Striking Out In The Mountains (Greene Mountain Boys)

My pulse is racing as I watch my girl celebrating with the other cops. She looks so happy. That beautiful smile is grabbing ahold of my heart and squeezing it as I stare at her in awe.

I can’t take my eyes off her. She’s spectacular.

We never scored another point after she arrived and took over the game. We lost 12-9, but I don’t care. Really, I don’t.

I’d lose a thousand games if it meant I could see that radiant smile shining on her face. She looks so happy as the team congratulates her. I can’t look away. I’m mesmerized by her beauty.

She struck me out two more times and it didn’t bother me one bit. I was just happy to have those gorgeous green eyes on me. They made my whole body come alive.noveldrama

I’ve always been attracted to strong muscular girls, but nobody has ever caught my interest like Cara has. As soon as she walked onto the baseball diamond, I was fixated on her. I knew it was over.

I knew I’d never want another girl but her for the rest of my life.

“There goes my hundred bucks,” Doug says, kicking the dirt. “I should have known those cocksucking cops would have scammed me.”

“They didn’t scam you,” I say with a harshness to my tone. I know he didn’t mean it seriously, but calling Cara a cocksucker is getting my blood boiling. I don’t want anyone talking about my girl like that.

“They brought a ringer in,” he says with a scoff. “What do you call that?”

A miracle…

That’s what she is.

The cops stop their celebrating to come out of the dugout and shake hands.

“Come on, guys,” I say, clapping my hands as I keep my eyes on my girl. She lingers back and then lines up in the rear. “Let’s go shake hands.”

I stay in the back as my team heads out to shake hands and end the game on a nice note. The crowd of townspeople clap as we start saying ‘good game’ to each other.

Ryland has a satisfied smirk on his face when I shake his hand. Normally, I’d want to slap that grin right off, but I’m feeling such euphoria at being so close to my soulmate that I don’t care. More than anything, I’m thankful that he brought her into my life, even if it did mean we lost.

My heart pounds as I shake James’ tattooed hand. She’s next.

We meet face to face and my heart twists into a tight knot.

“Good game,” she says with those beautiful green eyes looking up at me.

I slide my hand onto hers and shiver when I feel her soft skin. I don’t want to pull away too fast, so I hold on.

“Great game,” I say with a smile. “You’re amazing.”

“Thank you,” she says, smiling shyly. Those adorable cheeks turn pink and I have to fight back the intense urge to kiss her right here and now.

I just want to take off her baseball cap, pull out her ponytail, and let that soft brown hair tumble down onto her strong shoulders.

Finally, I’m forced to let go of her hand before it gets weird, but I don’t move. The rest of the players have walked back to the bench and are either joking around, grabbing beers out of the cooler, or gathering their stuff. We’re both still standing by the pitcher’s mound, totally focused on one another.

“Where did you get an arm like that?” I ask as I put my hands on my hips, gazing down at her.

“I played in college,” she says with a grin. “I used to be pretty good.”

“I bet that’s the understatement of the year,” I say with a laugh. “You’re new on the force?”

She nods as she looks up at me. “I started three weeks ago.”

I don’t know how to feel about that. On one hand, I would never deny someone their calling. I know how strong the pull to serve your community can be. I’ve had it my whole life. But on the other hand, I don’t want this angel in any danger. I don’t want her to be around anyone who could harm her or lay a finger on this perfect body. Just thinking about her driving around in a uniform is making me all edgy inside.

“And before that?”

“I was working in Chicago,” she says. “It was pretty rough. I got shot and decided a change would be good for me.”

“Shot?” I say, my stomach dropping. “Someone shot you?”

I’ll hunt them down. I’ll make them regret ever being born. I’ll tear through the Earth itself to find them and make them pay for hurting this angel.

“In the leg,” she says, gesturing to her muscular left thigh. “It went in and out, but it shook me.”

I grit my teeth as I look at her black leggings. That fucker damaged that gorgeous leg. I want to rip him apart.

“It’s all good,” she says with a shrug and a smile. “It brought me here to this beautiful place.”

She looks around at the Greene Mountains in the distance, but I just continue staring at her. I’m admiring those luscious lips that I’m dying to kiss, at her cute light freckles dotting the bridge of her nose and cheeks, and at her collarbone peeking out of her blue T-shirt.

I’m falling hard for this woman. I already know that she’s mine. I wonder if she realizes it too.

“I guess we can expect to lose the next fifty softball tournaments with you here,” I say with a grin. I want to keep it light, so I try to shake out all of these intense possessive thoughts raging through me, but it’s hard. These barbaric needs and desires are cementing themselves in my bones—mine, mine, mine.

“The next sixty,” she says with a flirty smile. “I’m only thirty-three.”

“The boys might not be taking it well, but I’m glad you’re here. Losing several dozen tournaments seems like a small price to pay to have an angel in town.”

“Thanks,” she says, blushing. She licks her lips and my knees wobble. Goddamn…

“Let me take you out for drinks tonight,” I say, taking a big swing. I don’t want to waste another second not having this girl in my arms. I just hope I don’t strike out this time.

She looks shocked for a second, but then quickly recovers. “I’d love to, but I’m working tonight.”

My heart sinks.

A few people from town come onto the diamond, throwing balls around as they start to put together teams for a pickup game. We step away from each other as a ball rolls between us. A kid runs over and grabs it.

“But I’m free tomorrow!” she says as she backs away with a smile on her face.

“Tomorrow it is,” I say, still in disbelief that my dream girl actually exists in real life.

“Chief!” Mason shouts from our bench.

I don’t take my eyes off her.

“Chief!” Mason shouts again. “We gotta go. Barn fire.”

“Fuck,” I mutter as I hear the faint roar of the firetruck siren coming down the street. Another one? The siren gets louder and louder as it comes roaring toward the park.

I needed all hands on deck for the game, so I asked the boys at Cedarville Fire Station to man our territory for the afternoon. I really didn’t think they’d get a call. I told them to swing by the game and pick us up if there was anything serious. I didn’t think it would actually happen.

“Go,” she says with a knowing nod. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“It’s a date,” I say, backing toward my bench with a grin.

“A date,” she repeats, looking excited.

Everyone looks at the blaring firetruck as it comes rolling over and then stops beside the parking lot. The boys are already running toward it. I take a deep breath, look at this stunning angel one last time, and then sprint over.

As soon as I leap on, the truck takes off, heading to the fire.

We have all of our stuff packed into the truck and quickly change into our gear as the boys from Cedarville drive to the scene.

“Who was that chick?” Doug says, shaking his head as he pulls his suspenders over his shoulders. “Were you giving her a piece of your mind?”

More like a piece of my heart.

“Something like that,” I mutter as I pull on my coat.

The old tilted barn is engulfed in flames by the time we arrive. It collapses before we can set up the hose, sending sparks and smoke billowing into the air.

Luckily it was abandoned and no animals or people were inside. Just a bunch of old junk going up in flames.

James grabs the pipe and lets the water rip. It’s not long before it’s under control.

I head over to the couple who own the land to get their statement.

“Someone did it,” the older man says, clearly shaken. “I saw him running from the barn minutes before it went up.”

“It’s true,” his wife says, nodding. “George said, ‘Who is that by the barn?’ I heard it.”

“Do you have any security cameras on the property?” I ask.

George shakes his head. “Not by the barn.”

I bite my bottom lip as I look around and spot some footprints in the dirt that lead to the road. None of my boys were anywhere close to this spot.

I head over and take a closer look. Footprints leading from the burning barn to the road…

Damn it.

It’s not the first time this summer that there’s been a suspicious fire.

It’s the second barn fire in two weeks.

I sigh as it sinks in.

We may have an arsonist in town.