No Better Man (7 page)

Avery waved to the crowd, then got up and gingerly jogged over to the bench. Everyone had a turn to slap her on the shoulder and congratulate her for what just might have been the best run they’d seen in years. She made her way down the line, laughing and slapping high fives, until she got to him. She stopped, looked up from under the shade of her Cubs hat with what looked like shyness tugging at her eyelids.

Even though he knew it was a bad idea, he looked her straight in the eyes. That same sensation stirred, the one that had almost driven him to kiss her. Maybe if her lips didn’t look so soft…

She raised her eyebrows at him and he knew he couldn’t just keep staring at her all night without her suspecting something was up. So he smirked. “Nice hit.”

She grinned, no longer shy and wondering, but full of smart-ass flare. “Told you I could play.” Then she bumped past him and paraded to her spot on the bench, lighting a flame of want in his gut.

During the next few batters’ turns, Avery and Paige had their heads tilted together, chatting and laughing. He wasn’t close enough to hear what they were talking about. Must have been pretty interesting, though, because Paige never carried on like that. Especially with people she didn’t know. He glanced over at the two of them. Something about Avery seemed to make people feel like they’d known her forever. Probably served her well working with her crook of a father. The man already had like three billion in the bank. What’d he need Bryce’s ranch for, anyway?

After the third out, he got up to head to the outfield. Shooter appeared next to him and bumped his shoulder. “Damn, Walker. She’s somethin’.” He nodded toward Avery. “And she’s single, right?”

Some weird defensive energy surged through him. Shooter was a player. The worst kind of player. The kind who macked on other women even when he was out on a date. No way did Avery belong with someone like him. He eyed him. “Nah. I think she’s engaged or something.”

“She’s not engaged,” he said, his face smug. “Logan Schwartz proposed to her during the seventh inning stretch and she said no.”

He stopped in the outfield.
Wait. What?
“Logan Schwartz?”

“Yeah. Cubs’ pitcher.”

Holy shit. She’d dated a ballplayer?
“When?” Trying to look nonchalant, he closed the gap with Shooter so she wouldn’t hear them talking about her.

“Week ago or so,” his friend said, eyeing Avery again. “It was ugly. She got booed out of the stadium.”

Wow. How’d he miss that? “I had no idea.”

“Yeah, so it looks like she’s back on the market.” Shooter’s eyes gleamed. “I might have to take a crack at that.”

“Good luck,” he muttered, his defenses rising again. But why should he care if Avery went out with him? Wasn’t like he could date her. Edward King’s daughter.
Pshaw
. Right. That would be…stupid.

“Come on! This is the first out!” Avery called. She stood a ways in front of him, playing shortstop. Great. He’d have to stand there and look at her backside for the next half hour. Just what he needed to convince himself she was a bad idea.

He pulled the bill of his cap lower over his eyes. Fine. That was fine. He wouldn’t look. He refused to look.
Focus on the ball…

His old drinking buddy, Dave, stepped up to bat. Bryce jogged backward. The man could hit. First couple of pitches, Paige threw solids strikes, but then Dave hit a pop fly and it was headed straight for him. Bryce followed the ball with his eyes, running forward, to the left…

Blond hair flashed right in front of him.
Shit.
He thrust out his arms, but it was too late.

Avery tumbled into him, knocking him off balance. His arms flailed in search of stability, but the momentum pitched him back.
Thud!
He hit the soft grass and Avery ended up on top of him while the ball sailed over both of their heads.

She stared at him, her shimmery blue eyes wide with shock, lips formed in an O inches away from his.

So close. Too close. Her curves fit against him, reminding him how it felt to pull a woman close enough to feel her best features. His chest locked up.

Off in the distance, his teammates snickered like a group of junior high boys.

“Get a room!” someone called.

Avery’s expression went from shock to a feisty smirk. She balanced her elbow on his chest and propped her chin on her fist. “Jeez, Bryce. If you wanted it that bad, you could’ve just asked,” she said.

Nice.
He shook his head at her, but couldn’t fight off a smile. “You done, Slugger? ’Cause I know I am.” Carefully, he wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace.

She flinched and that shocked look made a strong comeback.

Ha. Two can play this game
. He rolled her off of him so that her back was against the grass and he was the one looking down at her. “
If
I wanted it, I wouldn’t have to ask.”

Her mischievous expression dared him to prove it.

He laughed to add to the show. Instead of indulging her boldness, he let her go, pushed off the ground, and trotted back to his spot a safe distance away.

Space. He needed space. When Avery got too close, when he touched her, his memories of Yvonne faded into obscurity. She made him forget. She made him betray his wife and want something he never thought he’d want again.

And he wasn’t ready to let go.

R
eveling in the aftereffects of one of the best games of her life, Avery meandered through the cluster of Bryce’s friends, who’d gathered around the bench to enjoy a post-game snack courtesy of Elsie. She inhaled the scent of crisp chocolate. Brownies. Gooey brownies that still smelled warm. And boy, was she hungry. She picked one up and shoved the entire thing in her mouth, her face still stinging with the thrill of physical exertion.

Nothing felt better than a win like that. They’d given the other team a good trouncing. She’d stopped keeping the score at 18-4.

“Hey, Avery. Good game.” Paige thwacked her on the back and she tried not to wince. As petite as she was, the woman packed a punch.

“You rocked the hits tonight.” Shooter nudged her shoulder and cozied up beside her.

“Thanks,” she said around the mouthful of brownie, then discreetly shuffled sideways because, well, Shooter wasn’t exactly subtle.

“Outstanding performance!” Elsie shoved her fingers in her mouth and gave a shrill whistle. “Someone get this girl an MVP trophy!”

Waving a hand through the air, she laughed like it was nothing, but their praise went straight to her heart. This was better than when she’d earned All-American in college! “Thanks, everyone,” she said, then plucked another brownie out of Elsie’s magical basket.

Paige helped herself to one, too. “Hey, girl,” she uttered between bites. “We’re all heading out to Moe’s for a more adult-style post-game celebration.”

“Moe’s?” She gave Paige a blank look.

The woman laughed like she’d forgotten that Avery wasn’t part of their crowd. “It’s a bar. The local hangout. You’ve
got
to come. After that performance, your drinks are on me.”

She grinned. She couldn’t help it. These people were so nice! She’d never had so much fun with a group of strangers before.

“So, are you in or what?” Paige demanded in that endearing, intimidating way of hers.

“Um.” She looked around for Bryce. He stood on the outskirts of the group, expression locked into the same scowl he’d worn since she’d met him, his arms crossed like he couldn’t wait to get out of there.

He definitely didn’t look like he was in the mood to party. She slung her backpack over her shoulder. “I should probably check with Bryce. We rode together.”

“Really?” The woman drew out the word into an innuendo. “Interesting.”

Heat rose to her face. She hadn’t intended to imply anything, but Paige seemed to think that meant something. “Actually it wasn’t that interesting,” she informed her before she got any ideas. “He didn’t say a word to me.” His mommy had made him include her, and he’d spent most of the evening avoiding her—except for those few moments before the game, and then when she’d ended up on top of him. Talk about a shocker. She could still feel the sturdiness of his body beneath hers, the strength of his arms around her…

Okay, that wasn’t helping the blushing problem.

Paige gave her a funny smirk. “Don’t worry about Bryce. I’ll ask him,” she called, already jogging away.

Wait! What would she say to him? Something told her it wouldn’t be good. “Paige!” Avery took off after her.

Bryce stared as she approached. His expression remained neutral, unreadable.

“We’re all heading to Moe’s,” Paige announced before Avery could stop her. “You in?”

“Nope,” he said, face suddenly drawn with determination.

Huh
. Avery studied him. Why’d he seem so uncomfortable?

Bryce looked away from her and reached down to pet Moose, who inched his head up higher, like he wanted a better scratch.

“Didn’t think you’d join us,” Paige said with a wry smile. “But your
friend
Avery’s coming with me, then. Okay by you, boss?”

She watched his reaction to Paige. He actually made eye contact with the woman, but not with her. His gaze didn’t go anywhere near her eyes. What was his problem? Was he mad she’d played so well?

“She’s not my friend,” he said to Paige, patting the dog’s head. “She can do whatever she wants.”

Humph.
Avery turned away so she didn’t have to look at him. The rosy glow on her cheeks was no longer related to his hotness.

“Come on, Moose. Let’s go home.”

As Bryce walked away in that lazy gait of his, the sting of her humiliation subsided. What had she done to piss him off now?

“Don’t mind him,” Paige said. “He’s moody. He’s been through some tough shit. You can’t take it personally.”

“I know.” Except his moodiness hadn’t seemed to be a problem when he was surrounded by his friends. Only when she got near him. He obviously didn’t want her around, but she was here to help him.

If he understood that, if he saw who she really was, then maybe he’d listen to her. Maybe he’d let her help him move on with his life.

Paige gathered up her bag and dug out car keys. “Ready?”

Avery looked longingly at the group now drifting toward the parking lot. They’d accepted her, high-fived her, complimented her skills, but she hadn’t come to make new friends. She smiled at Paige. “Thanks for the invite, but I just remembered I have some work to do. I should go back to the lodge with Bryce.”

The woman gave her a skeptical look. “Work?”

“Yes.” It was true. She had plenty of work to do. Starting with presenting their offer to Bryce in a more formal manner.

“Suit yourself,” Paige finally said. “If you’re still around, we have another game Sunday. We could use you out there again.”

“Thanks,” she called as her new friend walked away. “I had a great time!” The best time. She glanced up at the parking lot. Something told her the ride home wouldn’t be nearly as fun as the game had been. Even so, she hurried to catch up with Bryce. Unfortunately, by the time she’d made it to the parking lot, she was completely winded. How did all of these people survive on such little oxygen? By the time she caught her breath, he’d almost reached the truck.

“Hey!” she gasped, panting.

He stopped. Turned.

She could’ve sworn his face tensed into an irritated expression. She tried to take Paige’s advice.
Don’t take it personally
. If her heart didn’t inexplicably swell and pound whenever she saw him, that’d be a lot easier.

Mustering courage, she forced a peppy smile. “Turns out I’m pretty tired. Is it okay if I catch a ride back with you?”

He shrugged and turned around, lowering the truck’s lift gate for Moose. “In you go, boy,” he said in that firm gentle tone that made her quiver. She’d give anything to hear him talk to her like that.

Don’t count on it.
He had one decimal when he talked to her and it wasn’t anywhere in the vicinity of gentle. But she could handle it. She wasn’t afraid of Bryce Walker. They’d gotten off on the wrong foot, that was all. He hadn’t seen how charming she could be, how fun, how sincere. She’d never met a business acquaintance she couldn’t charm. She’d win Bryce over eventually. Damn it.

Her tight stomach remained unconvinced, but she stomped over to the passenger’s side of the truck anyway. Just as she went to open the door, her cell rang. Dad’s face lit up the screen.

Bryce glanced over.

Was he in a hurry to leave? She held up her phone in a silent question.

He waved a hand toward her as if they were playing a game of charades. What was he trying to say?

Go ahead and take it?

Take your time?

Answer it over there so I don’t have to listen to you talk?

A smile snuck past her better judgment as she answered him with a series of wild arm gestures, because he sure didn’t seem to get along well with actual words.

He only stared back at her with that blank indifference. Yet another joke wasted on him.

Opting for space and privacy, she trotted to the edge of the parking lot before swiping the screen and holding it against her ear.

“Hey, Dad. Now’s not a good time.”

“You haven’t checked in,” he answered in his brisk,
I want an update and I want it now
tone.

She lowered her voice. “I’ve been busy. You sent me out here to work, remember?” The sight of her dusty yoga pants and Cubbies shirt mocked her. Yeah. Work.

“You’ve been busy negotiating, I hope. When can I expect a signed commitment?”

The question made her queasy. She snuck a quick glance at Bryce over her shoulder. “We haven’t gotten that far.”

“How far have you gotten?” Her father demanded.

“Um. Well…”

“He hasn’t budged, has he?” he grumbled. “Stubborn son of a bitch. It’s time to play hardball.”

“No!” The last thing Bryce needed was Edward King playing hardball. She’d seen her father do whatever it took to get a property he had his eye on. He always managed to get his way, and he didn’t care what it cost or who it hurt. But she did, especially knowing that Bryce was a widower. “He’ll budge. Trust me. I need more time with him. A couple of days.”

“Fine.” Her father conceded with a sigh. Luckily, he’d always hated telling her no. “You work it from your angle. I’ll work it from mine.”

“That won’t be necessary.” She’d make sure. His angle meant using his name to bully his way through the process and coerce people into making exceptions.

“I expect an update as soon as possible,” Dad said. “We’ll talk soon.”

The line went dead. She slipped it back into her bag and trotted over to Bryce, attempting to channel the inner professional who’d seemed so displaced since she’d arrived in Aspen. Time was running out. If Bryce would quit being so stubborn, she could help him understand that it would be best for everyone if he sold to her father. For him. For Elsie. They could go anywhere, do anything they wanted. If he’d stop looking at her like an enemy for five minutes, she could show him she was actually trying to help. She understood how it felt to have the pain of the past hold you back.

But it was time for Bryce to move on.

Bryce drummed his fingers against the steering wheel.
Okay. Any day now.

Across the parking lot, Avery had finally slipped her phone back into her bag. Whoever she was talking to, she obviously hadn’t wanted him to hear. She’d drifted out of earshot right when she looked at her cell phone screen. Fifty bucks said it was her daddy. Probably calling to see if she’d brokered the deal of the century yet. A smile twitched. As much as she annoyed him, there was some satisfaction in not giving her what she wanted like everyone else seemed to. He had to admit, she had a talent for making people like her, for making people think she liked them.

But he wasn’t easily fooled.

Avery climbed into the truck, tucking those long legs into the passenger side.

And damn if the sight of them didn’t send a hot throbbing all through him. A purely physical reaction, that was all. Ever since she’d taken him down on the field and he’d felt her curves pressed against him, warm and right and satisfying, his imagination had started to wander into enemy territory…

“Sorry about that,” she said, interrupting a traitorous fantasy that involved him taking her back to the grass. A warning flared in his gut. He didn’t look at her.

“No problem.” Starting the engine, he glanced over his shoulder to make sure Moose was lying down, then backed out of the parking spot.

“So that was a great game, huh?” she remarked in that animated melody she’d used on his friends all night.

“Yep.” One-word answers. He’d stick to the one-word answers. Things were safer that way. She had this crazy ability to open people up, to make them talk, to say things they didn’t usually tell people. During the fourth inning, he’d heard Paige spill the whole story about being the black sheep of her family, about how she wished she had a better relationship with her parents. She didn’t even talk to
him
about that stuff.

That’s why he had to steer clear. Avery pried too deep and he couldn’t go there with a woman. Not right now. Look at what had happened to him after Yvonne died. He’d lost himself for three years. He’d wandered around like he didn’t know who he was without her. Hell, he was still trying to figure it out.

“Bryce?” Avery asked in that sugary sweet voice. “Is everything okay?”

“Sure.” He followed the road. Ten minutes. It’d be a quick ten-minute ride back to the ranch. Surely he could wait her out for ten minutes.

“Are you sure?” Her hands fidgeted nervously with the hair spilling down over her shoulders. “Because it feels like you’re upset with me or something.”

Ah, hell. Not this. What was it with women, anyway? Why’d they have this burning desire to get to the bottom of absolutely every feeling they had? Why couldn’t they sit in silence, enjoy the scenery? “I don’t know you well enough to be upset with you,” he finally said, increasing his pressure on the gas pedal. The cops were notorious for pulling over speeders on this section through town, but tonight he was willing to risk it.

“Look.” Avery’s hands sliced the air in front of her. “I understand why you don’t want to sell. Trust me. I get it.”

Ha.
Trust her. He didn’t trust her any more than he trusted her father. At the end of the day, she worked for the infamous Edward King. She might be smokin’ hot and nice, and, like she insisted, a good person, but she still had a job to do. He wouldn’t forget that.

Instead of answering, he leaned over and flicked on the radio. Nothing like a little Brad Paisley to tune out a woman.

Avery shot him a fiery look, topaz eyes blazing, lips thinned into a warning that tempted him to test her.

That didn’t help things. She looked even better when she got mad. His grip on the wheel tightened until his knuckles ached. Mom was right. He had to get out more. Start dating again. Any woman besides Avery King…

She hunched forward and fiddled with the radio until he could hardly hear Paisley.
Fine
. That was fine. Five more minutes and they’d be back at the ranch anyway. He’d be free of her.

“You need to listen to me, Bryce. Please.” She launched into yet another impassioned monologue about how selling the ranch could change his life.

Yeah, well.
He’d had enough changes in his life over the last few years. So sue him if he wasn’t interested. She didn’t seem to pick up on his lack of concentration, though. She went on and on until he pulled the truck into the driveway and parked in front of the office.