Any Given Snow Day

by Marie Harte

  “I just helped out, really.”

  “But did you like it?”

  He thought about that. “Yeah.”

  “And when you and Simon hung out on Thanksgiving, and you were so great playing football with him and his friends—I heard all about it. How was that?”

  He smiled. “It was fun. No pressure, no worries about anything, just enjoying the game.”

  “So, do that.”

  “Do what?”

  “Coach kids.”

  “I did that. And by the way, they have a coach. Several, in fact.”

  “No, the Riverdown Cougars have coaches. What about the kids who don’t have any money? Who don’t have any place to try football or excel in a sport they like? Where do they go?”

  “I have no idea.”

  “Nowhere. In this town, our parks department runs the athletics. For the most part, they do a good job, but there are so many children who don’t have access to money or equipment or even transportation to get to and from sports. I know this because Simon has grown up playing just about every sport there is. Now that he’s settled on football, we’ve spent a good bit on equipment and team fees.”

  “Huh. I hadn’t thought about that.”

  “You’re a natural with the kids.”

  “I don’t know about that. The other day three of them cornered me with personal problems, and I thought about running away.”

  She smiled. “But I bet you still talked to them and tried to help.”

  “That’s what coaches are supposed to do.”

  “Exactly. Maybe try doing what you’re already good at. And if it doesn’t work, try something else. You don’t have to have all the answers right away, you know. No one is grading you on a pass or fail if coaching kids—or whatever you decide to try—doesn’t work out. You said you have money.”

  “Not to brag, but I do. More than I’ll ever need.” He felt embarrassed telling her that.

  “So, put it to good use. You said you wanted to be a part of the community. Here’s your shot.”

  “I’ve been looking into a few charities around town as well.” Two in particular stood out to him. A halfway house that helped teenagers with no place to go, and a local animal shelter that needed serious funding. Mitch had always been drawn to helping those who couldn’t help themselves.

  But throwing money at a problem didn’t make it go away. Maybe Becca was on to something when she’d mentioned a way to organize athletics for kids needing assistance.

  “We didn’t have a lot of money growing up,” he told her. “But my parents worked hard to give us what they could. I remember PB&Js for dinner when the heater went out and we had to get a new one. Or wearing all of Deacon’s hand-me-downs. I didn’t mind. It just was. But now I don’t have to worry about any of that, and sometimes I feel like a big pretender.” Great. Now he sounded like a lame whiner. Pathetic and all woe-is-me.

  But Mitch couldn’t talk about this stuff with his family. His parents would worry about him, and now was their time to live life to the fullest. Deacon had been through bad times. He didn’t need his nose rubbed in the fact that his pitiable little rich brother needed direction. And God knew he couldn’t talk to anyone else about his issues. He could too easily envision his face on the news or in the paper. Not at all how he wanted to live the rest of his life. Mitch would be too happy to blend into the woodwork and just be.

  Becca reached out to pat his knee. “You’re no pretender, Mitch. You worked hard to earn a good living. Enjoy it. I like seeing you smile, and I saw you smile a lot when you worked with the high school team. And again when you came back from playing with Simon the other night.”

  He tugged her into his lap and caged her there. “Yeah? How about when I played with you? Did you see me smile a lot then?”

  “I’m trying to be serious.”

  “Oddly enough, so am I.” Mitch looked into her eyes. “I’m going to get my head on straight. I swear.”

  “I believe you.”

  “Believe that I mentioned this because I trust you. And Becca, I don’t trust many people.” He took a chance. “I feel something for you. Something special. And I think, maybe, you feel something for me, too.”

  “You know I do.”

  “No.” He shook his head. “I’m not talking about sex. That’s just incredible. I’m talking about the butterflies in my stomach when I see you. Or the hope I get when a woman who looks like you is near. Because I get that buzz of hope it’s you.” He took her face by the chin when she looked away and forced her to meet his gaze. “I’m not trying to freak you out or anything, but I wanted you to know how much I care for you. You’re different than the others.”

  She stiffened. “Others?”

  He bit back a smile. “From before I moved here. Remember I told you about Danielle? My last ex? She was beautiful, smart, and sadly, more interested in my name than in me. I tried, I really did.”

  “Oh?” She toyed with his hair, and he wanted to curl up around her and never let her go.

  “I was never very interested in her, because I couldn’t find a part of her that was real. Hell, maybe it was me. I was in a different place then, dealing with pressure from the team, the coaches, the need to break records and be better than the best. But you know, I would have killed to have a woman like you beside me then.”

  “Oh. Wow.” She stared into his eyes, and he swore he saw something more than mere affection.

  “I’m not trying to pressure you. I just wanted you to know that I…care about you.” Love? Did he love her?

  She smiled shyly, and he thought, How could I not love this woman?

  “You’re sweet.”

  And still not sure if I’m the only one feeling this way. “My point in telling you this is to thank you for being you. And to tell you I don’t want to hide anymore. I want to hold your hand downtown. I want to go to the movies with you. To hang out with you and Simon and not pretend it’s a coaching thing or a favor for my brother, or some other convoluted lie. I don’t want to fend off the Linda Madisons of town with untruths. I’m not interested in any of them, because I found someone else.”

  “By found, you mean what exactly?”

  Shit. There. That flare of panic in her gaze. He’d been hoping to avoid that. “Look, Becca. It’s simple. I like you. You like me, though you haven’t said it, exactly. Why not date? We’re both single, and I’m no longer Simon’s coach. I’m just a new guy in town trying to become a part of the community.” He kissed her, lingering over her soft lips. “And I’d like to become a part of the community again real soon.”

  She sighed. “That was just bad.”

  “But honest. One thing you have to know about me. I’m not one for games. I say it like I see it.”

  “So do I.” She kissed him back. “My priority is Simon, Mitch. You have to know that.”

  “I do. But Simon is a young man now, and you have room to have a life.”

  She frowned. “I know that.”

  “I’m just saying I’d never keep you from Simon. Hell, I like the kid. You should be proud. He’s a funny guy with a good head on his shoulders.”

  “Thank you.” She blushed prettily.

  “He already thinks I have a thing for you. And if I recall, he’s the one who outed you for staring at my ass the first time you guys came over. He knows you have the hots for me.”

  “Hots, huh?” She pushed him back by the chest, still caught in his arms. “Maybe I do. And maybe you’re a slippery one to keep a hold of. You could have your pick of the ladies in town. So, I have to wonder, why me?”

  He shook his head. “You don’t listen worth a damn, do you?”

  “No cursing.”

  “You’re a great mother. You’re sarcastic. You have a great rack, a fine ass, and a mouth made for sin. And yeah, it sounds corny, but it’s true. Quit laughing at me.” At least her panic had turned to amusement. “I like you. You’re real, and you’re not out to use me for anything other than my huge cock.�
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  “I don’t know that I’d call it huge…”

  “Remember what I said about you being honest. Don’t turn on me now.”

  She laughed at him. “Fine. It’s gigantic.”

  “Better.” He stared at her, falling harder with every heartbeat. “So? Can we stop sneaking around and just be us, together? Or what?”

  “Yes, we can.”

  He blinked. “That was too easy.”

  “Ha. You say that now. But I’m not sure you know what you’re getting into. I work long hours at the teahouse. I love Simon, and my life pretty much revolves around him. You take me on, you have to take on Nora, too.”

  “A threesome? Becca, not that I mind, exactly, but—”

  “No, you moron. I meant she’s like a sister. So know she’ll be around a lot.”

  “Fine.”

  “I’m not rich. I’m comfortable, but I have a regular life, not a football-mafia-girlfriend kind of life.”

  “A what?”

  “I don’t want your money or your stuff. I just want to spend time with you, and being with you and Simon and Nora sometimes, too. You can’t do anything that would jeopardize my standing in town. No acting crazy or doing drugs or sleeping around. If we’re going to date, I’d prefer we just date each other and no one else.”

  He stared at her. “Let me get this straight. No football-mafia type shenanigans. No girlfriends on the side. I have to like Nora and Simon, and I can’t shoot up or snort lines of cocaine whenever I feel like it. That about it?”

  “Make fun if you want, but yes. That’s it.”

  Mitch started laughing. “Man, Becca. You drive a hard bargain, but okay. I’ll ditch the drugs and the women as soon as you leave tonight. How’s that?”

  “Laugh it up, player.” She kissed him.

  He kissed her back, and their union turned from playful to passionate.

  “Still working with condoms, right?” he asked between kisses.

  “Um.”

  He took that as a yes.

  And then he showed her how very gracious a football player could be with a girlfriend, even if she wasn’t a football-mafia type.

  Whatever that was.

  ******

  Becca knew she’d sounded like an idiot when she’d come up with her conditions, but to her shock Mitch hadn’t done more than laugh at them, then call her his girl.

  Two days after their big dating revelation, she still felt warm and bubbly. So unlike her. Becca loved working hard and being Simon’s mother. She took comfort in her son and her job. But now she felt happy about Mitch too. And more and more she felt apart from her past grief, from the man she’d once called her soulmate.

  She wanted to feel more guilt about moving on, but even Neal would have wanted her to find someone by now. She just wished she knew if these feelings for Mitch would last. He seemed almost too good to be true.

  Intelligent. Handsome. Kind. Sexy. And of course, rich. Becca wanted to be beyond superficial trappings, but knowing she wouldn’t have to financially support her new boyfriend felt nice.

  Boyfriend.

  She couldn’t believe she had one of those again. Or that she’d done the unthinkable and confided to Nora about him.

  Now everyone knew.

  Simon came into the tea shop an hour after school had let out. She’d told Simon about dating Mitch that same evening after she’d confirmed it with her boyfriend.

  Simon hadn’t batted an eyelash, the stinker. Instead he’d congratulated her on making a move—whatever that meant—and told her he’d had a talk with Mitch already. Simon approved of her new relationship, even though she’d cautioned him not to take Mitch too seriously. That she and Mitch were new and most likely wouldn’t last.

  He gave the same amount of attention to her warning as he reserved for his ninth grade literature class. None at all. Instead, he’d asked about getting a dog again.

  At least her son wouldn’t prove an obstacle to Becca having a social life.

  “Hey, Mom.” Simon put on a half apron and took a spot behind the counter, giving Becca the break she needed.

  The shop had been particularly busy today, customers coming in to check her out, most likely, since she’d overheard a lot of speculation about her new “girlfriend-to-the-hunk” status. Yep. Nora strikes again.

  “I’ll be in the back making more cookies. Can you handle it out here?” Between him and Ruth, they’d have enough hands to handle the customers.

  “Sure. Feel free to hide in the shadows.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him but took the bait, ignoring his chuckle. At home in the small kitchen, she relaxed in the familiar. Brown sugar and molasses. Flour, eggs. Cinnamon and vanilla. Spices that made the air smell of holidays and sweetness.

  And if Mitch had happened to mention how much he loved her cookies, so what? She had a business to run. She would try to remember to bring a few cookies home with her, for when he popped over tonight.

  Her first official date with Mitch Flashman. A movie night at her place. With Simon.

  How romantic. Not. She laughed at herself and continued to bake.

  Until Linda Madison walked in and ruined her day.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Simon had Ruth cover him while he went back to check on his mother. He thought he’d seen someone go by. And since no one had grabbed the bathroom key, that someone had to be near the kitchen or storage area.

  He heard his mother talking to someone and slowed to a stop, unseen in the hallway.

  “What can I do for you, Linda?”

  Linda Madison answered, “Not too much. I’m here to pass some news about your rent. And to congratulate you.”

  “For what?”

  “For becoming part of the hottest new couple in town.”

  Simon winced. Even he could hear that Linda sounded bitter.

  His mom sighed. “I had hoped this wouldn’t be a big deal.”

  “Seriously? You caught the most eligible bachelor in Central Oregon. How could it not?” Linda gave a light laugh. “I don’t know how you did it, but I want your secret.”

  Simon could imagine his mom squirming, uncomfortable with the attention. He started forward when someone pulled him back.

  He turned to see Jenna holding his arm, a finger over her lips. So he waited with his coconspirator to listen.

  “There’s no secret. Mitch and I just hit it off. Who knows how long it will last?”

  Forever, if Simon had his way.

  “Well, good for you two.” Insincere much, Linda? he thought, pitying poor Davey as she continued. “Believe it or not, I really did come by to pass some information from Harris.” Her ex-husband and the tea shop’s landlord. Linda and Harris maintained a cordial relationship, and Linda ran a few of his business concerns while Harris lived in Portland. Simon didn’t mind the guy, though he thought Davey had gotten the short end of the stick when it came to parents—a rich, mostly absent dad and a witchy mom who liked men too much.

  “What’s the news?” Simon’s mom asked.

  A pause, then Linda said, “The rent is going up.”

  “By how much?”

  He heard paper rustling, then Linda said, “One-fifty a month.”

  “That’s crazy.”

  To her credit, Linda sounded apologetic. “I only know what Harris tells me. He’s been trying to figure out how to make ends meet, what with the housing prices going down everywhere in town. He’s taking a hit, so he’s raising rents on Main Street. And in case you think this is motivated by me possibly having an axe to grind, which I don’t, it’s not. I have nothing to do with his financial choices.”

  “While I understand a rate hike, one-fifty a month?”

  He and Jenna exchanged glances. Simon didn’t know how his mom calculated their budget, but they lived strictly by it. He had a feeling this would have a major impact on things.

  “I’m sorry, but that’s what he told me. Harris wanted me to let everyone know in person. He’s also going
to send emails out along with a new contract detailing the increase. There’s no penalty should you need to break your lease. He feels bad about the rate hike, but without it, he’ll have to sell some property. And let’s face it, there are enough businesses in town that he won’t have trouble filling your storefront with another company.” Linda paused. “But about Flash… I’m not sure how you snagged that fine man, but be warned—I’m here waiting. If you don’t satisfy him, I will.”

  “Ew,” Jenna whispered.

  He glanced at her, crossed his eyes, and grimaced.

  She stifled a laugh.

  They heard high heels on the tile and scattered. After Linda left, Simon found his mom staring at a mound of cookie dough. “Mom?”

  She looked up and forced a smile, he could tell. “Hey, Simon. Jenna. How are you?”

  Jenna had wormed her way to his side. “Hi, Mrs. Bragg. I’m good. How are you? Oh, are those your ginger-molasses cookies? Yum.”

  His mom fetched them both cookies, then asked about their days.

  Simon loved his mom more than anyone in the world. She always looked out for him, and though she bossed him occasionally, she treated him like a real person. She never played off the fact that she looked too young to have a teenager, which he’d heard often enough from older guys into his mom and even his own friends, who thought her a MILF—so gross. She also didn’t want anyone’s sympathy for being a single mom.

  Rebecca Bragg was his biggest champion. He thought maybe it was time he could be hers. She’d been going it alone for way too long.

  When his mom and Jenna paused in conversation, he slipped in, “So, Mom. What did Mrs. Madison want?”

  A terrible liar, his mom gave him some BS excuse about contract stuff. “I just have to resign the papers. No worries. We’re good. So, what about you two? What are you up to?”

  Jenna answered, “We’re going to see a movie when Simon’s done working. I’m helping too, if that’s okay. For free,” she tacked on. “The hours go toward my National Honor Society service.”

  Another liar, Jenna, unlike his mom, did it well. She’d obviously heard what he had and wanted to help. Man, Jenna was the best. No way some idiot at school could appreciate her the way Simon could. But how to tell her that crushing on someone else was a mistake?