Steal My Heart (Bachelors & Bridesmaids)

by Freethy, Barbara

  "Hello," Ed said. "How are you all doing?"

  "Great," Michael replied. "Are you enjoying the park?"

  "Yes. It's well organized, clean and functional. The line control is excellent. Entertainment along the lines makes the wait feel shorter, which will be more important in the summer. The employees have excellent training and except for a few odd sorts, they have been generally quite polite and courteous."

  "Sounds like you're having a hell of a good time," Christa quipped, sending Michael a pointed look.

  Yeah, Ed was not going to win this account. His clinical approach to the park would not sit well with Charlie, not that all the things Ed had described weren't important, but they weren't things Michael had been considering at all. Maybe it was a good idea he'd crossed paths with Ed. He couldn't forget that there was a business side to the park that needed to be considered in promotional plans.

  "That sounds a little dull, Ed," Christa added. "Charlie Hayward wants fun."

  "Mr. Hayward wants to make money," Ed returned. "And I'm going to help him do that."

  "You haven't won yet," Christa muttered.

  "Neither have any of you."

  Michael looked over at Liz, silently sending her a pleading smile to take him away from the others.

  She gave him an indecisive look, then finally said, "I can show you where to get the cotton candy if you want, Michael."

  "I do," he said eagerly.

  "Really, Michael?" Christa asked with dismay. "I thought we were going to ride the whirlwind next."

  "Why don't you and Ed do it together?"

  Christa did not look happy about that idea, but surprisingly Ed jumped on it. "I would like to get a woman's perspective," he said. "And in return, I'll give you a man's perspective. It think it will be quite helpful to you."

  "Awesome," Christa replied, her tone not at all supporting her words.

  "We'll catch up with you later," Michael said quickly.

  "Let's make sure to do that," Christa said, sending him a pointed look.

  "Do you really want cotton candy?" Liz asked when Christa and Ed disappeared around the corner.

  "How about a bite of yours?"

  She held out the cone and he swirled a cloud of pink onto his fingers and then popped it into his mouth. "It's like eating sweet air," he said.

  Liz laughed. "That's a good way to put it. You're really good with words. I'm going to have to keep that in mind."

  "Thanks for bailing me out."

  "You weren't having fun with Christa hanging on to your arm?"

  "Like an incredibly heavy anchor? No. She might be a good PR specialist, but she's irritating as hell."

  "She's very attractive."

  "Until she opens her mouth."

  "You used to hang out with girls like Christa in high school. In fact, when I saw you this morning, I felt like I had stepped back in time. If Christa had been wearing cheerleading skirt, it would have felt exactly the same as it did before."

  "Cheerleaders tend to hang around football players."

  "Oh, I know that. It's the perk of every quarterback, isn't it?"

  "It was a perk," he admitted. "But I'm past looking to hang out with groupies. That was part of another life."

  "No groupies in the PR world, but there are other perks."

  "Like?"

  "Like going to an amusement park and eating cotton candy on a Monday."

  He smiled. "Thank God you're back."

  His words wiped the grin off her face and brought a puzzled look to her brown eyes. "What do you mean?"

  "This morning you were all business, not at all like the woman I spent yesterday with. The woman who showed me what I missed all those years ago."

  Her cheeks turned pink at his words, and her eyes glittered in the morning sunshine. "We got off track last night."

  "I was hoping to get further off track, but when we got back to the hotel, you ran into your room pretty fast."

  "I didn't want us to make an even bigger mistake."

  "Kissing you wasn't a mistake."

  "It was considering the circumstances. We're together because of a job, so let's focus on that."

  He knew she was right. This wasn't the right time or the right place to explore a relationship with Liz, but when he wanted something, he didn't like to wait. And he wanted Liz.

  "What are you thinking?" she asked warily.

  "Trust me, you don't want to know."

  "Okay. Do you want the rest of this?"

  "Sure." He took the cotton candy off her hands. "What do you think of Ed's take on the park?"

  "I think he's going to be easy to beat."

  "Me, too."

  "So, it's really a race between you, me and Christa. She does have a lot of energy and a way with men, which is always an advantage."

  "I'm positive that Christa will use any advantage she can find," he said, finishing off the cotton candy. He tossed the cardboard spool into a nearby recycle bin. "And I do think she may have an advantage over you."

  His words made her stiffen, and she gave him a sharp look. "What's her advantage? That she dresses more provocatively, that she's a better flirt? What?"

  "She's not afraid of roller coasters and you are." He saw the truth in her eyes. "You haven't been on the big one yet, and there's no way you win this pitch if you can't shoot the moon."

  "I'm going to get on the ride," she said, trying to sound convincing.

  "Prove it. Let's do it now. We'll go together."

  "I don't need a babysitter, Michael."

  "How about a friend?"

  She stared back at him, confusion in her gaze. "I never really thought you and I could be friends."

  "But we are, aren't we?"

  "Honestly, Michael, I don't know what we are, but I can't worry about it right now."

  "Agreed. What's important now is to get you on the roller coaster. Get the elephant off your back, Liz. You'll feel a lot better."

  "All right, let's go," she said. "It's not that big of a deal. It's ninety seconds. I can do anything for ninety seconds."

  "Of course you can," he said as they made their way across the park. "It will be over before you know it."

  As they walked across the park, he could feel Liz's tension increasing. She was walking like someone about to be executed. Every step was a little slower, slightly more hesitant. But he kept pushing her along, a gentle nudge in her back when she started to falter. Finally, they reached the end of the line. He was happy to see it wouldn't be more than a ten minute wait. Any longer, and Liz would probably bolt. Hopefully, she could make it the ten minutes.

  She looked up at the monstrous structure rising above them. "Who ever thought these things were a good idea?"

  "People who like danger," he said.

  "You do know that there's a good chance I'm going to throw up that cotton candy all over you."

  "I'll risk it."

  "You are a brave man," she said dryly. "But I'm not kidding. I've never been good on rides. My brain can't seem to make sense of what's happening, which end is up, and that sends my stomach into a nauseous spin."

  "I'm sorry you have to go through this."

  "You know that by forcing me to get on this, I'm one step closer to beating you."

  "Well, if I'm going to win, I want it to be on merit, and not because of a forfeit. If you don't go on this ride, you automatically lose." He paused. "Although there's a good chance you'll lose anyway and then this will be for nothing. So it's really up to you."

  "I don't intend to lose."

  "Well, one of us will lose," he couldn't help pointing out.

  "It's not going to be me. I have to bring this account home."

  He understood her motivation a little better now that he'd spent time with her family. "You know your father is already really proud of you. He told me that yesterday. He said he admires you more each day."

  "That was really sweet of him to say." She wiped her eye with her fingers.

  "Sorry, I didn'
t mean to make you feel bad."

  "I seem to be overflowing with emotions lately." She cleared her throat. "My dad liked you. So did everyone else in my family. Amber said you were a good listener, and she was right. You didn't try to take over the conversation."

  "That would have been difficult to do even if I wanted to. Your brothers talk a lot."

  She smiled. "They do. So do most of the men I go out with. I can rarely get a word in about myself before they change the topic back to whatever interests them."

  "You've obviously been dating the wrong men."

  "I can't argue with that," she said with a little laugh. "I'm not good at dating. There's so much game playing, so many rules. You can't text him back for twenty-four hours or he'll think you're too clingy. Or you have to do drinks not dinner because dinner is too much like a date. It's hard to remember it all."

  "So, don't. Just be yourself."

  "That's not what my girlfriends say."

  "Maybe they're not giving you the best advice. I'm offering you a man's perspective."

  "A man who doesn't have long-term serious relationships."

  He tipped his head. "Point taken. But I still think it's better to be yourself. Otherwise, who are they getting to know? It will blow up at some point."

  "You might be right about that." She drew in a deep breath as they neared the front of the line. "I don't know if I can do this."

  He grabbed her hand and squeezed his fingers around hers. "You can do it, Liz. There's nothing you can't do."

  "I want to believe that."

  "Believe it. If there's anyone in this world who has had the opportunity to be amazed by you, it's me."

  Her gaze narrowed. "Really? When were you amazed by me?"

  "Every time we competed."

  "But you always won."

  "Sometimes I got lucky. Sometimes I played the popularity card, I'll admit that. But you—you were always so prepared, so determined and strong. You made me better because you played against me." As he said the words, he realized how true they were. He'd missed Liz after high school. Luckily, he'd had other players to compete against in football, but in the rest of his life, there had been a void.

  "You made me better, too," she admitted. "But if you repeat that to anyone, I will deny it."

  "Understood."

  The cars pulled up in front of them, and they had the fortune—or misfortune—to get the first row.

  He let go of Liz's hand while they buckled in and the bar came down over their laps. Then he put his hand on her leg as the ride began to roll. She had a death grip on the bar in front of them, and he could feel the tension in her body.

  "Try to embrace it," he advised. "Don't fight it. Go with it. Let yourself fly."

  "What I don't want to do is fly over this bar," she yelled back at him.

  "You're safe. That's why people love roller coasters. They scare the crap out of you, but you're not going to die."

  "Oh, God," she groaned as they began their steep ascent. "I really hope you're right about the not dying part."

  "Here we go," he said as they crested the first peak. "Hang on, Lizzie."

  "Trust me, I am not going to let go."

  Her words ended in a scream as they went flying down the track.

  Chapter Nine

  She was going to die.

  Liz clung to the bar as the car swerved around a sharp curve, then down a stomach-dropping fall and up and over another track heading straight for the loop that would turn them completely upside down. It was there before she knew it. One minute she was looking at the sky, and the next, she was heading straight toward the ground. Then she was jerked up again. Her body seemed to be flying around the seat. She prayed that she would stay inside the car as the wind stung her face as they spun around another screaming curve. One more sharp fall, another hairpin turn, and then the coaster came to a crashing stop.

  Her chest heaved with terror-filled breaths, her stomach churning, her eyes darting every which way as she tried to focus, tried to tell herself she was safe. The ride was over.

  "You made it, Liz," Michael said, putting his hand over hers. "You did it."

  "Are you sure we're not dead?"

  "Positive." He laughed and jumped out of the car, extending his hand to help her out.

  She gladly took his hand, not at all sure she could actually get out of the car on her own. She was still shaking as they walked toward the exit, and she found herself hanging onto Michael's hand and clinging to his side. They left the ride area and headed toward a bench a dozen yards away.

  She sat down hard, her head still spinning. She didn't know where to look; the world was moving in front of her.

  "Liz," he said sharply, squatting in front of her, his hands on her knees now. "Focus. Look at me."

  She followed his order. "I'm trying, but there are three of you right now."

  "Just keep your gaze on one point."

  She drew in a couple more deep breaths, relieved when her vision started to improve. "There's only one of you now," she muttered.

  "Happy to hear it. Can I get you some water?"

  "I just need to breathe for a minute."

  "Okay." He gave her a worried look. "Are you going to be sick?"

  "I'm hoping not." She wished she could be more confident, but her stomach was threatening to make that a lie.

  "Keep breathing. Let things settle down."

  His calm voice was surprisingly helpful. A few minutes later, she started to feel like she might be out of the throw-up zone. "It's better," she said. She put hands over his and gave him a weak smile. "Thanks."

  "You're welcome." Relief filled his gaze. "You're going to be all right. Especially when you start to realize that it's over. You're done with the last hurdle here at Playworld."

  That did help speed her recovery. "I like the sound of that."

  "Did you have any fun at all?"

  "Are you crazy?" she asked in amazement. "Who could have fun on that?"

  He laughed. "Millions of people. It's the most popular ride in the park."

  "It was horrible. I never ever want to do that again."

  "I wouldn't put that quote in your PR pitch."

  She made a face at him. "Believe me, I won't. And I hope my reaction stays between the two of us."

  "Of course." He stood up and sat down on the bench next to her. "But it still may be hard for you to sell something you don't love."

  "I know all the right buzzwords to use. And I don't have to love something to be able to sell it."

  "Charlie wants you to love it. That's the whole point of our time here at the park."

  "I love the rest of the park, so I'm going to be fine." She paused. "Thanks for being supportive, Michael. I do appreciate it. I'm not sure I would have actually gotten on that ride if you hadn't forced me to do it."

  "I think you would have made it. You don't quit, even when you're scared. I'm going to get us some waters."

  "I'd like that."

  As Michael walked away, she settled back against the bench, breathing in and out for a few more moments. While she still felt a little sick, she also felt proud of herself for doing what she needed to do. As Michael had said, she wasn't a quitter. She always fought to the end, even if she was losing. She just didn't know any other way to play.

  Her phone buzzed, and she pulled it out of her purse, seeing her friend Andrea's face pop up on the screen wanting to do a video call. "Hey Andrea."

  "Hi Liz, where are you?" Andrea asked.

  "I'm recovering from my roller coaster ride at Playworld."

  "Did you throw up?" Andrea asked.

  "No, thank goodness. What are you doing?"

  "I'm meeting with Kate." Andrea shifted and Kate Marlowe's pretty face popped up behind her.

  "We're having an early lunch," Andrea said.

  "And that's not all," Kate added.

  Liz could see the excitement on both of their faces. "What is going on?"

  Andrea held up her left hand and
showed off a gorgeous square diamond ring.

  "Oh my God," Liz said in shock. "Is that an engagement ring?"

  "Yes, Alex proposed to me last night," Andrea replied.

  "It's gorgeous. But, wow, this is fast. It's only been a few months."

  "Super fast," Andrea agreed. "But Alex and I are in love, and we want to get married. There just doesn't seem any reason to wait. I know he's the one. And he feels the same way about me."

  "Well, that's great. I'm so happy for you. I'm a little shocked, but this is really wonderful."

  "I know you're supposed to be the next bride," Andrea said. "But—"

  "Please, don't even think about that," she said with a laugh. "Do you have a date already?"

  "We're thinking around Valentine's Day, if Kate can make the magic happen that fast."

  "It will be a challenge," Kate said. "But I am good at my job."

  "And of course you'll be a bridesmaid, Liz. Laurel will be my maid of honor, but I want the whole gang back for my wedding."

  "You know we'll be there for you," she promised. Liz looked up as Michael handed her a bottle of water. "Thanks," she said.

  "Who's that?" Kate asked curiously.

  She realized she'd turned her phone giving her friends a good view of Michael. "This is Michael Stafford," she said. "My good friends, Andrea and Kate."

  "You're the guy from high school?" Andrea asked.

  "That's me," Michael said, smiling at her friends.

  "Is it really true that you beat Liz at everything?" Kate asked.

  He laughed. "I see my reputation has preceded me."

  She'd forgotten that she'd told them about Michael at Andrea's birthday party on Friday. "We have to go. You can talk to Michael another time."

  "Maybe next weekend," Kate said. "We're going to have an engagement party on Sunday— location to be determined."

  "Let me know, and I'll be there," she said, ending the call.

  "Which one is getting married?" Michael asked.

  "Andrea."

  "Blonde or brunette?"

  "Blonde. Andrea is a journalist for World News Today." Liz took a sip of her bottled water, her head spinning once again and this time it wasn't from the roller coaster. "She interviewed the billionaire game maker Alex Donovan two months ago for the magazine cover story, and along the way they fell in love. Now they're engaged."