Free Home Run Baby: A Sports Romance by Tabatha Kiss Page B

and smiles. “I got it.”
    I let go and watch him reach overhead, easily packing them away for me as I sit back down.
    I’ll probably have to get used to this kind of thing. Hunter’s critique of me last night was pretty spot-on. I’ve spent my entire adult life taking care of myself, turning down help and turning my nose up at anybody who offered. Something tells me Hunter Novak isn’t going to put up with that. He’s far too chivalrous.
    “So!” Trisha grins at Hunter as he sits back down. “I want to spend a few days getting to know you, Hunter. Just a little bit of off-the-record chatter. My best exposés are always the ones I felt like I had a real connection with the subject.”
    “Sounds good,” he says, shifting in his seat as she leans a bit too close.
    I stare at the two of them with my camera in hand, taking a quick photo here and there as the bus starts moving.
    “Let’s get the most obvious, cliché question out of the way first,” Trisha says. “Boxers or briefs?”
    I chortle. “Briefs.”
    Trisha stares in my direction with a raised brow, looking a little impatient at the sudden interruption. I glance between them, sinking back into my seat as Hunter laughs with his eyes.
    “Just a wild guess,” I say, raising the camera again to hide behind it.
    “Yeah, actually,” Hunter says. “I’m a briefs kind of guy.”
    “Excellent,” Trisha says, throwing her attention at him again. “Are you single?”
    He pauses with his mouth slightly open, resisting the urge to look at me as he thinks it through. “Uhh…”
    “Oh, here we go!” She rubs her palms together. “You sound… unsure. Did you leave some heartbroken, young thing behind here when you joined the New Jersey team?”
    “Oh, no …” he chuckles. “I didn’t leave her behind. In fact, you could probably say that I left a little piece of myself behind with her…”
    I smile as I snap another photo.
    “Well, she obviously hasn’t been too much of a distraction for you,” Trisha notes. “I doubt you’d be so good at baseball if you were constantly thinking about her instead.”
    I pause, studying Hunter to see how he answers.
    “I think about her a lot, actually,” he says.
    “Is she the one that got away?”
    “Not necessarily,” he says, finally glancing at me but he doesn’t let it linger for too long. “She’s… the one that’s hard to forget. I’ll say that much.”
    Blood rushes to my face. I can’t help but wonder if that’s true or if he’s just playing up the angle for Trisha’s benefit.
    Trisha chews on her lip for a moment, thinking hard. “You grew up in Hartford, right?”
    “Yeah,” he answers.
    “Well, did you get a chance to see her while you were in town for the last few games?”
    “I did,” he nods. “She showed up at the stadium and we had a good… chat. ”
    “I don’t suppose you’ll let me in on the details of that little chat , would you?”
    He smiles. “No.”
    Trisha leans closer to him and runs a finger up his arm. “Oh, no problem, honey. I’ve got the rest of the season to pry that out of you and, believe me, what Trisha Wells wants, she usually gets.”
    “I don’t doubt that,” he says, clearing his throat. He looks in my direction, his eyes bouncing between me and Devin behind me.
    “Hey, Trisha!” Devin says, leaning forward. “You know, I’ve been on the road with the guy for a while now. I’d be happy to sit down with you sometime soon and tell some good stories — maybe over a cup of coffee or some breakfast.”
    Trisha looks right through him. “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind,” she says dryly.
    “Excellent.” He winks at her and sits back in his seat.
    The interruption seems to have been enough to distract her interest. Trisha takes out of her phone and scrolls through emails while Hunter enjoys the peaceful silence for a few minutes. Eventually, he takes out his own phone and I feel mine vibrate in my pocket.
     
    Take a walk with me