Chapter Seven
Saturday morning was clear and cool. Mia sat in the bleachers watching Ben’s baseball game, wishing someone would say something to her. Ben had been to four practices, and this was their second game. By now the other parents were getting to know them, and while she was getting the occasional hello and wave, no one talked to her. God, this was going to be tough.
Ben was doing great, and she absolutely loved watching him play. Her heart swelled every time he got up at bat or made a play in the field. She was proud of him. Proud of how hard he worked, how he interacted with his teammates, and she was amazed at how good he was. He’d been catching during practice, but this was his first game playing at the position and he seemed instinctively to know what to do. He improved every time he took the field, and the other kids really seemed to like him. He fit in with the team, and even with only a couple of games under his belt, Mia could see he was a natural leader.
When the last pitch had been thrown, Mia rose from her spot in the stands and watched her boy with his friends. This had been good for him. Allowing him to become part of a team, a part of something bigger, had been the best thing she’d ever done for him. Her mother could throw all the tantrums she wanted, nothing was going to change Mia’s mind. At that second, Ben turned, smiled, and waved to her.
Yeah. It was absolutely the best thing.
Mia watched for a few more minutes, and was startled out of her proud mama place by a small, smiling woman who actually spoke to her.
“Hi,” the woman said. “You’re Ben’s mom?”
Mia returned her smile. “His aunt, actually, but I am his guardian.” She extended her hand and the woman took it happily. “Mia.”
“I’m Susan Rand. My son is Gabe.” She pointed to a very tall boy sitting on the bench in the dugout, his long legs extended and a hat pulled over his eyes. “Ben is very good.”
“He loves to play. He loves anything with a ball.”
Susan chuckled. “I wanted to let you know that we have a few tickets left for the team trip to next Wednesday night’s Mets game.” She tilted her head to one side. “Would you and Ben be interested in going?”
“He’d love that, and I’m off on Thursday, so that’s perfect.”
“Excellent. Where do you work?”
Mia smiled as she watched Ben walk over. “Jennings College. I’m a librarian.”
Susan’s mouth dropped open and Mia wondered what she had said that made such an impression.
“You’re the librarian?”
“One of them, why?”
“My husband works at the college, too. He’s one of the assistant football coaches.”
“Oh, that’s…” Mia stopped and watched the other mom’s stunned expression bloom into a knowing smile. Susan knew about her, and her day with Adam. “It’s a small world.”
“It sure is.” Susan was still grinning as she said it. “So, can I put you down for two tickets?”
“Absolutely. Ben will love it.”
*
“You look like one of the students.” Never one to mince words, Fiona’s commentary on Mia’s outfit took no prisoners.
“I do?” The outfit she’d chosen for the football game was a variation of the one she’d worn to Ben’s baseball game that morning: jeans, flats and this afternoon instead of a red T-shirt she wore a navy blue Jennings T-shirt. Mia didn’t want to stand out like a sore thumb, but she was hoping for a better reaction than that.
“You’re adorable, but you probably made Adam feel dirty.”
“I don’t know about that. I walked into a coaches meeting when I dropped off Ben and he was polite and all, but he ushered me out pretty fast.” Mia was trying not to let the brush off bother her, but she just couldn’t shake all the stereotypes about professional athletes that she’d been force fed over the years. “It’s fine. I guess he figured out he’s not into me.”
“It could be something else,” Fiona said.
Something else? “Like what?”
“Like he was busy. That field house is locked down like a vault on game day. I’m surprised you didn’t need a secret password to get in.”
“I don’t know…” Mia’s deep-rooted insecurity wouldn’t allow her to let go of her doubts. In her mind, it was already over, so she didn’t want to dwell on it. Watching the field, she saw Ben come out with a few of the coaches. He was listening to everything they were saying, and when Drew Griffin leaned closer to talk to him, Ben paid close attention. It was like witnessing a miracle.
Was Sara watching and wondering what the hell she was doing? Was Mia doing the right thing? After the hang up yesterday, she knew her mother’s opinion. There’d been radio silence since then, and she expected she wouldn’t hear from Mom for at least a week. Mom’s silent treatment used to be torture, but now, by not talking, she was doing her daughter a favor.
But regardless of the note Sara left her, and her mother’s interpretation of her sister’s very vague instructions, there was one thing Mia knew. Ben wasn’t going to conform to some set of rules that were laid down before he could walk. Mia had to do what was best for him now.
Adam may not be interested in her, but being around the team was good for Ben. That’s what mattered most.
As she and Fiona looked for seats, Mia soaked in the atmosphere, enjoying the buzz in the stadium. It was a gorgeous day and the stands were filling up.
“God, I love it here.” She turned to Fiona who nodded. “I can’t understand, for the life of me, why my parents didn’t want to live here.”
Fiona tilted her head. “Your dad’s work I’m guessing, but let’s face it…could you see your mom in Compass Cove?”
Fiona made sense. As much as her mom disliked the town, the town never liked her mom either. Her mother was too aloof, too distant, preferring to spend time with her grandmama, Nana’s mother, in the city. Compass Cove was about closeness, about being in everyone else’s business and supporting each other. That was not her mother.
Mia watched the players doing calisthenics and drills. Their white jerseys were accented by blue and gold numbers; they moved in military precision one moment, and played like little boys the next. She recognized more than a few of the names stitched across their backs. Many of the boys frequented the library and that made her happy to be here. They were her students, and supporting them was important.
Mia finally spotted Adam on the sidelines. He wore a dark blue polo with a Jennings logo, khakis, and a pair of aviator sunglasses. He was big, powerful, his face hard-edged and battle-worn. Seeing him this way, in his element, cemented what she already knew. Adam wasn’t a pretty boy. He wasn’t polished or refined. He was rugged, physical—a warrior, a man who would protect what was his.
Despite the activity around him, Adam was focused, writing notes on a clipboard, conferring with the other coaches and shouting directions to his team. For a second, she stopped thinking. All that filled Mia’s head was how it felt when he held her. She hadn’t seen him since earlier that week, but the memory of the kiss left her breathless. In his arms, Mia had felt totally safe and completely happy. Nothing could have prepared her for the contented feeling that settled over her when he touched her. For the first time in her life, her guard dropped, and Mia let someone reach inside and touch her heart. She had no control over it, and she wondered if she should stop trying. Mia drew a breath and took him in. No matter how hard she tried to deny it, Mia knew she could fall in love with him.
He turned toward the stands and smiled wide when he saw a group of boys hanging over the rail, waving. Mia recognized Gabe Rand and two other boys from Ben’s baseball team. Adam acknowledged them with a wave and called Ben over so he could say hi to his friends. When Ben saw his teammates, he dashed toward the stands. Adam stood by and watched, his mouth tilting slightly at the corner, and if Mia ever wondered about this man, the doubt about his character vanished with this one small act. He may not be interested in her, but the gift he’d given Ben was invaluable.
Adam gave him belonging. He wasn’t just the new kid. Ben was part of the team at Jennings, and that would make things easier as he found his way in this new place. Mia’s heart was happy, and turning her eyes back toward Adam, she saw he was staring at her. His eyes made her think about his gentle touch and soft kiss, but it was his kindness that meant the most to her. This warrior had a gentle heart, the heart of a father, and Mia was almost overcome as their eyes held. All she could do was mouth a simple “Thank you.”
There was an almost imperceptible nod, and he turned back to the field, calling Ben to walk with him. Mia, no longer able to stand, sank into the seat. Fiona dropped down next to her.
“Are you still going to tell me he’s not into you?”
Finally breathing again, Mia shook her head. “I don’t… I, um… I don’t know what to think.”
Fiona wasn’t going to let up on her, that much she knew. “Maybe you should stop thinking.”
“I agree, thinking is way overrated.”
Turning, Mia found herself staring into the grass green eyes of Noah Connolly, who’d taken a seat on the bench next to her. He grinned like a little boy, and handed her a bag of popcorn from the concession stand. Ever since Adam had interrupted their conversation the other day, Noah had been more of a presence. She thought a nice friendship was developing with him, but over the last few days she saw his intentions were a bit more personal.
Too bad for Noah the only one Mia wanted to get personal with was the coach. But with him running hot and cold the way he did, she still wasn’t sure if he felt the same way.
*
Adam had spent more time than he should paying attention to what Mia was doing during the game. Never letting anything distract him while the game clock was ticking, he just couldn’t help himself. He was especially interested when the professor joined her in the stands. Talk about spoiling the view. Mia looked so damned cute in her Jennings gear and her bright smile, and then he’d get an eyeful of Doctor Dork chatting her up. This whole jealousy thing was new for him, and he didn’t like it. It was time for this quarterback to rush.
After giving the team their post-game talk, he passed Joe and his wife, Susan, in the corridor by the offices. A tiny thing with a big personality, Susan managed her husband and three sons with military precision. He liked her. She was no bullshit, but had a romantic streak a mile wide. Based on the way she constantly tried to fix Adam up with different women, and the way she was eyeing him, he could see she was itching to talk to him now. That was fine. If he was going to keep Mia’s attention, he needed an advantage.
“What are you looking at?” Susan asked, grinning.
Adam planted his feet apart and folded his arms. “I need information.”
“Do you? You could always go to the library,” she giggled. “That is their specialty.”
And here came the jokes. “I could, but I need information from you. Tell me about Noah Connolly.”
Susan raised an eyebrow. As an administrative assistant in the Provost’s office, she would have reason to know things about the professor. Adam wasn’t fishing for anything confidential, but he always felt it was best of you knew your competition.
“He’s in his early thirties. Just got his Ph.D. Very charming.”
Charming? He could be charming. “Anything else?”
“He’s very interested in Mia and hasn’t made a secret of it.”
“What else can you tell me?”
“He’s considered quite the catch, and he doesn’t like to lose. I overheard him offer to take her and Ben to the movies.”
That made Adam a little crazy. Two weeks ago he and Mia were in her Nana’s kitchen, and she was melting into his arms, tasting like lemons and hot sex. She was soft, supple, and just waiting for him to take her. Connolly and his movie dates could go to hell. Adam didn’t like to lose either.
That did it. He couldn’t take this slow even if he did spook Mia. There was no time to take it slow. “Joe told me that Gabe’s baseball team is going to the Mets’ game.”
“We are! It’s going to be a nice family day.”
Adam’s wheels were turning. “Sounds like fun. I love baseball.”
Susan looked at Joe, who was holding back a laugh, and then back at Adam. “We have one ticket left.”
“One?” This was perfect, Adam thought.
“Just one,” she said quietly.
“I’ll take it.”