After the cameraman and Tim left, Savanna dished out the cake and Liam and Claire distributed custom baseballs with Fin's likeness to each of the kids. Leaning against the table to keep his weight off his leg, Liam grabbed three of the leftover balls and started juggling. The kids laughed and cheered and shouted for him to throw the balls higher and higher. He complied and did all of the tricks he could with his limited mobility, then finished his routine with a flourish and a bow.
Being stuck on the sidelines sucked. Juggling wasn't the same as turning somersaults or dancing on the field. But it was better than nothing.
They stayed with the kids until they had to head to the field for the seventh inning stretch and Take Me Out to the Ball Game. Liam sat in the golf cart waiting while Claire led three little girls in turning cartwheels on the third base warning track. She was developing her own fan base.
For the rest of the game, they stayed on the sidelines, cheering with the crowd. The game was tight, exciting as the teams took turns owning the lead. In the bottom of the ninth, with two outs and Dom on base, Slade stepped up to the plate. He launched the ball high into left field. It sailed into the stands and gave the Riptide two runs to win the game, eight-to-six. The team crowded onto the field, piling into a massive celebration, and Claire threw her arms around Liam, squeezing him tight as the stadium vibrated with waves of cheers.
When they returned to the privacy of their office, Claire pulled off her mask and unzipped her costume. She tossed him a cold bottle from the fridge, then stood in the middle of the room, gulping down a bottle of water with her costume hanging off her waist. “I can’t wait to get out of Fiona’s skin. It’s too hot today."
"Thanks.” The water would do until he could grab a beer later. "How’s the shoulder today?"
She rolled up her T-shirt sleeve and showed him the bruise. "Still tender, but I’ll be back to two-handed stunts tomorrow."
He shed Fin’s outfit and he downed his water as he studied Claire removing her costume. "Do you want to grab a drink somewhere? Maybe dinner?"
Her brows rose and her mouth worked open. "I—" She cast a glance to her costume hanging on its hook. "We're not on the clock."
"Nope. Not now. Not until tomorrow afternoon. So what do you say? Will you help me celebrate my birthday?"
Her head cocked to the side. "I don't think Fin's birthday celebration extends beyond today's game."
"Maybe Fin's doesn't, but mine does. Today actually is my birthday."
She shot him a disbelieving look. "Is it really?"
He grabbed his wallet and held out his license. "There you go. Proof."
"Well, happy twenty-seventh birthday." She glanced at her T-shirt and shorts. "I need a quick shower first."
He waved her on. The small bathroom attached to the office had a tiny shower stall. While she showered, he answered birthday texts from his parents and one from his cousin Hunter in New York. Hunter worked at a children's toy company and always sent him the latest must-haves for the kids he visited in the hospital. He'd need to get some special things for Mason.
Claire emerged from the bathroom in jeans and a red tank top that showcased her toned muscles. "Where did you want to go?"
"There's a bar five minutes down the road. It's tradition to go there on my birthday, but it's kind of a dive. We can go someplace else if you want." The guys would likely show up at the bar as soon as they finished their visit with the kids from the Wishes Foundation. But he’d probably get at least an hour, maybe two, alone with Claire.
"No, that's fine. It is your birthday, after all. You get to call the shots today."
After the fastest shower he could manage while keeping his cast dry, he threw on cargo shorts and a T-shirt, and they were on their way.
The bar was dimly lit and half-empty. Claire settled next to him in the corner booth, close enough for him to drape his arm over her shoulder. When her margarita and his beer arrived, she lifted hers in toast. At her smile, the rest of the bar fell away. "Happy birthday, Liam."
He clinked their glasses together and then took a long swallow. "Thanks. It's turned out to be a good one."
She sipped her margarita. "I was impressed by your mad juggling skills earlier. Where did you learn to do that and the acrobatics?"
"When I ran away from home and joined the circus."
Gaping at him, she sputtered her sip then laughed as she wiped her mouth. "You did not."
"Okay, the real story is that I have an MFA in Ensemble Based Physical Theatre. And I learned how to juggle when I was in high school because I thought it looked cool." He shrugged and couldn't conceal his smile. The look on her face had been priceless. "See? Isn't the first answer more interesting?"
She shook her head. "The first answer is a typical Liam response. The second one is surprising and a lot more interesting than my accounting degree."
"I can picture you behind a desk, crunching numbers. Sexy dark-framed glasses perched on your nose."
"I don't wear glasses."
"Hey, in my fantasy, you do."
Desire replaced the laughter, darkening her gaze. She licked at the salt on the rim of her glass. "Do you? Fantasize about me?"
His body heated and hardened just at the mention of the fantasy. "Do you like that? Knowing that I fantasize about you?" He molded his palm around her shoulder then gently stroked down her arm. "In my fantasy
