Chapter Six
The plan was dinner and a movie. It was simple enough until Mia and Fiona entered the Dock’s End and hit a wall of people.
“Oh, my God!” Fiona exclaimed. “Are they giving away food?”
“Crab leg special,” one older woman said. “The wait is almost an hour.”
“An hour?” Mia said. “If we want to make the movie we’re going to have to find fast food.”
“Mia!” Turning toward the voice, Mia saw Lilly waving at her from the end of the bar. The two of them started moving toward each other at the same time, with Fiona following Mia and a tall blonde following Lilly.
“Hey!” She grabbed her in a hug. “How are you?” Lilly asked.
“Great, except for the wait. Is it always like this on a Thursday night?”
“No, they advertised some special, and everyone went crazy,” Lilly said before turning. “This is my friend Jordan. This is Mia, we were summer friends back in the day.” Noticing Finn behind her, Lilly smiled.
“Finn Gallagher. I work with Mia.”
“Hi. You guys are going to be here forever.” Lilly was thinking out loud as she scanned the crowded waiting area. “Wait. I have an idea. Let me check on something.” She went toward the hostess and spoke to her briefly, thanked her, and came back looking triumphant. “We’re next.”
“Lucky you,” Fiona said.
“No, all of us. I hope you don’t mind, but I told her we were a bigger party. It worked out because the table they’re clearing seats four. Now it’s a full table.”
“I guess we will make the movie,” Mia said, both grateful and happy at Lilly’s quick thinking. Something about reconnecting with her old friend was incredibly comforting. The other good side to all this was that, with two other people in their party, Fiona wouldn’t question her endlessly about Adam.
Fiona liked people who were quick on their feet, so she was very grateful. “Thanks for doing that. You’re sure you don’t mind?”
“I don’t,” Jordan stood up from the bench where she’d been sitting. “The more the merrier.”
Within minutes the hostess sat their group, and a friendly, but harried, waitress took their drink orders. They kept it simple with a carafe of wine, and as much as Mia adored Finn, she loved that they were now part of a larger group. She hoped this would be the start of some new friendships.
Exchanging information about their jobs and families, Mia learned that Jordan was a third grade teacher at the elementary school. She loved it, but working and living in the same town sometimes had her students a little too close for comfort. It made her recent broken engagement that much more awkward.
“So,” Fiona began with a raised glass, “Since we’re all friends now, let’s share. Mia, why don’t you tell us how your week went?”
Fiona was dramatic, if nothing else, and Jordan and Lilly leaned in, curious.
“Good,” Mia mumbled.
Nope. This wasn’t going to be a relaxed evening.
“Good? Is that how you’d describe your recent close encounters with a certain football coach?”
Aw, shit. Why did she do that? Mia drank her wine, and feigned indifference. “Nothing to tell.” Lies, lies. So many lies.
Lilly was immediately interested. “Football coach? The formerly famous, uber hot coach at Jennings? Is that who we’re talking about?”
Mia glanced around at the bar and the packed tables. “I cannot believe how crowded it is in here.”
“Stop trying to change the subject,” Fiona said. “I’ve been dying to know what happened with you two all week.”
“If you’re seeing Adam Miller, there’s a whole pack of women who want the inside scoop,” added Jordan. “Including me.”
“There’s not that much to tell,” Mia said. “He helped on Sunday when I bought my nephew a bike, and he came and had lunch with me on Tuesday. He’s been very sweet.”
Lilly almost spewed wine across the table. “Sweet? Honey, no one has ever described Adam as sweet.”
“He has been, though. Really.” Mia felt the warmth spread to her cheeks and the memory of the kiss in the kitchen jolted her into tingly awareness. This had to stop eventually. Didn’t it?
“She’s lying. Look at her face,” Jordan said with a knowing smirk.
“I’m not lying!” Mia protested. “We all had a nice time on Sunday, and Tuesday was innocent. You should know that, Fiona, since you were spying from the copy room window.”
Fiona raised an eyebrow. “There was handholding and you two seemed very familiar.”
“Oh, God,” Mia dropped her face in her hands. “Do you three want gory details, is that it?”
“YES!” They all exclaimed loudly enough to get heads to turn nearby.
“Shh.” Now Mia was embarrassed.
“Oh, stop.” Fiona waved her off. “It must have gone really well. You had one date, and an impromptu lunch, and now he’s got Ben at football practice every day.”
Jordan piped in. “Who’s Ben?”
“My nephew,” Mia said. “I’m his guardian.”
Satisfied, Jordan rested her chin in her hand and waited for Mia to continue.
“You’re going to have to tell us something,” Lilly said.
Mia sat up very straight and thought about what to say. The goal was to give away as little as possible, because talking about it made it feel like something. She couldn’t let it feel like something. “I… I like him. We get along well, and he’s great with Ben, and—”
“For Pete’s sake!” Fiona squeaked. “Get to the good stuff. Did he kiss you? Was it hot?”
Mia froze. Her back was still straight as an arrow, her hands were folded in her lap, and everything inside her flared up at the thought of Adam’s hands on her. His mouth. The memory of how he smelled and tasted came rushing back… finally, she couldn’t take it anymore. She gave up and as her muscles relaxed, her answer just spilled out. “Oh, my God. It was so hot.”
“Seriously,” Jordan said. “Wow!”
“Hallelujah!” For a second, Mia thought Fiona might pump her fist, but she didn’t, thank God.
It was Lilly who was quiet. Her childhood friend was the one who’d known Adam the longest, and her silence had Mia a little worried. The fact that she hadn’t commented wasn’t lost on anyone at the table. When she finally fixed her eyes on Mia, she smiled. “The best thing you can do regarding Adam is not listen to rumors. Gossip thrives on him, and while he’s no angel, he doesn’t deserve what people say about him.”
“I was wondering about that.” Wondering was an understatement. Scared to death was far more accurate.
Reflective now, Lilly gave Mia’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “He’s one of the best people I know, and I hope you get to find that out for yourself.”
Mia had a clear view of the boats moored at Roosevelt’s Marina. She thought about young Adam, the Adam Lilly knew so well, and wondered if finding that part of himself again had anything to do with why he’d returned to Compass Cove. Was he hoping to reclaim the person he used to be? Was he safe from his past when he was here?
Thinking about him had become a habit. Ben had started talking about the game on Saturday, and Mia wondered if she should take a leap and go. She wanted to show support for the team, and seeing Adam would have been fine with her. Mia wanted to take Lilly’s advice; she hoped she did have the chance to get to know him better, and if more bone-melting kisses were in her future, that would be even better.
*
Adam sat in his office Friday night, going over the game plan for the next day. He was worried about his young team, as he always was. He wanted them to play well enough to gain some confidence but more than anything he didn’t want anyone to get hurt. The Massachusetts team was bigger, stronger, and more experienced. But they had some injuries, and that meant his boys might actually have a chance to win.
There was a knock and Adam looked up to see Kelvin standing in the doorway. “You wanted to see me, Coach?”
“Come on in, Kelvin. Have a seat.”
Poor kid looked nervous. Little did Kelvin know, Adam was about to make him very happy.
“Everything okay, Coach?”
“Yeah. How are you feeling? Getting comfortable with the system?”
“Yes, sir. I really like working with Coach Griffin.”
“He’s pretty happy with you, too. Told me you’re one of his hardest workers, and you learn fast.”
Kelvin smiled but Adam could see he was trying not to get too puffed up. In truth, Kelvin deserved a lot more praise than he was getting.
“So, all that considered, how would you feel about starting tomorrow?”
“Excuse me? Seriously?”
“I don’t kid about that, Kelvin. You’ve done well, and you deserve a shot.”
“Thank you, Coach Miller. Thank you.” Kelvin was smiling ear to ear, and Adam was almost as happy as he was. This was a good kid.
“I won’t let the team down. I’ll bring everything I got.”
“I know you will. That’s why you’re starting.”
“Thanks again, Coach. I guess I should call my mom.”
Adam grinned. Kelvin had no idea Adam had arranged for Kelvin’s mother and younger sister to come to the game. “Absolutely, you take off and make that call. I’ll see you tomorrow. Get some sleep.”
Kelvin stood and made his way to the door and Adam stopped him. “Hey Kelvin, how did Ben seem to you this week?”
“Much happier since he started comin’ to practice.”
That’s exactly what Adam wanted to hear. He’d seen Ben the last three days, but he’d been helping all the coaches and the athletic trainer. Unfortunately, Adam hadn’t spoken to him at any length. “Good. That’s what I was hoping.”
“He’s going to try to come to the game tomorrow. He has a baseball game in the morning, but I think Coach Rand told him to come right after.”
Adam nodded. He liked the idea of Ben coming to the game. He was part of the team and, of course, if Ben was there that meant he would probably see Mia, and that wasn’t a bad thing. “I hope he makes it.”
Once Kelvin left, Adam continued to think about Mia. It seemed whenever he had a free moment, his mind drifted back to her, and now he was thinking about how he hoped she would be at the game tomorrow. Time had gotten away from him since lunch on Tuesday and he hadn’t talked to her at all. When she picked Ben up at practice, Adam was always so involved with the team, all they did was wave at each other, and now he worried that he should have made more time for her. He grabbed his phone and keyed in the text, not wanting to leave anything to chance.
Hope to see you at the game tomorrow. I have a team shirt for Ben.
Leaning back in his chair, Adam blew out a breath. “Damn,” he muttered to himself.
“You’re either pissed or horny. Which is it?” When his younger brother, Jack, landed in his office, that meant the family wanted information.
Adam should have known this was going to happen.
It was well meaning, he knew that, but sometimes having his family in such close proximity got to be too much. When he turned in his chair, Jack, who was an FBI agent, approached, and dropped a big paper sack on his desk.
“So, which one? Horny or pissed?”
“Neither.” That wasn’t completely true. He wanted Mia so bad he could taste her, but his frustration wasn’t just about wanting sex.
Jack looked skeptical. “Glad I caught you.”
“Just going over my play book,” Adam said. “We might actually win tomorrow. Are you coming?”
“Uh huh.” Opening the paper bag, Jack put a sandwich and a large Coke in front of Adam and pulled the same out for himself, as well as a bag of salt and vinegar chips which his brother tore open for them to share. “Nobody’s heard from you in a couple of weeks, except Grandma. Mom gets crazy when you don’t call.”
“Is that why she’s left me fifty voice mails?”
“Call her back, would ya? You’re lucky it’s me who’s here and not Doug. He’d just kick your ass.”
“He could try,” Adam said on a laugh. Of course, he knew his forty-year-old brother, who was a Marine Corps officer, would do exactly that.
Jack also laughed, but not for the same reason, and took a healthy bite of his hero and a drink of his soda. “What’s new?”
Adam’s phone vibrated and before he could pick it up, Jack grabbed it and read the text. “Look at that,” Jack raised an eyebrow. “You got a text from Mia. Awww, isn’t that nice.”
His brother was grinning like an asshole. Adam tried to decide by what means Jack would die.
“She said they’d be here as soon as possible tomorrow, and wants to know where to drop off Ben.”
“Give me the phone, Jack.” Adam decided that a good old-fashioned beating would be most satisfying. He’d need towels, though, because there would be blood.
The phone buzzed again. “She’s looking forward to it.”
Adam stood just as his brother slid the phone across the desk.
“Who’s Mia?”
Adam thought about lying, but eventually he’d have to come clean, so he decided to tell the truth out of the gate. “She’s new on campus. Nice. Pretty. We went out once.”
“And?”
“What? She’s nice, pretty. Nothing else to tell.” That was a lie. “She’s a librarian.”
“A librarian? You?”
Shit, what was that tone? Yeah, his brother needed a beating. “You want to explain what you mean by that?”
“You’ve dated models and actresses, bro. A librarian is definitely a little, ah…” He hesitated. “A woman like that isn’t your usual style.”
“My style?” Adam snapped. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Jack put down his sandwich, leaned back in his chair, and raised a single eyebrow. His expression was someplace between ‘are you kidding’ and ‘are you stupid’? “Well,” his brother began. “For one thing. I’m guessing she has a brain.”
“Yeah, so?”
“And I assume she’s never been a lingerie model.”
Adam bit his tongue before answering. On one level, he was pissed because Jack was insinuating Adam now had to date down. On the other hand, his brother had never seen Mia. “That’s a shitty thing to say.” Adam took a long swallow of his drink. “Besides, the librarian’s hot.”
“A hot librarian? Seriously?”
“The freshman boys on the team are stupid in love with her. She’s working with the team academic advisor, so they all keep their grades up.”
“So, how’d it go? Your date, I mean.”
“Okay.”
“Then what’s got you so uptight?”
What was he going to say now? He was starting to sound like a fifteen-year-old. Shrugging as casually as he could, he said, “You’re right, she’s not my usual type. She has a kid.”
“That must be the Ben she mentioned. She’s divorced?”
“No. She’s his aunt. His mother was Mia’s sister. She died.” Adam scrubbed his hands over his face. “Ben’s hanging around the team, and because of him I feel like I have to be careful. I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”
Jack chewed and took a long swallow of his drink. “Sounds like Mia matters to you. Like they both do.”
“It’s a little early to say that, but I’d like to see where this goes.”
“Take it slow.”
Adam grumbled and took a bite from his sandwich. How did he explain the explosive attraction between him and Mia? That taking it slow didn’t seem like much of an option. He had no understanding of a woman like her, or the lack of control he experienced when he was around her. He looked his brother straight in the eye and gave himself up. “She’s gorgeous, and when I say gorgeous, Jack, I mean she’s a goddess. I kissed her and I damn near died. I couldn’t stop myself. If Ben and her grandmother hadn’t walked in, I would have taken her right on the kitchen floor.”
“So much for going slow, but I don’t understand the problem here. She’s an adult.” Jack relaxed, balancing on the back legs of his chair like they did when they were kids. “She’s hot and willing. Normally men consider this is a good thing.”
“You’re really being a dick, you know?” Adam got up and paced the area behind his desk. “She’s not like that. I caught her totally off guard with the kiss, but man she just gave it up to me.”
Jack eased his body forward and grinned. “Again, how is this bad?”
Not bad, but definitely complicated. He thought about how they fit. How her ass filled his hands, how she felt pressed against him, and how all that beautiful hair felt when he ran his fingers through it. But mostly, he remembered her mouth, that amazing, generous mouth that not only tugged at his libido but made his heart stop. Adam blew out a breath as he dropped into his chair.
“What’s stopping you?” his brother asked.
Adam leaned back and scrubbed his hands over his face. Jack was going to love this.
“Well, for one thing her grandmother is Mrs. Lang.”
“No.” Jack practically choked on his sandwich. “Seriously?”
Adam nodded and Jack burst out laughing. Too bad this wasn’t funny.
“You drove Mrs. Lang nuts,” Jack said.
“Yup.” Adam met his brother’s gaze. “There are so many ways for me to screw this up, Jack. Mia is right here in town. She works for the college. Hell, our grandmother was one of the people who hired her!”
“Ah, this one’s close to home. If there’s a problem with the relationship—”
“The whole town is going to know.”
Adam shook his head, crumpled a napkin, and tossed it into the garbage without ever looking back at his brother.
“So, let me get this straight. You like her, but you’re afraid you’re going to screw it up?”
“Yeah.” That simple admission changed everything. Adam realized it wasn’t just lust anymore. It wasn’t about getting her into her pants. He really liked her.
Jack rolled his eyes. “Pussy. Grow a goddamn pair, would you?”
“Thanks for your support.” Adam should have known better than to expect Jack to understand. His brother had no idea what being in the public eye had done to him. He’d already screwed up publicly when he had the accident; he didn’t need to do it again. “I’m trying to keep my head down. Not attract a lot of attention.”
“Then you should have built yourself a cabin on some deserted mountain.” Jack stood and walked around the room, looking at the depth charts Adam had pinned to the wall. “Haven’t you figured out that real life is the toughest thing you’re ever going to face? Real people—your family and people you’ve known your whole life—are more challenging than the biggest, baddest defensive tackle, and a pretty librarian will take you out at the knees faster than a super model.”
“Great.”
“What you seem to have forgotten is that this town protected you, too. When the media was sniffing around, everyone circled the wagons so you could recover in private.”
“I know. I guess I’m trying not to be the self-centered asshole I used to be. I’m thinking about her first. She’s sweet, you know.” Rubbing out the tension in his neck, Adam swore. “You’re right, though. I’m being a candy ass about this.”
Jack smiled. “She must be something to have you so worked up. I’ve never heard you describe any of your women as ‘sweet’.”
“None of them ever were. She’s different, and I don’t know what the hell I’m doing.”
“Welcome to the club, man. If you aren’t tied up in knots over a woman, it doesn’t really count.”
Adam brought his forearm across his eyes and groaned. If that was true, this thing he’d started with Mia was going to count a whole lot.
*
Mia’s finger hovered over the screen of her cell phone as her mind processed the number on the caller ID. Her mother. Her mother was calling her back.
She tried to do what Nana suggested, and call first to drop the “Ben is playing sports” bomb, but Mom was too busy with her weekly lunch with the ladies to take the call.
She could still hear her mother’s clipped, mid-Atlantic English coming over the phone. “Really, dear. You know I golf and have lunch at the club on Fridays. Just let me do the calling.”
There was no avoiding what she had to do, so Mia answered the call. “Hi, Mom.”
“I would appreciate, if in the future, you could keep my weekly schedule in mind before you make a call, Mia. The phone rang right when Louise Johnson was telling a lovely story about her daughter’s honeymoon in Europe.”
“How nice,” Mia said. “I’m sorry I interrupted.”
“So, how are you and how is your job?”
“Everything here is fine. Being with Nana has helped the transition, and Ben and I have been making friends.”
“Your grandmother is too attached to that little town. Just remember there’s only so much you can do there, and at that college. I also doubt you’ll find a husband in a place like that.”
“It’s really a wonderful place to live. It’s diverse, and the schools are wonderful—”
“Speaking of schools, have you found Ben a proper private school yet?”
“No, Mom. He’s going to public school.”
“We’ve discussed this. Private school offers so much more.”
“Public school, Mom.”
“Mia, really. Think of the children he’ll be associating with in public school.”
“I do, and it’s a great environment. He has friends right on the street. If I thought a private school was the right place for him, he’d go, but he’s fine where he is.”
“I don’t agree. At all.”
Normally, that’s all it took. Her mother’s disapproval didn’t have to be boldly stated, one simple sentence or two usually did the trick. This time, however, Mia knew her mother was wrong.
“Mom, you of all people should know that the schools here are excellent. His class is small and it’s the same school you and Daddy went to. It’s good that Ben experiences that tradition.”
“I suppose.” Just as Mia suspected, hitting someone like her mother with the “tradition” argument killed the discussion. At least for now. After spending years as a headmistress at an all-girls prep school in Maryland, Mom’s prejudice wouldn’t die easily.
“How are you doing? I’m guessing your back is better since you’re playing golf.” Her mother had been pretty badly hurt when she’d been hit by the car. It was one of the reasons she decided that when she moved south, she wouldn’t be taking Ben.
“Physio therapy twice a week. Probably forever. I have pain, but I muddle through.”
It was never a simple answer with her mom. Still beautiful at fifty-eight, her mother couldn’t wait to retire from education and settle into her new life near Charleston. It was what she’d been planning for, once her father retired, but when he died, it pushed her mother into that life a little sooner. A life that didn’t include Ben or Mia, and in truth, it probably wouldn’t have included her father.
Yeah, there was a lot she didn’t understand, especially her mother’s need to micromanage every aspect of Ben’s life. She didn’t want to raise him; she moved far enough away that she’d only see him a few times a year, but yet, she still tried to exert control.
Not this time.
“School aside, how is Ben doing?”
“Wonderful.” Mia wanted to throw up. Why couldn’t she have a warm, fuzzy mother? Someone loving and supportive? “He likes school and has made some friends. He’s very busy.”
“Busy with what? I doubt there’s much for him to do. There never was.”
Annoyed more than scared now, Mia let the first shoe drop. “He’s playing baseball. I got him into a league, and he couldn’t be happier.”
If Mia didn’t know better, she would have thought her mother had hung up, but she heard breathing. Slow, steady, unhappy breathing. “Team sports? We’ve discussed this. I wouldn’t mind if he were taking golf or tennis lessons, something he’d play the rest of his life, but—”
“I didn’t call to get your approval, Mom. It’s done. He’s my responsibility and I’ll do what I feel is right.”
A low chuckle came over the line. “You sound just like your grandmother. Was the baseball her idea? A little dig at me, perhaps?”
“No, Mom, it wasn’t. Nana doesn’t spend her time thinking of ways to get at you.”
Again, her mother laughed. The relationship between Nana and her mother was never good, but since Sara’s death it had become downright hostile. “You keep believing that.”
After a brief silence, Mia heard the click of a lighter before her mother continued. Whenever she was tense, Mom smoked.
“So, is that why you called?” her mother asked. “To tell me he’s playing baseball?”
“Mostly.”
There was quiet on the line. It was her mother’s way of telling her to keep going. It was an intimidation tactic and Mia stepped right into the trap. “He’s been busy after school, too. My babysitting fell through and Ben is helping a friend of mine on campus until I can make other arrangements.”
“Well, spending time on a college campus isn’t a bad thing. What’s he doing?”
“He’s working with the football team.”
A quick intake of air told her everything she needed to know. There was no response at first, but then the low, throaty words came through. “Have you lost your mind?”
“No, and he’s doing really well. The coaches keep him busy with jobs and he’s learning a lot about goals and teamwork.”
“I don’t have any words for you.”
“Mom, you have to trust me to do the right thing for him. It’s football, he’s not robbing banks.”
“I don’t trust you with anything. Anything. I can’t believe I trusted you with my grandchild. That you would dishonor all of us, most of all your sister, by allowing that leaves me speechless.”
“Mom, don’t turn this into something it’s–”
There was a beep and then silence. Her mother had ended the call.
Once again, in her mother’s eyes, she was a failure. She shouldn’t let it affect her because it was nothing new. Relationships between mothers and daughters in her family had never been good. She thought about the contentiousness through the generations, and Mia vowed if she ever had a daughter, she’d break the cycle. Never, ever would she make her own child feel like a failure.
But while her mother’s words stung, for the first time, Mia didn’t question her own decisions. That was, most definitely, progress.