He mentally ran through his schedule. The Riptide played nearly every day during the season. Free time was hard to come by. "I have an afternoon game next Sunday. I can pick you up after that. We'll do something scary, and then have dinner. Do you trust me to plan it?"
"I do."
The simple words and the trust behind them were gratifying. He was content to sit there, drinking his coffee and holding her hand. Being with her gave him a shot of adrenaline, softer than the jolt he felt jumping out of a plane or racing a fast car, but just as addicting.
Savanna glanced at the slim silver watch adorning her wrist. "I'd better go. I need to close my office and say goodnight to Mason and his family before I head to my parents. If I'm late for dinner, my mom will start calling the area hospitals to see if I've been admitted."
Chuckling, Slade released his hold on her hand and pushed to standing.
"The sad part is, I'm not kidding." She picked up her cup and led the way to the elevator. After punching in the number for her floor, she moved closer to Slade in the small space. "Good luck tomorrow. I hope you guys win."
The elevator stopped at her floor. Slade slid his fingers over her shoulder, then forced his hand to his side. "I'll see you on Sunday."
She nodded and stepped out of the car. "Good night."
When the doors closed again, he grinned at his reflection, feeling like he'd just hit a game-winning grand slam home run. He hadn't expected to spend time with sexy Savanna, let alone her admission. But he was just the man to show her how exhilarating taking a risk could be.
CHAPTER FOUR
LIAM
THE EXCITEMENT AND anticipation of Opening Day was palpable at the stadium, even hours before the game's scheduled start. Liam zoomed through the hallways on the golf cart he occasionally used to get around the field. It saved him the turtle-like pace of going the distance on his crutches. He parked outside his office and dressing room, grabbed his crutches, and then hobbled to the door. The windowless room, with its pale gray walls, large metal desk, and comfortable orange couch, was home away from home—his place to decompress. Sharing it with Claire would be interesting.
She and Slade had helped him rearrange furniture to accommodate the wide path his crutches demanded, and the desk and chair the maintenance department had brought in for her. Like it or not, reminders of his new normal were every place he looked.
He grabbed a water from the mini-fridge and lobbed the closed bottle onto the couch. Not having the use of his hands to carry things because they were supporting his weight on the crutches was getting old—fast. He was sure Slade would eventually tire of helping him out at home, and didn't want to bother Claire by asking for her help here. Hopefully, he could manage getting into his costume alone.
Fin and Fiona's costumes hung side by side on the closet doors. Fin's outfitted in a Riptide uniform complete with a cloth cast to cover Liam's real cast, and Fiona's in blue medical scrubs. He had to admit they looked cute together.
And Claire herself... Wow. With her compact, sexy body and heart-stopping smile and kissable lips... His body tightened and he slammed down the gate on his desire. Fin was supposed to fall for Fiona. He wasn't supposed to fall for Claire.
His focus needed to be on quickening his recovery and making sure he kept his job. Nothing else.
Fans, the management, the team, and the media had big expectations for the Riptide this season, and Liam had big expectations for Fin. He couldn't deny the brilliant addition of Fiona, especially if the storyline received the level of attention Raymond was sure it would. It had the potential to bring a lot of awareness to the team and by extension, the team's charity. He'd do anything in the world to help those kids. At all of the hospital visits where he’d accompanied his father, back when Dad had played Fin, Liam had realized the kids had needed his dad just as much as he did. Rather than resenting the amount of time his dad had spent with them, he’d joined in with the cheering up. Ever since, he’d viewed them as the siblings he’d never had.
The door swung open and Claire breezed in, blonde hair blowing around her face like a halo. She met his gaze and a wide smile bloomed. "I'm so excited for today. You have no idea."
"I think I have a pretty good idea," he countered, but he knew what she meant. "Any first-time jitters?"
"Not yet, but I'm sure there will be." She set her purse on the desk behind her, then frowned at the alerts pinging from her phone. Muttering to herself, she shook her head, her thumbs flying across the keypad.
He didn't like the tiny frown line that had formed between her brows. "Anything wrong?"
Claire sighed a huge expulsion of breath. "Nothing important. Just my little sister. She can be a scatterbrain and a little dramatic."
Liam pulled his costume from the door. Her phone had pinged a lot over the last two days and each time, that same line had formed. She needed a distraction and he needed that line gone. "We should get dressed. We're supposed to meet the film crew in the training room soon."
She tossed her phone into her purse then crossed to him and ran her hand down her costume's soft material. "I can't believe this is real."
"Just wait until the first time you step onto the field." He'd never forget his first time. The crowd's energy, the sheer volume of people and noise, and all eyes on him, waiting for him to perform. "Take a second to absorb the moment. There's nothing else like it."
"Okay, now I'm a little nervous."
"The pressure is huge but you'll
