by Jackie Braun
“I guess so,” he said slowly. “Why?”
Those full lips bloomed into a smile that managed to be sexy despite the calculating gleam in her eyes. “Have you ever been to a T-ball game?”
* * *
What was she thinking, inviting Alec to join her at the game?
Julia asked herself the question a dozen times as she maneuvered through traffic after picking up her children from St. Augustine’s after-school program. Her goal was that Danielle and Colin never had to spend more than two hours there on any given day. Except during the summer. In another week, the school year would wrap up, and her children would be spending three days a week there, with the other two at their grandparents’ just outside the city.
Guilt nipped, as it always did, even though it couldn’t be helped. She was a working mother, the sole breadwinner. The after-school program wasn’t a bad one. The kids went on field trips to places such as Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History, Navy Pier and the John C. Shedd Aquarium. But before they were born, Julia had pictured their lives differently. She’d planned to be a stay-at-home mom. For a brief time she had been. Then Scott had gotten sick and plans had changed.
“What’s for dinner?” Colin asked from the backseat as she brought the car to a stop at a light.
“Turkey grinders from Howard’s Deli,” Julia replied, deciding not to add that they would be on whole wheat buns with slices of tomato and green peppers and shredded lettuce to at least make them a somewhat balanced meal.
In the rearview mirror, she watched his face scrunch up. “Can’t it be cheeseburgers? Please, please, please!”
Danielle sighed, and in a superior tone, said, “He only wants the toy that comes with the children’s meal.”
She was nine, going on nineteen. It scared Julia sometimes, how serious and mature her daughter could be.
“You’ve got that line between your eyebrows, Mommy,” Colin observed. “Does that mean you’re thinking about it?”
To ward off further argument, Julia said, “Maybe.”
A snort sounded from the backseat. “When parents say they’re thinking about something or use the word maybe, it means no,” Danielle said. “Mom has been thinking about letting me go to art camp for a month now.”
Julia caught a glimpse of her daughter’s mutinous expression. “I am thinking about it. I haven’t ruled it out, Danielle.”
Where the camp was located and how much it cost weren’t what caused Julia’s stomach to drop. A full week away? Could Danielle handle that? Could Julia?
“I really want to go,” her daughter said quietly.
“I want to go, too!” Colin shouted. “Can I go, too, Mommy?”
“You can’t,” Danielle insisted. “It’s not for babies. Besides, you can’t even color inside the lines!”
Colin sent up a wail that rivaled a fire truck’s siren. By the time they reached the baseball diamond fifty-five minutes and one stop at the deli later, Julia had a raging headache. She barely had a chance to shift the car into Park before Colin was unbuckled and out the door.
“Hey! Come back and get your bag!” she called after him before he could get too far.
Julia had enough to tote, what with lawn chairs and a portable canopy that she kept on hand to shield them from the blazing afternoon sun. Danielle was of little help since she was carrying the bottles of water they’d picked up at the deli.
As Julia slammed the trunk closed, a slick, black sports coupe with tinted windows pulled into the parking space next to hers. It came as no surprise when Alec unfolded himself from the driver’s side of the
foreign-made two-seater. If a car could scream “no kids,” this one would.
He was still dressed in a suit, although he’d thought to loosen his tie. Mirrored, designer lenses shaded his eyes. His appearance said important. It said, I wield power. He looked like anything but a fun-loving family man.
“I’ve got my work cut out for me,” Julia muttered and forced a smile.
It didn’t help that the first words out of his mouth were a complaint. “It’s broiling out here.”
“Be thankful we’re the home team today. Fans of the visiting team will be looking straight into the sun for the entire game.”
“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”
She shrugged. “I told you to change your clothes.”
She had, happily trading in heels and a skirt for shorts and flat sandals when they’d grabbed dinner at the deli. “This is T-ball.”
“I didn’t have time to stop off at my apartment if I wanted make it here on time. Our meeting earlier aside, I do try to be punctual.”
She nodded her acceptance of what she figured he intended as an apology. “You might want to lose the suit coat.”
“No need to say that twice.”
As Alec shrugged out of it, she tried not to stare, but her gaze was pulled to the firm upper body showcased in the tailored cotton dress shirt. Genetics alone weren’t responsible for those shoulders or that chest. He might spend a lot of hours behind a desk, but he made time for exercise. When her gaze returned to his face, she realized he was watching her. One side of his mouth was lifted in amusement. Heat that had nothing to do with the soaring mercury suffused her face.
She cleared her throat. “The tie, too,” she added after he carefully laid the jacket over his car’s seat.
“You’re the expert.”
He freed the tie with a gentle tug. Even though they were out in public, the gesture came across as intimate.
What was she thinking?
This time, the question Julia posed to herself had nothing to do with her spontaneous invitation to the T-ball game and everything to do with feminine awareness. Hormones she’d forgotten she had, started to sizzle and snap to life. It was ridiculous. It was a relief, a small voice whispered. Flustered, Julia glanced away, only to have her gaze land on Danielle, who was watching her, too.
“Who is this?” her daughter demanded bluntly.
Julia would have a word with her later about her manners. For now she said, “This is Mr. McAvoy. He’s a client. Alec, these are my children, Danielle and Colin.”
Danielle was undeterred. “Why is he here?”
“Isn’t that obvious?” Colin said. “He wants to watch my game.”
“That’s right, champ.” Alec touched the brim of her son’s cap. The gesture came off as choreographed and his words sounded overly enthusiastic. While Julia gave him points for trying, his awkwardness around kids came through loud and clear.
Danielle rolled her eyes.
“We’re not champs.” Colin lowered his squeaky voice to a confidential whisper. “Just so you know, for T-ball, they don’t even keep score.”
“Oh.” Alec glanced over at Julia, his expression not so much sheepish as unnerved. No doubt about it. He was operating outside his comfort zone.
“Why is he here, Mom?” Danielle demanded again.
“Danielle,” Julia replied in a tone that was stern despite being soft. She sent an apologetic smile in Alec’s direction.
“It’s all right.”
It wasn’t, but Julia told her daughter, “Mr. McAvoy
doesn’t have children, but he needs to know a little bit more about them for his job. So, I have agreed to help him.”
“You’re not dating, though. Right?”
“No!”
“Good.” What was that supposed to mean? Danielle didn’t give Julia much of a chance to wonder, before adding, “So, we’re guinea pigs?”
“Actually, I think I’m the guinea pig,” Alec replied.
Danielle’s brows drew together in consideration. “Kids are a lot of work, you know.”
“So I’ve been told.”
“Think you’re up to it?” she asked baldly. “Most single men aren’t.”
He glanced over at Julia, who smiled weakly. She’d never said as much out loud, but she was left to wonder if that was the message she’d been telegraphing.
&nb
sp; “I hope so,” he answered. “My job is sort of depending on it.”
“You came to the right person,” Colin assured him with a gap-toothed grin. “Our mom knows everything.”
Alec wasn’t much for know-it-alls, but when they looked like Julia Stillwell, he was willing to make an exception, especially if her efforts succeeded in turning around his public image and professional future.
He had to admit, her kids seemed bright and well-adjusted...if a little outspoken in the daughter’s case. The apple hadn’t fallen far from the tree apparently. It was clear Julia loved them and, just as importantly, put them first. That was something his ex-girlfriend hadn’t done. Something his parents had never managed. The fact that she kicked off early on a regular basis and was willing to sit outside in the broiling sun at a T-ball game was proof of that. He couldn’t help wondering, what had happened to Mr. Stillwell?
The kids tumbled on ahead, Colin hoisting his equipment bag, Danielle carrying the water bottles.
Alec remembered his manners then.
“Can I carry something?”
“You can. Thanks.” Julia handed over a portable canopy. It folded up into a duffel bag that measured nearly four feet long. Alec frowned as he hefted it to his shoulder.
“This is heavy.”
“You can take the chairs, if you’d prefer.”
He bristled a little at that. “I’m not complaining. I’m just surprised you were able to carry this.” He
nodded to the chairs and her oversized purse. “And all that, too.”
“I’m a mom. We tote stuff around all the time.” She didn’t appear insulted as much as amused.
And sexy. Yeah, definitely sexy, with her sleek arms loaded in such a way that the strain caused her cotton T-shirt to pull across her breasts.
“Do I look frail?” she asked.
“You look...fit.” It wasn’t what he planned to say, but Alec figured the first adjective that had popped to mind might get him smacked.
They made their way to the diamond. Three small trees were staggered behind the home team’s bench. Every square inch of the meager shade they provided was occupied with people on blankets or seated in folding chairs.
“You’ve got to get here early to score a spot in the shade,” she said, noting the direction of his gaze. She nodded to the duffel bag he carried. “That’s why I bring my own. I learned that lesson the hard way the first year Danielle played.”
Her daughter had stopped to talk to a couple of girls who looked to be about her age.
“Does she still play?” Alec asked. She was a cute little thing despite her penchant for speaking her mind.
“T-ball? Not anymore. Too old. She played one year of coach-pitch baseball, but now she’s into soccer. She has a game on Saturday.”
“Are you telling me I need to clear my schedule again?” he teased.
Julia’s tone was thoughtful. “We’ll see. You might need another dry run, so to speak, before I turn you loose on kids who are more impressionable than mine.”
It was an interesting assessment. Alec wanted to be insulted, but before he could express any indignation, Julia was calling for her son to stop playing in the chalky dirt next to the home team’s bench. A couple of the other kids were doing the same thing, and their parents were after them too as soon as a stifling breeze kicked up and began carrying the dust out toward the spectators.
“Serious ballplayers, I see.”
The kids all wore bright orange jerseys and ball caps, sporting the sponsor’s name. If they were bothered by the heat or the now gritty air, they didn’t show it.
Julia laughed. The sound was pleasant, as was the way humor lit up her eyes and caused the dimples to dent her cheeks.
“Wait till they let ground balls slip by in the outfield because they’re too busy picking dandelions, or the game has to be stopped for a few minutes because the batter has lost a tooth.” She stopped walking and set down the chairs. “This is a good spot.”
Five minutes and one pinched finger later, the canopy was up and they were ensconced in a pair of relatively comfortable lawn chairs underneath it. Out of the sun, the heat was almost tolerable.
“How’s your finger?” she inquired politely. She’d been scanning the area, waving to this person and calling out a greeting to that one. All the while, she kept an eye on her kids.
Alec studied the purplish welt just between the first and second knuckles on his index finger. “No worse than my pride. How do you get this thing up by yourself?”
“I don’t. Colin and Danielle are too small to be much help, but I can usually recruit another parent or two to give me a hand.”
As if on cue, a large woman wearing a baseball cap and a shirt emblazoned with Logan’s Mom ambled into view.
“Hey, Julia, I was just making my way over to help when I saw you didn’t need me. So, who’s your new friend?”
She grinned at Alec, openly curious. He’d already noticed some of the parents casting furtive glances his way. Julia was going to have some explaining to do at the next game, he figured, amused.
“This is Alec McAvoy. He’s a...business associate. Alec, this is Karen Croswell. She’s—”
“Logan’s mom,” he finished for her.
Karen glanced down at her well-endowed chest. Her son’s name began to jiggle with her accompanying laughter. When her gaze returned to Alec’s it held as much feminine interest as it did humor.
“So, you and Julia know one another through work, hmm?”
“That’s right.”
Julia cleared her throat. “Alec is a client. I invited him along so he could get a feel for what parents go through.”
The explanation filled in some blanks while also being cryptic enough to raise more questions.
“Oh? Are you and your wife expecting a child?”
He decided it was easier just to play along with her fishing expedition. “No kids, no wife.”
Although it was true, he didn’t appreciate the way Julia added, “Alec is married to his career.”
If she’d been trying to warn off Karen, it backfired. “So you’re just a client of Julia’s.”
“Right.”
“Yep. That’s all,” Julia agreed.
Karen’s eyes lit up like twin Christmas trees. “Like Julia, here, I’m a single mom. That’s why the two of us stick together at T-ball games. We help each other out with things like raising canopies. The other moms have husbands to give them a hand.”
He glanced at Julia. Her expression was inscrutable. “Julia looks like she manages just fine. She’s—”
“Fit,” Julia finished for him. “Or so I’ve been told.”
“I meant it as a compliment.”
“And I took it as one.”
Alec wondered.
Karen, who’d been watching their exchange, was frowning. Confused no doubt. He couldn’t say he blamed her.
She said, “Julia is a lot more resourceful than I am. I don’t know what I’d do without her.”
“You’d be fine, Karen,” Julia replied with a patient smile. Then added, “Are Logan’s allergies flaring up again? He looks like he could use a tissue before the game starts.”
Karen withdrew, but not before shaking Alec’s hand again. “It was really nice to meet you. Maybe I’ll see you again. I’d be happy to help you research what parents go through.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Karen comes on a little...strong, but she has a good heart,” Julia remarked when they were alone again.
“She seemed...nice.” He didn’t know what else to say.
“She’s not your type, I gather.”
“No.” He said it slowly, mentally glancing around for land mines.
“Kids can be a turnoff.”
Uh-oh. “My interest or lack thereof in this case has nothing to do with her being a single mother.”
“Oh, that’s right. You’ll date women with children, as long as nannies are involved.”
Forget land mines. It was his temper that was threatening to blow now. Alec counted to ten. Even then his tone was sharp. “That’s not fair.”
She shrugged, unbothered by either his tone or his assertion. “That’s how you come across to the baby-product-buying public.”
Only the baby-product-buying public? he wondered. But he said, “As I already told you, I didn’t have anything against Laurel’s children, and they certainly weren’t the reason things between us ended.” At
Julia’s raised brows, he added, “The relationship simply ran its course.”
Julia nodded. But did she believe him? And why did he care if she did?
“Are you seeing anyone now?” she surprised him by asking.
“That’s a little personal, don’t you think?”
“Personal, but relevant. So, are you?”
“No. I’m between relationships.” He waited a beat, then asked, “What about you?”
“That’s both personal and irrelevant.”
Alec ground his molars together. God, the woman was exasperating. And he had to work with her for who knew how long. It was just his luck.
“Let’s get back to your friend Karen. As I said, she seems nice enough, but I’m not interested. Attraction is hard to quantify.” His instantaneous attraction to the prickly woman seated beside him being a case in point. “I date women I find engaging, exciting.”
“And deep, no doubt.”
Julia’s lips twitched, leaving him with the impression she was laughing at him.
“You think I’m shallow?”
She sobered at that and glanced away. “I’m sorry. That was rude. I’m not being paid to pass judgments.”
Her answer was hardly reassuring. She pointed in the direction her friend had gone.
“For the record, Karen’s ex is a total deadbeat.
Gordie hasn’t seen Logan or their girls in more than a year, nor has he paid child support. If not for Karen’s parents, Logan wouldn’t have a roof over his head, much less be playing T-ball. So, she tends to come on a little strong when she realizes a man is both unmarried and gainfully employed.”
Bitterness welled in Alec’s throat as he recalled his own childhood. Even parents who stayed married could be deadbeats, he thought.
