Free Catch of a Lifetime: A Cricket Creek Novel by Luann McLane

glanced longingly back at her car.
    “Arabella Diamante? Are you coming in or not?” inquired a deep voice that Bella thought she recognized.
Wait! Ty McKenna?
She watched the tall figure come from the shadows of the building and walk toward her, and had to smile. Sure enough . . .
    “Well, hello, Mr. Triple Threat. I thought that was you.” Even in her heels, she had to tilt her head back to gaze up at him. “Madison told me that you’re the new manager of the Cricket Creek Cowboys.”
    “Cougars.”
    “Right, Cougars. How’s life in a small town been treating you?” She gave her hair a flip and tried to muster up some sass.
    He shrugged those spectacular shoulders of his. “Not too shabby.”
    “So are you here for Jessica’s party?”
    “I crashed it.”
    “Wait.” Bella raised her palms in the air. “You weren’t on the A-list? Here?” She sliced one hand through the air. “What’s up with that?”
    Ty leaned back against a fat tree trunk and crossed his arms over his chest. “The birthday girl isn’t exactly fond of me.”
    “What? Everybody likes you. Um, especially women.” It was true. Ty McKenna had an easygoing, fun-loving personality. Like most pro ballplayers, he had a bit of an ego, but never seemed to take himself too seriously. And although Bella had seen him in Chicago Blue with lots of different arm candy, she had always thought he was selling himself short with shallow women instead of someone worthy of his time. Someone like Jessica Robinson . . . And then it hit her. “Ohmigod, you’re into Jess!”
    “Guilty,” he admitted with a scowl.
    “Hmmm.”
Bella gave him a slow smile. “Jess always did get a little flustered when she knew you were eating at Chicago Blue.”
    Ty snorted. “I think you’re mistaking flustered for pissed,” he commented, but seemed to be a little pleased at the notion.
    Bella tapped her index finger against her cheek. “Maybe it’s kismet that you both ended up here.”
    “Right. So, then, why is she in there dancing with a young-as-shit ballplayer? He’s been panting after her all night.”
    “So what are you doing about the situation?” Bella tilted her head sideways and looked at him in challenge.
    “Look, I already tried talking some sense into her, and she got pissed.” He glanced toward the tavern and sighed.
    “Wait.” Bella frowned, and then her eyes widened. “You did
what
?”
    “Let her know that the cocky kid was trying to score with an older, beautiful woman.”
    “Older?” Bella added a wince to her frown. “No, you did not.”
    “’Fraid so.” He sighed and then raked his fingers through his hair. “Hey, but I did call her beautiful. That should count for something. And I was genuinely concerned for her welfare.”
    “You were jealous.”
    “That too,” he admitted with a certain sense of wonder in his voice.
    “Oh, wait. There’s more, isn’t there?”
    Ty raked his hand down his face and then winced. “I kinda said that I would kick Lannigan’s ass if he got out of line.”
    “What are you—twelve?”
    “Hey, she said my badass attitude was hot,” he announced with some swagger.
    “And you thought she was serious?”
    “Oh . . . well, yeah. I mean, I guess,” he said with more than a little confusion. Had she been poking fun? “Hell, I don’t know.”
    “Ah, a first for the mighty Ty McKenna. Well, stop your girly pouting.”
    “I’m not pouting. I don’t pout.”
    Bella rolled her eyes. “Okay. Glowering? Call it what you want, but I have some good news for you.”
    “Really?” He appeared so hopeful that Bella knew he really was interested in Jessica.
    “Yep. There’s more than one way to skin a cat.”
    “What are you getting at?”
    “Come on, Triple Threat.” Bella crooked her French-tipped fingernail at him. “Let’s make Jessica jealous.”
    Ty pushed away from the tree trunk. “Do you think it will work?”
    “There’s only one way to find out.” She hefted her