Finding Us (True Love) (Volume 2) Read online

  Baxter kissed his son he was holding on the side of his head before putting him down. “Cole, go get Josh and tell him we have company.”

  “’Kay, Daddy!” and off he ran.

  Bax went to Amanda and put his arm around her shoulders, leaning in and giving her a kiss. “How are you, babe?”

  “I’ll be better when you fix the toilet in Josh’s bathroom. I think Spencer flushed a G.I. Joe down it.”

  He’d leaned in to give his daughter a kiss when he pulled back asking, “Again? Godda…ng it.” He caught himself from cussing, which made me laugh again, then he looked at me, explaining, “That’s the second time this week. Kid thinks G.I. Joe’s a SEAL, I guess.”

  I laughed even harder at that. I couldn’t imagine having all this chaos around me, especially after coming home from a game, but I could tell Bax just ate it up. Spencer came back in with a Dodgers t-shirt. “Mommy! I need something to wite wif!”

  Amanda went to a desk and pulled out a marker, handing it to him, but not before she had him say “Please” and “Thank you.”

  “Here you go, Jag!” he said, holding the shirt and marker out to me.

  I saw that most of the other guys on the team had already signed it, so I did the same then handed it back to him as I ruffled his hair again. “There you go, buddy.”

  “Thanks! Yippee!” he shouted and was off and running again, but not before handing the pen back to his mother and yelling out a “Thank you!” to her.

  Just then a boy who was the spitting image of Baxter came in. He immediately walked over to his dad and Bax wrapped his arm around his son’s shoulders. “Josh, this is Jag Jensen. Jag, this is our nine year old, Josh.”

  “Hey, Josh,” I said, starting to hold out my hand, but remembered what Amanda had said about hugging, so I clapped him on the shoulder instead.

  “Hi, Jag,” he said shyly, looking down at the floor. He then looked up at me and said, “I want to be a pitcher when I grow up.”

  I gave a smirk to Bax who rolled his eyes again. “All right! Someone in this family who actually knows the game!” I held my hand out and knocked knuckles with Josh.

  “Yeah, whatever. But I guess I’d rather his arm goes before his knees,” Baxter said with a chuckle. “Babe, let me take her,” he then told Amanda, taking the little girl from her. “Hey, Chloe Badoey.” He nuzzled her neck and she squealed with glee, clapping his face with her hands.

  “Come on in, Jag. We were just about to have dinner,” Amanda said. “Would you like a beer?”

  “Uh, sure,” I answered. I followed her into the kitchen and she handed me two beers from the fridge for Baxter and me.

  “Let’s go outside,” he said, carrying Chloe with him as he walked to the patio doors. Spencer and Cole ran up behind us then around us to beat us out the door.

  “Josh? Why don’t you call Kevin and you two can play video games for a bit. See if Sarah will let him stay for dinner,” I heard Amanda yell to her oldest son as we went outside.

  “Damn. Does Disney World have anything left?” I asked Baxter as I looked around the backyard. There was all kinds of playground-type equipment everywhere.

  He laughed as he put Chloe down, patting her bottom as she ran off to play. “When you get to this point someday, you’ll understand.”

  And by the end of the night, I got it. His kids had so much energy, that if hooked up properly they could power an entire city for a month with it. Damn. But their playing on everything had eventually worn them out and Amanda and Bax had taken them inside for their baths. As I waited for them to finish, I went inside to watch Josh and his friend play video games, amazed at their skill at the damned things.

  When the kids had been put to bed, Amanda, Baxter and I went back out and sat on the patio talking.

  “So, Ellen’s in Chicago?” Amanda asked softly. She’d been looking for an opening, I could tell, and she’d gone with it when I was telling them about my hometown.

  “Yeah,” I answered wistfully.

  She sighed. “Gordon’s filled me in on all that’s happened, Jag. I understand, believe me, I do. All I can say is if she’s worth it, don’t give up.” She squeezed Baxter’s forearm and he took her hand in his, pulling it to his mouth to kiss her knuckles.

  “She’s worth it. It’s just tough being so far away.”

  “I know it is. But don’t give up. I know she’s not very receptive right now, but it’s going to take some time. Have you tried writing her? I mean, real letters not email.”

  “No, it hasn’t occurred to me.”

  “Gordon wrote some beautiful letters to me when we were apart. I know our situation was different from yours, but try it, okay? I think it just might work.”

  I looked at Bax and he blushed as he brushed his lips over Amanda’s knuckles again.

  But who was I to turn down advice from a woman who’d gone through a similar situation. I agreed to try it and she made me promise to let her know how it went. I chuckled and told her I would then we talked a bit more about this and that before I headed home.

  The silence inside my condo was deafening as I sat down at the desk and pulled out some paper to write to El. If this didn’t work, I guessed I’d just move on to the next thing that might, knowing I wouldn’t give up until I took my last breath.

  “Whoops! You missed El, but I’ll bet you know the drill! Leave her a message at the beep! Oh. Unless you’re the asshole in those commercials, then save your breath and hang up the phone now.”

  Wow. Rebecca had gotten hold of El’s phone and wasn’t that just the nicest voicemail message? Damn.

  “El, it’s me, the asshole Rebecca’s talking about, but please give me a call. I love you… forever and a day.” I hung up and threw my phone onto the couch so tired of the silence all around me.

  The strange thing was my sister Starr was ten years older than I am, so growing up, it almost felt like I was an only child, the age difference between us being so great. I was used to being alone, but something had been awakened in me, and I knew exactly what it was.

  Being at Baxter’s had shown me what I really wanted.

  I wanted El and me to be together so we could create a family, our kids screaming and running all over the place, chaos and craziness everywhere. I wanted us to have the house that every kid in the neighborhood wanted to come to. Hell, I didn’t even mind the thought of digging a G.I. Joe out of the toilet every week if it meant we’d be together.

  And that’s what I’d written to her hoping it might get through to her, ending the impasse we had going.

  We were off a day from playoffs, being behind in the series two games to three. If we didn’t win the next night, we’d be finished, which sucked, but I knew I’d be able to see El if that happened, which made me feel bad for even thinking that way because I seriously wanted to win, but I also wanted to see her. Catch-22 anyone?

  I hadn’t talked to her in almost a month and it’d begun really wearing on me. I’d finally given in and called my mom, who I knew would gripe me out, which she did for a good twenty minutes. When she’d stopped her ranting, she started crying telling me she was sorry and she wished she could talk some sense into Ellen, but every time she called her to try, El would just tell her it was over. And that just made her cry even harder. And made me feel like shit.

  Dad had gotten on the phone next and told me that he had my back and would do whatever I needed. I wondered for a second if that might include his kidnapping El and bringing her to me, which was ludicrous, I knew, but at the time, it sounded like a plan. But tossing that crazy notion aside, we talked for a bit about playoffs then he returned to the original topic and offered some suggestions on how to woo El. I told him that wooing was a little old fashioned, but he said if it worked for Rick with Ilsa, it would work for anyone. I told him they didn’t get back together which was why Casablanca was one of the saddest movies ever made. He then countered with Scarlett and Rhett, and I reminded him they didn’t end up together either. He finally t
old me to ignore everything he’d just said and “just send her some goddamned flowers” which made me laugh.

  But I swear, if coming up with ideas to get her back actually worked toward getting her back, I’d have gotten her back right then. She’d have poofed right the hell into my living room rewarding me for all my secret plotting.

  We hung up, and the silence screamed at me again. I was just about to turn the stereo on to fill the void when there was a knock at my door.

  Can you be semi-pissed and semi-happy at the same time, because that’s what I was when I looked in the peephole, and being so friggin’ starved for company I actually answered it.

  “Hey,” I said when I opened the door.

  “Hey, stranger,” Alessandra purred as she pushed past me and walked inside.

  We’d met in the hallway a couple days before and she’d found out that El had left. I couldn’t tell if she was being genuine when she told me she was sorry, but knowing her, she wasn’t.

  “What’s up?” I asked, watching her sashay her way over to the liquor cabinet, get out a glass and pour herself some bourbon. “Make yourself at home,” I said sarcastically.

  “Oh, I will,” she said turning to me with a wicked grin.

  Now, the woman was beautiful, and no one in their right mind would’ve disputed it, and a lesser man probably would’ve fallen for her bullshit. But I wasn’t that man. I knew what I wanted, and it damned sure wasn’t her, so I wished she’d stop with the flirting, stat.

  “We start filming the last commercial next month,” she said, pushing her lips out into a pout. “I can’t believe it’ll be over after this one.”

  Thank God for small favors.

  “Yep. Time flies when you’re having fun,” I mumbled.

  She frowned as she glanced at me over the top of her glass then said, “Jag, we really owe ourselves to give this a shot, don’t you think?”

  I chuckled. “It’d never work, Alessandra. Three people can’t be in a relationship.”

  She tilted her head to the side. “Three?”

  “Yeah. You, me and your ego.” I smirked hatefully at her knowing I was being a dick but not giving a rat’s ass.

  She rolled her eyes. “Look, you’re single, I’m single. People expect us to be together. Do you know how many fans have told me we’re perfect together? And we are. I’m beautiful and hot, you’re handsome. We just… fit.” She drank down the rest of her liquor setting the glass on the cabinet then walked seductively toward me putting her hand on my chest and leaning into me. “Let’s give it a try.”

  I put my hand on hers, which made her grin, then pulled it off my chest, pushing it back down to her side and letting it go, which now made her frown.

  “Let’s not and say we did. Wait a minute. Everyone is already saying we did and that’s a big load of shit.” Putting my hands on my hips, I let my head fall back and I stared at the ceiling wondering how things had gotten so screwed up.

  “Well, you’re just an idiot for not wanting to make the rumors true,” she said, idiot coming out as “eeediot.”

  My head came down and I looked her in the eye. “You’re right. I am.”

  This got another tilt of her head along with a smirk as she thought she’d finally gotten through to me.

  “See? Now you’re getting it.”

  I snorted. “Oh, I got it a couple weeks ago when the best thing in my life walked out on me. Look, I’ve got shit to do, Alessandra. Time for you to go. But it was great seeing you again,” I said as I took her by the elbow, leading her to the door.

  She stopped suddenly, looking up at me and quickly saying, “I know how you can get Ellen back.”

  Sure she did. But, hell, I was just about out of options, so why not hear her out. “Oh, yeah? You and about twenty other people. So enlighten me.” I crossed my arms over my chest knowing she was going to blab on and on about diamonds and furs or some stupid shit like that.

  “You need to woo her.” She nodded as she smiled softly, her eyes gazing somewhere behind me as a melancholy look filled them.

  There was that “woo” again. Maybe Dad was right.

  I narrowed my eyes at her. Someone had obviously tried wooing her, I guessed, from the faraway look in her eyes. “And what do you suggest?”

  “It’s different for every woman. It’s the one thing that touches her soul. If you find it, you’ll own her heart forever.”

  “Sounds like someone owns your heart,” I stated carefully, watching her for clues to see if she was being serious. I never knew if this chick was being sincere or not.

  She came out of her pensiveness, looking up at me. She flicked her hand carelessly in a dismissive manner. “Oh, that was ages ago. He means nothing to me now. Besides, he wasn’t handsome enough for me.”

  Annnd she was back.

  I chuckled. What a bitch. “Okay, thanks for that,” I said, opening the door and leading her out into the hallway.

  “See you in two weeks on the set,” she said, turning to grin at me, putting a hand against my chest, tiptoeing up to kiss my cheek, then she spun and flipped her hair with her hand as she strutted back to her condo.

  I went back inside and closed the door, going to the kitchen to get a beer, thinking about what she’d said. The one thing that touches her soul.

  I needed to find the answer to that and fast.

  Chapter 5

  We’d lost the game and I was on the plane flying back to Chicago. I hadn’t really come up with a plan of action; I just hoped it’d hit me when I landed.

  I’d thought a lot about what Alessandra had said over the next day and a half, and had come up with an answer.

  The one thing I believed that touched Ellen’s soul was security, knowing I was there for her, keeping her safe and letting her know I wasn’t going anywhere. And I’d blown that all to shit. But now it was time to repair that.

  Let the wooing begin.

  I rented an SUV and called Ross asking him where El was. She was working, so I headed to the campus Starbucks. It’d now been a month, four weeks, since I’d seen or talked to her and I couldn’t wait any longer.

  I pulled into the parking lot and turned off the engine, taking a deep breath. Here went everything. Getting out, I walked to the door, opening it for two women who were coming out then walked inside. The place was surprisingly busy at seven o’clock at night. Guess some people needed caffeine at all hours.

  I walked toward the counter and froze when I saw her, sucking in a deep breath. My God, had she always been that stunning? She was waiting on a customer, smiling as she took his order then turning to make his drink.

  She must’ve felt my stare on her as she prepared the order in a blender because she shifted her head to the side a tiny bit for just a second as if she sensed me, before turning back around to pull the jar from the machine, filling a cup with its contents. Then as if she had to know if I was really there, she turned all the way around and met my eyes with a gasp. And immediately dropped the cup she was holding.

  “Shit!” she hissed, looking at the guy and apologizing then glancing back at me with a scowl before disappearing behind the counter to clean up the mess. She stood back up and began the guy’s order again, not sparing me another look.

  Jesus. That went well.

  I stood watching her, my heart about to beat out of my chest, aching to touch her as she completed the guy’s order and took his money. When she finished, she turned to go to the back of the store.

  “El!” I called, but she kept walking, going through a door that I figured must’ve been the office.

  A girl behind the counter asked, “May I help you, sir?” She looked closer at me and started stammering, “You’re… you’re… you’re Jag Jensen! Oh, my God!”

  Seriously? This girl was a baseball fan? Now that made my lips twitch just a bit, I had to admit. Might just come in handy.

  “Yeah, that’s me,” I replied with a grin.

  “Oh, my God! Wait until I tell my boyfriend!” sh
e squealed.

  “I, uh, really need to talk to Ellen. Is there any way I can go back and see her? I’m assuming that’s an office she just went in,” I said, giving her a pleading look, hoping my pro status would help.

  She looked surreptitiously around for a few seconds before stating, “Well, I’m really not supposed to let anyone behind the counter, but the manager’s not working tonight.” She bit her bottom lip in indecision.

  “It’ll only be for a few minutes. Promise,” I said with a wink. Hey, gotta do what you’ve gotta do, right?

  She smiled great big before saying, “Okay! But just for a few minutes. I don’t wanna get fired or anything.”

  “I wouldn’t let that happen…” I bent to look at her nametag, “Cassie.”

  She squealed again when I said her name, which made me chuckle. “Do you think I can have your autograph first? Please?”

  “Of course,” I answered. Hell, it was the least I could do for what she was doing for me.

  She handed me a napkin and I wrote, “To Cassie. Best wishes, Jag Jensen #12” and handed it back to her. I thought her face was going to split in two she was smiling so big.

  “Just come around and go on in,” she said conspiratorially, nodding her head in the direction I should go.

  “Thank you,” I said as I walked around the counter and headed back to the closed door.

  There are moments in life that are so defining that sometimes we miss them. But I sure as hell didn’t miss this one as a coffee cup zoomed by my head and smashed against the wall.

  “Jesus, El,” I mumbled, frowning at her, turning to look down at the shattered mug on the floor. I’d walked into the office to see her standing behind her boss’s desk and was just getting ready to say something to her when she attacked with java. Damn.

  We stood staring at each other for so long I thought it would’ve been pretty cool if the theme song for The Good, the Bad and the Ugly started playing. Yeah, yeah, that’s dumb, but, hey, I’m a guy. We think stupid shit like that at serious times. It’s how we deal.