Page 27 of Home Run Fiancé
It’s finally making sense now. This isn’t about me at all. I almost laugh at how egotistical that must make me to instantly think everything is about me. I swallow my chuckle, knowing this isn’t the time for laughter. Rhys looks incredibly worried, and if I know her brother, he won’t be happy at all.
“Rhys.” My hands rub up and down her arms. “Let’s go for that drive and talk it out. I’ll help you.”
Her face softens and the tension eases around her eyes. I shouldn’t read too much into it, but I’m feeling supremely proud of myself for helping wash away her worries. If anything, I should be apologizing for never asking about her hobbies, her classes, or how she was making any money to survive living in LA. Every conversation we’ve had has been about me, or what I need professionally. Maybe if I’d taken the time to ask her these questions, she wouldn’t have had to hide her YouTubing from me at all.
I grab her sweater off the bed and hustle her down to the truck Damon said I could borrow. Once she’s settled in the passenger seat, I get in and fire it up, the diesel engine making a racket in the quiet night sky.
She hasn’t said anything yet, but I know just the cure for stress and life worries. When I lived here, I used to go down to an empty field up past Grapevine Lake. It’s a twenty-minute drive, filled with comfortable silence as Rhys stares out at the scenery.
I almost miss the turn, and considering I haven’t been here in ten years, it’s a wonder I find it at all. The truck bounces over the dirt road and Rhys grabs on to the handle on the ceiling. When we hit a particularly large dip, she starts laughing and doesn’t quit until I get out to the lake and kill the engine.
“Ever off-roaded before?” I smile at her, enjoying her laugher much more than her being scared. The full moon reflects off the surface of the lake and gives me plenty of light to see her. She looks beautiful by moonlight. I tuck that knowledge away and try to focus on her problem instead.
“Nope. I think I’d like it though.” She turns and puts her back to the door, her legs tucked up under her, her hands clasped tightly in her lap.
“I think you would too. I think there’s lots of things I’d like to show you here in Texas. Too bad we have to go back to LA tomorrow.” And I really do mean it. I want to stay here forever, showing Rhys everything I know about this state of mine. I want to see her eyes light up when she tries something new and discovers she loves it. I want more of that laughter, especially when she tosses her head back in pure joy.
She ducks her head, but I still see a flash of that smile first. I reach out and take her hands in mine.
“So, back up and tell me everything.”
She looks up at me and takes a deep breath. “Well, I started my channel when I first started college. Mostly just for fun, not realizing I could do much with it beyond a hobby. Then it just grew and grew. Before I knew it, I was making more money with my lifestyle blog than I was making at the coffee shop. So I did some projections and made a crazy decision. After last semester, I quit college, quit my job, and went all in with my blog. I’m on track to make over six thousand dollars this month and I have goals to make a lot more than that.”
Her eyes light up as she talks, her obvious excitement for what she’s doing coming through loud and clear. I’m floored to hear how much she’s making simply by uploading videos. I had no idea that kind of money was possible.
“There’s only one problem.” Rhys bites her lip again and I want to lean over and rescue it from her teeth. “I haven’t told Asher. He’s going to be so mad at me for quitting college. He’s all about getting my degree, doing things ‘the right way.’” She pulls her hands free to make air quotes and then picks up my hand again like it’s totally natural to sit around talking and holding hands. I love feeling that band of metal around her finger.
I nod. “Yeah, he’s talked to me about how proud he is of you. And of course, the fact you’re in college is part of that. But I also know his love for you isn’t dependent on you getting your college degree.”
She cringes and tilts her head. “I know. I do. I totally know that. But I also know he’ll be disappointed in me. And I don’t know if I can handle that.”
“I’m an older brother, so I know a bit how he thinks. Asher wants the best for you and he has some ideas on what the best is. But if Damon came to me with a business plan and success like you’ve already shared, I’d back him on it. Just like I back you.” I squeeze her hand and she gives me a shaky smile. “I’ll keep your secret, but I highly encourage you to tell Asher before he finds out accidentally.”
She nods. “I know. I will, I promise. I just have to figure out how. And thank you. Thank you for keeping my secret and for being encouraging. I’ve been so stressed trying to keep my name out of the press. I don’t want them linking my channel to me and then finding out I’m not enrolled at school. I want Asher to hear it from me first. I’ve just been scared to tell him.”
She gives me a shaky smile and something lurches in my chest. “When we get back, how about we tell him together. I’ll follow your lead and support you. Would that help?”
She laughs and nods, her strong voice coming out wobbly. “Yeah, that would help.”
“Now I know all your dark secrets. Want to hear some of mine and even the score?” I don’t know why I said that. Why would I want to tell her things I prefer not to talk about with anybody? A cold sweat breaks out over my skin and I shoot a dirty look at the moon, as if it’s to blame for my lack of a filter. Stupid moonlight.
Rhys giggles and I’m instantly not as horrified of telling her about my past. “Yes, please. Let’s hear something about Jake Kersh the world doesn’t know.”
I lean back in my seat and twist my legs around, trying to get comfortable in the small space. “Due to the nature of my job, the world knows quite a bit about me. But there are a few things most people don’t know about.” I rest my head back on the cushion and debate what to tell her. I fish around for something not too deep and then start talking, the story I most want to hide being what comes out of my mouth instead.
“I dated a girl through most of high school. We always talked about me going pro and then getting married. When I signed on with the Dangers minor league team, she followed me out to Oklahoma and then on to California when they moved me to another farm team, saying she’d go to junior college while I got established. She found a roommate in Los Angeles and we saw each other when we could, which wasn’t very often between our two busy schedules. But she was always the one, you know? My focus was on getting into the majors and then getting married. Then one day your brother came to me and told me he saw her cheating on me. I didn’t believe him, of course. I confronted her and she admitted to sleeping with a television producer who promised her an acting gig.” I rub my hand over my face. “Can you believe that? How cliché is that? My girlfriend was sleeping her way through Hollywood and thought it was totally okay.”
“Oh no….” Rhys looked like she’d bitten into a lemon.
“Oh yes. So, of course, we broke up. Asher even had to help me take out a restraining order when she realized I was serious about the breakup.” I shook my head. “So there you have it. Jake Kersh had a cheating girlfriend and was too clueless to know it.”
Rhys leans forward and for just a second I think she’s going to kiss me, which short-circuits my brain. I have no idea what I was about to say. All I see is her face, those hazel eyes that look more green in the moonlight and the pouty lips I’ve had the pleasure of tasting. She smiles and I don’t see pity, just sympathy. Her hands frame my face, her soft skin like silk.
“That’s not a dark, shameful secret, Jake. She should never have done that to you. That’s on her, not you. But I do know a really good way to de-stress. You wanna try it with me?” One side of her lips tilts up and I’d pretty much agree to anything right now.
I nod, too afraid to speak and have the truth slip out: I think I’m falling for her. Not for a trade or for the public or for a stupid contract. But like love and marriage and a baby carriage.
She lets go of me and hops out of the truck. I sit there alone for a split second before realizing I’m supposed to climb out too. When I do, she’s right there, a big grin on her face.
