Team Mom: A Sweet Contemporary Romance (Finding Love Book 1)

by Delaney Cameron

  “A part of her lives in it – through you.”

  “Very few people get that. She loved to paint so I had an artist’s studio built on the second floor. How’s that for extreme?”

  Julie was glad she was wearing sunglasses so he wouldn’t see the sudden tears in her eyes. Was this the real Eric, the man behind the façade he showed to the world? She was finding it more and more difficult to believe that this thoughtful man could have deceived so many people for material gain. “It’s not crazy,” she said slowly. “It’s an expression of love.”

  He looked away from her. “Some would call it an obsession, and an unhealthy one at that.”

  Was Sydney among those who didn’t understand the desire of a son to honor his mother? “There’s nothing wrong with remembering someone you love, especially someone who obviously means so much to you and made such an impact on your life.”

  He shifted Delilah in his arms. “My mother never missed a single game from the time I started playing until she died. She never complained about all the weekends when she sat outside in all kinds of weather watching me play. I didn’t realize the sacrifices she made until it was too late.”

  “That’s not unusual. Most people don’t appreciate their parents until they have children of their own.”

  “She wanted me to be a good person, not just a good pitcher. She told me that if I ever made it big to remember that I represent not only myself, but everyone in my family, and to never do anything that would bring criticism to the name I carry.” He stopped and his lips twisted. “I’m glad she wasn’t around to see how badly I raked her name through the mud.”

  The pain in his voice was more telling than his words. Julie wished she knew what to say to comfort him, but with so little knowledge of his situation, she felt it was better to say nothing.

  “I’m sorry, Miss Evans; I’ve made you uncomfortable. Again.”

  “It’s not that. I don’t want to say the wrong thing.”

  “A discreet woman. Do you know how rare that is?”

  She reached over and rubbed Delilah’s head. “Is it as rare as a man who calls his dog ‘sweet thing’?”

  “You heard that, huh? Are you sure I was talking to the dog?”

  “Well, I don’t think you were talking to yourself.”

  “I could have been talking to you.”

  Julie chuckled. “I hope not. Can you imagine what would happen if any of the team parents heard that?”

  “It would be the end of my short-lived coaching career. I’ve almost called you ‘Julie’ on several occasions. After what happened today, it’s probably only a matter of time before ‘sweet thing’ slips out in front of someone.”

  “I’m afraid you’ve lost me. What are you talking about?”

  “Apparently what was another day at the office for you was life-altering for me.”

  “Life-altering?” she asked skeptically.

  “Is that too much?”

  “It doesn’t matter what you call it. I told you why I did that.”

  “It also doesn’t matter why you did it. A touch is like a word; it can’t be taken back. It will always be there between us.”

  She tilted her head to the side. “I can’t figure you out. One minute you’re calling me Miss Evans, and the next you’re saying things like that.”

  “I did mention my problems dealing with women.”

  “I don’t know if I’d call it problems. It’s a nice change to meet a man who’s not afraid to say what he thinks.”

  “It’s only nice if the woman wants to hear it. Otherwise it’s either boring or alarming.”

  Julie rolled her eyes. “I can’t imagine you ever get either of those reactions.”

  “I’ve experienced both of them, the first from my ex-wife and the second from you earlier today in the kitchen.”

  She stopped walking. “From me? I wasn’t alarmed.”

  “You could have fooled me.”

  She glanced away from him. “You took me by surprise, that’s all.”

  “Then I better not tell you what I’m thinking right now. You’ll never speak to me again.”

  “Would that bother you?”

  “Yes, it would.” With his free hand, he reached down and lightly touched her hair. “It’s as soft as it looks.”

  Her scalp tingled with awareness. “Is that what you were afraid to tell me?” she asked when he drew his hand away.

  “No, it was more in the nature of a request that will require some cooperation from you.” Eric saw the tide of color wash over her face. “You’re looking alarmed again. We better get back to the house. By the way, I got a text from Coach Watson. Our uniforms are ready. I’ll pick them up on Monday and bring them to practice so the boys can try them on.”

  His return to a normal topic of conversation should have been a relief. Instead, Julie was aware of disappointment. Eric had said so many puzzling things to her in the last few hours she didn’t know how to react. “I hope I got the right sizes for Jordan. He’s in a growth spurt right now.”

  “If something doesn’t fit, we can exchange it.” Delilah lifted her head and perked up her ears. “Someone’s coming.”

  In a few seconds, Jordan and Matt came into view.

  “We were beginning to think you two got lost…or something,” Matt said with a speculative glance at Eric.

  “I was taking the grand tour and ran into Coach Gibson,” Julie answered before turning to Eric. “I meant to ask you, why do you have a baseball field in your yard?”

  His lips formed a teasing grin. “Do you even need to ask? It’s a monument to my huge ego.”

  “I might have thought that a few weeks ago, but not now.”

  Matt burst out laughing. “You’ve got a winner here, Eric.”

  “Is anyone going to answer my question?” Julie asked.

  “I sponsor a tournament every summer.”

  “You let people come on your property? Isn’t that risky?”

  “Of course it is,” Matt put in. “But there’s no talking him out of it.”

  “Can we talk about something else?” Eric asked, with a warning glance in his brother’s direction.

  By this time, they’d reached the house. Matt walked to his truck. “I’m going to relieve you of my company for a few hours.”

  “Thanks for your help today. Don’t keep Sarah out too late,” Eric advised.

  “I don’t think that will be a problem. I’m exhausted. It was nice meeting you, Jordan and you, too, Julie. Once the actual games get started, I’ll be in the stands cheering everyone on.”

  “I probably won’t be playing much. I’m not very good yet,” Jordan admitted.

  “You’ve got to be better than me. Baseball requires too much discipline. I finally gave up and switched to football.”

  “Matt was a great tight end,” Eric told them. “He turned down a scholarship to go into the army.”

  “Why did you do that?” asked Jordan.

  “I couldn’t resist the opportunity to drive a tank. I’ll see you guys later.”

  After Matt left, Julie said, “It’s time we were leaving, too, Jordan. I’m sure Coach Gibson is ready for some peace and quiet.”

  ******

  Eric watched the taillights of Julie’s car disappear and then walked slowly into the house. After a day filled with activity, everything was silent again. Silent and lonely. Why was that suddenly so unappealing?

  His steps took him to the kitchen. An empty room greeted him instead of a woman with a smile that made his heart flutter. His brother, not the most observant of people, had nailed it. Eric had finally come across a female he couldn’t ignore.

  A sigh slipped through his lips. Julie reminded him of how he used to be before success took its toll, destroying his illusions and sucking the innocence from him. She made him want to believe again – in people and in himself. When he looked into her eyes, he saw sincerity and kindness, not an ulterior motive. And he couldn’t resist wanting to take what she
so freely offered.

  He hadn’t meant to tell her about the house, not with Sydney’s ‘you have mommy issues’ still fresh in his mind. Even now, he wasn’t sure why he had, but he didn’t regret it. Julie hadn’t looked at him strangely or laughed. She really seemed to understand and appreciate what he’d tried to do. A promise was a promise; it didn’t matter that his mother hadn’t lived long enough to see him fulfill it.

  Picking up the mail, he headed down the hall to his office. The once-neat desk was strewn with receipts, purchase orders and bills, all courtesy of Matt. His brother’s record-keeping methods for their growing business left much to be desired. Eric sat down heavily in the chair. Did he really want to do this now? Wouldn’t it be more pleasant to remember the silky softness of Julie’s hair and the intoxicating scent of her skin?

  Something cold and wet touched his leg. Looking down, he saw Delilah. “Are you lonely, too, sweet thing?” He picked her up and settled her on his lap.

  Eric flipped through the envelopes, stopping when he got to the small, yellow one. It had to be the dreaded couple’s shower invitation. How upset would Thomas be if he didn’t come? Would it look that bad if the best man wasn’t there?

  He’d never be forgiven, that’s for sure. He’d have to go and make the best of it. Maybe he could make an excuse to leave before the games started. Nothing would be worse than having to endure party games designed for couples. It might be fun if he was in a relationship, but he didn’t like being forced to do silly things with a stranger. And that’s exactly what would happen if he went without a partner: Teresa would pair him with someone. All in fun, of course.

  He was so tired of everyone telling him how to have fun. As if he didn’t know what he liked and what he wanted. A picture of Julie stole into his mind. He definitely knew what he liked. As for the couple’s shower, he needed to take Thomas’ advice and bring someone.

  Eric leaned back in the chair, a startling idea flitting through his tired brain. He wouldn’t mind going with her. But would she do it? He couldn’t just ask something like that out of the blue. This operation would require tact and diplomacy: two things he obviously didn’t possess. With a dry smile, Eric grabbed his phone.

  ******

  Jordan was understandably excited when they got home from the pool party. It took longer than usual to get him settled for the night. After taking a shower, Julie sat down to check her emails. When her phone beeped, she was surprised to see a text from Eric.

  Would you and Jordan be interested in going to a movie tomorrow?

  Though she hadn’t wanted to admit Eric was right, what happened in the kitchen at his house had changed the dynamic between them. It also made her question whether he was including her in this invitation to the movie because he thought he had to or because he wanted to.

  I’m sure Jordan would love that.

  Does that mean I’ve given you such a disgust of me that you don’t want to come?

  I didn’t mean that at all.

  Good. There’s a super hero movie playing at four. We could get something to eat afterward.

  Sounds like a plan.

  Wow, that was easy.

  Were you expecting it to be hard?

  I was expecting you to refuse. I’ll pick you guys up at three-thirty.

  Okay. See you tomorrow.

  Julie returned to her emails, but they weren’t nearly as exciting and couldn’t hold her attention for long. In the back of her mind questions lingered. She knew Eric liked Jordan. What she didn’t know was where she fit into that picture. Was Jordan the sole motivation or did Eric want to spend time with her, not as a team mom, but as…something else? She remembered the gentle touch of his fingers in her hair. There was no question about his ability to stir a woman’s emotions. What she didn’t know was how deeply his own were involved.

  Chapter Six

  Eric pulled into the parking lot of Julie’s apartment and impatiently wiped his sweating palms on his jeans. Why was he so nervous? With Jordan along, this was anything but a date, which was just as well. He hadn’t actually gone on that many dates, and the few he remembered didn’t make him anxious to label this as one. Better to think of today as a chance to get to know someone with no expectations or preconceived notions.

  Like most professional sports figures, baseball players had access to women wherever they went. It was considered by many to be a reward. Eric’s decision to forego those opportunities had led to speculation of every variety. He ignored the whispered comments and locker room jokes exchanged behind his back. Only one player made the mistake of actually saying something to his face. That person found out quickly enough that Eric’s reputation for being cool and unruffled on the mound didn’t mean he didn’t have a temper. Even quiet volcanoes erupt every now and then.

  He avoided those easy conquests because he wanted more than a meaningless physical relationship. He wanted a friend as well as a lover: someone who would stick around when he wasn’t winning games and breaking records - someone with whom he could share every part of his life, not just his bank balance.

  Until he met Sydney, he hadn’t thought a woman existed who cared about the man behind his public persona. As if someone granted her a window into his soul, she knew all the right things to say and do. Her assumed air of innocence bewitched him. She succeeded in making him believe that he - and not his name or his possessions - was the only thing that mattered.

  When the dust from that mockery of love and marriage settled, he swore off women and shut himself off from the world. Contrary to what Matt and many others thought, he didn’t want to live the rest of his life alone. He knew at some point he would open his heart again because deep down his desires hadn’t changed.

  He wanted to believe that somewhere there was a woman who wouldn’t laugh at his romantic notion that love could last a lifetime. Eric had no idea if Julie was that woman, but she was the first female since Sydney to rouse his interest and make him willing to lift his self-imposed ban on a social life.

  Jordan opened the door before he could even ring the bell.

  “Hey, Coach Gibson. Aunt Julie will be out in a minute. She can’t seem to decide what to wear.”

  Eric wondered if he could take that as a good sign. “That’s fine. I don’t know about you, but I was so tired from yesterday that I slept in until almost ten this morning.”

  “We got up at nine and went to church.”

  Julie came down the hall to join them. “Sorry about the delay, guys.”

  He hoped he didn’t look as stunned as he felt. Yesterday she bowled him over in pink; today she took his breath away in blue. “No problem, Miss Evans.”

  Jordan grabbed his iPod off the table. “We should get going. Aunt Julie doesn’t like to sit too close to the front.”

  Eric didn’t care where they sat. He was too busy reminding himself to breathe and not to stare at Julie. He welcomed the endless questions from Jordan as they drove to the theater. It allowed him time to regain his composure. This was too reminiscent of how he felt when he first realized girls could be more than study partners. Wasn’t he too old for these teenager-type reactions?

  ******

  When they entered the crowded lobby, Julie got her first taste of being in a public place with Eric. Heads turned, fingers pointed, and conversations stopped. She had to give him credit; he seemed oblivious to the attention he received. Maybe he’d just learned to block it out. But what must it be like to be so recognized? To always be on display? It couldn’t be easy. Didn’t he get tired of all the attention? The relentless scrutiny?

  Todd Hamlin’s remarks ran through her mind. She hadn’t thought about it before, but was her presence with Eric going to be front page news or worse, cause problems with the baseball team? The last thing she wanted was for any of the parents to think she had any influence over the coach.

  “What’s wrong? Don’t you like butter on popcorn?” Eric asked.

  Giving herself a mental shake, she hastened to reassur
e him. “Nothing’s wrong, and yes, I like butter on popcorn.”

  “Whew! That’s a relief. I thought I’d messed up already.”

  She looked around in confusion. “Where’s Jordan?”

  “I sent him back for some peanut M&M’s.”

  “I don’t think we’re going to want anything to eat after the movie.”

  “You might not, but I can guarantee you that Jordan and I will. Here he comes. Let’s go see if we can find some decent seats in this madhouse.”

  Once they got inside the dimly lit theater, Eric motioned Jordan to go ahead of him into the aisle. Julie went next. It wasn’t until they sat down that she realized Jordan might prefer to sit next to Eric.

  “Do you want to switch seats with me, Jordan?”

  “No, ma’am. I’m fine.”

  Eric leaned down close to her ear. “Are you afraid to sit by me?”

  “I don’t know. Are you going to behave?” she asked in a voice only he could hear.

  “Before I answer that, we should probably settle on a definition of ‘behave’. I’m not sure we think about it the same way.”

  She laughed. “I know we don’t.”

  He threw her the boyish grin she found so hard to resist. “Let’s start with the obvious. Does behaving automatically exclude the infamous ‘movie move’?”

  “Are we seriously discussing this?”

  “I’ll take that for a ‘maybe’. How about the subtle, but effective, hand on the leg?”

  “I think you’re forgetting we have an impressionable child with us.”

  “Does that mean any or all of the above would be on the table if we were here without Jordan?”

  Julie bit her lip to keep from laughing. Who would have thought he’d be so entertaining? “I couldn’t stop you from trying; whether you’d be successful is another story.”

  “I believe you’re what they call a flirt, Miss Evans,” he whispered as the lights went out and the previews started.

  She choked on the piece of popcorn in her mouth and had to be thumped on the back by Eric.

  “That prize goes to you, Coach Gibson,” she replied when she could speak again.