5. Urban

CHAPTER 5

URBAN

M y brothers, Jenner, and I had ridden to the camp together. It had made sense, given that the four of us all had to be back on the field to get ready for our game tonight.

"What was that?" Jenner asked once Brooks had gotten us on the road.

He was talking to me, but I was confused. "What was what?"

He shook his head at me as if I were being purposefully dense, but I didn't know what he was talking about.

"You and Everly. You know her?"

"No." That much was true. "Madden was giving her a hard time at a store over the weekend, and I stepped in, but I don't know her. "

Silas growled from the front seat. "That fucker's a good baseball player, but he's shit as a person." I didn't really know the guy, so I couldn't really disagree, especially given that all the information I had already led me to the same conclusion. "I saw Amity alone with him once. She was just updating travel documents, but I about lost my fucking mind. We weren't even together. It's not that I thought she'd do anything, but him …"

"Yeah, that'd piss me off, too," Brooks told him.

"We should all get dinner tonight after the game," Jenner offered up.

Jenner had always been like another Briggs brother. He had always been around since we were kids and he acted like one of us, anyway. He'd be the first to admit that he'd benefited from his position as an honorary Briggs as far as baseball was concerned. When our dad had started riding our asses, he'd ridden Jenner's too. The only difference was Jenner had gone home to a loving dad after that and we'd gone home to more baseball drills.

"Can't," I said first. "I have plans."

Silas turned to me with his brows slammed down. "Since when? You've only been in town a few days. Do you even know anyone else but us?"

I snorted. "You forget that I'm from here. Of course, I know people. Doesn't matter that I haven't lived here in years."

"Maybe he and Dad are going to spend some quality time together," Brooks said in that shitily taunting voice he'd used even when we were kids.

"Fuck. Off." None of us would try doing that, but especially me. For whatever reason, I didn't get over shit as quickly as my brothers did. "I'm getting dinner with Everly."

"That was fast." Brooks looked at me in the mirror before focusing back on the road. Thank fuck we were almost back to the ballpark.

"You know how I work." Though honestly, that was a reputation that could've been applied to any of us or all of us.

Brooks pulled into the parking garage and the four of us got out. We still had time before we had to dress for batting practice. On the days that we would be at the camp, we'd get a pass on some of the exercises, but not any that would mean we'd get hurt.

Warm up improperly once and your entire career could be over.

"Urban," Brooks said, making me slow down for him to catch up. Jenner and Silas were fucking around with each other, pushing and trash-talking, on their way into the park like they'd done as kids. It was like they'd gotten older but also really hadn't.

"What's up?"

We began our walk in, though slower than the others had been. "Wanted to talk to you about Everly."

My stomach tightened. Something none of us brothers would do was fuck a woman another of us had. We were already brothers. No need to become closer that way. There was just something about it that we wouldn't be able to stand. Not because a woman can't have a past, but knowing your brother had been there… pass. Also, that could cause some unneeded drama.

"What about her?" I asked.

"Don't fuck her over."

I yanked the door open so we could step inside. "Didn't plan on it."

He scowled. "I know how you are. Fuck. It's no different than the rest of us, but she's a nice woman, and she works hard."

"You fuck her?" This wasn't the first time I'd asked one of my brothers this question. Probably wouldn't be the last.

Brooks grunted. "That's not what this is about. I've worked at the camp with her a few years now and there's just always been something…" He sighed. "Gut feeling that maybe she doesn't have it the easiest and doesn't need a baseball player fucking her over."

"Didn't plan on it." We turned down the hallway where the clubhouse was. "Fuck her? Yes. Fuck her over? No. Besides, she's the one who said she didn't need dinner first. She just wants it."

He chuckled. "I can see her saying that."

"How well do you know her?"

He shook his head as he said, "Not well at all. Just a few years of stuff like today."

"Good. Let's keep it that way." Then I yanked open the door to the clubhouse because this conversation was over.

Before Brooks had said something, I hadn't had this weird, protective feeling for Everly. Wait. Scratch that. I must have, given that I'd told Madden to leave her alone. Why would I do that if I hadn't felt a little protective of her in that store?

Convincing myself that I would've done that for any woman was easy. I would have. But Madden talking to her grinded my gears a little harder. It made no sense. I didn't know the woman, yet here we were.

As I got ready, I realized that there were some things that I'd learned about Everly today just watching her at camp.

She clearly cared about the kids she was in charge of.

She was patient as hell with them but didn't sound like she was trying to be a disciplinarian.

The camp had started today, but she somehow already had those kids' respect. I knew enough about kids to realize that wasn't an easy task.

Everly was nice to all of us, even when she was keeping us at a distance.

I knew that much.

Tonight, I wanted to know more, though I didn't see the purpose since we were just getting together for tonight only.

I was just finishing up getting dressed in the clubhouse when Jenner nudged my shoulder with his. "How in the hell did you get Everly to go out with you in the two hours we were there this morning?"

I smiled widely. "Fucking talent. Mine's not all out on the field."

The guys chuckled with me. This was normal for us and probably for locker rooms in general, which was basically what a clubhouse is.

"Nah," I told them. "I just fucking asked. And she's damn near perfect. She doesn't want a relationship, and neither do I." Which had surprised the hell out of me. I'd been taken aback when she said but thought I recovered rather quickly.

"Oh, fuck." Brooks was suddenly very serious. "You just called her perfect , which means you're definitely getting married."

"Fuck you." There was no malice in my words. None at all, but it was well known that I didn't intend to get married for a very long time—if ever. It wasn't worth it to me.

Yet for some reason, the image of Everly in a yard with a big house behind her, laughing with a couple of little kids that happened to look a lot like me flashed through my mind. Fuck that. No. We weren't doing that. There was no reason for that particular image to be there.

We ran through all of the shit we did before a game then came back to grab a bite to eat and get ready to warm up and play our game.

I did an excellent job keeping my head focused on what I was supposed to be doing. I was new to the team and still proving that I had a place here, even if I didn't want one. But if I fucked up here, it'd affect where I could go at the end of the season .

And I really didn't want to fuck up my chances of leaving.

Being in Kalamazoo, we took the field first and that was the first time I allowed myself to scan the area where I knew Camden would be sitting. She'd been there every game since I'd been back, sitting there with Amity, probably talking more than watching. Which meant Everly was likely to meet Amity as well.

Fuck. That might've been a little more familiar than I wanted her to get. She'd already known Camden and it sounded like they were friends so that didn't bother me. But Amity wasn't someone she'd come into contact with otherwise.

For a woman who said she despised baseball players, Camden sure did love the game. Only today, Everly was sitting there with them.

Everly sat next to Camden with dark sunglasses on. The sun would go down behind the side of the field soon enough but for now, they were on. She was laughing at something I assumed my sister or Amity said and the three of them were talking animatedly to the point that I wasn't sure if any of them were paying attention to the game.

My stomach clenched because she was what I'd be doing after the game and fuck if I didn't wish that was now.

First, we had nine innings to play.

In the third inning, I was on second with a hefty leadoff. Their shortstop, Gutierrez, was just to my right, ready to rush the base if the need arose.

"I see your sister over there, Briggs," he said so only I would hear him. Trash talk was normal on the field, but since we were adults, it usually remained playful. Usually.

"Fuck off, Gutierrez." I kept my eye on the pitcher because I wasn't going to miss a chance to steal.

"She's looking good." He was just trying to get me riled up and it wasn't going to work. He wasn't the first to use Camden this way and wouldn't be the last.

"You know, there're three of her brothers on the team now. Four, if you count Jenner, which you should. You really want to stoke that fire?"

Again, we were professionals. We weren't going to have an all-out brawl on the field unless it had to do with the game. That didn't mean any one of us wouldn't have stepped up to protect our sister. Of course we would. And he'd regret it.

Luckily, there was a wild pitch that the catcher missed, which gave me the opportunity to take third. Their catcher was fast, but I was faster. I took off, and between my lead and speed, I didn't even have to slide.

Since coming to Kalamazoo, that slump I'd been experiencing had thankfully disappeared.

In the end, we won the game… Actually, we kind of embarrassed them. The score wasn't even close, which meant that our clubhouse was full of energy once we all got down there. People were talking loudly, yelling even when it wasn't necessary. We were all around rowdy, but I was in a hurry. Winning this game had put us in first place. It was still early in the season, so anything could change, but for now, we were on top.

"In a hurry?" Jenner was trying not to smile. He knew damn well where I was going and exactly what I'd be doing. Chances were he was going to be doing the same thing, just with a different person.

I didn't answer him as I grabbed my wallet and keys then lifted a finger over my shoulder as I walked away.

Everly was right where I wanted her to be. Just down the hall from the clubhouse. She was standing there with Amity and Camden. Her caramel-colored hair was pulled up into a bun and she was wearing distressed jean shorts and a baggy top that was tucked into the front of those shorts. Her sandals were flat and her small purse was across her body the way Camden wore hers.

She wasn't dressed up, but my mouth watered anyway.

Everly was fucking beautiful. Anyone could see that, but there was something about her that I couldn't put my finger on that drew me to her. She didn't know I was watching and when the big smile appeared as she talked to my sister, it did something to me. A jelly kind of feeling filled my chest.

That wasn't something I was familiar with. That feeling.

I wanted Everly naked for sure. Seemed she wanted that too, but this other thing… I wasn't sure what it was and I wouldn't be mentioning it to anyone else.

"Good game, big brother." Camden reached up a hand for a high-five, which I gave her. She'd done it after games since she was like four years old.

"Thanks," I told her, then I focused on Everly, who was standing with her arms crossed under her breasts and the corners of her mouth turned up. "You ready to go?"

Camden groaned. "Be nice to her. "

I wet my bottom lip. "Oh, I plan on being really nice to her."

Now my sister made a frustrated growl in her throat. "Don't be gross."

I chuckled, as did Everly before she told me she was ready to go.

Everly talked about the game until we were inside my car and I asked, "Have any cravings? Anywhere you want to eat?"

"Well…" She pulled at a string on her distressed shorts. "There's a food truck festival over in Tri Plaza. Some of those trucks are amazing."

Not exactly how I usually ate but I'd go wherever she wanted to tonight. "We can go there." I started the car up and pulled it out of its parking spot.

"We don't have to if you don't want to. I know it's probably not what you normally eat."

"It's fine with me." It was true we had to maintain nutrition, but that didn't mean we didn't deviate from it at all. Just not that often. However, my brother, Silas, stayed on the straight and narrow the most.

We made small talk, mostly about the camp, as I drove the six miles to the plaza .

Once there, we got out and headed to the first truck.

"For the festival, each truck has kind of made more of a tasting menu," she explained. "That way, you can get the gist of each place without your stomach exploding."

"That's smart." I doubted I'd eat most of it, but I was hungry.

"How about you hit these two trucks, and I'll hit these two?" She pointed to the other side of the area. "Then we can meet back at the table and we can share."

"Sounds good." I started to turn away then thought better of it. "Hang on a second."

Everly looked up at me with her big, green eyes that had flecks of gold in them. I pushed my hand into her hair and ran my thumb over her smooth cheek.

Everything inside of me was telling me to kiss her. I wanted to so badly, I could already taste her. The way her lips parted, I knew she wanted me to as well.

I lowered my lips to hers and at first, it was a chaste kiss. But then she pushed up onto her toes and I wrapped an arm around her waist. My tongue slid over hers and everything else around us disappeared. It was like we were the only two people in that plaza parking lot.

I would've left with her right then and there if I could have, but I'd said dinner, so we were having dinner.

After bringing that kiss to an end, I released her. Everly's cheeks were flushed pink and I didn't think it was embarrassment. Maybe that was what she looked like when she was turned on.

I'd find that out again later.

"OK… food," she said, sounding slightly breathless.

"Food." I kissed her again quickly before stepping back

Watching her walk away was time well spent.

Everly was on the shorter side—at least compared to me, though I was damn tall. Her legs were toned and looked so silky smooth that I could imagine… nope. Couldn't go there or I'd be standing in the middle of a food truck festival with a rock-hard cock.

Not ideal.

I went to get one plate from each place then turned to figure out where to sit, but Everly was already seated at a table for four. So I joined her. I'd brought food from the burger truck—which meant sliders, and the taco truck—which meant tiny street tacos. She'd gotten fries at the fry truck—though I couldn't believe they had an entire truck just for fries, and what looked like some kind of steak bites from the steak truck.

"This smells so good." She took another deep breath just to savor the aroma in the air.

"It does. Are you a picky eater?"

She snorted. "Not at all. I'll put just about anything in my mouth."

I chuckled low in my chest. That was meant for me. "That's really good to hear."

She shook her head. "You know, most people would be scandalized by that."

"I guess I'm not most people."

She watched me for at least thirty seconds before taking her first bite. It was from the steak truck and I think it was a garlic steak bite. She closed her eyes and sighed.

"That is so good," she told me. Then she switched gears. "OK. I need to know how in the hell you got the name Urban."

That wasn't the first time I'd been asked that question. "My dad. He wanted us all to be named after baseball players yet, somehow, he didn't name any of us after himself. "

"Your dad's a baseball player too?" she asked, as if she'd had no idea and I believed her, but it wasn't often that someone didn't know who my dad was. I furrowed my brows. "Wait. Should I have already known that?"

I shook my head. "No. You don't need to have known that, but most people do, so it took me by surprise. You didn't google me before tonight?"

"Not a chance. Do you know the things I could probably find out about you on the internet? Pass."

Again, not the usual response.

"So, what about you?" I asked her. "You aren't into baseball and you don't like sports in general. What about your family?"

She set the fork down and looked at me seriously. "This isn't a date, Urban. You don't want to hear about my family. It's not a happy story."

With those words and the look on her face, I now desperately wanted to know.