The Problem with Sports Page 6

  “Since I was six, I think,” he replied, his face scrunched up again as if he were giving it some real thought.

  Since he was six. Then that meant they’ve been separated and/or divorced for about two years. Of course, I couldn’t get the details of their divorced from Grant, but I did need to know if there were some residual feelings there somewhere. I found myself attracted to Andrea, but I wasn’t interested in a full-blown love triangle.

  Grant paused Sports Center and turned to give me his undivided attention. “Guess what?”

  “What?” I was just as eager to hear what he had to say as he was to say it.

  “When Mom and Dad were out on the balcony yesterday, I went to go get a juice pack, and I could hear them through the door.”

  “And what did you hear?”

  “Mom asked Dad if I could go to a real ball-game,” he almost squealed like a teenage girl. “Dad said he would think about it. Isn’t that awesome?”

  My chest was a starburst of warmth. “That is awesome,” I told him. And it was. I couldn’t wait to take him to a game.

  “Dad told her that, if I get to go, him and Mom will take me to my first game,” he went on. “And it’s going to be a football game in September!” he finished excitedly.

  “That’s gre-”

  Wait.

  What?

  They’re going to take him? And it’s going to be football?

  “I wouldn’t mind going to an Angels’ game, but I agree with my Dad,” he prattled on as if he hadn’t just broken my goddamn heart. “Since football is my favorite, I want my first game to be football.”

  I shook my head and tried to prioritize. “Yeah, about that,” I grimaced. “Why is football your favorite?”

  “Because offensive linemen can get away without running, if they don’t have to,” he said, and I could actually hear my heart cracking down the middle. “If I could play anything, it would be that position because there’s not a lot of running.” The goddamn kid scrunched his face up again. “Or a hockey goalie. I think I could do that, too.”

  My phone rang, saving me from crying all over the place like a fucking pussy, and when I picked it up off the coffee table, I thanked God for the call.

  I looked at Grant. “I have to take this.”

  He grinned and unpaused Sports Center. “No problem.”

  “What’s up?” I said into the phone.

  “I’m dancing through your town next week. Wednesday and Thursday, so I can stop by and see your Mom,” Sergio said. “I’m going to stop by and see you, too.” He didn’t ask, but then, he was my best friend and didn’t need to. Next to my brothers, Sergio Hernandez was my closest friend.

  “Sounds good,” I replied.

  “Sounds good,” he echoed. “Gotta go. I got a blonde winking at me.” He hung up as I laughed into the phone. I knew the blonde was his wife.

  Andrea walked in with a platter of sandwiches as I pocketed my phone. “Anybody hungry?”

  “I am,” Grant immediately replied.

  “Same here,” I told her, and she smiled as she set the platter on the coffee table. She even put down a water for me and a juice pack for Grant.

  “You guys having fun?”

  Before Grant could answer, I said, “Can Grant come by next Wednesday? Sergio Hernandez is going to be in town.”

  Grant’s little head whipped around, his eyes wide, while Andrea asked, “Who’s Sergio Hernandez?”

  Grant turned to her. “Mom, I think we really need to talk,” he said, shaking his head sadly.

  “He’s right,” I added. “This is starting to become embarrassing.”

  Chapter 11

  Andrea~

  I didn’t see this coming.

  Once again, Nathan Hayes was in my living room, taking liberties with Grant’s life, and I was surprised this shit was still shocking me. Especially, since it was a Friday night. Didn’t Nathan Hayes have anything better to do than butt into an eight-year-old’s life?

  “Are you trying to bargain with me?” I asked, listening to the words he was saying, but still in disbelief.

  “What’s wrong with that?” he challenged.

  “Uh, other than the fact that Grant is not your son and you don’t really have a say in anything we decided for him, I suppose nothing,” I replied sardonically.

  “Tell me how that’s not a fair trade?” he pushed again.

  We were standing in the middle of my living room again, squaring off, and it was really blowing my mind. “Because you don’t have rights where Grant is concerned,” I tried again. “You do understand that he’s not yours, right?” Maybe Nathan was a lunatic and the MLB forced him to retire early because he couldn’t hide it from them anymore.

  “He’s my friend,” Nathan insisted like a petulant child. “If you’re going to rob me of the experience of taking him to his first ballgame ever, then the least you could do is let me take him to his first baseball game ever.” He looked like he was on the verge of a legit tantrum. “You guys can have football,” he grumbled.

  “How do you even know we’ve talked about taking him to a game?” I asked, wondering if the man has planted bugs in my house.

  He immediately looked guilty and bugs were suddenly a real possibility. He grimaced a bit as he said, “He kind of overheard you and your ex-husband talking about it Sunday when you guys were out on the balcony,” he informed me. “He knows you guys are thinking of taking him.”

  My heart sank at the news.

  I threw my finger up to stop Nathan from speaking and pulled out my phone. Steven answered on the third ring. “Hey,” he said. “You okay?” I rarely called when he had Grant because I didn’t like intruding on their time together.

  “Yeah,” I assured him quickly. “I just wanted to warn you that Grant overheard some of our conversation, Sunday. He knows we’re thinking of taking him to a game.”

  “How do you know?” he asked, concern lacing his question.

  “Nathan told me,” I admitted. “I guess Grant told him.” There was some heavy silence on Steven’s end, and I didn’t like the anxious feeling it gave me. “Steven?”

  “I’m getting really tired of hearing Nathan Hayes’ name when it comes to making decisions about Grant, Andie,” he said, and I really couldn’t blame him. Hadn’t I just been thinking and saying the same thing?

  “It’s not like that, Steven,” I semi-fibbed. “Grant told him what he overheard, and that’s it.” I could feel Nathan tense next to me, but I paid him no mind. I had bigger issues to deal with.

  Steven let out a sigh. “Give me a sec,” he said, then I heard him telling Grant he was stepping outside for a second. After hearing a door shut, Steven said, “I plan on telling him this weekend that we’re taking him to a game.” I couldn’t help my smile. “I looked up the season openers and the Raiders are playing the Chargers for their first game of the season.”

  “He’s going to love that,” I said, knowing Grant was going to be over the moon when Steven told him.

  “We’ll talk about it more when I drop him off on Sunday, okay?”

  “Okay,” I replied, realizing now was not the time to discuss this, with Nathan standing only a few feet away from me. “I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Talk to you later, Andie,” he returned before hanging up.

  “Problems?” Nathan asked and I side-eyed him. “What?” Yeah, that innocent act was not working.

  “Look, Nathan, I really appreciate you taking an interest in Grant, but you’re crossing lines,” I told him. “I have no problem you befriending Grant, but you have no rights to him.” My brows drew downward. “And you do realize how bizarre this all is, right?”

  “Because I want to take him to a game?”

  I shook my head. “Because you’re insisting on taking him to a game,” I corrected.

  Nathan went back to being serious. “Look Andrea-”

  “Andie is fine, Nathan,” I graciously allowed. We might not be friends, but we were becoming
something.

  Nathan smiled, and he really was too good-looking for any woman’s peace of mind. “I just really like Grant,” he said. “I’m not trying to be a dick, I swear. I just find the kid so goddamn interesting, and I really like hanging out with him.”

  I thought about that, and while I still believed he was being overboard, I also believed Steven was being overly sensitive about Nathan Hayes befriending Grant. Grant loved sports. They were his number one passion, and while Grant loved Steven, Steven was probably feeling threatened by Grant hanging out with someone who Grant hailed as a hero. It was hard for a parent to compete with their child’s hero.

  “I’ll talk to Steven, but you have to promise to stay on the side of respectability, Nathan,” I warned him. “If we don’t want Grant doing something, I expect you to honor that.”

  I watched as he chewed on his bottom lip. He looked to really be thinking about it, and it made me wonder if we really did live next to a madman. Who didn’t think they needed to respect a child’s parents’ wishes? It shouldn’t have been that hard to agree to.

  “How respectable?” Nathan asked, throwing me off.

  “What?”

  And then this soap opera took another turn into the strange when Nathan stepped to me and dipped his head to create an intimacy that had my heart thumping and body parts clenching.

  Oh.

  My.

  Goodness.

  “I mean, how respectable do I have to behave around you?” he asked, and there no mistaking his meaning. I might be in the middle of a dry spell, but I wasn’t that clueless.

  “Nathan-” He stepped closer, stopping my words mid-sentence, and his body heat almost made me moan. Back to that dry spell, I missed sex. I hadn’t been lying to Rachel when I had told her that.

  “See, the thing is,” he began, his voice a dark rumble, “as fascinating as Grant is, he’s not the only person in this house that I come over to see.”

  Oh, God.

  Nathan Hayes was hitting on me, and I was not equipped to handle something like this. I’d never been a casual sex kind of person, and while I wasn’t opposed to it, I’ve never had to navigate through the concept before. The men I’ve slept with had always been boyfriends or was Steven. Could I have a fling with Nathan Hayes? Probably.

  Except for two very important factors…

  “Nathan, I’m not sure this is a good idea,” I squeaked. “If this…turns sour, you’re my neighbor. Plus, there’s your friendship with Grant to consider.” Was I looking the man in the eyes as I delivered my little speech? Nope. Was it cowardly? Yep. But was it necessary? Absolutely. There was no way I’d be able to resist those baby blues filled with heat and wicked promises. So, rather than look directly into the sun, blinding myself stupid, I stared at his chest. Which, admittedly, wasn’t much better since the man was built like a god.

  “And you’re positive it’s going to turn sour?” he asked the top of my head.

  Yes.

  “Uh, pretty sure,” I replied. “Besides, don’t you have…dates you can take out or something?”

  He chuckled and I felt it all the way to my bones. “No, Andie,” he rasped out. “I don’t have dates I can take out or something. There’s only one woman I’m interested in taking out.”

  I took a step back to give myself some thinking room, but that failed spectacularly when Nathan stepped with me.

  Quit being a coward.

  I looked up at the gorgeous man and hit him with the truth. “Nathan, I don’t have the time, patience, or level of self-esteem it takes to date someone like you,” I said, hoping I didn’t sound like a complete loser. “I’ve never had a one-night stand, and I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to handle you just in general.” I cleared my throat. “So, while I appreciate the interest, uh, I’m going to have to say no.”

  “No?”

  “No,” I confirmed with a confident nod. “Thank you, but no.”

  Chapter 12

  Nathan~

  I didn’t see this coming.

  Sure, I knew she’d have concerns over my friendship with Grant, and that she might even suspect I was befriending her son just so I could get into her pants, but I hadn’t anticipated a flat-out no. Ego aside, no wasn’t a word I heard often.

  I stepped back and gave her some room. I wasn’t a total dick. I knew I was running roughshod over her and her son, but the kid was fucking awesome, so who wouldn’t want to hang out with him? And Andie was fucking gorgeous, so who wouldn’t want to take her out on a date?

  “I’m not the type of man who would put a child in the middle of something like a breakup, Andie,” I told her.

  The woman scoffed. “And how in the hell would I know that?” she returned. “I don’t know you, Nathan.”

  “Well, what better way than to get to know me than a date?” I fired back.

  “We become friends,” she tossed out like that was totally acceptable.

  “I don’t want to just be your friend,” I said, going for honestly. Might as well put it all out there.

  Andie let out a deep breath. “Nathan, I’m not opposed to casual sex, but it’s not anything I’ve ever-”

  I swung my palms up to stop her. “Whoa, hold up,” I interrupted. “Who says I want to have casual sex with you? I asked you on a goddamn date, Andie. Not to meet me in some seedy motel.”

  She winced. “All the same-”

  “No.” I shook my head. “It’s not all the same. If I wanted casual sex, I’d hit up a bar or something.”

  Andie regarded me for a second before her brow drew downward. “Nope,” she said. “I’m not buying it.”

  “Buying what?”

  “As you and Grant are so fond of telling me, you’re Nathan Hayes. I find it hard to believe that a divorced mother of an eight-year-old is what does it for you.”

  Okay.

  Now I was getting irritated.

  “Because that’s all you are?” I challenged.

  Her head reared back in confusion. “What?”

  “Is that all you are?” I repeated. “Are you only a divorced mother of an eight-year-old?” Andie still looked confused. “Or are you Andrea? Do you have your own interested? A job? Friends? Or does your life revolve around Grant and your ex-husband only?” She bristled and I knew I hit a sore spot. “Because the woman I think you are does do it for me. And the fact that she’s a mother of a young boy and has an ex-husband is irrelevant. They’re not bad things, and they aren’t enough to make me not want to get to know the woman you are, who is independent of being a mother and someone’s ex-wife.”

  She let out a deep sigh. “Nathan, you have to look at this from my point of view,” she argued. “You’re a professional baseball player. The life you live-”

  I let out a dark laugh. “The life I live?” I chuckled, though there was no humor in it. “I live a life where I retired early, so I could enjoy my golden years and not spend them suffering through years of aches and pains. I live a life where my brother, Gideon, calls me and cusses me out if I don’t call our mother at least once a week. I live a life where I returned to my hometown to live. Not L.A. or New York City or Atlanta or anywhere that’s for twenty-somethings. I live a life where my other brother, Sayer, calls me to warn me that his stepdaughter is going to interview me for some high school history exposé article.” Her face softened, and I appreciated that she was hearing me out. “If I wanted strippers, or models, or champagne bottles at three in the morning, I sure as hell wouldn’t have moved back here, Andie.”

  “Nath-”

  “Oh, and my father’s still tough enough and strong enough to kick all three of our asses if we upset my mother,” I added.

  “Nath-”

  “My brother married the love of his life in April, but she comes with a douchebag ex-husband we all have to play nice with as to not upset his stepdaughter, Leta,” I continued. “Gideon’s a complete dick on a good day. And the only real friend, true friend, I still have from my playing days is Sergio He
rnandez, because he’s a family man, and he gets not wanting to live in the fast lane until you wreck.”

  “Nath-”

  “So, don’t stand there and tell me it’s odd or strange or unrealistic for me to be interested in you, because none of that’s true,” I kept prattling on. “I think you’re beautiful. I like seeing how you love your son. I respect how you get along with his father. And, even though I know nothing about your divorce, it’s clear you and your ex-husband have put that difficult experience behind you guys to do what’s best for your son.” I let out an irritated scoff. “I don’t mind baggage, Andie, because that means you’re real people. You’ve had real experiences, and they’re deeper than making sure you get the best suite at The Four Seasons.”

  “Nathan!”

  “What?!”

  Andie closed her eyes and let out another deep breath. I noticed she did that a lot when she talked to me. Opening her eyes again, she said. “Steven’s going to think you’re using Grant to sleep with me, you know.”

  I nodded because I knew there was that possibility. Hell, I thought she would think it when I had made my intentions clear. “But do you think that?”

  She shook her head. “No,” she answered. “It’s obvious you don’t need to resort to games or hurtful tactics for sex. But Steven’s going to have a hard time with this.”

  “So?” I asked. “You’re divorced, right?”

  “Well, yeah,” she muttered.

  “Then he’ll have to get over it, right?” Then a thought occurred to me. “Unless there’s still something going on betw-”

  Andie shook her head. “No,” she denied. “It’s nothing like that. Steven moved on ages ago. I think…Nathan, you’d be the first guy I’ve dated since my divorce. And while Steven doesn’t have a say, we still care about each other.”

  “Care about each other?” What in the fuck did that mean?

  “Our divorce was rough,” she said, “but we managed to get past the pain. And I’m not going to stand here and lie to you and tell you he’s a distant mistake or something cold like that.” She had a fond look in her eyes. “He was once a man I loved enough to spend the rest of my life with. And while life had other plans, I’m not going to demote him to a mistake or a regret. I care about him and I want him happy. He’s the father of my child, and the best thing I can do for my child is to make sure his father is happy in life.”