Hearing that name, Julie recalled the conversation with Jordan a few days ago. She’d assured him with what she assumed was the truth: that Coach Tillerson had been teasing about wanting to ask her out. He hadn’t approached her again, and she hoped he wouldn’t. His attitude that no woman could resist him hadn’t endeared him to her. Added to this were the flirtatious comments he’d made to several of the moms, women who were married. He wasn’t the type of man she could be interested in. His behavior was in sharp contrast to Eric who always maintained a friendly, but definitely respectful approach to everyone.
“He’s not sick or anything, is he?” she asked.
“No. He had to go out of town on business.”
They entered the house and walked down the hall into the kitchen. The countertop was covered with an assortment of food.
“I don’t think we’ll starve,” Julie said on a laugh.
Eric shrugged. “I might have gone a little overboard, but I’d rather have too much than not enough.”
“What do you want us to do?”
“Jordan and I are going to set up tables in the covered area by the pool. I need you to remove the hamburgers and hotdogs from the packaging and put them in those aluminum trays behind you. Wet feet on tile is an accident waiting to happen, so I’d like to limit traffic inside the house. We’ll put the plastic utensils, cups and plates outside on one of the tables, preferably one near the door. There should be some vinyl tablecloths somewhere in all of that stuff.”
“When are you planning to start grilling?”
“Around one.” Eric turned to Jordan. “Ready to put up some tables?”
“Yes, sir.”
After they left, Julie grabbed the trays and started working. She was trying to make room in the over-crowded refrigerator when she heard movement behind her. Figuring it was either Eric or Jordan, she didn’t bother turning around.
“Eric has been holding out on me.”
Julie almost dropped the jar of mayonnaise in her hand. Glancing over her shoulder, her eyes met those of the man watching her. “Oh, you scared me. I’m Julie Evans, the team mom.”
His smile grew as his bold, dark eyes looked her over from head to toe. “I’m Matt, Eric’s brother. You’re a nice surprise. A very nice surprise.”
He was something of a surprise himself with his long, wavy hair and stubble of beard. She closed the refrigerator and moved to the sink. “Didn’t he mention that I would be here?”
Matt leaned against the counter, crossing his legs at the ankles. It was then she noticed his prosthetic leg.
“He did, but for some reason I was expecting someone older. You look more like a team sister than a team mom.”
“Are you always like this?”
He shook his head. “Only when I’m recovering from shock. I’ve been trying to maneuver Eric into this for months. Who would have thought it would be so simple?”
Julie threw her hands up in the air. “I don’t understand anything you’re saying, but I do appreciate you giving up your afternoon to help us.”
He laughed. “I don’t mind helping out. I owe Eric more than I can ever repay.”
“I’m sure he doesn’t look at it that way.”
Matt reached into a bag of cookies and grabbed a handful. “He doesn’t. Eric is truly selfless and almost childishly trusting. Those qualities make him easy to take advantage of.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
For the first time, a serious expression entered his face. “I’m not sure. Maybe it’s because you look like the type of person who’d appreciate rather than exploit those qualities.”
Before Julie could respond, Eric and Jordan came through the door.
“I was wondering when you were going to make an appearance,” Eric said to Matt. “Have you been inflicting your warped sense of humor on Miss Evans?”
“I’ve been on my best behavior.”
“Which isn’t much better than your normal behavior. Is Sarah coming?”
“She had to go into work for someone else.” Matt glanced at Julie. “My girlfriend is a nurse. She’s going to regret not getting to meet you.”
“Why is that?” Julie asked, clearly puzzled.
Eric chimed in before Matt could answer. “Matt and Sarah take an unhealthy interest in everything I do.”
“I’m sure they mean well. I’m going to get these things outside. Jordan, grab the plates and napkins, and I’ll get the rest.”
Once they were alone, Eric leaned against the counter and waited for the inevitable.
“You like her,” his brother said with a wide smile.
“I like lots of people.”
“She’s done what so many others have tried to do and failed. She brought Eric Gibson out of retirement.”
Eric grinned as he took a cookie from the open bag. “Anything else you want to get out of your system before she comes back?”
“What’s with the ‘Miss Evans’?”
“I have to do that. I’m her nephew’s coach.”
“How long do you think you’ll be able to hold out?”
Eric threw him an irritated glance. “Cut it out, Matt. She’s my team mom. I don’t think of her that way.”
“Then you might want to stop looking at her as if she’s the best thing you’ve seen in years.”
“You’re seeing things,” he said with as much conviction as he could muster.
“So are you, big brother, and I couldn’t be happier about it.” Swiping another handful of cookies, Matt strolled out of the room.
Eric absently finished the cookie in his hand. Here was another person who’d commented on how he looked at Julie. How long would it be before she noticed? And how was he going to stop doing something that he wasn’t even aware he of?
The buzzer attached to the front gate sounded in his ear. He’d have to worry about this problem later. Right now, he had players arriving.
******
Julie chose a seat under a brightly colored umbrella away from where she would get wet, but still close enough to keep an eye on Jordan. He was a good swimmer, but with this many kids, she had to be vigilant.
The highlight of the day - for the few women who’d chosen to stick around - was when Matt and Eric took off their shirts and joined the boys in the pool. They looked like those guys pictured on the covers of those weightlifting magazines with their bulging biceps and sculpted torsos. Julie allowed herself one look and then confined her attention to Jordan.
One of the fathers sat down at the table next to her. “This is some set-up, isn’t it?”
Julie laughed. “I think I could get used to it.”
“Not many of us will ever have the chance. I’m Todd Hamlin, Jason’s father.”
“I’m Julie Evans, Jordan’s aunt.”
He took a drink of soda. “I’ve been trying to figure out why you look so familiar. Do you teach at Springcreek?”
“Yes, I do. I’ve been there for two years.”
“My daughter Amanda went there last year.”
“Amanda Hamlin. I remember her. She was in the classroom next to mine.”
“My wife is so upset that she had to work today. Like most women in St. Marys, she’s a little in love with Coach Gibson. I’m glad she isn’t here to see him with his shirt off. I’d be hearing about that for days.”
Julie’s lips twitched. “No comment.”
He laughed knowingly. “I was a few years ahead of him in school. He was one of those quiet, studious types. I couldn’t believe he actually went on a reality show. I guess if you pay someone enough money, they’ll do anything.”
This was more or less the conclusion Julie had reached, but hearing someone else put it into words flooded her mind with doubts. “We don’t know the circumstances.”
“We know everything else. That woman he married made sure of that. It was the beginning of the end for him. A few months after that fiasco, he hurt his arm and had to quit baseball.”
They shouldn’
t be talking about Eric like this. Julie stood up. “Excuse me, Todd. I need to go check on something I left in the oven.”
“I figured this thing would be catered. It’s not like our coach can’t afford it.”
“I’m glad he didn’t. It’s more fun to do it ourselves.”
He glanced at her coyly. “How did you manage to get the most coveted position on the team?”
Something in the way he said it made Julie uneasy. “Are you talking about being the team mom?”
He nodded. “I know quite a few moms are heartbroken.”
“You’re being ridiculous. I’ll be back in a minute.”
******
As Julie made her way into the house, she wished Todd Hamlin had kept his insinuating comments to himself. Now she was going to feel self-conscious around the other parents. Eric’s insistence on calling her Miss Evans appeared to be a stroke of genius. He’d been well aware of what she’d be up against.
She took as long as she could checking the beans and moving things around in the kitchen. Such delay tactics were beneath her, but she didn’t want to hear anything else. Through the French doors, she could see Jordan standing on the diving board preparing to do a cannonball. The happiness reflected on his face made her forget all that other unpleasantness. She wasn’t a substitute for Devon, but she was doing her best to hold down the fort until he returned.
Jordan surfaced next to Eric, who had positioned himself in the deeper part of the pool. Only the back of his head and the tops of his bronze shoulders were visible. As he raised his hand to throw a football to one of the boys, the muscles rippled in his arm. She couldn’t take her eyes off him as he moved forward in the water. She remembered what Devon said about him being formidable on the mound. She could understand why.
When she noticed Eric getting out of the pool, Julie decided she needed to find something else to do. Did she want to be caught standing there drooling over him when he came inside? Moving away from the window, she grabbed the oven mitts and removed the beans. Then she reached into the refrigerator for the fruit salad. The door opened and closed.
“Ready for some food?” Eric asked as he came up beside her.
“Sure am.” She turned to face him, relieved to see that he’d put on a shirt.
His eyes slid over her. “You look like a glass of pink lemonade on a hot summer day.”
“Very poetical. Kind of surprising for a jock.”
“I surprise myself sometimes. I’m going to start the grill.” He reached around her for the lighter.
“You smell like chlorine.”
Eric laughed. “You smell like peaches. I’ve noticed it before.”
“It’s the lotion I use.”
“I like it, but that’s not surprising since I like peaches.”
A bead of water dropped from his hair onto his forehead. Julie reached up and wiped it away. She heard Eric’s indrawn breath as her fingers slid across his skin. What was she doing? Appalled, her eyes met his briefly before she lowered them to his chin.
“I’m sorry. I’m so used to blowing noses, wiping faces and combing hair that I do things like that without thinking.”
He grinned ruefully. “So you didn’t mean to do it. I wish you hadn’t told me that.”
Julie wished he’d move back a little. If someone came in and saw them standing so close together, they’d never believe she was just a team mom. “What difference does it make?” she asked, her voice sounding annoyingly breathless.
“There’s a big difference between touching a little boy in your class and touching a man. To the first, it’s something he takes for granted. To the second, it’s something he hopes will be repeated.”
Her heart nearly stopped and then began to beat frantically against the wall of her chest. What was he saying? That he wanted her to touch him? To her relief, he stepped away.
He was almost to the door when he turned around. “I apologize, Miss Evans. That was a totally inappropriate thing to say. I can’t think why I said it.” Eric hesitated and a reluctant smile appeared. “Well, that’s not true. I know why I said it, but I shouldn’t have.”
The way his eyes shifted away from hers reminded her of Jordan. “It’s okay.”
“This is what I was trying to tell you the other night. Most everything I say and do around women comes out wrong.”
“You didn’t say anything wrong.”
“So you’re not upset?”
She shook her head. “Go start the grill.”
The door opened and a sunburned face appeared. “Coach Gibson, are you coming back?”
“I’ll be right there. Tell everyone they’ve got five more minutes in the pool.” After the door closed behind the boy, he said, “I probably just confirmed everything you’ve been thinking about me.”
He left before she could tell him any different.
******
As Eric stood at the grill flipping patties and turning hotdogs, he wished he could undo that scene in the kitchen. Especially what happened after Julie touched him. Up to that point, his actions had only been somewhat questionable. After that, he definitely crossed the line.
When he walked through the door and saw her standing there in an outfit that hugged her slight curves like a glove, his common sense had flown out the window. He compounded his problems by getting too close to her. But even that could have been overcome. It was her innocent touch that sealed his fate. It had taken every ounce of self-control he possessed not to kiss the lips so close to his own. He was in serious trouble. The last thing he should be thinking about was kissing his team mom.
“Are the hotdogs ready? I can take them over to the table for you.”
Her voice startled him, causing him to drop the hamburger he’d been in the act of flipping over. He chanced a look into Julie’s face, relieved to find her expression reassuringly normal. Had he imagined that earlier scene when she looked anything but composed? More like terrified and waiting for him to pounce on her.
“That would be great. The burgers need another ten minutes or so.” She held out the tray, and he put the hotdogs into it. “Thank you, Miss Evans.” She smiled and walked away.
That was the last time she was anywhere near him for the next two hours. Eric couldn’t decide if that was coincidence or intentional on her part. After escorting what he hoped was the last boy to his car, (with the exception of Jordan), he walked wearily into the house. This had been more tiring than mowing three lawns.
He found Matt and Jordan in the kitchen sitting on the counter eating chips. “How can you guys still be hungry?”
“We played hard today, didn’t we, Jordan?”
“Where is Miss Evans?”
Jordan pointed outside. “She said she wanted to see the lake before she left.”
Eric ignored the voice in his head that urged him to go after her. He was certain she’d had enough of him for one day. “If you two can stop eating long enough, let’s get those tables put away.”
“Who spit in your grits?” asked Matt.
“No one. I just want to get this done before dark.”
With three people doing it, the tables were quickly taken down and stored away. Eric gathered up wet towels and hung them over the backs of the chairs to dry. Then he went inside to let Delilah out of his bedroom. She ran straight to the front door and started barking.
Eric followed the little dog outside into the grass. When he crouched down beside her, she rolled over on her back. “We’re not out here to play, silly girl. We’re taking a walk.”
He put Delilah back on her feet and started down the driveway. He would normally have headed to the lake, but since that was where Julie had gone, he decided to go in the opposite direction.
******
Julie hadn’t realized the full extent of Eric’s property until she walked to the lake. She liked that he hadn’t felt the need to alter the natural beauty of the land. On her way back to the house, she stopped to take a look at the baseball field Jordan had mentio
ned. It was about half the size of a major league park, but it didn’t lack anything. There were dugouts, bleachers, a scoreboard and a concession stand.
Who in the world played on it?
Deciding it would be quicker to return via the driveway, she followed the brick wall until she saw the elaborate entrance gate. She was surprised to see Eric walking back to the house with Delilah. As she watched, he put some envelopes in his pocket and bent down to pick up the dog.
“Are you tired, sweet thing?”
In the stillness of the late afternoon, his words reached her easily. The deep voice was laced with affection, bringing a smile to her lips. He obviously didn’t realize he had an audience. Would it embarrass him to know she’d heard him talking like that to a dog? She decided to alert him to her presence before he said anything else.
“Coach Gibson,” she called out to him.
Eric swung around to face her, a tentative smile on his face. “Where did you come from?”
“I’m taking a shortcut back to the house. How many acres do you have?”
“A little over a hundred. I’m hoping I can talk Matt into building here.”
“I’d like to have a house one day.”
“With or without a husband?”
“I’ve always thought of the two going together. Does that sound very outdated?”
“It sounds sensible. I could have used a woman’s perspective when I had mine built.” As if he sensed her unspoken question, he went on. “I got tired of living in apartments. I wanted a place to come home to in the off-season. After I got married, I brought Sydney here, but she preferred to live in Atlanta.”
“What would you have done with it? If things had turned out differently.”
He sent her a curious glance. “Are you trying to be tactful?”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be asking questions about your personal life.”
“My marriage was anything but private. I would have kept the house no matter what happened. It was built for a woman, but she wasn’t my wife.”
Julie remembered the paintings on the walls. “Was it your mother?”
“Sounds silly, doesn’t it? Building a house for a woman who would never be able to live in it.”
Team Mom: A Sweet Contemporary Romance (Finding Love Book 1) Page 8
