by Erica Penrod
“I was just wondering how today went—you know, meeting your contest winner.”
“Uhhh … good. She’s only thirteen, so it’s going to be fun. It’s been a long time since I’ve done something for a teenager.”
“I guess I didn’t think about the possibility of a kid winning.”
“Me neither, but as long as the she has permission and I get her father to sign the contract, we’ll be good.”
“So, what was the family like? And what about the house?”
Tori took out a plastic container of leftover lasagna. She glanced at the clock and knew it was way too late to be eating this many carbs, but she opened the microwave anyway. “Her parents are divorced, and she lives with her dad.”
“Single dad, huh? Was he cute?”
“Well, yeah. I think I’ve seen him somewhere before.” Tori walked over to the round kitchen table, where her laptop sat. She lifted the screen and went to Google. “His name is Kael Santos and—”
Carley squealed, and then her voice lowered to a serious tone. “Do you mean Kael Santos as in the professional soccer player, as in the gorgeous Brazilian, as in the one we used to watch on TV back in college?”
“Oh my gosh, that’s where I’ve seen him before. I remember the name Santos, but I never knew his first name. He’s not a soccer player, he owns a sporting goods store, but I’m sure he has to be the same guy.”
“He got injured, a knee or an ankle, and had to retire. I think he only played for a few years, but he was amazing to watch.”
“That makes sense as to why he owns his own sporting goods store.” Tori searched for Kael, and a picture of him in his Portland Kickers jersey popped up. “He’s definitely older than he was when we used to watch him.”
“Well, so are you. Is he still as hot as he was then?”
Tori studied the screen. “I guess in some ways, he’s even more attractive. You know that unfair thing about men getting more handsome as they age while us women have to buy every anti-wrinkle cream out there?”
“You use wrinkle cream?” Carley sounded like Tori had been keeping secrets from her.
Tori laughed. “Just sunscreen and moisturizer, but I’m sure it won’t be long.”
“I was worried we were getting old and I didn’t know it.”
“We’re not old. We haven’t even hit thirty yet, and you’re about to become a mother. Speaking of that, how’ve you been feeling?” Tori changed the subject and heard Carley sigh. She imagined her friend rubbing her eight-months-along pregnant belly.
“Good, for someone that looks like they swallowed a watermelon. My feet hurt and are starting to swell a little. Tom thinks I should take my maternity leave early, but I’ve cut back to part-time, so I think I’ll keep working as long as I can.”
“I’m glad you’re doing well, and I’m excited for your baby shower, although I’m not very happy with you for inviting my mother.”
“I had to. She’s the mother of my best friend.”
“Do me a favor: if you’re making a seating chart, put me across the room from her. She’ll take one look at you, all glowing with impending motherhood and a big diamond on your hand, and remind me that she’d like to be a grandmother before she’s eighty.”
“Don’t make me laugh. My bladder control isn’t what it used to be,” Carley laughed. “But I thought your mom was just upset about the career change.”
Tori sighed. “Yeah, I’m just an all-around disappointment to her. But hey, the good news is my little brother looks like he might be getting serious with his girlfriend, so that should take some of the pressure off me.”
“Little Troy is all grown up.”
The microwave beeped. She walked over, opened the door, and took out the lasagna. “He’s not little. He’s twenty-six and weighs over two hundred pounds of solid muscle, and he’s a couple inches taller than my dad.”
“He’ll always be that cute little high school boy that came to visit us in college to me—oh, can you hold on a second?”
Tori heard Tom’s voice in the background and a muffle of other sounds.
“I guess I need to hang up. It’s time for our nightly Netflix binge.”
“Okay, sounds good.” Tori lifted the plastic lid gingerly, trying to avoid the hot steam. “I’ll call you later.”
“Let me know what else happens with Kael Santos. I can’t believe you’re going to hang out with him.”
“I’m working on his daughter’s room, not hanging out. I’ll admit he’s nice to look at, but I’m there to work.”
“Whatever. I’ll talk to you later, bye.”
The reheated lasagna tasted better than the day before, or maybe she was feeding her stress, and that enhanced the flavor. Tori plugged her phone into the charger and grabbed a magazine. She thumbed through the pages, searching for what was trending, but really, she was trying not to think about Kael.
Now that she knew where she’d seen Kael before, she thought she could move on. And though she could push his face from her mind, Tori couldn’t forget the way she felt when she saw him. Why did this single father of a teenage girl throw her off-balance? He wasn’t even all that nice, other than when he talked about his daughter.
She took another bite of lasagna and contemplated how she would handle seeing him tomorrow. If she had a plan, then maybe she would feel in control, and if she felt confident, then maybe she wouldn’t be so distracted by Kael. Tori swallowed and jabbed her fork into the noodles. Yes, a plan would be good. She’d focus on the remodel and not the way her heart raced like she was the one running down a soccer field or how he made her wonder how it would feel to have his soft lips on hers or how he had her head spinning in circles or … yeah, no. This wasn’t a great strategy, because around Kael Santos, there was no telling where her thoughts would go or how she would feel. She wasn’t in the driver’s seat, and all she could do was pray that tomorrow, wherever she ended up or what feelings surfaced, her heart would still be intact and she could find her way home.
* * *
The sun peeked through the slits in the blinds as Kael climbed out of bed. He looked at the clock and cursed. He’d slept in, and now there was no time to get the house cleaned before he left for work. Yesterday had been crazy, and Kael had only managed to get the house tidied up before Tori got there. This morning, he planned to run the vacuum around before he and Marcela left for the day, just in case Tori needed to stop by again.
Kael ran his fingers through his unruly hair and sat on the edge of the bed. Worrying about what Tori thought was a waste of time. He didn’t even know her last name, and she’d been nothing but a headache to him since she appeared in his life. Her green eyes haunted him every time he closed his own and tried to sleep last night. That must be why he missed the alarm, because the last time he remembered looking at the clock, it was three in the morning.
Kael took a quick shower, got dressed, and headed into the kitchen. The water was running in the other bathroom. Great. Marcela was also behind schedule. She probably couldn’t sleep because of Tori either, but not for the same reasons he had.
He cracked three eggs into the pan and grabbed the spatula. He imagined Tori’s eyes again and dropped the utensil on the floor. This was insane. He’d met the woman once, felt attracted to her, and been annoyed by her disrupting his life. There was no reason to think there was anything else to the situation. Kael picked up the spatula and quickly washed it.
Marcela walked in with a towel wrapped on her head, opened the fridge, and grabbed the orange juice.
“Good morning, sunshine.” Kael gave her a wink. “Did you sleep okay?”
She let out a long yawn. “No, I was too excited.”
Kael smiled. “I figured that might be the case. Do you remember you’re supposed to go with your mom this weekend?” Kael flipped over the eggs, careful not to disturb the yolks.
“Uggghhhh, no, Dad.” Marcela opened the bread bag on the counter and put two slices of whole wheat bread in the toaster.
“I can’t. Tori will be here, and I don’t want to miss it.”
“We’re not sure yet exactly which days Tori will be here filming.”
“I bet she’ll be here every day.” Marcel poured the juice into two glasses.
Kael’s heart skipped a beat thinking about Tori being here so often. “I’m sure you don’t have to be here every second they’re filming.”
“But I want to, and besides, Mom will just cancel anyway.” Marcela’s voice quieted. “She always does.”
Kael’s heart shuddered again, and this time the effect wasn’t because of Tori. He hated the way Marcela was growing up without her mother. “You know your mom’s work schedule changes a lot, and she can’t always help that.”
“Dad, I’m not a baby. I know Mom isn’t worried about hanging out with me.”
“That’s not true.” The lie felt like a splash of hot grease on his skin. Alison loved her daughter, but not the way a mother should, and he couldn’t protect Marcela from the truth. “Look, baby girl. I know your mom loves you, but she’s caught up in her own life. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t think about you.”
Marcela buttered the toast. “I know.” Her voice was like a white flag signaling that she didn’t want to talk about her mother anymore.
“I’ll make you a deal. After I meet with Tori today and find out what her schedule is, you can call your mom and tell her what’s going on. If Tori’s filming on Saturday, then maybe your mom could come over and meet her. You guys could hang out here, and I’ll catch up on some work.”
She nodded, but the movement was so slight he would’ve missed the gesture if he blinked. His daughter understood that there was no way her mother would ever give up a Saturday just to watch Tori, no matter how much the makeover meant to Marcela. On the few occasions that Alison did take Marcela, they spent the day running errands or doing whatever her mother wanted. Very seldom did she plan anything with Marcela in mind; she just brought her daughter along for the ride. Alison worked for an advertising agency, which kept her very busy and required many out-of-town trips, or so she said. But he wondered how much was business and how much had to do with dating her boss. Kael felt sorry for his ex-wife. She didn’t know what an incredible girl their daughter was or how much she was missing out on.
“Here’s your egg.” He handed her a plate. “You better hurry. We’re running a little late today.”
“I know.” She took a big gulp of juice. Kael sat down next to his daughter. He picked up the shakers and covered his egg in salt and pepper. Marcela finished eating in less than two minutes and was back in the bathroom, leaving Kael alone with nothing but his thoughts, wishing he could make Alison understand how much their daughter needed her. At the moment, he was glad Marcela won the contest, and perhaps he’d blown this thing with Tori—or rather his infatuation—out of proportion. Maybe today she’d be nothing more than the decorator.
He swallowed the last bite of his egg and got up to rinse his plate just as Marcela started the blow-dryer. A glance at the clock confirmed that he’d better pray for a good hair day for his teenage daughter. There wasn’t time to have a meltdown, and he’d learned the hard way that Marcela didn’t appreciate his compliments or suggestions when it came to her hair. Hurrying her made matters worse and then they argued, and that was a never a good way for the day to start.
By some miracle, Marcela was ready just in time, and they pulled up to the curb at the school with one minute to spare. Kael looked through the window as he watched her walk away. She caught up to her friends, turned around, and gave him a big smile. That made up for any bad hair day she’d ever had or would ever have. He didn’t know what he’d done to deserve such a wonderful daughter, but he was grateful.
Kael signaled and pulled into the creeping traffic. Things had turned out all right so far this morning, even with the late start. Now if he could just get through this meeting with Tori, he’d be good. He turned up the radio and strummed along to the beat. Hope was rising in his chest as he headed toward the store. He’d get in there, get a good start on work before Tori arrived, wrap things up with her, and then get on with his day and his life.
Which might have worked had he not seen Tori standing outside of her car with her ginormous bag slung over her shoulder as he pulled into the parking lot. She smiled and waved, making his heart drop and his stomach roll with anxiety. This wasn’t what he had planned. She wasn’t supposed to be here until the afternoon, and now all his emotions channeled into anger. Just who did she think she was, showing up whenever she wanted? Never mind that she looked amazing in her jean jacket, navy-blue T-shirt, and long skirt. His chest heaved at her audacity to take his breath away at 8:00 in the morning.
Kael parked his truck but took his time. He needed a minute to simmer down before he jumped out and spat a few Portuguese words at Tori. Even though he was more upset with himself than with her over his body’s reaction, he wanted to take out his frustration on her. He didn’t have time for these feelings or desires, and he’d be wise to remember that.
Chapter Four
Design Tip
Not everyone is ready for a remodel.
Tori clearly didn’t understand men. Kael wasn’t keen on the idea of a makeover at first, but he’d smiled at her when she left his house last night. Now he glared at her like she was a walking root canal.
“I thought you were coming later this afternoon.” Kael kept his eyes etched on her, his voice brewing with unpleasantness. She felt trapped, unable to move under his pinning stare. The muscle along his jawline flexed, and his body was tense. She was early, but that didn’t warrant greeting her like she was from the IRS, about to conduct an audit. Kael Santos was a little gruff and obviously tenderhearted towards his daughter, but he’d morphed into an ornery jerk. She’d spent last night thinking about him and wondering what was underneath his rough exterior. His scowl answered that for her.
“Yeah, sorry.” She broke free from his stare, glanced at the ground and back up at him. “I was able to rearrange a couple things, and I thought I’d get an early start.”
“But what if I can’t meet with you right now?” He crossed his arms and pursed his lips.
“I just came by to let you know that I’m in town and whenever you get a chance to go over the paperwork, that’d be great.”
“You could’ve called or texted.”
“Yeah, I know.” She brushed her hair back behind her ear and tried to smile, not wanting him to know his behavior bothered her. “But I thought I’d drop by since I was here.” Tori wasn’t about to tell him the truth. She’d wanted to see him again as soon as possible to see if he really was worth a sleepless night. He wasn’t. Some people were just pretty on the outside and nothing more. Whatever she felt yesterday must’ve been a fluke, because all she wanted to do was get away from him. “I thought I would drive through town and check out the local shops.” She adjusted her purse on her shoulder. “And I’m looking for locations to shoot different segments.”
“Oh.” Kael’s brow furrowed. “I didn’t realize you’d be filming anywhere other than the house.”
“Yes, I will be.” Disappointment and frustration cast a stern tone to her voice. “Do you have time to meet, or would you like me to come back?”
Kael tilted his chin. “I need to open up and get a few things going, but once my employees get here at nine, I can break away.” He didn’t look away from her, but his eyes widened as if he was confused by her sudden change in demeanor. What did he expect? That he could treat her like she’d bedazzled his bedroom in glitter and pink and not let that bother her? Well, he was mistaken, if that’s what he’d expected.
“Either way.” Tori tried to sound indifferent. “I can stay and hang around until you’re ready, or I can come back later.” She folded her arms across her chest and glanced toward the sign on the door that read Santos Sporting Goods.
“You’re welcome to stay and look around the store if you’d like. Jeff usually gets here early, so he
should be here in about twenty minutes, if that’s all right.”
“That’s fine.” Tori took in the fishing display in the large front glass window. “Who sets up your displays?” She pointed to the evenly spaced row of fishing poles with an assortment of lures and bait laid out in no apparent order.
“The guys and I just take turns.” Kael stepped closer to the window. “Why?”
“Just wondered.”
Kael’s body stiffened as if he were about to receive a blow. “You don’t like it?”
“No, it’s not that.” Tori shook her head, hoping he’d drop the subject, but with his fixed stand and callous stare, he waited for to elaborate. “Sorry.” She scrunched her nose. Her eye for detail and presentation wasn’t always welcome. When would she learn to keep her mouth shut? “It looks fine, but I think you’d catch the customer’s attention if you dressed things up a little.” Dang it. She just couldn’t seem to help herself.
She watched Kael’s chest heave as he drew in a breath. “This is a sporting goods shop and our customers don’t worry about stuff like that.”
“Okay.” Tori backed away from the window. “Just a suggestion.”
Kael gave her a slanted glance. “If I want your opinion, I’ll ask for it.”
Her throat tightened as fire rose from her belly. Marcela was his daughter and her contest winner, so she clamped her mouth shut.
“I need to get in there.” He turned to the door and punched a code into the keypad. The lock turned, and he pulled the glass door open and waited. Tori didn’t know whether to go inside or make a mad dash to her car, but Kael’s shoulders relaxed and he gestured for her to enter.
She treaded cautiously, afraid she’d set him off again. Her body passed his, and Kael’s scent made her think of walking through the woods with citrus and spice drifting in the air all around her. The effect was like a spell, and she forgot his impoliteness as she inhaled and saw only his caramel-colored skin and black-as-night eyes beckoning her to bask in the moonlight. Tori closed her eyes, fisted her hands so as not to touch him, and let the moment hold her captive.