She trailed her fingers along his forearm. A slow, deliberate touch that inflamed his desire. "Me too."
He brought his other hand up to frame her face. Fingers cold from the frosty beer warmed against her skin. When her tongue darted out to moisten her lips, he groaned and dove in, desperate for a taste. Salt and lime and a hint of sweetness.
Her short haircut left her delectable neck bare. He slid his hand along the tender column then cupped his hand behind her head to deepen their kiss.
Claire hummed her approval and tilted her head closer to his. Strands of hair tickled his hand. He ran his thumb along her neck and sucked in a breath when her hand slipped from his chest to his stomach.
Somewhere distant, a glass shattered. Slowly, the other sounds of the bar reemerged—music and people and conversations growing louder. Claire drew her hand away and Liam lifted his head. Blue eyes dazed with arousal stared into his and then she licked her lips like she was absorbing more of his taste. "We have an audience so we should probably talk about something else."
"Good idea." Lie. Such a lie. He captured her fingers and brought them to his lips. "Like what?"
She shivered, and then firmly pulled her hand away. "How about where to take Fin and Fiona next? We need to film more videos. How much longer will you be stuck in your cast?"
"Two weeks. I can't wait to ditch it. All of this hopping around and standing on one leg makes me feel like a cross between a rabbit and a flamingo."
Her laughter was music to his soul. He reached for his beer. Getting rid of the cast was the first step on his road back. But thinking too much about what would or could happen after he'd been cleared to return to his job soured the beer in his stomach. He pushed those thoughts away and focused on the beautiful blonde at his side. "Fin and Fiona left off after that kiss on the cheek."
Her eyes sparkled. "If we're plotting a romance, we need fuel. Let's get the loaded nachos, the quesadillas, and another drink."
"I'm on it." He raised his hand, catching their waiter's attention, then downed the rest of his beer.
His feelings about Claire were too ingrained in the what-if thoughts that lingered in the back of his mind like the threat of a storm on the horizon. He needed to be careful. Falling too hard wouldn't be smart. Not when the future was so up in the air.
SLADE
AFTER A FULL NINE INNINGS of a nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat, action-packed game, Slade was looking forward to unwinding by hanging out with Mason and the rest of the Wishes Granted patients. The smell of the grass, the breeze brushing his skin, and the peals of children's laughter coming from the field drained the stress from his system. Then, Savanna's laugh mixed in, dancing on the wind.
His muscles ached and his ribs hurt from getting hit by a pitch, but Savanna's presence dissipated his fatigue like magic and filled him with a mixture of contentment, energy and desire.
Carrying the Louisville Slugger he'd had specially made for Mason, engraved with the boy's name and designed for an eight-year-old to use, he wound his way through the dugout and onto the field.
Mason's face split into a grin. "Slade!"
His heart melted at the excited voice and the happiness sparking in the boy's eyes. "How are you doing, buddy?"
"Good." He wore the jersey and hat that Slade had gifted to him at the hospital. "I can't believe I get to have batting practice with you."
"Not just with me. My friend Adam is going to pitch to you and my friend Dom is going to play catch with whoever isn't batting." He'd requested permission for Mason and the kids to have a private, on-field batting practice after the game and the team had obliged. They rolled out the batting practice nets and let the kids take the field.
Mason stepped closer, hero-worship in his gaze. "Can you teach me how you hit a slider?"
Slade crouched until he was eye-level with the boy, and then he held out the bat. "I'll do my best. Maybe this will help. It's just like mine, only sized just right for you. It's yours to keep so you can practice whenever you want."
Mason's eyes widened like saucers. He traced his finger over his name with reverence. And then he launched himself into Slade and flung his thin arms around his neck. "Thank you."
Tears pricked his eyes as he patted Mason's back. "You got it, bud. Now let's see what you can do."
Adam and Dom joined them. While the kids crowded around the two ballplayers, Slade sought out Savanna. She laid her hand on his shoulder and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "You're a good guy."
Heat flushed through him and he shrugged to cover it. "He's too small to swing the bats we use."
"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me." She stepped back and let Mason lead him over to home plate.
For the next hour, he focused on instruction and encouragement, adjusted hand and foot positions, and how to eye the ball, but the true point was just spending time with the kids. He already had a soft spot for Mason and fell hard for his generous spirit when Mason made sure that all the kids took a turn batting with his new bat.
And then, the little boy twisted toward Savanna's perch by the dugout, holding out the bat. "Miss Savanna, you should take a turn too."
"No, that's all right, let one of the other kids take a turn." But she came closer.
"Everyone else already went."
Slade nodded at her. He wanted to see her in action. "Do it."
Mason glanced between them. "Slade helped me with my stance. He can help you too."
She gently tugged the bill of his cap
