguing. That little farm is already generating some buzz on social media. My office is only a short drive away. Let’s meet.”
I flipped my phone into my duffel bag, not bothering to listen to him rattle off his telephone number. A slow coil twisted in my gut, though I wasn’t exactly sure why.
All the attention Star Harbor was getting thanks to Ellie’s recent popularity on social media was only helping my cause. As far as I knew, Elodie was helping Stanrevitalize the farm and would return to her glitzy life in the city. I wasn’t sure how long Stan planned to continue operating the farm by himself, but when the time came for him to officially retire—again—I’d be ready.
Maybe the unease in my gut was a latent worry that Elodie Darling was the new face of Star Harbor Farm. Maybe she had plans I wasn’t aware of—plans that included her operating the farm herself. Or maybe my unease was because I could perfectly picture the hurt on her face when I purchased the farm and upended her plans entirely.
But the reality was, my restaurant wasn’t just a shot in the dark. With a partner like JP King, it was entirely possible. The only thing that stood in my way was Elodie Darling and the gnawing guilt that eventhinkingabout it made me a total asshole.
When Brody whistled to get my attention, I shook off the guilt, packaging it into a little box and shoving it into the recesses of my mind. We were sore, sweaty, and more than a little humiliated.
Someone had brought a cooler, so we cracked it open in the dugout, passing around water bottles while we licked our wounds. The mood was lighter than it should have been for a team that just got their asses handed to them, but that was the thing about these guys—no one took themselves too seriously. Brody ribbed Hayes about his curse, Wes made a case that we should start recruiting under-twenty-five players, and I mostly just listened, stretching out my leg as I sipped my water.
“Lantern?” Brody finally asked, already knowing the answer.
“Hell. Yes,” I muttered, tossing the empty plastic bottle into the bed of my truck.
The Lantern was only a few blocks from the park, so wefell into step, our sneakers scuffing against pavement as we walked toward the bar.
“You were off today,” Hayes said, falling into step beside me. “That bad mood got a name?”
“It’s called getting my ass kicked by a bunch of twenty-year-olds,” I muttered.
Hayes snorted. “Nah. That’s just old age.”
I flipped him off, but he wasn’t done. “It’s a woman, isn’t it?”
“No.”Absolutely yes.
As I opened the front door of the Lantern, I saw her. Elodie was there, because of course she was. I couldn’t catch a break in this small town.
As we filed into the Lantern, Brody slowed his pace just enough to glance at the bar in the back, his expression shifting—just for a second—before he covered it up with a brooding scowl. I followed his line of sight and spotted Kit Darling behind the wooden bar top, moving fast, her curly ponytail swinging as she poured drinks. She hadn’t even looked our way, but Brody ran a hand over the back of his neck anyway, like something about her presence got under his damn skin.
Elodie was sitting at the bar, laughing at something Kit said, her own chestnut waves spilling over one shoulder, her fingers wrapped around a sweating glass of something that looked too sweet.
The place was packed for a Wednesday, the usual crowd a little rowdier than normal. A cluster of older women near the jukebox were cackling over something, waving what looked like neon-colored bingo cards in the air.
Elodie hadn’t noticed me yet, but that didn’t stop the familiar punch to the gut, the same one I’d been trying—andfailing—to ignore since the second she blew into town like a hurricane.
Her jeans hugged the curves of her hips and ass—an ass I could too easily recall sinking my fingertips into. I ignored the uncomfortable swell behind my zipper as we crossed the room.
