Matt snorted dismissively. “Because if you had, you wouldn’t be staring at her like a starving man waiting for the buffet to open.”
“Would you lower your voice?”
Not bothering to take his brother’s advice, Matt continued. “I approve, by the way. She’s just what you need.”
“Can we talk about this later?”
“Definitely. I want a full report of today’s events.”
Eric turned a laugh into a cough. “Get in the house before I throw you in there.”
“I’m going, sweet thing.”
“So help me, Matt, if you say another word...”
The arrival of Julie brought this conversation to an abrupt end.
“Hey, guys. Are we ready for this?” she asked with a smile.
“I think so,” Eric said.
“You kids have fun,” threw in Matt, ignoring his brother’s frown. “Don’t worry about Jordan. We’ll be fine.”
“You’ve got my number, right?” asked Julie.
“Sure do. See you later.”
Eric shook his head as he watched Matt enter the house and close the door. “He gets worse every day. Got everything you need?”
“Yes, sir.”
He grinned. “In that case, I think we should get going.” Once they were on their way, he glanced in her direction. “You look lovely. You remind me of a summer garden in that dress.”
“Thank you. You look like an ad for Ralph Lauren.”
“I’ve never seen any. Is that a compliment?”
“Definitely.”
“Then I thank you, too. I forgot to warn you about Thomas. He’s only slightly more mature than Matt, and neither of them knows the meaning of the word discretion. They speak first and worry about the consequences later.”
“I’ve got a brother, remember. I know how these things work. What did you get the happy couple?”
“A four-slice toaster. It’s sort of a private joke. That’s what Thomas got me as a wedding gift. I thought I’d return the favor.”
“I keep forgetting that you’ve already done this.”
Eric wished he could forget. He’d give anything to wipe out the memories of his marriage. “What did you get them?”
“Nothing as exciting as a toaster. I got bathroom towels. You can never have enough towels.”
Towels were about the only thing Sydney didn’t fight him over. To hear her talk, he would have left her destitute if he could have found a legal way to do it. In the end, he got tired of the endless arguments. What use did he have for all those things they’d bought together? The only memories they carried were bad ones. He was better off without them.
“Good idea. As far as the games go, if there’s something you don’t want to do, let me know. I’m all for being a good sport, but not at the expense of making you uncomfortable.”
“The same goes for you.”
He cast her a teasing glance. “I don’t embarrass easily, and to be honest, I can’t think of a single game I wouldn’t be willing to play with you.”
Her eyes fell to her lap. “I’m starting to think you say things just so you can see me blush.”
Eric laughed. “You do it so beautifully; I can’t resist.”
******
The reaction of the guests to Eric’s appearance reminded Julie again how much of a celebrity he was. At his house and to a lesser extent, at the baseball field, it was easy to forget his popularity. There was no getting away from it in this setting.
Ambushed was the closest word she could come up with to describe what happened over the course of the first fifteen minutes following their arrival. Men and women alike crowded around him. It was reminiscent of scenes she’d seen on television where the movie star gets mobbed when he steps out of his car. Unused to such attention, Julie found it somewhat intimidating. As the questions and comments became more personal, she wondered how Eric managed to keep his cool. Embarrassed for him and herself, she looked around for a way to escape. When she found it, she didn’t hesitate.
Reaching for the package in his arms, she said, “I’ll take our things to the gift table.”
With an absent, “Thanks, Julie,” he handed her the box.
On her way into the house, she ran into Teresa, who in her usual exuberant style, swept Julie into a hug.
“You made it! I was afraid you wouldn’t be able to come.”
“I was, too, but everything worked out.”
Teresa lowered her voice. “I almost fainted when I saw you walk in with Eric Gibson. How long have you been seeing him, and why didn’t you tell me?”
Anxious to halt the speculation in her friend’s voice, Julie said, “I’m not seeing him. He’s Jordan’s baseball coach. When we found out we were both invited to your shower, we decided to come together.”
“Are you sure that’s all there is?”
She wasn’t sure about anything, least of all her own feelings. “I would know, wouldn’t I?”
Teresa glanced in Eric’s direction. “He’s dreamy and rich. You could do a lot worse.”
Julie laughed. “Are you a marriage broker now?”
“An opportunity like this may never come your way again.” Teresa flipped her hair over her shoulder. “You’re nothing like the women he’s used to. Show him what he’s been missing.”
“I have enough on my plate right now taking care of Jordan.”
“That’s just an excuse, and you know it. I see my sister trying to get my attention. We’ll talk more later.”
Eric was still under siege when Julie returned to the patio. Instead of rejoining him, she skirted around the edge of the small crowd and followed a narrow sidewalk leading to a garden. Here there was no conversation unless one counted the buzzing of a few industrious bees.
Mottled green and silver ivy spilled over the fence as if to draw the eyes of any visitor to the pink and red azaleas nestled below. Wrapped around the white painted archway of the arbor was delicate wisteria, the small cup-like blossoms stirring gently in the afternoon breeze.
“Why did you desert me?” Eric asked.
Julie swung around quickly. “I’m not used to all that. I found it a little intense.”
He nodded. “I understand. I want to say you’ll get used to it, but that presumes that you’d be willing to go somewhere with me again. It also gives the impression that I expect this kind of thing to happen all the time, and that’s not true either.”
“You’ve lived the kind of life most people only get to dream about.”
“Not all dreams are good ones. That’s why I’m trying to have a normal life now.” He held out his hand as he’d done before. She felt a tremor go through her when his fingers closed over hers. “You can help me do that.”
“How so?” she asked as they walked back to the patio.
“By being yourself.”
******
When they returned to the house, the number of guests mingling around several tables loaded with hors d’oeuvres had doubled. Lindsey, Teresa’s sister, asked everyone to take a seat so the more formalized festivities could begin.
The first activity was a harmless and entertaining ice-breaker. Each person was asked to introduce themselves and explain how they knew the engaged couple. This was followed by a mock newlywed game during which Teresa and Thomas had to answer questions about each other. When Lindsey finished explaining the third game, Julie heard Eric groan.
“This reminds me of ‘spin the bottle’,” he whispered in her ear. “I’m probably in the minority here, but I’m picky about who I want to kiss.”
Julie smiled. “Me, too, actually.”
Teresa was blindfolded and led to a chair in the middle of the room. Lindsey handed each man a numbered card. As she called out the numbers, the men took turns kissing Teresa’s cheek. Eric was the second to last. Either by design or chance, Thomas went last. Then Lindsey removed the blindfold.
“Okay, Teresa, which one of those kisses came from Thomas?”
Teresa laughed uncertainly. “I hope it was number ten.”
“Will number ten please identify himself?” Lindsey asked.
Julie thought she heard another groan, but couldn’t be sure. Eric slowly held up his card. The room erupted in shouts and cheers.
Lindsey motioned for Eric to join her. “As the winner, you can either kiss the bride properly or pick one of the gifts from the table behind me. What’s it gonna be? Do you want to show Thomas how it’s done?”
Julie wondered what Eric would do. It was clear by the clapping and wolf whistles what the crowd wanted him to do. After throwing Thomas a teasing glance, Eric whispered something in Teresa’s ear. She laughed and nodded.
Even though Julie knew it was all in fun, she didn’t want to watch Eric give Teresa a ‘real’ kiss. Was it because she wanted one from him herself? Her eyes fell to the floor even as her cheeks filled with color. Why was it so hard to admit that she’d been thinking of little else for days?
There was a moment of silence and then a loud burst of cheering. Whatever Eric had done was over. When Julie raised her eyes, he was walking back to his seat. Her glance went to Teresa. Had her friend pretended not to know which kiss came from Thomas? It wasn’t hard to imagine the girl she remembered from college doing something like that. What woman wouldn’t know the touch of the man she loved? It would be absolutely different from that of anyone else.
******
Eric was relieved to hear Lindsey announce a short break while they set up the final game. His stomach had been growling for the past half hour. He was ready for something more sustaining than raw vegetables, bite-size quiches, and stuffed mushrooms. Where was the real food?
He looked at Julie, wishing it had been her cheek he’d been asked to kiss. His eyes followed the gentle curve of her face to her lips. They still carried a hint of pink gloss. A familiar longing swept over him and he sighed. Patience had never been one of his virtues. He remembered Matt’s words and smiled. There was no fooling someone who knew him so well.
Reaching over, he lightly touched her arm. When she turned her head and smiled at him, Eric felt the same rush of adrenaline and exhilaration he often experienced after pitching a good game. But this was tempered by anticipation instead of accomplishment.
Returning her smile, he said, “I don’t know about you, but all these games have made me thirsty. Can I get you something?”
“You could, but I’d rather come with you. I need to stretch my legs a bit. We’ve been sitting for a while.”
They walked over to a table set up by the window. Eric ran his finger around the collar of his shirt. “It’s a little stuffy in here. Let’s take our drinks outside.” After handing her a glass of punch, he held the door open for her to walk through. “Do you want to check on Matt?”
She laughed. “On Matt? Don’t you mean Jordan?”
“I’m sure Jordan is fine. Matt’s the one we have to worry about.”
“I’ll do it later. My phone’s in my purse.”
Eric pulled his phone out of his pocket. “You can use mine.”
Julie took it from him and held it reverently in her hands. “Shouldn’t music start playing? I’m holding the phone of the great Eric Gibson. Do you know how much I could get for the information on this thing?”
His infectious laughter drew curious looks from those around them. “Not enough to quit your day job. As someone told me recently, I’m only relevant in my hometown.”
She looked up from texting Matt. “Who in the world would say such a thing?”
“My ex-wife.”
Julie’s eyes went back to the phone. “Oh.”
Eric was tempted to ask what she meant by that. Did she still believe him capable of conspiring with Sydney to win Find Your Mate? It might be unreasonable, but he wanted Julie to figure out the truth, not from his words, but from her growing knowledge of him. Was he asking the impossible?
She handed him back the phone. “Your brother says the strangest things. He told me to ask you how you liked the buffet.”
Matt was going to be mowing lawns alone for the next week if he didn’t lay off the stupid comments. “Just do what I do. Ignore him.”
“I forgot to congratulate you on winning ‘kiss the bride’.”
Eric grimaced. “I couldn’t believe Teresa didn’t know which one of us was Thomas. Even if she couldn’t tell from the kiss, which admittedly was very brief, his cologne should have told her which one was him. I wonder why they didn’t have all the girls kiss Thomas.”
“I wondered about that, too, but I’m glad they didn’t. One round of that game was enough.”
“More than enough,” he agreed.
“If I ever have a couple’s shower, that’s one game I won’t play.”
“I didn’t want to play it today. I hate being the center of attention.”
A humorous smile appeared. “You didn’t look like you minded very much.”
“I did what I could to play along, but I wasn’t about to give my best friend’s fiancé a real kiss. Kisses are too special to be wasted.”
So he hadn’t kissed Teresa. Julie knew a sense of relief that was out of proportion to Eric’s place in her life. “I agree. I think of kisses as a way to show feelings for which there are no words.”
He smiled down at her. “You’re not so bad in the poetry department yourself.” His glance went beyond her, and he started to laugh. “If I’m not mistaken, things are about to get a lot more interesting.”
******
Julie turned around to see what he was talking about. Bowls of a white foamy substance sat on a long table set up in the grass. “What do you think that is?”
“It looks like whipped cream.”
“I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”
He slipped his arm through hers. “Say the word, and we’ll disappear into the garden. Believe me, I can find something to keep us occupied.”
Into her mind came the memory of that kiss on her neck. “I think the absence of the best man would be noticed, don’t you?”
“Probably, but none of the guys would blame me for wanting a few moments alone with you.”
She looked up at him with a grin. “Is flirting part of spring training?”
“I actually picked up these lines from listening to Matt. Are they working?”
“It depends on what you’re trying to do.”
He drew her close to his side. “My answer might surprise you.”
Neither of them heard the footsteps behind them. One of the men tapped Eric on the shoulder. “Hate to break things up, but we’re ready to start the next game. I know you don’t want to miss this one.”
“Thanks, Steve.” When they were alone again, Eric said, “This is your last chance to get out of it.”
“I’m willing if you are.”
He laughed as they turned around. “Let’s hope you still feel that way in fifteen minutes.”
After Lindsey explained the rules of the ‘creaming of you’ game, Eric looked at Julie. “So, if I understand this correctly, you get to feed me whipped cream without being able to use your hands. I think they finally found a game I might enjoy.”
“You could end up with whipped cream everywhere but in your mouth.”
“I refuse to believe your aim is that bad.”
“Maybe I just want to see you sporting a white beard.”
“There could be consequences to such an action. Are you sure you want to chance it?”
She tilted her head sideways. “I don’t know. I’ll have to think about it.”
Lindsay arranged the couples in two lines about ten feet apart. They were instructed to put their hands behind their backs. Julie glanced at the small spoon and knew it would take at least five or six trips to empty the bowl. In spite of her threat, she wasn’t planning to paint Eric’s face. If anything, she wouldn’t mind actually trying to win. A fifty dollar gift card was a nice prize.
At the sound of the whistle, she grabbed the end of the plas
tic spoon with her teeth, scooped some cream from the bowl and walked as fast as she could to where Eric waited. Their height difference was something of a problem. He had to bend down, and she had to stand on tiptoe. Then it was a matter of trying to keep him from moving while she maneuvered the spoon into his mouth. Julie’s first attempt landed between his lower lip and chin. Since he wasn’t allowed to use his hands, he couldn’t wipe it off.
“You did that on purpose,” he accused.
With the spoon in her mouth, it was difficult to reply. She had to settle for shaking her head. Her second attempt was too high. The blob of cream ended up between his nose and upper lip. Eric was able to lick off most of it, but not all.
“Enjoying yourself?” he asked with a grin.
To her surprise, she was. It was nice to be with someone who didn’t mind being silly.
The third try was more successful. Most of the cream actually went into his mouth.
“Finally,” he said. “I was starting to worry.”
She shrugged and hurried back to the other side. Looking at the amount of cream left in the bowl, she estimated at least three more trips. If she’d quit playing around, they might be able to win. Loading the spoon with more cream, she headed back to Eric. He was smiling faintly. That should have warned her that he was up to something.
When she put the spoon in his mouth, he bit down on his end, not allowing her to escape the close proximity of his lips. Her eyes met the amusement in his. He’d found the perfect way to get back at her for dotting his face with cream. Knowing what they must look like, Julie sent him a pleading glance and found herself released. For a few seconds, she didn’t move. The humorous gleam in his eyes disappeared. In its place was a warm, ardent gaze that both thrilled and confused her.
The piercing shrill of a whistle broke the spell. Behind her, she could hear laughter and the murmur of voices. Without looking at Eric, she returned to the table to retrieve the sandals she’d taken off at the start of the game. She could feel the heat burning in her cheeks as the realization of what had happened washed over her. Why had he picked this occasion to look at her like that? Didn’t he realize what it would do?
“You’re never going to forgive me for that, are you?”
Team Mom: A Sweet Contemporary Romance (Finding Love Book 1) Page 11