Page 43 of Double Play

“Yes. I’ll split the costwithyou.”

“Do you have any idea whatitis?”

Jim gulped. “No,” he admitted. “But it doesn’t matter. I know it will mean a lot to Nina, andthat’sall thatmatters.”

Trevor narrowed his eyes into ice-blue slits. “What about all those fan girls in San Diego? Why can’t you move on to oneofthem?”

For a quick, hot moment, Jim was so insulted he couldn’t see straight. “You have fans too. That doesn’t mean you don’t lovePaige.”

“This isn’t about me,” Trevorsnapped.

“Maybe itisaboutyou.”

Back came the Glare, fiercer than ever. But Jim was way past caring about the Glare. “I just figured something out, Trevor. All this time, I thought I was scaredofyou.”

“You should be scared,” Trevor growled. “I’d do anything toprotectNina.”

“Well, I’mnotscared, because I love Nina and would never hurt her. I was scared of not living up to you. Her older brother that she loves so much. The one with the .323 sluggingpercentage.”

“It’s .325now.”

“Yeah well, it doesn’t matter what it is.” At Trevor’s annoyed expression, he added, “I mean, good for you, that’s awesome. Point being, I’m a Friar too, now. I’m a Major League baseball player. Just because I don’t have your level of talent doesn’t mean anything. I made it. I’m just as worthy as the next guy. I don’t have to live up to anythinganymore.”

Trevor opened a bag of pretzels from a tray on the conference table. “So this is your big revelation? You’re just as good as me so you can steal mysister?”

Jim shook his head, eyeing the snacks and wondering if his theoretical offer to split the cost of the plane meant he could help himself. He decided not to push it. “I know you’re a better player than me. I also know that I love Nina. And I think she loves me. If she doesn’t, she can kick me to the curb.Her, not you. My feelings for Nina are real, Trevor. You might as well try to get usedtoit.”

Trevor regarded him thoughtfully, popped a pretzel in his mouth, started to say something, then stopped. “What about those groupies of yours? You kissed one on thecheek.”

“Yeah, I did. Because I went to high school with her. She happened to be in townon her honeymoon. I gave her a kiss of congratulations because shejust got married.I want Nina, and I wouldn’t do anything to messthatup.”

“She says you don’t callhermuch.”

“It’s a little hard when I’m staying at her brother’s place and I think hehatesme.”

“Why would I invite someone I hate to crash at myplace?”

Lieberman had thought about this thoroughly already. “Keep your friends close and your enemiescloser?”

Trevor laughed. “That’s one theory. Here’s another. What if I’m just a nice guy who came through when my sister asked me for afavor?”

“Huh.” Trevor, a nice guy? Jim would have to think about that one. Not that he was a jerk—though he sometimes acted like one. But nice? Definitely not the word Jimwoulduse.

Trevor leaned forward, sorting through the snacks on the tray. “Hungry?”

“Yeah.”

He tossed a bag of pretzels at Lieberman, who caught it down low, about the level of hisankles.

“Nice snag,” Trevor said, then pulled out a book and focused his attention onthepage.

Jim felt like dancing up and down the aisles doing fist pumps. Trevor…accepted him? After all his fears and doubts? All hail the gods ofbaseball!

Now all barriers between him and Ninaweregone.

17

Trevor and Jimmight have smoothed things out between them, but the weather didn’t get the message. They had to land in El Paso to wait out a thunderstorm, so they didn’t reach Kilby until just before thewedding.

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