“It’ll be ready when we get there.”
“Convenient.”
In twenty minutes, they’d swung by and picked up the pizza and headed back to Trevor’s house. Haven was starving by the time they got inside, especially after smelling the pizza.
“You’re going to love this,” he said as he laid the box on the counter and grabbed plates.
“What would you like to drink?” she asked.
“Water’s good for me.”
“For me, too.” She fixed two glasses of ice water, then they grabbed seats at the breakfast bar. He had opened the box and the pizza looked glorious. He helped her scoop hers onto the plate.
“Best pizza around. Trust me on this,” he said.
“Right now I’m so hungry I’d eat the cardboard box. But the pizza smells great.” She took her first bite, and had to admit Trevor was right. It was excellent pizza. She ate a lot of it, too, until she couldn’t stuff another bite in her mouth. She pushed back from the counter with a grunt.
“I ate too much.”
He laughed. “I ate way more than you.”
“You’re bigger than me. You burn a lot more calories than I do, too. I’m so going to regret this.”
“You were hungry.”
“I was, but that’s no excuse to eat that much this late. Now I’ll be awake all night.”
“Come on,” he said, grabbing the now-empty pizza box to take to the trash. “Let’s go walk it off.”
“Great idea.”
She put on her tennis shoes and they headed outside. The night was clear, a little cool, but she didn’t mind that at all. The brisk weather would help clear her head—and maybe help her digest. They strolled down the long driveway and outside the gate.
She understood the privacy, the allure of this neighborhood. There were only six houses on his side of the street, all as big and as sheltered as Trevor’s. No one was out and about this late at night, so it was like the two of them were entirely alone as they walked. She wasn’t sure she’d go out on her own, but then again the neighborhood was secured by a guard and a gate.
“Do you get out and walk along here much?”
“Not really. I have the gym inside the house for exercise. But the weather’s nicer now, so it’s good to get some fresh air.”
They took a long walk, too, as there were more houses in the neighborhood than what she’d originally seen when they’d come in. The area wound around beyond just the circular block. She wished now that it wasn’t dark, that she could see beyond the thick trees that guarded the entrances to all the million-dollar estates nestled beyond the privacy fences and gates.
“This area is amazing. So private, and each property has so much space.”
“Yeah. It’s what drew me here, and it’s not stuffy or pretentious. During the day you can see people out with their kids. It’s a neighborhood to grow into.”
“So you plan to stay here in St. Louis?”
“I like it here. And it’s not too far from where I grew up in Springfield, Missouri, so it’s close enough I can still visit home. Plus, Zane will be going to school here. And he likes it here, too, so I could see him staying on after he finishes medical school.”
She liked that he thought about his family—or at least, his brother—and wanted to stay in close proximity.
“What if you got traded to another team?”
He laughed. “That’s not likely to happen.”
“You just signed with St. Louis a few years ago.”
“Yeah. That was a move my agent and I made at my request. The Rivers are a good fit for me. I like their organization, their coaching staff, and their philosophy. Plus, like I said, Zane’s here. I’ll stay here until I decide to quit playing baseball.”
She turned her head toward him as they walked. “And when will that be?”
He offered up an enigmatic smile. “When I’m done playing baseball.”
“A very vague answer, Shay.”
“It’s the only one I have right now, Briscoe.”
She laughed. “Spoken by someone used to dealing with media questions.”
They had walked all the way to the main security gate. Trevor waved to the guard on duty, then they turned around.
“Tired?” he asked.
“Not at all. Invigorated.”
They started the walk back. She was thankful they’d picked up the pace by then, because the wind had picked up, making it colder, and she could smell rain in the air.