Tyler’s favorite steakhouse was packed. The place was small as hell anyway, but boasted the best damn beef in the city. He made a habit of eating there several times a month, more during the off-season. The plank floors and rustic wood tables made him feel more at home than the fancier joints. No putting on airs. No dress code. Just a place a man could get an above average slice of cow, enjoy a scotch, and relax a bit.

After a grueling day of therapy, he could use all three.

Garrett and Jessa were already there, seated at a table toward the back. Garrett raised a hand in greeting, and he returned it. Tyler signaled to the bartender, twirling a finger and pointing toward his destination. She nodded, smiling. Tyler knew she’d have a round of drinks at the table before he got there.

He wound his way around the tables, stopping to shake hands with several patrons who recognized him. He loved the fans in New York. They were respectful and supportive, and shared his love and nostalgia for the game.

He deflected a few questions about when he’d be back, and signed a couple of napkins.

It was good to be home.

Garrett stood when he got to the table. Jessa followed suit.

“Lookin’ good, buddy.” Garrett slapped Tyler’s palm and jerked him in for a man hug. “Thanks for sending over the drinks.”

“Not a problem. It’s good to see you.” Tyler turned to Jessa. “You too, Jess.”

He gave her a quick hug and slid into the chair opposite Garrett. Jessa’s curious expression had him wiping a hand over his face.

“Am I bleedin’ from somewhere?” He checked his palm. No blood.

Jessa laughed. “No. It’s just…” She glanced at Garrett, then back to him. “Oh, never mind. We’re glad to have you back. How’d everything go today?”

Tyler picked up the glass in front of him. He swirled the amber liquid, then took a sip. Warmth infused his chest.

He liked Jessa, more now that she was about to marry his friend, but she was still TJ’s daughter. She held an upper-level position with the franchise. The line between work and friendship was precarious at best. He should know. His legs were weak from teetering the boundary with Gabriella the last few weeks. Granted, he didn’t have the urge to kiss Jessa whenever she walked into a room, but he didn’t want to put her in an awkward position by sharing info she’d be compelled to pass along to her dad. How he started to sweat after three throws, for example.

“Dr. Adlyn went over the tests. He believes the restricted range of motion and popping I’m experiencing are from adhesions. They could go back in to release the tension, but I told them no.” Information readily available to Jessa if she requested it.

“So, what’s the plan?” Garrett asked. “We need you back.”

“Aw, you miss me. How sweet.”

“Whatever, man. I miss the flow. New guy doesn’t have it.”

“From what I’ve seen, he hasn’t done too bad.”

“Fucker’s cocky as hell.” Garrett smirked. “So you’ve got that in common. But he’s also mouthy. Talks smack on and off the field. He doesn’t pay attention to what’s going on around him. Eric’s a rookie, so I don’t expect him to have the same instincts as those of us who’ve played together for a while—years when it comes to you and me—but I do expect him to know the signals. He’s out there acting as though he’s a one-man show. The guys are getting pissed off.”

Sometimes it was difficult to remember Garrett was in the midst of his rookie season as well. His command of the game, along with the history they had playing together in college, made Garrett a seasoned veteran in Tyler’s eyes.

“The guys aren’t the only ones,” Jessa added.

Selfishly, he was glad to hear his stand-in wasn’t up to snuff. And that’s all Eric was. A stand-in. Now that Tyler knew what he was up against when it came to his shoulder, he was more determined than ever to be back before the August first cutoff.

He hated to see Eric crash and burn, though. Maybe getting his ass thrown back to the minors would open the kid’s eyes. A tough, but necessary, lesson if he wanted to learn how to play with the big boys.

“I’ve noticed a shift in play the last few games.”

“We’ve racked up a few losses, but the blame doesn’t lie solely on Eric’s shoulders. You know that.”

He did know. Ball games weren’t won or lost by one person. There were nine guys on the field for a reason. No “I” in team, and all that.

“Well, according to the doc I should be cleared for play within the next month.”

Garrett slapped him five. “That’s what I wanted to hear. Can’t wait to have you back.”

Dinner arrived. Holy hell, it smelled amazing. His stomach pitched a fit the moment the scent registered, demanding to be filled. He waited until all the plates were settled and Jessa had lifted her knife and fork before he dug into his own slab of aged beef. The buttery morsel practically melted in his mouth.

“So fill me in on the wedding plans,” he said as he sliced off another bite. “Set a date yet?”

Garrett groaned. Jessa laughed and patted Garrett’s arm.

“Not yet,” she said. “Garrett doesn’t want to wait, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to get married during the season. We’ve got enough going on.”

Tyler arched a brow at his friend. “She’s got a point.”

“Shut the hell up, Brady. I’m trying to make an honest woman of her. If Jessa has her way, we’ll start planning the wedding when the season ends, and set a date for the end of the following season. That’s a long time to wait to make her mine.”

Jessa bumped Garrett’s shoulder with hers. She waggled her fingers, showing off the engagement ring Garrett had given her just a few weeks before. “I’m already yours.”

They shared a look and Tyler returned to his meal, suddenly feeling like a voyeur.

Garrett was a lucky man. Jessa was beautiful and smart. She’d grown up around baseball. Her love for the sport rivaled any woman Tyler had ever met. They were perfect together.

He thought about Gabriella just then. Her eyes. Her smile. Her voice—fuck, her voice. The sudden urge to step outside and call her almost had him out of his chair.

“So, Tyler.” Jessa’s gaze eased from Garrett to land on him. A slow smile brightened her face. “Who is she?”

Busted. “Who is who?”

Garrett sat back with a laugh, slinging an arm across the back of Jessa’s chair. “Come on, man. You haven’t so much as batted an eye at Jessa all night. You’ve never passed up an opportunity to drive me nuts with your constant flirting. Not that I’m complaining, but what gives?”

“You might as well come clean,” Jessa informed him. “It’s written all over your face.”

Garrett offered him a sympathetic nod. “It’ll be easier if you tell her. She won’t let it go until you do.”

Tyler swiped a napkin over his mouth and jaw, as though whatever Jessa saw sat on the surface of his face and not deep in his chest where he felt the twinge.

It had barely been twenty-four hours since he’d seen Gabriella, and less than six hours since they’d communicated through a quick round of text messages between training sessions. He’d never been compelled to miss a woman before, but he missed her.

“Her name is Gabriella,” he heard himself say. Big, brown eyes. Long, dark hair. Skin so soft it could make a man weep.

Jessa squealed. Fucking squealed as though they weren’t sitting in a crowded restaurant. She smacked her hands in a loud clap. “I knew it! What is she like? Where did you meet? When do we get to meet her?”

Tyler showed her his palms. “Slow your roll, girly. You act as though I’ve never been with a woman before.”

“I’m not that naive. Tell us about her.”

“She’s cool. She’s sweet and fun to be around. She’s the massage therapist I’ve been working with.”

Garrett chuckled as Jessa pushed her plate aside and pressed her elbows onto the table.

“Seriously, Tyler? Do you think diddling with the person who’s supposed to be helping you is the smartest course of action? You’re supposed to be recovering, not playing around.” Jessa shook her head. “You had me fooled, though. From the look on your face I thought you’d found someone special.”

He didn’t appreciate the tone, or the less than flattering way she described what he and Gabriella were doing. His hackles rose. Gabriella was special, damn it. “I am recovering. Check that. Recovered. The next few weeks I’ll be focused on strength training and keeping the arm loose, but my shoulder is ready to go. Gabriella has played a key role in increasing my range of motion, and I have no doubt she’ll be able to help break up the adhesions.” The research he’d done after meeting with the doctors indicated as much. “She’s damn good at her job. She’s a complete professional, as dedicated to her work as I am to mine.”

The thought they might consider Gabriella to be nothing more than a quick fuck to pass the time kept him talking.

“And I’m not just messing around with her.”

Jessa’s expression turned skeptical. “You’re not?”

A frustrated growl bubbled from Tyler’s throat. Technically— “No.” Damn it. “It’s not like that.”

“What’s it like then?” Jessa asked.

Garrett’s stupid-assed grin was irritating the shit out of him. What the hell was he smiling about?

“Don’t get the wrong idea about Gabriella. She’s not some blonde bimbo I picked up in a bar.” No, she’s the gorgeous brunette you picked up in a bar. Why couldn’t he find the words to explain who Gabriella was to him? Maybe because he didn’t know himself. Or did he? Committing to being with her, and only her, had been easy. Too easy, considering she still held a part of herself from him. She didn’t trust him enough yet to confide in him, even after he’d dumped his fears into her lap. He wanted her to trust him. To share more than her bed.

He took an unsteady breath. The realization that he wanted to see if they could make this thing work on a more permanent basis settled in his mind. Hell, yeah. It wouldn’t be easy, but he was willing to try.

“Gabriella is special. She’s independent and strong.” He rapped his knuckles against the table. “She’s not all that interested in baseball … yet. I’m taking her to a game in Texas tomorrow, so I’m hoping she falls in love.”

Garrett nudged his foot under the table. “With the game, or with you?”

Smiling, Tyler downed the rest of his drink. It was too soon to talk about love. One step at a time. Right now, he just wanted a shot at keeping her in his life.

Jessa beamed. “It seems Tyler has found someone special, after all. Call the press. I believe this one’s off the market.”

Yeah. He could live with that. Now all he had to do was convince Gabriella.

---

“I received a call from Lloyd Weaver this morning. He told me Roger isn’t happy you’ve refused to work out an arrangement privately.”

Yeah, well, Roger and his crotchety lawyer could kiss her butt. Roger had screwed her once; she wouldn’t give him the opportunity to do it again.

“What’s his offer?”

Gabriella sat crossed-legged in the center of the bed. Cradling the phone between her shoulder and cheek, she continued to fold laundry, sorting out the few items she planned to take with her to Texas tomorrow.

“Total amount of the equity in the house, plus reimbursement for the six months of payments you’ve made since he moved out.”

“It’ll be more than six months’ worth by the time this is settled.”

“We’ll adjust the amount to include all of the payments you’ve made, or will make.”

“Okay. Is he willing to pay for a new appraisal? I’d like current documentation to make sure the numbers are fair, either way.”

“We can make it a stipulation. It must be an appraiser of our choosing, of course.”

“Of course.” Pamela Stevenson was a nice woman and a cut-throat attorney. Gabriella had no qualms allowing the woman to speak for her. “I’d also want reimbursement for the down payment.”

“Does that mean you’ve decided to move forward?”

Move forward. As though every step she’d taken the last six months, every day that had passed hadn’t done the trick. Her feet were stuck in quicksand, held in place by a life she’d created out of someone else’s needs. In order to make someone else happy. Oh, she loved her work and the people she helped. She loved Matt and Lillian. But she’d been stuck nonetheless. She just hadn’t realized it.

Until the night she’d walked into a bar and laid her eyes on Tyler. Something happened in that moment. Something special and unexpected. Her heart had started beating again. And it scared the ever-loving shit out of her.

You’re the only woman in my bed.

The declaration, spoken with that bossy tone of his, was the hottest thing a man had ever said to her. But she didn’t know where that left them. Maybe nowhere. Maybe somewhere new.

She didn’t want to make the same mistakes. She needed to be sure the decision she made was best for her. That the recent thought of moving back to Boston wasn’t because it would put her closer to Tyler.

“Gabriella?”

“I’m here, Pam. Sorry.”

“Roger is giving you until the end of the month to decide.”

Gabriella nodded even though Pam couldn’t see her. “And if I decide to stay?” Pride was a funny thing. It chapped her ass to give Roger anything he wanted after what he’d done to her. At the same time, it was amusing to think about Roger fucking his fiancée in this very room where he and Gabriella had once shared a bed. Let him be haunted by memories of her for a change.

“I’ll be honest. I doubt you’ll get a better deal. Your income is sufficient, but Roger is in a better financial position—not only to keep the house, but to cover the legal fees should this go to court.”

If she took the deal, she wouldn’t have to worry about income for a while. She could take a step back. Reevaluate.

“Thanks, Pam. I’ll be in touch.”

After a quick goodbye, Gabriella hung up. She had time to deal with her past. For now, for the next few days, she wanted her feet planted firmly in the present.

Which meant she had some packing to do.