Ready To Love Again Read online

  “I was wondering about pitching practice for Shawn tomorrow. You mentioned Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.”

  “I have to work late tomorrow, so we’ll start on Monday.” He tried not to let the embarrassment sound in his voice.

  “That’d be great. I start work Monday, so I’ll swing by the field around five-thirty?”

  “Sure, see ya then.” He was about to hang up when he remembered Gina’s comments about setting a date. “Oh! Katie,” he said, hoping she hadn’t hung up.

  “Yes?”

  “Uh . . . about our date.”

  “Listen, it’s okay. We don’t have to do it if you don’t want to.”

  “Huh?” Chase asked confused by her comments. “Wait . . . no, that’s not . . . I mean—” He let out a long exasperated sigh when he realized she thought he wanted to cancel. “I wanted to see if you were available next Friday. I have to work night shifts this weekend, so I thought maybe we could go out the Friday before opening day of the league’s season.”

  “Oh.” Katie sounded surprised, and he wondered if he was throwing off mixed signals. “Yeah, that would be nice.”

  Even though she couldn’t see him, Chase grinned and nodded. “Okay, well . . . I guess I’ll see you Monday.”

  He hung up the phone after their goodbyes and turned to find Gina leaning against the doorframe.

  “You’ve got it bad.” She laughed.

  “Shut it,” he said with a growl, raking his fingers through his hair.

  Stupid, annoying sister.

  Chapter 7

  “Shawn! Feed your dog!” Katie hollered for the third time from the bathroom, trying to keep from poking her eye out with the mascara wand.

  “I will, I will. Gosh, Mom, you don’t have to yell.” Shawn stomped out of his room and toward the backyard.

  Katie grumbled under her breath. “Why is it, on the first day I have to be at work, he has to be difficult?”

  She threw the mascara back into her makeup bag and scrunched her hair to try to get the curl to come out. Opening the cabinet under the sink, she reached for the hair spritzer bottle when a green object hurled itself out from behind the toilet paper roll. A blood-curdling scream ripped from her lips when a huge frog landed on her socked foot. She squealed again, kicked off the offending critter, and jumped out of the bathroom, slamming the door.

  She didn’t have a problem with frogs, not like she did with snakes. However, that didn’t mean she liked to have them jump out at her.

  Count to ten, Katie. He’s a curious boy who loves creatures. He doesn’t mean to scare the hell out of you.

  Katie was walking into the kitchen when Shawn came back into the house. “What happened? I heard you scream.” His innocent brown eyes looked up at his mother, and any anger she’d harbored melted away.

  “There is an extremely large frog in the bathroom.” She gave him a stern look.

  Shawn’s eyes lit up with excitement until he realized finding his new friend wasn’t a good thing. “I’m sorry, Mom. I don’t know how he got out.”

  Katie sighed. “We need to go. Are you ready? Did you brush your teeth?”

  He shook his head. Running into the bathroom, he scooped up his pet then deposited it in the makeshift cage he’d made out of several shoeboxes in his room.

  Note to self: pick up an aquarium at the pet store.

  Shawn headed back into the bathroom and brushed his teeth while she finished getting ready. Ten minutes later, they were in the car and on their way to his school. Katie pulled into the drop-off lane and scanned the area, hoping to catch a glimpse of Chase. She gave up after she saw Liz down the hall, her blond hair moving animatedly while she chatted with her friends.

  “Don’t forget, you’re going home with Tony today. I’ll pick you up at the field when I get off work. Do you have the fourteen dollars you found in your pocket the other day?”

  Shawn pulled out the wad of cash he had shown her the day before. It had taken him two days before he brought the money to her. His conscience had eaten at him until he realized he couldn’t keep his newfound windfall.

  At first she hadn’t known where the money came from. It wasn’t until he mentioned which pants he found it in that she’d figured out the mystery.

  “Remember what we talked about. You need to put the money somewhere Coach will find it. It’ll ruin the surprise if he finds it while you’re there, so make sure you hide it well but not too well.”

  Shawn grinned. When she told him she wanted him to help her carry out her plan, he’d been more than happy to oblige.

  “I will. I’ll ask Tony where’d be a good hiding spot. Bye, Mom.” Shawn waved as he closed the door. Katie pulled out onto the street and smiled when she thought about her plan to pay for her dinner. She didn’t feel bad at all that she’d enlisted her sneaky son. Two could play at this game, and she had every intention of winning.

  Katie arrived at the aquarium with a few minutes to spare. She hurried in through the back entrance and looked around, not sure which way she should go.

  “Hi, are you Katie Rodriguez?” asked a blonde with a short spiky haircut that seemed to fit with her petite frame.

  “I am, but please call me Katie.” She held out her hand, and the blonde shook it.

  “Great! I’m Amelia Warner, and I’m the associate curator of husbandry. We’ll work together to make sure the exhibits are taken care of.”

  Katie nodded while Amelia escorted her down a long hallway that led to the Open Sea tank. She rattled off all the tasks for which Katie would be responsible and reassured her that she would be attached to her hip until Katie felt comfortable on her own.

  They climbed a long stairway, which took them to an observation deck for the massive tank. Katie watched for a glimpse of the fascinating creature she had read so much about.

  “The white shark is on a daily feeding schedule. We have to time everything with precision, or she won’t eat. She’s a bit picky over where, when, and how she’s fed.” Amelia went on to explain that they had trained the shark to know when to feed by dropping a bright-yellow star into the water.

  Katie was so excited at the idea of watching the shark feed that she could barely contain her enthusiasm. She was struck again by a feeling of gratitude for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. A white shark had never lasted long in captivity, since aquariums were forced to let them go when they refused to eat. Not so with this amazing fish. It had taken the shark a few days to acclimate herself to her surroundings, but then, by a miracle, she’d fed.

  Katie spotted the white shark and sucked in an awe-filled breath when she swam just below the surface. Katie stared in wonder at the sheer force and gracefulness of the powerful predator before her. She was around seven feet long, and there were clear wounds across her first dorsal fin from a fishing net.

  “Amazing, isn’t she?” Amelia whispered.

  Still stunned by the creature, Katie nodded, unable to form words.

  They spent the remainder of the morning filling out paperwork, after which Amelia showed Katie the recording equipment and feeding sheets for each exhibit. They also spent time checking the water levels and chemical values of the tanks before they fed the penguins. Katie was so preoccupied with making a good impression and learning everything she could that she was surprised when five o’clock arrived. The day had slipped away.

  She was exhausted but enthusiastic when she pulled into the parking lot to pick up Shawn from baseball practice. Her excitement changed to nervousness when she climbed out of the car and scanned the field. She spotted Chase speaking to Mitch, and her stomach knotted. When she came closer, she overheard part of the conversation, and neither of them sounded happy.

  Katie changed direction and climbed the bleachers. Her curiosity was piqued by the argument going on a few feet from her.

  “I’ll bench him if I see that kind of display again. It’s just bad sportsmanship,” Chase said with a low growl.

  She wondered what had happened to
make him so angry. Chase didn’t strike her as someone who lost his temper without provocation. It was pointless to pretend she wasn’t paying attention while the two men squared off in front of one another. Mitch looked like he wanted to rip Chase apart. After a brief staring match, he gave a curt nod and turned to walk back onto the field.

  Chase watched him go and then noticed her. A lopsided grin crossed his face, and she smiled back in greeting.

  “Hi.” He pulled off his baseball cap and ran his fingers through his hair, making it stick up at an odd angle before he slid his hat back in place.

  “Hey. Tough day?” She glanced toward Mitch, who was sulking at the other end of the field.

  Chase followed her gaze and frowned. “Yeah, you could say that. I need to talk to you about something that happened earlier with Shawn.” His uneasiness worried her, and a million scenarios ran through her mind.

  “I’m sure it’s not any worse than what I’ve dealt with before.”

  Chase looked confused for a moment. “You think Shawn did something wrong?”

  “Didn’t he?”

  Chase laughed, which relieved some of her fears. “Amazingly, no. I’ve seen kids freak out over smaller offenses. No, he handled himself with dignity.” He gave her a small smile before he continued. “From what I gathered from Tony and a couple of other boys, there was an argument between Cody and Shawn at the beginning of practice. I put the boys up to bat and had Cody pitching to give him more practice. From what I understand, Cody bragged earlier that he could make Shawn hit the dirt.”

  Katie gave him a quizzical look. She didn’t know what that term meant but figured it wasn’t good.

  “That means he would throw a wild pitch. He aimed to scare Shawn, at least. At worst, his plan was to hit him.”

  Katie gasped and glanced at Shawn, who was picking up balls off the field. Even though these kids were young, they still threw hard. When she didn’t see any outward damage, she turned back to Chase.

  “I would have pulled Cody if I’d known. Anyway, he hit Shawn with a fastball.”

  Katie felt the anger grow deep inside her chest. She watched Mitch and Cody walk off the field. Their departure was a good thing, because in her current state, she couldn’t guarantee she would be civil.

  “Where’d he get hit?” She tried, unsuccessfully, to keep the anger and worry out of her voice.

  “He’s going to have a nasty bruise on his ribs for a few days. I don’t think anything’s broken, but if he complains about having trouble breathing, bring him to the hospital as soon as possible.”

  Katie nodded and took a deep breath to control the rage that coursed through her.

  “Shawn was a champ. That hit would have brought a grown man to his knees, but he sucked it up and didn’t shed one tear.”

  That didn’t make her feel better.

  “After I checked to make sure he was okay, I pulled Cody aside and had a talk with him. He felt bad for what he did, so I don’t think we’ll see that kind of conduct from him again.”

  Katie wished she could feel as confident in the other boy’s remorse.

  “Even after Shawn found out it was intentional, he didn’t say a word. Most boys wouldn’t have handled it like he did.”

  She knew how her child operated, and there was no way he would let this go unpunished. Cody may have started a war, and she debated whether to say anything to Chase. Instead, she decided to have her own talk with Shawn when they got home.

  “Katie?”

  “I’m sorry. I was digesting what you said.”

  “Are you okay?” A worried frown creased Chase’s brow.

  She let out a long breath before she answered. “Yeah, but I can’t guarantee I won’t give the Arnolds a piece of my mind.”

  He laughed. “Good. Now, this Saturday is opening day ceremonies, and we’re in charge of the hot dogs for the carnival. Gina is going to pick up all the supplies, and Daniel and I will barbecue. I wondered if you could help Gina set up and man the booth.”

  Katie smiled, and a little bit of her anger slipped away. “Sure. I’ll call her and see what she needs help with.”

  “Great. Um . . . I also wanted to tell you to wear something warm Friday night.” Chase looked at the ground, the bill of his baseball cap casting a shadow across his face. When he looked up, she noticed his cheeks were pink.

  Could he be any more adorable?

  “Why?” she asked, curious about what he had planned.

  “We’re going to dinner, but that’s all I’m telling you. Just wear something warm.” All she could do was nod. Every thought left her the minute his blinding smile was directed at her.

  Katie watched him jog onto the field, and she couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy. Even though Chase had been a widower for three years, she worried he might not be ready for their date. She noticed he still wore his wedding ring, but no matter how many times she considered canceling, her desire to get to know him wouldn’t allow it. He did respond to her flirting, and his little slip up on the phone had her hoping he thought about her in a way that was more than platonic.

  While Shawn and Katie drove home, she decided she’d better have a talk with him about what happened at practice and make sure he was okay with her upcoming date.

  “Shawn?”

  “Yeah, Mom?”

  “I know Coach talked to you about what happened, but I need you to understand that I won’t tolerate you getting back at Cody.”

  Shawn’s eyes dropped to his lap, a sure sign he had already made plans.

  “I mean it. What Cody did was wrong, but I expect you not to stoop to his level, okay?”

  He shifted in his seat and contemplated what she said. Katie rolled it over in her mind, making sure she hadn’t left any loopholes.

  She prodded again when he didn’t answer. “Shawn? Okay?”

  “Fine,” he muttered.

  Katie hoped that was the last she would hear of the incident, but knowing him, he’d find another way to accomplish his goal.

  “I also wanted to talk to you about Coach.”

  “What about him?”

  She gnawed on the inside of her lip for a moment, contemplating the best way to broach the subject, until she realized being straightforward was the best approach.

  “How would you feel if I went out on a date with Coach?”

  Katie glanced in the rearview mirror and caught Shawn’s contemplative look before he shrugged. “I’m okay with it as long as I get to stay at Tony’s, and Gina is there and not that kidsitter.”

  Katie chuckled. He hated being babysat. “Do you have a problem with Tiffany?”

  “Yeah, she’s dumb. All she wanted to do was talk on the phone and do Liz’s hair. When Tony and I tried to get her to play with George—”

  Katie interrupted. “Who’s George?”

  Shawn sighed. “He was Tony’s new caterpillar, but Liz and Tiffany were grossed out and made us put him back in the garden. How can anyone be grossed out by a caterpillar? They’re furry and cute. Gina liked his brother when we brought him in to show her today.”

  Katie laughed and shook her head. The poor O’Donnells had no idea that their house would soon become a safe haven for critters if Shawn had anything to say about it.

  ~*~

  The rest of the week flew by without any more problems at practice, and as the workweek came to a close, Katie’s anticipation built. She went straight home and jumped in the shower, thinking about the items in her closet while she washed her hair and scrubbed down, trying to erase the smell of squid from her body.

  After spending too much time rummaging in her closet, she decided on a thick pair of black slacks and tight fitted turtleneck with a loose-weaved gray sweater over the top. She slipped on her favorite pair of black suede boots with a sexy spiked heel and then glanced in the mirror. Katie wondered for a moment if she should wear something a little more feminine but then remembered Chase had said to dress warmly. She assumed they’d be outside for part of th
eir date, and that piqued her curiosity even more.

  Katie had finished blow-drying her hair when she heard a knock at the front door. When she answered it, her jaw almost hit the ground. In a pair of dark wash jeans with a black shirt and sports coat, Chase was more irresistible than ever.

  “Hey,” he said. “You look great.”

  “Thanks. So do you,” she answered, grabbing her purse and following him out to the car.

  He opened the car door for her, and she slid in.

  “So are you going to fill me in on the plans for the evening?”

  He bit his bottom lip before he shook his head and closed her door. When he climbed into the car, he smiled. “I think I’ll keep it a surprise. I hope you like Italian food, though.”

  “I do, very much.”

  “I have to warn you that Giovanni is a big flirt and will probably try to get you to accompany him to the back room.”

  “Well, I hope you’ll defend my honor.” Katie smirked, and Chase smiled back at her with a sparkle in his eye.

  He did most of the talking while they made their way into Pacific Grove, telling her about pitching practice and how excited the boys were to have a sleepover. She hoped Gina could keep them under control, and when she expressed her concerns, Chase gave her an odd look and laughed.

  “I think it’s the boys who’ll need to keep Gina under control. She had the whole night planned out.”

  Large banners hung from the lampposts when they drove down Lighthouse Avenue, reminding tourists and locals alike about the Good Old Days. They arrived at a quaint little restaurant in the heart of Pacific Grove. Chase parked, and Katie waited for him to come around and open her door. An eccentric woman in a bright-purple hat, who had to be in her nineties, was pushing a cart down the sidewalk. An orange tabby cat perched on top of her grocery items. The woman stopped Chase before he made it to Katie’s door, pointing to a spot on her hip and waving her hands around with dramatic emphasis. Chase gave Katie an apologetic smile before he gave the woman his full attention while she continued to speak. Katie held back her giggle and opened the door before Chase addressed the woman in a very patient tone.