Playing for Keeps

by LuAnn McLane

  “Well, now …” Mabel waved her hand toward the glass cases just as the bell above the door tinkled. Noah turned to see a tall, slender woman enter the bakery. “Noah, do you see anything that strikes your fancy?” Mabel asked.

  “Um …” Noah opened his mouth to answer but paused when the woman’s eyes widened a fraction before she pushed her rimless glasses up and sort of looked down her nose at him. Not understanding what he had done to deserve such a reaction, he tried to coax a smile from her but failed. When she abruptly turned away, Noah studied her profile, thinking that she looked a bit familiar, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. He was used to getting smiles instead of snubs, and he racked his brain but came up empty.

  “Well, hey there, Olivia,” Mabel said to the woman and got a warm smile in return. Her brown hair was pulled back into a tight, controlled bun, and from her creased slacks to her ironed oxford shirt everything about her screamed prim and proper. Oh … but she had a full, sensual mouth that was shiny with pale peach gloss, making Noah fantasize that she was wearing black lace lingerie beneath her neatly pressed pants. He could just imagine her loosening her bun and shaking her hair free …

  “Noah?” Mabel persisted. “Have you decided what you want?”

  “Yeah …” he answered, but cookies were no longer on his mind. “I have.”

  When he failed to elaborate, Mabel shook her head and turned to Olivia. “What brings you in today?”

  “Do you have any butter cookies left?” Olivia asked hopefully. Like her appearance, her voice seemed all business but possessed an unexpected throaty edge along with a hint of the South.

  “I believe we do,” Mabel answered and then glanced at Chrissie.

  “Um, Miss Lawson, I’m afraid that Dr. Jesse Drake, I mean, Noah, um, Mr. Falcon already spoke for them.”

  “Oh,” she said in a disappointed tone and glanced down into the glass case.

  When she licked her bottom lip Noah heard himself say, “I’ll share them with you.”

  “Thanks … but no,” Olivia replied in a gracious but not overly friendly tone. She smiled, but it was a tight little smile that matched her tight little bun. By rights Noah should have been totally put off.

  But he wasn’t. Not even a little.

  Women young and old usually fawned all over him. He never quite understood it, but he had come to expect it, and Olivia Lawson’s snooty attitude intrigued him.

  “Put her cookies on my bill,” Noah said firmly to Chrissie.

  “I appreciate your kind offer.” Olivia inclined her head at him and bestowed another tight smile upon him. “Truly. But that won’t be necessary.”

  Noah glanced at Chrissie and then back at Olivia. “I insist.” He gave her a megawatt smile that had never failed him.

  Until now.

  Olivia’s chin came up a notch and a delicate eyebrow arched above her glasses. “No … but thank you,” she said smoothly but firmly, like Southern Comfort sliding over cracked ice.

  Noah realized that Mabel and Chrissie were looking back and forth at them like a tennis match, which caused his competitive nature to rise to the occasion. But he had to wonder why Olivia Lawson had such a bur up her butt anyway. Again, her name sounded familiar and yet he still couldn’t place her. Okay, the ball was in his court, so he smacked it. “In fact, you may have them all. I suddenly have a craving for cinnamon cake instead.”

  “I wouldn’t dream of denying you the cookies, Mr. Falcon. I eat them all the time. I’m sure it’s been a while since you’ve had one.”

  “Sad but true. Ah … and as I recall they simply melt in your mouth, don’t they?”

  Olivia’s cheeks turned a pretty shade of pink. “Yes, and I hope you enjoy your treat.”

  “But I’ll be in Cricket Creek for a while, so I can part with them. Chrissie, give Miss Lawson the cookies.”

  Chrissie stood behind the counter with a white bag and a tissue paper in her hand and eyed them uncertainly until Mabel stepped in. “Oh, for pity’s sake! Chrissie, divide the cookies between the two of them. They’re on the house.”

  “Mabel, no!” Olivia fisted her hands on her hips and looked at Noah as if he had just committed a crime, when all he was trying to do was be a nice guy.

  What’s up with this chick, anyway?

  “In fact, I’ve changed my mind. I’ll take the elephant ear. And a carton of chocolate milk.” When Chrissie opened her mouth to protest, Olivia pressed her lips together and silenced her with the raise of one hand.

  “Okay, Miss Lawson,” Chrissie said and bent her head to her task.

  “Thank you,” Olivia replied more gently, but she appeared a bit flustered. “How is your essay coming along, Chrissie?”

  Chrissie sighed with the drama of a teenager. “Okay, I guess. But I won’t lie. I hate it.”

  “Writing a good essay is the key to doing well in college. Just remember to back up your thesis. Rough draft is due on Tuesday.”

  Chrissie nodded glumly. “I know.”

  “So, you’re a teacher at Cricket Creek High School?” Noah tilted his head in question.

  “Yes, English and drama,” she answered and then looked at him a bit expectantly. There was something here he wasn’t getting and he was dying to know just what, but she turned her head, dismissing him. He heard Mabel chuckle and looked her way, but she tried to disguise her mirth with a cough and then straightened up some loaves of bread.

  Noah turned his attention back to Olivia, who accepted the white paper bag along with the carton of milk with a smile. For some reason the image of Miss Prim and Proper eating the big, flat, sticky elephant ear and washing it down with chocolate milk from the carton struck him as funny, but he wisely kept his amusement to himself, something he normally didn’t do.

  “You know I’m always willing to stay after school and help or you can e-mail me. Don’t hesitate. Okay, Chrissie?”

  “I won’t,” Chrissie replied. “Thanks, Miss Lawson.”

  “You’re welcome. See you on Monday,” Olivia said and turned to leave.

  “Thanks for stopping in, Olivia,” Mabel said and was rewarded with another warm smile. Noah, however, got a brief polite nod as she breezed past him, leaving behind a sultry floral scent that was even more enticing than the aroma of baking bread.

  Noah watched her walk out the door and then moved to the side and angled his head past a wedding cake in the front display window. He watched Olivia pause and glance at his Corvette, raise her chin, and then sashay across the street. “What? She hates sports cars? Come on, it’s an American classic.”

  “She drives a hybrid,” Chrissie explained.

  “Figures,” Noah mumbled but then watched her until she was out of sight.

  “Somebody sure is smitten,” Mabel observed in a deep singsong voice.

  “Uh … ye-ah,” Chrissie echoed with a head bop. “Wait. What is ‘smitten’?”

  Noah turned around to face two smiling women. “I’m not smitten. I’m … perplexed.”

  “I think you mean intrigued,” Mabel commented and widened her eyes when Noah gave her a look. She waved her hands in the air as she took a step back. “I’m just sayin’.”

  “Am I wrong or does the woman dislike me for no apparent reason?” He looked from Mabel to Chrissie.

  Chrissie nibbled on the inside of her cheek and wiggled her shoulders back and forth while in thought. She suddenly stopped and pointed at him. “Maybe you knew her, like, you know, when you lived here?”

  Noah rubbed his chin. “Olivia Lawson … ? Doesn’t ring a bell, but then again, I was drafted into baseball when I was eighteen. I’ve been away for a long time.” He shook his head. “And my life before that was pretty much consumed with baseball too,” he said, more to himself than to them, but it was true. Everyone thought he lived a charmed life, but it wasn’t without cost, lately leading him to behavior he wasn’t proud of. He hoped that coming home would heal him in more ways than one. “Mabel, has Olivia lived here all her li
fe?”

  “Far as I know. She’s around thirty-five or -six and you’re what—thirty-eight?”

  Noah nodded.

  “So you would have gone to high school together,” Chrissie said thoughtfully. “I bet Miss Lawson was a total nerd-ball and you were this hot athlete. Like in the movie She’s All That. She was probably secretly in love with you. My mom said all the girls were.”

  Mabel rolled her eyes. “Do not egg him on.” “Hmm …” he mused and then mumbled, “Olivia Lawson. Olivia …” He snapped his fingers. “Livie Lawson?”

  Mabel shook her head. “She doesn’t go by that anymore, but she was called Livie as a kid.”

  Chrissie looked at him with interest. “So you do remember her?”

  “Oh, yeah.” Noah closed his eyes and nodded. “Chrissie, keep a few cookies out for me, but gather the rest of them up and tie the box with a pretty ribbon.” He paused and then said, “No, wait—do the same with the cinnamon cake.”

  “Uh-oh. What did you do? Stand her up for the prom?” Mabel asked.

  Noah winced and then raked his fingers through his hair. “Well, no, it’s not quite that bad … but not exactly that good either. It’s all coming back to me now.”

  “Are you going to tell us?” Chrissie asked with a little bounce.

  “No. Sorry, Chrissie, but wish me luck, okay?”

  “Okay,” she replied but gave him a disappointed pout.

  “Mabel, do you know where I might find her?”

  “As a matter of fact, yes. Remember Jessica Robinson from down at the diner?”

  Noah smiled when he pictured the golden blond beauty with amazing amber eyes. “Oh, yeah.”

  “Well, her daughter, Madison, wrote an award-winning play, and the Cricket Creek Community Theater is putting it on for the summer run.”

  “I know all about it,” Noah replied.

  “Really? How?” Mabel asked.

  “I’m here to audition for the lead.”

  Mabel and Chrissie exchanged a look.

  “What?” Noah asked.

  “Oh, boy.” Mabel turned to Chrissie. “Give the man a cookie. He’s gonna need it.”

  2

  A Cold Blast from the Past

  Olivia stomped into the Cricket Creek Community Center and sat down on a folding chair so hard that the legs tipped sideways. With a little yelp she righted herself and managed to rescue her milk, but her elephant ear fell to the tile floor with a plop. “Oh … f-fudge!”

  Madison looked up from her script and grinned. “For a second I thought you were going to drop the f-bomb. I should have known better.”

  “Cursing is a sign of a bad vocabulary,” Olivia commented, reaching down for the bag.

  “Then at least come up with something more creative than ‘fudge.’ ”

  “Duly noted,” Olivia agreed as she opened the milk carton and inserted the small straw.

  Madison leaned forward and put her elbows on the table. “So, what’s got your Hanes Her Way in a wad?”

  “How’d you know I wear those?”

  Madison scrunched up her nose. “Just a guess. So tell me.”

  “Noah Falcon,” she answered tightly and broke off a piece of elephant ear. “Want some?”

  “Thanks.” Madison accepted the offer and then tilted her head to the side, causing her long, curly blond hair to slide over her shoulder. “Wait.” Her big blue eyes widened. “How did you know about Noah Falcon? I’ve been dying to tell you, but I was told to keep it hush-hush.”

  “Hmm?” Olivia washed down her bite of crunchy goodness and then frowned. “Know what?”

  Madison glanced left and right. “Noah Falcon is reading for the male lead,” Madison told her in a high-pitched whisper. “Isn’t that exciting?”

  “What?” Olivia leaned forward. “No way!”

  “Yes,” Madison said with a smile but then shook her head. “Wait—you didn’t mean that in a good way, did you?”

  “Not so much …”

  Her smile faded. “I don’t get it. Noah Falcon will bring attention to my play and warm bodies into the seats, Olivia. He’s a professional. This is amazing news. I thought you’d be over the moon. The man is famous, not to mention smokin’ hot.” She leaned back and fanned her face.

  “Madison, have you seen him act?”

  “Well, no, but—”

  “He’s a baseball player, not an actor.” Olivia peered at Madison over her glasses and then removed them. She only needed them for reading but was always forgetting to take them off. “I’m certain that Noah Falcon got the job on Love in the Afternoon for his looks, not his talent.”

  “Um, Olivia …” Madison tilted her head with a look of warning, but Olivia was on a roll and wouldn’t be shushed.

  “Sure, he’s eye candy and his mug would look good plastered on a poster,” Olivia continued hotly, ignoring Madison’s wide eyes and shaking head, “but he would never do your warm and witty play justice.”

  “We don’t really know that,” Madison insisted, with a little eye-roll-slight-nodding gesture. “In fact, I’m sure he’s going to be amazing.”

  Olivia snorted. “Yeah, right, he—” She stopped short when Madison gave her a hard nudge beneath the table. Oh … no. Olivia’s heart started beating in rapid alarm. She swallowed and then mouthed, “He’s standing right behind me, isn’t he?”

  Madison gave her a short, choppy nod.

  “Well, now,” began a deep, silky voice that added even more heat to Olivia’s already hot blush, “maybe, just maybe, there’s more to me than meets the eye.”

  Olivia shifted in her seat and slowly turned to see Noah Falcon leaning one shoulder against the doorframe. Scuffed cowboy boots were crossed at the ankles, and a white bakery box with a pretty ribbon dangled from his fingers. “How long have you been standing there eavesdropping?”

  “Olivia!” Madison whispered, but Olivia was fixated on Noah.

  “Hey …” He straightened up and pointed over his shoulder. “The sign out front says that this is the community center. I’m part of the community and the door was open.”

  Olivia arched one eyebrow. “You haven’t been part of this community for a very long time.”

  “Well, now.” His slow grin did funny things to Olivia’s stomach. “I’m back.” He set the box on the table. “And I come bearing gifts.”

  “How many times do I have to tell you that I don’t want your cookies?” she sputtered, but then she looked at Madison with embarrassment. She needed to get herself under control and present herself as a professional. She inhaled sharply and folded her hands together. Losing her composure was totally out of character for her and she didn’t like it one bit. “But thank you for bringing them,” she added in a nearly calm manner. Madison, thank goodness, didn’t appear upset. In fact, she had a slight grin on her face. Weird …

  “I thought you might say that.” Noah pushed the box closer. “So I didn’t bring cookies.”

  “Oh.” Olivia was curious but feigned indifference. She glanced at Madison and couldn’t understand why she looked like she had just won the lottery. Noah Falcon was the devil in disguise, and Olivia wasn’t about to let him ruin Madison’s wonderful play with an uncaring attitude and subpar acting.

  “Excuse me.” With her smile intact, Madison stood up and extended her hand. “I’m Madison Robinson.”

  Noah grasped Madison’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you. Well, as an adult. I remember you as a child. But, listen, I really enjoyed reading Just One Thing. I laughed at your insight into the human condition, especially between men and women. You have a lot of knowledge for someone so young.”

  Madison smiled. “Thank you. My mother always said I was an old soul. I never really understood what she meant until recently. But, as you know, I spent my early childhood in Myra’s Diner. From the playpen on, my entertainment was watching people. While my mom and aunt ran the business, I sat with coloring books and toys, but my favorite thing to do was to simply observe. I alwa
ys found it fascinating.” She looked from Noah to Olivia and then chuckled softly. “Still do,” she admitted.

  Olivia lifted one shoulder in question and wondered what she’d done that was so amusing. She got that a lot.

  “Thanks for coming into town to audition. I was very excited when your agent called me. He sent me a head shot and résumé.”

  “No thanks necessary. I’m glad to have a reason to come home, if only for a while. I know that I have been gone for a long time, but I still think of Cricket Creek as my hometown, and the people here have always been supportive of me.”

  Olivia barely refrained from rolling her eyes. He sounded so sincere … Maybe he was a better actor than she gave him credit for.

  Madison tilted her head to the side. “Well, I’m flattered that someone of your caliber would want to audition for a small production like ours.”

  “Thanks, Madison. I’m looking forward to the opportunity.”

  What? Olivia raised her eyebrows at Madison, but the young playwright’s focus was on Noah. So he had a few commercials, a couple of bit parts, and two years on a soap opera. Big deal! Okay, so she taped Love in the Afternoon and watched it every evening while eating her dinner. It wasn’t like she cared about the silly story line or watching Noah play Dr. Jesse Drake. It was just something to do while she ate dinner. Although she had to admit that she hadn’t seen Dr. Jesse Drake getting blown to pieces coming and, okay, maybe she shed a tear or two. But while Noah Falcon possessed a certain amount of charisma, his acting left a lot to be desired. Madison might be flattered that a television actor was auditioning, but she was about to be disappointed. Olivia couldn’t wait to see the look on Noah Falcon’s smug face when he failed to land the part. Filling the auditorium was only half the battle.

  “Hey, if I can give back to Cricket Creek by generating some excitement and attention to your play, then I’m happy to do it.” He smiled. “Well, I just wanted to pop in and introduce myself. I’ll be back for the open casting call.”