Rachel snorted into her beer. “Thanks, Dr. Freud, but I promise, it was simply product failure. And unfortunately, my children’s father is a famous person who comes with all sorts of baggage, so we aren’t together at the moment.”
Trent grunted. “Says the queen of baggage. You don’t trust men because your dad cheated on your mom.” He leaned forward and poked her shoulder. “Easier to never let them close enough to hurt you. But that you made such a big deal about this not being a date tonight makes me lean toward the maybe-you-love-this-guy theory—as scary as I’m sure that is for you.”
He’d always called her out on her crap, so she wouldn’t let that bother her. Instead, maybe he was the perfect one to ask her burning question.
She leaned closer too, so their foreheads almost touched. “How did you know? That Macy was the one?”
“And the plot thickens.” He slowly leaned back as a knowing smile lit his face. “That you, of all people, would ask means you might actually love this guy. Give me ten bucks.”
“Why?”
“Just hand it over, and then I’ll explain.” He waggled his fingers impatiently.
She frowned as she dug through her purse. “All I have is a twenty.” She held it up.
“Thank you.” He snatched it away. “You’ve officially become my patient and have paid me in full for my services.”
“Why would I want to be your patient?”
“Because it’ll be the only way to get you to actually talk about your feelings. You’ll be safe to say how you really feel, and sadly, now I can’t tease you about it anymore because I’m a professional. Anything you say has to stay between us from now on. Unless you plan to murder the famous guy whose name I’m dying to know to get full custody of the twins. Then I’d have to tattle.”
Murder the guy?
An idea exploded in her head. Trent was just teasing her, but his tactic might be exactly what she should do with Marcello. Become his lawyer so she could help him without being culpable for his mysterious crime. And maybe it’d permit Avery to discuss their mutual client’s case.
Her nondate might have just become the best date she’d ever had.
Marcello stepped out of the SUV he’d rented instead of the Porsche he’d had his eye on. Easier to put car seats in the back if need be. Then he grabbed the gifts his assistants had waiting for him at the airport. Time to win Rachel back.
He walked up to the front door and pressed the bell. The surprise element would hopefully work in his favor.
The sound of puppies barking grew louder before the little peephole door opened and a set of green eyes peered out. “You’re back?”
“I was an idiot. I’m here to apologize in person.”
The door opened, and before she could say anything, he wrapped his free hand around her waist and pulled her in for a kiss.
She made an odd noise as he laid his lips on hers.
Something didn’t feel right about the mouth he’d often fantasized about kissing in his dreams.
When her hands pressed against his chest and pushed, he realized his mistake and quickly stepped back. “Lori, I apologize. I thought you were—”
“You were expecting Rachel.” Lori, her cheeks as red as tomatoes, opened the door wider. “One of the happy hazards of being an identical twin. Come in out of the cold.”
Mortified by his mistake, he followed behind her and closed the front door. “Do I need to apologize to Deek too?”
“Don’t you dare.” Lori smiled. “I’m going to use this to make him a little jealous tonight. It isn’t every day I get to kiss a famous movie star.”
Relieved that she wasn’t angry, he asked, “So, is your sister home?”
“Um, no.” Lori wrinkled her nose. “She’s . . . I’m babysitting until she gets back. From dinner. With a friend. I was just feeding the twins.”
“A friend?” His stomach sank at Lori’s obvious discomfort. “A male friend?” He followed behind her to the kitchen.
She nodded as she walked ahead of him. “A friend from college. Want to help me feed the kids?”
“I would. Yes.” He hated Rachel being on a date, but then, he’d told her to see other people. He still didn’t like it, fair of him or not.
They stepped into Rachel’s kitchen, the travertine floor covered with blobs of colorful food splattered around two high chairs. Ian’s face was covered with some sort of green goo. “Ciao, bambini.” He kissed them on the tops of their heads, where they were still sort of clean. “Where are the dogs?” He placed the blue packages from Tiffany for Rachel on the granite countertop.
“They have a kennel in the den, now. I’ll let them in after to do clean up. Don’t tell Rachel. She has the puppies on a strict diet. But it sure beats mopping.” She pulled out a chair and placed it in front of Hannah’s highchair. “Sit.” She handed him a jar of something orange and very unappealing.
“What is this?” He shuddered as he accepted a little rubber-coated spoon she held out.
“Sweet potatoes. It’s all she’ll eat this week.”
He sniffed the jar. It didn’t smell so bad. He watched how Lori fed Ian. Big bites, as fast as she could shovel. Got it.
He stuck the spoon in the jar, filled it to the brim, and then stuck it in Hannah’s open mouth. Just as quickly as it went in, she blew it all back out. All over his shirt and tie. Then she laughed.
Lori handed him a towel. “She’s a goofball tonight. Give her smaller bites if you want any chance of staying reasonably clean.”
So it was a game? Well, two could play at that.
He loaded up the spoon, and, just before he stuck it into Hannah’s open mouth, he whisked it above her head with a whooshing noise. It made both the babies laugh. After four or five times, the novelty wore off, and Hannah reached out and helped him find her mouth. She swallowed and then leaned closer for more. “That’s my good girl.”
Just when he thought they were making progress, Hannah shook her head when he offered the next bite. She seemed to like games, so he made race car noises and train sounds as he navigated the spoon to her mouth. It made her giggle and open wide. Who knew feeding a baby could be fun? “Is this little jar enough food for dinner?”
“They still get bottles before bed too.” Lori smiled as she scraped the bottom of Ian’s jar clean. “You’re not bad at this, Marcello.”
“Beginner’s luck. Where is the nanny I hired?”
Lori wiped Ian’s hands and face. “She wasn’t right for the job. Rachel’s looking for another. I don’t know how she takes care of both kids and still works. I have to take naps after I spend an hour or two over here. She never ceases to amaze me.”
“Or me. I screwed everything up. I hope it’s not too late to fix things. I brought lots of gifts to stack the blocks in my favor.” He pointed to the bags he’d laid on the countertop.
Lori nodded. “I think you mean stack the deck. Like cards and odds.”
“Yes. Better odds.” He’d do anything to get that. To erase the hurt he’d put into Rachel’s eyes the other day. “So this man she’s with. This friend. Won’t have a chance against me.”
“Gifts are always nice. Especially when they come from Rachel’s favorite store.” Lori took Hannah’s empty jar and then returned to clean her up. She expertly wrestled with Hannah’s squirming hands and face. “But Rachel can buy herself most anything she wants. Her hourly billing rate is obscene, but that’s peanuts compared to her investment portfolio. Want to know the real secret to winning her heart back?”
If anyone would know, it’d be Lori. It sent a wave of hope crashing through his veins. “Please. I’ll do anything.”
“Good. Because now it’s bath time, then bottle time, then tuck-them-in time. I’ll be sure to record it all on my phone and send it to Rachel. I already snuck a video of you feeding Hannah to send later.”
Doing baby chores? It made no sense. “Why would Rachel want that instead of the diamonds I brought?”
Lori handed o
ver a green-stained Ian. “Because nothing is sexier to a woman than a man who is loving and sweet to her kids—and who gives the occasional foot rub. That, and because family is important to Rachel, even though you’ll never hear her admit it. But you have to be honest with her Marcello, and above all else, loyal. If you can’t do that, then I have to ask you to please leave. You hurt her deeply the other day. I won’t allow you to do it again.”
He admired sweet Lori’s arrogant chin tilt. Although not nearly as intimidating as her sister’s. “I hate that I caused her pain too.” He pulled Ian closer to his chest, breathing in the sweet scent of shampoo and peas. “I would never betray, Rachel. She won’t believe me.”
“Then show her if words aren’t working. When you can’t be here, check in a few times a day, even if she tells you she’s too busy to talk. Even better, take her and the kids with you to LA sometimes. Rachel can work anywhere. Make them part of your daily life. And most of all, if this plan works, don’t let her panic and push you away when she gets scared to commit. Because I promise you, she will.”
“Thank you.” He leaned down and laid a kiss on Lori’s cheek. “You show me great respect by sharing this with me. I promise I won’t let you down.”
Lori shook her head. “Don’t let Rachel down, and we’re even.”
If only it were so simple. What if by stopping the blackmail he ended up in jail? Then he’d let not only Rachel down, but his children too.
He couldn’t fail them.
Chapter Six
Risk taking isn’t for the weak of heart.
After their to-go boxes were filled to the brim with barbecue, Rachel asked Trent, “So, now that I’ve spilled my guts, what’s your take on all this?”
He tilted his head. “I think you should go with what your instincts are telling you. Not about other women—you need to take him at his word for that. But the part about you knowing in your soul that Marcello would never commit—”
Her phone dinged. It was her sister. “Sorry. Lori’s watching the kids. Hold that thought.” She picked up her phone and tapped on the text message. It was a video, so she hit Play, and her heart melted. Marcello had come back and was feeding Hannah. It brought tears to her eyes.
“What’s wrong, Rachel?”
“Nothing.” She glanced up and smiled. “Marcello’s back. Maybe I’ll have another chance to fix things after all. It was nice to catch up. And to get my head shrunk at the same time. I promise I’ll try to be more trusting. Let’s do this again soon.” She stood and slipped into her coat. “If you’d like to, that is.”
“I’ll check in with you in a week, and then every week until you either run the guy off or figure out you want him.”
Rachel reached for her box, but then stopped. “Weeks? Not days, like back in college?”
He shook his head. “I like your chances this time. But you’ve got to take that initial risk—even though you might get slammed in the heart—to figure out what you want.”
She gathered her things. “Twenty bucks gave me a lot to think about tonight.” She dug her keys from her purse. “I’ll look forward to your weekly kick in the butt. And in return, I’ll kick yours too. You’re too awesome to be single. Thanks for dinner, weirdo.”
“Night, freak.” Trent smiled as he scribbled his name on the receipt.
Rachel hurried to the door, eager to see Marcello. Nervous but at the same time happy he’d come back. She hoped he’d agree to let her help him with her new plan. She’d help him with his legal problems while he courted her properly, as he seemed to want to do so badly. Not that she needed all that mush, but it seemed important to him.
She opened her car door and climbed in, impatient to see the other videos her sister had sent.
After watching them and reading the note of apology Marcello asked Lori to send, she wiped the tears from her eyes. That kind of mush she secretly liked. She loved seeing how sweet Marcello was with their kids. And she was glad he’d decided to tell her what he could of his secrets, as his note stated.
While she headed out of the parking lot, a thought hit her. What if, after she became Marcello’s lawyer, she found out he’d done something she couldn’t forgive?
She laid a hand against the sudden ache in her chest. She hadn’t thought her plan all the way through. What would she do if that were the case?
She’d feel obligated to help him as his lawyer and, at the same time, forced to break things off with him. Morals and ethics aside, that could be incredibly painful and awkward. Maybe it’d be better to wait for the courting part until she got to the bottom of Marcello’s legal issues. Less potential pain that way.
When she arrived home, her sister’s car was gone. Instead, a big SUV stood in the drive. Rachel waited for the garage door to rumble closed behind her before she grabbed her to-go box. Maybe Marcello was hungry. They could sit down and talk about their problems while he ate. She’d lay out the plan so as to save as much heartache as possible. All logical, and in a fair, iron-clad contract. And she’d hope to God he wasn’t in any real trouble.
Rachel followed the television noise coming from the den and found Marcello, arms, and legs sprawled out every which way, sound asleep on the couch. His dark hair was disheveled, his dress shirt halfway untucked as if he’d been in a scuffle, and his sexy five-o’clock shadow made her want to take him to bed.
She slid the to-go box on the coffee table, then sat beside him and gently laid her hand on his damp chest. She used to do that sometimes after they’d made love, feel his heartbeat true and strong under her palm as he slept. It always gave her an odd sense of peace.
His shirt was still wet from the kids’ baths and probably stained forever from Hannah’s sweet potatoes. Ian must’ve had peas because there was familiar green goo on Marcello’s shoulder. The sight of Marcello tucking Hannah and Ian into bed from the video still warmed her heart. She wanted to try to make it work with him, to have a complete family, despite all her fears. But had he really changed so that could happen? Could he find a way to fit them into his life while overcoming his legal troubles? It was a lot of risk for them all.
She studied the man beside her and sighed.
Marcello always looked so peaceful and content when he was sound asleep, reminding her of Trent’s earlier words. She needed to go with her instincts when it came to Marcello. And take him at his word about there being no other women. Because her gut told her that the man sleeping on her couch would never do something so terrible, it’d send him to jail. Trent said if she wanted a relationship with Marcello, she had to take a risk with her heart.
No pain, no gain.
So, she’d do it. Take the chance and tell him that she’d like to try to make things work between them, no matter what his legal troubles were. And she’d trust him to be faithful to her. Blind trust wasn’t easy, though.
She turned off the TV, then headed to the kitchen to put away the leftovers. After that, she grabbed a blanket from the hall closet and covered Marcello with it.
She laid a soft kiss on his forehead and whispered, “Night, amore.”
She looked forward to, and at the same time feared, what secrets he’d reveal. They could handle that discussion in the morning, though, because she’d seen on the internet that he’d been in New York earlier. He was on East Coast time on top of being worn out by the twins. She knew exactly how that felt.
She’d stay up for a bit longer and get busy writing up their contract. And she’d do her best not to think how much she wanted the sexy man sleeping on her couch to join her in bed.
Let the courting begin!
Marcello’s neck was killing him from sleeping on the couch. Before the sun had risen, he quietly made his way to Rachel’s bedroom, hoping for some alone time before the kids got up. That she’d covered him up instead of kicking him out when she’d gotten home hopefully meant she’d decided to give him another chance.
He slowly opened her door and smiled. She always slept in a neat little ball on the ri
ght side of the bed, her long dark hair curled around her cheek and her hands tucked under her pillow. After quietly slipping out of his shirt and slacks, he slid under the covers behind her. With his arm wrapped around her waist, he gently plastered himself against her back.
She mumbled, “Hey,” and then fell back into a deep sleep.
Hopefully, Lori was right, and the videos she’d sent had helped Rachel forgive him.
He loved snuggling with her in the mornings before she woke. Once awake, she was never big on cuddling because she always had a million things to do, even when she’d been on vacation with him.
That was the problem. They’d never spent more than a few days in a row with each other. It had always been a vacation when they were together. No wonder Rachel still had doubts about them being able to live as a family. She had only seen the bad parts of being famous, not the good. She wanted to protect their children from the press and pressures of Hollywood, and he loved her even more for that. But he hated that his fame was keeping him from having the one person who gave him utter peace in his chaotic life. That, and his attempted murder charge.
After an hour of quiet bliss, she stirred and rolled over. “Morning, Xavier. I only have time for a quickie. You wore me out last night.” Her droopy eyes blinked up at him as she swept the hair away from her face. “Oh, it’s you, Marcello.”
The grin on her beautiful lips and that she’d teased him was a good sign. He hoped. “Good morning, bella. How was the date last night?”
Her left brow arched. “Jealous?”
“Insanely.” He kissed her softly on the lips, testing the waters. When she kissed him back with all her usual passion, relief allowed him to enjoy it. He hated being at odds with her. “Did you kiss Xavier like that while he made love to you?”
“A lady never tells,” she whispered. “But if it’ll make you feel better, you’re still the best kisser I know.” Her voice still echoed sass and mischief.
“Maybe I’ll have to try other ways to get the truth.” He rolled on top of her, trapping Rachel’s curvy, soft body underneath him. He could stay right where he was all day.
Truly A Match (Rocky Mountain Matchmaker Book 4) Page 6