Two to Tangle (A Tangle Valley Romance #2) - Melissa Brayden Page 0,40
smiled, and turned to enjoy the moment with Gabriella’s friends. After all, the teams weren’t rivals today. Joey tossed her an air five, which she returned, but Madison sent her a cool stare before moving her gaze back to the field. Huh. Ryan wasn’t sure what she’d done but wondered if it had anything to do with Gabriella and their history. She made a mental note to tread carefully with Madison and see if she could maybe befriend her, or offer reassurance that her intentions were pure. Ryan understood the hesitation, though. Hell, she hadn’t exactly proven herself when it came to long-term intentions, so her battle was uphill at best. But if she was being honest, Madison unnerved Ryan right back. She was Gabriella’s ex and always put together, polished, and sophisticated. Ryan was none of those things. If Madison was the type of woman Gabriella was drawn to, then Ryan might be out of her league. She deflated.
“Well, look which Otter the cat dragged in,” Gabriella said. The game had ended, and the Muskrats improved their record. They were stepping up this season, and Gabriella was a big part of that momentum. Clementine handed her a beer, and she accepted.
“Just scoping out the future competition,” Ryan said, pulling herself out of it. She gave Gabriella’s bill an affectionate shake. “You looked great out there. Your swing has me envious.” She shrugged, humbly facing the truth about her own skills. “Mine lacks follow-through.”
“I can give you some pointers if you want.”
She liked that idea, her face heating like an idiot. She didn’t give a damn. “I’d love it.”
“I’ll stick around after,” Gabriella said over her shoulder with a killer smile. Ryan exhaled slowly. It’s like the world had created a woman with everything she never knew she wanted, and all parts of Ryan were affected. How was she supposed to play ball now? Her mind moved too fast, her cheeks were likely red, and she had that tingly feeling all over that she still hadn’t gotten used to. Somehow, she managed, motivated by the knowledge that Gabriella was watching, making Ryan want to play her best ball. She managed to pull a handful of outs at first base and got on base twice herself, scoring on one of her drives. The win against the Gophers was an easily fought battle. After a short team meeting about the upcoming schedule, the Otters broke, and she spotted Gabriella speaking with her friends as they gathered their belongings.
“How about that swing? You ready?” she asked as Ryan approached.
“Should I be nervous?” She added a grin.
“Nope. I was watching yours tonight. It’s not bad. A little low, but I think it’s a hips thing giving you trouble, too. Not just your follow-through.”
“How do you know so much about softball?” she asked, squinting. Gabriella had taken her hat off and let her hair down. It was a little wild from being kept up through the game, and that now translated to unencumbered and sexy as hell. Something Ryan decided to try to ignore, but her midsection already felt wobbly, and that tingle across her arms and shoulders seemed to have doubled. Her mouth was dry even though she’d just downed a bottle of water.
“It’s something to do in Jersey to stay out of trouble. Kids hanging out around our apartment building tended to wind up worse for it.” She shrugged. “I’ve always been more of a rule follower.”
“It suits you. The rule following.”
“Says a non rule follower.”
Ryan made sure to appear shocked, confused, and offended. None of which she was. “You don’t know that.”
“Oh, please,” Gabriella said with a laugh. “Cheated on your taxes?”
“Maybe some of my nights hanging with Billy weren’t exactly business meetings.”
“Speeding tickets?”
“I get out of those,” Ryan said simply.
“Because of the way you look.”
“Nope. It’s my charm.”
“Trust me. It’s both. Doesn’t mean you didn’t break the damn law.”
Ryan widened her eyes. “You’re swearing at me now. It’s getting serious.”
Gabriella held her gaze but didn’t say anything. She seemed amused until the glimmer in her eyes faded into something sincere. “Yeah. Maybe.”
Ryan’s game had been the last of the night, and most of the crowd had shuffled out of the complex. The snack bar dropped its window closed, and they were alone on the side field with enough light from the fluorescents bleeding over to see by.
“What about that swing?” Ryan asked, reminding them of the mission at hand.
Gabriella straightened, all back-to-business now. “Show me your stance.”