Chapter Five
“You need to calm down and tell me what’s bothering you.”
Janet Lang stared into her teacup and wondered if she should be telling Lina what had happened with Mia and Adam. But she was worried, and the only way she was going to get over the worry was by talking it out with a friend. Lina Rinaldi had been her best friend for over fifty years; she could trust her with this. She needed to.
Staring out of the front window of Rinaldi’s Café—Lina’s family business and the center of all things important in Compass Cove—Janet sipped her tea. The morning bustle was just beginning; the street filled with more cars, and more customers ambled into the café looking for their morning sustenance. Her friend was waiting for an answer. While Janet wondered if she was overreacting, she also wondered if Adam Miller was a bad idea for her granddaughter. She had no doubt he was a good man, but Mia was so inexperienced in situations like this, Janet didn’t know how it was going to go.
“Janet? Mother of God! It can’t be that bad.”
“They were kissing.”
“Who?”
“Mia and Adam,” Janet said. “Kissing, like… I don’t know. They were pretty involved.”
“That must have been something to see.” Lina bent toward her and smiled. “Was it hot?”
“LINA!”
With a chuckle and a wave of her hand, Lina sat back, but Janet couldn’t dismiss it as easily. Yes, Mia was an adult, but she was new at this, and Adam was, well, Adam. That was enough.
“He was all over her and she was not shy about her part in it. Fortunately, Ben didn’t see them. That’s when we doubled back and went around to the front of the house. I figured if I slammed the door loudly enough, we could avoid embarrassment.”
“Did you?”
“I don’t know. I think they were both mortified.”
“So, little Mia and the football star. Who’d have thought it?”
“Not me.” Janet ran her fingers over the edge of the mug, and shook her head.
“Nor I.” A third voice chimed in. When Janet looked up, she saw the very polished, poised, and concerned face of Anna Miller.
Anna motioned for Janet to scoot into the booth, and she sat down with the kind of familiarity that came from growing old with people. “I want him to find a nice girl, but I don’t know about this. Am I a horrible person that I’m more worried for Mia than my own grandson?”
Janet cringed. “This isn’t making me feel better.”
The waitress brought Anna a mug, hot water, and a selection of teabags. “He’s come so far, but still…”
Lina threw up her hands. “Oh, for crying out loud!”
Both Anna and Janet lifted their heads and stared at her.
“They’re both adults, and the two of you have to stop acting like this is going to play out like Romeo and Juliet!”
Janet shook her head. “But Mia—”
“Is an intelligent woman who is no pushover. Look at what she’s been through. And sure, Adam has had his tough times, but who hasn’t? Stop this. You don’t even know if they like each other.”
Janet huffed a little, rolled her eyes. “Trust me, they like each other.”
Lina smirked. “I guess all the passion skipped a generation in the family. Mia sounds a lot like you.”
That’s what she was worried about. “She’s definitely not her mother. They couldn’t be more different, but I don’t know if I want her to be like me. I tend to act before I think.”
“You’ve done alright. People love your impulsiveness, your passion.” Lina took a mouthful of her and grinned. “I seem to remember a party, right before Tom died, when I caught the two of you smooching in the coatroom.”
Janet felt herself smile and blush at the thought, but the tingles that started around her heart spread right through her. Thoughts of Tom always did that. She wanted that for Mia, she did, but she fretted about it anyway. “She’s so inexperienced.”
“So were we,” Anna said. “And Lina’s right. It’s too soon to know anything.”
That was the truth. Hadn’t they all been swept off their feet? The three of them had married young, had babies young, and been lucky enough to have husbands who were not only the loves of their lives, but gave the three women all the room they needed to be who they wanted to be.
“Janet, you have to trust her,” Lina said. “She’s a smart young woman. And she’s tougher than you’re giving her credit for.”
“I know. I’m just worried about her. So many things have changed recently. This is her first shot at a real life.”
“I guess I can understand, but he’s not a womanizer,” Anna said in Adam’s defense. “Well, not anymore.”
What could Janet say? She wasn’t really worried about Adam. At the core, he was a good man, and she knew that. It was the intensity of what she saw. Her memory drifted back to the moment when she approached the back door and saw their embrace. It was intimate, familiar, and she wished she hadn’t seen it.
“I know it was just a kiss, but the way they looked at each other…I never expected that. Not on a first date.” Oh, sure. She’d tried to soothe Mia’s fears afterwards, but Janet understood why her granddaughter was unnerved. “I don’t know that anyone else will ever have that effect on her. It’s what I’ve always wanted for her, but it’s so fast.”
Lina patted her hand. “You don’t have a say in the matter. Things will unfold the way they’re supposed to.”
Anna drew a breath. “I guess we have to wait and see.”
With so much swimming around in her head, Janet couldn’t stop the most unsettling thought from the past few days from flying right out of her mouth. “I think he’s the one. Am I crazy? She may circle around this, but I really think he’s it for her.”
“You don’t know that,” Anna said quietly. There was a hint of worry in her voice, because her old friend knew Janet was never wrong about these things.
Recalling again what she saw, Janet nodded. “Oh, yes. I do.”
*
With a bag from the campus deli in his hand, Adam walked down the path to the library with a purpose, scanning the quad, and looking for any sign of Mia. His original intention was to take her out to lunch, but by the time he waded through his messages and e-mails, and actually called her, she’d already left the library. Fortunately, one of her co-workers gave her up, and told him that on nice days she ate at one of the tables outside.
As mid-September days went, this one was perfect—sunny and warm, without being too hot—it seemed like everyone on campus was taking advantage of it. The Great Lawn was crowded with students playing Frisbee, reading, or just hanging out. The president of the college had donated about fifty Adirondack chairs, which were situated all around campus, and every one was occupied.
The stone terrace was on the side of the library nearest the administration building, and if you didn’t know it was there, you’d miss it. The flagstone patio was a quiet spot with large shade trees, bordered by low shrubs and large planters filled with flowers. The view of the sloping rear lawn, the formal gardens and Long Island Sound in the distance was spectacular and the patio had been set up with wrought iron tables and chairs to encourage people to take a break and enjoy their surroundings. Without a doubt, it was one of the most picturesque spots on campus.
Adam followed the path around the library. Halfway down the steps to the patio, he saw Mia, just where he thought she’d be, sitting at one of the tables facing the water. The breeze lifted her curls, and her soft mocha-colored dress floated and fluttered around her legs, giving him glimpses of skin that made his blood run hot.
The only problem with the scene was the tall guy standing near the table, smiling at her.
And Mia was smiling back.
Who was this guy?
He wore khakis and a blue button-down shirt, with the sleeves rolled halfway up his arms. About the same height as Adam, he had the lanky build of a runner, but his glasses, messy brown hair, and the battered leather briefcase identified him as an academic.
Their voices were low, but happy, and the man’s hands were moving as if he were telling her a story. Mia was laughing, completely at ease. Adam hesitated for a split second, and then moved forward.
He set his bag on the table, and both Mia and her friend’s eyes shifted.
“Adam! What are you doing here?”
The man she was talking to folded his arms, and clenched his jaw, obviously pissed that they had been interrupted. Yeah, well, screw him. Adam wasn’t about to make it easy for another guy to move on Mia, so he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. It could have been seen as a platonic kiss, but he and Mia knew there was nothing platonic about what had happened the other day. The blush rising in her cheeks sent the same message to her friend.
“I wanted to take you out to lunch, but when I called, someone inside told me you were already out here, so I grabbed a sandwich.” He glanced at the guy and then back at her. “Is that okay?”
“It’s fine. Oh, gosh.” She motioned with her hand. “You two don’t know each other. Adam, this is Noah Connolly. He’s in the English Department. Noah, this is Adam Miller.”
They shook hands, but it wasn’t at all friendly. “You’re the football player?”
Adam smiled. “Used to be. I coach now.”
“Ah.” There was something obnoxious about the way he said it. Something superior. Asshole.
Pulling the chair closest to Mia away from the table, Adam sat and proceeded to stare the guy down.
It didn’t take long.
“I’d better go,” Connolly said. “I’ll see you, Mia. Nice to meet you, Coach.”
“You too, Professor.”
When he was out of eye shot, Adam turned his attention to Mia, who was twisting her fingers nervously. Maybe this was a bad idea.
“I’m sorry if I interrupted something.”
“Oh,” she said, smiling, “You didn’t. Noah and I have gotten to be friends; we’re both new here.”
“I understand. Still, you seem surprised to see me.”
She bit her lower lip and he felt the blood in his head rush south. “I am, a little. You left kind of quickly the other day.”
He leaned back in the chair and rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, I never expected to see Mrs. Lang in your kitchen. I’m sorry.”
“I figured. I had no idea she knew you. She left out that part when I told her who was taking us out.”
He laughed because they’d both been blindsided. “So, did she tell you what a pain in the ass I was in school?” Adam unwrapped his sandwich and opened his bottle of water.
“No,” she said, taking a bite of her salad. “She told me you were one of her favorites.”
Adam froze letting her words sink in. “Really?”
Mia nodded. “Really.”
He took a bite, glad he didn’t have to say anything right away, because he was still processing what she’d told him. Either Mrs. Lang was bullshitting, or he wasn’t as big a screw-up as he’d thought. He noticed a paperback sitting to Mia’s right and he picked it up, turning it over so he could see the cover. He expected she would be reading some classic, or something more academic, but there, staring him in the face was a shirtless man with breeches and boots clutching a very well-endowed woman, in a low-cut, white ball gown. The man’s mouth hovered by the woman’s ear and her hands gripped his biceps. The models looked in serious lust.
“The Duke’s Secret Bride?” he asked.
Mia let out an impatient breath. “Are you going to pick on me?”
“No.” He hesitated. Then felt himself smile. “Maybe a little. Romance novels, huh?
“I love romance novels,” she said, grabbing the book back from him. “But that shouldn’t be a surprise. We established the other day that I’m a romantic.”
“We did,” he said. “I guess I expected your taste would be more literary.”
“I have a master’s in Comparative Literature. After I finished that, I went to Library School. I’ve had my fill of the depressing stuff. I like happy endings.”
“Okay.” The romance novel was such a small thing, but suddenly she was more accessible, more normal. Pointing at the book, he couldn’t resist asking, “Is it hot?”
Mia swatted at his arm and he grabbed her fingers and held on. “What?” he protested. “Look at her!”
Mia chuckled softly. Her hand was small, warm, and soft in his, and he’d keep it there as long as he could, but the talk about the sexy book cover couldn’t go on or he’d lose control right there in public. “How’s Ben? Loving his new bike?”
“He’s fine, and yes, he loves the bike. He’ll be here in a couple of hours.”
“Here?”
“Yup, our sitter learned last week that she’s pregnant, and she doesn’t want the added burden of another child to watch right now. She has two of her own, and number three is already giving her trouble.”
“So, just like that you have no sitter?”
“Just like that. Found out yesterday.” Mia waved her hands, dismissing it. “It hasn’t been easy from the beginning. Ben’s been here more than he’s been with her.”
This kind of problem would have leveled some women, and Mia may have been thrown by it, but she handled it. There was no panic, no blaming. She just handled it. “Ben must be bored stiff.”
Mia shrugged. “There’s nothing else I can do. I thought I had everything under control, and less than two weeks into school, I’m scrambling. Fortunately, the bus brings him right to campus, or I don’t know what would’ve happened. I’ll have to find someone else.”
Adam had an idea, one of those thoughts that hit him in the head and he should’ve kept to himself, but didn’t. “He could come to football practice after school. That will buy you a couple of months to find someone you’re comfortable with.”
“Practice?”
“Sure. I could give him jobs, he’d get to know the team, do guy stuff.”
“Guy stuff?” Mia drummed her fingers on the table, a smile teasing at her mouth, waiting to hear his answer.
“Yeah, guy stuff.” He tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “Talk about women, smoke cigars. We’ll teach him how to burp the alphabet.”
Mia giggled and light shot into her eyes from the gentle teasing. “He’ll be schooled in the proper execution of the fake fart?”
“I’ll bet that’s already been mastered, but yeah.” His hand drifted down her arm and Mia sighed. He could tell she wanted to say yes, but as much as she may have liked him, she still had reservations. “You don’t know me well, I get that, but since I was one of your grandmother’s favorites, that has to mean something.” He tried to coax another smile out of her, because he loved her smile, but where Ben was concerned, he knew she was dead serious.
“It does, but I don’t know. He can be a handful.”
“He’s a boy. He supposed to be a handful. But cooped up inside, he’s going to drive you nuts.”
Examining their linked fingers, she nodded. “Okay.”
“Yeah?” The gesture, that she was willing to trust him with Ben, caught him right in the gut. “Maybe Kelvin can bring him over. He’s usually here before practice, right? Ben talked about him a lot the day we got his bike.”
“That’s a good idea. I’ll tell Ben tonight,” she said.
“I’ll give Kelvin a heads up.”
Mia caught his gaze and when she finally smiled, Adam lost his breath. He wanted nothing more than to kiss her, but remembering the flash of heat when they kissed last time, he didn’t think that would be a good idea with the whole campus watching.
Mia must have been thinking the same thing, because her eyes were locked on his mouth. But like him, she made no move.
“I have to go in,” she said softly, still staring at him, still making his blood rush. “Thanks for having lunch with me.”
Her chocolate brown eyes were addictive. He could fall right into them. “You’re welcome.”
“I’ll talk to Ben tonight.” Pushing back from the table, Mia gathered her things and stood. “Are you sure about this?”
“I’m sure,” he said, standing with her. “I’ll see him tomorrow.”
Nodding her appreciation, Mia slipped inside the library and left Adam wishing he’d gone in for that kiss.
*
Mia watched as Ben finished his second helping of chicken, rice, and salad. The way the kid ate, she was surprised he wasn’t 300 pounds. But instead of growing out, he grew up. He didn’t have extreme growth spurts, but he grew steadily, and based on what the pediatrician said about his hands and feet, he was going to be a very big boy.
“Do we have dessert?” he asked.
Mia nodded. “I bought ice cream last night. Do you still have room?”
Ben leaned back, patted his stomach and laughed. “Tons.”
Mia smiled and rose as he cleared his plate and hers from the table. He put the items right in the dishwasher and sat down again, waiting for his dessert. Nana stood at the island and scooped out three bowls of chocolate chip ice cream. “So, I saw Coach Miller today.”
“Where?” Ben’s head popped up.
“You did?” Nana asked.
“He stopped by when I was having lunch.”
Both Ben and Nana’s eyes were focused on her and she couldn’t wait to drop the surprise on them.
“Does he want to date you or something?”
God, she hoped so. “It didn’t come up, but we did talk about you.”
“Me?”
“I’m confused,” Nana said.
Mia raised an eyebrow as she took the bowls and put them on the table, sitting across from him. “He wanted to know if you would want to go to football practice after school instead of spending your time in the library.”
Ben froze with a spoonful of ice cream right in front of his mouth. “Really? That would be, like…” He took a breath and continued, “That would be the best.”
“I thought you’d like it. He said you’d have jobs. You wouldn’t just be goofing off.”
“I can go?”
“Yes. Kelvin will walk you over in the afternoon. Nana or I will pick you up.”
For a few seconds, Ben didn’t say anything. When he reacted, he dropped his spoon in the bowl and went to her, throwing his arms around her neck. “Thank you for saying yes.”
“Well, I’m saying yes with a condition. You have to keep up on your schoolwork. That comes first. Understand?”
“I will. I promise.” He was in his chair again, digging into his ice cream. “This is going to be awesome.”
Nana came up from behind, put her hands on Mia’s shoulders and kissed the top of her head. Then, she sat down and grinned like a cat in cream.
It was good, and despite her earlier misgivings, Mia felt like she’d gotten this right.
*
Mia lay in her bed that night and thought about the day’s turn of events. Ben was over the moon about spending time with the team. She was still second guessing the decision because it was going to throw her mother over the edge, that much was certain. Ben was the only thing left of Sara, and although Mia had been left alone with him in Maryland when her mother moved south, Mom still thought she had a say in how Mia raised him, never really seeing her as his mother. After meeting with the lawyer in a few weeks, Mom would know how serious she was about being a mother to Ben.
That didn’t solve her problem with Adam, though. He got to her. She didn’t know what to think or what to do about him. Mia wasn’t easily impressed, and she had no love for jocks, so the attraction was rooted in something other than his persona. He was handsome, no doubt about that, but he was funny too, and seeing him with Ben the other day set all her girl parts tingling. Around him, her biological clock wasn’t just ticking, the alarm was going off.
The gentle knock brought her back to reality.
When the door opened, a sliver of light and Nana’s smiling face entered the room. Her grandmother was truly beautiful; and seeing her like this, illuminated from behind, she looked almost angelic. “You awake?”
Mia nodded and propped herself up in bed while Nana assumed the lotus position opposite her. She sat perfectly erect, her long silver hair falling to her waist, and her big brown eyes flashing with life and amusement.
“So,” she began. “He’s going to football practice every day?”
“That’s what I said.”
“What brought this on?”
“My babysitting dilemma came up while we were having lunch and he offered.”
“Interesting.” Nana paused. “What made you say yes?”
“He made a good point about Ben needing to be outside. Sitting in the library is fine occasionally, but he needs activity.”
“This is a huge about face for you.”
“I know, but I have to do what’s best for him. Not what other people think is best.” Now Nana was grinning. “No matter what instructions Sara ‘left,’ or what Mom wants, I have to do what’s best for Ben.”
“I agree, but you knew I would.”
“I know.”
“So what’s bothering you?”
This situation was complicated, and putting her finger on what was bothering her wasn’t easy because it was more than one thing. “I’m not looking forward to telling your daughter about this.”
“This will make Ellen crazy, so be proactive. Tell her before Ben does. Then you’re informing her of a decision, not defending yourself.”
Nerve-racking as that was, it was a good idea. “Okay.”
When she didn’t volunteer anything else, Nana drew her own conclusions.
“Let me guess—Adam’s the other part of this?”
Breathing deep, Mia nodded. “I like him. But he’s such an unknown. This could go south in a heartbeat.”
Nana shook her head, reached out, grabbed one of her ankles and extended her leg in a stretch Mia hadn’t been able to do since she was nineteen. She had to start doing yoga. “Mia, you’re projecting. Why do you always think something is going to go wrong?”
“Because it usually does.”
“Stop it.”
“It’s not that easy. I mean, look at who he is. Why shouldn’t I be worried?”
“Why did you say yes then?” Nana asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe shouldn’t have.”
It was times like this that Mia saw the tough side of her Nana, the side that had taught teenagers for over thirty years. “You’re being unfair, and basing your opinion on gossip, not fact. Here’s what I know. Adam is close with his family. He adores his grandma and has done wonders for the college. He volunteers his time, donates money to good causes, and has changed his life for the better. Don’t judge a book by its cover. Your mother does that all the time. Is that who you want to be?”
Having been judged plenty because of outward appearances, often by Mom, Mia shook her head.
“Look, I think you’re worried more about how you’re going to deal with Adam. He’s not the kind of man you believed you’d be attracted to, and I understand your trepidation, and this whole thing with him has happened pretty fast. You’ve barely had time to settle in. But you need to face that you aren’t really worried about Ben. Ben is going to do great. This is about you.”
Leaning back into her pillows, Mia thought about a rebuttal, but she gave up. There was no use in even arguing the point when it was the truth.