Harlequin Heartwarming March 21 Box Set

by Claire McEwen

  Which was for the best. If she understood that Reggie was the unserious boyfriend who was about to make things a lot more serious, Thea would have had something to say. It would have been outrageous. And the whole building might have exploded.

  Wade didn’t look back.

  When they were gone, Reggie said, “Cute kid. I didn’t know you were into kids.”

  That’s because she wasn’t. Or she hadn’t been.

  “I’ve been helping them adjust to the move into Concord Court.” Brisa waved her hand and ignored the hard knot in her stomach that formed as she said it.

  Reggie watched her but eventually he accepted her answer. He pointed at the ring. “Try it on.”

  Brisa put her hand over the box but shook her head. “We need to talk about this first.”

  He braced his elbows on his knees. “Okay, but there are reporters outside who are going to be anxious to get a photo of the ring. This morning, management offered me three more years to play and one year to try assistant coaching. They’re this close to giving it all to me. I need that ten-year commitment. Can’t quit before I cross the finish line.” He shrugged. “I drove from the stadium downtown to find the prettiest ring I could. We’ll get ‘engaged—’” he made air quotes around the word “—for a month or two and then realize how much happier we are as friends. Plenty of time to get the contract I want.” He brushed his hands together. It was all decided in his mind.

  Brisa hadn’t expected to have to make a decision like this today. Maybe it was for the best that she was suddenly so tired that it was impossible to tie herself up in knots trying to find a way to make sure everyone was happy.

  Everyone except her, anyway.

  She closed the lid on the ring box and turned it in circles as she worked through answers in her head.

  Without looking up, she said, “I kissed someone this weekend, Reggie. I was calling to tell you that.”

  When he didn’t immediately answer, she looked up. He was frowning down at the crease in his linen pants. “Did anyone see you?”

  Brisa slumped against her chair as at least three different answers flashed through her mind. “No.” Every one of the answers started that way. Whatever it meant to her, Reggie was only concerned with his image. “But don’t you see that…” How could she explain to him what that kiss meant when she wasn’t sure herself?

  “Then this plan could still work.” Reggie moved closer and wrapped his hand around hers. “I’m so close, Brisa. Help me make it to the finish line.”

  She wanted to. For a lifetime, Brisa had done her best never to let down a friend. Whether it was money or time or influence or physical support, she’d shown up. This time felt different.

  “Don’t you want something real, Reggie? A real love?” Brisa asked. This was the question that scared her the most. The old Brisa would have laughed it off, refused to meet it head-on. This Brisa was too tired to keep dancing around the scary part.

  “Yeah, but…” He licked his lips as he thought. “I’m going to take what I can get, I guess.” He shook his head. “Finding real in this world, the way we move, Brisa, it’s just…” He met her stare.

  They both understood what he meant.

  “What if I’ve found it? Would you want me to jeopardize that for this engagement?” Brisa held his hand when he would have moved away. “Answer as my friend, not the guy with the long-term plan and team management right where he wants them.”

  Reggie gave a soft smile. “You had to go there. Play the friend card, didn’t you?”

  Brisa laughed. “Real friends are about as hard to find as real love, Reggie. I hope we are real friends, at least.” She knew they were. She’d never laid herself open for another friend this way, but she had faith that Reggie would not disappoint her. He was Miami’s sweetheart for a reason.

  He held up one finger. “You might want to hold off on that. Now I have a confession to make.” He grimaced. “The story is already out. I made a big show of walking out of the jewelry store with the box. Stopped at my car. Tossed it up in the air. When the paparazzi demanded to know what was inside and who it was for, I did my thing.” He showed her his wink and point and held his arms out. There would be a dozen different photos of similar poses in the media by this afternoon. “If there aren’t people in the parking lot right now ready for a shot of you with a diamond on your finger, I’ll be shocked.”

  Brisa slumped forward onto her desk. Her brain needed support and she was too tired to hold her head up anymore.

  It would be so easy to lose her temper, to blast Reggie about pushing their agreement and letting her down and a million other hurts that boiled up from past friends and bad decisions. His hands covered hers as he said, “I’m sorry. I should have gotten your okay first. I assumed… You’ve been ready for every other thing, I just…” He sighed. “I messed up.”

  Brisa realized she’d reached the level of self-awareness that allowed her to understand Reggie was in the spot she’d so often put herself in. He’d made a mistake. It was about to cause a mess.

  And there was no way out of the mess but through it.

  How could she be angry at him for doing what she’d done over and over until people expected it of her?

  Brisa sat up straight. “It would be so much easier for us both if I slip the ring on and we go pose for photos.” Easy was so tempting at that point. If she bought some time, she’d be able to explain things to Wade and to her family. The Monteros would never approve, but that would be a problem for another day and one with an eventual solution, even if a fake engagement reinforced their view of her, the one she was slowly changing.

  “Easy, yeah, but…” Reggie shook his head. “If you’ve found something real, we’re going to have to do this the hard way. I wouldn’t gamble real love on anything, not even a ten-year contract to coach in my home stadium.”

  His eyes were warm as he smiled at her. “Especially not when it involves one of the only people in the world I’d call a real friend.” He clapped his hands. “So, what do we do? How do we handle this?” Reggie Beaumont moved quickly, on and off the field.

  Brisa rubbed her eyes. “We could get engaged today and you could be seen kissing another woman in a bar tonight.” He didn’t answer. “No one would believe it of you. Some other poor woman would be trashed for tempting Miami’s favorite boy.” No matter how she plotted, Brisa couldn’t come up with any other answer except the truth. “You asked. I said no. We’re better as friends than married. It’s the only way to go.”

  “Then you handle the fallout, right? You’ll be the one who broke my heart.” Reggie squeezed his eyes shut. “I made a big mistake.”

  Brisa had to laugh. She had to. There was no other option.

  Getting caught up in her own clever plan, the one she’d crafted to throw her father off, was so on brand for Brisa Montero that it was hilarious. She was as guilty of using Montero maneuvers as her father, especially when she added in the fact that she’d tried to set her sister up against her will. That was exactly what Reggie had protected Brisa from: her father’s unappreciated matchmaking.

  When she realized her giggles were scaring Reggie, she sucked in a breath and waved her hands. “I’m fine. I’m fine. Really.”

  He wasn’t convinced.

  When she could talk without gasping, Brisa said, “You know those cartoons where a character doesn’t understand how boomerangs work? Some bear throws one and then gets knocked out when it comes back around? That is a visual representation of my life right now. It’s so funny.”

  She wiped under both eyes and tried to catch her breath.

  “I’m not leaving you alone in here like this. Let’s call your sister.” Reggie held his hand out. He wanted her phone to make the call for reinforcements.

  The last thing Brisa wanted was her sister riding to her rescue.

  “No. Paste on a brokenhe
arted face, go outside and tell everyone you asked but that I couldn’t risk my best friendship in the world on something as risky as marriage. Make a joke or something. Get in your car and leave, taking as many of the guys following you as you can.” Brisa nodded. “The truth. That’s what we’re going with.”

  Reggie stood and asked, “What are you going to tell the guy? I’m assuming it was the one with the cute daughter whose hair you twisted up as if you’ve done it every morning before sending her off to school…or maybe you will do that, eventually.”

  Brisa’s lips twitched. “I’m going to tell him the truth, too. When the interest in your broken heart dies down a bit, I’ll tell him. I don’t want him or his cute daughter caught up in the paparazzi cross fire. They’ll be looking for my take on the story, too. Wade would not be happy if Thea’s face made it onto the gossip sites.”

  “We don’t want Wade to be unhappy,” Reggie said.

  “I really don’t,” Brisa agreed.

  His slow smile was beautiful. Reggie Beaumont could charm anyone with that smile. “You want to leave first? I might be able to draw them off you.”

  Brisa shook her head. “I’m going to wait. Eventually, the crowd will disappear. I need a full face of makeup before I go out to pose for photos.”

  Reggie frowned. “I knew something was different about you. Are you sick?”

  Brisa huffed out a laugh. Men really paid zero attention to the little things. “I was, but I’m better. Stronger.”

  He came around the desk to press a kiss to her forehead. “If the surgeon gives you trouble, let me know.” Then he straightened his jacket and stepped around the desk to march toward the door.

  “Hey, Reggie,” Brisa called, “don’t quit before you cross the finish line. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help with your negotiations. As a Montero.” Monteros had zero to do with Miami sports, but it was all she had to offer.

  He nodded. “You bet. I know I can count on my friends.” Then he waved and stepped outside. The door shut before she could hear any hoopla over his appearance. Brisa locked the door, even though the office didn’t close for another hour. If Sean needed in, he could use his key.

  Then she went back to her desk, lined up all her binders and stared at them.

  She’d accomplished so much at Concord Court. Were there still challenges? Yes. She’d met other challenges, so she could do this, too.

  Reggie’s mess was beyond her control right now.

  She had a meeting scheduled with her father at the end of the week.

  With that reprieve, she could take the bad news about the rejected grant applications and turn it around with a positive follow-up, but what? More applications she’d sent out? That was one idea.

  Except she still didn’t know how to correctly construct her grant proposals. What she didn’t need was more rejection.

  To take her mind off the idea of having to run the gauntlet of Miami’s gossip reporters on her way to her townhome, Brisa flipped through her program binders and eventually rested her head on the Shelter to Service binder, her favorite. Her first success had been with Julius Stewart, the man who owned one of the largest grocery distribution chains and dog food companies in the country. He’d funded Sean’s Shelter to Service dog training program and offered his support for other things at Concord Court.

  What if she’d been aiming too high to start out with the business lab idea?

  That would surprise no one. Too high, too fast.

  She leaned back and considered what she needed most to get the funding to support small business loans. All roads led back to money.

  To get big money, she needed big grants.

  To get big grants, she needed…help. Expertise. A grant writer? Was there such a thing? Where would she find one and how would she pay one?

  To pay the grant writer, she needed…money, but a lot less than she’d aimed for to start with.

  A small enough sum that someone like Julius Stewart might be persuaded to help. Could it be that easy to prove to her father that she was moving forward? Slowly. Intelligently. She could show a setback and a Plan B, a smaller step that put her on the right track.

  At this point, she had no other options. Reporters were outside. She needed to try something to feel like herself, to know she’d actually taken steps forward. Turning down Reggie was a new Brisa thing to do. Following it up with determination in her career would be another new Brisa thing.

  The urge to call or track down Wade and Thea was strong, but the smart thing would be to put some space between them and this Reggie update. She’d focus on Concord Court first. Being successful there would give her the confidence to lay everything out for Wade and wait for his decision.

  When the news hit about breaking Reggie’s heart, it would be nice to have real tangible proof that new Brisa was staying here at Concord Court. She picked up the phone and dialed Julius Stewart’s office. She had to give this a try.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  ON FRIDAY MORNING, a new Brisa strode into the Concord Court lobby. Her sister was seated behind the desk, so it was twice as satisfying to watch Reyna immediately stand and move out of her way. She had business to conduct. Reyna supported that. Today, they were on the right track.

  “There’s my baby sister,” Reyna said as she clapped. “Every single day, you’ve gotten stronger. If Dad doesn’t recognize you’ve got this whole situation under control today, well…”

  Brisa waited for Reyna to finish the sentence.

  “We’ll have to keep trying until next week.” Reyna wrinkled her nose. “It was more powerful when I trailed off, almost like we had any other option than to keep working on him.”

  Brisa laughed. “I get it, Rey. I appreciate the support.” She smoothed her hand down the tailored jacket she’d chosen. “Am I ready?”

  Sean squinted as he did a slow turn around her. “Makeup appears to be on. Hair is brushed. You’ve cleared the hurdles that took you down on Monday.”

  Reyna shot him the patient stare she’d started using when he was being silly at the wrong time.

  “I like the suit.” Reyna motioned up and down. “Makes you seem…business-y.”

  “It should. It’s awfully expensive.” Brisa sighed as she put down the briefcase she’d purchased for her second meeting with Julius Stewart the day before. “This ‘living on a paycheck’ business is for the birds, but I’ll figure out the credit card payments for the suit and briefcase when the bill comes.”

  She’d changed all the addresses on all the bills. Instead of her father’s assistant opening them and paying them, Brisa was going to tackle that. Every day, she cringed when the mailman came.

  It would take some time to get over flinching when she read the bottom line.

  Her sister could read her thoughts.

  “I’m buying lunch.” Reyna smiled. “Every day next week.”

  Brisa tipped her chin up. “We’ll actually go to brunch at the club on Sunday, so that’s another meal. Those cards will be paid in no time.”

  Reyna squeezed her hard. “You don’t have to do this alone, BB. I’ve got you.”

  Brisa blinked her eyes as she refused to let tears ruin her makeup. Not today. Today was the day she showed her father that she’d had a setback and she’d recovered. Without him. No mascara streak allowed.

  “What time is your meeting?” Sean asked as he stepped up and hugged them both affectionately. “Ten o’clock.” Brisa checked the clock. Plenty of time to clear off her desk.

  Brisa slipped into her chair, immediately removed the heels she’d regretted choosing on the walk over and opened up her computer.

  Then she realized Sean and Reyna had taken up residence in the chairs opposite her.

  “What?” Brisa asked.

  “We have something we’d like to discuss with you because we love you,” Reyna said,
her lips twitching. Whatever it was, she was enjoying it way too much. “You’ve been neglecting your training.”

  Brisa frowned as she checked her email. Nothing there. “Training for what?”

  “A gold medal win?” Sean drawled. “How quickly you’ve forgotten. Thea’s been out at the pool almost every day this week without you.”

  Brisa slumped back in her chair. Was there a rule somewhere that said when a woman had one area of her life going well, something else had to go off the rails?

  “I’m giving Wade some distance until the press disappears, so I’ve postponed my training.” Brisa ignored them. Eventually they’d go back to work, wouldn’t they?

  Sean tipped his chin up as if he was still waiting for more information.

  “And I’m scared.” Brisa shrugged. There was no sense in hiding it. “I’ve messed up so many times with him. So. Many. Times. He and Thea don’t need to be caught up in Miami’s fascination with Brisa Montero. It’s like, how much forgiveness does one person have inside them? When things are quiet, I’ll resume training. Maybe Wade will have restocked on second or third or fifth chances, whatever I’m on.”

  She tangled her fingers together and studied her nails as she tried to remember when was the last time she’d had a manicure. She picked at a hangnail and mourned pretty fingernails along with her delay at spending time with Wade.

  “Does that look like she’s feeling sorry for herself?” Sean asked.

  “Impossible. Can’t be done in that suit.” Reyna sniffed. Her huge grin was irritating. “It’s been long enough, Brisa.”

  Had it? Brisa wanted that to be true, but Reyna hadn’t seen Wade’s face as he’d stared at the engagement ring.

  Her sister scooted forward. “What if he’s not angry? What if he thinks your heart is broken instead?” Reyna asked. “What if he’s on the totally wrong track because you haven’t been honest with him? What if he’s sure your engagement failed because he kissed you and Reggie got mad and he’s secretly afraid he ruined your life?” Reyna raised her eyebrows. “You’d owe it to him to correct that thinking as quickly as you could, wouldn’t you?”