Somebody Like You (Starlight Hill Series Book 2) Read Free Page A

assistance, not that she would believe him. “I’m in my home town. Give my home girls a little credit.”
    “Fine, but don’t come crying to me if an old classmate comes to you with a nine-year-year-old, claiming she gave birth to your love child,” Gigi said without taking a breath. “I’m kidding. Do come to me when that happens.”
    “It’s not going to happen.” His teenage prowess had been greatly exaggerated, and he’d never been the man-whore the media liked to portray. If he had been, he wouldn’t have had time to play baseball. “You should stop worrying. I’m with family now, and they look out for me.”
    “Believe me that single fact is why I haven’t come down to scope out the place ahead of time. Besides, I’m still fielding some of these endorsement offers. How do you feel about kitty litter?”
    “No.” Was there anything more to say?
    “I’m fielding offers, but nothing is quite right yet. I’ll keep looking. What’s wrong with you, anyway? You sound pissy.”
    Billy crossed over Merlot Bridge, and felt a grin coming on despite his mood. The prettiest girl he’d ever known had bungee jumped off this bridge back in high school. Memories. “I just took a look at the Chronicle. Mistake.”
    “What did it say? I’ll demand a retraction.”
    “Never mind.” They were right, much as it hurt. He’d been on a losing streak ever since the last surgery. He only wished he’d quit while he was ahead. But quitting the game had turned out to be harder than he’d imagined. He wasn’t sure who he was without a mitt in his hand, but he was about to find out.
    “Whatever they wrote, don’t listen to them. You have a bright future ahead of you.”
    “Yeah.” Except that future wouldn’t involve baseball. No more surgeries. Time to retire, the doctor had pronounced. No more options.
    “And you be careful with this vineyard venture. I’ve heard the business can be cut-throat.”
    “Unlike baseball?” Billy laughed.
    “Laugh all you want, but those vineyard owners are probably going to scoff at a retired ballplayer acting like he can be any kind of real competition to them. You’re not even part Italian.”
    “Let them scoff. Don’t worry about me.” He was worried enough for all of them. The last thing he wanted right now was a failed business. He couldn’t afford another embarrassment, another failure.
    As for competition, maybe it was time the old vineyard growers of Napa got some friendly competition.
    A little something he did know about.
    Not everyone regarded him as a useless retired pitcher with a shredded shoulder. None of the people he’d run into so far questioned whether he’d ever been worth all the millions he’d earned out over his career. They were loyal baseball fans, like no other.
    Damn, it was good to be home.

Chapter 2
     
    It wasn’t the first time Brooke had been skydiving, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. But today was especially fitting as diving out of plane at several thousand feet would be better than committing murder.
    The murder of George Serrano would have made front page news. They would have found her standing over his body with the bloody knife in her hands. “He made me do it.” She would say to the cops.
    Poor Ivey, her best friend, would be shocked. Mom would be ashamed. “I didn’t raise her that way. I taught her to love the environment. Heck, to worship it. This isn’t what I had in mind.”
    Not that Brooke cared what Mom (who should be re-named Mother Earth) thought. But there was the whole prison thing. She could plead temporary insanity, but face it she’d get a good ten years even for a slimeball like George. And she’d never looked good in orange.
    So skydiving it would be. Today she and her fellow skydivers flew over Napa where every other weekend hot air balloons filled the sky. Less often, a Cessna loaded with daredevils.
    “Oh crap, I can’t believe we’re doing this.” Frat Boy Number One said to his