A siren sounded and an ambulance graphic lit up the giant screen. The lights around the stadium flashed red and white.
Claire took a deep breath. Her moment had arrived.
She ran onto the field.
The PA announcer's voice rang out around her. "And here we have Fiona the Nurse Shark. She doesn't look too happy with Fin's dancing antics."
The crowd cheered. Claire blinked at the wave of sounds, slowing for a moment to do as Liam had suggested, taking it all in. Clear sky, thick carpet of grass under her feet, thirty thousand fans in the stands, the players on the field, and the cameramen capturing her every move. Never in her dreams had she imagined having an experience like this.
The sirens switched to a pulsing instrumental with a heavy drum beat. She launched into a series of handsprings and somersaults straight across the outfield. Cheers grew louder and everywhere she looked, fans were applauding. She jogged down the third base line, waving at them with both hands.
Reaching Fin, she shook her fin at him, then gathered the crutches and helped him stand. With a dramatic sweep of her arm, she pointed at the golf cart, then used her other fin to motion him over to it.
Fin hung his head, but hobbled over and climbed inside the passenger seat. Claire waved to the crowd again, then joined him.
"Fiona will be here at the park, making sure Fin follows his recovery. Let's all give her a big welcome." The PA announcement was followed by an increased cheer.
Liam twisted toward her. "Nice moves out there."
"Thanks." Excitement and happiness filled her to bursting. She drove carefully off the field amid the roar of the crowd.
"Head back to our office. We don't have to be back on the field for another few innings."
She navigated the hallways at a slow speed. Everyone they passed gave them high-fives or asked to pose for a picture.
Fifteen minutes after her on-field debut, they reached the quiet privacy of the office.
Liam locked the door behind them, then pulled off his mask. With the flick of a remote, the Riptide game lit up the small TV on the wall. He grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge and lobbed one in her direction. Leaning on his crutches, he twisted the top off and lifted the open bottle in toast. "Here's to an awesome debut. To put it in baseball terms, you knocked it out of the park."
Claire's smile couldn't get any wider. She removed her mask and raised her water. "Thanks. And here's to us being a successful team."
"I'll drink to that." His throat worked as he downed the contents of the bottle. Her gaze fixed on his tanned neck and the drop of water that ran down and disappeared beneath his costume.
Heat overwhelmed her. He really was an attractive man. Reminding herself that she was twenty-six and not some hormone-ruled teenager, she drank her water and focused on their schedule for the rest of the game. "We're supposed to be at the kids' zone in the third inning, then the fan shop in the fifth. Then we're back on the field during the seventh inning stretch where I'll challenge some little kids to a cartwheel competition. Winner gets a Fin the Shark baseball cap."
"Be prepared for lots of kids petting your costume and asking if it's really a costume or if we're real sharks." He laughed and grabbed another water. "I love that one. The adult fans are great but the kids are the best part. You'll see. They get so excited."
"I didn't realize exactly how much Fin is loved until I was down there in the middle of everything." Countless photos of Fin with little kids covered an entire wall. Confidence drooping, she paced the room. What if the youngest fans didn't end up liking her? "I know I did pretty well today, but I'm worried a lot of those kids are going to resent Fiona for sending Fin off the field. Having you out there will help them accept me."
"Hey," Liam's hand on her shoulder halted her movement. "Introducing a new character is tough, but you've done it before and you're talented as hell. Not only with the moves; your sense of timing is perfect. Besides, who can resist a cute shark like you? Fin's going to be spewing hearts out of his gills over Fiona. The kids will see that and fall for her too."
They shared a smile and Claire stilled as Liam's gaze roamed over her face. Sweat glistened on his skin and darkened his hair. She battled back the strong urge to sweep the damp strands off his forehead. Three days wasn't much time to learn about someone but she liked what she'd discovered so far. He watched her like he was interested, like he was memorizing every inch and wanted to learn more.
She shifted a step closer, enjoying the weight of the hand still resting on her shoulder, and his fingers lifted to brush through the ends of her hair. She'd never dated a co-worker. Never dated much, period. Past dates and boyfriends hadn't liked taking a backseat to the responsibilities to her family. Those responsibilities weren't quite as demanding anymore. She deserved to have some fun and her interactions with Liam proved he'd be a lot of fun.
But as much as she wanted to raise onto her toes and see how firm his lips would feel against hers, she couldn't risk anything that could potentially blow up in her face and cost her the job. She tucked her hair behind
