A Winning Season

by Rochelle Alers

  Harper placed his napkin next to his plate. “I’m going to save my dessert for later. Zoey, is it all right after I help Mr. Reed clean up if I go to The Clearing with some of the kids from school? It will be the last time before classes start on Tuesday.”

  “How are you getting there?”

  “Jabari said he’s going to ask his father if he can use his car.”

  Pushing back his chair, Sutton rose to his feet. “You can use the Wrangler. Just make certain you have your license on you, and I shouldn’t have to warn you about speeding, smoking and drinking in my vehicle or doing other things I won’t mention at this time.”

  Zoey half rose. “Sutton?”

  He held up his hand. “It’s okay, Zoey. I’m certain Harper will bring my vehicle back spotless and without a scratch.”

  Harper’s shock was evident when he stared like a deer caught in the blinding glare of a driver’s headlights. “Really, Mr. Reed?”

  Sutton nodded. “Come with me and I’ll give you the fob.”

  Zoey swallowed a groan when they walked out of the dining room. It was apparent Sutton trusted her brother enough to let him drive his vehicle with a group of teenagers. She slumped back down to her chair and waited for Sutton to return. She didn’t have long to wait.

  “Do you know what you’ve done?” she asked him.

  Sutton came over to sit next to her. He rested an arm over her shoulders. “I know exactly what I’ve done. It’s a test, Zoey. He already knows how I feel about smoking and drinking, but the real test is not telling when I expect him to come back.” Leaning closer, he pressed a kiss on her temple. “You have to learn to trust him, and he needs to know that you do. And more importantly, you have to be willing to let go. I don’t have to remind you that in a couple of years he’ll turn eighteen, and he will have a high school diploma, be eligible to vote and enlist in the military without parental consent.”

  Zoey turned her head and gave Sutton a long stare. “You’re spoiling him, Sutton. First a pair of Jordans and now your Jeep.”

  “They are material things that can be replaced. Let me remind you that Harper never asked me for the sneakers or to let him drive the Jeep.”

  “Maybe he learned his lesson when he tried to break into your sports car,” she mumbled under her breath.

  “Lighten up, sweetheart.”

  “Do you call all women you know sweetheart?”

  “Just the ones I like.”

  A smile had replaced her strained expression. “Should I assume I’m one of those you like?”

  “Of course.”

  “How much?”

  “This much,” Sutton said, nanoseconds before his mouth covered hers in a kiss that sucked the oxygen from her lungs.

  This kiss was so different from others they’d exchanged that Zoey felt as if the heat in her veins had reached the boiling point. She was on fire from the top of her head to the soles of her feet, as an uncontrollable tremor settled between her thighs.

  “Sutton. Sutton!” she repeated. She was close to losing control and begging him to make love to her.

  * * *

  Sutton ended the kiss when he felt Zoey shaking as if she’d suddenly taken chill. He knew he’d aroused her, but also knew there was nothing he was going to do about it. Not now.

  “Was that enough convincing?” Her shoulders shook at the same time she bit her lip, and then he realized she was laughing. “Was it, sweetheart?”

  “Yes-s-s.”

  “Bummer,” he whispered. “I thought maybe you’d need a little more convincing.”

  Zoey sobered. “That’s enough—for now. You cooked, so I don’t mind helping clean up.”

  Sutton dropped a kiss on her hair. She’d shattered the sensual moment with the mention of clearing away dinner. “You don’t have to do that.”

  “Yes, I do. I believe in shared duties.”

  “If that’s what you want.” Sutton rose to stand, pulled out Zoey’s chair and helped her to her feet.

  “I’ll rinse, and you can stack the dishwasher.”

  “Anything for the pretty lady.”

  Going on tiptoes, she kissed his cheek. “Thanks.”

  Sutton did not know why she was thanking him when he should’ve been thanking her and Harper. They’d permitted him to playact that they were a family cooking together and trading stories over dinner. That was something he’d missed when married to Angell. His mother-in-law cooked and his wife sat at the table, stoned-faced, picking at her food because he’d refused to have his home filled with strange people drinking, smoking and sleeping off their high in some of the eight bedrooms in the six-thousand-square-foot mansion. Whenever he came home he wanted peace and quiet, away from crowds, while Angell did not want to give up her fake friends and adoring entourage, and in the end Sutton gave her the only thing she wanted for a divorce settlement: the house.

  Reaching for her hand, Sutton led Zoey into the kitchen and filled the sink with hot water and dish detergent before turning on the radio on the countertop. The melodious harmonies of Boyz II Men singing “I’ll Make Love to You” filled the space.

  After wiping his hands on a terry cloth towel, he curved an arm around Zoey’s waist. “May I please have this dance?”

  She squinted her eyes as she held up her hand. Staring at the palm, she said, “I have to check to see whether I have space on my dance card. Oh, you’re lucky because my suitor is dancing with another woman.”

  Throwing back his head, Sutton laughed. “I think you’ve been reading too many of those romance novels.”

  Zoey scrunched up her nose. “Don’t knock them if you haven’t read them.”

  Her arms went around his waist when he eased her to stand between his feet. “Do you think if I read one I would come to know what women like?”

  She tilted her head to look up at him. “Want and need, Sutton. The two things are very different.”

  He tightened the embrace, bringing her breasts against his chest. “Perhaps you can tell me the difference without having to read one of those books. Hypothetically, what would you want and need from me if I was your lover or husband?”

  Zoey blinked once. “Me?”

  “Yeah, you. I’m your lover and I want you to become my wife. What would I have to do to convince you to marry me?”

  Chapter Ten

  Zoey lowered her eyes. She wasn’t prepared to pretend they were lovers on the verge of exchanging vows. “But we’re not lovers, Sutton.”

  “I did say hypothetically.”

  “Which one do you want first? Lover or husband?”

  “Lover.”

  She let out a breath. “I want him to be sensitive to what I like and don’t like in bed.”

  “I wouldn’t know that until we make love the first time.”

  “If I tell you to stop, then I’d expect you to stop.”

  “That goes without saying,” Sutton countered.

  “Stop is different from no, Sutton.” He smiled and attractive lines fanned out around his large eyes. “What are you grinning about?”

  “What if it’s so good that you want me to stop because you’re afraid of losing control?”

  “I’ve never lost control.”

  His smile faded. “Never?”

  “No.” And there was no way she was going to admit to him that she’d never climaxed.

  “Have we finished talking about our lovemaking?”

  “I believe in monogamy. If you cheat on me, then it’s over between us. I don’t believe in second chances.”

  “I’ve never been able to sleep with more than one woman at the same time, because it can get messy.”

  “Not if they both have the same name.”

  “Now you’re being naughty, Zoey.”

  “I read a novel where the man sought out women with the same
or similar names to sleep with so he wouldn’t get confused.”

  Sutton shook his head. “That requires too much research. Have we exhausted the rules for us being lovers?”

  “Yes.”

  “What would you need from me if I were your husband?”

  Zoey paused as she contemplated what she’d need from her husband to make her feel fulfilled as his wife. “He must love me unconditionally. I’ll need to know and believe that he will support and protect me and our children. That he will put family first, and everything else second. I will tell and show my husband that I love him, and make certain he knows that I will be with him in the good and the bad times. I don’t want us to go to bed angry with each other even if we have a disagreement.”

  “That sounds easy enough.”

  “If it was easy, Sutton, there wouldn’t be so many divorces.”

  “Some couples use divorce as a way to escape or run away from their problems rather than face them.”

  Pushing against his chest, Zoey managed to extricate herself, walk over to the sink and stare down at the soapy water. “Is that what happened in your marriage?” She jumped slightly when Sutton rested his hands on her shoulders.

  “No. I stayed in a marriage longer than I should have because I wanted it to work.”

  Zoey turned to face him. “What went wrong?”

  “We were complete opposites, but I didn’t know that until after we were married. And I’m not going to badmouth Angell because there are things about her I still love.”

  “Are you in love with her, Sutton?” She’d asked because if he was then they would never cross the line from friends to lovers. She had no intention of becoming that involved with a man who hadn’t gotten over his ex.

  “No, Zoey, I’m not in love with her. What you see is what you get with Angell—beautiful, outgoing and she can never get enough of the spotlight.”

  Zoey listened intently as Sutton told how his wife ignored his pleas that he did not want to come home and find his house filled with hordes of people. Many he didn’t know. He’d given her his schedule as to when he would be home and traveling for away games, but she claimed she couldn’t keep up with it. She would leave town for photo shoots, occasionally flying out of the country, and when she returned it was jet lag that left her out of sorts and unable to keep up with his schedule.

  “We’d talked about starting a family before we were married, and Angell asked if we could wait because her modeling career was just taking off. We’d agreed to wait five years, and when that came and went, she asked if we could wait another year. I agreed, and six months later she said she wanted out of the marriage. I asked her what she wanted as a divorce settlement and she said the house. I signed over all six thousand square feet set on three acres and walked away from all of it.”

  “Does she still live there?”

  “I don’t know, Zoey. Her mother and I will exchange emails a couple of times a year, but there’s never a mention of Angell. I wish her well and hope she’s happy.”

  Zoey’s eyelids fluttered as she struggled to control her emotions. “There are winner and losers when it comes to divorce.”

  “Why would you say that?”

  “When my father divorced my mother, she lost her baby daughter and I grew up not knowing my mother. So, both of us were losers. And I suppose that’s why I hold on to Harper as tightly as I can. He was only six and very close to Charmaine when she died. That’s when I knew I had to be strong for him and Kyle. I’m not even thirty and I’ve lost a mother, father and a stepmother. And it’s as if I’m holding my breath when I think of who’s next. I didn’t want Kyle to join the marines, because I was afraid he would be deployed, but I couldn’t tell him that. He would be in awe during the Memorial Day parade when active and former military would march down Main Street in their uniforms. And once he discovered that Aiden Gibson, one of the owners of the Wolf Den, was a former navy SEAL, that was all he needed to decide he wanted a military career.”

  Sutton wanted to tell Zoey that if she had to go through any more tragedy in her life that he would be there for her. That there was no need for her to go it alone because he was falling in love with her. But that was something he wanted to show her. That he would be with her in the good and bad times, and he prayed there would be an abundance of good.

  “When are you going back to work?”

  “I don’t know because the agency doesn’t have an available client for my hours. Why?”

  “I’d like to make plans for us to drive up to Charleston and have an early dinner at a fancy restaurant before coming back here.”

  “Fancy as in formal?”

  “Maybe I used the wrong adjective. Business-casual attire, and that means no tank tops, flip-flops, booty shorts and sleeveless shirts and torn clothing.”

  Zoey rolled her eyes upward. “I do wear tank tops and flops, but never booty shorts.”

  “Well, are we on?”

  “If you make it for the weekend, then you’ve got yourself a partner. I don’t work weekends or overnights because of Harper.”

  “We don’t have anything planned for next Sunday, so that means we’ll have Saturday night to hang out a little late. And I’ll be certain to ask permission from the man of your house if it’s all right if I take his sister out. I’ll also reassure him that she will be safe with me.”

  “You’re taking that man-of-the-house scenario a bit too far.”

  “You have to know he’s very protective of you.”

  “And I of him, Sutton. But, don’t forget I’m still the adult.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Sutton felt as if he’d scaled a high wall once he’d gotten Zoey to agree to go out with him. He still felt as if he had to walk on proverbial eggshells with her because it would take him a while to be able to gauge her moods. She’d gone through a lot and Sutton wanted to make her life as angst-free as possible.

  He must love me unconditionally. I’ll need to know and believe that he will support and protect me and our children. She had no idea how easy that would be for him. When he declared his love for her, it would be without question. Support and protection went together with Zoey and the children he hoped would eventually be in their future.

  He made quick work of clearing the dining room table and packing away leftovers for Zoey and Harper. The pork, stuffing, cabbage and sweet potato casserole would last them for several days. Zoey handed him dishes, glasses and silverware and he stacked them in the dishwasher.

  Sutton gave her a sidelong glance as she used a brush to scrub the roasting pan. “Are we going to have coffee with the cake?”

  “Yes. Would you mind if we brew coffee at my place? I have a blend that will complement dessert.”

  “Of course not. Should I bring the cheesecakes?”

  “No. I have some.”

  “Do you realize you gave me a dozen little cakes?”

  “Of course,” Zoey said smugly. “There’s little or no sugar in them.”

  “You’ve listened to me talk about my ex’s eating habits, but I can assure you that I’m not that nitpicky with food except where it concerns dessert. Sweets are my Achilles’ heel.”

  “Have you considered smaller portions?” she asked.

  “I will if you make miniature desserts.”

  Zoey winked at him. “Your wish is my command. I will make itty-bitty muffins, cakes and tarts.”

  “Thank you, sweetheart.”

  Sutton realized it was the second time he’d called her by the endearment when he wanted to refer to her as my love. Although they’d grown up in the same town, it was as if they’d lived thousands of miles apart.

  He was already playing pro ball when the news reached him that James and Charmaine Allen had died from carbon monoxide poisoning, leaving their three children orphans. Georgina told him how the town had come togeth
er to fundraise for the surviving Allen siblings, and he hadn’t hesitated to anonymously send a generous donation.

  Fast-forward ten years and the teenage girl who’d challenged the system and won so that she could keep her brothers out of foster care was standing in his kitchen washing dishes. Her selflessness and maternal instincts afforded her the wherewithal to raise both her brothers to manhood, while deferring her own dream to become a nurse. In that instant Sutton swore a vow that he would do all he could to help her to achieve her career goal.

  * * *

  Zoey watched Sutton as he took a sip of coffee. They’d elected to have dessert on her porch. “What do you think?”

  Sutton peered at her over the rim of his cup. “It’s delicious. What is it?”

  “Jamaican Blue Mountain. It is purportedly one the best and most expensive coffees in the world.”

  He took another sip. “I could drink this all day every day. Where did you buy this?”

  “I didn’t buy it. I had a client whose son was a coffee broker and he would occasionally send me gifts of coffee. He would grind the beans just before shipping to ensure their freshness with a recommendation to store the grounds in a glass jar in the fridge.”

  “Does he still send you coffee?”

  “No. After his mother passed away, he moved to Kenya to oversee a coffee plantation there. My supply is dwindling, and I probably have enough for another three or four cups.”

  Sutton inclined his head. “Thank you for sharing it with me. I’ve drunk so many bad cups of coffee in my life that I’m shocked when I get one that I can really enjoy.”

  “When did you start drinking coffee?” Zoey asked.

  “It was in college when I spent all-nighters studying for an exam or trying to finish a paper.”

  “Did you party a lot?”

  A smile ruffled his mouth. “Yes and no.”

  Zoey narrowed her eyes at the man seated opposite her. “It’s either yes or no, Sutton.”