Any Given Snow Day

by Marie Harte

  A guy could only exercise, ski, and watch movies for so long before he grew totally unmotivated. Even his books had begun to bore him. And then he’d met Becca…

  “Oh, that’s not that long.” Nora looked over his shoulder. “Ah, my man approaches.”

  Deacon glared at him as he joined them, pasted an insincere smile on his face, then lowered his voice. “Seriously? You pulled me into this because you’re too big a pus—ah, lamebrain—to deal with Linda Madison?” He nodded to Becca and did a double take at Nora. “Oh. So this is the woman I’m lusting after? Nice to meet you.”

  Nora laughed. “Hi, Deacon. Do you want to get married now or have kids first? I’m not too traditional, so I could go either way.”

  While his brother’s eyes grew wider, Nora, Mitch, and Becca laughed.

  “I like your cousin,” Mitch told Becca. “Anyone who can intimidate my brother is cool with me.”

  “Don’t get her started,” Becca warned. “Although she did force Linda to give up her seat two weeks ago.”

  “It was a thing of beauty,” Nora said. She continued to stare at Deacon. “You know, I’ve seen you around town and at the games, but you’re much taller up close.”

  Deacon frowned.

  What the hell was his brother’s problem now? Before Deacon could ruin things, Mitch said, “I’ll text you directions to the party. Anything you guys don’t like to eat?”

  Deacon glanced at him in bemusement.

  Nora answered, “We love everything except onions. But we really love chocolate. And Becca’s cinnamon rolls. We’ll bring them. Oh, and have a lot of food. Simon never stops eating.”

  “Neither does Deacon,” Mitch said.

  His brother kept frowning at him.

  Mitch sighed. “Okay, we’ll see you guys tomorrow night at five. I’m going to go get yelled at in private. Bye.” He left before Becca could change her mind, dragging his brother with him.

  As he neared Simon, he caught the kid’s eye and glanced at the girl in question.

  Simon gave a subtle nod.

  Mitch stopped. “Hey, Simon. Great game.” He pumped the kid’s hand. To the other boys, also freshmen, he made small talk. The girl stared at him in awe, he was sorry to say. “Oh, hey, my bad. I didn’t mean to take up your time.”

  She elbowed Simon in the side.

  He cleared his throat. “Um, Flash? Coach Deacon? This is my friend Jenna. Jenna, this is—”

  “I know who this is.” She rattled off some of Deacon’s stats, then started on Mitch’s.

  He had to admit, he was impressed. “Wow. Jenna, I think you know more about football than my brother,” he teased.

  Deacon punched him in the arm, hard enough to hurt. Mitch would make sure to return the favor.

  “We have to go,” Deacon said, “Nice meeting you, Jenna. Great game, guys. See you at practice on Monday.”

  Simon nodded, looking happier than he’d been. The two boys she’d been talking with melted away, and Simon escorted the girl toward his mother and Nora.

  “What the hell was that about?” Deacon grumbled.

  “Weirdness.”

  “Huh?”

  Mitch shook his head. “Don’t ask.”

  “Fine. Then let’s talk about your big mouth instead.”

  Not exactly a better deal.

  ******

  The next night, Mitch wondered if he’d done the wrong thing by inviting Becca to his home. He’d ordered some amazing food, not even trying to convince anyone he could cook. He’d intended to grill steaks, but the weather wasn’t cooperating. It had turned downright miserable. Cold rain couldn’t decide if it wanted to be sleet or snow, and it showed no sign of stopping.

  Gray skies overhead promised more of the same, as did the weather report for the remainder of the weekend. Getting to the playoffs was terrific. But having to play in the cold sucked.

  “You’re going to pace a hole in your floor,” Deacon said, kicked back in the living room, nursing a beer. “Relax. We’ll have a nice meal. You can show off to the pretty mom, and we’re done.”

  “What is with you constantly bringing up that Becca’s a mom? I know that.”

  Deacon sighed. “Do you really? Because I’ve been working in this town for five years. And it was a real adjustment, let me tell you. The requests for autographs fade, as do women throwing themselves at you left and right. The people here are regular family types. Hooking up with Simon’s mom impacts more than just your love life, genius.”

  That stung. “You think I’d screw over Becca and her kid? I like Simon.”

  “I do too.” Deacon drew on his beer. “And I like Becca, from the few instances I’ve talked to her. But I love you, you moron. I think Hope’s Turn could be just what you need—if you don’t screw things up before you even settle in. There’s something about this town that’s good. Decent. People look out for one another. It’s not so small you know everybody’s business all the time, but not so big people don’t help each other out.” Deacon paused. “My marriage to Rhonda was a mistake.”

  “No shit.”

  Deacon sighed. “I was at a really low point when Roy told me about the pub. It saved my life, man.”

  “I know.” Mitch joined him on the couch, sitting across from him on the sectional. “I wanted to help you, but I knew seeing me while I was still playing would hurt.”

  Deacon nodded. “Not being the star quarterback hurt. It wasn’t about the fame, bro. I fucking love the game.”

  “Me too.”

  “But all that other stuff got old.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Don’t get me wrong. I didn’t mind the idea of having a tidy nest egg after retirement, but getting through all the shit to find myself after my injury and Rhonda’s bitchiness took its toll.” Deacon studied Mitch. “But I’m good. It’s you I’m worried about.”

  “Me?” Mitch sipped his beer. “I’m fine. No evil ex-wife. No injuries. A clean retirement, and I never have to work again if I don’t want to.”

  “And?”

  “And what?”

  “What next?” Deacon asked. “You snagged the gold ring early. Fame and fortune. Been there, done that. Now what? If you think you can fool me with all the positive, life-is-awesome crap, think again.”

  Mitch groaned. “I don’t know, okay? I just… I have no room to complain. Most people would kill for my problems. But I’m bored. I’m tired, and I have nothing to be tired about. I feel like a huge jerk not accepting how privileged I am. But what do I do now?”

  “You need to find your passion.” Deacon nodded. “I had a tough time too, you know. And not just because I was out of options and nearly out of money.”

  “You know I would have helped you.”

  “Fuck that. It’s not my money. You did the work that earned your paycheck, not me.” Deacon wore a familiar, stubborn expression. “Plus, everyone told me not to marry that gold-digger, and I didn’t listen. I should have. But that’s over now. She’s remarried to one of the Jets, I think. Or a Cowboy, I can’t remember.” He grinned. “And I don’t care. She’s out of my life.”

  “What life? How’s the dating scene treating you, Casanova?” That came out more sarcastic than Mitch meant it, because he was genuinely curious. “Seriously. Is it that bad?” The look Deacon shot him made him laugh.

  “The last woman I dated kept asking for stories from the old days. And she wouldn’t stop beating around the bush wanting to know how much money I made. She was sexy, no doubt. But not worth the effort. I’m so over the pretty ones with no substance.” Deacon gave him a knowing look. “Now Becca Bragg is both pretty and a hard worker.”

  “So, ah, what do you know about her?”

  Deacon’s smirk made him itch to slap it off his brother’s fat face. “She’s single, dated a little here and there, but not much. She loves her kid. Works at that tea shop downtown and makes killer sweets. Stan is addicted to her molasses cookies.”

  “Yeah. What else?” Something h
ad to give him an edge with the woman, because he had trouble reading her. Just when he thought she was into him, she wasn’t.

  “I don’t know. I hadn’t realized her husband passed until you mentioned it. Simon’s quiet about his personal life. Not so quiet about his opinions about the game though.”

  They both grinned.

  “I like him,” Deacon continued. “He’s not only a terrific player, but he’s not a glory hound. We have enough of those. And then there’s his pretty mother—” he held up a hand to stop Mitch’s rebuttal “—who never gives the coaches any grief. Those are my favorite kids to play, the ones with the nice parents.

  “You act different around her, Mitch. Just be careful, okay? I don’t think she’d try to cheat on you or lie to you, but with women, you just never know.”

  Mitch took his brother’s advice to heart. Having witnessed how hurt Deacon had been by Rhonda’s infidelities, and having seen how difficult it was to find someone who’d like him for himself, not just for his fame, he’d backed off the dating scene.

  Truth be told, he rarely spent more than a few months with a woman without getting antsy, feeling the net of a relationship tightening around him. Maybe after a little one-on-one time with Becca, he’d feel the same.

  “How do you think Mom and Dad do it?” he asked Deacon.

  Deacon shrugged. “Hell if I know. Then again, Dad wasn’t famous or anything, and he snagged Mom before she knew better. To hear them tell it, it was love at first sight.” Deacon scoffed. “Talk about some crappy excuse for getting lucky.”

  “Come on. It’s possible.”

  “You think?” Deacon shook his head. “Man, I can count on one hand the people I know who are still together after a few years of marriage. Relationships are hard enough, but trying to prepare for your own divorce on your wedding day has got to be a killer.”

  “Aren’t you all sunshine and light?” Mitch had a need to get his brother thinking more positively. “What about Roy and Jess?”

  “They’re the exception.”

  “Mom and Dad? Aunt Joy and Uncle Steve? Meg and Harry?”

  “So what? Our relatives are happy. That counts as one.” He ticked off Roy, their aunt, uncle, and cousins on his index finger.

  “I know what finger I’d like to show you…”

  The doorbell rang, interrupting them. Mitch’s heart raced as if shot off the starting line. “Showtime.”

  Deacon downed the rest of his beer. “God help us.”

  Chapter Seven

  Becca didn’t like the fact that her palms were sweaty and she had a hard time acting normal. What was the big deal about standing on Mitch Flashman’s doorstep or getting a glimpse into his private world? She’d brought her cousin and son. This wasn’t a date.

  She wanted to laugh at her nerves, but she couldn’t. Instead, she centered herself and remembered her heart-to-heart with Nora earlier in the day.

  “Look, it’s obvious he’s attracted to you.” Nora blew at her bangs, which continued to obscure her vision. “And I’ve seen the way you look at him. What’s the problem?”

  Becca sighed. “I don’t know. He’s different. I like him, even though I don’t want to. And yeah, he’s handsome. I don’t know.”

  “You said that already.”

  “What?”

  “I don’t know.” Nora smiled. “You want to know what I think?”

  “Not really.”

  Nora being Nora ignored her. “I think you like this man, that maybe you’re kind of crushing on him. And he’s the first man since Neal who’s made you feel all girly and goofy.”

  Becca wanted to disagree. Miserable, she’d nodded.

  “Good. It’s about damn time. Neal was amazing. And he’s dead.” To the point. “Nothing wrong with dating someone else that you actually like. And by all that’s holy, have sex again. If he won’t work, put an ad on Craigslist or something before you have cobwebs growing in your hoo hoo.”

  The conversation had ended in great gales of laugher, and it put a smile back on Becca’s face.

  So when Mitch opened the door, he saw her grinning instead of looking as if she might pass out.

  He smiled back. “Hello. Come on in.” He stood back, and she entered through the grand door to his mansion. Okay, not mansion. Palatial estate set on many acres in the mountains. His view of the snowcapped peaks was amazing. Heck, she’d been impressed with the circular stone driveway and gorgeous landscaped front, visible even under a layer of sleet covering it.

  Simon and Nora crowded her in the entryway as they took off their shoes. She followed suit, then saw Mitch staring at them.

  She blushed. “Sorry. Habit. Makes your floor last longer.”

  He nodded. “A trick my mom taught me years ago.” He wiggled sock-covered toes at her. And wow, were his feet huge.

  Simon, holding their offering of sweets, stared. “Dude, you have big feet. What are you? A fifteen?”

  “Thirteen.”

  “I’m a twelve,” Simon said, proudly.

  She sighed. “Yeah, and he keeps growing.”

  Mitch looked sympathetic. “It only gets worse. I didn’t stop growing until I was in my early twenties. Went through a ton of clothes.”

  “Me too.” Deacon joined them holding a beer. “Mitch got a lot of hand-me-downs.” He smirked. “But I always had to have new. Because I’m so huge.”

  “Yeah, his head is so big it barely fits through the door,” Mitch muttered.

  Simon laughed.

  Nora remained quiet, so Becca turned to her. But her cousin was focused on the house, her mouth open. “Look, before this goes any further, I want the tour.” Nora shoved the plate of cookies she’d made at Deacon. “I know how this goes. You’re being nice because you want Becca helping you with Linda the Man-Eater Madison. Good call. But eventually Becks, Simon, or I will annoy you, and you’ll want us out of your house. Before that happens, the tour. That’s our price for helping you.”

  Mitch blinked. “Ah, sure. But I wouldn’t just throw you out for being annoying. I’ve been dealing with Simon on a daily basis, and I don’t think I ever kicked him out of the coaches’ office.”

  Becca was pretty sure he was teasing.

  “I make him run laps. I almost kicked his sorry butt off the field two weeks ago,” Deacon admitted.

  Simon rolled his yes. “Yeah, right.” Then he cleared his throat and tacked on a respectful, “Coach.”

  Mitch laughed and drew Simon into a headlock, then walked them into the house with Deacon at his side.

  She and Nora followed, and Becca pulled back to whisper, “Nice going. You’re gong to get us kicked out before we get to swim.” She’d been looking forward to the heated pool ever since Mitch had mentioned it.

  “Oh, relax. This way we get to see the house for sure.” Nora looked more animated than she’d been in a long time. “Can you believe he lives here?”

  They walked through a massive living area, decorated with a sophisticated cabin-meets-modern style. The open floor plan connected the living space with a kitchen that filled Becca with a bad case of envy. My God. It had upscale appliances, an eight-burner Viking stove, double ovens, a prep sink in the giant island seating eight, as well as a large ceramic farmer’s sink by the window overlooking the mountains. Bowls and plates of delicious smelling food sat on an expansive black granite counter. The amount of prep work and cooking she could get done in a kitchen this size boggled the mind.

  She couldn’t look away from so much culinary goodness, so when Simon took her by the arm, she jumped.

  “Easy, Mom. We’ll come back to heaven in a minute,” he teased.

  She turned to see the group laughing at her. “Sorry. I have a weakness for kitchens.”

  Mitch’s smile lightened his whole face, and she found herself unable to look away.

  “Good to know. So the next time I annoy you, I’ll flash a few pictures of my counters and you’ll forgive me, right?”

  “Good luck with tha
t,” Simon said. “Now take out the trash without being asked, and you might have a shot at a date.”

  “Simon.” She blushed.

  “I’ll remember that.” Mitch laughed and took them on a leisurely tour.

  The house seemed much too large for one man. The main area seemed all on one level. Several bedrooms, each with its own bath, a study, a reading room, and of course, the indoor pool.

  They paused at the sight of the swimming pool and adjoining hot tub, all done in a natural setting. It felt as if the pool was actually outside since the entire room had been encased in thick glass.

  “And off there is the weight room. It’s not big. But there are some free weights, machines, and some stationary bikes.”

  Simon’s eyes were huge. “Holy shit.”

  “Simon.” She glared at her son.

  Mitch and Deacon laughed.

  “I had the same reaction when I first saw it,” Deacon admitted.

  “Your house isn’t as big?” Nora teased.

  Deacon turned to her with an odd expression. “Nope. I got cleaned out after my divorce. I live much more modestly.”

  To Becca’s surprise, Mitch seemed uncomfortable. “I know. This house is too much. But it’s a good investment, at least.”

  “I think it’s great.” Becca didn’t like him feeling awkward about his house. Why should he feel ashamed he could afford something so grand? “I wish I lived in something this nice. But then I think of how much there would be to clean…”

  Mitch relaxed. “Yeah. That I have no problem with. Just don’t look too closely at the dust balls gathering. Deacon keeps telling me I need to hire someone.”

  “You do.” Nora nodded. “I know a few people you could talk to. Ones who won’t rob you blind or blab to everyone about you being a slob. If you are one.”

  “Oh, he is.” Deacon sounded smug.

  “Shut up.” Mitch flushed, and she found this source of embarrassment amusing.

  “Just like Simon.” She looked for her son. “Simon?”

  “In here, Mom,” he called from the weight room.

  “Wow. I didn’t see him move,” Mitch said.