Page 71 of Sweet Spot

After another spine-tingling kiss I let her go. “I better go do my job.”

She pushed me down the hallway. “I’ll meet you on the field for introductions.”

That nervous energy spiked again. Why did this feel bigger than Kate meeting my family? Probably because I wasn’t worried about Rosie and knew my parents would love Kate.

I wasn’t so sure about her friends. They might be put out that I hadn’t met them yet, especially considering we lived in the same neighborhood. Heck, I was more worried about them than Kate’s family. The way she described them made them sound a lot like my family. Close and understanding.

Friends could be different. Kate got the advantage of meeting my brother and friends before we even officially started dating.

And this was important. Kate’s friends meant a lot to her. Which meant I needed to form a relationship with them too. Starting off on the right foot was critical. And since every day I became more sure that Kate was the one for me, I was going to make damn sure these women liked me.

When I walked out onto the field, though, I realized, too late, that I was woefully naive about female athletes and their ability to render mortal men senseless. And while it was fun to watch Seth Butler get knocked down a peg or two, I didn’t enjoy the process nearly as much when it was directed at me.

25

Kate

The introductions had been made. Mei stood beside me as we watched Jeri dribbling the ball while peeling Isaac’s skin off with her eyes.

“Come on, coach. Show us what you got.” She spun in a circle and goaded him out onto the field while Ryan did the same thing beside her.

“We got you, Cap,” Hunter said, rolling his shoulders and lining up beside Isaac. Seth joined his teammate while three others lined up behind them.

“All right, Tangerines. Teach us your ways.” Isaac tried to look relaxed but I saw the panic in his eyes. Jeri wanted to eat him for lunch and he knew it.

“She’s so aggressive,” I murmured.

“At least he’s getting the full Jerri MacNeil experience from the start. We’ll see if he sinks or swims.”

I had zero doubts. Isaac may have been caught off guard, but he was more than up for the challenge. “He’ll swim.”

“He’s nice.”

That could mean anything, but by the tone of Mei’s voice she meant it genuinely. “I think so.”

“He adores you. He lights up when you come near him and his eyes get soft when he looks at you. I like that about him. Any man you date should worship you the way you deserve.”

I tried not to blush as I thought about all the ways Isaac worshiped me.

“I take it the sex life is flourishing,” she laughed.

“Indeed it is.”

I tried not to laugh as Seth scowled when Ryan shot the soccer ball between his legs and then chased after her in an attempt to keep up. Considering Seth was one of our faster base runners I was surprised when Ryan left him in the dust.

Everett came to join us. “Everett, this is Mei. Mei, this is Isaac’s brother, Everett.” They shared polite conversation before I interrupted. “How is it that Seth can’t keep up with Ryan?”

Everett’s face lit up with a grin. “Seth’s fast. No doubt about it. But in short bursts. From one base to another, or even all the way around the diamond, but he’s gassed after that. This,” he waved at the outfield where the soccer field was set up, “is a totally different kind of cardio.”

Everyone except Wes and Rhett were puffing air. They were the only two following the Tangerines up and down the field, play after play, without getting winded. “I take it Wes and Rhett have different training methods?”

“Wes is a runner and he’s good at pacing himself. Catchers have to be smart like that. And this is Rhett’s world right here. This is centerfield. He runs the whole length of this day in and day out. Plus his girlfriend is a professional cyclist and I think she’s changed up some of his training.”

“Looks like Ryan is changing up Seth’s training as we speak,” Mei chuckled. “I haven’t seen her this excited…ever.”

And Seth seemed to be wavering between frustration and challenge. Probably a good mindset for him, all things considered.

“Ev?”

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