The Last Man She Expected

by Michelle Major

  Parker’s lips parted and his nostrils flared like he couldn’t quite catch his breath. Mara knew the feeling.

  He moved closer, crowding her slightly, but she didn’t back away. She felt rooted in place, like the pine trees surrounding them.

  His glacier-colored gaze flicked to the girls then immediately back to her. Then he leaned in and kissed her, a featherlight brush of his mouth on hers. She felt the contact all the way to her toes and almost moaned in protest when he pulled back.

  But she didn’t protest, although her breath hitched again when he drew his thumb across the delicate skin below her eye. “You should feel happy more often. Jubilant, even.”

  She closed her eyes and forced herself to think of all the reasons why she couldn’t let this man close to her. Her shattered life topped the list.

  Fisting her hands at her sides, she remembered what had led to the current state of her life. Nothing tamped down desire like a healthy dose of festering bitterness.

  “Do you remember my divorce?” she asked, opening her eyes to stare at him again.

  It took a second, but she saw the moment when his defenses returned. The subtle shuttering of his gaze and his posture going rigid. “I do.”

  She nodded. “Then you know why I am the way I am.” She touched the tips of her fingers to the place he’d just stroked, needing to wipe away her body’s awareness of him.

  “In order to get full custody of Evie, I had to agree to no child support payments from Paul. No alimony. No settlement. I walked away with my daughter, my clothes and a car.” Her fingernails dug into the soft flesh of her palm, and she welcomed the stab of pain. “My ex-husband is worth millions and his lifestyle means he has the best of everything. I got nothing from him. That isn’t a problem for me, but my daughter suffered in the process. You negotiated the deal.”

  “I was doing my job,” he said, but by the way he grimaced as he said the words, he understood how lame they sounded.

  “That’s not much comfort to me now, Parker. If you want to know what stole the happiness from my life, look in the mirror.” She turned to follow the girls so she didn’t have to acknowledge the hurt that flashed in his eyes at her words.

  Chapter Six

  “I shouldn’t be here right now.” Mara sighed as she took a seat in a booth across from her friends Kaitlin and Brynn the following night at Trophy Room, Starlight’s popular downtown bar. Even at half past five on a weeknight, the bar was more than half full of happy customers. From what Mara had been told, Trophy Room was a Starlight institution. The interior was old-school with a modern flair. A row of cozy booths lined one wall with high bar tables situated around the open center and a ten-foot-long bar with a cherry top that spanned the other side of the space.

  “You have at least an hour,” Kaitlin said, pushing a margarita glass in her direction. “That’s time enough for a quick drink.”

  “The good parents are watching the practice,” Mara mumbled, earning a delicate snort from Brynn, who was seated next to Kaitlin.

  “Hoping their kid will be crowned the kindergarten second coming of Messi, no doubt.” Brynn took a small sip of her drink.

  Mara frowned. “Who’s Messi?”

  “Lionel Messi. One of the greatest soccer players of all time,” Brynn explained. “Plays for Barcelona.”

  “Why do you know that?” Kaitlin asked then held up a hand. “Never mind. You have a ten-year-old boy. Enough said.”

  “I have no such aspirations.” Mara licked a bit of salt off the rim of her glass. “I’ll be happy if Evie doesn’t puke or get knocked over. I’m already feeling guilty for encouraging her to sign up for soccer. It seemed like a fine idea, but there’s a decent chance she’ll be miserable all season. I’m the worst.”

  “You’re not the worst,” Brynn assured her, her tone deadpan. “It’s the mom’s job to make our kids try things that push their limits. What would they have to talk about in therapy down the road otherwise?”

  Mara laughed. It amazed her that Brynn could still find anything to joke about after what she’d been through. Yes, Mara had left the courtroom feeling like she’d had her skin filleted off her body, but it was nothing compared to what Brynn had endured. Paul might be a heartless, lying cheater, but she hadn’t learned all of that while also dealing with his death.

  “I’m afraid Evie will have plenty of fodder for the therapist’s couch,” Mara said, taking a small sip of margarita. The tang of lime burned her throat, but she relaxed for the first time all day.

  Brynn held up her glass in mock salute. “Maybe she and Tyler can get a group discount.”

  “You two are freaking me out,” Kaitlin told them, taking a piece of celery from the plate in the center of the table and loading it with spinach dip. “I’m not even married and already I’m worried about how Finn and I are going to mess up our kids.”

  “You’ll be great.” Brynn patted Kaitlin’s shoulder. “Finn loves you, and he’s a stand-up guy. You’re going to get married and have gorgeous kids with crazy good hair.”

  Both Mara and Kaitlin laughed again.

  “Priorities,” Kaitlin said.

  Mara leaned in like she was divulging a state secret. “Paul has a receding hairline.”

  All three women dissolved into another fit of laughter.

  “Now I feel worse.” Mara dabbed at the corners of her eyes. “Evie is stuck at practice, and I’m here drinking and having fun. I shouldn’t be enjoying myself if there’s a chance she’s miserable.”

  Brynn picked up a pita triangle and pointed it toward Mara. “She’s in great hands with Josh, so there’s nothing to worry about. He’ll make sure she’s okay.”

  “Speaking of great hands...” Kaitlin wiggled her eyebrows. “Tell us about spending time with Parker.”

  “I was stuck with him,” Mara said, dropping her gaze to the scratched tabletop. She traced one fingertip along a particularly deep gash, “because he had to watch Anna yesterday afternoon.”

  Kaitlin rolled her eyes. “I can name a half-dozen women off the top of my head who would like to be stuck with Parker.”

  “Stuck on Parker,” Brynn added with a snort.

  Mara pointed at her. “You’re cut off.”

  “I haven’t even finished one.”

  “One too many,” Mara countered.

  “Stop trying to distract us from discussing you and Parker.” Kaitlin’s smile was devious. “I heard he filled out the Starlight Elementary T-shirt pretty darn well.” She nudged Brynn. “There’s a fund-raising idea for you. Auction off single men in school merchandise. You’ll raise thousands.”

  “Mara can bid on Parker,” Brynn said, rubbing her palms together as if she was warming up to the idea.

  Mara threw up her hands. “I’m not bidding on anyone. Definitely not Parker.”

  “Don’t deny it. You two have chemistry.”

  Mara opened her mouth to protest but couldn’t quite force her mouth to form the words. She thought about the way her body had responded to that brief kiss.

  “You’re blushing,” Kaitlin told her.

  “I want a reason to blush,” Brynn mumbled.

  Both Mara and Kaitlin turned to their friend. “Really?” Mara asked. “You do?”

  Brynn ran a finger along the salt rim of her margarita glass. “I lost my husband, but I’m not dead.”

  “Oh.”

  Mara glanced toward Kaitlin, who looked as shocked as she felt.

  “We could help find you a date,” Kaitlin said.

  “No one in Starlight wants to go out with me.” Brynn sniffed. “The poor, grieving widow.”

  “Or me,” Mara added, hoping to make Brynn see she wasn’t alone. “The bitter divorcée.”

  “You have Parker,” Brynn said.

  “I do not.”

  “You need an online dating pro
file, Brynn.” Kaitlin reached for another celery stick. “But first we need to figure out whether it’s good to swipe left or right. We can set up profiles for you both. We’ll go on triple dates.”

  “I’m not interested in online dating,” Mara said.

  “Because of Parker.” Brynn grinned cheekily when Mara glared at her. It was funny now that Mara had believed Brynn was as quiet and reserved as she’d seemed when they were first introduced. All her outward propriety masked a wicked sense of humor and a potentially hidden penchant for adventure.

  “No,” Mara insisted and hoped the bar’s dim lighting hid the blush she could feel rising to her cheeks. “But enough of your delusions about Parker and me. Let’s talk about finding a man for the grieving widow. I like the sound of that—it’s like a romance novel setup.”

  Kaitlin picked up her phone from the table and tapped at the screen. “We should start with a checklist.”

  “I don’t have time to date,” Brynn said. “Not right now. I just got my substitute-teaching certification and I’m heading up the fund-raising efforts for the school’s gym.”

  “Requirements for a booty call then,” Kaitlin amended.

  Brynn inclined her head as a slow smile spread across her face. “I hadn’t considered that, but it’s not a bad idea.” She leaned forward as if revealing a secret. “Daniel was the only man I’ve ever been with and I got pregnant the first time we...you know.”

  A throat cleared suddenly and all three women glanced up to see that Jordan Schaeffer, the bar’s owner, had approached the table.

  “I hope I’m not...um...interrupting.” The beefy former football player tugged at the ends of his wavy hair, looking like he wished he hadn’t overheard any part of their conversation. “I stopped by to see if there was anything I could do for you ladies. I guess... I think...you seem to have things under control.”

  Mara choked on her laughter at the idea of his offer being related to a booty call for Brynn.

  “Do you want to host the Founder’s Day Craft Fair at the bar?” Brynn asked, ignoring their previous topic of conversation. “It was supposed to be in the school gym, but that’s not an option at this point.” She wasn’t the least bit embarrassed as far as Mara could tell. It only made Mara like the single mom even more.

  Jordan didn’t look any more comfortable, his golden-brown eyes going wide. “Is that a joke?”

  “Kind of,” she admitted. “But I’ve got a big mess on my hands for the event, so if you have any ideas let me know. Otherwise, I think we’re taken care of here.”

  “Great,” he said as he backed away, clearly grateful for the chance to escape.

  “Awkward,” Brynn said around another bite of pita and spinach dip. “This is why I can’t think about dating in Starlight. I’ll need to open up the geographic pool, but not until I get through the craft fair. I don’t want some new man to think I’m a lunatic before he gets to know me.”

  “Good point,” Mara agreed.

  “Right now,” Brynn said with a sigh, “I need a venue.”

  “What about switching the location to the high school?” Kaitlin asked.

  Brynn shook her head. “They have a volleyball tournament on the schedule for the third weekend in October. We’ve already got vendors booked that weekend, so I don’t want to change the date.”

  “The mill,” Mara murmured, her mind suddenly racing.

  “The lumber mill?” Brynn’s tone was dubious.

  “Yes.” Mara pushed the drink out of the way and scooted forward. “I’ll need to talk to Josh, but it would be the perfect grand opening celebration. If we can get things up and running at the coffee shop and a couple of the flagship merchants moved in, you can use the space that was supposed to be the restaurant.”

  “Maybe,” Brynn agreed slowly. “Our booths don’t need a ton of space.”

  “We’ll be creative,” Mara said. “If the weather’s still nice, some of the vendors can set up in the courtyard. I’ll arrange for a few food trucks to be there. Isn’t there a dance involved with Founder’s Day?”

  “I’ve got the band booked already. We’re going to turn the whole thing into a fund-raiser for the gym roof.”

  “The mill would be perfect.” Mara felt an unfamiliar thrum of excitement skitter across her belly. It was the same thing she always felt at the start of a new project when she’d figured out the vision she wanted to create. This was no different. It would be impossible to get a full restaurant up and running in the time Josh had, especially with his limited budget. But maybe they didn’t need that. Maybe they only had to think out of the box about the space and how to use it.

  “It might work.” Brynn drew in a shuddery breath. “I could kiss you right now.”

  “Swipe right,” Kaitlin advised with a wink.

  “I’ll still need buy-in from Josh,” Mara added. “I think the plan might work for you both.”

  “You’ll be involved, too?” Brynn asked. “I can coordinate everyone from the craft fair, but my time is limited now that I’m going to start subbing. Sally Kay, the second-grade teacher, is going out on maternity leave next week and I’m supposed to be covering for her part-time.”

  “Mara’s already committed to helping,” Kaitlin answered before Mara had a chance to.

  When she didn’t chime in her agreement immediately, Kaitlin lifted a brow. “Right?”

  “I’m helping with the coffee shop because Aunt Nanci asked. As far as the rest...”

  “I thought you were going to retool the design of the space so Josh could open on time.”

  “Yes, but I’ve kind of changed my mind.” She shrugged. “It’s been hard to—”

  “Be so close to Parker without jumping his bones?” Brynn asked conversationally.

  “No one says jumping his bones anymore,” Kaitlin told the other woman. “We need to update your sexy-times talk before you start swiping.”

  Mara laughed, trying to ignore the anxiety pooling in her belly at the thought of working with Parker. He was exactly the reason she’d considered minimizing her involvement, but the Founder’s Day idea appealed to her on a number of levels. Besides, she truly wanted to help Brynn. “I’ll run it all by Josh. If he goes for the idea and wants me a part of it, then I’m in.”

  “Of course he’ll want you,” Kaitlin said.

  Brynn wiggled her eyebrows. “Not like Parker wants you.”

  “Oh, my gosh. You have to stop.”

  “I’ve been a good girl my whole life,” Brynn said, clearly unrepentant. “I’m thinking of unleashing my inner bad girl.”

  “Do you have one of those?” Kaitlin asked.

  “There’s no doubt she does.” Mara scooted her chair away from the table. “I’ve got to get to soccer practice before it’s over. I want to watch for a bit.”

  “I hope Evie does great,” Brynn said. “Let me know what Josh says about the fair. I’ll have to make some changes to the promotional information that’s already gone out and need to get started right away.”

  “Say hi to Parker,” Kaitlin added.

  “He won’t be there, thank heavens.”

  Kaitlin only shrugged. “The next time you see him, then. It’s bound to be sooner than later.”

  “Not if I have anything to say about it. See you, ladies. Thanks for the drink and the laughs.”

  She walked out of the bar, silently lecturing her libido to calm itself. At the idea of seeing Parker again, certain parts of her body had done a little happy dance, despite how much she wished she could curb her reaction to him.

  She’d have to find a way to control her attraction, especially since she had no doubt Josh would welcome as much time as she was willing to put into the mill project.

  That meant she’d be close to Parker, and she had no doubt that meant trouble.

  * * *

  “I can’t b
elieve you do this sober,” Parker muttered as he jogged to the middle of the field where his brother stood.

  Josh glanced over his shoulder at the parents watching from the sidelines. “You can’t say that out loud. I don’t want anyone thinking I’m drinking at soccer practice.”

  “If they’re here watching, I doubt they’d blame you. This is like herding kittens who’ve downed a case of energy drinks.”

  Josh laughed at the joke, and Parker felt a momentary sense of accomplishment. His brother had always been the serious sort, but he’d sensed an additional layer of gravity shrouding him since Parker returned to Starlight. He understood it, of course. Between Anna’s cancer, Jenn leaving and now the stress of the mill project, he couldn’t imagine how Josh was managing all of his emotions.

  He also couldn’t understand why his brother had agreed to coach this motley group of rug rats. He glanced over at the kids shooting on the oversize goal at the end of the field. They were supposed to be practicing ball handling but it looked more like a pinball machine gone crazy with balls rolling in every direction.

  “They’re getting better,” Josh said before blowing his whistle and dividing the kids into two lines for a passing drill.

  “Then they must have really sucked at the start,” Parker muttered.

  “Mommy says sucked is a bad word.”

  Parker whirled to find Evie standing directly behind him. She used a grubby finger to push her glasses up on her nose, her big eyes solemn behind the lenses.

  “Nice job,” Josh said with another laugh. “You doing okay, Evie?”

  “Yep,” the girl answered and although Parker didn’t believe her for a minute, Josh seemed to accept the answer. He patted her dark head before heading over to the rest of the team.

  “Did you puke?” Parker asked when the two of them were alone.

  She kicked one cleated toe at the grassy field. “Nope.”

  “Did you almost puke?”

  Her shoulders slumped an inch. The small, defeated movement made his heart pinch. “Almost.”