Fair Catch

by Anderson, Cindy Roland

  A smile split his adorable little face. “Okay. I’ll hurry.”

  He better. He was her buffer against the quarterback.

  Suddenly the entryway seemed to shrink and the air thinned as her eyes perused over the man standing only a foot away. His hair was damp from a recent shower and a faint shadow of whiskers darkened his jaw. He wore another tight fitting T-shirt that emphasized his broad shoulders and chest. He smelled really good, a spicy clean scent that drifted all around her.

  “What?” he teased. “Don’t I match?”

  Great. She had been staring at him. “Uh, no.” Ellie tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “I was just trying to figure out what color your shirt is.”

  He looked down at his shirt and then back up at her. “I believe they call this color blue.” He took a step closer. “What color did you come up with?”

  It was blue. Now what? “Uh, I think it’s more like sapphire.” She lifted one shoulder and looked away. “It’s nice…and matches your eyes.”

  He obviously didn’t believe in personal space as he drew a little closer. “You think my eyes are like sapphires?”

  Her gaze returned and she stared into his oh-so blue eyes. “Well…yes, you have nice eyes.”

  A slow smile spread across his face. “Thanks. Wasn’t it Mr. Darcy who said Elizabeth had fine eyes?”

  She stared at him in disbelief. “You’ve watched Pride and Prejudice?” Okay, this man was perfect.

  “My mother is obsessed with the show. I could probably quote a few more lines if it will impress you.”

  Cade came back just as she was about to request a few more “Mr. Darcy” lines. “Can we make the smoothies now?” he asked, possibly saving his mother from filing another incident in her brain.

  “Sure.” Ellie tugged on Cade’s hand. “Let’s go.” When they were in the kitchen, Ellie gave the job of cutting the stem from the strawberries to Nick. Cade liked peeling the bananas. While Ellie gathered the other ingredients, she listened to Nick patiently answer her son’s questions. It was really sweet.

  All of a sudden, Nick cried out, “Ow! I think I just tried to amputate my finger.”

  Ellie grabbed a napkin and then took his injured hand, wrapping the paper towel around his finger. “Cade, can you go and get Mommy a Band-Aid?”

  “Okay.” He dashed out of the room.

  Ellie applied gentle pressure to Nick’s finger. “How bad is it?”

  “I’m not sure.” His voice sounded more amused than that of someone in pain.

  She could feel his eyes on her as she administered first aid and her pulse started to race again. “Let me take a look.” Gingerly, she removed the paper towel from his finger. The blood had already started to clot and she could see that it looked more like a deep paper cut.

  “What’s the verdict?” Nick’s warm breath tickled her hair.

  She looked up into his deep, dark blue eyes. His mouth was only inches away. “You don’t need stitches.” The close proximity made her nervous. “It will probably hurt though because your fingertips are more sensitive with all the touch receptors there.” Why was she spouting off something she’d learned on the Discovery Channel?

  He curled his uninjured fingers around her hand. “Just how many touch receptors are there?”

  If her touch receptors weren’t going haywire, she might be able to come up with an answer. “Uh, a lot.” She let go of his hand. “I’ll go help Cade find a Band-Aid.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Nick watched Ellie disappear and decided he probably needed to back off. But she was so much fun to tease. Besides, it helped ease the urge to pull her into his arms and kiss her. He couldn’t seem to help himself whenever she was near him. Having her so close—the scent of her clean hair, her blonde ringlets shimmering and slightly damp—drove him crazy.

  His heart pounded so intensely, it had to be audible. Taking a peek at his wounded finger, he marveled that such a small cut could reap such unbelievable benefits. Touching Ellie proved to be better pain medicine than any narcotic the team doctor had ever prescribed.

  He couldn’t wipe the grin off his face when she came back in with Cade, who held a box of SpongeBob Band-Aids.

  “I’ll share.” Cade handed Nick the box.

  “Thanks, buddy.” He tried to open the box, but it was difficult with the paper towel on. Actually, he wasn’t trying that hard. It was just a great excuse to get Ellie close to him again. He looked up to find her watching him. “Could you get one out for me?” He tried to repress a smile.

  She started to move forward, her eyes a little skeptical. But Cade beat her to it. “I can.” He tore open the lid and pulled one out. “Here you go.”

  Nick accepted the Band-Aid and attempted pulling it apart. Again, he didn’t try very hard. He raised his eyes again to find Ellie holding back laughter. Was she on to him?

  “Need some help?”

  He handed her the package and grinned when she stepped forward. “I seem to be having trouble.”

  “I can see that,” she said, giving him a knowing look.

  She deftly removed the colorful bandage from its wrapping. Nick removed the towel and held his finger out for her.

  “Mommy, aren’t you going to kiss it better first?” Cade asked innocently.

  Ellie froze.

  Nick couldn’t resist. “Yeah, are you going to kiss it better?”

  She looked up and bit her lip. “No. It’s not sanitary.” She quickly wrapped the Band-Aid around his finger.

  “Thanks.” He looked at his finger. “It does feel better.”

  Her eyes darted up to meet his gaze. “You’re welcome.” She turned away and started to add the fruit to the blender.

  Nick watched her working in the kitchen while Cade chatted on about his new SpongeBob movie.

  “Do you wanna watch it with me?” Cade asked.

  Ellie stopped adding the fruit and seemed to be waiting for his reply. Mind reading skills would come in handy about now.

  “Well, I would like to.” He hedged a little, not sure how eager he should appear. “But maybe now isn’t the best time.”

  “Please, Mommy. Can he stay and watch a movie with us?” Cade did the begging so Nick didn’t have to.

  Ellie looked at the clock. It was nearly eight. His night was just getting started, but Ellie and Cade might go to bed early.

  “It’s okay. Maybe we can plan it—”

  “Sure, if he wants to—”

  They both spoke together, but Nick liked what she was going to say so he waved for her to proceed. “You go first.”

  “You don’t have to stay if you—”

  Nick prevented her from finishing her sentence. “I want to. You have no idea how big and empty my house is.”

  Her eyes softened and she smiled. “Okay.” She leaned in close and whispered, “But I’m sure we can find a different movie.”

  Nick swallowed. Did she have any idea what she did to him? “I’m not picky.”

  Cade whooped loudly, not hearing the part about a possible movie switch. “Can we make popcorn?” He bounced up and down with excitement.

  “Yes.” Ellie retrieved two packages of microwavable popcorn out of the pantry, handing it to Nick. “Do you mind helping him?”

  Mind? If she knew how much he didn’t mind, it might scare her. “Not at all.”

  As Nick helped the little boy make the popcorn, it was hard not to think how nice it would be to have a family like this. Actually, he wanted this family. All the A-list parties he had attended couldn’t compare to this intimate gathering.

  The DVD for Cade’s movie was missing from the case, and Nick was afraid his chance to spend more time with Ellie and her son was over. He was relieved when she selected a couple of movies for Cade to choose from. Cade enthusiastically picked The Princess Bride, a movie Nick had never had a chance to see.

  “Is that okay?” Ellie questioned, as if his staying or going depended upon what movie they viewed.

 
; “Yeah. I’ve actually never watched it before so this will be a first.”

  Her jaw dropped. “Nick, this is a classic! I can’t believe you haven’t ever seen this.”

  He laughed. “A classic, huh?”

  “Yes,” she said, as she situated Cade on the LuvSac. “It has to be one of the most quotable movies ever made.” She handed Cade his smoothie that was safely contained in a secure cup with a straw.

  “I can’t wait.” Nick took a seat on the couch, hoping Ellie would come and sit next to him. For the first time since he’d met her, she didn’t seem so uptight.

  After handing Cade a small bowl of popcorn, Ellie slowly walked over to Nick. He could tell her defenses were back up as she handed him a large bowl of popcorn. “Let me know if you need more.” Without another word, she stepped away and darted over to the loveseat.

  Shoot, now what was he supposed to do? Taking a sip of his smoothie, he watched Ellie and tried to analyze her body language. She sat rigid and stared intently at the television screen. It was almost as if she had to stay focused on the TV or she might possibly let her gaze wander, say over to him.

  Nick silently willed her to look his way. After a few seconds, he got his wish when she turned to regard him. Her eyes spoke volumes, and in that brief moment, he knew she wanted him to sit by her.

  Grabbing a handful of popcorn, Nick relaxed and stretched out his long legs, thinking about his next move. He didn’t have a playbook to help him out, but before the night was over, he planned on gaining better field advantage and closer proximity to the goal line.

  * * *

  Ellie was a big chicken. She was pretty sure Nick had wanted her to sit by him. But when she handed him his bowl of popcorn she had lost her nerve. If she moved now, it would be pretty noticeable.

  She lifted the glass to her lips and took a sip of her smoothie. Maybe if she finished it she could get up for a refill and then come back and casually take a seat next to him. It could work. Except after drinking twelve ounces of liquid, she would have to go to the bathroom.

  She took another drink and sneaked another quick peek at him, trying to think of some other plan. The movie held his attention so she allowed her gaze to linger and studied his handsome profile. Nice jaw line and nose…and his blue eyes…were looking at her. Rats. He had caught her staring at him.

  His lips stretched into a smile and for the life of her she couldn’t pull her gaze away. Finally, she blinked and took a deep breath, turning her attention back to the television. She would never be brave enough to sit by him.

  The next thing she knew, Nick stood in front of her. “Could I have more popcorn?” He held out his empty bowl. “Please?”

  “Sure.” She took his bowl and filled it to the brim. Her hands shook slightly as she handed it back to him. “There you go.”

  “Thanks.” He accepted the dish and their fingers brushed, making her pulse skitter.

  “You’re welcome.” She lowered her eyes, suddenly feeling timid. She hadn’t felt this shy since playing spin the bottle at her first girl-boy party in the eighth grade.

  Nick didn’t move and she wondered if he needed a refill on his smoothie as well. Slowly, Ellie dared to bring her gaze back up to his. She found him watching her intently, his mouth tipped up in a half grin.

  Goodness. The man made her feel all kinds of crazy emotions. She tried to swallow, but her mouth was too dry. “Did you need something else?” Her voice came out soft and raspy.

  “Yeah. Can I sit by you?”

  He wanted to sit by her! She expelled a small breath and found herself moving the popcorn bowl out of the way before uttering a breathy, “Yes.”

  His smile widened as he turned and lowered his body. The cushions sunk as he settled in next to her. He was so big. Her body stiffened when their thighs brushed.

  Nick glanced down and held up his smoothie. “This is really good.”

  “I-I’m glad you like it.” She quickly averted her eyes and tried desperately to focus on the movie. It was difficult, especially with his spicy cologne teasing her senses. She was fully aware of every breath he took, every move he made.

  She tried to relax but was afraid of touching him. Then, halfway through the movie, Cade fell asleep. Somehow knowing he was asleep heightened her awareness of Nick. She also couldn’t remember the movie being so romantic. It had always been so silly and fun…until now.

  Not long after that, Nick slanted forward and placed his empty glass and bowl on the floor. She was just about to ask if he needed more when he eased back against the cushions and slid his arm along the top of the loveseat. He wasn’t actually touching her, but the heat from his arm radiated all the way to her neck and shoulders.

  After a few seconds of accelerated palpitations, she glanced up. Nick looked her way and gave her that crooked smile of his. Her body seemed to have a mind of its own, because her brain said move away, but her body did just the opposite. It was like a magnet drawing her to his side.

  Giving up, she leaned in close to him as he settled his arm around her shoulders. His body was warm and solid. It felt so good to be close to a man again. Well, this man, anyway. She had to remind herself to breathe, especially when he started running his fingers through the hair that spilled over her shoulders.

  A few minutes later, he took her other hand and laced their fingers together, his thumb making slow circles on the top of her skin. They sat that way, snuggled close together until the movie ended and the credits appeared on the screen.

  Knowing they couldn’t sit there forever, she shifted her body to stand up. Nick stood before she could and offered to help her up. As their palms met, her heart skipped a few beats. Honestly, she had been holding his hand for almost an hour, so why did it still send a jolt through her when he pulled her up from the couch?

  “Thanks for letting me hang out.” He kept a hold of her hand. “I think that’s the best movie I have ever seen.”

  She gave him a nervous laugh. “I’m glad you liked it.” She pulled her hand away to turn off the DVD player. Their relationship had just changed dramatically. What did it all mean?

  Feeling as jumpy as Cade on a sugar high, she turned around to find Nick carefully lifting her sleeping son in his well-developed arms. “Where do I take him?”

  The sight before her melded with all the other sensations and she smiled. “His room is just up the stairs.” She led the way and opened the door to Cade’s room. Nick gently laid the little boy down where Ellie had pulled back the covers. Before she could rearrange them, Nick did it for her.

  She leaned over and kissed her son’s forehead. The only other people to ever tuck Cade in bed had been her parents and occasionally Betsy. Having Nick here with her seemed strangely normal. Turning on the nightlight, she moved away from the bed. Nick stepped into the hallway and she followed him down the stairs.

  She paused on the last step, sensing that if she moved any closer to Nick, she might do something even crazier than hold his hand. “Thanks for coming over. I had fun.”

  “I did too.” Looking really GQ, he casually leaned against the doorframe. “Can we do it again?” His lips quirked. “I’ve missed a lot of movies.”

  Their gazes locked and she felt the attraction between them grow. “I’d like that.” She was amazed she hadn’t forgotten what a man looked like when he wanted to kiss a woman. Still, as much as she liked him, she couldn’t kiss him. She was a mother and it just seemed…wrong.

  He must have understood because he straightened up and opened the door. “Thanks again, Ellie.” He stepped out on her porch.

  Now that he was outside, she moved closer to the doorway. “You’re welcome.”

  He studied her for a few more seconds and part of her wished he’d rush back, pull her into his arms and kiss her until she couldn’t breathe.

  He backed up slowly. “Good night.”

  “’Night.” She watched him walk across the street and then softly closed the door. Turning around, she leaned against the d
oor and put her hand over her heart. What was happening to her?

  * * *

  Ellie soaked up the sun, sitting in her parents’ backyard. She watched Cade play with the bubbles he’d picked out of the surprise basket this morning. Her head was in the clouds and she didn’t hear Betsy approaching.

  “So, did you have fun last night?” Betsy’s question made Ellie jump.

  She yelped and placed a hand over her pounding heart. “You scared me to death.”

  Betsy giggled. “Sorry. I thought you heard me opening the gate.” Betsy wore her apron and Ellie was tempted to find out what she’d been baking. “So, you didn’t answer my question.” Betsy took a seat beside her. “Did you have fun last night?”

  Ellie sighed. “Yeah, it was nice.” It was so nice that she hadn’t been able to think about anything else.

  “Just nice?” Betsy scooted closer. “Ellie, are you holding out on me?”

  Not really. Even Ellie couldn’t identify her feelings, although she thought it felt a little like falling in love.

  She reached out her hand and absently picked at a blade of grass. “Betsy, he came over for smoothies and then stayed for a movie.”

  “Hmm. You’re no fun.”

  Maybe, but Nick hadn’t called her today and she knew he had her number. Her stomach churned with anxiety just thinking about the possibility that he regretted holding her hand. After Thomas had cheated and then walked out on her, she made a promise to never marry again. She had Cade and that would have to be enough. But after Nick left her house last night, she knew she wanted more.

  “He’s a really nice guy, though—you were right about that.” She tipped her head to give Betsy a smile.

  Her concession eased the frown puckering Betsy’s face. “I told you so.”

  Ellie brought her knees to her chest, resting her chin on top. “I know…I should’ve listened to you in the first place.”