The Heart Of The Game (29 page)

“I miss our big family holidays, when we’d all be together.” Coco hugged her knees up under her on the squishy couch. “And though I love the life I’m making here, I miss Mama. Sometimes I wonder if the hole I feel will ever go away. Perhaps I do understand a little about why Papa couldn’t bear to stay in Italy any longer, with all those memories everywhere.” She twisted her hands together. “Do you think this is the new start he’d hoped for?”

“Your enthusiasm and Adrian’s is helping to make it so.”

Zoe hoped that was true.

She didn’t mention the conversation she’d had in the library when Papa had told her about becoming engaged to their mother in that very house, about falling in love with her in the surrounding hills. She was still attempting to make sense of it for herself.

The sound of wheels on gravel announced a visitor.

Coco leaped up, tripped over a corner of a box and cursed.

“Vico’s early. I haven’t even unpacked the scanners. Or the printer.” She whipped around to face Zoe. “He says he’s coming to help me with all these wires and systems, but I think he’s really coming to see you.”

“No matchmaking, Coco.”

“But I
love
matchmaking. And he’s returning to Rome after the first of the year, so you won’t have the
he’s not from Italy
problem. He’s charming, don’t you think?”

“I’m not interested,” Zoe said flatly.

Zoe remembered the awkward moment when Vico had dropped her off at the house after their vineyard tour on Saturday morning. When he’d rounded the car and held the door for her, he’d stepped closer than was comfortable. She’d sensed that he wanted to kiss her. She had busied herself with her purse, said a quick thank-you and goodbye and hobbled as fast as she could up the steps and into the house.

Vico was handsome in an elegant sort of way. And though she loved speaking Italian with him and he reminded her of home, right then no part of her was interested in getting to know him better. Something about him continued to nag at her mind and set off a quiet voice of warning. And even if she hadn’t had such odd feelings about Vico, Cody had taken up all the territory reserved for a man. And he might occupy it for a very long time.

Coco held her in her best
I don’t believe you, sister
gaze. “See? You
do
care for Cody.” Coco put her arm through Zoe’s. “I think you should reconsider giving up our dear Mr. Bond. Couples make long-distance relationships work all the time. It’s not like the dark ages when our parents were young. We have video calling now and fast jets.” She winked at Zoe. “But in any case, don’t do anything drastic before you get him to agree to pose for my calendar. You’re my only hope,” she said, mimicking Princess Leia’s voice from the
Star Wars
movie.

Coco opened the door and greeted Vico.

“Champagne,” he said, handing a bottle to Coco. “To christen your new endeavor.” He turned to Zoe and held out a bouquet of long-stemmed red roses. “For you, the lady of the manor.”

Coco winked, but as Zoe took the roses from Vico’s arms, the hungry look in his eye chilled her heart.

Cody slid onto the barstool next to Jake Ryder. A few months ago, he would’ve been stoked to join his teammate for a night on the town. The Metreon was his favorite club—a combination of classy old-style bar with features right out of the Gold Rush and a dance floor with a hot deejay. And dozens of beautiful women looking to hook up with players who’d hung around San Francisco for the offseason. But since spending time with Zoe, bachelor life had lost its luster.

“Heard you’re sweet on Zoe Tavonesi,” Jake said as he ordered a whiskey.

“Where’d you get that?”

“I should’ve guessed when you disappeared with her at Thanksgiving. Coco told me you spent the night at the house.”

“I helped her with her neighbor’s horses.” He didn’t feel like discussing his feelings for Zoe with anyone.

A slow smile spread on Jake’s face. “Subject change request heard loud and clear.” He sipped his whiskey. “I was counting on going up for the guys’ weekend that Alex cooked up for weekend after next but my folks are coming into town from Georgia that weekend. My mom would slice and dice me if I missed hanging out with her and Dad. They still think a flight from Atlanta to San Francisco falls in the category of world travel. Gotta clear the calendar for a whole week and show them around.”

He heard the affection in Jake’s voice.

Jake shrugged. “I’d probably spend half the time on my ass anyway.”

“It’s cross-country skiing, much easier. And unlike downhill, cross country isn’t on the list of activities prohibited by the front office.”

“Last I checked, neither was bronc riding.” At Cody’s surprised look, he added, “Saw it on the Internet. Ryan sent a link around. Pretty damn good ride.” Jake turned the tumbler against the polished wood of the bar. “You miss it?”

“I miss being around the animals. But it’s not the rush it once was. Not like standing in the box.”

Jake nodded. And Cody didn’t have to explain. There was no way to describe the rush of hitting in the majors to someone who’d never done it. Jake knew as well as he did that thousands of hours of practice and a lifetime of dreams coming together in a millisecond, culminating in the sound and then the soar of a well-hit ball, was a thrill that lived in their souls. A goal that kept them jacked for the game.

Cody ordered a Virgin Mary. “I’m not sure I’m going.”

“Are you
crazy
? Have you been up to Yosemite in the winter? It’s the greatest stretch of wild I’ve ever seen.” Jake tipped back his head and drained his whiskey. “I hear the mountains are supposed to get some record snows. Clear your head right out.”

Jake followed a particularly beautiful blonde with his eyes as she walked into the bar and sat at a nearby table. He looked up at Cody and gave a sheepish grin. “In case you’re wondering, your girlfriend’s little sister Coco isn’t interested in me.”

“Zoe’s not my girlfriend. We’re—she’s... Hell, I don’t know.”

Jake raised a brow. “Hard not to fall for a gorgeous, rich woman who can ride like Zoe can.”

Hell, Cody admired just about everything about Zoe. Riding was only one slice of the fascination pie. And the sex they’d had might’ve ruined him for life. He’d fallen all right. And climbing out of the barrel, loosening the hold Zoe had on his heart, was proving harder than he’d ever imagined.

Jake leaned close. “Want a piece of advice?”

“No.”

“Don’t make sex more complicated than it really is.”

Jake ignored Cody’s grimace and took another long look at the blonde. The woman caught him at it and smiled, stretching her long legs out in front of her and flipping her hair. Game on. For Jake.

“If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to ask her to dance,” Jake said. He caught the eye of the bartender. “What’s the lady over there drinking?”

Jake took the drink the bartender provided. He balanced the martini glass in one hand and his refilled tumbler of whiskey in the other and nudged Cody with his elbow. “A trip with the guys and some hard skiing might help what ails you.” When Cody didn’t respond, he added, “Okay, maybe not. But it can’t hurt.”

The blonde smiled when Jake slid into the chair next to her. As Cody left the bar, he heard the sound of their mingled laughter. He’d never have the easy manner with women that Jake had. Wasn’t sure he wanted to.

Cody threw the bolt on the door to his condo, then tossed his keys onto the table next to the door. Maybe Jake was right. A trip to the wilds might clear his head. He called Alex and accepted the invitation for the ski trip. And knew as he ended the call that it wasn’t his head that needed clearing.

He spent the next week working out like a maniac and trying to forget about Zoe. Pushing his body to its limits didn’t help a damned bit. All he had to do was close his eyes and there she was, in full living color. Not to mention her visits to his dreams.

He was screwed.

As he packed on Friday, he spied a fortune cookie under the table in his living room that had escaped his less than stellar housekeeping. He tossed it in the trash. But immediately the images of the afternoon he’d spent with Zoe flashed through his thoughts, especially the way she’d backed away, so fast and so smoothly. Maybe he’d come on too strong. He shouldn’t have told her he liked her. Not in that tone. And not that early. But it was the truth, and what did he have if he didn’t have that? Better to have found out what was real and what wasn’t early on.

But hadn’t
she
been the one to say she’d heard his voice? Even if he didn’t believe in that kind of thing, she obviously did. And didn’t that mean she thought they had some kind of connection?

Hell, that was just crazy thinking. He’d simply just pushed too far, too fast.

But bad timing or not, not seeing her still hurt like hell. He hadn’t called or texted since the night he’d watched her leave on the ferry. He didn’t need an engraved notice to announce that he’d overstepped what she’d been expecting. Hell, he’d overstepped what
he’d
been expecting. If he’d learned one lesson, it was not to go where you weren’t welcome.

He retrieved the cookie from the trash, tore open the package and read the fortune.

A conclusion is simply the place where you got tired of thinking.

Great. Just what he didn’t need, more thinking. His thoughts already bashed into each other like reckless drivers skidding on a rain-soaked freeway. He needed to clear the slate and get his bearings. Cold, white snow covering a vast wilderness and a weekend with the guys should be just the ticket.

Anybody alive back there?” Chloe asked playfully. Zoe turned and surveyed the back of the SUV. Brigitte was fast asleep against Coco’s shoulder. Coco’s mouth was slightly open and she was snoring.

“Shhh...” Zoe put her finger to her lips. “If we wake them, they’ll complain like cats in heat.”

“At least you had sense enough to come to bed when I did,” Chloe whispered. “I can’t remember the last time I stayed up until one in the morning.”

Zoe remembered all too well the last time she had. Was it even possible that only two weeks had passed since she’d spent the night making love with Cody? He’d changed everything she’d ever experienced with a man—body to body, breath to breath—and it had been wonderful. Her body wanted him. And her heart was relentless in its pulsing, all-too-clear messages. Like an addict, she craved Cody’s touch, his smile and the sound of his voice. But she’d stuck with her plan. Spending any more time with him would only make leaving harder. She’d moved up her departure date. Told herself that speeding up her return was so that she’d be in Rome to make sure the final preparations for the gallery went smoothly. But her heart knew that she wasn’t sure she could keep her distance from one hot, hunky ballplayer who had changed her world.

Chloe glanced in the rearview mirror. “That little inn in Groveland was so snug and the bartender just kept pouring.” She winked at Zoe. “I think Brigitte had a late night with him.”

“Better her than Coco. He’s way too worldly for my little sister.”

“I can hear you, you know,” Coco piped up from the back seat. “And besides, he wasn’t my type.”

Brigitte moaned and sat up, holding her head. “Are there no straight roads in California?”

Chloe laughed. “Mountains, Brigitte, remember? Yosemite. You can stretch your legs in a minute; we have to stop to have the chains put on.”

“The storms we’ve had the past few days in Sonoma put down some good powder up here,” Zoe said.

“Two feet and more coming, if those clouds to the west are any indication. I’m glad we didn’t wait and instead came up early.” Chloe pulled over near a man holding a sign that read Chains Installed $20.

Brigitte tapped Zoe on the shoulder. “What time do the guys arrive?”

“This is a
sorella
and company trip,” Zoe said with a light laugh. “No guys.”

Silence fell over the vehicle.

Chloe shot her a look. “They should be here around noon. We’re only about an hour ahead of them.”

“Them?”

“The guys,” Chloe said. She rolled down her window and told the man with the sign that her chains were in the back. “Scotty met them in the city. They’re driving up in a convoy.” She spoke nonchalantly, as if her words explained everything. When Zoe didn’t reply, she added, “We always try to do a big group trip before Christmas if there’s good snow. I never know when the baseball gods are going to rear their heads after the New Year. I had to rush around and get all my bids in on players before I left yesterday. Colossal pain, but I won’t have to do much more than answer a few text messages from my GM until we get back on Monday. It’ll be
heaven
.”

Zoe’s head spun with all the unfamiliar jargon. The part she
did
get was that the guys were going to be at the Ahwahnee. She twisted around to face Coco. And wanted to wipe the sheepish smile off her baby sister’s face.

“You knew?”

Coco nodded.

“Either I am still under the influence or I am missing something in the translation here,” Brigitte said. “Why would we want to come skiing without guys?”

Zoe’s pulse ramped up as her thoughts raced wildly. “Cody’s coming?”

Coco nodded again.

Zoe whipped around to face the road, trying to keep the ball of energy threatening to explode in her chest from making her say words she knew she’d eventually regret. She’d wanted to have this last trip with her cousins and girlfriends before she left. Planning the trip had taken her mind off Cody. For about five seconds.

“He’s from
Montana
,” Chloe said with a light laugh. “A few feet of fresh powder is a lure no skiing cowboy can refuse.”

“He’s a
catcher
,” Coco protested. “I have him penciled in for February. Mr. February, doesn’t that sound catchy? He’ll get to reign over Valentine’s Day. Don’t you think that’s appropriate, Zoe?”

“If
she
doesn’t, I do,” Brigitte purred. “Or maybe August. You could do a shot of him on a ranch, sweaty and glistening in the heat. Shirt off, of course.” She grinned. “All of a sudden my thick head is feeling much better.”

“He’s a catcher,” Coco repeated. “I think he should wear part of his catcher gear. But first I have to get him to agree to pose.”

“You set this up,” Zoe said, spinning back around in her seat to face Coco.

“Actually, she didn’t,” Chloe said. “Anyone in our circle is welcome to come and bring friends if they like. I apologize. I thought Alex or Jackie had filled you in.”

The chain installer tapped on the window.

“All set, ma’am.”

Chloe handed him forty dollars, and he broke out in a wide smile.

“Generous of you, ma’am.” He glanced at the top of the SUV. “You should have some good downhill by tomorrow if that blizzard holds off.”

“Hope so,” Chloe said cheerily.

He waved them on, and Chloe eased the SUV back on the road.

“This powder will make it tough for the guys to stick to cross country or snowshoeing,” she said.

“They don’t do downhill?” Brigitte’s surprise matched Zoe’s.

“Not allowed in their contracts.”

“I can’t imagine what it’s like to be told what you can and can’t do,” Brigitte said. “Even when you aren’t playing.”

“Hey, if you had fifty-five million invested in a guy’s body, you’d care about what he can and can’t do in the offseason.”

“But it’s like being owned,” Brigitte said.

“It’s not like the players don’t have a choice. There are contracts, agents, a players’ union.” Chloe waved her hand, apparently uncomfortable with the topic of conversation. “Baseball’s a
business
, Brigitte. A fun one, but it’s still a business.”

Zoe hadn’t considered what Chloe had to face as an owner of a sports team. The men’s bodies and the condition of those bodies mattered to the success of her business. She knew from her own experience playing polo that psyche, experience and soul were key to a player’s performance, but whatever the sport, injured players couldn’t be fielded. She laughed at the irony. If Parker hadn’t injured himself the day of her charity polo match, she might never have fallen for Cody, might not even have met him that day. And if she’d never met him, she wouldn’t be dreading what was supposed to be a fun weekend in a winter wonderland.

“The Ahwahnee’s a big lodge,” Chloe said as she downshifted and then glanced at Zoe. “You’ll like it. Plenty of room inside and out if you don’t want to be in close quarters with Cody.”

But that was just the problem. She
did
want to be in close quarters with Cody. With just about every ounce of her being.

Fat flakes of snow blew in swirls all around them, dancing in the intermittent sunlight peeking through the clouds and making the road and the trees lining it appear like features inside a child’s snow globe. Zoe loved snow. Loved the winters she’d spent skiing and snowshoeing in the Alps. But the near magical scene they drove through in the majestic Yosemite Valley didn’t do a thing to calm her nerves.

The energy that drew her to Cody was nearly irresistible, which was why she’d kept her distance from the moment he’d said he liked her. She knew what he’d meant and had needed to cut off the contact for both their sakes. She needed a strategy, a good one, if she was going to avoid close quarters with him. She ran scenarios in her mind, barely hearing Coco chattering on about her calendar project.

As they pulled up in front of the towering stone and wood lodge, she hit upon a plan. Donning the snowshoes she’d bought at the sports store and heading out onto a powder-blown trail would keep her out of the lodge most of the afternoon. She could sneak back to the lodge, eat dinner in her room and ask Chloe to drive her to Groveland in the morning, where she could rent a car and head back to Sonoma. Chloe was right, there were options. The day didn’t have to be a disaster.

Even though Cody had been an Ansel Adams fan for as long as he could remember, not one of the photos Cody had seen captured the majesty of Yosemite Valley. Icicle-draped pines and oaks edged meadows blanketed with snow, and massive walls of granite towered a mile above him.

He pulled his truck over and got out. He’d refused Alex’s invitation for a ride; it was odd enough coming up to the mountains with a gang of guys. He was far more comfortable alone, and having his own wheels was a safety measure.

He leaned against the door of his truck and grimaced as wetness seeped into his shirt. He should’ve let the chain installer put the chains on his truck, but he knew from a buddy back in Montana that the season was short and sparser now that so many SUVs weren’t required to have chains. A guy needed to get in as many installations as possible, so Cody had just paid him and waved him on to the car full of tourists behind him. Mark had put his kids through college with the extra earnings from the brutal work. The guy who’d gladly pocketed Cody’s cash was probably doing the same. Cody pulled on his jacket, threw down a tarp and linked the chains to his tires. It would be a helluva way to make a living.

After entering the park, he stopped his truck at the side of the main road leading through the valley. The distinctive quiet of a winter day after a heavy snowfall wrapped him in a hushed embrace. The only relief from the shades of white was the spears at the tops of the pines where the snow hadn’t caught and the gray cotton-ball clouds billowing above Cathedral Peak.

A few snowflakes fluttered in the calmed wind, but their quiet dance didn’t distract his attention from the advancing clouds. After so many winters spent in the Montana mountains, Cody’s body read the weather better than any instrument. They were in for a storm and a good one.

He had to smile as he pulled up to the lodge. The Ahwahnee was about as far from roughing it as a person could get. Layered with snow and dancing with lights spilling out from the vast interior, it looked like a castle plunked down in the middle of a mountain meadow.

He parked next to Alex’s Jeep. Parker and Alex came out with a bellhop and a luggage cart. Scotty followed close behind.

“Welcome to paradise,” Parker said as he grabbed Cody’s duffel and put it on the cart. “If I could’ve designed a building, I couldn’t have done better than this. Thank God for Lady Astor. The Park Service had this lodge built just so she and her rich and famous friends would come out here, fall in love with the place and ensure that the park was funded and protected. But we get to enjoy the results.”

A family of four bobbed past them with their equipment in tow. They’d probably saved for a year or more just to spend a few days at the lodge. Cody had had to think twice about coming since the price tag wasn’t easy to swallow.

“Remember to take everything out of your vehicle,” the bellhop said. “The bears will go after wrappers or toothpaste, even sunscreen.”

“I’ll give you the grand tour,” Parker said. “Just as soon as I help Scotty unload Chloe’s gear.”

“You can stack Chloe’s skis over here with mine,” Scotty said.

“Chloe came up?” Cody tried to keep the surprise out of his voice. No one had mentioned that the women were joining them.

“Yeah, the rat. She’ll be doing downhill runs with Brigitte.” Scotty piled bags onto the cart. “Meanwhile, I’ll be cross-country trekking with the rest of you chumps.”

“Ciao, Cody.” Adrian had come outside and now opened the case at the top of his SUV. He pulled out a high-tech pair of snowshoes and handed them to the bellhop, along with a ten-dollar bill. “Would you take these to Room 212, Zoe Tavonesi. She’s expecting you.”

Zoe.

Zoe
.

Cody barely noticed the opulence of the lodge as he registered and gave the bellhop a tip to take his bags and equipment up to his room. His thoughts raced at the prospect of seeing Zoe. Though he hadn’t heard from her since the afternoon at his place, she’d been constantly on his mind. And in his dreams. Dreams he thought he’d be better off forgetting.