Pass Interference (Fair Catch Series, Book Four) Read online

  “I’m doing awesome.”

  Natalie met Autumn’s gaze in the mirror. “Oh yeah? What’s going on?”

  Autumn paused. Natalie had worked with Mitch. She only knew Natalie through Mitch. Would it be weird for Autumn to tell her about Jax? But Natalie had been nothing but supportive since Mitch had died. She would want to know Autumn’s good news.

  Bending toward Natalie’s ear, Autumn said, “I met someone.”

  Natalie’s eyebrows shot up. “Really?”

  Autumn nodded, her face lighting up as she straightened. “Yes.”

  “That’s…that’s great. I’m thrilled for you.”

  Autumn was pretty thrilled for herself. “Thanks.” She started trimming Natalie’s shoulder- length hair.

  “Tell me about him.”

  Feeling like she was back in high school, she had to hold back a giggle. “He’s tall and handsome and seems really sweet.”

  “When did you meet him?”

  Autumn’s lips stretched into a smile. “Tuesday.”

  Surprised registered on Natalie’s face. “Three days ago?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “What does he do?”

  Natalie was well aware of who had killed Mitch. Did Autumn want to reveal this bit? “He’s a…he plays for the Vipers.”

  “Oh my gosh, Autumn.” There was no doubting Natalie’s disapproval. “How do you think Mitch would feel about that?”

  Autumn’s hands froze mid-snip, and she noticed the salon had gone quiet.

  “I think he’d be happy Autumn’s moving on,” Haylie said, nearly glaring at Natalie.

  Autumn looked at Haylie with gratitude, although Natalie’s comment made her doubt herself all over again. She continued cutting Natalie’s hair, her heart pounding in rhythm with the snipping of the scissors.

  “It’s hard to know how he’d feel since he’s dead,” Natalie said, her voice so soft that Autumn wasn’t sure she’d heard her right.

  “What did you say?”

  “Nothing.”

  She must have misunderstood. Uncertain what to believe, she decided to change the subject. “What’s new with you, Natalie? Any special man in your life?”

  A scowl flashed across her face before she replaced it with a smile. “Nope. Guess I’m not as lucky as you.”

  Autumn didn’t feel lucky. If she were lucky she wouldn’t have lost her husband. Even so, she was grateful that she’d managed to pull herself out of the deep trench of grief and had taken a step toward moving on.

  “Don’t give up hope,” Autumn said. “The right man will come along.” Then she glanced at Natalie in the mirror and noticed her pinched expression. What was going on today? Natalie was usually in a better mood. Maybe she was stressed from work. Autumn remembered how stressed Mitch would get. Working in a law office was all about stress. “How are things at the office?”

  Natalie seemed to brighten at that. “Really good. I love my job.”

  Huh. Not stressed from work. Then why the strange reaction to hearing about Jax?

  Autumn chalked it up to Natalie secretly—maybe not so secretly—thinking it was too soon for Autumn to move on. Well, Autumn couldn’t let other people dictate the way she lived her life.

  She finished styling Natalie’s hair, scheduled her next appointment, then told her good-bye.

  Autumn forgot about Natalie’s comments until she received a text from her that evening apologizing for her behavior. I recently broke up with my boyfriend. I know it’s no excuse, but I’m sorry for what I said. Forgive me?

  Autumn texted back: Of course. And if you want to talk, I’m here for you.

  Natalie replied: Thanks, Autumn. You’re the best and you deserve all the happiness in the world.

  Autumn tucked her phone away and got ready for bed, her mind on Jax and their date the next day.

  Chapter Eight

  Jax wanted to impress Autumn, but he was at a loss at how to do that. So far his attempts had fallen flat, but today would be a new chance.

  He parked his car and strode to the door of the salon, softly chuckling that a women’s hair salon had become his favorite place to go. When he walked in, all eyes swiveled in his direction, including Autumn’s. She was doing a woman’s hair, but with everyone looking at him he felt self-conscious in a way he wasn’t used to. Normally when everyone’s attention was on him it was because he’d been recognized as a player for the Vipers. No question that that wasn’t the case here.

  “I’ll, uh,” he said as he pointed to a chair in the waiting area. “I’ll wait here.”

  He picked up a magazine, but the moment he started thumbing through it, he felt all eyes on him. That’s when he realized the magazine was all about women’s fashion. Lifting his gaze, he looked in Autumn’s direction. Her lips were mashed together like she was trying not to laugh, but Haylie had no such compunction. Her grin was wide as she shook her head.

  Face burning, Jax tossed the magazine onto the low table next to his chair and took out his phone.

  Everyone went back to what they’d been doing, and after several minutes Jax looked toward Autumn, who appeared to be putting the finishing touches on her customer’s hair using a combination of her fingers and a brush to make the woman’s hair just so, and then adding hairspray. Autumn chatted and smiled, completely focused on her customer. When she was done, she walked the woman to the register, and after the woman paid, Autumn pointed to a basket of muffins on the counter and said, “Help yourself.” The woman took one with a smile, then left.

  When Autumn approached Jax, he stood to greet her, captivated by the smile on her face and the sparkle in her eyes.

  “Hello,” she said.

  He smiled down at her—she wasn’t short, but he was still a good ten inches taller than her. “Ready to go?”

  Her smile grew. “Yes I am.” Then her eyebrows rose. “What do you have planned?”

  Was she in a mood to be impressed? He hoped so. “That depends.”

  “On what?”

  He laughed and pulled out a single dice. “On what number you roll.” This seemed to pique her interest.

  “Okay.” He handed her the small white cube and she cupped it in her hands and shook it, then, with a sidelong glance at Jax, she blew on it once before rolling it right on the laminate wood floor. She looked at the dice before turning to him. “Three.”

  Now it was Jax’s turn to raise his eyebrows. “Well, that’s interesting.”

  She looked intrigued. “What’s interesting about a three?”

  “Because a three means we take a horseback ride.”

  She seemed impressed. Jax was thrilled.

  Autumn was delighted. What a fun way to choose an activity. And how creative. “Let me just grab some sunscreen.”

  “Good idea.”

  Moments later she was back.

  He smiled before opening the salon door for her. “Shall we?”

  “Yes.” As they walked toward his car, she turned to him. “What were the activities for the other numbers?”

  He chuckled. “I can’t tell you.”

  “Why not?”

  He pressed a button on his key fob and the doors of his Lamborghini opened upward. “I’m saving them for the next time you roll the dice.”

  She climbed into the passenger seat and smiled up at him with one eyebrow arched. “Or maybe you would have said horseback riding no matter which number I rolled.”

  He threw his head back and laughed. “Guess you’ll have to roll the dice again and see.”

  As she watched him walk around to the driver’s side, she decided she’d like that opportunity.

  “Have you ever ridden a horse?” he asked as they drove.

  “Yes, but only a couple of times. And it’s been a while. What about you?”

  “I’ve been a few times, but you couldn’t exactly call me a cowboy.”

  Autumn laughed. “Well, I’m no cowgirl, so who’s going to help us survive this horse ride?”

  “N
o need to worry about that. I’ve got it covered.”

  Autumn glanced his way, glad to know he had everything under control. Ever since Mitch had died, she’d had to be responsible for every little thing in her life. It was refreshing to have someone else take charge for a change.

  A short time later they arrived at a ranch and turned onto a dirt road.

  “Your car’s going to need a bath after this,” Autumn said as she looked out the window at the clouds of dust that followed in their wake.

  Jax glanced in his rearview mirror. “Yeah. Maybe I’ll have to get it detailed.”

  “Or you could wash it yourself.” Autumn was a do-it-yourself kind of girl.

  Jax turned to her with a grin. “Only if you help me.”

  That depended on how this date went. “We’ll see.”

  Jax parked, then helped her from the car before leading the way to a corral where three horses stood ready, saddled up and waiting.

  Autumn reached out and gently stroked the nose of the closest horse, a light brown mare with big brown eyes.

  “Hi there, beauty,” she murmured. The horse blew out a breath and lifted its muzzle. Autumn laughed. “You like that, huh? Wish I had something to feed you, but you’re probably not supposed to eat before a ride.”

  Jax watched Autumn interact with the horse and was pleased with himself for coming up with this idea for a date. Autumn was right that no matter which number she’d rolled on the dice, this is the activity he would have said, but it had been a fun concept. He’d just have to come up with more ideas for future dates.

  He paused in his thoughts. He didn’t usually think about future dates with a woman when the current date had barely begun, but there was something about Autumn that made him want to spend as much time with her as she would allow. It was rather disconcerting, but in a strange way he liked being off-kilter when it came to her. He liked that he couldn’t predict what she would do, what she would say, what would impress her.

  “Mr. Cordova,” a man in a cowboy hat, jeans, and a long-sleeved shirt said as he approached them. “Welcome to the El Camino Ranch. I’m Steve.”

  Jax held out his hand. “Hi, Steve. Call me Jax. And this is Autumn.”

  Steve shook Autumn’s hand. “Welcome, Miss Autumn.”

  “Thank you,” she said with a smile that Jax thought showed real pleasure.

  He wondered how much pleasure she’d had since losing her husband. A sudden urge to make up for the sadness and grief she’d experienced swept over him. He would do whatever he could to make that happen.

  Autumn was excited. Something she hadn’t felt in ages. Since before Mitch had died. Stealing a glance at Jax, she was grateful for the bit of happiness he was bringing into her day.

  “Autumn, you’ll be on Drifter,” Steve said, then he helped her onto the horse she’d been petting earlier, showing her how to hold the reins.

  She stroked Drifter’s mane as she got comfortable.

  “Jax, you’ll be on Banjo.”

  Autumn watched Jax climb on the back of the horse. Jax was a large man, but the horse looked like he could handle him.

  Steve climbed onto a horse named Neptune. Once they were all on their horses Autumn realized it was just the three of them. Was that typical? The other times she’d gone on horseback rides, there had been ten or so people in the group.

  Duh! Jax arranged it this way.

  Smiling to herself, she followed Steve as he led them on their ride. Jax was behind her and she was very aware that he was there and she wondered what other surprises he had planned.

  Chapter Nine

  Autumn enjoyed the horseback ride through the trees. The April afternoon was clear and sunny, the breeze gentle, the temperature perfect. She and Jax didn’t talk much, but since they were riding single-file it wasn’t exactly conducive to conversation.

  After about forty-five minutes they reached a meadow. Steve stopped and turned his horse so that he was facing them. “I’ll leave you here,” he said to Jax. “You should have cell service, so give me a holler if you need me to guide you back.”

  Jax pulled his phone out of his pocket and looked at the screen, then smiled at Steve. “Will do.”

  Steve tipped his hat to Autumn, then after handing Jax the basket that had been stored in one of Neptune’s saddlebags, he galloped back the way they’d come.

  Not sure what was happening, Autumn looked at Jax. “What’s going on?”

  Jax chuckled and held up the basket. “Lunch.” He slid off his horse, wrapped the reins around a nearby tree, set the basket on the ground, then strode to Autumn and held out his hands. “Are you hungry?”

  “Yes.” Then, to her surprise, he lifted her right off the horse and lowered her to the ground like a dancer. The man was strong, no doubt about it, and with him by her side she felt completely safe out here in the wilderness. “Lunch, huh? You’re full of surprises, Jax.”

  He grinned. “I hope that’s a good thing.”

  She laughed. “Oh yeah. It is.”

  He looked toward the meadow, then turned to her. “Do you prefer shade or sun?”

  She touched her cheek. “I think I’ve had enough sun for now.” She’d put on sunscreen earlier, but with her fair skin, she tended to burn easily.

  “All right.” He opened the basket, took out a blanket, and spread it on the grass under a tree.

  “Perfect,” Autumn said before settling on the blanket.

  Jax spread out the food Steve had prepared for them, glad he’d found out about this place from a friend. Knowing they wouldn’t have any interruptions—he’d put his phone on mute—Jax looked forward to getting to know Autumn without all the distractions they would normally face on a date.

  “I hope you don’t mind turkey and avocado again,” he said as he set their sandwiches on paper plates before adding bunches of grapes and bags of chips. “Since that’s what you had yesterday.”

  “I love turkey and avocado.”

  They began eating, and Jax admired the soft curve of Autumn’s jaw, her long lashes, the striking green of her eyes, the perfect fullness of her lips. Then he noticed she’d stopped eating. “What’s wrong?”

  Her lips tugged upward. “You’re staring.”

  He laughed. “I can’t help it.”

  She shook her head like she’d heard that one before. “Right.”

  He meant it. Everything about her intrigued him, made him want to be with her, get to know her. He had no doubt that she had an inner strength that most women her age hadn’t developed, and he admired that. Losing a husband at such a young age had to be beyond difficult. But he didn’t want to focus on that.

  “What do you like to do for fun?” he asked.

  She set her sandwich on her paper plate as a thoughtful look came over her. “Hmm. Fun. I seem to spend most of my time at the salon, but when I’m trying to unwind, I like to bake.”

  “Oh yeah? What do you bake?”

  “The usual. Cookies, cakes, brownies. Sometimes I bake banana bread or zucchini bread. I also love to bake muffins.”

  “How often do you bake those delicious-sounding treats?”

  She smiled. “A couple times a week.”

  Jax’s gaze slid over her slender body, stopping at her face. “What do you do with all that food? You don’t look like you eat any of it.”

  A soft blush colored her cheeks. “I bring it to the salon and feed it to my customers.”

  “Ah,” Jax said with a nod as he remembered the woman taking a muffin before she’d left the salon. “That’s why you’re always so busy. Maybe you should open a bakery.”

  She shook her head. “That would take all the fun out of it.” After eating a bite of sandwich, she said, “What about you? Do you do anything besides play football?”

  To his surprise, he didn’t want to talk about himself—a subject he usually loved. He would rather know more about her. Still, he wouldn’t ignore her question. “I like outdoor stuff—hiking, riding my ATV.” He laughed. “
Sometimes horseback riding.”

  “Those sound like fun. Especially the horseback riding.”

  “Do you like to hike?”

  “Sure. I used to as a kid, but I haven’t gone hiking in years.”

  Jax knew what one of their next dates would be.

  Now he was thinking multiple dates ahead? What had gotten in to him?

  Pushing aside the question, he focused on Autumn. “Did you grow up in Sacramento?”

  She nodded as she chewed, then she set her sandwich on her plate. “Yep. I like it here. Can’t really imagine living anywhere else. You?”

  “I’m from Chicago originally, but I’ll stay in Sacramento as long as the Vipers will have me.”

  Pleased with how much she was enjoying her time with Jax, Autumn studied his face as he spoke. His blue eyes captivated her, and the easy way he spoke about himself, like he was comfortable in his skin, relaxed her. Being with him was effortless. She hadn’t felt this way with a man since…well, since Mitch. The thought took her by surprise. It was quickly followed by a twinge of guilt. But there was no reason to feel guilty. She was only twenty-five. She was allowed to move on with her life, to find happiness again.

  “How does that work?” she asked. “Is your job…secure?”

  He chuckled. “As long as I’m healthy and I perform, it’ll be secure.”

  “Do you ever worry about getting hurt?” When Mitch had watched football, she’d never sat down and watched it with him, but she’d seen enough of the action to know injuries were common.

  “I can’t let myself worry about that. If I did, I wouldn’t be able to do my job.” He looked thoughtful. “Do you ever worry about slicing your skin open with your scissors when you’re cutting someone’s hair?”

  “No.” Her tone of voice showed how ridiculous that was.

  He grinned. “Yet you’re wielding sharp blades right by your fingers.”

  Slowly nodding, she said, “Okay. I get it. There’s danger in many jobs, but if you worried about it you would never get anything done.”

  “Exactly.”