The Final Score

by Jaci Burton

  "Thanks, Dad. I'm anxious to get rolling."

  Since thinking about leading the team made his gut tighten, he went to play with Sam for a while. With his little brother, everything was simple and easy. There was never any stress, just building spaceships and rolling around on the floor together. Eventually, they went outside and kicked a soccer ball around.

  "I'm gonna play soccer," Sam said.

  "Oh, yeah? How about football?"

  "That, too. Like Daddy. And you, Nathan. Mommy and Daddy said we're gonna come watch you play this year."

  "Great. I'll look for you in the stands. And maybe I'll get to come watch you play, too."

  Sam's big blue eyes widened. "You will? Cool."

  He could already picture Sam wearing football gear. He couldn't wait for pics.

  His mom opened the back door. "Sam, time to come inside and wash your hands."

  Sam wrinkled his nose. "Aw, come on. Just a little longer?"

  Nathan recognized that look on his mother's face.

  "Now."

  Sam kicked his toe in the grass and looked down at the ground. "Okay."

  Nathan ruffled his brother's dark hair. "We'll play again later."

  That lit his face up. "Great."

  Sam dashed inside and Nathan followed.

  "We thought we'd find somewhere to eat dinner," his mom said.

  "Sounds good."

  His phone buzzed, so he grabbed it to take a look. It was Mia.

  Up for dinner tonight?

  He smiled, then texted her back. I'm with my parents and Sam.

  She replied with, Want to see them! Let's all have dinner. Invite them to Ninety-Two.

  He looked up. "It's Mia. She says she wants to see everyone and invited us to her brother's restaurant for dinner."

  "Oh, I'd love to see Mia and Flynn," his mom said, then looked over at his dad. "Mick?"

  His dad nodded. "Sounds good to me."

  "I'll text her," Nathan said.

  They made arrangements to meet Mia at Ninety-Two. He wished he could be alone with her, but he knew how much Mia liked his parents and his brother, so it would be good for all of them to get together.

  At least he'd get to see her, and he really needed that.

  They needed to talk.

  FOURTEEN

  MIA WALKED INTO NINETY-TWO AND SAID HELLO TO Carol, the hostess. She spotted Grace, one of the waitresses she'd gotten to know fairly well since she'd officially moved to San Francisco. She waved.

  "I have your reservation," Carol said. "And Flynn wanted me to tell you he'd be here in a bit."

  "Okay, thanks, Carol."

  "Would you like me to seat you now, or do you want to wait for the rest of your party?"

  She looked at her phone. She was about fifteen minutes early.

  "I think I'll go sit at the bar and wait."

  There was an available chair at the corner, so she sat there and ordered a glass of cabernet.

  "I can't believe you didn't come back to say hello."

  She turned and slid out of her chair to hug Amelia, head chef and her brother Flynn's girlfriend. She was wearing her white chef jacket, her blond hair pulled back in a ponytail.

  "I didn't want to bother you while you were cooking. And who told you I was here?"

  Amelia stepped back and smiled at her. "Carol did. And other people bother me. You? Never. You're always welcome in my kitchen."

  "Do you have a few minutes to sit and have a glass of wine with me?"

  "Actually, not at the moment. We're full up and slammed in the kitchen. But you're having dinner here?"

  "Yes. My friend Nathan is coming in with his parents."

  "Nathan Riley? With Mick and Tara, right?"

  "Yes."

  "I'll come out later and say hello to everyone. Plus Flynn will be here so he'd make me leave the kitchen anyway."

  Mia laughed. "True. Go back to work. I'll talk to you later."

  "Okay."

  Mia sipped her wine and took out her planner, jotting down some notes that popped into her head relevant to tomorrow's meeting. They were talking with an up-and-coming hockey player who'd had an outstanding season. His team had come close to making the championships and he was touted as a rising star. With a good management company behind him, he could go far.

  "Hello, Mia."

  She looked up from her planner to see Ken, the restaurant's manager. She smiled. "Hi, Ken. How's it going?"

  "It's great. Haven't seen you in here for a few weeks. How's the new company?"

  "Busy. But it's going wonderfully. Which is why I haven't been here in a while."

  "I'm glad to hear that."

  "And how's little George doing?"

  Ken grinned. "He's incredible. Growing so fast that Adam and I can barely keep up with him."

  "That's how it is with the little ones, I suppose. I want to see your newest photos."

  "You mean the ones I took this morning?"

  Mia laughed. "Yes. Those."

  Ken took out his phone and handed it to Mia. She scrolled through and saw an adorable, chubby-faced little boy who looked a lot like both his dads. She handed the phone back to Ken. "He's beautiful, Ken."

  Ken sighed. "Thank you. You'll have to come by the house and see him soon."

  "I'd love to. Thanks for the invite."

  Ken gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I need to get back to work. I'll talk to you soon."

  "See you later."

  She was about to go back to her planner when she spotted Nathan walking in with his parents. She tamped down the race of her pulse.

  After last weekend and the sex, she was determined she wasn't going to get emotional or involved.

  It had just been sex. Plus, he was here with his parents, so she had to keep it friendly. She waved to them and they came over.

  "It's been too long, Mia," Tara said as she hugged her.

  "I agree. I was so excited when Nathan told me you were in town."

  She hugged Mick, too.

  "It's good to see you, Mia," Mick said. "Where's your brother?"

  "Which one?"

  He cracked a smile. "The ugly brother."

  "Again, which one?"

  He laughed, and so did Mia, who said, "Flynn should be here soon. He said he was looking forward to seeing you."

  "Yeah, I'll miss playing with him this season. But the team has Nathan, and I know he's going to kick ass this year."

  Mia looked over at Nathan, surprised to see a brief flash of concern on his face before he masked it with a wide smile. "You know it."

  She made a mental note to ask him about that later.

  "Our table should be ready. Let me go talk to Carol."

  She went to Carol, who grabbed menus and seated them in a quiet corner of the restaurant. Mick was as big a celebrity in San Francisco as her brother, so he got looks and waves as they walked through the restaurant. Mick was just as nice as her brother, too, so he stopped to sign some autographs and take selfies with a few people before he joined them at their table.

  "That will probably happen forever, won't it?" Mia asked.

  "I sure hope so," Mick said with a wry smile.

  Their waitress came over and handed them the drink menu. Mia stayed with the cabernet she'd already started. Mick ordered a soda, and Nathan ordered a beer. Tara went with the same cabernet Mia was having.

  "Where's Sam?" Mia asked.

  "He has a friend who lives next door to us that he doesn't get to see all that often," Tara said. "So he's hanging out with him and having dinner at his house tonight."

  "How fun for him."

  "Yes. He hates to lose any time with Nathan, but he does enjoy playing with Dexter."

  "I'm a novelty," Nathan said. "An hour or so with me and then he'd much rather hang out with kids his own age."

  "I'm sure most of us would prefer to hang out with kids our own age," Tara said. "Though I do enjoy seeing both of you."

  "Ditto," Mia said. "How's the business, Tara?"<
br />
  "Great. I was telling Nathan earlier we've outgrown our space, so we're going to shop for a bigger location and hire a couple of new consultants."

  "That's incredible. Congratulations."

  The waitress brought their drinks, so they paused in conversation. "Thank you," Tara said. "I'm very excited. More importantly, how's your new business?"

  "It's wonderful. I was so nervous--still am, actually. But we've picked up several clients already, have a few more that we're presenting to. Everything is running smoothly so far."

  Tara nodded. "I know what that's like. My business took off right away, too. We almost had too much business at first. Which wasn't a bad thing, just a little overwhelming."

  "Yes. Overwhelmed. That's exactly how I feel. But in a good way."

  "It's because you know what you're doing," Nathan said. "You have a solid team, and people know that. They trust you."

  She sighed, then smiled at Nathan. "Thanks for your faith in me."

  "Why aren't you with Mia's company?" Mick asked.

  Nathan paused mid drink. "I don't know. We've talked about it. It almost feels like a conflict of interest because Mia and I are--"

  Mia waited, hoping like hell Nathan said the right thing.

  "Friends."

  She exhaled. That was the right thing to say. They were more than that, maybe. Maybe not. After last weekend she felt more confused than ever. They hadn't laid down the ground rules since last weekend, because she'd been slammed with work and they hadn't had a minute to talk to each other. Hopefully soon they could have some clarification.

  "Of course you're friends," Tara said. "But friendship is one thing and business is another."

  Mick took a sip of his soda, then leaned back in his chair. "Yeah, I can see how you wouldn't want to muddy those waters, though. Something goes wrong with the business side of things--" He paused to look at Mia. "And I'm not saying they would, but if it did, it could end your friendship."

  "Exactly," Nathan said. "And I wouldn't want that to happen."

  "Neither would I." Mia gave Nathan a pointed look. "Though I do think MHC is the best management company for Nathan. So I'm a bit torn, as you can tell." She ended on a laugh.

  "I might let MHC give me a presentation, hear them out and see if what they're saying is worth the risk." Nathan looked at his parents. "You're both welcome to sit in on that if you'd like."

  Mick shook his head. "This is your career to manage as you see fit, Nathan. You don't need your mother and I to hold your hand and walk you through it."

  "I agree," Tara said. "Whatever you think is best for your long-term future is what you should do. Your dad and I will always be here if you want to bounce ideas off of us, but you're an adult now. You make the decisions."

  "Thanks. I'll think about it."

  Mia loved the confidence Nathan's parents had in him. They reminded her so much of her own parents.

  There was nothing like having people on your side who fully believed in you.

  They started looking at the menu and discussed what they were going to order. Of course, the menu was fluid, one of the things she liked most about Ninety-Two.

  "This pasta with shrimp and spinach looks amazing," Tara said. "I think that's what I want. What about you, Mia?"

  "I'm looking at the salmon. Or maybe the broiled chicken breasts."

  "I think tuna for me," Nathan said.

  "I'm having the filet."

  Tara smiled at Mick. "I'm not surprised since I've never known you to pass up a good steak. And the steaks here are very good."

  Mick grinned. "I know. Amelia makes one hell of a good steak."

  "I'll be sure to tell her you said that."

  Mia looked up to see her brother standing over her. He put his hands on her shoulders. "Hey, brat."

  "What's up, dumbass?"

  Mick grinned. "Seeing you two together is just like me with my family. Now I miss them."

  "Oh, please," Tara said. "We just had dinner at Gavin and Liz's house last week."

  Mick slanted a look at Tara. "I was going for dramatic effect, Tara."

  Mia laughed. "I sometimes miss my siblings. But not all that often."

  Flynn looked down at her. "I'm deeply offended."

  "No you're not."

  "Okay, I'm not."

  "Can you have dinner with us, Flynn?" Tara asked.

  "I don't want to intrude."

  "You're not," Nathan said. "We'd like you to join us."

  "Well, I am hungry . . ."

  Mia rolled her eyes. "You're always hungry."

  "Now that you've insulted me, of course I'd be happy to have dinner with you. Thanks."

  Flynn grabbed an extra chair and brought it to the table. Mia noticed Nathan scooted closer to her to make room for Flynn. She wasn't sure if it was because he wanted to sit beside Flynn, or because he wanted to sit closer to her.

  Either way, she was fine with it, especially when he smiled at her and gave her thigh a light squeeze before turning his attention to Flynn. It wasn't much, but it was enough considering they were dining with his parents.

  God, just his touch set her off.

  Things really had changed. They had to talk and soon.

  "So what have you decided?"

  She flipped her attention to Tara, who'd asked the question.

  "Excuse me?"

  "About dinner."

  "Oh. The salmon, definitely. Amelia makes an amazing bearnaise sauce to go with it. Plus I know Nathan will want a bite of it."

  Tara laughed. "He used to do that with my food, too. He'd order whatever I didn't so he could taste my food."

  "Some things never change, do they?"

  "No."

  When the waitress showed up to take their order, Nathan turned to face her. "What are you ordering?"

  "The salmon."

  "Oh, good. I'll have the tuna, then."

  Mia laughed, and Tara shook her head.

  Nathan looked at both of them. "What?"

  "Nothing," Tara said. "Other than you're predictable."

  Nathan frowned. "Don't know what that means, but I don't like it." He paused, staring at both of them for a few seconds. "Are you two talking about me?"

  "Yes," Mia said.

  His frown stayed planted on his face. "Mom, what are you saying to her?"

  Tara shook her head. "I didn't say anything. Honest. We're only talking about food."

  He gave them both a look of disbelief, then grudgingly turned his attention back to Flynn and Mick.

  Mia leaned toward Tara. "I don't think he believed you."

  Tara's lips curved into a smile. "He'll get over it."

  Mia chatted with Tara about her work. She was fascinated by the event planning business, and they talked about the expansion. Since Tara had built her business from the ground up, Mia picked her brain about how she started it and what problems she'd encountered along the way. They'd been so engrossed in conversation, before she knew it, their dinner had arrived.

  Mia dug in to her salmon. She'd had it here before, so she knew it was exceptionally good. It didn't take Nathan long before he scooped a bite with his fork, so she snuck a taste of his tuna, which was amazing.

  "That's really good," she said.

  "Yeah. So's the salmon. Mick's steak looks great. We'll have to come back so I can have it next time."

  She smiled. "We can do that."

  She looked up and saw Amelia coming over. She'd shed her chef's coat and looked absolutely beautiful in a pale blue blouse over navy slacks. She'd pulled her hair out of the ponytail she was wearing earlier and now it lay over her shoulders. She laid her hands on Flynn's shoulders, and he stood to brush a kiss across her lips.

  "How was your steak?" she asked.

  "Perfect, as always. Are you finished in the kitchen?"

  She nodded. "Stefanie is taking over. I thought I'd pop out here for a visit."

  "We're so glad you're taking time out to sit with us," Tara said. "Have you eaten yet?
"

  Amelia sat in the chair Flynn pulled over for her. "I eat constantly in the kitchen while I'm cooking. I have to taste everything, so I'm not hungry. I would love a glass of wine, though."

  "I'll get that for you," Flynn said. "White or red?"

  "White, please."

  Flynn went to the bar.

  "The food was amazing, Amelia," Mia said.

  "Thank you. I saw you had the salmon. I'm so glad you liked it."

  "The pasta was incredible, too," Tara said.

  "Thank you, Tara. Where is Sam?"

  "Spending the night with friends."

  "Here," Nathan said, getting up as Flynn returned with her wine. "I'll trade seats with you so you can sit by Tara and Mia."

  Amelia smiled at Nathan. "Thanks, Nathan. It's been too long since I've had an opportunity to catch up and I want to know what's going on. I feel like I'm always buried in the kitchen."

  "You say that like it's a bad thing," Tara said.

  Amelia laughed. "No, it's definitely my favorite place. But I hear you're expanding your business, Tara. And I want to hear all about Mia's new company."

  Amelia looked over at the guys, who were huddled together like they were in the midst of a football game and about to make a call on the next play. She picked up her glass of wine. "Come on. Let's get away from the guys and go outside. I could use some air."

  Mia grabbed her glass. "That sounds like a great idea."

  Nathan looked up. "Where are you going?"

  "Outside."

  "Oh. Okay. Have fun."

  As Tara and Amelia passed by, Nathan's fingers brushed against hers. She looked down at him. "What?"

  He gave her a smile. "Nothing. Just . . . you know."

  She didn't know. Or, maybe she did. It was the touch. His touch. And it was everything. "Yes."

  Her insides churned with just that simple brush of his fingers to hers.

  Dammit. She'd wanted that one night with him, that orgasmic release so she could relax and never let it happen again. But with one touch, she realized she wasn't ready to move on from him. In fact, she wanted a lot more from Nathan.

  Which was perplexing as hell.

  With a troubled sigh, she stepped outside. She needed to talk to someone about her feelings for Nathan. And the last person she could discuss them with was his mother. So she'd just have to dwell on them tonight.

  There was an outside bar and eating area. Tara and Amelia were seated at the bar, the two of them huddled together like the best of friends. Shaking off thoughts of Nathan, Mia joined them.

  "So he asked me to move in with him," Amelia said.