The Player (Broken Wishes Series Book 3)

by Joanne Sexton

  “Oh, you are just too adorable!” She grinned and Jesse beamed. “It’s nice to meet the girl who has tamed our Mitch,” she said, turning to Isabelle, who began to relax slightly.

  “It’s nice to meet you. You have a lovely home.”

  “Thanks. Come on through, see the rest and meet the others. They’re already out back with Jared.”

  Isabelle watched Charlotte stride with confidence down the hall as her nerves continued to flutter. Meeting almost his entire family would be daunting. With an encouraging smile, Mitch pulled her along with him as they followed Charlotte. Good thing he held tight to her hand, otherwise she wasn’t sure if her feet would have moved.

  When they reached the dining and kitchen area at the rear of the house, she was amazed by the space and size and this wasn’t even taking into account the large family room to the right. Sliding doors led out from both the dining and family room and, from what she could see, to a large patio and grassed area. They followed Charlotte through the doors to be greeted by three welcoming faces and two children playing with a large puppy on the grass.

  “Well, well, what do we have here, Mitch?” asked a tall, auburn-haired, hazel-eyed beauty Isabelle assumed to be Carrie. Although her tone was an obvious dig at Mitch, she worried that his family would be concerned about her ready-made family. Her welcoming smile eased Isabelle’s concern a little.

  “Um, Isabelle, Jesse, this is Carrie,” Mitch said, gesturing to her and, sensing Isabelle’s unease, she offered a welcoming smile. “Nathan,” Mitch added, motioning to a slightly taller, darker blonde version of Mitch with icy blue eyes. “Jared,” he signaled to a very tall, very broad, ruggedly handsome, blonde man with dark blue eyes. “And down there is Mabel and Tommy.”

  “Hi,” Isabelle squeaked, suddenly shy. Something new for her. Confidence had never been a problem, but it became very important to make the right impression.

  “Can I go and play, Mommy?” Jesse, not shy, was ready to make new friends.

  “Yes, of course, honey.”

  Jesse raced off and before long all three children played with Buster the dog like long lost friends.

  “Isabelle,” Charlotte said, “come with me and we’ll fix you a drink.”

  When the girls had disappeared into the house, Nathan let out a low whistle. “Gees, you can pick ‘em, Mitch. She’s a stunner.”

  “Oh, really, Nathan?” Carrie said with a smile. “I guess anyone with a pulse would notice her.”

  “She has a child, Mitchell. I hope you know what you're doing,” Jared warned.

  “I heard this from your fiancée already and as I told her I do know what I’m doing. Thanks for the vote of confidence. Is it so hard to believe I could actually like someone?”

  “No, just making sure.” Jared grinned. “She sure is something else though.”

  “She’s also nice,” Mitch said, knowing his tone was defensive.

  “I think someone’s in love,” Carrie said.

  It seemed his family was catching up on all the taunts he had dished out over the years.

  “What can I get you?” Charlotte asked Isabelle. “We have wine, beer, champagne… or if you don’t want anything alcoholic, we have…”

  “Oh, definitely something with alcohol,” Isabelle cut in and Charlotte laughed. “Wine sounds good.”

  “I was nervous when I met Jared’s parents too.”

  “I’m just worried that with me having Jesse and everything… not that I think you would judge or anything…”

  “I understand your concern, but you don’t have to worry.”

  “Okay.” Isabelle sipped her wine and took in her surroundings as Charlotte opened a beer.

  “Don’t worry about Mr. Serious out there either. His bark is worse than his bite.”

  Isabelle laughed and began to relax. Charlotte’s welcoming nature made it easier. “Mitch already gave me a run down, but he is pretty scary looking.”

  Charlotte laughed. “He’s harmless, just protective of his family.”

  “I understand that very well.”

  “If you don’t mind me saying, it must be difficult bringing up a child alone.”

  “It is. I have my mom to help me though and don’t know what I would do without her.”

  Charlotte nodded and her curls bobbed around her face. Her expression changed from empathetic to mischievous. “So… is he good?” Isabelle simply stared. “Well, I know Jared is and Carrie isn’t complaining, so I was wondering if it ran in the family.” She winked.

  “Oh,” Isabelle giggled before continuing. “He is very… considerate.”

  “I’ll take that as a yes then.”

  Feeling more at ease and hopeful she’d found a new friend, something time made difficult, she decided to confide in Charlotte. She knew Mitch would understand. “I was a little worried about Mitch at first.”

  “He was a concern to us at all for a while, but it appears you have tamed the wild beast.” Her deep throaty laugh was contagious.

  “I hope so.”

  They walked outside to discover the boys in the middle of a debate.

  “You’re wrong, Jared,” said Mitch. “You’ve altered your memory to suit yourself.”

  “What’s going on out here, boys?” Charlotte asked, handing Mitch the beer.

  “Please don’t start them again. Have you ever known them to agree?” asked Carrie.

  “No, and Jared does think he’s always right.”

  “That’s because I am!” Jared exclaimed.

  “If you say so. How about you make yourself useful and start on dinner?”

  “Your wish is my command,” he said with a mock bow.

  With a quick kiss on Charlotte’s cheek on the way through, he went inside to prepare the food. Isabelle assumed he was going to use the large barbecue in the corner of the picketed patio. A few moments later he returned with a loaded tray.

  “Charlotte, how are your wedding plans going?” Isabelle felt almost completely relaxed now. The ice was now broken with Charlotte and she began to ease into the evening.

  “All done. Only two weeks to go. I’m so excited!”

  “Where are you having it?”

  “Right here. We only wanted a small intimate gathering and we also wanted it to be somewhere that means something to us, so we decided to do it here. Our wedding party is small with Chelsea, Mabel, Tommy and Jared’s friend Sam.”

  “You will notice that Nath and I weren’t included,” Mitch mumbled with a twinkle in his eye Isabelle was becoming familiar with.

  “That’s because we wanted one attendant each and I didn’t want to choose,” Jared said as he walked passed them towards the house. “Can you give me a hand, Blondie?”

  Charlotte offered a wicked grin before disappearing into the house after her fiancé. Mitch rolled his eyes. “I wonder exactly what he needs a hand with.”

  Shared laughter filled the patio before an urgent looking Jesse ran over to her.

  “Mommy, I need to go,” he whispered.

  She turned to Mitch, who directed her to the bathroom, and she ushered her son inside. As they entered, she glanced to her right to see Jared and Charlotte sharing an intimate moment in the kitchen. A smile lifted her lips; it seemed Mitch was right and the help he required was alone time with his fiancé. Her heart skipped a beat as she thought about her future with Mitch and hoped it would be filled with the same precious moments.

  Once she’d solved Jesse’s urgent problem, he raced ahead and back outside. Mitch intercepted her in the hallway, startling her. The instant she stopped, his eyes swept over her face, before he pulled her with him as he stepped into one of the bedrooms.

  With a gentle yet urgent motion he guided her back against the wall and captured her mouth with his. The kiss was intense and hungry; she felt her knees buckling and her head swimming. The rush of desire caused her body to tingle.

  Unable to control her limbs, her hands got lost in his hair and her legs lifted to wrap around his w
aist to pull him in closer. She wanted him right there, right then. After several minutes Mitch pulled back and helped Isabelle lower her legs with reluctance to the floor. As much as she wanted to stay that way, she knew they would be missed before too long.

  “Stay with me tonight,” Mitch whispered, his voice full of the same desire she felt.

  “I can’t sleep away from Jesse too often.”

  “He can stay too. The spare bedrooms are downstairs.”

  Considering for a moment how it would affect Jesse, she stared into the summer sky eyes of the man she loved. She was sure Jesse would love to have a sleep over at Mitch’s. It would be an exciting adventure.

  “I guess it’s inevitable for Jesse to come and stay… I guess I hadn’t thought that far ahead.”

  “So, is that a yes?” he asked, his face hopeful.

  How could she resist him? “If Jesse is okay with it, then yes.”

  “Do you have any idea how crazy you’re making me?” His desire-filled eyes swept her face again.

  “Yes,” she said breathlessly.

  His kiss, although brief, sent the warm tingles over her skin again. She was thankful he took her hand and led her back outside as she wasn’t sure she had control of her senses. Dizzy didn’t come close to how she felt.

  “It’s about time,” Carrie said when they emerged. “I’m hungry and we’ve been waiting on you two to eat.”

  The dinner discussion was lively and full of humor and affectionate teasing. Being a part of a large family, who were fortunate in life, but humble with it, was inspiring to see. The anticipation of an opportunity to be part of this brought joy to Isabelle's heart.

  Discovering another completely different side of Mitch with his family nurtured her growing love. While these thoughts floated through her mind, Mitch’s hand rest on her leg before giving her an affectionate squeeze. She turned to him and their eyes exchanged their mutual adoration.

  Once dinner was completed and the children were happily watching a Disney movie, they moved onto what she later playfully called her Montgomery inquisition. She was glad to divulge the information and her affection for his family grew. They cared deeply about each other and would do anything to protect one another. Isabelle knew there was no turning back now.

  They decided to call it a night when they discovered Jesse sleeping on the generous couch. Mitch carried him to the car, and they said their goodnights.

  While Isabelle strapped Jesse into the car his family each proclaimed their admiration for her and warned him again not to mess it up. She giggled to herself as he stood listening like a chastised boy, occasionally nodding his head and allowing them to unload their concerns and took each warning of doing the right thing on the chin.

  “I need to pack a bag and let mom know,” she said once they were on the road.

  “Jesse is okay with it?”

  “Absolutely. It’s all very exciting.”

  “Are you working tomorrow?”

  “No, not till Friday.”

  “What a coincidence,” he said with a grin and that mischievous twinkle in his eye.

  “Well, see, I did tell my agent I didn’t want to work with anyone but you.”

  “Me too,” Mitch laughed.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Letters

  After another blissful night, in which Mitch revealed exactly how considerate he could be, she woke before him, feeling contented.

  Just when she believed it couldn’t get any better, he’d turned it up a notch. His mouth was parted slightly in slumber and his blond hair hung down over his brow as he lay stomach down, relaxed and fulfilled. Her fingers trailed across his lips, along his jaw and finished at his hair, which she pushed back from his face. When his eyes fluttered open, he gave her a sleepy smile.

  “Good morning, my gorgeous lover, you really outdid yourself last night.” She traced her fingers over his naked back and arms, relishing the feel of his smooth skin.

  A slow cheeky smile spread across his face before he answered her. “You haven’t seen anything yet. You’ll have to stick around, there’s much more where that came from,” he mumbled as he rolled onto his side to stroke her face.

  “You’d better be quick before Jesse wakes up.”

  “A challenge, eh? Right, you asked for it.”

  In a flash he was up, grabbing her hand as he went and bringing her with him as he sat on the chair near his generous-sized window with a view of the city buildings. The comfortable chair had no armrests or sides, so it was easy to slip her legs around his seated form. True to his word he brought her a quick and satisfying release, closely followed by his own.

  “I have been waiting to try out this chair for a while,” he panted into her ear, her head resting on his shoulder.

  “I’m happy to be the first,” she murmured between ragged breaths. “I’d better go shower and see if Jesse is awake.”

  After a quick shower, Isabelle went downstairs to find Jesse still sleeping. She noted it was only six thirty but knew he wouldn’t be far from waking. Looking through Mitch’s pantry and fridge, she collected ingredients to make their breakfast.

  The welcoming sound of chatter and aroma of coffee brewing greeted Mitch as he descended the stairs. A contented smile lifted his lips and he became filled with warmth, something he wasn’t accustomed to. This was a sound he could enjoy greeting him on a daily basis. He didn’t want to be alone anymore. To wake up alone anymore. He wanted to wake to them every day; it was a matter of how to make it happen. Part of him told him it was too soon, and they had only known each other a short time. Nonetheless, once you found the right person, why wait?

  “Good morning, you two,” he said cheerfully as he strode into the kitchen. “I see you found everything you needed. I could get used to having breakfast waiting for me.”

  “I like your house,” Jesse said around chews of his breakfast.

  “Jesse, don’t talk with your mouth full.”

  “Thanks, mate, but I think a nicer house would be better.”

  “This is nice compared to where we live.”

  Jesse had meant no malice or bitterness regarding his life and where they lived. As only a child could, he’d simply stated a fact. A grimace passed over Isabelle’s face before she masked it.

  “I suppose it is, Jesse.” Mitch didn’t know what to say. Well, he did, but thought bringing up his new plan wouldn’t be wise in front of Jesse. He didn’t want to put Isabelle in an awkward position.

  “It would be good to have my own room.”

  “Yes, Jesse, it would,” Isabelle said.

  The subject seemed to be troubling her, so Mitch changed it. “What are you doing today, Izzy?”

  “Jesse has pre-school and I have nothing planned.”

  “I’m finished, Mommy.”

  “Okay, honey, can you go and get dressed, please.”

  “Mitch, is it okay if I explore? I like the photos.”

  “Of course, champ.”

  Jesse hopped off the stool and disappeared into what Mitch hoped could become his permanent room.

  “I have something to show you,” he said before vanishing, then returning, with a portfolio. “I wanted you to see it before I showed it to galleries today.”

  Her eyes were full of excitement as she took the black folder from him and opened it to peruse his life’s work. He watched her as she studied each page for what seemed like an eternity. Nerves struck him as he desperately sought her approval. Something he’d never needed from anyone before. When she finally finished her scrutiny, Isabelle jumped out of her seat, threw herself into his lap and kissed him.

  “I love it,” she whispered in between brief tender kisses.

  His relief at her endorsement had him buzzing with the prospect of success. Her support swelled his pride and sent his confidence soaring.

  “Thanks, it means a lot to me, your support.”

  “I can’t wait to attend the opening on the arm of the talented artist.”

 
“I wouldn’t go that far, but thank you, beautiful.” He sought her lips again, his feelings for her overwhelming him.

  “Ewww,” piped a voice from the doorway. “Kissing is yucky.”

  Isabelle and Mitch dissolved into laughter.

  After escorting them home, Mitch, armed with his portfolio, began his search for a gallery. The first two displayed and sold only abstract or conceptual photography art; his style was more contemporary.

  At the third gallery he struck gold. The manager, Valery Eckhart, a short, thin woman of indeterminate age with a sleek black bob and cool blue eyes, was energized by his collection and eager to make preparations.

  They arranged a meeting for the following week at which time he would bring in his framed collection and they would decide on an opening date. Walking on air, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and called Isabelle.

  With Jesse dropped off at pre-school and Carol at brunch with friends, Isabelle had the apartment to herself, a rare treat. A relaxing bath and facial were definitely on the agenda, as was reading a book she had borrowed and been meaning to read. It had been a long time since she’d had a moment alone and she decided to make the most of it.

  Thoughts of Mitch filled her head as she relaxed into the lavender scented water, but those thoughts soon piqued her desire and seeing as she wouldn’t be able to satisfy that itch anytime soon, she decided to get out and read instead.

  Before settling in for the remaining hour before she needed to collect Jesse, she checked the mail and to her dismay discovered another envelope with no post mark.

  My darling Isabelle

  The company you have been keeping of late displeases me. How could you be so foolish? Mitchell Montgomery is not the type of man you should be exposing your son to. I know all about him and his reputation. I know you took your son with you when you spent the night at his house. What type of mother does that make you? I thought you were better than that. End all ties with him or there will be consequences.

  A

  Her first reaction was relief that her mother wasn’t home to see this. This letter changed everything. This weirdo was now talking about consequences.