Chapter Twelve
“Pass the onion rings,” Lilly said, grabbing the basket that came her way. “I swear Mrs. Rinaldi should go to heaven just for these rings.”
“And the mac and cheese,” Mia added. “It’s a dream, even though I’m sure it won’t look like a dream on my ass.”
“Your ass is perfect,” Fiona said. “Stop bitching about it, or I’m going to have to hate you.”
“Since I’ve sworn off men, I couldn’t care less about my ass. It’s liberating.” With that, Jordan bit into her house special burger. Mayo and ketchup slipped out the back of the monstrous sandwich and Jordan rolled her eyes in delight as she slipped into a food coma.
Looking around the table, Mia couldn’t remember consuming more food, all of it rich and fattening, or having a better conversation. Her mother would have a heart attack if she’d been there, but not before she reminded Mia of what the calories would cost her. Which is why hearing a comment like Fiona’s was different for her. Mia had never been the pretty one.
But what mattered more was feeling like she belonged. She had her family, she had friends—in short, Mia had a life. Ben had been her first consideration when she’d made the move to Long Island, but Compass Cove had been good for both of them. The mid-week lunch with the girls was such a treat, and it helped take Mia’s mind off the fact that she had a meeting with the lawyer that afternoon about the adoption.
Mia took a bite of her mac and cheese and stopped mid-chew when the door to the café opened. It was the middle of the lunch rush and she shouldn’t have noticed yet another customer walk into the busy restaurant, but this guy was something. He was tall, broad, and so gorgeous it should be criminal. Six-two and with muscles that screamed to be touched, he was wearing khaki cargos, a plain white t-shirt that spanned his chest, and his biceps bulged out of the sleeves. The face was a work of art. All clean lines and great bone structure, he had dark hair, dark eyes and the most wonderful scruff. If something was off in the picture at all, it was that the man was using a cane, which made Mia think he might be military.
All she could do was sigh. “Oh, my…”
“What’s wrong with you?” Fiona wondered. Then she turned and her eyes locked on the guy, who was talking with a table of old men. “Good Lord. I think my ovaries just exploded.”
“Right?” Mia said. “He’s a god.”
Lilly, who’d been concentrating on the onion rings, looked up—and within seconds was out of her chair and hurtling toward the man. At first, he was stunned to get an armful of excited woman, but once he recognized Lilly, his embrace became warm and familiar. And if he wasn’t good looking enough before, he smiled, and Mia felt her toes curl.
Lilly linked arms with him and walked Hot Guy back to their table. Fiona probably should have wiped the drool off her chin, Mia was reminding herself to breathe, and Jordan ate her burger in big messy bites.
“Girls, this is Nick Rinaldi. Nick and my brother Luca were best friends in high school. Nick, my friends, Mia, Fiona, and Jordan.”
He smiled again and nodded his greeting and then focused his eyes on Jordan, who had barely looked up from her lunch.
“Good burger?” he asked.
Jordan, her mouth full, finally swallowed. When she looked up into Nick’s face, everyone could clearly hear her intake of breath. Yeah, she was impressed. “Uh, yes. It’s excellent. Very good.”
There was a blush creeping into her cheeks, and Nick grinned. Even embarrassed, and eating like a trucker, Jordan was stunning. Tall, lean, and blonde, her Northern European roots could not be denied. Neither could her embarrassment when Nick reached out, picked up a napkin, and dabbed at the corner of her mouth.
“You have a little mayo right there.”
There was more blushing from Jordan and more grinning from Nick.
Snatching the napkin from him, she finished the job herself. “Thank you. I got it.”
At that point, there was nothing left to say. The hormones circling the table had rendered all of them speechless, Jordan most of all.
“Nice to meet you, ladies,” he said. “But if I don’t find my Nona soon, she’s going to box my ears.”
Lilly gave him one more hug. “I’m glad you’re home. Call me soon.”
Returning the affection, Nick kissed her on the cheek. “I will.”
Watching him walk away was almost as much fun as looking at his face—the view was phenomenal.
“My God,” Fiona said. “He’s—I don’t have words.”
Jordan had folded her arms on the table and rested her head there. “I made a fool of myself. He laughed at me.”
Lilly laughed. “I think he thought you were cute. Oh, and you have a fry in your hair, right there…” She went to grab it and Jordan slapped her hand away.
“I can’t believe this.”
Fiona leaned in. “Since you’ve sworn off men, it shouldn’t be a problem.”
Jordan groaned, and that’s when Mia thought about Nick’s story. “What happened to him, Lilly?”
“Nick was a navy doctor. When he graduated he did his internship, went on to specialize in pediatrics, as well as trauma and emergency medicine. His last stint was at a military hospital in Afghanistan.”
“He’s hardcore,” Fiona said.
“Totally. He’s done four tours overseas and two on ships. This last one, when he was wounded…” Lilly paused. “The first report we got was that they didn’t think he was going to make it.”
“How was he wounded?” Jordan asked.
“He was helping some Red Cross volunteers who were administering vaccinations to local children when an insurgent burst into the clinic and started shooting.” None of them said a word and Lilly continued. “Nick was in a rear treatment room, and instead of getting out a back door, he grabbed his gun and ran up front to help. He got the shooter, but not before the bastard killed six people, and shot Nick.”
“He saved them,” Jordan whispered. “Like an honest-to-goodness hero.”
“Yup,” Lilly said. “A hero. He had a ton of surgeries, was in and out of the hospital and rehab for the last six months. He’s recovering well, as you could see. The only thing he’s still dealing with is his hip and the emotional toll. Four children died before he could stop the guy. But ten others survived because he was there.”
“Those poor babies,” Mia said. “That poor man.”
Mia thought about men like Nick and wondered what made them tick. No doubt he was a special breed, but at his core, he wasn’t so different from Adam. Physical, confident, protective. While Adam wasn’t running after armed insurgents—there was no comparison there—Mia had no doubt he’d protect those he loved without having to think about it.
“Mia?” Lilly snapped her fingers in front of Mia’s face. “Jeez! Daydream much?”
“Sorry. I was thinking.”
“About?” Fiona said.
“Men like Nick. Who will risk everything for what they care about, what they believe in.”
“The kind of man you want to marry,” Jordan said wistfully, glancing at the kitchen door where Nick had disappeared. “Not like the self-centered mama’s boys who don’t think about anyone but themselves.”
Once again, all of them were silent. Jordan’s comment certainly applied to her broken engagement, and Mia thought about Noah. While he certainly wasn’t as bad as Jordan’s ex, he didn’t think about much outside his own little world, and for her it meant acknowledging that he didn’t particularly care for Ben. There was no overt dislike, but he didn’t connect with him, and when she told Noah she was seeing the lawyer about an adoption, he didn’t understand the need. He didn’t get it.
He didn’t get her.
*
Mia felt good when she arrived back at campus from her visit with the lawyer. Sort of. On one hand, she was happy at how easy the adoption would be since she was Ben’s legal guardian. Sadly, because her parents were never mentioned as custodians, there was no father, and her sister had passed, Mia was all Ben had. Legally adopting him wouldn’t be a problem.
When she called her mother before she left the lawyer’s office, she knew there would be some upset. Before the accident, her father had suggested the adoption, treating it as an almost inevitable step. Her mother, however, had an entirely different opinion. The call confirmed nothing had changed; her mother flipped. Mia had tuned out most of what Mom had said because she had no intention of changing her mind, but her mother’s final words were that Mia was causing her to relive Sara’s death all over again. Didn’t she understand that Mia lived her sister’s death every day? Raising Ben was a constant reminder that Sara was gone. The adoption was for Ben, for the child Sara left, so he could have a more normal life.
And on that level, Mia should be happy. Ben wouldn’t have to explain why he lived with his aunt and his great-grandmother; he wouldn’t have to answer questions about his mother. She would be his mother, and that would be it.
Driving over to the practice field, she wondered about Ben’s time with the team. He’d been going for over a month and she knew everything was going fine, but she liked watching the team. She liked watching how Ben was a part of things.
When she emerged from her car, which was once again parked next to Adam’s truck, Mia wondered where the sun had gone? It had been a nice day. Now—not so much. Making her way over to the small set of bleachers, she climbed to the top and settled in, spreading out a towel she’d found in the back seat of the Honda. It was 5:30, which meant there was another half an hour of practice. There was a fine drizzle falling, and the darker clouds rolling in from the west told her it was going to get worse.
Trying not to think about the storm that was coming, Mia took in her surroundings. She’d spent more time sitting in the stands the past month than she had in her whole life. Between baseball practice and games, and the college’s games, Mia was getting comfortable at athletic events. She even liked going. She liked the camaraderie and the excitement. But more than anything, she liked seeing Ben happy.
Of course, going to games also meant Mia could see Adam.
A rush of guilt washed through her. Noah was coming over tonight to have dinner, and she was thinking about Adam. When didn’t she think about Adam? The man was like a disease. He’d gotten into her system and she didn’t know what she could do to get him out. She had wanted to give things with Noah a chance to develop, but Adam, and the effect he had on her, was always in the back of her mind. And here she was watching his every move.
The communication between the team and their coach was impressive. There were times that it was almost wordless, other times she heard Adam’s voice clear as day, and times when his team gathered around him and she could see him instructing. Ben was next to him the whole time, holding his binder and listening intently. He was as much a part of the team as anyone else. There was a pat on the back from one of the players; he was asked to hold something for a coach, and he was as willing as she’d ever seen him. He needed this. He needed a man in his life. Watching Ben get high fives and fist bumps as the players left the field, Mia realized he had fifty men in his life, and the one that was about to toss the football around with him was making a huge impact.
Adam caught sight of her, then motioned to Ben to hold on before he jogged in her direction. He looked like such a jock with his nylon windbreaker, shorts, mussed hair and dirty knees. Mia’s heart flopped around in her chest, unable to find a steady beat. He smiled as he got closer and set one foot on the lowest row on the bleachers.
“Hey,” he said, his deep voice warming her skin like a gentle caress. “You mind if we throw a few?”
“Nope. I’ll wait.”
Adam nodded and smiled again. Mia melted. She envisioned herself turning into a puddle of Mia-goo right before his eyes. God, she was pathetic. She stayed where she was and watched as Adam directed Ben. On Adam’s count, Ben took off down field. Adam dropped back, set his feet, and threw the football. It launched from his hand, spinning in the air in a rising arc. It was like a missile heading right for Ben’s back. Mia inhaled sharply—and then at exactly the right moment, Ben cut to his right, turned, and plucked the ball from the air. His hands wrapped around it and he never missed a step. When he didn’t get clocked with the ball, Mia felt her body relax, and then she stood in awe.
Adam was only focused on Ben and smiled at him as he ran toward him. Damn. He really was good at this. The two of them retrieved a half a dozen balls and then Adam ran down the field. He was about forty yards away from Ben, and one after another, Ben threw the footballs at Adam’s moving target. He was dead on every time. Adam threw a few of the balls back, which Ben caught easily and stuffed in a big mesh bag. Ben, looking bigger than she ever remembered, looked up, and let her know with one contented look that she’d done the right thing.
*
Adam should have waved and walked away. But no. As much as he willed himself to go back to his office, he found himself crossing the field and climbing the bleachers, taking the steps two at a time.
It didn’t help that she looked so freaking cute. She was wearing a short, belted jacket, a bucket hat, and she carried an umbrella. Her hair looked curlier than usual and there was something about her face that looked both sad and totally kissable at the same time.
“Hey,” he said. “Get off work early?”
“No, I had a meeting with an attorney, so I took the day off.”
That got his back up. A lawyer? “Is everything okay? Why do you need a lawyer?”
Mia bit her lip and looked at him through her lashes. He felt some minor explosions rip through his system as he looked in her eyes.
“I’m not in trouble, if that’s what you’re asking.” She shrugged and leaned in like she was letting him in on a secret. “I’m going to adopt Ben.”
Adam felt his heart creep to his throat. Up until recently, he could barely take care of himself, and this woman was going to officially become a mother to a boy on the verge of puberty.
“Seriously?” He adjusted his body and stretched his arm out behind her. “That’s…” He hesitated, “I don’t know what to say.”
“It will make everything easier, mostly for Ben. He won’t have to explain me anymore. I’ll just be his Mom.”
And everyone will think she was a single teenage mother, but somehow, he doubted that mattered to Mia at all. “How does he feel about that?”
Mia smiled softly. “He’s happy about it. He always wanted to call me Mommy when he was little, but my mother freaked out about it. She’s not too pleased about the adoption.”
“Why not?”
“Mom said it’s like making her relive Sara’s death all over again.”
Adam whistled softly through his teeth. “That’s a heavy guilt trip.”
“She’d better get over it. The adoption is right for Ben. That’s all that matters.”
Once again, Adam saw the motivation for everything Mia did. Ben. The kid had her heart and soul, and Adam couldn’t get over how she was so focused on doing what was best for him. She’d rearranged her whole life, and not just once, but over and over. Could he have done that? Could he have been that selfless? He doubted it. It had taken him thirty-seven years to become a guy who was worthy to talk to her. “You’re doing right by him. He’s happy.”
“He loves being here. This and baseball make him very happy. I’m glad the meeting went well, because when he left for school this morning he was pretty angry with me.”
“Why?”
“He has a make-up game on Sunday, and I have to work from ten to three. My friend from work is going to watch him, we trade babysitting when one of us has to work, but she has two little kids and can’t take him to his game.”
“What time?”
“It’s at 2:30.”
“I could take him.” Adam spoke without thinking.
She was stunned at his offer, and Adam liked that he could throw her off her game a little. “I couldn’t ask you to do that.”
Adam smiled. “Why not? I don’t mind.”
“Adam, you don’t have to. Having Ben here in the afternoons is great, but really, it’s already above and beyond.”
Now Adam was quiet as he to understand what was going on in her pretty head. He couldn’t decide if she was too independent to take his help, or if being around him still made her nervous. They’d definitely had a moment when he’d had dinner at her house the other night, but she was still trying to keep him at arm’s length. He really did want to help, and he had to find a way to let her know that.
“I don’t mind,” he repeated. She was looking down and fidgeting with her umbrella, and it bothered Adam that she was still hesitating. “You don’t believe me, do you?”
“It’s not that. I just don’t understand.” She looked at him with eyes that were almost liquid. Something was swimming around in there, and he wanted her to know that she had no reason to worry about him. “You’re going to be tired from the week. You’ll probably go see your grandma, I mean why…”
“Why do I want to do it?”
Mia chewed on those gorgeous lips and his desire surged. Damn. Either he had to learn to control himself or she had to stop doing that. Focus, he thought. “Look, I like Ben.” He paused so he could think this through. “I like you. We’re friends. And…” He took her hand in his and fell into those beautiful brown eyes. “Friends help each other.”
There was a little whoosh of breath and then he heard an audible sigh. He’d gotten to her. Did he really want to do this? Did he want to keep her from getting serious about Noah, because at that moment he knew he could. If he were honest, Adam knew he wanted her for himself, but what he didn’t know was if he had the nerve to be the guy she needed him to be. He just didn’t know. All he was sure about was that he didn’t want to hurt her.
“Thank you so much. I don’t know what to say.”
He squeezed her hand. “Tell me what you need me to do on Sunday.”
*
Mia and Adam hashed out the plan for Ben’s time with him on Sunday. It was a lot for her to take in, and even after being in Compass Cove for a few months, Mia was still experiencing a bit of a culture shock. People around here were so nice. Everyone helped each other, and the guarded city girl in Mia was having a hard time making sense out of all this small-town kindness.
But Adam was the enigma. On one hand, he treated her like she really mattered to him, like he cared about her, and about Ben…but she still hadn’t forgotten how she felt the night he stood her up. As Adam sat with her going over his day with Ben, she saw her nephew emerge from the field house. Whatever Mia thought about Sunday’s new plan, Ben was going to love this.
He ran across the field and bounded up the bleachers in a few quick steps. Adam wasn’t holding her hand anymore, but his fingers found a way to brush against hers, and his thigh was always pressed close, giving off intense heat. God, she had to clear her head. Clear him out of her head. Whenever Adam was nearby she couldn’t do anything but think about him, about how he felt under her hands…
“Aunt Mia? Did you see the lawyer?”
“Huh?” Ben was talking. Crap. “Uh. Yes. I did.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Fine,” she said. “Perfect. The adoption won’t be any problem. He’s filing the paper work in the next few days.”
Ben smiled and looked at Adam. “Did she tell you?”
“She told me. You’re a lucky kid.”
Ben nodded, and as Adam reached out and patted the boy’s arm, he broached another subject. “So, I hear you have a baseball game on Sunday.”
“Yeah, but I can’t go.” He put his head down and tried not to let his disappointment show. “It’s an important game.”
Adam looked at her and nodded, pushing Mia to tell him.
“Ben, Coach said he would bring you to your game on Sunday. I’ll meet you there when I get off work.”
“Really?”
“Yeah,” Adam replied. “Is that okay with you?”
Ben nodded. He was struck dumb by the idea, but Mia could tell he was more than okay with it.
“Thanks, Coach. That’ll be awesome. Thanks.”
“No problem.” Adam rubbed his hands together and smiled. “So, are you guys hungry? We could grab some dinner.”
Mia felt her heart break a little at his request, because she had to tell him no when she wanted to tell him yes. “Adam, I have plans tonight.” Her voice came out on a hoarse whisper. She never expected this to sting the way if did.
He nodded, and when he looked in her eyes, he seemed to understand. “No problem.”
“I’m sorry, I–”
Adam stood and pulled her to her feet, then placed a finger on her lips. Looking to his right, he saw Ben had left the bleachers and was on the field.
“Mia, I messed up with you. Don’t apologize.”
She looked down at their hands, which were still joined. She hated that he messed up. He scared her to death, but she still would rather be scared with him than safe with Noah. He seemed to sense what she was thinking, because when she looked up he was grinning at her.
“But if you want to break your date, I won’t complain. I’d love to take you out.”
Once again, her breath hitched. He had that effect on her. God, how she wanted to call Noah and tell him not to come over. She wanted to be with Adam, but she also had to be realistic. “Will you mess up again?”
His face froze and his eyes locked on hers. After what felt like an eternity, Adam’s hand came up and his thumb gently grazed her cheek. “I like you a lot, Mia. More than I should, probably, but I don’t know how to do this thing.” He motioned back and forth between them. “I don’t want to hurt you, and I could.”
Mia nodded, the disappointment weighing her down. After a few seconds, Adam let go of her hand. “Have a good time tonight.”
“Thanks.” She took a step down the wet bleachers, and her little leather flats betrayed her; her foot slipped. But before she fell, Adam’s arms wrapped around her waist, and he hauled her up. It was only seconds, but she went from nearly falling down the steel bleachers to being pulled against his chest and enveloped in his arms. She’d dropped her umbrella, and now that it was really raining, the two of them were getting drenched. Adam didn’t move, but his eyes searched her face until he fixed his gaze on her mouth.
He wanted to kiss her. And Mia would let him do it without any objection.
The warmth coming off his body was messing with her head, and Mia couldn’t stop herself from pressing into him. It was pouring now, the rain coming down in buckets, when a crack of thunder finally brought them both back to earth.
“Oh, my God,” he said. “You’re soaked.”
Not giving her time to object, Adam scooped her up and took off toward the field house. Ben had sheltered himself under an overhang, and he laughed as Adam ran across the field with her in his arms. She was sure she squealed as he cut around the biggest puddles. He was fast, and holding her extra weight didn’t seem to slow him down at all. Drinking in the way he smiled at her when they were finally under some shelter, Mia realized she was falling for him. She was already halfway there.
Adam looked at Ben, who was smiling himself. “Go inside and get a few towels, please.”
He lowered her to the ground and Mia found she couldn’t catch her breath. Looking up at Adam, his eyes sparkling, his smile wide and water dripping off his hair, Mia didn’t even try to stop herself. Without thinking, she launched herself at him, kissing him like she’d die if she didn’t.
If Adam minded the kiss, he didn’t show it.
He dove into it with the same hunger she did, pulling her against his wet body, letting his lips and tongue explore, and that’s when Mia heard herself moan. She gave in completely, because he made her feel so good. He pulled off her hat and his hands plunged into her hair. When he said her name, Mia stood on her tiptoes to get closer to him.
“God, you’re all wet,” he said against her hair.
“You have no idea,” she whispered back, and as soon as she said it she froze, opened her eyes, and looked at Adam’s very amused expression. “Did I just say that out loud?’
Grinning, he kissed the corner of her mouth, and then nibbling her lower lip so seductively it tied her insides in knots. “You sure did,” he crooned. “Now what should we do about that?”
Mia stepped out of his arms and backed away. He was too hot, too much for her. “God, I go crazy when you’re around. What’s wrong with me?”
Giving her a long hard look, Adam leaned against a pillar that was supporting the roof of the entryway. “I’m glad I’m not the only one. But for the record, you kissed me that time.”
Mia turned and saw Ben standing by the door. He was holding clean white towels and looking at the two of them like they were out of their minds. Mia focused on Adam, who turned his head and smiled at Ben. “Thanks for bringing those out, pal. Why don’t you go help Lou with the equipment for a couple of minutes?”
Ben handed her a towel and then handed one to Adam. “Are you two okay?”
“Fine!” she shot out. “Just fine.”
“Go help Lou.”
Ben turned and went inside, leaving her alone in the rain with a big, sexy, wet man. A man who turned her brain into mush. Mia pressed her back into the wall and covered her face. “Oh, my God. I’m a slut.”
“What?” His face screwed up and disbelief flashed in his eyes. “How do you figure that?”
“I told you! When you’re around I go crazy. When you touch me I—I—” She stopped and looked away. “I can’t control myself. I can’t. All these years, and who knew? I’m a slut.”
Adam came to where she was standing, and settled himself against her. She could feel the bulge in his shorts and she had to remind herself not to touch him. Adam let his thumb brush the wetness off her cheek. “Take it from a man who’s been around, you are no slut, Mia. And I can’t control myself around you either.”
“But even you said you’re not a good bet. Why do I act this way around you?”
He laughed and continued to brush his thumb over her cheek. “Your skin is so soft. All of you is soft. It makes me nuts. But you’re involved with someone else, and I should stay away from you.”
With that, he kissed her again, this time sweetly. And Mia melted into him. He held her and whispered in her ear, “I know who I am. I’ve spent years coming to grips with it, but just because a guy has an Ivy League Ph.D. doesn’t make him a good bet.”
Looking down, she nodded.
“And you aren’t a slut. Not even a little. Okay?”
“Okay.”