Dom and Slade poked their heads into the room, glancing from side to side like they were in a really bad suspense movie. They crept into the room, hamming up their expressions for the camera, and worked fast to free Fin.
Dom grunted as they lifted Liam from the table. "What the hell do you sharks eat?"
"Shh. No talking." Liam elbowed him and then wrapped his arms around their shoulders. As soon as they'd cleared the room and were moving down the hall, he allowed himself to laugh. "Adam's a genius. But we didn't plan this part, so I hope Dusty doesn't get pissed that I'm in the clubhouse again."
"Dusty can go to hell." Dom's love for the grouchy team manager was non-existent. "Most of the team should be warming up on the field about now. We need to head out there after dropping you off."
"Yeah, but we'd better circle back and grab Adam. Dusty made a big deal about all of us being out there to show our team commitment. I don't want him getting chewed out for being a minute late." Slade nodded to the employee who saw them coming and opened the door to the thankfully empty locker room. They set Liam down on the bench in front of Slade's locker.
"Go on. I don't want Dusty benching you guys to prove a point. Thanks for helping out." Liam waved them away and as the cameraman came closer, he picked up a sports magazine that someone had left on the bench and began leafing through it.
The door banged open and Fiona stood in the threshold, arms crossed and tapping her foot. Liam tossed the magazine aside and looked around for his crutches. But they were back in the training room. Fin was trapped. This would make for a great video. He hung his head and then looked at Fiona and shrugged with his fins upturned again.
Shaking her head, she reached for something outside the room, then brought his crutches into view.
Liam grinned. Hopping back to the training room on one foot wasn't something he'd wanted to do. Fiona handed over his crutches. Liam stood, then made sure the camera was close. He leaned down and kissed Fiona's cheek. Or as close to a kiss as he could manage, touching Fin's open mouth rimmed with rows of teeth to the side of Fiona's face. It was the best he could do.
Fiona pointed to the door, and then again in the hall, she pointed toward the training room. Fin nodded and moved in that direction. He paused at a light touch on his back and glanced to his side. Fiona's fin rested there as they walked. She had good instincts. The camera following behind them caught every moment.
When they reached the training room, he relaxed against the table. The cameraman gave him a thumbs-up and ended the recording, then left the room.
Claire hopped up on the table in one graceful move. "Was that kiss on the cheek the start of Fin and Fiona's romance?"
"I think so." It hadn't been scripted that way, but had felt right in the moment. "That okay with you?"
"Fiona is ready for whatever Fin does next." She was close enough for him to see her eyes through the mesh opening. As blue as the sky and reflecting the same want coursing through his blood.
Maybe Fiona was ready for Fin, but Liam sure as hell wasn't ready for Claire.
CHAPTER FIVE
CLAIRE
CLAIRE STOOD IN THE ballpark's tunnel, seconds away from her grand entry. Her heart beat hard as nerves needled her stomach. The size of the crowd easily quadrupled the number that had attended her college football games. And the national broadcast meant that potentially millions of people would witness her debut. Amazing and scary as hell.
Deep breathing before her gymnastics competitions had always helped. So had visualizing her routine. She did the same now. Blocking out Liam in the golf cart, the chatting security and staff surrounding them, and the noise of the crowd, she ran through everything from start to finish. She could do this.
Liam's hand touched her forearm. "You'll do great. The crowd is going to love you. And I'll be right there with you. We can talk via the headsets."
"I'm ready. Let's do it."
He started the engine. "Don't forget to take a moment when you get out there. Soak it up. There's nothing like stepping onto the field for the first time."
Music poured from the stadium speakers. Liam nodded. "That's my cue."
And he was off, zooming in a lap around the field. Cheers from the crowd rose to deafening levels. They obviously loved Fin.
"It feels good to be back." Liam's voice rasped in her ear. She kept her gaze trained on the giant screen over left field which gave the crowd a close-up view of Fin's antics.
He hopped out of the golf cart at home plate and waved one crutch in the air. The camera zoomed in on the white cast covering Fin's left ankle. The crowd's collective aww made Claire smile. They really cared about him.
Fin made his way a few feet up the third base line and stopped at the warning track. Crutches in place and standing on one foot, Fin wiggled his body in a shark's version of The Twist. He pointed his crutch toward the crowd in front of him and the little kids in the stands copied his dance. Then he pointed the crutch out to the left side and did the dance moves again. After lowering the left crutch, he lifted the right one and danced again.
Liam's voice crackled once again in Claire's ear. "I'm almost ready for Fiona to join the party."
He lifted both crutches into the air and waved them around, getting the crowd to respond with a roar. Then he froze.
The music stopped.
He looked down at his feet, as though he was just realizing that he was
