Team Mom: A Sweet Contemporary Romance (Finding Love Book 1)

by Delaney Cameron

  ******

  Eric told himself that his motivation for taking Julie car shopping was so he could get out of going with Matt to the party at Sarah’s house. He hadn’t needed to see the look his brother exchanged with Sarah to know something was up, and he had a good idea what it was. They had someone they wanted him to meet.

  He glanced at his companion and hid a smile. What would Matt say if Eric told him he’d already met someone? Someone who didn’t like him. It sounded silly when he tried to put it into words, but Julie’s disapproval intrigued him. Not in an egotistical way where he wanted to prove something. He wasn’t that type of guy. This was more about wanting to change her opinion of him. He had an idea it wasn’t going to be an easy task.

  “Do you know what you’re looking for?” he asked as he turned on the highway.

  “Something a little bigger than the car I have now. I’d like it to be blue, if possible.” She ran her hand across the seat. “With leather seats and a decent stereo system.”

  “What kind of music do you like?”

  “Soft rock and country.”

  “Ever heard of Roy Orbison?”

  She nodded. “My dad still sings Pretty Woman to my mom.”

  “I think I’ve got everything he ever made. Not many performers can sing, let alone write, like he could.”

  Eric drove past rows of shiny cars and parked in front of the dealership’s showroom. Before he could get Julie’s door open, a short, balding man appeared behind them.

  “What are you doing here, man? Don’t tell me you’re ready to get rid of this thing already?”

  Eric laughed. “No way. I couldn’t be happier with my truck. Ronny, this is Julie Evans, a friend of mine.”

  Ronny held out his hand to Julie. “It’s a pleasure to meet any friend of Eric’s. What can I help you with?”

  “I’m interested in a four-door sedan that gets good gas mileage.”

  The salesman nodded his head several times. “We’ve got quite a few models that fit that description. Come this way.”

  Eric was content to stay in the background. He didn’t mind getting to watch Julie. No man would mind watching Julie. She was lovely from every angle. Ronny, a happily married man of twenty years, wasn’t exactly unaffected himself.

  When Julie walked ahead to look at another car, he said to Eric in a low voice, “Just a friend? What in the world are you waiting for?”

  “Breathe, Ronny, before you have a heart attack. I only met her a few weeks ago, and that’s because her nephew plays on my little league team.”

  “So?”

  “So I have to be smart about this.”

  “I hear ya. People talk and all that.”

  Eric wasn’t sorry to see Julie coming back. This wasn’t a conversation he wanted to have. “Found something you like?” he asked.

  She waved a hand behind her. “There are almost too many choices. I’ll have to come back when I have more time.” Turning to Ronny, she said, “Thank you so much for showing me around.”

  “You’re welcome. I work most weekends so if you want to test drive any of the cars, give me a call.” He handed her a business card.

  “I’ll do that.”

  Back in the truck, Julie said, “I like Ronny. He’s nice.”

  Eric laughed as he started the engine and waited for her to buckle her seatbelt. “He liked you, too.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Because he didn’t stop smiling the entire time. Didn’t you notice?”

  “I’m sure he smiles that way at everyone. He’s a salesman.”

  “I’ve known Ronny for fifteen years. That’s not his salesman smile. That was pure male appreciation.”

  She looked at him uncertainly. “You’ve been out in the sun too long.”

  Eric pulled in beside her car. “Probably so, but it hasn’t affected my eyesight.” He hopped out and went around to her side to open the door. “Thanks again for this morning. Tell Jordan I said hi.”

  “I will. See you tomorrow at practice.”

  ******

  Eric winced as his elbow collided with the wall for the third time. Could they make these dressing rooms any smaller? And what was it with tuxedos these days? He glanced at his reflection in the mirror and grimaced. The pants hugged his thighs much the same way the dress shirt barely accommodated his wide shoulders. It only got worse when he put on the jacket. How was he supposed to move around?

  Memories of the last time he stood in a fitting room flooded his mind.

  Not even the press hovering outside had been able to intrude on his happiness. For the woman who’d agreed to be his wife, he could put up with the media circus that his wedding had become. He knew that after the final toast and the last dance, all of the craziness would disappear. He and Sydney would be like any other young couple in love. Eric would finally be able to say all the things he’d been forced to keep inside. His actions wouldn’t be dictated by a director whose only goal was pleasing an audience.

  If he’d only known then how much of a lie everything was.

  His fingers absently straightened the tie around his neck. Why had he agreed to do this? Did he need a reminder of how much a farce his own wedding had been? Eric wondered what happened to the satin album filled with pictures of a day he would never forget. Maybe Sydney had thrown it away with her one-of-a-kind designer wedding gown.

  A knock sounded at the door. “You okay in there, Eric? The seamstress is waiting to see if you need any alterations.”

  He seriously doubted there was anything that would make these clothes comfortable. “I’ll be right out.”

  With one final disparaging glance at his reflection, Eric opened the door. A tiny woman with graying hair and a tape measure flung around her neck approached him. Her eyes surveyed him critically, and then she nodded.

  “Are those the shoes you’ll be wearing, young man?”

  Eric smiled. He hadn’t been called ‘young man’ since his college days. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Step on that platform by the mirror, and I’ll see to the hem on the pants.”

  Thomas walked up behind him. “Thanks for coming on such short notice. I know you’d rather be anywhere else but Atlanta.”

  Eric met the other man’s eyes in the mirror. “I can’t hold a grudge against a city because my ex-wife happens to live here.”

  “I still can’t believe things ended the way they did. Is there any chance you guys could get back together?”

  How did one explain that you can’t rekindle something that never existed in the first place? “None whatsoever.”

  “Are you seeing anyone?”

  Eric frowned. “Why is everyone in such a hurry for me to start dating?”

  “Because man wasn’t meant to be alone.”

  “You sound like Matt.”

  “I sound like my dad. Where’s your father hanging out these days?”

  “The last time I heard from him he was in Las Vegas getting ready to marry wife number three. Do you see a trend? I don’t want that to be me.”

  Thomas laughed. “It won’t be you. You’re too much like your mother.”

  A faint smile touched Eric’s mouth. “In more ways than you know. What’s the deal with the couple’s shower?”

  “Since we’re getting married here in Atlanta, I thought it only fair to have the shower where my family lives. It’s weekend after next. The invitations went out yesterday. Teresa’s got a bunch of games planned. To save yourself embarrassment, you might want to bring someone.”

  Eric made an impatient sound. “Games? Couldn’t you have spared us that?”

  Thomas laughed. “It won’t kill you to have a little fun.”

  “I’d like to strangle the person who came up with the idea of a ‘couple’s shower’ in the first place.”

  “How did you get out of having one with Sydney?”

  “I was in the middle of baseball season, but that didn’t stop her. She had at least six bridal showers. She got mor
e Tupperware and lingerie than any one woman needs.”

  Thomas slapped Eric on the back. “There’s no such thing as too much lingerie.”

  A quickly suppressed gasp alerted them to the presence of the seamstress. Eric glanced down with a grin. “I’m sure that isn’t the worst thing you’ve heard.”

  “Not by a long shot. You’re all done.”

  Seeing that she was having trouble rising, Eric reached down and helped her to her feet.

  “Thank you, young man. Be careful of those pins when you take off the pants or you might get a surprise.”

  Thomas chuckled as he followed Eric through the curtained doorway. “The shower won’t be that bad.”

  “The only thing that could make it worse is if Sydney shows up.”

  ******

  Julie caught herself glancing in the direction of the parking lot for the tenth time since practice started. Why did she keep looking for Eric? Hadn’t she heard Coach Tillerson tell the team that he probably wouldn’t be there? Instead of worrying about Jordan’s coach, she should be going through the stack of mail in her lap. She refused to call the restlessness inside her regret. You couldn’t regret the presence of someone you weren’t even sure you liked.

  Stuck between her electric bill and a brochure advertising the latest weight-loss pill was a pale yellow envelope. This looked promising. She removed it, noting with increased interest the return address. It was from one of her college roommates. They hadn’t seen each other since graduation, but they’d kept in touch through social media. In one of those strange coincidences that often happen, Julie ended up living in the same town where Teresa’s fiancé grew up.

  Sliding her fingers under the flap, she removed the thick parchment inside and scanned the elegantly scrolled lines. An invitation to a couple’s shower. That might be fun. The fact that it was going to be in St. Marys made attending more feasible. She only needed to find someone to sit with Jordan.

  Julie became aware of movement around her. Moms and dads were collapsing their chairs, preparing to leave. Jordan was always one of the last boys to leave the field. She didn’t expect today to be any different. Tucking the mail into her tote bag, she reached for her phone, intending to turn up the volume. She always silenced it during practice so as not to disturb anyone. There were two missed calls, but neither was urgent. She’d return them later. The text message from her mother did require a response. She was taking care of that when a shadow blocked out the rays of the setting sun.

  Expecting it to be Jordan, she spoke without looking up. “I’m not in the mood to cook. Let’s get calzones from Momma’s Kitchen.”

  “Sounds good to me,” a man’s voice answered.

  Her head jerked up in confusion. “I’m sorry, Coach Tillerson. I thought you were Jordan.”

  Adam grinned widely. “I know, but does that mean I can’t get a calzone?”

  “I’m sure you’ve had enough of kids and parents for one day.”

  “It depends on the parent, or in your case, the aunt. Jordan just told me. I thought you were his mother.”

  “Oh, really?”

  “Yeah, otherwise I’d already have asked you out.”

  Julie wasn’t sure if he was teasing or serious. “Is that so?” She looked beyond him to where Jordan stood waiting, a scowl on his face. Had he heard what Coach Tillerson said? If so, he wasn’t happy about it. “Jordan, check your bag to make sure you’ve got everything, okay?”

  “Yes, ma’am. We need to get going. I’ve still got homework to do.”

  Julie knew that Jordan had finished his homework because she checked it before they left the apartment. His inability to meet her eyes told her that he knew it, too. What was going on?

  “In that case, we’ll pass on the calzones and settle for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.”

  ******

  Eric had known that getting back from Atlanta in time for practice would be challenging. When he reached the interstate and realized they’d shut down two lanes because of an accident, he knew practice would be over long before he reached St. Marys. A smart man would accept the inevitable and go home. What was he doing instead? He was driving to the ballpark on the off chance that someone might still be there. He didn’t even try to kid himself about who the ‘someone’ was.

  When he spied Julie’s car in the parking lot, a feeling stole over him that he hadn’t felt in a long time. He shut off the engine, but made no move to get out. His unseeing glance settled on the chain-link fence in front of him. Movement to his right caught his reluctant attention. A boy had emerged from behind the concession stand. Eric noted the slumped shoulders and dragging gait. Putting aside his own troubled thoughts, he stepped out of the truck.

  Had something happened at practice? Or to Jordan’s dad?

  Eric could still remember the rainy evening when his mother slipped away. Some of his joy in living died with her. Baseball became his refuge; it was something to focus on, something to strive for. A way to make her proud of him.

  Jordan never looked up as Eric closed the distance between them. Where was Julie? She hadn’t missed a practice yet. The fact that he’d noticed didn’t strike him as unusual.

  “How’s it going, Jordan?”

  The frown marring the boy’s features lightened. “Okay, I guess. I wish you’d been here today, Coach Gibson.”

  “Why is that?”

  Jordan let the bag on his shoulder drop to the ground. “I like practice better when you’re here.”

  “Coach Tillerson knows baseball, too. He played with me in college.”

  “It’s not that. It’s what happened after practice.”

  Eric looked up and saw Julie walking with Adam. Something twisted in his gut, something ridiculously close to jealousy. Forcing his eyes away from the approaching twosome, he asked, “What happened after practice?”

  “Coach Tillerson said that if he’d known Aunt Julie was my aunt, he’d have asked her out.”

  No surprise there. “Don’t worry; your aunt can take care of herself.”

  “My dad told me before he left that it was my job to look after her.”

  Eric put his hand on Jordan’s shoulder. “Watching over someone doesn’t mean you can make decisions for them.”

  “Well, I hope she doesn’t go out with him.”

  Eric hoped so, too, but he couldn’t tell Jordan that.

  ******

  Julie’s steps quickened when she saw who was standing beside Jordan. Why was she so happy to see Eric?

  Adam’s eyes followed hers, and he laughed. “He can’t stay away from this place. Baseball’s in his blood. He’s been like this since college.”

  She looked at him curiously. “What do you mean?”

  “Talent-wise, we were about equal. But where I was content to rely solely on that talent, Eric spent hours and hours in the weight room. While I was chasing girls, Eric was throwing buckets of balls into a net. I’ve never met anyone so driven.”

  “His hard work certainly paid off.”

  “It did for a while, but no one can stay on top forever. He lost his wife, his reputation, and his career all within a few months of each other.”

  It was on the tip of her tongue to point out that Eric should have known he was risking his reputation when he and his ‘wife’ agreed to win that show. Before she could do so, Jordan turned and waved.

  “I ran into Coach Gibson on the way to the car,” he called to her.

  “So I see.” She smiled at Eric. “Hey, Coach Gibson.”

  “Good evening, Miss Evans.”

  “Could we stay a little longer, Aunt Julie? I want to show Coach Gibson my new batting stance.”

  “Not tonight, Jordan. You’ve got homework, remember.”

  Jordan bit his lip. “Oh, yeah, I forgot.”

  “It’s a good thing I didn’t.” She glanced at the two men. “We’ll see you at practice on Wednesday.”

  As Julie and Jordan walked away, Eric looked at Adam. “Everything go ok
ay?”

  “Liam broke his finger at school, so he couldn’t do much. Tyler isn’t happy about being moved to third base. Neither is his father. You’ll probably get a call from him tonight.”

  “That’s nothing new. Anything else?”

  “How long have you known Julie isn’t Jordan’s mom?”

  “A few days. Why?”

  “You knew I was interested in her. Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Because he’d been too busy getting interested in her himself. Eric grabbed the equipment bag and started walking to his truck. “I figured you’d moved on by now.”

  “I don’t mind turning back for a good cause.”

  “Then do so carefully. Getting involved with the relative of one of the kids on our team is risky no matter how cute you think she is.”

  Adam sighed. “You’ve got a point.”

  All the way home, Eric told himself that the reason he’d given Adam for leaving Julie alone was equally if not more applicable to him. But he was obviously worrying over nothing. Given her reaction to him touching her at Watson’s, the subject would never come up. Julie Evans didn’t like him.

  Chapter Five

  The day of the pool party arrived at last. Jordan had talked of nothing else for days. When Julie went to wake him, she wasn’t surprised to find him making his bed and already wearing his Hawaiian print swimming trunks.

  “You’re not excited about today at all, are you?” she asked with a grin.

  “It’s going to be fun. Can we have pancakes and sausage for breakfast?”

  “Sure. Put a change of clothes and a towel in your duffle bag along with some tennis shoes.”

  Jordan looked at her capris and short-sleeved blouse. “Aren’t you swimming?”

  “I think I’ll pass. Getting in a pool with a bunch of boys isn’t my idea of fun.”

  An hour later they were watching the gate to Eric’s driveway slowly open. Julie parked next to a white truck with Gibson’s Landscape Company emblazoned on its doors.

  As if on cue, Eric strolled out the front door. “Need any help?”

  “No, thanks, we’ve got it.” She pointed to the truck. “Have you already been mowing lawns?”

  “Not today. My brother is here. He’s going to take Coach Tillerson’s place and help me keep the boys out of trouble.”