by Virna DePaul
After giving him a lesson, she told him that when the game started the following Saturday, he should stand next to the coach on the sidelines and be the “squeaky wheel.” “Of course, you need to know what you’re doing, but the best way to learn is by getting out there and getting some experience, right? Every time he even looks like he’s going to put someone in, remind him you’re there and ready,” she told him.
Cole had taken her advice.
At the next practice, he impressed the offensive coach with how much better he understood the game. And at the game that Saturday, Cole followed the head coach up and down the sidelines like a little shadow telling him he was ready. The coach finally put him in just to shut him up. Cole played like a champ that night, and from then on, he was never benched again.
Now, Cole put the photograph back on the shelf. He took a deep breath. He was going to have to just do this.
He was heading into the garage to grab some boxes when the doorbell rang. Frowning, he headed to the front door.
He opened it, ready to ward off a misguided solicitor. Instead, he took in a swift breath when he saw her. Shock rattled through him.
Jill?
His one-night stand stood on his mother’s front porch—her face in profile so she hadn’t noticed him yet. She wore a purple shirt and jeans that were spotted with chalk, paint, and what looked like flour. Didn’t matter. She looked beautiful. Memories of the way her curves had felt and her hair had smelled barreled down on him.
She’d been amazing in bed. The best he’d ever had. But the question remained—what the hell was she doing here?
* * *
At the sound of the door opening, Jill turned her head. She felt the blood drain from her face. Just as quickly, a deep blush heated it back up. She stared at her tattooed-biker-sex-god from the night before, hardly able to believe her eyes. What was he doing in Stella’s house?
Oh God, she thought. Now I’ve gone and done it. I had a one-night stand with a stalker.
But could he be considered a stalker given she’d shown up at his door? Yes, she decided. If he’d been watching her. Waiting for her…
No, there had to be a perfectly reasonable explanation for him being here. It’d been a few months since Stella died, and Jill still felt horrible that she’d been out of state on a rare vacation for a cousin’s wedding when it had happened. She hadn’t even made it back for the funeral. Today was the first time someone had come into the house since then. She wanted to make sure everything was okay. She sure hadn’t expected to see her one-night stand open the door. Was he a repairman, contracted to fix up the house before a sale?
Slowly, it dawned on her that Cole still stood there, one hand on the doorjamb, puzzlement etched across his face. Realizing he was waiting for her to speak, she sucked in a deep breath and steadied her nerves.
“Um, what are you doing here?” she asked, measuring her voice to keep it even.
He didn’t exactly look pleased to see her. In fact, he looked wary, like maybe he was thinking she was the stalker… “You came to my door,” he said. “What are you doing here?”
He did think she was the crazy one!
“I live next door,” she said quickly, wondering how everything had gone wrong so quickly. “Or…did you know that already?”
Cole looked confused. “No, I actually didn’t know that. But this is my mom’s house.”
His mother?
“You’re Stella’s son? Colton? The one she tried to set me up with?” Colton. Cole. Damn it! Shock radiated throughout her system. Her one-night stand was the very man Stella had said Jill would be perfect for. Jill had always politely declined Stella’s invitations to meet the woman’s son. She wasn’t at a point in her life where she wanted to be in any kind of relationship—in truth, maybe she never would be. Not because she didn’t want a partner to share her life with, but because she didn’t want to saddle said partner with the burden of being with a woman who had a fifty percent chance of inheriting her father’s early on-set Alzheimer’s.
Cole’s gaze caught hers and held, and suddenly the fire that had been banked there flared back to life. Heat replaced the cold shock. Since she’d never actually seen a photo of Stella’s son—because she’d shot the idea of dating him down from the get-go—she hadn’t exactly known what a good thing she was passing up at the time.
Wow. But how to handle this situation now?
“I…uh…” she stumbled. “I didn’t realize last night that...uh...”
“Wait, so you knew my mom?” Pain flickered in his eyes, then he closed them and raked a hand through his hair. In that moment, despite his stature, tattoos, and bulging muscles, the last thing he resembled was a tough guy. He looked…lost.
Instinctively, she reached out to touch him, her hand freezing then dropping when he abruptly opened his eyes and took a step back.
“You’re the tenant from next door. Of course.” He laughed as if he was in on some private joke. The sound was more bitter than humorous. “My mom talked about you. She liked you…a lot.”
“I liked her, too. I’m so sorry for your loss.” Jill felt tears sting her eyes and looked away, blinking. “Stella was such a sweet lady.” More than sweet. Despite her illness, Stella had been strong and there for her in so many ways. And she’d shared that strength with Jill at a time when she really needed it.
They’d met while they’d both been undergoing chemo. It wasn’t nearly as serious for Jill. She had a small lump removed, and the doctor, while he’d recommended chemo to completely kill any missed cancerous cells, reassured her that they’d caught things early and she should be fine. But it had still been a scary time for her, something Stella understood perfectly. She’d done her best to distract Jill, talking about her amazing son, then going so far as to rent Jill the house next door, since Jill said she needed a bigger place to start the daycare.
She glanced back at Cole. Her heart ached for him. From everything Stella had told her, they’d been very close. Stella had mentioned more than once how guilty she’d felt that Cole, at only sixteen, had clipped his wings and given up his dreams of traveling the globe after she’d been diagnosed with cancer. He’d refused to be too far from her. Now things were different, but before he started living his life, he obviously had to deal with the fact that his mother was no longer going to be part of it.
“Anyway…” Jill wrung her hands. “I—um—came by to apologize about Stanley, the little boy, for disturbing you earlier. It won’t happen again—I’ve spoken to the teacher’s aid. And, uh, I admit, I was curious to see who was here.”
“Ah. Not a problem. I liked Stanley.” He smiled. “So you run the daycare next door.” He leaned against the door jam, still studying her, but he didn’t invite her in.
“You remembered I own a daycare.”
He looked at her strangely. “Of course. I remember everything about last night.”
Her eyes fell as she contemplated her nails. Standing there, she could smell the scent of his skin, his cologne or deodorant, or whatever it was. She remembered the way he felt inside her. Images from last night flitted through her mind, and she could only hope he wasn’t doing the same thing. That woman last night—that wasn’t her. She’d let loose for one night and one night only, thinking no one would ever know. This was just awkward.
She snuck another glance at him, but his gaze caught hers. For a second, it took her back to that first look—that moment of instant connection—in the bar.
“I don’t know…” …how to handle this. How to reconcile this man being here, invading my regular life.
Cole reached over and gently ran his thumb down her jaw, an intimate touch she wasn’t prepared for. Jill closed her eyes, savoring the feel of his flesh against hers. “What don’t you know?”
She swallowed hard and gently pulled her chin away. For a second, his hand hung in the air, as if he didn’t know what to do with it, then he pushed both hands into his jean pockets. “We have a college intern working
with us. I’ll make sure you’re not bothered again.”
“Jill, you weren’t bothering me. Stanley wasn’t bothering me either. Do you want to come in?”
The abrupt invitation threw her. Was he thinking they could…?
But no. He looked sad, lonely maybe, but not horny. He probably just wanted some company to distract himself from the pain of being inside his mother’s home. And she could give him that. Again. For a few minutes, at least. When she’d left the daycare five minutes ago, Liz and Monica had just started an art project with the kids.
Still, she hesitated, trying to wrap her mind around the fact that less than twenty-four hours ago, she’d been having sex with Stella’s son. This huge, gorgeous man was the “little boy” that Stella used to talk about all the time. She should decline his invitation to come inside. They’d already made it weird by having sex before they even knew each other. This was supposed to have been a one-night thing, and while that was complicated by the fact Cole was Stella’s son and her new-and-who-knew-for-how-long-neighbor, she shouldn’t complicate it any further.
Which is why it made no sense when she smiled and said, “Sure,” then stepped through the door.
Chapter Five
Cole’s heart thumped loudly in his chest as he closed the door and faced Jill, hoping the hard-on throbbing in his jeans wasn’t obvious. God, he wanted her. But now wasn’t the time to get horizontal, he reminded himself. Everything had changed the moment he’d opened the door and he still felt off balance. And from the way Jill’s expressions flitted from one to another to another, she was just as discombobulated as he. He leaned back against the door, wanting to say something—anything—to put her at ease when it was clear she wasn’t. But he floundered, again filled with the conflicting urges to run to her but also push her away, just like he’d been when he’d first spotted her in that bar.
She crossed her arms protectively against her chest and glanced around the house.
“Jill—”
“Cole,” she said at the same time.
A nervous giggle bubbled up from her throat. “This is crazy! I don’t even know what to say. We weren’t supposed to see each other again. I mean, this is awkward, right?”
“Awkward. Sure, that’s one way to describe it.” He straightened and tried for a grin but rubbed his neck instead. “Follow me.” He led her through the living room to the kitchen. Once there, she sat on a wooden stool. He leaned on his elbows over the counter. “Is seeing me so awful?” he said, attempting a joke. “You saw a lot more of me last night…”
For a moment a smile flashed across her face and her cheeks went delightfully pink. “No, of course it’s not awful.” Then the smile faded and the color lost its bloom. A shadow crossed her eyes. “Well, the circumstances are awful. Because of why you’re here. I mean, I assume you’re here to…”
Go through your dead mother’s things.
The unspoken words hung in the air. He tensed again.
“Oh God. I’m sorry,” she said. “I can tell this is hard for you, and I’m only making it worse.”
“It’s okay,” Cole said, and he meant it. While thinking about his mother did upset him, things seemed just a little better with Jill here. “Don’t worry about it.” He ran his hand through his hair. “Would you like a drink?”
He’d offered her a drink last night, too, and look what that had led to.
She blushed as if having the same thought, ducking her head.
“I meant water, or maybe there’s still some soda left in the pantry.”
A quick smile flashed across her face and she looked back up at him. “Oh no, but thank you. I should probably get back. My business partner, Liz—she was with me last night at the bar—she’s with the kids, but I’m on duty until 5:30.”
“All right. Are most daycares open on Sunday?”
“No. Ours is a little different.”
“How so?”
“Some of the parents we cater to have special needs. They work on weekends. Or need odd times off because they’re going through a difficult time.”
“What kind of difficult time?”
“Um…we cater to families who are going through an illness of some sort.”
“Like with cancer?” The words came out of his mouth before he could think. Why had he gone there?
A slight wince formed around her mouth, but she said softly, “Sometimes. Illness doesn’t maintain a nine-to-five schedule. We aren’t open seven days a week, obviously, but we try to be as flexible as we can.”
“That’s really great. I’m sure it helps,” he said, wondering what he’d said to make her uncomfortable. “Is that how you met my mom? Did she know someone who was sick and in need of childcare?”
She hesitated a moment. “She didn’t introduce me to anyone. I just needed a place to run the daycare, and it can be difficult to rent and do all that, especially in a residential area. Insurance and county restrictions, things like that. But Stella was open to helping. She was wonderful.” In mentioning his mom’s name, her expression had lightened. She hadn’t exactly answered his question, but he saw no reason to give her the third degree about it. “Well, I’m glad you had a chance to know her.”
“Me, too. It was great seeing you again, Cole.”
He stifled the urge to ask her stay or to come back later. That wouldn’t be fair to her. What he’d told her last night had been the truth. He had too much going on, too many problems to offer anything to a woman. Besides, he was a protector; it was more than his job…it was his persona. She was attracted to the guy in the bar who’d stepped up when she needed help, not a simpering wuss who missed his mother and wanted to cry every time he thought about never seeing her again.
“Anyway,” Jill said, getting up from the stool.
“Anyway.” He followed her back to the front door, then opened it for her. “Thanks for coming in.” He tensed when Jill placed her hand on his arm. He stared at her hand for a moment.
Then into her pale green eyes.
Before he knew what was happening, Jill stepped closer and threw her arms around him. Instinctively, he returned the hug, pulling her against him. In that simple embrace, his worries ebbed away, his pulse rose, and his breathing sped up to keep up the pace. He smelled the sweet shampoo in her hair and remembered being wrapped in her scent while he explored every part of her body. His body hardened, and his stomach jolted in that way only Jill seemed to provoke lately.
And then just like that, Jill pulled away.
“Your mom talked about you all the time, Cole. She couldn’t have been prouder of you.”
He nodded, the sudden arousal leaching from his body, replaced by the now familiar heavy weight of sadness. And yet, he realized, the weight wasn’t as heavy as it had felt before. “Yeah?” He was glad to hear his mom had spoken well of him. He really was. But right now, his mother wasn’t on his mind. The breeze outside shifted, and Jill’s scent once again filled his nostrils. “Do you want to come by later? Tell me all the awesome things she told you about me?” he blurted out, teasing. What happened to not getting involved, Cole? He knew he should’ve just let her walk away, but his body burned with desire, and his brain was completely overruled.
“I—I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” Jill said, looking down at her fidgety hands then up at him again. “Last night, the woman you met? She wasn’t me. Not the true me. You and I made a pact that we’d only have one night, so we should keep it that way. You’re great, Cole. You really are, and I’m sorry for your loss, but this thing between us wasn’t supposed to be more than a blip in time. Besides, I assume you’re not moving here for good…”
“I’m only here for a few days to pack up my mom’s things. Then I’m moving to northern California.”
Relief and sadness flickered across her face. “Right. So given our…er…chemistry…it’s probably best if we stay away from each other. Don’t you think?” She gave him a hopeful smile.
He hesitated briefly before nodding. �
��Sure.” He forced himself to smile broadly. “It’s great chemistry, though.”
“Yes, well…take care of yourself, Cole.” She gave him one last, lingering look.
“You too, Jill,” he said softly, as she turned and walked out of his life.
* * *
Jill forced herself to stay focused.
Look forward…even after he closes the door. She made her way across the lawn between the two houses. She looked down the quiet street and thought about how much she liked it here. This place…a comfortable neighborhood in suburbia, was the kind of place that people like Jill were made for. She couldn’t imagine Cole watering the lawn or riding his bike around the neighborhood. Yet oddly enough, once the shock of seeing him had worn off, it seemed strangely natural to watch him moving around inside Stella’s house. Natural, though by no means insignificant.
She realized she was shaking inside.
Last night, he’d warned her he had stuff going on his life, and he’d obviously told her the truth. Just like he was obviously still grieving for his mother. Now that Stella was gone, even though the rent checks were collected by a property management company, was Cole her new landlord? Would their rental agreement change? It would suck if she had to move, but she could manage if she needed to. The last thing she wanted was for him to feel any guilt about kicking her out if that’s what he’d been planning to do.
When Jill got back to the daycare, Liz and the kids were sitting on the carpet having story time. Monica was getting ready to leave, and Jill took the opportunity to remind her she needed to keep a closer eye on the kids, especially Stanley. Monica apologized and promised she would.
“Thanks again for coming in on a Sunday,” Jill said as she walked Monica to the door. “Enjoy the next week off. Are you and Trevor still taking that trip to San Diego?”
Trevor was Monica’s boyfriend, and although Monica had talked of him constantly when they’d first begun dating, she seemed more reluctant to do so now. Jill suspected it was because they were having problems. She wasn’t surprised. Monica was a dedicated student with a perpetually chipper attitude. Jill had only met Trevor once, but he’d been sullen to the point of being rude, and as far as she knew, he didn’t have a job or any plans to continue his education.