Текст книги "Rage"

Автор книги: Elizabeth Reyes

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Текущая страница: 3 (всего у книги 22 страниц)

With the gift-giving part of the party ending on such a high note, it took a while waiting for Clair as she jumped on her Jet Ski and touched every single gadget on it. Some of the players began to say their good-byes. They all had early flights to catch the next morning. So it was understandable that most of the single ones said they couldn’t hang around for the tram tour of the zoo.

Addison watched AJ talking to Clair, who was still sitting on the Jet Ski. Nick’s mouth so close to her ear so suddenly made her yelp like an idiot; then they both laughed. She felt stupid, but Nick apologized, laughing, as he leaned into her ear again.

“I was just gonna say,” he whispered, “that if you ever need private lessons, I own Jet Skis and go out all the time. I’d be happy to give you a few pointers.”

Why he was whispering or standing so close to her for that matter was beyond her. But she’d since established he was an insatiable flirt. Her father had also warned her about the outfielder. Only her embarrassing reaction to his startling her made her refrain from pulling away or making a big deal out of it.

“Thanks for the offer,” she said with a polite smile. “I’ll keep it in mind.”

Keith, one of the relief pitchers, nudged Nick, smiling politely at Addison. “You ready to go, man?”

“Yeah,” Nick said, turning back to the guy.

Addison thanked them both for coming and for their gifts. They began to walk away, but Nick turned around one last time. “I’m serious, Addi.” He lifted to fingers to his ear. “Call me.”

She nodded, feeling her face warm, wondering if AJ or anyone else had noticed the exchange. Most of the guys were saying good-bye to her dad and even stopping by to say good-bye to Clair.

One glimpse in his direction and she had her answer. That arrogant glare she’d been greeted with those first few times she’d seen him in person was back. Only it felt even harder this time.

She thought of what Nick said yesterday when she’d called out to AJ and he’d waved her off rudely. She’d felt so embarrassed she was sure she’d blushed and Nick caught it. “That’s probably more for me than you, Addi,” he’d said with an air of sympathy. “Don’t take it personal. Rage has never really warmed up to me. Seems the guy always has hair up his ass when I talk to him.”

For a fleeting moment, she had the insane idea her exchange with Nick might’ve been the reason for his hardening expression. Nick’s flirting so openly with her, with no regard to the possibility of her daughter hearing it, might’ve irritated Clair’s best buddy. Addison had already been touched by how he fawned over her and spoke to her. He was by far the closest to Clair of all the team’s players.

Addison started toward them, a bit apprehensively given how his expression hadn’t changed.

“Are you coming on the tour with us?” Clair asked as AJ turned that heavily lashed glare away from Addison to help Clair down from the Jet Ski.

It was probably just part of his raging personality, but Addison could actually see him work his jaw before responding. “I would if I could, but I have to get out of here.”

Clair pouted. “She is your girlfriend now, isn’t she?” she said as Addison reached them. “You should’ve brought her then. She could’ve taken the tour with us too.”

“She isn’t my girlfriend,” AJ said, bending over to kiss the top of Clair’s head.

The tenderness in his eyes as he straightened out immediately hardened again when they met Addison’s. “But since I leave tomorrow, I did promise to meet up with her one last time tonight.”

Of course. And even as the alarmingly disappointing comment settled into her now churning insides, she was glad for the reminder. No matter how sweet and perfect AJ was as her daughter’s best buddy and her dad’s apprentice, he was the worst kind of guy Addison should even be considering to let in her life.

“We’re in,” a few of the guys with kids she’d known from way back said with big smiles.

A couple of the single ones she’d spoken to earlier also said they’d hang around and take the tram tour with them.

“You see,” AJ said, and Addison turned to him at the sound of his voice. His thick lashes seemed to move in slow motion as he glanced up from Clair and met Addison’s eyes again. “You’ll have plenty of company without me.”

As much as it didn’t make sense, it felt like a jab again, like the one she was now certain he’d taken at her yesterday. And like yesterday, he’d stalked away before she could recover from it.

Chapter 3

AJ

The whispers and buzzes about the coach’s hot daughter among AJ’s team members while on the road shouldn’t have been as unbelievably annoying as they were. He kept telling himself that it was only because of who she was, the coach’s daughter and his buddy’s mom. They should be more respectful, damn it. But he hadn’t snapped as he’d been tempted to on more than one occasion. He knew exactly why too.

For starters, the visual of her enjoying Travis’s whispering in her ear and then agreeing to call him in front of everyone was one AJ wouldn’t be forgetting anytime soon. Any whispers the team might be exchanging about her, she’d brought on herself. Travis was a douche, and if she were really as smart as her dad made her out to be, she should’ve seen right through him already. Instead, she’d encouraged him by smiling and laughing at his stupid ass.

Mostly AJ knew the main reason he hadn’t snapped yet was because he hadn’t heard anything that actually crossed the line. But he could feel it building with every whisper or comment he did hear. He almost wished they would cross the line. Snapping because someone commented about her good looks or sweet smile would be too obvious. Just hearing her name or rather the idiots who’d taken it upon themselves to call her Addi, had him clenching his teeth every time.

One of the days in Boston during batting practice the coach excused himself to take a call from Addison. He’d mentioned earlier how she and Clair would be meeting him and his wife at their next stop in Toronto against the Blue Jays. They’d be taking that trip to Niagara Falls Clair had originally requested for her birthday.

AJ was supposed to be concentrating on warming up to bat next. Up until then, he’d been doing well, beyond well with his short fuse. He’d made excellent progress in keeping his cool on and off the field, but the continued whispers about Addison had begun to chip away the wall of patience he’d worked so hard to build for years. Festering thoughts of what Addison’s eyes that close up had done to him and the unreasonable annoyance he’d felt when he’d seen Travis get so close to her weren’t helping either. He couldn’t even look at the guy now without feeling irritated, not just at Travis but at himself for getting so worked up over a girl he hardly knew.

Biggs, one of several guys standing by him, said something that got his attention. “Umm, mmm, Coach’s daughter.”

AJ had instantly stopped swinging the bat and turned to him. “What about her?”

“Who knew she had all that going on?” he said, shaking his head.

AJ gripped the bat, feeling his insides heat as he peered at him but said nothing.

“I mean I could see she was cute when Lara brought her around the day before and again the day of his grandkid’s birthday party. But when she took her jersey off at the zoo, hot damn, what a pair of—”

“Don’t.” AJ shook his head, warning Biggs as calmly as he could. “Don’t do that, man. That’s Coach’s daughter you’re talking about.”

Biggs lifted his hand in the air with a smirk. “I don’t care who she is. I see something like that and my dick starts—”

“Hey!” AJ’s voice boomed suddenly as he took a step forward, pointing his bat at Biggs. “That’s the coach’s daughter you’re talking about. Clair’s mom, asshole. Have some fucking respect.”

He’d been as stunned about his reaction as everyone else there. But he hadn’t cared even as everyone had gone quiet and stared at him. He’d glared at Biggs until the guy nodded a bit hesitantly then shook his head with a scoff but finally agreed.

The enormous tension he was feeling spilled over from batting practice to the game. For the first time that season, he’d nearly lost it against an opposing team’s player while still on base. He managed to keep his cool, but he knew he had to get a grip.

He didn’t want to be attracted to Addison, but from the moment he first noticed her, he’d felt an unexplainable draw. At least that’s what he’d called it until he realized her uncanny resemblance to Clair had made him feel like he knew her before he even met her.

So what now? Now that he knew that was all it was? Not only that, but she might be into Travis or worse. She might be one of those girls. Coach Lara made her out to be a brain. From the looks of her high-school-graduation picture, she’d certainly fit the description of what he’d expected: a quiet mousy bookish girl. What happened to that girl?

Then he remembered what his brothers often said. The quiet ones are the worst ones. Addison had gotten knocked up right out of high school. Possibly while still in high school based on Clair’s age and how old Addison appeared to be. If that were the case, then his brothers wouldn’t be too far off in their conclusion about quiet girls. Couple that with all the giggling she’d been doing with the guys on the team and her obvious enjoyment of their attention. If he let himself give into whatever he was feeling after being around her just once, he’d be dealing with the worst kind of girl—a flirt—one who he’d be forced to watch engage often with all his idiot teammates. Fuck that.

He did not have the patience for a girl like that, especially when he was already so damn intrigued by Addison and he barely knew anything about her. He could only imagine how much more exasperating it would be if he gave into what he was feeling. The tension and unease he’d been feeling about the whole thing only worsened when they arrived in Toronto a few days later for their series against the Blue Jays.

AJ knew he’d likely be seeing Addison again. He still hadn’t decided if he should play it safe by remaining indifferent toward her or be stupid and attempt to get to know her a little better. All he knew was not being able to stop thinking about her was annoying as all hell.

Seeing Clair run toward him on the field during batting practice before their last game in Toronto was beyond elating. After having anticipated them being there the two prior games and feeling enormously disappointed when they hadn’t showed up, he didn’t even try to contain how happy seeing her little face made him.

It was alarming, actually, because he knew it had so much more to do with the fact that her mother couldn’t be too far behind. AJ had apparently misunderstood the coach. When he said they were meeting him in Toronto, AJ thought he had meant for the entire series.

Since Clair was still in school, they couldn’t make it out until Saturday’s game. Sunday would be the team’s travel day with no games scheduled when coach and his family were headed out to Niagara Falls.

“Yeyo couldn’t make it out here with us,” she said as soon as she reached him.

“Who’s Yeyo?” AJ asked, feeling strangely nervous about what her answer might be. Make it out here with them?

“He’s Papa’s brother. He was supposed to fly out to see Niagara Falls with us, but his blood sugar got so high this past week he had to be admitted into the hospital. He got out last night, but the doc wouldn’t sign off on him being well enough to fly yet.”

AJ nodded, once again shaking off a relief he shouldn’t be feeling, relief that Yeyo wasn’t a friend of her mother’s, who hadn’t been able to make it out with them.

“So guess what?”

“What?” AJ smiled at the sight of his little buddy’s big bright eyes.

“The tour passes to Niagara Falls tomorrow are already paid for and non-refundable, including Yeyo’s. So we have an extra pass. Papa said it’d be okay for me to invite you to come with us.”

The invitation and what it meant had barely sunk in—he’d be spending an entire day with Clair and her mom—when AJ saw Addison walking toward them, looking even more amazing than he remembered, despite how much more covered she was this time given the weather.

She wore a long-sleeved thermal under her jersey this time with jeans and furry brown boots, and her hair was down again. Only this time instead of the playful loose curls, it was straightened, giving her a sleeker smoldering look, making AJ swallow hard, unable to take his eyes off her. As he got a closer look, the Padres beanie she wore softened the sexiness, giving her more of an adorable warm cozy look. She looked positively snugglable. Any excuses he’d already begun to spin in his head about why he wouldn’t be able to join them tomorrow were squashed. He’d be an idiot to pass Clair up on her offer.

He glanced down at Clair’s pleading eyes and smiled. “That sounds cool actually. I’ve never been.”

“You’ll come with us?” she asked excitedly.

Before he could change his mind, he nodded. “Yeah, I can do that. I don’t have any plans for tomorrow.”

“Yes!” she said then turned to her mom. “He’s coming with us tomorrow! I’m gonna go tell Papa!”

Clair took off, and AJ stood there staring into the most beautiful pair of eyes. “You don’t have to, AJ,” she said, glancing away in Clair’s direction. “I know how few days off you guys ever get between games. I’m sure you had other plans, and I know Clair’s puppy dog eyes are hard to resist, but I don’t want you feeling forced into this.”

“Not at all,” he said with a gulp, as their eyes met again. “I really don’t have plans. I was just going to relax in my hotel room tomorrow.”

“You still can. I know you guys don’t get enough days to do that either.”

“Yeah, but how often do I get the chance to see Niagara Falls?” His eyes dropped to the two silver initials hanging on the silver chain around her neck. “I like your necklace,” he said, feeling the smirk tug at the corner of his lips. “Should I be flattered?”

Addison glanced down at the “AJ” pendant that hung from the silver chain around her neck, touching it and shaking her head. When she peeked back up at him, her tinged cheeks made him smile. “No uh”—she cleared her throat, as her face turned a deeper shade of pink—“I didn’t even realize when I put it on today. They’re my initials, too.”

Seeing the shy side of Addison warmed him, and he felt himself doing something he rarely did—smiled silly. “Yeah, I remember Clair saying something about us having the same initials. I’m curious now. What is your middle name?”

“Jewel,” she said with a small smile. “We have a thing in our family about honoring our parents by naming our kids after them. Addison and Jewel are the names of my two grandmothers.” She shrugged, her smile making him breathe in deeply and feel like a sap. “I think I lucked out. Unlike a lot people who are named after someone, I really like my name.”

“I like it too,” he said as their eyes met again. Feeling the need, he inhaled even deeper before adding. “It’s very pretty. Suits you.”

“Thank you,” she said with a timid smile.

Her face going pink again had him smiling even bigger and feeling completely enthralled. It replaced the irritation he’d begun to feel that he was acting just like one of his pathetic teammates. But the moment was fleeting. Travis walked up behind her, touching her or doing something that made her flinch. Her smiling even bigger when she turned to see who it was had AJ regretting not just the compliment but agreeing to Niagara Falls tomorrow.

What the hell was wrong with him? He’d dealt with enough women in his life. A few smiles and blushes from the coach’s sweet daughter shouldn’t have him ignoring his better judgment and allowing himself to feel so captivated by someone he had no business feeling that way for.

“You just get here?” Travis asked Addison.

“This morning.”

“You never called.” Travis smirked playfully until his eyes met AJ’s icy glare and that overconfident smile flattened.

“I’ve been busy,” she said, not noticing the exchange between AJ and Travis.

Even if she had noticed their exchange, AJ wouldn’t have cared. He’d never liked the guy, and he almost hoped she’d ask him why. AJ would gladly tell her exactly why. Maybe then she wouldn’t smile as big as she did every time she saw Travis. The fact that she hadn’t bothered to call the idiot gave AJ hope that maybe his first impressions of her were unfair—way off.

Luckily for Travis, he picked up on the fact that his interruption was not a welcome one. AJ didn’t even bother addressing him. Instead, he glanced away when he was sure he’d made his unspoken message loud and clear. Back the fuck off.

AJ began working on getting his chest protector snapped up in all the right places, glad to hear Travis say he had to talk to one of the other players and walked away.

Unable to slip back into the smiling mood he’d been in just before Travis’s interruption, AJ glanced up at Addison. The flicker in her eyes followed by the pinch in her brows wasn’t missed. Like Travis, the irritation AJ was incapable of masking hadn’t gone unnoticed by her either.

Coach Lara and Clair walked up to them. The coach placed his hand on AJ’s shoulder. “I hear Clair Bear worked her magic on you this time.” He chuckled. “Glad to hear you’ll be joining us tomorrow. I couldn’t believe she hadn’t been able to convince you to stick around for the tour at the zoo.”

AJ forced a smile as he and Addison exchanged glances, but she turned away too quickly. “Yeah, I had prior commitments that evening.” He lied, annoyed that the reminder of Miranda had been inadvertently resurrected.

He’d been glad to hear that Addison’s responses to Travis then and maybe even today were likely just her being polite. She never called him. But he didn’t need her being reminded of the plans he’d lied about that evening, about his night with Miranda—the groupie. God damn it.

“Otherwise, I would’ve made it,” he said, turning back to face his coach. “And I’m looking forward to tomorrow. I’ve never been. Thanks for the invite.”

They spoke of the trip for only a few minutes before they were interrupted: Coach Lara by a journalists asking for a quick interview before the game and AJ by fans wanting his autograph and pictures taken with them.

He glanced over at Clair, who was showing her mom her notebook. Stats of the opposing teams players, no doubt. Curiously, Addison wasn’t instantly surrounded by other players. AJ smiled at the camera, his disposition a little more genuine than when he’d had to smile for his coach earlier.

The irony was palpable. AJ was certain there’d been plenty of hearsay amongst the team about what he might be feeling for Addison, ever since the near eruption he’d had with Biggs. AJ hadn’t given a shit about that either. Let them talk. He actually hoped when Travis walked away from him and Addison today that he’d gone straight to the peanut gallery to let them in on AJ’s silent threat. If that’s what was keeping them all away from her now, then, for once, Travis’s big mouth may’ve come in handy.

Chapter 4

Addison

The weather this time of year in Southern California was beautiful. Addison was glad now she’d called her parents before she packed to ask about the weather in Toronto. It was freezing. Well, in comparison anyway. Low twenties in the day and low teens in the evening. She was back to the weather she’d been so glad she’d left in Chicago.

This wouldn’t be her first trip to the falls, but she hadn’t been there in years—long before Clair was born. She’d been anticipating it before she knew AJ would be coming with them. Not that being around him was a bad thing. Having had him at her daughter’s party participating in the games and even buying Clair such sweet and thoughtful gifts had already exceeded any kind of interaction she’d imagined ever having with the awe-inspiring superstar.

How could she be so weak? All those years she’d prepared because she knew inevitably she’d be back in her father’s world of baseball and all it took was one day? Well, one day and a few confusing exchanges, both verbal and non-verbal with AJ, had her so confused she’d been dying to see him again. Those exchanges should’ve left her never wanting to see the guy again, at least hesitant to. Instead, she’d hung on Clair’s every word that had to do with him, and she’d been counting the days until she’d see him again.

Last night she’d been almost in a daze. A daze! She wasn’t that star-struck teenager anymore. She was a grown-ass career woman and mother who’d made some mistakes but learned from them and was better and stronger because of it all. No man should have the power to make any woman feel nearly faint. Least of all one who considered herself so reinvented and empowered now.

Yet last night she’d barely been able to breathe when he’d complimented her and his eyes had bored into her the way they had, like he’d been trying to tell her something without saying it. It was stupefying. Addison had never felt stupefied in her life! So knowing he’d be spending the entire day with her and her family today nearly had her hyperventilating. But the man was as hot and cold as he was dreamy. Despite his demeanor last night and the spoken and unspoken compliments he’d given her just by gazing at her the way he had, the issue of the subtle jabs she was pretty sure he’d taken at her hadn’t been resolved.

Addison lifted her chin as she stared at herself in the mirror. Just because he was AJ Romero, the triple threat superstar catcher with a gaze that could turn her into a puddle, didn’t mean he was better than Addison as a person. Her mother had taught her that way back when she first started admiring players in a much different way than she knew Clair admired them now. She’d felt incredibly intimidated and beneath them.

There’d been plenty of proof in Addison’s life that no matter how skilled and famous you were it did not mask your faults forever. No one was perfect, not even big beautiful Andrés Josiah. But did he have to make her so damn nervous?

Their conversation yesterday hadn’t even been that long, yet she’d been a ball of nerves from the moment she and Clair spotted him and Clair took off running toward him.

“AJ’s taking the shuttle with us to Niagara Falls,” Clair announced from the other room.

“Wh-What?” Addison asked as her heart rate spiked pathetically. “I thought he was meeting us there.”

They had adjoining suites with her parents, and Clair had just been over in their room. Clair explained that instead of charting a private flight there since he’d be flying out of Buffalo tomorrow with the rest of the team her papa had insisted he take the hour-and-a-half drive with them instead.

“Oh, for the love of God,” Addison whispered as she rushed to redo her ponytail, making it neater this time.

Not only did she have to look forward to an entire day of trying to be cool and not let this man continue to intimidate her the way he’d so easily done so far, she’d now be in a confined space with him for an hour and a half. Luckily, she knew Clair and her father would be doing most of the talking. Those two could go on forever talking baseball stats, strategy, and even discussing classic games. It was her only hope. Addison could already imagine all the squirming she’d be doing.

The luxury shuttle taking them to the falls was similar to the luxury buses that shuttled the players to and from their hotels to the airport and stadiums, only scaled down to accommodate their much smaller party. Her dad tended to spare no expense, so this one wasn’t all that much smaller. Addison had traveled in the fancy shuttles on many occasions. It was basically a much roomier limousine with televisions, bucket seats, and even chairs that transformed into beds.

This particular one had a sitting area with a table surrounded by bucket seats, the kind her father often used as a makeshift conference table to discuss strategy whenever they traveled with other coaches and such.

Addison’s mom went straight to the back to one of the chairs that transformed into a bed. Her leg was acting up again, and she said she was going to lie back and read. Clair and Addison each took one of the chairs surrounding the table as Clair placed her satchel on the table, pulling out her notebook, pens, and tablet. Addison’s father went to check on her mom but said he’d be back. They were still waiting on AJ, who was on his way down.

It was a relief to Addison that she got in the shuttle first. She would’ve hated having to decide where to sit if he were already there before her. Her father stopped at the small refrigerator on his way back from the back of the shuttle and asked if anyone wanted water or something else to drink.

“I’ll have water.”

AJ’s deep voice startled Addison, who’d been searching through her phone. Glancing up, she smiled nervously as he took the bucket chair across from her, looking as amazing as always. “Good morning.”

“Good morning,” she said, annoyed with her already wildly beating heart. “I’ll take a water too, Daddy.”

This was going to be more of a challenge than she imagined. AJ’s piercing eyes were almost too much to take.

“Morning, AJ,” Clair said, barely looking up from her tablet. “You’re just in time. I was looking for a video I wanted you to see.”

Thanks to Clair, AJ glanced away from Addison for a moment.

“Here you go, big guy,” Addison’s dad said, tossing him a water bottle and then tossing Addison one.

Her dad took the seat off to the side that faced the television and flipped through the channels. Clair showed AJ the video she was talking about. It was baseball-related, of course. AJ and the coach made small talk about the game the night before and then Niagara Falls. Her father mentioned he’d been as surprised as Addison had been to hear AJ say this was the first time he’d been there.

When her mother asked her father to bring her a water bottle too, AJ turned to Addison. “I guess because I travel so much all year long, when the season’s finally over, I prefer to stay put than do too much traveling. As much as I can anyway,” he said, reaching out for the tablet Clair was handing him again. “Even during the off season, I stay pretty busy though. But aside from my busy schedule, you’d be surprised what a normal guy I am.”

She was locked in his eyes for a moment until the sheath of lashes draped over his eyes when he looked down at the tablet after Clair hit play on another video. He watched silently as Clair narrated, pointing out the pitcher’s killer sinker ball in the video and what AJ should keep an eye out for the next time he was up against him.

It gave Addison a few minutes to contemplate his last statement and how to respond to it. She hadn’t known AJ for long, but already he’d said enough things to her that confused the heck out of her. Yesterday there seemed to be more behind his words and the way he stared at her when he said them.

When he finally pulled his eyes away from the tablet and met Addison’s again, she felt that familiar weakness she always did when he gazed at her that way. “At my age,” he said before she’d been able to string even two words together, “you’d be surprised how many other firsts I’ve only recently experienced and how many others I still haven’t.”

His comments felt like a riddle. His playful gaze—something so unlike him—practically dared her to ask him to elaborate. It couldn’t possibly be the obvious first he might be referring to. He wouldn’t dare mention that, not in front of Clair. Addison wouldn’t buy it for a second anyway, not with the slew of Mirandas he likely had throwing themselves at him on a daily basis.

Everything about the man exuded sensuality. An air of sultriness infused every one of the gazes he’d indulged her with so far, even the hardened ones—especially the hardened ones. The darker, more censorious, the more breathtaking. With AJ’s legendary temper, Addison could only imagine the kind of unabashed passion a man like him would unleash in the bedroom. The very thought had made her body tremble even the first time she’d laid eyes on him in person. Then again the following day, when she’d been so close to him, the temptation to reach out and touch those incredible muscled arms was unreal. She’d been admiring those arms in photos and on television for years.

“Are you, Mom?”

Addison felt her face flush when she realized she’d zoned out, staring at AJ’s muscular arms and chest, and the twinkle in his eyes said he knew it. Fortunately, Clair was busy setting up the cards for whatever game it appeared they were getting ready to play.

“Am I what now?” she asked, taking a much-needed long gulp of her water.

“In?” Clair said, still too engrossed in her cards to look up.

“Sure,” Addison said, praying her face wasn’t as beet red as it felt.

She refused to look at AJ for a few moments, focusing instead on Clair’s shuffling. “It’s the truth, right?” Clair said, still not looking up. Addison stared at her daughter, not sure what she meant. That’s when Clair finally glanced up at her. “This would be a first for me.” She grinned. “Losing a game of Gigs.”

Addison nodded, feeling relieved. So that’s how the subject of firsts had come to this.

“Yes, it would.” Taking a deep breath, she finally glanced back and met AJ’s eyes. He was eyeing her smugly. “It’s one of the many games she learned from her schoolmates back on her Mathletes team in Chicago. But it’s her favorite because she never loses.”

“Math’s never been my strongest subject, but I’ll give it a shot,” AJ said, finally having a little mercy on Addison and turning his attention to Clair instead.

“I learned it on my Mathletes team, but it doesn’t involve math,” Clair explained. “Just a lot of strategy. Not as much as chess, but it’s similar as far as formalizing computation. Only this moves faster.”

Addison saw the expression on AJ’s face go from amused to impressed to disbelieving. It was the same reaction most people had who spoke with her little genius about something she felt very passionate about.

Once Addison’s dad joined them there were no more moments of turning beet red. It seemed AJ wouldn’t be making any obscure comments in front of her dad. Thank God. It’d likely be the case for the rest of the day, given that her parents would be with them all day. That gave Addison some time to get it together and try to relax around him.