Spring Training by Stacey Lynn Rhodes Page A

what a real relationship was like.
    Speaking of relationships, he had no right to know anything about what hers was with Alex. But having seen her face when he came up and overhearing her conversation with him earlier, it was obvious that she at least cared strongly for him. Maybe they weren’t committed enough to keep her from feeling free to mess around with Aaron…or maybe he just had her pegged wrong.
    His silence must have stretched on too long because she was staring at him with an expectant frown. He might as well get out of their hair and go for a walk. He took a step back toward the door, but she quickly came forward and caught his arm. “I need to head home tomorrow.” She looked up at him solemnly, regretfully. “I’m not sure if I’ll be back before you go back to your team.”
    “I figured.” Aaron didn’t know what to say. She had her own life, and he was only here temporarily anyway. Pretty soon, after spring training wound down and the teams were set, Aaron would go home, rejoin his own team and fight to get back into playing condition.
    He watched as she obviously struggled to put something into words, and he had a feeling what it was. He tried to help her out. “What we said this morning about getting together tonight? It’s… Well, maybe it’s better if—”
    “Yeah,” she cut him off abruptly, pinkening and looking away. “Thanks for making this easier. After all, it was just a…fling.”
    A shaft of hurt speared through him, to have their time together reduced to a fling. How ironic to be on the receiving end of the ‘we were just having a good time’ line now that he really felt a connection. She was already looking for the easy way out, to leave with a clear conscience? Fine with him.
    “I really just want to take a walk.” He glanced down at where she still had hold of his forearm and she removed her grip quickly.
    He headed toward the door again, and this time, she let him go.

Chapter Twelve
     
     
     
    “Okay, son, tell Papa Deke what ails ya.”
    Aaron smiled half-heartedly. “It’s all good. What’s up with you? How’s Julia and the baby?”
    “Quit tryin’ to distract me. You’ve been way too quiet. You need to fuckin’ tell me if you’ve got bad news about your arm.”
    Aaron’s eyebrows went up at the very serious tone to Deke’s voice. “No, nothing like that. It’s actually improving, and they’re happy with my progress.”
    “Well, shit, then it must be girl trouble. And ain’t no cure for a broken heart.”
    “My heart’s not broken.” Just a little bruised. “Where did you get that idea? There’s no one down here I’m interested in.” Which was the truth. Hadn’t been for two weeks.
    “Uh-huh.”
    “Seriously.”
    “You only ever try to convince me of how serious it is when you’re protesting overmuch, as Will Shakespeare would say. Now come clean before I have to come down there and clean your clock,” he threatened with a growl.
    Deke would no more lay a hand on him than on Julia. Fuck, what would it hurt to tell him? “Fine. Just to keep you from having to make a trip—and by the way, I’d be more worried about Julia’s reaction than you.” He paused. “You remember I mentioned Sandusky’s mom?”
    “Teri, right?”
    “Yeah. She…well…” Shit it was hard talking about stuff like this.
    “Spit it the fuck out, man. What? You guys hooked up?”
    “Sort of.” Though he didn’t think of it that way. “Not like a hook up, one-nighter or anything. She’s not that kind of woman.” At least, he didn’t think she was, though the whole situation made him question his judgment.
    All he knew was that he missed her and wished he’d done so many things differently. Like maybe actually asking her about her relationship status.
    “So what kind of woman is she then?”
    Aaron found himself spilling almost everything to his friend, who listened silently as he described their connection, the fun they’d had and his worries about