Free Caught (Men of the Show Book 3) by Rhonda Shaw

shrewd eyes still focused on Matt. “That’s exactly where I know you from. Well, it’s nice to meet you, son.”   He shook Matt’s hand again with more enthusiasm and a friendly pat on the back. He glanced at Shannon. “I guess it makes sense, given your sister married Jerry Smutton.”
    “Yes, sir.”  
    “Well, I’ll let you two return to dinner so Shannon can get back to work,” he said with a chuckle, but Shannon read between the lines clear enough. “Mr. Buck, I’m afraid the Gales are going to beat the Rockets in the standings this coming season.”
    Matt gave him a friendly but tight smile. “Oh, well, we’ll just have to wait and see, won’t we?   I have some intel that says the Rockets are going to be a force to reckon with this season.”
    Both men laughed as her boss gave a slight wave and walked away.
    Shannon let out a breath and sank down in her chair, guilt washing over her. She deserved to eat dinner out occasionally, didn’t she?   But Mr. Barnes was right. It was an important case for the firm, and as soon as she got home, she’d get back to reviewing the depositions.
    “Wow,” Matt said. “He runs a tight ship, huh?   Can’t even eat dinner?”
    “It’s a big case, that’s all,” Shannon said, trying not to sound defensive.
    “Shannon, big case or not, you deserve a life and some you time. He shouldn’t make you feel guilty for that.”
    “I’m not guilt—”
    “Don’t bother denying it. It’s clear as day on your face, and even now I can tell you’re thinking about what he said, planning what you’ll work on once you get home tonight.”
    They paused when the waiter returned to their table with their dinner. Shannon didn’t like how Matt had been able to read her so easily, but she couldn’t deny that what he’d said was true.
    “Okay, fine,” she said once the server had departed. “I do feel guilty because it is a big case. I can’t mess it up for the team. I need to hold up my end of things.”
    “You won’t mess anything up. You can’t do everything, be on all the time, or else you’ll burn out. You need to enjoy life, not spend it sitting at your desk, drowning in work. Trust me, a lot gets missed that way.”
    “True, but couldn’t you be considered to be in the same boat?” Shannon asked him, turning the tables.
    “What do you mean?   I do other things outside of baseball.”
    “No, what I mean is essentially you were stating I shouldn’t be so career-driven, and I’m saying couldn’t the same be said for you?”
    Matt frowned. “What do you mean?”
    “Okay, let’s say you get married and start a family. Your kid is in some big competition or something and it’s in May. You’re on the road, you have your own games, and so what do you do?   Aren’t you putting your job ahead of everything else?”
    “It’s different,” he insisted.
    “How so?” she questioned, not backing down.
    “I don’t have a choice.”
    Her eyebrows raised. “And I do?   How is it that you don’t have a choice, but I do?   Don’t you dare pull out the gender card,” she warned, reacting to the look on his face that suggested he was going down that road. “This is part of the requirements for my job, just like it’s a requirement for you to travel.”
    “Okay, okay.”   Matt held up his hands in a sign of peace. “I think we’re getting into a touchy area here and I wasn’t going to pull out the gender card, for your information.”   He narrowed his eyes, letting her know she’d insulted him. “I see your point. Yes, I guess it is the same.”
    “Let’s face it, no matter how you look at it, it’s tough for anyone to have demanding careers. This is exactly why work is all I have in my life right now. I don’t want to be put in a predicament of making others unhappy or forcing difficult choices which only leads to arguments and hard feelings.”
    Shannon was unable to interpret the expression on Matt’s face. It was almost