Page 30 of Moon Shot

“Welcome to the annual park clean up,” the mayor spoke. “We’re honored to share the day with some Emeralds,” he motioned to Rowan and his teammates, clapping with excitement as the crowd cheered, “and great people of our city, in our effort to make it whole again one park at a time.”

Turning to the side while the mayor spoke, I caught someone watching me. Her glossy black hair shined in the sun, her bright green eyes punitive as they stared. The longer I felt her eyes on me in my periphery, as they traveled from Rowan to me, I knew her gaze wasn’t curiosity.

“Do you want litter, planting, or cleaning the playground equipment?”

“What? I’m sorry.”

Rowan rolled his eyes. “What do you want to do? I’ll sign us up.” Planting sounded the best so I could keep to the shade and follow around the cute old ladies with their baskets of marigolds and pansies.

After two hours of working, my plan for the shade failed because I’d been pulled into conversations with people about Rowan. How wonderful he was, what a great player he was, a prodigy, an upstanding citizen. Et cetera. He grabbed two bottles of water and waved at me to join him on a picnic table for a break.

“Thank you,” I told him after guzzling half the bottle. Rowan squeezed the bottle, splashing his face with water before hanging his head to shake it off. “You’re getting me wet!”

Cocking his head, Rowan licked his lips, a bashful smile spreading when he looked away from me. Even the water dripping from his hair onto his shoulders was desperate to cling to him. It was pathetic. I’m pathetic for even watching.

“You must be Meredith,” a tall man wearing a suit in the middle of summer spoke to me, extending a hand. Looking to Rowan for my next steps, he already draped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me against him. My cheek clung to his damp shirt as his grip tightened.

“This is Anthony, my agent.” Rowan explained.

“The one responsible for putting Rowan in a magazine about the city’s most eligible bachelors,” I remembered. “Looks like that went to print too fast. I’m sorry.”

“About that,” he mused, eyeing me. “I brought someone from Stumptown Magazine and they want to meet with both of you. You can give them a few words while you’re taking a break.” Anthony looked around, clearly not attending to help clean the park. He stepped away to schmooze the mayor and Rowan took that moment to sit back on the table with me, still holding his arm around me.

“I didn’t know we’d be in print,” I mumbled, letting out a nervous breath. “If you didn’t have that cute cat, none of this would happen.”

“He’s been giving me grief since he was a kitten.” Rowan teased, playfully tugging on my ponytail. “Do you want me to tell Anthony you’re off limits, too?”

I didn’t respond to him but, as I closed my eyes, I was wondering what was with my friends and putting limits on me. Rowan greeting someone who passed by caught my attention.

Opening my eyes, I looked over his shoulder. “Why is that woman staring at me?”

Rowan followed my gaze to the trash cans where some people gathered, tying stuffed bags and preparing new ones. “Black hair?”

“Yeah.”

“Looks like she could suck out your soul?”

Swatting at him, I tried to stifle my laugh. “Yes. Who is she?”

“Your competition.”

Over his shoulder, I watched her stare at us. “It’s more than that. Tell me why she’s trying to kill me from across the park.”

Rowan groaned, letting go of me and standing up. He bent forward to stretch his back, muttering something under his breath as he came up. “I have a game tomorrow. I don’t have time for stories.”

“We’re here now, and I’m intrigued,” I told him, crossing my arms. “Tell me or I’m going home before Stumptown gets here to learn just how much I love my boyfriend.” Rowan laughed when I rolled my eyes, probably agreeing the idea of love between us was revolting.

“Her name is Erica,” he held my shoulders, “and she’s engaged to Levi Reynolds. However, she’s been trying to get on this for two years. She still hasn’t stopped.”

“Doesn’t Levi care about that? That’s awful.”

“I don’t know. He doesn’t talk about his personal life whenever we’re out. He spends half the game in the bullpen, and I think Erica’s hungry for someone on the field. She’s obsessed with Diego and I. So, like I said, your competition.”

My job was on the line. I could play that game. Taking Rowan’s hands in mine, I walked backward to the picnic table and sat on top, pulling him against me. Spreading my palms over his chest, he started shaking his head at me with his beautiful grin inches from my mouth as I pulled the collar of his shirt closer to me.

“Game on,” I told him before pressing our lips together, quickly kissing Rowan and letting go of him.

Rowan combed his fingers through his hair, looking at the blue sky before lifting one hand to the back of his neck. “If we liked each other, Meredith, I’d tell you how hot you are when you get competitive.”

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