Chapter Six
L unch?
I typed off a quick reply to Perry: Can’t. Swamped today. My stomach roared so loud I worried Mr. Swanson heard it on the other end. He was either going to sign or not, but he was taking his sweet time letting me know the answer. I was starting to think he just liked hearing my voice. Or making me squirm.
I can bring over Angelina’s?
Oh, my God, I loved her. I would be forever in your debt.
Be there in 20. XO
It felt like only a few minutes before I saw Perry tromping up the steps that led to my office door. She peeked in the window, and I waved her in.
“Thank you, Mr. Swanson. I’ll have all the required paperwork faxed over within the hour.”
Perry set the bag on my desk, the aroma wafting up and distracting me. I mouthed, “Thank you,” as I quickly finished the call. Leaning back in my chair, I scrubbed my hands over my face. “That was brutal but worth it. Unless he changes his mind in the next twenty-four hours, I’m golden.”
“That’s awesome!” She pulled up a chair, and I pulled out the sandwiches. “Now you can take more time off and start enjoying all that commission you’re bringing in.”
I scarfed down a huge portion of my sub before she even started hers. “Hey, I did take off a big chunk of my day for the game.” Actually, it was more like the entire day since I couldn’t center my mind long enough to get anything accomplished when I returned home. I ended up sitting on my back porch swing and watching the wild turkeys trek back and forth through my yard. Productive.
She nibbled on a piece of cheese. “How’s your sandwich?”
“So good. You are a godsend.” The only thing that had graced my stomach all day was several cups of strong, black coffee. “Do you want some iced tea?”
She nodded, and I went into the kitchen and pulled the pitcher from the fridge. I poured two glasses, grabbing the canister of sugar for her.
“Are you still taking off this weekend?” Perry asked when I came back.
“For the most part.” I handed her a glass, setting the sugar beside her. “Especially now that I have Mr. Swanson wrapped up. Why, what’s up? I thought you had to work.”
“I do, that’s the problem. I promised I’d pick up Emily from softball practice and bring her home during my break, but now they’ve called a mandatory meeting during that time. And I thought maybe since you’re forever in my debt and all….”
I laughed. “No problem. What time?”
I thought her smile would bust open her cheeks. I guess she was happy. “Be there at eleven. You can’t be late, okay? Hillside Park right off 94, next to that little charter school.”
“Yes, I know where it is. Anything else?” I collected all the documents I needed to fax over, and I had another call coming in. My short lunch break was over, but if it weren’t for Perry, I probably wouldn’t have eaten at all.
“Nope, that’s about it. I’ll let Sam know. Thanks so much; you won’t regret it.”
My eyebrows scrunched together as I switched on the headset. What an odd thing to say. Why would I regret it?
I swung into the lot ten minutes early, seeing the girls were still gathered on the field. I didn’t know if I should wait in my car until the end of practice, but it was too nice of a day to be cooped up. The predicted heat wave was pushed forward another day, giving me more time to work on the a/c. Every day I’d planned to fix it, another reason popped up for me not to.
I cut through the grass and over to the diamond, plunking myself down on the bleachers. I glanced around at all the empty spaces. Shouldn’t there be more parents here? It was close enough to pick-up. Come to think of it, there was only one other car in the lot.
Squinting against the sun, I cursed myself for forgetting my glasses. I shaded my eyes with my hand and tried to scope out Emily from the rest of the bunch that was lining up for the tee. Practice didn’t appear to be almost over. Maybe Perry got the time wrong.
I pulled out my phone to shoot her a text but decided against it, not wanting to bother her during the meeting. I set it aside as a young woman sat down next to me. “Hi,” she said. “I haven’t seen you around before. Which one’s yours?”
“Emily. Well, she’s not mine; she’s my friend’s niece. I’m picking her up today.”
She nodded. “The redhead.” With the sun piercing my eyeballs, they all seemed to have a red tint to their hair. She gave me a once-over. “Cute shirt.”
“Thanks.” I slapped my palms on my thighs. “What time is practice over? I was told eleven.”
“Oh, no. You probably still have at least a half hour yet.”
Hmm… now what? I could take a walk, swing on the swings. I used to love that. I wondered if I could even tolerate it anymore without feeling nauseous. Or I could just sit here in the warm sun and chat with the woman next to me. She seemed pleasant enough.
I turned my head, about to ask her name, when I noticed a goofy smile on her face. Her eyes were transfixed on the coach, and I think I detected a bit of drool. I recognized that look. “Your boyfriend?” I asked.
“Not yet.”
“Good luck.” I smiled. How cute—a little crush. The woman looked to be twenty. I wish I could say I remembered those days, but I couldn’t recall a time when I wasn’t with Mike. Being a married new adult with a ready-made family didn’t leave much time for gushing and googly eyes.
One of the girls connected her bat with the ball, sending it flying. She ran right over to her coach and gave him a huge hug. Sweet. I was trying to get a better look at the guy who had the one beside me so spellbound when my cell pinged.
How’s everything?
I thought you were in a meeting? I texted back.
Ended early. I swear.
I frowned at the screen. Man, she was acting strangely.
“Jillian?”
Huh? I raised my head and thought I’d lost my frickin’ mind. In what world was it sane to have him standing right in front of me? And what the hell…? He was Emily’s coach?
“You know her?” I noticed the once-pleasant feminine eyes narrowing.
“You could say that,” he said, and the entire vibe shifted further. “What are you doing here?”
“I… uh…” If my tongue didn’t untie itself soon, I’d bite it for acting like such an idiot. Both of them stared at me. Wasn’t there a practice to finish? “I’m picking up Emily today.”
“I thought you’d never been here before?” she said as if I’d just lied to her. As if I’d somehow orchestrated this entire bizarre scene so I could get her heartthrob to talk to me instead of her.
“I haven’t. Excuse me.”
I had Perry’s line ringing before I’d barely made it off the bleachers. I stormed over to the empty playground area, waiting for her to pick up. I disconnected as soon as it hit voice mail.
Why aren’t you answering? I texted .
Sorry. Meeting’s over but still at work.
Do you happen to know what I’m thinking right now?
It was a long shot, but I was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. Much stranger coincidences had occurred. Perry could have had no idea of the coach’s identity. I stole a peek to see Chase back on the field and whatshername back to ogling, I assumed. I just wanted to get Emily and leave.
Thank you? she replied .
Goddammit.
WTF Perry?
You’re welcome.
Argh. I thrust my cell into my pocket, knowing I’d deal with her later in person. I sat on the swing, pumping my legs, surprised my stomach wasn’t rolling. I waited out the rest of the practice, zoning into the creak of the chains and wondering how I’d ever gotten myself into such a mess.
In the greater scheme of life, it shouldn’t have been that big of a deal. People hook up all the time. They have sex, they forget, and they move on.
But I wasn’t forgetting, and I wasn’t moving on. Because the damn fucker was right in front of me. Taunting his May to my December.
I’d made it this far being responsible, so why the screw-up now?
Finally. The girls rushed off the field and dive-bombed several coolers sitting off in the grass. I slowed the swing, digging my heels in the dirt, hopping off when I noticed Emily looking around. She spotted me and ran over with her water and little baggie of snacks.
“Auntie Jillian.”
“Hi, honey.” My heart got all warm and gooey. Technically, I’m not her aunt, of course, but I loved when she called me that. She slid her hand in mine, and I assumed we’d be heading to the car.
“I need to get my glove, Auntie Jillian.” I was about to tell her I’d wait when I spotted a black blob on the silver bench. Shit. Would it be wrong to ask Emily to pick that up too?
Yes, it would. Unless I didn’t care about being a wimp because I made a little girl retrieve the purse I’d left behind. “Okay, honey, let’s go, and then I need to get you home.”
I sucked it up, and we walked over, my pulse jacking higher the closer Chase came into sight. He wore a pair of athletic shorts, and it was the first chance I had to get a really good glimpse of the musculature of his calves, the hard curves leading up to thicker slabs. They’d been hidden in jeans, except for the time his thighs were bare and pressed against me….
“Ouch! You’re squeezing my hand.”
I lessened my grip. “Sorry, sweetie.”
I darted my eyes upward to catch a tiny smile forming on his lips. Oh, no. He did not just bust me looking. Please, God. What was the matter with my cognitive processes? And how could I be so incredibly aroused and thoroughly disgusted with myself all in the same breath?
“Bye, Coach. See you next time,” Emily said. “And thank you.”
Chase gave her brim a tug and grinned. “You’re welcome, Emily. Great job today keeping your eye on the ball. And way to get your mitt dirty.”
He winked, and Emily beamed. His praise obviously meant a lot to her, and it was touching to see her face light up. If nothing else, at least I knew my first, and only, one-night stand wasn’t with a coldhearted bastard.
“Yes, thank you,” I said quickly, clenching her hand and snatching my purse.
“Jillian?”
I took a long breath and straightened, only to get an eyeful of lovergirl rushing straight toward us. “Oh, Chase. Since Willow’s dad didn’t show today, I thought you could use some help bringing the equipment back to school.”
“That’d be great. Thanks.”
“Anytime, Chase.”
His gaze was substantial, weighing down on me. Fortunately, his devotee balanced it out with her nails-on-a-chalkboard scowl, allowing me to keep my senses. I was interfering, and that was not my intention. If she could get a little something going with him, then who was I to stand in the way? They were much better suited for each other.
She touched Chase’s arm. “Rosa’s mom’s waiting for you. She really needs to talk to you before she leaves. Which she needed to do five minutes ago.”
“I’ll be there in a minute, Cassie.”
Cassie and Chase. Even their names together sounded like something you’d put on top of a cupcake and eat up. And then puke up later. I had to get out of there.
“No, please. I don’t want to keep you. We have to go anyway.”
To my relief, he didn’t protest. These unexpected meetings had to end. It freaked me out to no end, getting all hot and bothered by someone who could pass as my son. An icy shiver snaked up my spine. Now I’m really going to retch.
I may have been out of the dating scene for far too long. I may not know the correct etiquette for introducing my vagina back into society. But I wasn’t so daft to believe that hot, meaningless sex with the hardest man I’ve ever felt meant anything but.
I may not know everything, but I knew I wasn’t a damned cougar.