Out of Her League (21 page)

“
Yeah.
”
Joe left it at that. He had no desire to spend his first conversation with an attractive, Oak Grove single woman talking about his fiasco of a past and the death of his already ex-wife.

“
So you don
’
t understand girls.
”

“
Not at all,
”
he confessed.

She laughed and put her hand on his arm, leaving it there too long.

For some reason, Joe glanced at Evie again, and caught her scowling at him while still talking to that guy. He yanked his gaze back to Julie.

“
So, Julie, if you yell at girls, what happens?
”

“
They cry.
”

“
So do boys.
”

“
No!
“

“
Yes, just not in front of anyone. Unless they
’
re little, like the guys here.
”

“
Do you cry, Joe?
”

“
No one
’
s dared to yell at me lately.
”

Her fingers flexed on his biceps.
“
I can see why.
”

Well, if that wasn
’
t an opening, he
’
d never heard one. Joe took the plunge.
“
How about we continue this conversation over dinner tomorrow night?
”

“
I thought you
’
d never ask.
”

“
Where should we go? I
’
m new in town.
”

“
You certainly are.
”
She sighed, as if in relief.
“
There
’
s a halfway decent Italian restaurant on Main Street. Family owned. Been there forever. It
’
s really the only game in town.
”

“
Bertolusi
’
s?
”
Joe asked, having seen the sign.

“
That
’
s the one. What time?
”

“
Pick you up at seven?
”

While they went over the particulars of where she lived and how to get there, Joe looked toward Evie yet again—just as the guy leaned over and kissed her cheek.

“
Excuse me?
”
Julie asked, peering at him strangely.

“
I didn
’
t say anything.
”

“
You growled.
”

“
Really?
”
He watched as Evie and her new friend walked toward the parking lot together.
“I
didn
’
t realize.
”

“If
you
use
Todd
as your
closing
pitcher, I really think you
’
ll be glad. I
’
ve been teaching him since he was itty-bitty, and if I do say so myself, I was quite the player in my day.
”

She deserved this, Evie knew. But that didn
’
t make listening any easier. This was what she got for accepting the first date that came her way. But how on earth was she going to make the memory of Joe Scalotta
’
s kiss a thing of the past when all she did while Chad Roland droned on and on about his son was fantasize about kissing Joe again beneath an Iowa moon?

Bertolusi
’
s was
rarely crowded, even on a week
end. Tonight was
no exception. Four couples, in
cluding Evie and Chad, graced the dining room.

The restaurant resembled an old-time drugstore, complete with soda counter. Perhaps because that was what it had been twenty years ago. The owners
had converted the antique counter into a bar and hung plastic grapes and vines across the front. This gave the illusion of Italy on a shoestring. But the decor became irrelevant once you tasted the great food.

“
Evie?
”

She glanced at Chad and realized he
’
d actually stopped talking long enough to hear her opinion. He wouldn
’
t like it, but that wasn
’
t going to stop her from giving it.

“
I agree that Todd is a good pitcher, but he does better as a starter. He
does not pitch well under pres
sure, which usually comes at the end of a game.
”

“
And that Scalotta chick does?
”

Evie had been picking at her fettuccine Alfredo. The food was excellent as always, but the company had ruined her appetite. She gave up trying to eat and put the fork down very carefully next to her plate, lest she reach across the table and stab Chad in the hand.

“
Her name is Toni. She
’
s a young woman and not a chick. And, yes, she does pitch well under pressure.
”

Chad was too oblivious to catch the undercurrent in Evie
’
s voice. He just went on—and on.

“
She didn
’
t do too hot last time she was out there. Your team lost.
”

“
She didn
’
t let t
hings upset her and she kept go
ing. I
’
m trying to build young men and women of character, not neurotic brats who only know how to win.
”

He continued on as if he hadn
’
t even heard her. He probably hadn
’
t.
“
If you
’
d give Todd a chance, you
’
d see he can do the job.
”

“
I
’
ve given him a chance, and it didn
’
t work out.
”

“
So all you care about is winning? I should have known that, considering the bet you made in front of God and everyone.
”

Luckily she
’
d put the sharp object down, because now she was really mad.
“
You know me, and you know how I coach. I don
’
t put wins ahead of kids. Todd does not play well at the end of a game, and it upsets him when he loses.
”

“
So what? He needs to get used to pressure. It
’
s a fact of life.
”

“
Not at sixteen. He
’s got enough pressure wor
rying if everyone likes him, or if the zit on his chin will be gone before Saturday night. He doesn
’
t need to worry about acting out your fantasy in Big League. Baseball isn
’
t that important in the scheme of life.
”

“
Really?
”
He leaned back in his chair and stared at her.
“
I never thought I
’
d hear that from you. I figured you
’
d do whatever it takes to make your team number one.
”

“
You figured wrong.
”

But Chad
’
s words made Evie think. She
’
d been so mad about the school board offering Joe her job that she
’
d made a bet dependent upon winning. Not that she would have to exert pressure on her team to win. They were good—because she coached them
well and knew each kid
’
s strengths and weaknesses. She was a good teacher. She was the best person for the varsity coaching job. Evie truly believed that, or she wouldn
’
t have asked for it, nor would she have decided to fight for it. But to get the job, she had to win.

So was she setting a bad example by this bet? Probably. Should she call the whole thing off?

Evie sighed. If she did, Joe would get the job. He said he didn
’
t want it, but then why had he made the bet? She didn
’
t trust him—and why should she?

Still, she hadn
’
t seen any indication he was a bad influence.
Yet
. But his past did not bode well. Sure, he might settle
down long enough to get Toni ac
climated, but then what? Maybe Evie should talk to Joe, if she could manage to be in the same room with him and not belt him—or kiss him.

“
Well, isn
’
t this interesting.
”
Chad peered over Evie
’
s shoulder toward the door with a smirk on his lips.
“
If it isn
’
t the Wildman himself. And look who he
’
s hooked up with. Unruly Julie.
”

Evie didn
’
t dare turn around and ogle, though all the others in the place did just that. If Joe was dating Julie Hanson, that meant trouble. Julie had always been a problem.

Every town had its wild child, and Oak Grove had Julie. In a town
this small, everyone knew every
thing she did almost before she did it. The one thing Julie wanted more than anything else, and she made no secret about it,
was to get out of Oak Grove for
ever. She must have latched on to Joe hoping for a ride.

In Evie and Joe
’
s annoying phone conversation, Joe had said quite plainly that he wanted a serious relationship. If that relationship was Julie, then Joe didn
’
t mind leaving Oak Grove in the future—the near future, if Julie had her way.

Joe
’
s choice of
date made Evie rethink her posi
tion on their bet. She
would
be the best person for the job. She wasn
’
t going anywhere, probably for the rest of her life, and that was just fine with her. She loved Oak Grove. Everything she
’
d ever needed or wanted was right here.

As Joe and Julie passed her table, Evie looked up, right into ice-blue eyes. Joe seemed surprised to see her. She had to admit, though, it
was
strange they both had a date at Bertolusi
’
s on the same night.

Joe nodded politely, but Julie kept on going. She and Evie were acquaintances, no more, since Julie was about ten years younger than Evie. Trust Joe to find a date barely past the age of majority.

Chad snickered as Joe and Julie took their seats. Evie pulled her gaze from Joe, who looked far too good in a suit and tie, back to her date.

“
So what do you think?
”
He nodded toward the other couple.

Evie shrugged.
“
Not my business.
”

“
No? I kind of figured you and Scalotta had something going.
”

Evie
’
s hand jerked
, and she nearly spilled the wa
ter she
’
d been about to drink.
“Why would you fig
ure that?
”

Chad
’
s smile widened.
“
Everyone saw you two nose to nose at the board meeting. The sparks flew. To be honest, I was surprised when you agreed to go out with me.
”

So was I, but it won
’
t happen again
, Evie prom
ised herself.

“
There
’
s nothing between Joe and me but that bet.
”

“
Hmm. Then how
did his kid get to be your num
ber-one pitcher?
”

“
Because of her talent, not her father
’
s charm—such that it is. Is that what this is all about, Chad?
”
She waved her hand to indicate the restaurant, the table, them.