Colby (Season Two: The Ninth Inning #6) Read online

  “He works for the Angels.” Alizeh continues to chime in. I narrow my eyes at her.

  “Oh, like with the team? Or scouting?” Dad’s finally not upset now, because I’m sure he’s thinking about meeting the team.

  “Neither. Well, I mean, he’s sort of with the team.”

  Mom leans closer. “With?”

  Dad glares at me with the same stare he’d give the criminals. “Ariella, tell us who this guy is?”

  Every part of my body is screaming at me not to say a word, but if I don’t, Mom and Dad will hound me until I do.

  “We just had coffee.”

  “And…” Mom pushes.

  “We talked and we’re going to have dinner after the game.”

  “And who are you having dinner with?” Dad crosses his arms.

  I toss my head back. “Please, if I tell you, we keep it right here and no one says another word about it.”

  Duke raises his hand as if he’s in school. “I can’t promise this because it’s in my job description to tease you as your partner.”

  “Shut up.” I punch his shoulder.

  “Ariella, tell us because it’s driving me insane not to know who it is.” Alizeh tugs on my arm.

  “You have to promise,”

  “Fine.” My family agrees in unison.

  I shake my head, knowing this is the worst idea. “Colby Wilson.”

  “What?” They all are in shock.

  “You mean third baseman Colby?” Alizeh points to him on the field.

  I nod.

  “You’re seeing the Colby Wilson.” Mom’s mouth drops a bit.

  I nod again.

  “Does this mean we can get seats behind the dugout?” Duke asks, causing me to roll my eyes.

  “We had coffee.” I try to get them to understand this isn’t serious yet.

  “But you’re having dinner tonight.” Alizeh smiles brightly.

  “But we’re just...friends...or something like it.” Friends sounded weird, but there’s no other way to explain it.

  “When do I get to meet him?” Dad’s arms cross again as if he’s intimating a kid.

  “Not for a while. A long while. I’m not about to scare him off with you goons.” I can’t subject Colby to any of my family until he really knows what he’s in for. Plus, we’re not even close to the meeting family stage. We just had coffee and tonight is nothing but a simple, casual dinner, and I’m glad we’re not going anywhere fancy.

  “I’m happy for you Ariella, and I think we should respect her very silly choice for not letting Colby meet us.”

  Leave it to my mother to lay out the famous Allison Craft guilt trip.

  “You’re right, dear. Our Ariella knows what she’s doing.”

  And there is retired detective Fletcher Craft’s guilt trip, which just backs up my mom.

  “Could we please watch the game?” I beg so they will all leave me alone.

  Finally, they do and I’m thankful. The rest of the game goes well, and every time Colby comes to the plate or makes a great play, the entire family looks at me, and I drop my head.

  The game ends with the Angels winning by one, and I’m glad to get out of the box and, not for the first time of the night, away from my family. It takes my dad two seconds to pull me off to the side.

  “Do you have a weapon on you and your badge?”

  “Dad.” I drag out his name like I did when I was younger and didn’t want to talk. “I’ve been on the police force for fourteen years. I can go out on a date.”

  “I don’t care who he is, you’re my daughter, and I’ll kill him if he hurts you.” He kisses my forehead.

  “I’m thirty-six, remember? I can handle myself.”

  “You and Alizeh will always be my babies. I protect my babies.”

  I softly laugh at him. “I know and thank you.”

  I say goodbye to my family and head off to my car to meet Colby at the diner where we agreed to meet. I order a water and wait, not as nervous as I was this afternoon.

  That’s a good thing, right?

  I SHOULD BE more nervous than this. Usually, I am. Something about Ariella puts me at ease, though. I spot her immediately when I walk into the diner and hope she hasn’t been waiting here too long. It took a few more minutes than expected to leave the stadium. She’s sitting in a booth toward the back, her head angled down at the menu. She looks up as I slide into the booth. I smile and I’m happy when she returns it.

  “Hope you haven’t been waiting too long,” I say.

  “Long enough that you may have to buy me dessert,” she laughs.

  “Consider it done. Did you enjoy the game?”

  “Yes, my family and I had a great time.” She pauses and then surprises me as she changes the subject. Unfortunately, I’m not a fan of her new subject. “So, why did the team start calling you Sugar Daddy?”

  I groan, causing her to start laughing as much as she did when she first heard Spencer call me that. “You go straight for the hard questions, don’t you?”

  “Yep,” she smirks.

  “I made the mistake of telling Spence how some twenty-year-old sent me a message and asked me to be her sugar daddy. He told the team, and they like to remind me of it every chance they get.”

  She nods like this is totally normal. “There are a lot of crazies out there.”

  “And I think I’ve heard from them all.”

  Ariella laughs. “I’ve probably met the majority of them.”

  “Comes with the job, I bet.”

  She nods. “I can’t imagine doing anything else though.”

  The waitress finally comes to our table, but we just order our drinks. Once she walks away and we’re scanning the menu, I ask, “What kind of food do you like?”

  “All kinds,” she answers with a soft laugh. “My sister is ridiculously picky, and my mom will sometimes joke that she doesn’t know where she went wrong with Alizeh. What about you?”

  “The same as you.”

  We talk about possibilities of what to order and make our decisions by the time the waitress returns.

  “So, I need to warn you of something. It’s dangerous and could be life-threatening.” Normally, a woman saying this would make me nervous, but considering she’s trying to hold back a smile, I’m curious.

  “Oh, okay. Let’s hear it.”

  “My lovely sister, Alizeh, ratted me out to my parents and Duke, her husband. They pretty much hounded me until I told them I’d had coffee with you. Needless to say, Duke’s biggest concern was if we could get better seats, and my parents gave me the lecture of rapist and murderers.” She rolls her eyes. “But I will not expose you to them anytime soon. I promise.”

  I laugh. “Your parents think I could be a rapist or murderer?”

  “Dad sees the bad side of everyone and you have to prove to him you’re good. Trust me; even Duke went through it, and he’s a cop. Mom worked in the DA’s office for years and never with the good stuff, if you know what I mean. She’s not as bad as Dad, but you have to prove yourself to her, too. But like I told them, we’re just friends.”

  “Ah, so I’m guilty until proven innocent? That’s not so bad.” It makes sense now why her family thinks the way she’s described. They’ve pretty much been around criminals throughout their careers. The waitress drops off our meals, and we begin to eat.

  “I’m sorry. This isn’t good first date material, is it? We’re talking about family and all of that stuff.” She seems a little nervous and decides to change the subject. “Tell me more about the team. I’m still in awe you talk about relationships with one another.”

  “We don’t always, and not all of us do. What do you want to know about the team?”

  It seems as if she was prepared for this because she doesn’t hesitate with her question. “Is Blake Foster the mean one of the bunch? He always has such a stern look on his face.”

  “He’s not mean, but we do call him Grumpy. He likes to keep to himself, but he’s a really good guy.”r />
  “Come on, really?” she skeptically asks. “Every time I see a picture of him in an article, he looks pissed at the world. Unlike,” she thinks for a moment, and then snaps her fingers. “Rodriguez, he has the biggest smile I’ve ever seen. He has to be the jokester of the bunch, right?”

  “Who do you think gives us the damn nicknames?” I say dryly, causing her to laugh. “He does like to have a good time. If you want to see Blake smile, then you need to be his mom or his girlfriend. Otherwise, you get the scowl.”

  “He sounds like Duke. If my sister and nephew are around, he melts like ice on a hot day, but when we’re working a case, he’s the biggest badass of them all. I am so lucky to have him as my partner. I’m glad I wasn’t assigned to someone else. I wouldn’t have minded it, but Duke and I know each other, so it was an easy transition when I became a detective.”

  “Is it weird having to work with your brother-in-law? I’m not so sure I would want to, but I guess, in your case, it helps with things like trusting your partner?”

  “It’s not weird, really. I’ve known Duke since I was a rookie. We met playing on the softball league. The moment he met my sister though, it was like a romance novel and he was hooked. He’s a great father, brother-in-law, and partner. I love my unit, too. I’m currently only one of four female detectives, and you’d think I would be closer to the girls, but I’m not. I think it has to do with being on the softball team because I’m the only female on it.”

  “Tell me more about that.” It sounds interesting. “How often do y’all play? Where do y’all play?”

  “It’s hard to practice, but we do so as often as we can. We play weekly and even have a small tournament at the end of the season. Our only goal is to beat the fire department,” she laughs. “We play at the baseball parks around town. We try to reach each district. It’s nothing fancy, but I love it. I’ve played since I was little and all through college. Plus, it keeps me in shape.”

  “That sounds like a lot of fun. Do y’all manage to beat the fire department?”

  “Every chance we get, but it’s not very easy. They’re a bit more fit. Have you seen their calendars?” She giggles, and I laugh.

  “Nope, I haven’t seen their calendar,” I answer honestly.

  “It’s similar to the one Angels have, but these guys are shirtless and have oily bodies.” She laughs again, and I’m really starting to like hearing it.

  “You sound very familiar with this calendar. Are you sure you don’t secretly root for the fire department?” I tease.

  “You’d be surprised to hear that the calendar in my office features high heels and purses. My mother got it for me because she’s always trying to get me to be more girly. I’ve tried to explain to her that I do indeed own high heels, but not a hundred pairs like her and my sister. I mainly have mine for when I’m in court though, so I have two pairs. And I don’t have that many purses since I only carry my badge and a small wallet.”

  “You and your sister are pretty much opposites then?” That’s what it sounds like based on what she’s said.

  “In every aspect,” she nods. “She’s extremely book smart and knows all about fashion. Plus, she’s the world’s greatest mother, aside from our own. I’m more street smart. I went to college, but it wasn’t really for me. It’s how I ended up at the police academy. Also, unlike my sister, I can’t tell the difference between the Kardashians and I don’t even remember the last movie I saw. When did Lethal Weapon come out?” she jokes.

  “Well, if you don’t go to the movies often, what do you do for fun? And work isn’t an answer.”

  “Oh, you’ll be shocked to know I’m a reader of romance novels. I’m one of those women who never leaves home without their Kindle or the Kindle app on the phone and I have a slight obsession with the guys. They seem too perfect sometimes, but it’s a good break from the world that I see.”

  “Yeah, I imagine you’d need some way to get away from all the negative.” I glance at our empty plates and then at Ariella. “Were we going for dessert?”

  “Well, I’m a sucker for ice cream in a waffle cone. What about you?”

  “Yep.” I wave the waitress over for us to order. “So, how are we doing so far? Thinking about a second date yet?” I grin.

  “Haven’t I scared you off yet? I am carrying a gun,” she teases, but I think she’s serious.

  I shrug. “You’re not that scary. Sorry to have to be the one to break it to you.”

  “What?” she mocks offense. “I’m a very scary person. You wait untill you see me in an interrogation room. I’m pretty badass.”

  “Hmm. I guess I’ll just have to be happy that I won’t see the scary side of you.”

  “Yeah, not many people see the badass side of me. Well, maybe Duke, but he plays it off since he’s known me for so long. Dad and Mom still treat me as if I’m a teenager, but I guess all parents do that to their kids.”

  “Yeah, there’s not really a way around it. My mom still offers to cook dinner and do my laundry when she comes to visit me, like I haven’t quite figured out how to live on my own yet,” I chuckle.

  “Does your family visit often? It’s probably hard since you’re spread out so much.”

  “Yeah, we aim for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and that’s usually the only time we’re able to get us all together unless something big happens.”

  “I’ve always wondered what it would be like to be far away from my family. I wouldn’t be able to pop by my parents to eat all their food, and Dad wouldn’t be able to take Buster out all the time. Plus, I like knowing I’ll get to see Lil D grow up.”

  “There are definite advantages to being close by, but it’s been just me for so long, I don’t know if I could handle living near my family,” I admit.

  “Are you not close?”

  “Oh, no, we are. I just meant distance can help make sure they don’t get on your nerves too much,” I laugh. “That sounded better in my head.”

  She giggles. “No, I understand what you mean.” She takes a bite of her waffle cone before speaking again. “So, your family isn’t around, and I know you were traded earlier in your career, but has there been anyone serious? Ever been close to the altar?”

  “There’s been a few serious relationships, but none close to the next step. You?”

  “My longest relationship was eight months. The only reason it was that long was because we didn’t see each other enough to break up.” Ariella shrugs. “I just haven’t found the time to have a serious relationship. It’s like I woke up one day and I’m thirty-six and single, my sister is married, and my parents have this perfect romance novel kind of relationship. I realized I was spending my nights and weekends at work with no life except the one I have with Buster. I love my dog, but I want something...more,” she finishes softly.

  “Sometimes it can be hard not to get absorbed in work, but it’s good you’re making the time now. You never answered my question though,” I point out.

  “Which one?” Ariella tries and fails to act innocent, causing me to grin.

  “About our second date.”

  She thinks it over for a second or two. “Okay, I think I’d enjoy a second date.”

  “You think?” I place a hand over my heart. “Oh, now I’m a little hurt, Ariella.”

  She laughs. “Okay, okay. I meant to say I would enjoy a second date. Um, however, I don’t know your schedule very well, so maybe it’ll be best if we exchange numbers and then we’ll set the time and such later. If you don’t mind me having yours? I know you’re like a celebrity, and I’m sure you don’t give it out often.” She seems nervous. Between that and her claim that I’m a celebrity, I laugh.

  “I’m not a celebrity. We can exchange numbers and work out our schedules soon.”

  “Not a celebrity?” she scoffs. “Ha, trust me, Mr. Third Baseman, you totally are.”

  “If you say so.”

  We exchange numbers and I pay our tab. I walk Ariella to her car and open her door for
her. She turns to face me, a little hopeful maybe.

  “I feel like it’s worth asking just once.”

  “What is?” she asks.

  “You won’t hit, taze, or shoot me if I kiss you, will you?” I smile so she knows I’m joking. Ariella laughs and shakes her head. “Good.” I lean down and press my lips to hers. The urge to deepen the kiss is strong, but I stupidly pull away instead. “I’ll talk to you soon.” Once she’s safely in her car and starts backing out of her spot, I walk to my car and head home.

  The next day, I walk into the weight room and Hector spots me.

  “How’d your date go, Sugar Daddy?” he shouts across the room, gaining everyone’s attention.

  “You had a date?” Blake asks with too much damn shock.

  “Hey, shouldn’t I have heard how it went before now?” Jordan jumps in.

  “Sorry. Didn’t realize I needed to call you the second it was over.” I shake my head.

  “Well?” Spencer asks.

  “You know the girl I was talking to in the bar?” He nods. “It actually turned out to be her,” I fill him in since I didn’t yesterday.

  Roman whistles. “She was hot in an older woman kind of way.”

  Anyone older than thirty might as well be ancient to them. I can’t wait for every single one of their thirtieth birthdays. They are all still watching and waiting for an answer. “It went fine.”

  “Did you get a second date?” Jordan asks just as Tanner says, “Did you get laid?”

  Tanner’s close by, so I slap him upside the back of his head. He shrugs and looks like he asked a valid question.

  “Yeah, I got a second date.”

  The guys hoot and holler, apparently proud of “Sugar Daddy.” I shake my head at them and walk over to a free machine next to Jordan. My date quickly becomes old news as they move on to talk amongst themselves, thankfully.

  “So, spill,” Jordan demands. “I’m hurt you haven’t told me yet.” He grins, and I just shake my head because he’s so full of shit.

  “Her name is Ariella.”

  Tanner takes the machine on the other side of me. “That’s all you’re going to say? We’ve been waiting two seasons for you to hook up with someone.”