Breaking the Rules

by Melinda Dozier

  Jason smiled. “Come on, Dad. The hospital is so boring. The team needs me.” He motioned toward the game taking place behind them.

  Colin checked his phone when an incoming message beeped. “Crap. They’re already at the hospital.” He looked up at Hope and scratched his neck. “I don’t want to overstep my parental boundaries.” He pulled his hat down. “If you really don’t mind, I’d appreciate it.”

  “Yes.” Jason fist pumped in the air and ran off.

  “Listen to Ms. Robinson,” Colin called after him.

  Hope leaned over and whispered, “Plus, the parental boundaries have already been passed a little bit, wouldn’t you say?”

  He cleared his throat and stared at her. “Just a bit.”

  “Shall we call you when we’re done or how do you want to do it?” Hope looked around and saw the crowd slowly disperse. She bit her lip in anticipation. They needed to make a decision, so she could move on and not cause any more of a scene.

  He took a deep breath and smiled that sweet smile again. “Give me your number and I’ll give you a call when I’m done. It should only be an hour.”

  After they had their phones situated, Hope waved him off saying, “Don’t worry.”

  She watched the basketball game after he left, but she couldn’t take her mind off the last half hour. Accidents were bound to happen, but taking on Jason for the few hours was a big deal. Man, oh man, she had to get her act together.

  “That was really something,” Kelly piped into her thoughts.

  Surprised that her friend still stood next to her, she jumped. “What do you mean?”

  “Watching Jason. I didn’t know you had it in you.” Kelly elbowed her in the side. “Using your student to get to your man.”

  Hope turned around, hands at her hips. “Is that what you think?”

  Kelly held her hands out in front of her. “Whoa, mama bear, I was just kidding.”

  “You want to know why I did it?” Hope nodded at the basketball court. “Look at that kid.” She pointed to Jason. “He shouldn’t have to sit at the hospital waiting for his dad to finish work when he could be here playing.”

  “Yeah, he’s a good kid. And Colin is a good dad, too.”

  “Of course I see that he’s a good dad.” She eyed her friend from the corner of her eye. “Did I step over my parental boundaries?”

  “Nah. I’m glad you took that step. Colin needs a good woman in his life.”

  “Hold on right there. I don’t intend to take this further than friends.”

  “Well, make sure you tell him that.” Kelly walked away, and clapped and cheered for the teams, leaving Hope thinking about her choices and what friendships really meant.

  • • •

  An hour and a half later, Hope found her cell phone in her purse after hearing it beep. A text message from Colin.

  Hey, Soxy, took longer than I expected. On my way.

  She smiled and wrote back, Okay, Yank. We’ll wait for you at school.

  So, they were texting now? What did that mean? She tapped her index finger against her lip, knowing the answer to her question. They’d obviously passed some line and moved into another category. Friends.

  She stuffed her phone back into her purse. For the first time in a long time, contentment enveloped her. It was a successful Friendly Games Morning, she enjoyed giving awards to all the players, plus she had a little fun with Colin. Keeping an eye on Jason turned out to be an easy job. He kept himself busy playing basketball the entire time. After the awards ceremony, he hopped back on the court until everyone left. His next shot was from ten feet back, and the echo of the ball banging the backboard swelled in the air.

  “That was a good one.” She smiled.

  He yawned an answer. “Thanks. I like to play basketball, but I never really get a chance.”

  The yawn was contagious and she made a groaning sound. “I’m tired too. Let’s sit for a second.” She pointed toward a picnic table.

  He shrugged and bounced the ball a last time.

  “So, no time for basketball. Tell me what you like to do.”

  “Swim.” He sat next to her and put the ball between his knees. “Like my dad.”

  Hope sat at the edge of the bench, wanting to learn more about his father. In her gut, she knew it was wrong to pry, but the tingling in her body told her to find out more about sexy single dad, Dr. Calaway. “Your dad swims?”

  “Not so much anymore. He used to be on a swim team, too. Now he’s like my own private coach.” He threw the ball up in the air and caught it. “We have a pool at home.”

  “Gotta love Florida. I noticed a lot of people in my neighborhood have pools.”

  “I bet my dad wouldn’t mind if you came to swim at our house.”

  She laughed and then his wide eyes, round and full of expectation, stared at her, which made her smile waver. This boy touched her heart. The way he looked up at her, as if needing a woman to talk to, made her want to wrap him in a bear hug. He didn’t have that and it wasn’t fair. How did Colin deal with it all? He lived through tragedy and still kept his family together. “I bet your dad would be shocked if I showed up.”

  “Maybe a little bit.” He smirked and there it was, a dimple just like his dad’s.

  Get your head in the game, Robinson. She tugged at her ponytail then reached into her purse to pull out her iPad.

  His eyes sparkled. “Cool. I want one of those, but Dad says I’m too young. What are you doing?”

  “My grocery list. I have an app.” She touched the screen and opened the program. “It’s like shopping without a fuss.”

  “Have you played Minecraft?”

  She laughed, knowing this was the game for middle schoolers. “I tried once, but I can’t seem to get the hang of it.”

  After adding a few ingredients to her list, she smiled at Jason. “Your dad said he’s on his way. If he doesn’t get here soon, I’ll have to take you to the grocery store with me. Talk about torture.”

  He stilled. “I used to go with my mom all the time.”

  The familiar tug in her heart pulled again. She squeezed her eyes shut and when she opened them, Jason stood. “I’m just going to try a few more baskets.”

  “Okay.” The knot in her belly tightened. He still missed his mom so much. She couldn’t help but wonder if Colin felt the same. Did he remember his late wife doing simple things like shop? Had he dated much since her death? Would he mind if she showed up to swim? She laughed at herself. Yeah, right.

  The next thing she knew, Colin’s car pulled into the parking lot. Suddenly her stomach fluttered with excitement and her mouth went dry. She took a sip from her water bottle and turned toward him as he approached.

  “Hey.” He jingled his keys and smiled, those dimples calling out her name. “Thanks for waiting on me.”

  “Oh, like I was going to leave Jason here? Anyway, it’s only been a few minutes since everyone left. How’s Ian?” She examined her water bottle so she wouldn’t look at him. If she did, she was afraid he would see what she thought — he was the sexiest man alive. Don’t go there, Hope!

  “Ian’s fine. Got his bright orange cast on in no time. But I had to spend some private time with his dad. He’s really hard on the boy.” Colin frowned. “How do you deal with that?”

  “Luckily I haven’t had to deal too much with overbearing parents. I’m sure you handled it well. You have a way with words. A calming elixir, actually.” She froze for an instant. Oops. Did I say that out loud?

  He leaned in closer. “Really?”

  Jason chose that moment to walk over. “Hey, Dad. Wanna shoot some hoops?”

  “I’ll be there in a minute.”

  “You’ll play?”

  “Yeah, I’ll play.” When he saw Jason’s surprised face,
he continued, “Don’t look at me like that. You better get ready, because I’m going to beat you, buddy.” He pulled Jason’s hat down.

  “We’ll see about that,” Jason chanted and raced back to the court.

  Hope laughed with Colin as they watched him maneuver around the court. When she stopped laughing, she saw Colin staring at her again. Did he know what he did to her? She bit her lip.

  “Can I buy you lunch?” he asked.

  Hope shook her head. She was afraid if she spent another minute with this tall, sweet father, she’d fall into a game she wasn’t ready to play.

  “It’s the least I can do.” He nudged her with his shoulder. “Come on … Soxy.”

  “What is it with that moniker?” she asked, displaying a wide grin.

  “I like to hear you laugh.” He winked. “Pizza from Luigi’s? They’ll deliver.”

  To hell with it. It had been so long since she laughed this much or just enjoyed the company. What could a little lunch do to them? With his son nearby, no problem. They were friends, after all. “Add in a Caesar salad and you have a deal.”

  “You got it.” He had already pulled out his phone and speed dialed the number. “Luigi, this is Mario.” When he elicited another giggle from Hope, he continued. “No, this is Colin Calaway. How are you doing, Jenny? Listen, I have a strange request. Can I get a pepperoni pizza and a Caesar Salad delivered to Harbor Bay Prep? We’re at the playground area. Great. Yeah, add three iced teas. Thanks.”

  “You remembered.” Hope got up and elbowed him. When he lifted his eyebrows she added, “That I like iced tea.”

  “Yank is a smart man.” He placed his hand around her waist and squeezed. At the gentle gesture, she became aware of her strong heartbeat and his tight muscles. “Want to play?” He nodded toward Jason.

  She wiped her hands on her shorts. “Sure.” She ran ahead of Colin and they joined Jason on the court.

  Did the boy ever stop smiling? He was a sweet kid. Not once did he complain the whole time he was under her care. Not once did he seem like he was unhappy with the situation. Colin had done a terrific job raising this kid. No doubt about it.

  “Ever play Horse?” Colin asked bouncing the ball.

  “You’re on.”

  After twenty minutes, a Luigi’s motorcycle appeared at the edge of the parking lot. Hope was glad. Not because she wasn’t having fun, but because she was having too much fun. At this point, their day together was getting far too personal. She knew she shouldn’t over think it, but after watching Colin play with his son, she knew she could easily fall in deep with the man and his son — a family. Before moving here, she promised herself she wouldn’t do this. Find a man, least of all one with a child. After she ate her salad, she would have to leave.

  “You coming, Ms. Robinson?” Jason yelled at her from the picnic table. He pulled the salad from a bag and set up the drinks as Colin paid the driver.

  She ran over and helped him with the pizza. “Smells good.”

  “You can have a slice.” Colin peeked over her shoulder, and sniffed the pizza. His proximity along with the touch of his hand on her waist sent chills down her neck.

  She stepped aside and sat at the far end of the table. “Nope. Pizza means more workouts.”

  They sat in a quiet comfort.

  Jason devoured his slice much as he did the other night, as if he were going to miss something if he took too much time eating. After swallowing his last piece, he stood. “I’m going to shoot a few more before we leave, okay?”

  “Sure, Jas.” Colin watched him move away and then turned his attention to Hope.

  She looked around at anything but him. The basketball hoop, the trashcan next to the table, a few rocks in the sand by the sidewalk. When she finally looked sideways at Colin, she saw he scooted closer. Taking that as a bad sign — even though her skin felt all tingly all over — she stood and folded the napkins into the paper bag. “Well, I need to get going.”

  Colin stood in front of her. “Listen, I want to apologize for all the flirting.” He stroked an eyebrow without looking her directly in the eyes. “I don’t want to run you off.”

  When he finally gave her eye contact, she sighed. “I really have to go.” She scraped her teeth over her bottom lip. “Listen, Colin. I can’t say the flirting hasn’t been flattering, but … ” She tried to move her loose hair behind her ear and under her hat, but it pulled back in front of her eye.

  He reached down and pushed the stubborn hair out of her face. “I was getting a different vibe from you.”

  She couldn’t look him in the eye, because he was right. There was a vibe between them, and she wanted to know where it would lead. But she couldn’t allow it.

  Before she could say so, Colin put his palms up. “Actually, I completely understand where you’re coming from. I mean, you’ve been my patient, although Rajan is really your doctor.”

  “And I’m Jason’s principal. It just doesn’t seem right.”

  “Right.” He put his hands in his pockets and stared at her with those beautiful green eyes. Then his smile broadened and she couldn’t help but smile in return. “But, Hope, I’ve got to be honest. Even if it is a little unorthodox, I feel this force between us. Don’t deny you don’t feel it, too.”

  “I do.” Hope took a deep breath. All this energy-building, sexy man induced excitement had to stop. If not, who knew where it would lead? If it were up to just her, she would throw herself into his arms, Jason nearby or not, and kiss Colin from head to toe. So, she had to store up her self-control. She pointed at his chest. “But, we have to be just friends — vibe or not.”

  He shrugged and squeezed his eyes. “Just friends then.”

  She nodded.

  He wiggled his brows. “I’ll text you later, then.”

  “I can’t wait.” She walked to her car and after a few steps turned to peek over her shoulder. He still stood there, waved and turned around. Everything would work out fine. She just had a nice day with the Calaways. That was all. She had to eat lunch and he offered. Plus, they were friends with Kelly and Tim. She sighed as she pulled her hat off. His touch that made her knees weak … that was just a friendly gesture. Nothing more.

  Oh, to hell with it! Who was she fooling? She was attracted to him. He was almost perfect. She would have to be a tree not to feel some type of connection to him. She would just have to get some control over her yearnings and pull herself together. Hard to do when he raced through her mind during her errands and all the way home.

  When she reached the door of her apartment, a phone message beeped. He wouldn’t …

  I’m 95 percent happier than I was yesterday. Thanks for today. Your friend, Colin

  A tiny flutter flickered in her chest. He was perfect. Sighing, she struggled with the four grocery bags and her key, and thought of how to answer back. When the idea finally came to her, she lounged on her open door and texted back.

  If you want to be happy, be. (Tolstoy) Thanks for lunch.

  Slamming the door behind her, she didn’t miss the irony. Maybe she should listen to her own advice.

  Chapter 5

  When Hope walked through the door of Kelly’s house, men’s laughter sounded from the dining room. She knew it was poker night at Kelly’s, which meant Colin was there. She didn’t want to run into him, afraid of her feelings, but her friend wanted to show her the nursery and she couldn’t say no.

  “They won’t bite, Hope. Loosen up.” Kelly threw her purse on the couch as they passed through the living room.

  Hope took a deep breath, knowing that when she turned the corner she would see Colin. A whole week had passed since their lunch on the playground, and if she wasn’t busy, if she had just a moment of rest, she would see his smiling face and hear his laughter in her mind. That’s why she stayed busy all week, not that she had to try
. It was the beginning of October already, which meant she had a board meeting to prepare for, a Halloween dance to plan, parent meetings to schedule, and staff meetings to lead. She was up to her eyeballs in work, and she loved it.

  The men’s laughter grew and then it stopped as the women came into view. Tim said something in the background, but her focus lay only on Colin’s face. Their eyes locked and the moment froze in time.

  Kelly moved to Tim and kissed him. “I brought Hope in to show her the new comforter for the crib. Right, Hope?”

  Hope shook her head to clear it and tore her eyes from Colin. “Uh, yeah. I can’t wait to see the completed nursery.” She looked at Colin then back to her friend.

  Kelly smiled to the other two men at the table. “Hi, guys.”

  Colin leaned back in his chair. “Hey, Kelly.” His serious eyes examined her. “Hope.”

  “Hi, Colin. Good to see you again.” She could barely speak. Why did this man have such an impact on her? She straightened her spine and decided to pretend she wasn’t affected by his stares. “Whatcha playing?” Oh geez, what a question. Yeah, way to pull herself together.

  Colin sat up and smirked. “Uh, poker.” He eyed the man next to him. “This is my brother Scott. Scott, meet Hope.”

  Scott held out his hand and gave the same Calaway smile. “So, you’re Hope? Nice to meet you.”

  What did that mean? Did Colin mention her before? Great. Now, his brother would think she was a dork, too. Save yourself, Hope. Say something to get yourself out of this hole. “Nice to meet you, too. I’d have guessed you were brothers. You both have those charming good looks that would knock a grandma off her motorized scooter.” She closed her eyes.

  This was why she normally planned what she said. Before any big speech, she spent hours going over her note cards, memorizing every line as if she had just made it up. Because when she actually said anything spontaneously, this is what happened. “I mean … ”

  Scott placed his cards down. “Yep. I like her already.”