Getting Wound Up: A Sapphire Falls/ Love Between the Bases Novel-- PART ONE by Erin Nicholas

them up against her ideal man. Because said ideal man would be in California.
    As the burn from the liquor spread from her stomach out to her extremities and, most importantly, her head. Yes, Eli in California would accomplish so many great things. He’d have the career he’d dreamed of and deserved and she would be able to move on.
    “I can’t wait until you get that phone call,” she told him. She took a big drink of beer and swallowed. “I’m so going to say ‘told you so’ when you do.”
    “Stop it.”
    “I’m serious. Your tryout was great. You’re going to get it.”
    “No way. And stop getting my hopes up.”
    She frowned. “Well, where are hopes supposed to be? Tamped down under your pillow? Hidden in your sock drawer? Tucked in your back pocket? Hopes are supposed to be up , Eli. Up in front of you, leading your way.”
    He was staring at her. She licked her lip wondering if she had something on it. But she’d only been drinking so far.
    “What?” she asked
    “You’re kind of amazing, you know that?”
    Caitlyn felt her eyes widen. “What?”
    “You’re so optimistic, so positive. Jesus, it’s nearly impossible not to believe everything you say.”
    She couldn’t help but grin at that. “Well, good.”
    “And you’re sweet and bubbly and…you really want this for me, don’t you? Like for me .”
    She wrinkled her nose. What was he talking about? “Well… yeah . We’re friends. I want you to have whatever you want.”
    Strangely, that didn’t seem to make him feel better.
    “Makes it worse,” he muttered and took his second shot.
    “Hey.”
    He set his shot glass down. “Sorry. I just meant—”
    “No,” she cut him off. “You need to listen to me right now. You were good today, Eli. Really good. The best pitcher out there.”
    “You’re biased.”
    She nodded. “I am. But that doesn’t matter. You were good whether I wanted you to be or not.”
    He searched her eyes. “You really think so?”
    “I know so. You were amazing. Not only did you throw well but you were calm and collected, focused, intent. It was very se— obvious… that you were giving it your all.”
    “It was very se?” he repeated, one eyebrow up.
    Dammit. She’d almost said sexy. Because it had been that. It had most definitely been that.
    “Obvious,” she repeated. “It was very obvious .”
    She also became very aware of something she’d been trying to ignore. Her left knee was wedged between his knees and her right was pressed between his left leg and the wall. And she didn’t want to move an inch. His legs were solid and warm and she wanted nothing more than to press against even more of his solid, warm parts.
    He apparently decided to let her comment go and Caitlyn tried to hold back her relief. If she made it back to Sapphire Falls without making Eli completely, irrevocably aware of her feelings for him, she was treating herself to a mani-pedi, because that would be a hell of an accomplishment.
    “You really saw R.A. Dickey pitch?” Eli asked a moment later.
    Surprised by the question, she nodded. “Really did.”
    “Knuckleball’s your favorite pitch?” he asked.
    She smiled in spite of the strangeness of the question. “No way, I like the heat best. Fastball right down the middle every time.”
    Slowly he grinned. “So you’re not just blowing sunshine up my skirt with all of this talk about the knuckleball.”
    “If your knuckleball sucked, I’d tell you.”
    He reached over the small table and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
    She’d had no idea that her earlobe was connected to her breasts, but as his finger brushed the lobe, her nipples tightened.
    “So you really do think I did okay today?”
    “You did amazingly today,” she assured him.
    “I want to believe it.”
    “What can I do to help you believe it?”
    “Look me in the eye and tell me something I didn’t do well.”
    Well, if that’s what he needed… She thought back over the day. But it was