Making a Comeback Read Online Free Page A

children. “I’m sure he’ll stay with me. I’ll ask him.”
     
     

Chapter 3
     
    It was nearly nine o’clock by the time Annabelle had been cleared to go home—on one condition—he would have to stay with her overnight. How many times had he imagined spending the night with Annabelle Jones? But this wasn’t exactly the scenario that had fueled his fantasies.
    It was a good thing he’d thought to bring her a change of clothes. Hers were ruined in the accident. Cooper thought he’d been practical in selecting a soft velvety yoga outfit for Annabelle. He figured she’d want to be comfortable. And he hadn’t wanted to spend too much time going through her wardrobe. It was bad enough he’d had to look in her underwear drawer, but since he didn’t possess the ability to teleport her clothing to the hospital for her, he’d had to pack by picking up her things and putting them in a suitcase. He’d thrown the first pair of underwear he found into a small duffel bag along with a tank top, some socks, and the light blue yoga pants with matching jacket.
    He’d found a pair of slip-on walking shoes. It was the kind of outfit he’d seen on plenty of women in Target at eleven on a weekday. Casual, comfortable, and just right for running errands and grabbing coffee after their morning workout.
    On Annabelle, it was sexy as hell. The soft fabric hugged her every curve. She’d pulled the hood up over her head, probably trying to hide her injury. It only made him want to slowly lift the veil of her hoodie and kiss every single stitch.
    Sophie and Olivia were extra careful around her. He’d warned them she might be sore, so they should be gentle. He was surprised at how well they’d followed his suggestion.
    “Thank you for coming to pick me up.” She turned away from him, so that the left side of her face was in the shadow of her hoodie. “I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you. For this and for staying with me.”
    “What are neighbors for?” He shrugged, not wanting to think about how she could repay him. When she was recovered from her injuries, of course, he would never take advantage of her in her fragile state.
    “Loaning me a couple of eggs, picking up the newspaper when I go out of town for the weekend.” She gave him a half smile. He wasn’t sure if it was because the other side of her face hurt or because she was unsure of herself. “Not picking me up from the hospital, bringing me a change of clothes, and spending the night with me.”
    “What can I say? I’m an excellent neighbor.” He flashed his cockiest Nathan Cooper grin. The one he’d used for interviews, pickups, and most famously, his shutdown strut.
    Damn. He wasn’t that man anymore. The last interview he’d done had been given with the somber expression of a ballplayer who didn’t know if he’d ever pitch again. He knew pain. He knew scars. And he knew this was the worst time to even think about trying to get Annabelle into his bed.
    “I don’t know, you do play your guitar late at night.” She gave him a teasing smile. A moment of connection passed between them. She’d been listening to him when he sat on his porch, picking out tunes, trying to figure out what he was going to do if baseball wasn’t in his future.
    “I’ll try to keep it down.”
    “I like your music. It’s…comforting.” She lowered her voice, as if she was sharing a secret. “It makes me feel… Like I’m not so alone.”
    He didn’t like thinking of her as being lonely. He didn’t want to think of her as anything other than the image of perfection that had graced the covers of a magazine. But here she was, not only human, but very vulnerable. With her bandaged face, blood-matted hair, and need for supervision for the next day or two.
    “I’m glad you like my music.” He felt a sense of pride knowing it brought her a small comfort.
    Cooper followed as a hospital employee pushed Annabelle’s wheelchair to the exit. The girls walked softly