If The Shoe Fits

by Fennell, Judi

  When a little old man barreled into him and almost knocked him over, Reese realized he should have specified which kind of luck he wanted.

  Instinct, however, took over and a few pattern drills he used to do in practice kept him from going down. Unfortunately, the old guy wasn’t as successful. Reese caught him by the arms just before he landed.

  “You okay, sir?” he asked, easing the guy back to his feet. Short little guy. Bald, wrinkled, with the brightest green eyes Reese had ever seen.

  Reese blinked. When had he ever noticed another man’s eyes?

  The man brushed off his suit jacket. “I am now. Thank you, my boy.” He patted Reese’s arm. “Nice catch, though you’re usually the one doing the passing, are you?”

  Ah. A fan. “Not anymore.” The words caused his breath to catch. He’d really hated leaving the game.

  “Now, now, my boy. When one door closes, another opens.” The man removed some items from his pocket and handed them to Reese. “And here’s something to help that along.”

  Reese looked in his palm. Gold coins. “I can’t take these.”

  “You’ll insult me if you don’t, and besides, there’s a wishing fountain at the end of this path. Surely you can use a few wishes?”

  Insulting a fan was never a good thing. And, hell, yeah, he could use a few wishes. “Well, okay. Thanks. I appreciate it.”

  “Not yet you don’t,” said the old guy, patting his arm once more before he headed off in the opposite direction, adding, “But you will.”

  Reese jostled the coins as he watched the guy walk away and tried to figure out that cryptic message. When he couldn’t, he put it down to old age and headed toward the fountain.

  A loin-clothed marble statue of a man with a massive set of wings on his back stood in the center holding a jug that spouted water into the pool. Dozens of children ringed the marble edge, tossing pennies in with squeals of laughter and shouts of “A new puppy!” “My own room!” “A pony!” One little girl scrunched her face so tightly it looked painful. Another toddler leaned in too far and was rescued at the last moment by his mother.

  Reese fingered the coins. This was silly; wishes were for children.

  “Make a wish, mister,” said a little boy who’d jumped onto the edge of the fountain beside him. “They really do come true.” Then he tossed his own coin in and scurried away just as the color of his eyes registered. Green. Bright, sparkling green.

  Reese shook his head. He was being ridiculous.

  So he went with that theme, made the wish, and skimmed a coin into the fountain. It skipped five times, then sank at the statue’s feet.

  “Looks like you spent hours skipping stones when you were a kid,” said a voice behind him.

  He looked at the statue. No, it didn’t have sparkling green eyes, but he almost wouldn’t have been surprised if it did. He turned around. “Hi, Bella.”

  “Hello, Reese.”

  “Hi,” said a high-pitched voice beside her.

  Reese looked down. A younger version of Bella stood beside her—

  She had a daughter?

  “Uh, hi.” He’d always prided himself on being able to adjust to any situation in a game, but this blew him away. Bella must have been a teenager when she’d had her—

  His gaze shot to Bella’s left hand. No ring. Phew.

  Although… she did work with food all day; she could have removed it.

  The thought ripped into his gut worse than the spinach donut had.

  Grasping at the shred of hope that he hadn’t kissed another man’s wife, Reese prayed that Sophia was her niece. Sister, maybe.

  “Hi. I’m Sophia Casteleoni.” The little girl smiled with the same enthusiasm—and dimple—as Bella.

  “I’m Reese Charmant. Pleased to meet you, Sophia.” He was also pleased that he managed to sound composed. But this was definitely not what he’d been expecting when he’d come here today.

  “What brings you to the park?” Bella asked.

  “I, uh, was actually looking for you.”

  “Is there a problem?”

  In a word, yes. She had a daughter.

  Did she also have a husband?

  “Reese?”

  Problem. Right. “Staci Fontaine came by my office.”

  “My stepsister?”

  “What’d Aunt Staci do now?” asked Sophia with more maturity than someone her age should have. Poor kid sounded like she was used to Aunt Staci doing things she shouldn’t.

  “Honey, you don’t have to call her ‘Aunt Staci.’ She’s not really your aunt,” said Bella.

  “I know, but Mama—”

  “Let’s not go into it now.” Bella brushed her hand over Sophia’s hair and the image of a glowingly pregnant Bella flashed before him.

  Mama. Hell, Sophia was her daughter.

  Reese took a deep breath and pulled his head out of his ass. What difference did it make if Bella had a daughter? Or a husband? He needed her for her cooking abilities, not her procreation ones.

  He was not going to think about procreating with Bella—”Uh, yeah. Your Aunt Staci. She came to my office to discuss the auction. I didn’t know she would be working with you.”

  “Staci will not be working with me. She doesn’t know the meaning of the word.”

  Sophia giggled. “Yeah, she tried working at my daddy’s restaurant once and she sprayed water all over the place and made a big mess.”

  “It will be yours, too, someday, Soph.”

  Daddy. Shit. He had a hell of a lot of apologizing to do for that kiss. But not in front of the kid. Any idea of asking Bella to Connie’s party was definitely out of the question. Reese clinked the coins in his palm again. He’d made the wrong damn wish.

  Sophia, her eyes sparkling just like her mother’s, touched the coins. “Are you going to make a wish with those?”

  Yes he would: that the ground would open up and swallow him. He just couldn’t get over that he’d kissed her. Thank God he’d ended it when he had. And that his idiotic action hadn’t cost him her services the way Luke’s had cost them Marissa’s.

  Yet…

  Reese shook his head. Never. “No, I’ve already made my wish.” He held out the coins to the little girl. “Here, you take the rest.”

  Bella put her hand on his arm and it was all Reese could do not to jerk away. “Reese, you don’t have to—”

  “I want her to have them.” Not that they in any way made up for his huge breach of manners or common sense, but it was the least he could do. The very least. “Go ahead, Sophia. Make a wish.”

  He dropped them into her palm, then shoved his hands into his pockets, Bella’s touch still lingering on his skin. “And, Bella, I’ll have my assistant Kelly set up a time we can discuss your proposal as soon as I get back to my office.” He turned around and started to do just that. “Have a nice afternoon.”

  ***

  Jonathan smacked his forehead. Married. He thought she was married.

  Honestly, it was no wonder these two needed help. Too noble for their own good.

  Jonathan scratched Fountain Wishes off his list. He needed to come up with something else fast before Reese blew it.

  Chapter Nine

  What just happened?

  Bella stared after Reese as he walked away, and, while it was a nice view, she couldn’t figure out how they’d been discussing the auction on minute, and the next, he’d clammed up, hands in pockets, all stiff-necked and polite, then left. The conversation about Staci could have been handled with a phone call, so she had no idea why he’d come to the park in search of her.

  And her traitorous hormones had been gearing up for round two.

  “He’s cute,” said a too-sophisticated ten-year-old.

  “I don’t know that I’d say cute.” No, she’d use words like sexy, delicious, hot. Words a ten-year-old didn’t need to know at this age.

  “He is, too.” Sophia crossed her arms. “You should marry him.”

  Yes she should—
>
  Bella sighed. Hormones and Subconscious were staging a coup over Common Sense and Familial Duty. “Soph, you don’t marry someone because he’s cute.”

  “Well, duh. But it doesn’t hurt.”

  Bella did a double-take. She didn’t want to know how Sophia had formed this opinion. “But Soph, if I married him, who’d tuck you in at night? Meet you off the bus?”

  “You, silly. I could live with you guys.”

  “That would be nice, wouldn’t it?” Bella’s heart twisted. It would be. Everything she wanted under one roof. But it’d never happen. Madeleine would never let it happen. Not when it meant losing her majority hold over Dad’s estate.

  It always came down to money, and how sucky was that? Bella sighed and, once more, relegated another what-if to the Someday corner of her brain.

  It was nice in that corner. Wishes and hopes and dreams danced around like fairies amid a meadow full of flowers and unicorns—

  “Oh, no!” Sophia’s cry yanked her back to reality.

  She’d barely made the transition when Sophia took off, racing across the grass toward…

  Reese.

  Reese?

  Bella ran after her—and realized she’d had no reason to slow her pace earlier on the sidewalk because Sophia had quite the sprint on her.

  “Reese!” Sophia shouted. “Help!”

  Bella couldn’t for the life of her imagine what had happened. Reese looked just as confused when he spun around, but he jumped into action with a move she was sure came right off the playing field, dodging a kid on a tricycle and a little old lady walking her Maltese.

  “What’s wrong?” Reese got to Sophia a few steps ahead of Bella.

  “Please, you have to help.” Hopping from foot to foot, Sophia grabbed his hand. “Please.”

  “What happened, Soph?” Bella hunkered down in front of her sister, visually checking her to make sure she was okay.

  Sophia pointed to the branches above them. “There. Can you see it?”

  Bella looked up.

  “A cat.” Reese saw it first. The animal’s soft gray fur blended in with the bark and its green eyes could pass for leaves.

  “It’s a kitten,” said Sophia. “And he’s scared. You have to get him down, Reese.”

  “How on earth did you see that, Soph?” Bella walked closer and held up her hand. The kitten shrank from her.

  “He was chasing something and ran up the tree.”

  “Sophia, he’ll come down when he’s ready,” said Reese. “Cats like to climb.”

  “They like to climb up. He can’t get down. Please, will you help him?”

  “Soph, I’m sure Reese has better things to do—”

  “It’s no problem. I’ll get him.” Reese rubbed his hands together, then leapt to grab the lowest branch.

  The kitten backed away.

  “Are your shots up to date?” Bella asked.

  “It’s not mine I’m worried about.” Reese swung his legs onto a branch, giving Bella the perfect view of his backside. A sight she would never forget, God help her.

  The kitten sneezed.

  “Oh, please, Kitty!” Sophia wrung her hands. “Stay where you are. Reese will rescue you.”

  Reese grunted as he hoisted himself onto his feet on the branch. He grabbed the trunk with one hand and leaned toward the kitten with the other. “Come on, cat.”

  The kitten scrambled backwards.

  “He’s a kitty, Reese, not a cat.” Sophia walked around the trunk so she was facing Reese. Bella was quite content to stay where she was because the view was pretty spectacular. “You have to make kissy noises for him to come to you.”

  Bella snorted. Kissy noises. She’d pay to see that.

  “Keep laughing, Bella. I will eventually get down, you know.”

  “Me? Laughing? Sorry, Reese. I was clearing my throat.”

  “Uh huh.” He tested his weight on another branch. “Come on, cat, er, kitty.”

  “Like this, Reese.” Sophia held out her hand and rubbed her fingers together. “Here, kitty, kitty.”

  The kitten looked at her, giving Reese the chance he needed to grab it.

  “Oh!” he yelled when the little thing clawed on for dear life.

  “Yay, you saved him!” Sophia bounced around the base of the tree until Bella took the kitten from Reese and handed it to her. “Can I keep him?”

  Oh, yeah. That would go over real well with Madeleine. “How about we keep him at the restaurant, Soph? We can always use a good mouser. Not—” she looked at Reese—”that we have mice.”

  He swung out of the tree. “Of course you don’t. And the Health Department won’t have an issue with him living there either.” He brushed off his hands, then patted the kitten’s head. “What are you going to name him?”

  Sophia looked up with all the hero-worship a ten-year-old could muster. “Reese, of course.”

  Bella choked back a laugh. “That’ll be interesting when we take him to the vet for the, ah, procedure.”

  Reese got a sick look on his face. “I’m flattered, Sophia, but why not something a little more cuddly, like Fluffy or Sweetie or something like that.”

  Oh, Bella didn’t know… she had a feeling Reese could be quite cuddly.

  “I guess you’re right.” Sophia scratched the kitten’s head. “I think I’ll name him Pussy-willow. Cause he’s a kitty and he’s gray and furry. What do you think?”

  Bella thought it was a mouthful, but definitely better than calling him Reese. “And how about Willow for short?”

  Sophia hugged the kitten closer and Bella made a note to pick up a bed, some litter, and food on the way home. Unfortunately, she wasn’t sure exactly where “home” would be for the little guy. Madeleine was not about to let a cat into the house and Bella wasn’t up for defying her on this small item.

  “What do you say to Reese, Soph?”

  Sophia beamed that megawatt smile at him and crooked her little finger. Reese knelt down and Sophia kissed his cheek. “Thanks, Reese. You’re my hero.”

  “You’re welcome, Sophia. Take care of the little guy, okay?” Reese brushed a hand over Sophia’s hair and Bella’s heart clutched at the sweet gesture.

  Her heart clutched even more when he looked at her and smiled. “I’ll talk to you. Have a nice day, ladies.”

  She watched him walk away until he disappeared down the path, her conscience battling with her heart. Why’d he have to be such a prince of a guy?

  ***

  Jonathan curled in Sophia’s arms to enjoy head-scratching with a contented purr. His “rescue” was just a baby-step in getting them together, but finally something had gone right.

  Chapter Ten

  The party was in full swing as Reese mounted the brick steps to the DeLeo’s Georgian estate in the Mirror Lake Development Saturday night. Two softly lit topiaries flanked the double mahogany front doors that opened when Reese raised his hand to the bell.

  “Good evening, sir,” said the uniformed doorman. “Mr. and Mrs. DeLeo are with guests on the back terrace.”

  Reese crossed the travertine marble foyer with its curving staircase. A balcony above it overlooked both the entranceway and the great room. He turned sideways through the group of people congregated in the archway to the dining area, snagged a beer from a guy heading to restock the bar, and grabbed a few hor d’oeuvres from a pretty brunette. Some of his old teammates nodded as he passed them, but he didn’t stop. He wanted to see Coach and put the past to rest.

  He caught a glimpse of blonde hair as he passed the kitchen. Did everyone have her color hair these days?

  Drink in hand, he walked through the open French doors to the flagstone terrace beyond. Twinkling white lights shimmered in the trees flanking the patio, and the low drum of crickets provided a subtle musical backdrop. If he didn’t know of Connie’s incessant penchant for gardening, he’d swear the heavy scent of hyacinths was from some industrial-grade candles instead of the flower beds beyond the lights, in front of
which a small crowd gathered around Coach. Devin was beside him.

  Reese took a deep breath. At least he’d get the whole awkward thing over with in one shot.

  Connie extricated herself from the group. “I’m so glad you came.” She gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “We’ve been wondering where you were.”

  He wasn’t sure who the we referred to, but it didn’t matter; he was here and it was time to deal with the situation. Reese slid his arm around Connie’s waist and led her back toward the group. “Sorry, I’m late. Some loose ends to tie up took longer than I expected. You know how it is when it’s your name on the line.”

  She patted his arm. “Always working. Don’t forget to have some fun tonight. And be sure you don’t miss out on the food. It’s fabulous. The poor caterer, she had to throw it together at the last minute since the woman I had originally booked had a family emergency come up. Thankfully, my son’s girlfriend knew someone, and, well, you know I wouldn’t have been able to pull it off.”

  They shared a laugh. Anthony DeLeo hadn’t married Connie for her cooking, which was a good thing because she would have put their concession business under within the first year of marriage.

  “I’ll get some later,” he assured her, then met Coach Randy Meade’s gaze. “Coach.” He held out his hand as the conversation around them trickled off to an uncomfortable silence. Luckily, the rest of the group drifted away quickly.

  He took a quick breath. “It’s good to see you.” He held out a hand. “Congratulations on your new granddaughter. You, too, Devin, on the baby. You’re looking well.”

  “Thanks, Reese. You, too,” said Devin, nudging her father.

  Coach glanced at Reese’s hand. Considered it for a few seconds that stretched into what seemed like hours. Then he took a healthy gulp of his drink.

  And turned his back.

  “Oh, but Randy—” Connie reached for Coach’s shoulder, but Reese stopped her.

  “It’s all right, Connie.” He nodded at Devin who looked as stricken as he felt. “Devin. All the best.” Nothing like getting shot down in public.