Never. She would never put herself in a position to be treated like that. Because she would never make the mistake of letting herself fall in love.
* * *
“Heather’s a pretty girl.”
Zach tugged Atlas away from the lamp post he was admiring and directed him toward a bush. “Pretty? Are you blind? She’s gorgeous.”
Jake nodded his agreement just as Cuddles got into a position that had Zach groaning. The blue bags were burning a hole in his pocket and he really wanted to keep it that way. It was one thing to clean up after the puppy in his backyard...
He muttered a curse that perfectly described not only what the puppy was doing, but Heather’s huge dog as well. Jake hadn’t stopped laughing at him since they’d left their seats and he only laughed harder now.
“So Heather’s just training the puppy?”
Zach wasn’t going to admit to his closest friend that he’d struck out with Heather a half-dozen times already and that the only way he’d gotten her here today was by tricking her into it.
“She’s one hell of a dog trainer.” And one hell of a woman, too.
Lord knew she had him wrapped so tightly around her little finger that he barely knew which way was up anymore. He only knew he wanted her more with every passing second...even as she tried to push him farther away.
Jake nodded in the direction of the dogs, both of whom were frisky now that they’d taken care of their important business. “Looks like you’ve got some cleanup to take care of.”
Zach still wasn’t completely okay with the fact that Jake had gotten his little sister pregnant on the sly. Which was why he shoved a blue bag in his friend’s hand and headed for Cuddles’s pile. Jake could deal with Atlas’s mess in the name of payback.
Chapter Thirteen
The second Zach sat between Lori, Sophie, and Heather, he could tell something was different. It was like they’d gone from being strangers to becoming friends.
Who knew what his little sisters had told her? All he needed was for some of his crazier exploits to get back to Heather and she’d grab her dog and start running.
“Everything go okay with Huge and Tiny?” she leaned close to ask him when Atlas plopped down across their feet and closed his eyes. Cuddles had already curled up against his chest, which was quite clearly the pup’s favorite place on earth, considering how much time she spent there.
“Those blue bags came in handy.”
He loved her smile and soft laughter. “Good,” she said, still chuckling. “Thanks for taking Atlas with you.” She looked at him almost shyly. “And thanks for changing my seat, too. I’ve really loved getting to know your sisters.”
Her sweet words landed straight in the center of his chest. He leaned closer, close enough that he could have easily taken her mouth with his.
“Whatever they’ve told you, it’s all lies.”
He expected more laughter, but her eyes were dark instead of filled with humor, and her breath was coming faster, her gaze trained on his lips.
“I hope not,” fell from her lips, and he would have kissed her right then and there, his lookeeloo family be damned, if she hadn’t jerked back sharply.
She focused her entire attention on the game after that, and the second it finished, she stood up. “That was fun. So nice to meet you all, but I should really be going—”
Lori cut her off. “Wait, you have to meet Ryan.” Before she could protest, his sister shoved past Zach, picked up Atlas’s leash, and slipped an arm through Heather’s. “You’re going to love him.” She winked over her shoulder at him before saying, “He isn’t anything like Zach.”
Okay, so Zach had been irritated with his sister earlier, but now he recognized Lori for the jewel she really was for not letting Heather run from him so fast.
Heather was frowning and he overheard her say, “Actually, I’m not sure it’s such a great idea if I go back where the rest of the team is.”
Lori brushed off her concern without asking for a reason. “Are you kidding? All those hot, sweaty guys make it a fabulous idea.”
As if Ryan would ever let Lori date one of the guys on his team in this lifetime. Fortunately, the players on the Hawks had always understood just how off-limits the Sullivan twins were. Unlike, he thought with a scowl in Jake’s direction, his own friend. Of course, given the way Sophie and Jake were always giving each other gooey looks the way they were right then, he supposed it had all worked out in the end.
Walking behind Heather, he couldn’t take his eyes off her gorgeous legs in her shorts, the sweet curve of her hips, the way her dark, shiny hair swung over her back in its usual braid. Frankly, the last thing he was worried about right now was his little sister. Because if Ryan—or any of his teammates—looked at Heather the wrong way, he was going to have to kill them.
* * *
Heather hadn’t been into the locker room before, even though she’d been invited more than once. If she’d taken the guy she dated occasionally up on his invitation, it would have made their casual relationship seem like more than it was.
Which was why she shouldn’t be freaking out right now. Just because she and—
“Heather?”
Brant Johnston, the first baseman for the Hawks, grinned when she walked in with Lori.
She felt herself flush, but it wasn’t because of Brant. It was the knowledge that Zach had moved beside her in a flash, every muscle in his body tensed as though he were about to spring.