Chapter Two
How did it happen? Mia ran the scene over and over in her mind as she made the left turn onto their street. How did he do that? How did he maneuver her into seeing him on Sunday? It was like they had a date. A date. It was absurd. Mia didn’t date. She especially didn’t date gorgeous six-foot-four-inch football jocks.
Oh, and he was gorgeous. Mia’s breathing quickened just thinking about him. Dark hair, ocean blue eyes, a devastating smile. And he was big—tall, broad-shouldered, and muscular. And what was the deal with his voice? The deep, rich baritone played over and over in her head. Holy God.
Stop, Mia! Stop, stop, stop! He was being nice for Ben’s sake. And he wasn’t even that nice. It wasn’t a date—like she would ever go out with a guy like him.
Oh, God.
Mia took a breath. What the hell was wrong with her?
Adam had been… well, he’d been very kind. He’d kept Ben safe, offered help with a bike, was gorgeous beyond words, and she’d acted like a bitch. Great. That was sure to go over well with the Millers.
“The Coach is cool, isn’t he, Aunt Mia?”
“Oh, yeah.”
“Why is the library named after his grandpa? You must be really important to get a building named for you.”
“Mmm hmm.” Important was one way to look at the family’s influence. Since the Millers funded the faculty position that brought her to Compass Cove, she’d made a point of learning about them. Which meant that she knew Adam Miller came from serious money. Aviation money, shipping money, real estate money… the list went on.
“Coach says I can really throw. That I’m a natural. What does that mean?”
“That the ability is something that comes from inside you. No one had to teach you how.”
She looked in her rearview mirror and saw Ben puff up a little at the thought. He was so happy, and since her father had died, he was rarely happy.
As soon as she parked in the driveway, Ben hopped out of the car, excitedly ran to the back porch, and went directly in the house. He’d gotten in trouble at school, run off for over an hour, and sassed her in front of a complete stranger. This had not been a great day, but Mia couldn’t help but be relieved that her boy had a smile on his face.
He needed to get involved in something, she knew that. And she also knew an art class wasn’t going to cut it.
When Adam questioned her about Ben playing football, she could see he didn’t understand that it wasn’t about the game. Okay, maybe it was, a little, but her problem today was more about Ben making a bad decision. Rules were in place for a reason. She didn’t run the school, and regardless of what she thought, or Ben thought, he had to do what was expected of him.
Ben’s runaway attempt and her encounter with Adam had left her completely wrecked, but all her nerves melted away when she went into the kitchen and saw her grandmother, still in her yoga clothes, clutching Ben. The savory smells drifting from the stove, the familiar glow from the overhead light, even the bubblegum pop music coming from the iPod on the counter relaxed her. Home.
“What were you thinking? Running off like that?” Nana was holding Ben in a grip so tight, Mia wondered how he was breathing.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “But it was so cool!”
Tilting her head back, Nana pushed the hair away from his face. “How is throwing a tantrum, running away, and scaring us half to death ‘cool’?”
Ben pulled back and dropped his backpack by the stove before launching into his story. The story Mia wanted to forget. “I saw part of football practice and I met the coach. He taught me how to throw a spiral.”
Nana looked in her direction and raised an eyebrow. Ben was so excited he was ready to detonate. “Is that so?”
“And he thinks I should play football. And do you want to know the best part?”
“That wasn’t the best part?” she asked.
“No! He’s helping us get my bike on Sunday.”
“A bike?” This time, Mia saw that Nana’s gaze was squarely on her, not Ben, and a sly grin tilted her mouth. “The football coach is taking you out for a bike?”
Mia felt her insides twist as a vision of Adam and his sweet smile flashed through her mind.
“Yup.” Ben opened his backpack, took out a notice from school, and tossed it into the basket on the counter. “I know just what kind of bike I want, too.”
“Ben,” Mia began, “Why don’t you take your things to your room and get started on your homework. I’ll be up in a few minutes, because you and I have a few things to talk about.”
He tensed and nodded when he realized the talk was going to be serious. But for a change, he did just what he was asked to do. When she heard his feet on the stairs, Mia collapsed into the chair at the head of the kitchen table. For a few seconds, her grandmother simply regarded her before taking two wine glasses from the cabinet and filling them from the open bottle of Cabernet sitting on the counter.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been so scared in my life.” Mia dropped her head into her hands. “I had security looking for him. People on staff, even a few professors, were searching classrooms.”
“And he was playing with one of the football coaches.” Nana chuckled. “You should have called me when you needed him picked up.”
“No,” Mia said. “We made a deal when I moved here. Your life doesn’t get interrupted for things like that.”
“Like that? Mia, he ran away and was lost for almost over an hour! Interrupt me!”
Mia was about to say something, but stopped herself. Nana was right. She should have called. It was hard to remember that she wasn’t doing this alone anymore.
“You want to tell me about the football coach and the bike?”
Mia groaned. There was no good way to spin this. She’d been nicely maneuvered by the coach who had more than likely figured out that she wasn’t going to say no to a pleading ten-year-old, especially after the day he’d had. Mia took a long drink from her wine. “I’m not sure. One minute, we were discussing Ben’s athletic ability, and the next he was offering to take us to lunch and the bike shops on Sunday.”
Another splash of wine went into her glass. “Spill! There has to be more,” Nana finally demanded. Her grandmother was a busy body, and the alcohol was clearly part of her plan to get information.
“Not much to tell.” As soon as she said it, Mia felt her face flush and Nana laughed.
“You, my dear, are a lousy liar.”
Mia met her eyes, and saw the familiar glimmer of awareness. Nana knew her too well. Much too well. “He’s good looking. Gorgeous, in fact. I don’t know. We don’t seem to have any common ground. He didn’t think what happened at school with Ben was a big deal.”
“Pssht.” Nana waved her hand as she rose to start dinner. “They have so many rules at school nowadays, it’s impossible to keep track.”
“That may be true, but it didn’t mean Ben had to go off half-cocked and get into a shoving match with another kid.”
“Don’t be too tough on him,” Nana said. “He’s a good boy.”
Mia turned and nodded. “I know, and I want him to stay that way.”
The job and her grandmother aside, the biggest reason Mia moved was Ben. The city wasn’t right for him, and his behavior and attitude were taking a not-so-nice-turn. Getting him to a better place before puberty hit was the only thing on her mind.
The walk through the old house generated so many memories. And as Mia climbed the stairs to Ben’s room, she knew she wanted him to have good memories of his own, but she couldn’t tolerate his outbursts, or his outright defiance. And what he did today? Forget it—that was downright dangerous. Yes, it all worked out in the end, but there would be consequences for his actions.
She hated to admit it, but Adam may have had a point about channeling Ben’s energy. Football probably wasn’t going to work out this year, but being a man gave Adam an understanding of Ben that Mia would never have.
As Ben got older, she was going to understand him less and less. Without a doubt, this single mom thing wasn’t going to get any easier. Her mother, who was overbearing on a good day, was trying to run the show from Hilton Head, and her dad wasn’t there anymore to run interference. Mia knew what was right, but she was on her own.
Turning her face toward the heavens, Mia spoke to her dad and her sister. “I hope I don’t mess this up, guys.”
When she looked in Ben’s room, the scene was exactly what she expected. Ben should have started his homework, but instead he was lying on the bed, balancing a basketball on the balls of his feet. Yeah. That kind of said it all.
*
When Adam stepped onto his deck and looked out at the bay, he wondered if he hadn’t made a mistake pushing himself on Mia DeAngelis. He’d have a good time on Sunday simply because the woman was eye candy, but it was pretty obvious she wasn’t happy about being trapped into spending an afternoon with him. Ben was cool, though. He liked the kid. At least he could make sure he got a good bike.
Adam sank into the Adirondack chair and watched the golden light from the now invisible sun play with the clouds. He never got tired of his view. No matter where he’d traveled in his life, Long Island was home.
Leaning his head against the back of the chair, Adam closed his eyes. He didn’t know how he was going to win any games this year with the crew he was putting on the line. His only gift was Kelvin Grant. The kid was as dedicated as he was talented. Though he should have accepted an offer from a big football school, he didn’t, because Kelvin’s mother trusted Adam.
And he didn’t take her trust lightly.
Kelvin’s experience wasn’t going to be like his own. Once he took the scholarship offer to the big ass football school, classes were the last thing Adam thought about. It was a miracle he graduated. Hell, considering how much he partied, it was a miracle he survived. School was only the beginning of Adam’s problems; his arm was golden, so the pro contract came, and the money… and it was downhill from there.
It took him flipping his car and almost ending up in a wheelchair for Adam to change his ways.
No, Kelvin wouldn’t go through any of that. The kid came from a shit neighborhood, but had managed to stay out of gangs and away from drugs, thanks to his mother. She wanted her son to get an education, and Adam was going to make sure he did just that.
Without warning, Mia’s face flashed through his mind, and again he wondered if he’d done the right thing getting her to go out with him. He thought about canceling, but something wouldn’t let him. He wanted to see her again.
But at the same time, he didn’t.
There was no doubt Mia was gorgeous, but he wondered if there was a way to chip through the ice. The frost coming off her as they left campus told him she was majorly uptight, and he’d always liked his women more laidback. And easy. He liked easy women. The kind that wouldn’t expect a relationship. The kind that worshipped pro-athletes.
Yeah, there was no way the librarian was going to worship him. She hadn’t said as much, but she didn’t really have to. Based on her response, it was fairly obvious Mia thought he was pond scum.
“I’m going out with a woman who hates me. Perfect,” he mumbled to himself. Adam blew out a breath. He’d get through this like he’d gotten through that root canal he’d had last month. He’d just suck it up. They’d go out Sunday and get the kid a bike. Good deed done, and that would be it.
“Yeah, right.” This time it was her scent that he remembered… something light, flowery. She’d gotten inside him. Ten minutes with her and now she was embedded in his brain.
Damn. He was thirty-seven years old and had always had control where the women in his life were concerned. He’d walked the red carpet with the most beautiful actresses, been photographed with the hottest models, but the thought of going out with the pretty little librarian had his stomach in knots. It could have something to do with living like a monk for months on end, but as he thought about her, Adam knew it was more. There was something in her eyes, in the way she looked at him—it was different, and his reaction left him feeling at odds with who he’d always been.
His sailboat bobbed against his dock. The flag at the top of the mast snapped away in the stiff breeze. It was the perfect time for a sail, the perfect thing to keep his mind off the book lady. Putting his tongue against his teeth, his ear-splitting whistle shattered the quiet.
“Bubba,” he called. Down on the beach, the black lab mix looked up and his tail wagged like crazy. The dog was a mess: big, dumb, and always getting pinched by the crabs that wandered onto shore. The dope couldn’t figure out the crabs didn’t want to play.
“Come on, pal. We’re going on the boat.” Bubba bowed down and barked before running down the dock and hopping onto the boat. Adam laughed.
His dog, a sail… yep, the diversion was just what he needed.
*
The day after her close encounter with Adam, Mia sat staring at the computer screen in her office. She was supposed to be doing research for one of the professors, but her mind kept wandering. Somehow, gathering the latest criticisms referencing modern journalistic ethics wasn’t keeping her attention.
She was too busy thinking about the gorgeous football coach, and for the briefest moment, Mia allowed herself to imagine his offer to help with the bike was as much about her as it was about Ben. Immediately, she knocked the thought out of her head. There was no way, no possible way, he was the least bit interested in her.
A light tapping at her door brought her out of her trance. Mia looked up.
“Hey,” Fiona said. “Where were you?”
Fiona Gallagher, who also went by Finn, had become one of Mia’s closest friends when they were in library school. Through the years, and several moves, they’d stayed in touch. When the opening at Jennings came up, Finn had called Mia immediately. Her friend knew this was exactly the kind of job Mia wanted, and where she wanted to raise Ben.
“Nowhere,” Mia responded. “Just daydreaming, you know.”
Fiona came into the room and sat in the chair facing Mia’s desk. “Want to go to the mall Sunday? I noticed you aren’t on the schedule.”
“I have plans, actually. Ben and I are going to lunch and then going bike shopping.”
“Bike shopping?”
“I’ve been promising him, so Sunday we hit the bike shop.”
“Cool. I’ll give you a hand.”
Crap. When Finn offered to lend a hand, she meant to do it. Now Mia would have to explain to her friend why she didn’t need help. Maybe she could be vague.
“Oh, don’t worry about it, we’ll be fine. I have help.”
Fiona’s perfectly plucked eyebrow shot up beyond the rim of her glasses. “Really?”
Vague wasn’t going to work.
“Yeah.” Mia squirmed. She could see Fiona’s sixth sense had kicked in. Should she explain? If she didn’t tell her something, Fiona would be after her all day—she’d want details.
“Who’s helping you?”
Mia stood and walked to the shelf that held some old print resources and ran her finger over the spine of one of the books. “Just a guy I met.”
“Oooohhh.” A smile spread across her friend’s gorgeous face. “It didn’t take you long. Tell me.”
“There’s nothing to tell.”
“Sure there is. Give.”
“We met. Started talking.” Mia offered quietly. Vague. Be vague.
“Where did you meet him?”
“On campus. He helped when Ben ran off.”
“So, yesterday. And?” Fiona was leaning forward, her eyes wide, waiting for more information.
Mia looked out the window, distracting herself with the view. She couldn’t just blurt it out. It was personal. No one was supposed to know, were they? How was she going to get around this? It was so out of the blue and Fiona tended to blow everything out of proportion. If she held true to form, Fiona would have her married to Adam before they’d had a meal together. Just then, Kelvin Grant, one of the student clerks, popped his head into the room.
“Miss DeAngelis?”
Saved! Mia thought. Someone needed her assistance, and she could escape the interrogation. “Yes, Kelvin?”
“Phone call for you.” He was grinning.
“Thank you.” Looking at the console on her desk, she saw three lines were flashing. “What line?”
“One-five.” He paused, looked at Mia and Fiona, and then spoke again, “It’s Coach Miller.”
Fiona’s gasp was audible. “As in Adam Miller? He’s the one…”
Could his timing have been worse? Mia doubted it. Kelvin, who was on the football team, was grinning ear to ear. Fiona was dumbstruck. Great. When she didn’t pick up right away, Kelvin took the hint and vanished. Hand on the receiver, Mia shot Fiona a look before she drew a breath and pressed a button on her phone. “Mia DeAngelis.”
“Hello, Miss DeAngelis.” His voice rolled over her, deep and sexy. “I wonder if you could tell me the last fifteen winners of the Super Bowl?”
Mia bit her lip, but the smile escaped anyway. If she didn’t know better, she might think he was flirting.
Realizing after she’d told her Nana all about what had happened, that her anger toward Adam was rooted in the fear surrounding Ben’s disappearance, she found herself more than a little receptive to his charms. “You could always look it up,” she answered softly. “I would think even you know how to use Google.”
“But then I wouldn’t have an excuse to call you.”
“Oh, I see,” she replied, her face burning as Fiona watched. “What can I do for you, Adam?”
“I just need to push our date back until one o’clock. I have a couple of things to do in the morning.”
Their date. She felt her heart speed up when he put it that way, but maybe he was just looking for a way out? “I really don’t want to put you out. If you would prefer to cancel—”
“Are you kidding? I’m looking forward to it. Is one o’clock okay?”
“It’s fine.” Mia noticed she’d stopped breathing. She had to calm down. “Thanks again for offering. Ben’s really excited.”
Mia cringed. Don’t gush, she told herself. She couldn’t give him the upper hand for even one second. Why did this have to be so complicated? On one hand, she couldn’t shake the stereotype that he was the typical over-confident and self-absorbed jock. But he was doing something for Ben that would have been hard for her to do without his help. When she looked at it from that angle, the gesture was genuinely sweet.
“Not a problem. Tell Ben I said ‘hi’,” Adam said.
“I will.”
“Take care, Mia.”
“Bye.”
Hanging up, Mia slumped back into her chair and clutched her hands to her chest, hoping the pressure would settle her pounding heart. She’d forgotten that Fiona was watching her every move.
“Do you like red wine or white?” Fiona asked. Her arms were folded across her chest and she was tapping her foot steadily.
“Huh? Red, why?”
“Because tonight,” Fiona said while rising from the chair, “I’m bringing the wine, and you’re telling me all about how you met him. See you around nine.”
*
She had the sexiest voice—soft and feminine, just like everything else about her.
Calling Mia at work was a dirty trick and he knew it. But she did tell him it was the best place to get in touch with her, and just because he didn’t like his notoriety on campus, didn’t mean he wasn’t going to use it to get her attention. Calling and identifying himself would start the gossip flying. If nothing else, it would keep her thinking about him.
Then again, it could backfire. She might feel pressured, or embarrassed, and ultimately see it as a reason to put one more check in the “asshole” column, and he didn’t want that.
He couldn’t get her out of his head. The night before he’d taken a long sail, worked out, done some prep for Saturday’s game, and still his brain had circled back to her. And the more he thought about her, the more he realized he’d made a snap judgment about her being an ice queen. No one who responded to a child the way she had could be unfeeling or cold. So, he called her to test his theory, and he was right. Not cold at all.
She was sweet, flustered, and adorable.
She had the face of angel and a body that could stop time—a little lusher, a little rounder than his usual type. Mia was built like a real woman, not some stick figure. She was shaped like she was meant to have a bunch of kids, and be worshipped by the man she married.
Mia was real, all right. And all Adam could think about was what it would be like to get his hands on every full, soft inch of her.
*
Mia didn’t have much experience with heart-to-heart talks about guys. But after a few glasses of wine and some amazing chocolate strawberries, Mia told her friend the Adam Miller story.
Finn pulled her auburn hair back in an elastic and let out a long, low whistle when the story was finished. “He’s the hottest man on campus, and you have a date with him.”
Mia bit her lip, leaned forward and set her glass on the table. “It’s not exactly a date. We’re taking Ben for a bike.”
“It’s a date.”
“He’s being nice to Ben.” Mia sank into the cushions as she leaned back.
“He’s being nice to you.”
“Finn, look, men just aren’t interested in me like that. Especially men like Adam Miller.”
“I doubt that. He’s a lot of things, but he’s not stupid.”
“What he has are opinions. Too many.”
“Seriously? I heard he left his jerky self back in the NFL.”
Mia shrugged. Getting angry with Adam was all projection. She was upset about Ben and she’d turned it on him. It wasn’t fair, but the man got her back up with all his questions.
“If you don’t like him, then why are you going out with him? I told you I’d give you a hand with the bike.”
Again, Mia shook her head, and sipped her wine. “I don’t know.”
“You’re attracted to him, and I’m guessing he’s attracted to you, and…”
“I don’t think so. I’m not his type.”
“Do you truly believe that? Truly? Because it’s such crap.”
“No, it’s not! Men like him want gorgeous, sophisticated women. That’s not me.”
“You need to pay more attention, honey.”
“What do you mean, pay attention?” Mia wished people would stop talking in riddles.
Fiona rolled her eyes. “Jeez, Mia, whenever we go anywhere, men trip over themselves when you walk past.”
Now it was Mia’s turn to roll her eyes.
“You might be clueless, but I’m not. Last week, when we were in town for lunch, there was a group of men walking out of Rinaldi’s when we were walking in.” Mia jumped as Fiona smacked her hands together. “They crashed into each other to get a look at you. It was like a four-car pile-up on the expressway!”
Mia knew she wasn’t the awkward girl who felt inferior to her beautiful sister anymore. Her looks had matured, she’d lost weight, and she’d accomplished many things. But she wasn’t experienced with men. She just wasn’t. “You don’t understand.”
The more she thought about it, the more anxious she was about spending any time with Adam at all.
And the panic had only escalated once she’d done her research.
Adam wasn’t just a football coach at a small college. He was famous. No. Mia rethought that… infamous was a better word. A quick search had yielded more than she ever wanted to know about him. There was information about his career, but even more on his personal life—dirt on the women he’d dated, the party scene he’d frequented, and the crash to earth. Adam was a bad boy. He was handsome and charming—a rich, successful, risk-taking, professional athlete.
Fiona cleared her throat and Mia wiped her eyes. She didn’t mean to take the emotional side trip; it was just that the more she thought about the simple lunch and shopping expedition, the more she panicked. If their outing was ‘a date’, she was in trouble.
“This is really bugging you, isn’t it?”
Mia answered with a nod.
“Why? You have everything going for you. He’ll be eating out of your hand.”
“No, I wasn’t even nice to him.”
“What happened the other night? Is there something you’re not telling me?”
“Not really. I got defensive, and nervous, and I turned into a total bitch. I have no idea why he even wants to be around me, except that he probably thinks he’s rescuing Ben.”
Fiona wrapped an arm around Mia’s shoulder. “You were scared as hell about Ben. It’s understandable if you weren’t at your best. I doubt you were a bitch.” Fiona paused and tilted her head. “Do you even know how to be a bitch?”
“I was horrible. When he mentioned his family’s connection to the library, I turned to stone. Swear to God. I had no idea what to say.”
“Well, then look at lunch like a fresh start. A chance to be charming.”
“Charming, right.” Mia shook her head. “This is going to be a disaster.”
“Mia, oh my God. He’s just a guy. It’s just a date!”
She turned and faced Finn, who was obviously losing her patience, and it was easy to understand why. Slim and gorgeous, Fiona possessed a self-confidence that came from years of being told she could do anything. Years of growing into herself.
Mia, on the other hand, was still figuring out where she fit in. Her college years had been unremarkable because she never got out from under her sister’s suicide. Originally, Mia had gone to school to study acting and voice, and her first two years at NYU had been amazing. She gained confidence and started to spread her wings socially. But when Sara died, it devastated her. Her parents were grieving, Ben was just a little boy, and Mia felt guilty being so far away from home. At some point, being with her family was more important than being on stage. So, she left NYU and finished school at a university closer to home, focusing on literature, classics, and library science. It was a comfort to be home, but she folded back into herself, preferring her books to people.
And men, forget men. She was so out of the dating loop, the thought of her lunch with Adam just about triggered a full-blown panic attack.
“I don’t know how to go on a date, not that this is really a date or anything.” Mia was so embarrassed by the admission, she felt physically sick. She’d built her life, her reputation, on her confidence and her ability to make people believe she could handle anything. In most cases it was true, but when it came to men, Mia wasn’t sure of anything.
“I don’t know what to do,” she whispered.
“Oh, my God.” Fiona was beginning to understand. “You’re scared.”
“Of course, I’m scared! Let’s look at this…” Mia stuck her hand in the air and started to count off. “First, I can count on one hand the number of actual dates I’ve been on in the last ten years and still have fingers left over. Two, a guy like Adam Miller is totally out of my league. My recent experience is limited to computer geeks and engineering grad students, and not even the cute ones. Third, he was a pro athlete… one with a pretty bad reputation. And fourth, I haven’t…”
Mia couldn’t even bring herself to think about number four. She pulled her fingers into a clenched fist. It was humiliating.
“What?” Fiona searched her face for some kind of clue. The question hung in the air until Mia screwed up her courage and blurted out her confession.
“I can’t remember my last date—it was sometime in grad school. And I haven’t had a second date with the same guy in over five years.”
“Whoa. Seriously? I mean—I figured you’d have been seeing people since grad school.”
“That was the plan.” Mia leaned back into the soft cushions of the sofa. “It took me a long time to come to grips with Sara’s death. She had so much going for her, and she blew it, and then she checked out, leaving all of us to raise the baby she left behind.”
“I can’t even imagine,” Fiona said while copying Mia’s posture and leaning back.
“After I received my library degree, I planned on saving so I could get an apartment and move out of my parents’ house. I was ready to start having a real life. Then my dad was killed, and my mom—who was never that maternal—decided to move away. Alone. That’s when it got ugly. Apparently, my mother had been spending money like crazy, and there was a lot of debt. When she sold the house, there wasn’t much left over. Fortunately, my father had life insurance, including a policy just for Ben. After it was all settled, I deposited the money that was left to Ben in an account to take care of his needs. You know, child care, medical care, I invested money for college… I bought a car so I could drive him places.” Mia poured herself another glass of wine. “I took care of him full time. He’s my whole life, and I’m okay with that, but there has been no dating. No nights out with friends. There hasn’t been much of anything.”
“So, there’s been no, you know…?”
“Sex? Are you kidding? Not for a really, really long time. Hell, I haven’t been seriously kissed since I was twenty-one.”
Fiona’s hand wrapped around hers. “You never said anything.”
Mia shrugged. “What was I going to say? It’s humiliating.”
The emptiness went clear to her toes. It wasn’t that Mia just wanted sex, although that would be a step up. What she wanted was the chance to find the love that went along with it. Mia had never been in love.
She’d never felt the exhilaration, the euphoria, the soul-stealing, all-consuming excitement that only happens when another person captures your heart. She’d never kissed in the rain, she’d never made love in the morning, she’d never known the touch of a man who considered her the center of his universe. Mia was fully aware of what had been missing from her life. All the emotion, the lust, the longing… she’d missed out completely.
And she almost cried at the thought of it.
*
Saturday morning, Mia wandered through the village of Compass Cove still feeling like a bit of a tourist. The area by the waterfront was nearly the same picture postcard it had been when she spent summers here as a kid. Sailboats dotted the water, gulls circled overhead, and New England could be seen off in the distance.
The day after Ben ran off, Mia had done some research and found a fall baseball league with some openings. She hadn’t hesitated—she’d made three phone calls and signed him up. It wasn’t football, but he was thrilled. Unlike a lot of mornings when he fought getting up, today Ben bounced out of bed for an early practice.
That left Mia with a couple of hours to herself, and she had to think about what she would do with the time. She stopped at Rinaldi’s Cafe, picked up a latte, found a bench by the dock, and settled in to gather her thoughts.
Since her confession to Fiona, Mia had been dwelling on her poor excuse of a social life. She’d been in a book club here, taken a class there, but she’d never truly made an effort to make herself available. Her friendships revolved around work, and she’d given herself little opportunity to socialize. Sure, she had it tough raising Ben on her own the past two years, but there were a lot of single parents in this world and they didn’t make excuses. There were probably a load of reasons why she wasn’t dating. With enough therapy, a good psychologist could probably set her right. But that was something else she didn’t have time for. Ever since she’d had to take care of Ben on her own, she didn’t make any decision without thinking of him first.
She sat, gazing at the deep greenish blue water. There were a few sailboats and some kayakers out for a morning on the bay, and it felt familiar. Her family often rented a house on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, and there had been many mornings that she and Ben had taken walks and seen a collection of boats and kayaks, just like here. Even before he was her responsibility alone, they’d had a special relationship. The memory of his little hand in hers warmed Mia from the inside out. But now that she and Ben were settled, maybe it was time for Mia to make her own memories. Maybe it was time for her to start having a life.
Behind her, a row of shops were opening. There was a neat little antique shop, a bookstore, and a very upscale salon. A thought ran through Mia’s head and she looked at her watch. The coaches respectfully asked the parents not to stay around for practices the first few weeks, so the kids could acclimate, and that left her with over two hours to kill. Tentatively glancing at the ends of her hair, she realized she could use a trim. It had been ages since she indulged in a little personal pampering.
Tossing her empty cup in a nearby trashcan, Mia made her way to the salon, which called itself Visions: a Day Spa.
The owner had created a lovely environment. Getting inspiration from the area, the salon was decorated in a palette of soft cream, brown, blue, and beige. One wall was actually a waterfall. Sheets of water flowed over the stone surface, creating a stunning visual effect. Plush chairs and the sound of running water provided a relaxing area for clients to wait. The receptionist was on the phone and looked up at Mia when she finished her call.
“Can I help you?”
“Ah, yes. I want to have my hair trimmed.”
The woman tilted her head. “Do you have an appointment?”
“No, I was taking a walk and decided at the last minute. I could make one and come back next week.”
“Let me see what’s available.” Her fingers clicked on the keyboard. As she examined the screen, a petite woman with shoulder length black hair walked from the back of the salon.
“What’s up, Kris?”
“Just looking for an opening.” The receptionist looked up. “I have a one o’clock?”
“I can’t do one.” Mia frowned, but the dark-haired woman whose skin glowed like warm bronze leaned in and pressed a couple of keys on the computer.
“I’m available.”
“Oh,” Mia said. “Are you sure?”
“Positive. Come on back.”
She extended her hand, so appreciative that they were willing to accommodate her. “I’m Mia DeAngelis.”
The stylist froze, her mouth dropping open, before tears welled up in her eyes. “Mia? Oh, my God. I can’t believe it’s you?”
Mia looked at the woman closely. Hmmm. Button nose, unrealistically long black eyelashes, deep chocolate brown eyes, wide smile… it was familiar.
Her heart jumped to her throat when she saw the dimples. “Oh, my God,” she said on a breath. “Lilly!”
Without a moment’s thought, the women were clutching each other, and Mia could not have been more thankful to whatever power had brought her into this shop. She and Lilly Vasquez had been inseparable whenever Mia visited Compass Cove. The girls had sleepovers, days at the beach, and endless hours in one or the other’s backyard. They’d lost touch when they hit their early teen years and Mia didn’t make as many visits.
“I can’t believe it’s you!” Lilly rubbed her hands up and down Mia’s arms.
“You two know each other?” the receptionist asked.
“We were summer friends. Gosh,” Lilly began, “it was so long ago.”
“Our grandparents were friends. I think Lilly and I met when we were around five or six.”
Lilly nodded and gave Mia another squeeze. “I was so sorry to hear about your dad.”
Mia nodded, appreciating the kindness but not surprised. That was Lilly. Sweet and kind. She hadn’t changed.
“Okay, well, let’s get you started,” Lilly said. “You can tell me everything you’ve been doing while we’re making your hair gorgeous.”
*
Two hours later, Mia emerged from the shop with her hair cut in long, flippy layers, a fresh manicure and pedicure, and a small bag of cosmetics.
Allowing herself to be fussed over her was just what she’d needed. While her nails were drying, Kiki, the resident make-up artist, gave her a mini-makeover and guided her in the purchase of eyeliner, blush, and lip-gloss. For her skin, all Mia needed was some moisturizer with a sunscreen; clear mascara would accentuate her already long lashes. No fuss. Just the way she liked it.
It turned out Lilly was the salon’s owner. She’d left Compass Cove right after her high school graduation and worked in Beverly Hills, making a name for herself as a hair stylist. But she’d hated the cut-throat nature of the business, especially in the high-end salon where she’d been employed. She’d come back to Compass Cove a year ago, and now her salon was filling a niche for a younger clientele who didn’t want the same bouffant hairstyles favored by their grandmothers. It was pure chance that Mia had walked in there that morning.
Not only happy she’d finally done something for herself, she’d reconnected with one of the people she’d missed all these years.
There was a mirror in the nearby antique shop window and Mia was startled when she caught her reflection as she passed. Her hair, which was still long, had a glossy shine she’d never noticed before. The way it framed her face made her features appear just a bit more refined, and her eyes, which were now lightly outlined in jade, stood out dramatically.
No doubt about it. Lilly was a genius, and Kiki wasn’t far behind.
The changes were subtle enough that most people wouldn’t notice, but Mia noticed. If she could just muster some confidence, and stop hiding who she was on the inside, she might find a way to be happy. Really happy.
Moving along, Mia stopped at the main intersection in town, which charmed her every time. The ornate clock in front of the bank where her grandfather used to work still kept perfect time, and the florist on the opposite corner had decorated the sidewalk with red, orange, and yellow mums. But it was the compass rose that adorned the center of the intersection that gave the downtown its special character. Commissioned years before, the simple design was inlaid in the pavement as a tribute to the hamlet’s nautical past. Mia turned and realized she was right in front of Jennings Brothers. The compass shop, which also made custom watches and jewelry, had been in business for almost 300 years. Mia loved the story her grandmother had told her, about the young widow who brought a broken compass that had once belonged to her husband to the shop to be repaired. She and the compass-smith had fallen in love and they’d credited the broken compass for bringing them together. Most families in Compass Cove kept a compass in the house as a reminder how true love brings people together.
“Morning.” A tall man stepped out of the shop, bearing a crank to extend the blue awning. His smile was wide and his blond hair fell in a mess across his forehead. He might have been thirty-five, but he had the air of an old soul.
“Good morning,” Mia said. “I was admiring the window display. You have so many beautiful pieces.”
“Thank you. Would you like to come inside?”
Glancing at her watch, Mia nodded. She had a few minutes. Not being able to remember the last time she’d been inside the shop, Mia eagerly walked in as the man held the door for her.
It was an old building, but instead of feeling simply old, it felt like there were stories here. Inside, the shop sported dark wood shelves which went from floor to ceiling. Glass cases and antique tables dotted the floor, but there weren’t just compasses and watches adorning them. The place was a treasure trove. Hand-blown crystal and glass, jeweled boxes, and the most exquisite handcrafted jewelry were also on display.
“What’s your name?” he asked.
“Mia,” she said, still taking in her surroundings.
Stepping to her side, he smiled, picked up an adorable small glass cat, and settled it in her palm. When she held it up to the light, a rainbow of colors sparkled on the inside. “I’m Liam Jennings.”
Shaking his hand with her free one, Mia couldn’t help but smile. “This is an amazing place. I came in with my grandmother once or twice, years ago, but it’s so different now. Did you make this?” she asked about the cat. “It’s gorgeous.”
“There’s a local artist nearby who blows glass. She opens her studio a few times a year. It’s amazing to watch her work.”
Mia would love to see that. She examined the cat once more before handing it back to him.
“You’re new in town?” he asked.
“I just moved here to take a job at the college. But my grandmother has lived here for almost sixty years. So, like I said, I’ve visited.”
“Who’s your grandma?”
“Janet Lang.”
His mouth dropped a little. “Seriously? I had her for tenth grade history.”
Mia shrugged. “You and half the town.”
Walking around, she stopped at a glass case that held a very old, tarnished compass. There was an engraved plate mounted below it that said:
Lucy and Caleb ~ m.1750.
“Is this…?”
“It is,” he said. “Want to see it?”
“Really? Oh, my gosh! Yes.”
Playing up the drama, Liam took a key from his pocket, opened the case with a flourish, and removed the antique compass. He held it for her inspection, and Mia couldn’t believe she was looking at the town’s history, its heritage. The researcher in her was fascinated; the romantic in her was giddy.
Taking her hand, Liam placed the compass in her palm. She was surprised that the brass compass case wasn’t cold against her skin, but warm. Within seconds, the needle started to wiggle, and then swing wildly back and forth. “Why is it doing that?” she asked. “Did I break it?”
For a few moments, she and Liam watched as the compass went wild in her hand.
“Oh, boy,” Liam whispered. He brushed a lock of hair off his brow and leveled his gaze at her. “From time to time, it’s said the compass behaves strangely. I’ve never actually seen it until now, but it usually happens when it’s held by someone looking for their ‘true north’.”
“True north?”
“Geographically, it’s the direction towards the North Pole. But metaphorically, it seems to apply to those whose hearts are lost and in need of direction.”
Mia felt a tingle crawl up her spine. She’d come to Compass Cove for a chance at a better life, but was her heart looking for something? Was she lost?
“According to what my father told me—he’s here during the week if you want to stop back—the last time this happened was maybe sixty years ago.”
“Sixty years? Wow.” She was frozen, staring at the face of the compass and the swinging needle.
Finally, Liam took it from her, gently placing it back in the case. “Is your heart searching for something, Mia?”
“Yes. No.” God, she was confused. “Maybe a little.”
Liam faced her, and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Then I hope you find it.”
Mia stared at the compass for a long time, then looked at Liam, at a loss for what to say. She was always searching, always hoping that life would give her the love story she wanted.
The love story she wondered if she would ever have.
*
Adam went over the game plan again. They needed everything to go right if they were going to win. They also needed a shitload of luck.
One of his receivers was worried that there was too much loose fabric around his middle, giving their opponents something to grab on to. But Kelvin, his potential superstar, sat in the corner of the locker room, wringing his hands and mumbling. Praying. Not a bad idea. Maybe he’d find a quiet spot and have some words with the Big Guy himself. Although, Adam was pretty sure he’d used up all his requests when he was trapped in his crushed car.
His goal for the game was to make a good showing and come away with all his guys in one piece. If they won, he’d start believing in miracles.
Adam closed his eyes and tried to relax.
Instantly, she was there. His mind kept drifting back to Mia. He was genuinely looking forward to seeing her and Ben tomorrow, and that had him shaking his head.
He didn’t know why it was important to him that she liked him, but it was. He got the feeling there was a lot of depth beneath that guarded surface, and she was so damned adorable.
So adorable.
Yeah, he was in trouble.
*
At the park, Mia stood next to another woman and watched Ben snagging grounders at second base like he’d been doing it since birth. He was smiling and talking to other boys on the field with ease. He was part of the team.
He was happy, and Ben hadn’t been happy for a long time.
Glancing to the right, she smiled at the woman who was eyeing her curiously. “You’re a new face,” the woman said.
“Ah, yes,” Mia replied. “We just moved here.”
“Which one is yours?” the woman asked, her strong New York accent more apparent with the question.
“The boy at second base.”
The woman nodded approvingly. “He’s a good ball playa. I’m Donna.”
“Mia.” Time to jump in, she thought. “From what I understand,” Mia began, “the league asks each family to do some volunteer work. Do you know who I would see about that?”
The woman pointed out a man holding a clipboard. “You need to give a few hours. Bobby Della Rocca is in charge of volunteers.”
“Thanks,” Mia replied. Walking toward Bobby, Mia knew it was time for her to become part of the team, as well.