Page 72 of A Spot of Trouble
Why wasn’t Sam the least bit surprised by this detail?
“Don’t tell anyone, but he’s a—” Mavis glanced around, as if eavesdroppers might be lurking behind a nearby sand dune. Her voice dropped to a whisper. “—cat person.”
Sam’s eyes widened in mock horror. “Say it isn’t so.”
“I know, right?” Mavis scooped her Chihuahua into her arms and kissed the top of her tiny, round head. “But Skippy and Nibbles get along just fine. Like peanut butter and jelly.”
“I’m glad you’ve found someone who makes you happy, Mavis,” Sam said, and an unexpected wave of emotion hit him square in his chest. Maybe he wasn’t as content to spend the rest of his life alone as he’d thought he would be.
He and Violet weren’t meant for each other, though—no matter how tempting the idea. Deep down, Sam knew this. Even if he wasn’t a firefighter, and even if the softball feud ceased to exist—which seemed about as impossible as Cinder’s spots falling off—he and Violet had nothing whatsoever in common. They were about as opposite as two people could be. Sam sometimes wondered if that was one of the reasons he’d been so attracted to her in the first place. Caring for Violet was safe…because nothing real would ever come of it.
Mavis’s eyes narrowed, as if she could read his mind. Or maybe Sam’s current state of denial was written all over his face. Probably the latter.
“Just remember, Sam. Love is a rare and precious thing.” Mavis winked at Cinder before she deposited Nibbles into her walker basket and prepared to walk away. “And when it’s real, it’s more than just black-and-white.”
Sam attached Cinder’s leash to her collar and jogged back to his cottage with Mavis’s parting words ringing in his head.
She clearly hadn’t given up on her matchmaking, no matter what sort of promises she’d made to Violet. And she wasn’t half bad at it, he’d give her that.
But now wasn’t the time to let a meddling grandmother figure convince him he was in love. He had to get his head in the game or else. Today could mean the difference between spending his Saturday afternoons dressed as a cupcake or having the satisfaction of watching Violet’s dog learn some basic manners. It was no contest, really. By winning the bet, he’d be doing a service for the community at large.
Sam got Cinder cleaned up and dressed in her TBFD working dog vest, pulled on his softball uniform and cleats, and wasted no time getting to the ball field. The stands were packed when he arrived, without an empty seat in sight, but people were still approaching the softball diamond with lawn chairs tucked under their arms.
“What’s going on?” he asked Griff. “This is twice as many spectators as we usually have.”
Griff paused from the series of walking lunges he’d been doing—a warmup technique that Sam had taught him. “It’s the championship game, man. Guns and Hoses has never been won in a sweep. We’ve got the chance to makehistorytoday.”
Sam nodded, but when he took another look at the ever-growing collection of lawn chairs, picnic blankets, and foam fingers, his attention snagged on the pink spinning cupcake that rose above the crowd.
“No pressure, though, right?” Griff laughed.
“Right. No pressure,” Sam said absently, craning his neck for a glimpse of Violet.
Griff followed Sam’s gaze and shook his head. “Nope. No way, man. Now is not the time to be distracted by your alleged enemy. Just look away. Let’s toss the ball back and forth or something. You need to focus.”
“What do you mean by ‘alleged’? We’re actual adversaries,” Sam said. Good grief, could he sound any more ridiculous?
“Sure you are.” Griff tossed a mitt at Sam, but Cinder jumped up and caught it in her jaws before Sam could grab it. “Look, I know all about your little dip in the bay last night. I don’t know what’s going on between you two, but it can’t happen—not until this tournament is over.”
“Griff.” Sam’s jaw clenched. He was growing weary of denying that he and Violet were romantically involved. Perhaps to himself most of all.
“I mean it. This tournament is a big deal. Have you considered that perhaps Violet has orchestrated this entire love–hate flirtation the two of you have going on purely for distraction purposes?” Griff jerked his head toward the cupcake truck.
Sam stared at him, aghast. “Not possible. Violet’s not like that.”
Of course, if she were looking for payback after Emmett’s betrayal last season, messing with the fire department’s star player would certainly do the trick.
Griff shrugged. “Whatever you say. No one cares what you and Violet get up to after softball season is over. Heck, you can even ask her to the Fireman’s Ball if you want. Just put a pin in things until after the last game. I’m begging you.”
“Fireman’s Ball?” Sam said. Cinder cocked her head. “I don’t even know what that is.”
“It’s a big formal thing we do every Fourth of July. A tradition.” Griff’s eyes narrowed. “Wait. You’re going to ask her right now, aren’t you?”
Griff covered his face with his mitt and groaned.
“No.” Sam’s gaze darted to the cupcake truck and then back at Griff’s beleaguered expression. “Of course not, but I am going to have a little chat with her.”
He didn’t want to believe she’d been toying with him, especially knowing he’d opened himself up to her in a way that he hadn’t with anyone else. Hedidn’tbelieve it…except it sounded just crazy enough to be possible, given the hype surrounding Guns and Hoses.
