Sliding Home (35 page)

“He was determined you got
the job, and I gave in. At that moment, he owed me. I cornered him, asked what
he'd give in return. He agreed to the Platinum account. He'd never have done
the shoot had it not been for you.”

Dayne stared at the other
woman, her emotions in a whirl. Kason had
gifted her
with the job. It had been one of three presents in his attempt to smooth
over their earlier disagreement. He despised publicity, hated the spotlight,
yet he'd sold his soul for her.

Still, he couldn't commit.
He hadn't stopped at her camper that morning to say good-bye. She'd heard the
crunch of his tires on the dirt road as he'd headed to the airport.

“Platinum took on a life of
its own,” Revelle said. “No one could have predicted the city would fall in
love with you as a couple. Gayle de Milo was right. The bigger the man, the
harder his fall for the right woman. The ads said it all.”

“The shoot was fanciful,”
Dayne reminded not only Revelle, but herself. She'd lived it, believed it, only
to have reality slap her in the face.

“Your heart was in those
ads, and Kason gave you the look.”

“The
look
meant nothing. He contradicted the campaign in his interview after the
game yesterday.”

“If Psycho's going to be
his best man, I don't think the wedding will happen anytime soon,” Revelle
said, forced to agree.

“I'm in love with him.”

“I know.” Revelle's gaze
was sympathetic. She sipped her sparkling water, turned thoughtful. “I may have
a solution to bring the man around.”

“No coercion, no tricks.”

“Let me lay it out...”

Seventeen

Kason Rhodes strode down
the hallway to Revelle Sullivan's office. It was after eight P.M. when Rhaden
Dunn had mentioned she was working late. Kason needed to see her. Revelle was
his only connection to Dayne.

Her door stood open, and he
walked in. “Where's Dayne?” he demanded. “She left a note, said she'd gone out
of town.”

Revelle took her sweet time
in replying. She removed her glasses, rubbed the dark circles under her eyes. “Dayne's
on loan to Corbin Lily Powers. Corbin's franchising player promotions.”

“You traded Dayne to
Louisville?”

“For a three-month stay,
unless Corbin hires her away from me.”

Kason's jaw set and his
entire body tightened. “She left the dogs.” He'd come home to find Eve
McCaffrey babysitting Cim and Ruckus.

“Corbin set Dayne up in an
apartment—no pets allowed. She hated to leave the dogs, but plans to send for
Ruckus if the job pans out.”

Send for Ruckus?
He
saw red. “No way in hell.”

Revelle pushed to her feet,
her voice soft with concern. “Dayne needed a breather from the frenzy of
Platinum. We had fanatics seeking her out in the elevators and private
corporate offices, and had to hire extra security. For some reason, people
chose to believe you were a couple. The ads got out of hand.”

Her mouth pinched. “Worse
still, you told the media there would never be a wedding.”

Kason jammed his hands in
his jeans pockets. “The female reporter got personal and I got pissed. I
mentioned Psycho as my best man to get her off my back. The media knows we hate
each other's guts. My full concentration was on the team, turning the season
around, making a comeback. Baseball is my job.”

“Dayne's your woman. Your
comment embarrassed her, Kason. You shot her down.”

His gut burned. “I never
meant to hurt her.”

“She cares for you.”

“She left me.” The words
tasted bitter on his tongue.

“You've two days between
series. Bring her home.”

“Corbin Lily will be one
ticked team owner.”

“I'll deal with my aunt.”

***

Kason Rhodes debated
flying. In the end, he decided to drive to Louisville, Kentucky. That way, the
dogs could ride along. He shoved a change of clothes into his duffel, grabbed a
bag of dog food and a water bowl, and he was set to roll.

Ruckus fought his carrier,
and found his way onto Kason's lap for the entire trip. Cimarron rode shotgun.

After driving 460 miles
west, Kason skirted Louisville. He'd sorted out his feelings for Dayne, and
knew he wanted her in his life. More than wanted; he needed her.

He'd taken to her from
their first meeting. He'd never forget the sight of the wet tomboy wrapped in a
towel, claiming squatter's rights. While she'd frustrated the hell out of him,
she'd also seen through his facade to the real man. She'd appreciated and cared
for him. She'd set his interests ahead of her own. It was time he gave back.

Kason knew Louisville like
the back of his hand. He drove straight to the stadium. After a ten-minute
struggle, he coerced Ruckus into his carrier. Well-mannered Cimarron accepted
his leash. They entered the corporate building as a team.

Unease walked with him to
the receptionist's desk, where he was immediately recognized and welcomed.

“Good to see you, Mr.
Rhodes.” Tara, the receptionist, smiled warmly. She'd been with the
organization during Kason's seven years with the Colonels. She looked first at
the dog carrier, then at the big Dobie on the leash. “Sorry, sir; no pets in
the building.”

Kason refused to return
them to his Hummer. They played a big part in his negotiations with Dayne. “This
is a pet-friendly building,” Kason stated. “The team owner allows her two
bulldogs total freedom.”

“Corbin Lily
owns
the building.”

“Corbin's not here now.”
The owner traveled with her team, and the Colonels were in Florida for a
four-game series. “I need to see Dayne Sheridan in player promotions. Thirty
minutes max and we're gone.”

Tara pulled up a site map. “The
second and third floors are under renovation, and it's a maze.” She placed a
red X on a small conference room that backed the elevators. Lowering her voice,
she whispered, “No dog doody.”

Offended by her comment,
Ruckus bared his teeth and growled. He'd taken care of business by the flagpole
to the left of the front door. The azaleas were now fertilized.

Bypassing staff, Kason took
the emergency exit stairs to the third floor. The alarms had been dismantled
for the crew to work. The sound of hammering and buzz saws came from the floor
below. The hallway ahead stretched long and quiet. He could hear himself
breathe.

He maneuvered around
sawhorses, scaffolding, and tarps, then paused outside Dayne's office. He
sucked air. There was no guarantee she'd return with him to Richmond. Caveman
tactics were always an option—he had no qualms about tossing her over his
shoulder. Cim and Ruckus would support him.

He dropped to one knee on
the dust-covered floor and unhitched the door on the dog carrier. Freedom rang,
and the min-pin darted out.

Ruckus sniffed the air as
if picking up Dayne's scent. He then charged into the conference room, his yip
ear-piercingly shrill. Kason and Cim followed Ruckus inside. Kason unhooked the
leash, let Cimarron also rush her.

Kason crossed his arms over
his chest, leaned against the far wall. He kept his distance, let the dogs
soften her heart.

Dayne's unguarded
expression told him all he needed to know. He caught her wonder, deep emotion,
and extreme happiness. Her hand over her heart, she slid off her desk chair and
went down on her knees. She scooped up Ruckus, buried her face against his
skinny, wiggling body. Then she hugged the stuffing out of Cimmaron.

“How'd you guys get here?”
She was so choked up, she could barely breathe. “Where's Kason?” Her words were
muffled in Cim's neck.

A shifting shadow on the
back wall caught her eye. Dayne Sheridan looked up and her heart skipped two
beats. Kason Rhodes, pressed against the back wall, was as tall and as
intimidating as the day she'd met him.

A muscle ticked in his jaw;
his gaze was threateningly dark. He had badass down to a science. His gray
T-shirt and jeans were wrinkled and he looked damn mad.

Her legs shook as she pushed
to her feet, Ruckus still clutched to her chest. She dusted off the knees of
her navy slacks, straightened her cream silk blouse. “What brings you to
Louisville?” she asked, forcing her voice to remain steady.

“You.”

The one word stole her
breath. “Now that you've found me...?” she dared to ask.

“Come home with me. With
us.”

Home.
That sounded like family, but she had to be sure.
She needed to have him say he wanted her forever. “We make good friends and
neighbors.” Her throat tightened around the words. “Give me more, Kason.”

“I want us to live together
in my trailer.”

“What about my Airstream?”

“I bought the camper from
Frank at the warehouse several weeks ago, to give you security,” he finally
told her. “I'll sign the deed over to you. We can use it to store bulk food.”

Still she hesitated, and
Ruckus started to squirm. She set him on the floor and he chased his shadow.
The minpin was easily entertained. “I'm not certain I can return to Richmond,”
she said. The city had taken a toll on her.

“Platinum did a number on
us both,” Kason said. “My comment to the reporter was no reflection on you. I
wanted to shift the focus off my personal life and back on the team.”

She understood. The promo
had taken over her life too. She hadn't caught her breath for weeks.
What now?
she wondered. Where would they go from here?

“I love you, Dayne
Sheridan.” His words reached across the room, touched her heart.

Breathe in; breathe out;
move on. She rubbed her
Tomorrow
tattoo, knew what she had to do.

She turned to her desk,
located a blank piece of paper. Nerves shook her hand as she wrote him a
message. Emotion clogged her throat and tears filled her eyes as she held up
her sign for him to read.

MARRY ME, RHODES.

Kason was on her in a
heartbeat. He hugged her so hard, she was certain they were now joined at the
hip. Long minutes passed as they absorbed each other's heat, heartbeat, and
commitment.

“Wedding planner?” He eased
back an inch, let her breathe. “Church, reception?”

“No planner.” This time she
wanted quick and simple. “I want to get married in the woods at sunset. I'll
ask Revelle to be my maid of honor.”

“Psycho will be my best
man.”

“The press will love it.”

“Psycho will hate it.”

***

Two months later

It was mid-July, and Mr.
and Mrs. Kason Rhodes sat on low beach chairs beside their pool—a kiddie pool
Dayne had dragged between the trailers for fun in the sun. Kason still couldn't
believe he'd agreed to join her, but seeing his wife in a red string bikini
planted his ass beside her.

Plus he had a cooler of
beer.

She'd put him in charge of
the coconut suntan oil, which he spread every twenty minutes over her tight
little body. He kept her well protected from the UV rays.

Cimarron lay with his head
on the rim of the pool. More water ran out than remained in. Dayne kept the
hose running.

The pool was deep enough
for Ruckus to swim. He wore a puppy life vest and gave a whole new meaning to
dog paddle. Dayne splashed her feet, and the min-pin bobbed like a cork.

Kason shucked his T-shirt,
put his arms over his head, and stretched his legs out straight. Bleached white
cutoffs hung low on his hips, and his tattoo caught the sunlight.

Sliding Home
was scripted in black ink.

His teammates saw the tat
as a commentary on his stats: he'd scored more winning runs than any other
player in the National League.