Maid to Fit

by Rebecca Avery

  They looked at each other and then back at him like he was crazy. As he headed into the house, he smiled. They wouldn’t be asking him for cheerleading help anymore.

  He worked on picking up the main floor and making sure Kayla wouldn’t notice they had used her expensive living room as a jungle gym. Then he headed down to the basement and cringed at the mess they’d made.

  Weren’t girls supposed to be neat?

  He headed back outside to tell them to pick up the mess in the basement before their parents came to get them but stopped in his tracks when Kaitlyn counted off. All the girls ran in formation and did some sort of cartwheel type flip and landed in a fairly straight line.

  Deciding against drawing attention to himself since they were actually doing what he had coached them to do, he headed back downstairs to the basement and started cleaning up. A bit later Addie came downstairs and told him that her friends’ parents had picked up all of them. She helped him with the last of the mess and then said, “If I come up with a cheer routine on my own, will you tell me if it’s good?”

  “If it means that much to you, then yes. I’ll tell you honestly if it’s good or not,” he said.

  Why she wanted his opinion he wasn’t sure, since he knew next to nothing about cheerleading, or dancing for that matter, but he would give her his thoughts on whatever she came up with. Much like with his sisters, he was starting to realize there wasn’t much he wouldn’t do for Addie if she asked. She was a cool kid, as were most of her friends.

  “Our school has never placed at this competition, so yeah, it does mean that much to me,” she said. She walked up the stairs. “I’m going to get a shower. Mom should be home soon.”

  “Well, I’m going to take off since your friends are gone. I don’t want your mom to pass out in fear of Buck again,” he said.

  Addie stopped her ascent, her whole body tensing up. “Oh, no, I forgot about that,” she said quietly.

  “I know you have a lot going on right now with school and cheerleading but so does your mom. Don’t get so busy you forget the important things,” he said. She looked back at him with a confused expression on her face. “Forgetting to tell me your mother is deathly afraid of dogs—not cool.”

  “I’m sorry, Ronnie. I really did forget. Mom will forgive me because I’m her daughter, but don’t worry, she’ll forgive you, too, because she likes you.” She ran up the last couple of stairs and disappeared from view.

  If only Kayla liked him the way that he liked her. Her kiss earlier let him know she was interested in him sexually but would she ever actually date a guy like him? He was a farm boy with nothing more than a high school education. He knew about hunting and fishing and he enjoyed a beer now and then. She was college-educated, sophisticated, a city girl with class and elegance…who just so happened to set him on fire with her kisses.

  Maybe Addie’s father had hurt Kayla. She did seem a little closed off sometimes, as though afraid to open herself up to other people, for friendship or for something more. Perhaps she would come to realize Ronnie was trustworthy. In the meantime, he just needed to try to hold himself in check so he didn’t scare her off.

  After cleaning up Buck’s food and water dishes in the kitchen, Ronnie left to drop off the dog at Rusty’s and pick up the things he needed to refinish the table in Kayla’s garage as well as a few things for the apartment. When he finally made it back to his place, he caught Ian and Seth on their way out the door.

  “We’re going to hit up a bar and see what kind of fun we can find,” Ian explained. “Want to go with?”

  Ronnie’s cell phone rang and he noticed the caller ID said it was Kayla. “Maybe next time. I’m kind of wiped, man,” he said to them.

  The two guys piled out and he shut and locked the door behind them. Then he hit the button to accept the call.

  “Yes, Kayla,” he said with a smile.

  “I’m sorry to bother you, but I have to go out of town this coming week and meet with a client on a new ad campaign. Addie is of course completely mad at me, but it can’t be helped. She will be staying with a girlfriend of mine so I shouldn’t need you to clean the house or pick her up this week. I just wanted to let you know in case your boss wanted to book an extra job for you next week,” Kayla said.

  He was surprised at the level of disappointment he felt at hearing her words. Housekeeping was just a job and she was a working mother he shouldn’t be flirting with anyway. Her daughter was nothing more than an extension of his employment, not a kid sister or his responsibility in any way. Kayla’s business-like explanation made his role abundantly clear. Whatever had possessed her to wrap her arms around him that morning and press that mouth of hers against his was gone now. She had effectively packed him back into the employee box.

  “Thanks for letting me know,” he said.

  “I’ll call you next weekend when I get back in town. I should be back in time for the football game,” she said. Then after a long pause she added, “Bye, Ronnie.”

  “Wait,” he said, not wanting to hang up yet. “There is a table in your garage, with four chairs. I fixed the table but wasn’t sure if that was something you wanted to get rid of.”

  “You fixed my mother’s table?” she said quietly. “Thank you, Ronnie. I love that table and even though it was broken, along with the chairs, and in need of refinishing, none of which I know how to do, I just couldn’t get rid of it.”

  “You’re welcome. See you when you get back,” he said and hung up the phone reluctantly.

  His gut told him it would be a long week without Kayla and Addie’s constant calls—a long week he wasn’t really looking forward to.

  Chapter Five

  Kayla called Addie on Monday and Tuesday, in the evening, but had no way to contact her mother and see if she was doing okay. Her mother couldn’t focus well enough to talk on the phone, but the doctor called and confirmed that none of the bones in her mother’s cheek were broken and that the swelling had already decreased. Kayla knew she would feel better, though, if she had an objective opinion on her mother’s well-being. But from her hotel room there was nothing she could do.

  At least Addie had calmed down about having to stay with one of Kayla’s college friends, Tori Stewart. Tori had a little boy that Addie babysat from time to time. Addie had somehow managed to talk Ronnie into continuing to pick her up from cheer practices throughout the week. Once she’d settled that, Addie had relaxed and her attitude toward Kayla’s whole out-of-town business trip improved significantly.

  Kayla was a little upset that Addie had taken it upon herself to call Ronnie about picking her up after practice instead of just allowing Tori to pick her up. Kayla had been trying to give Ronnie a break from their constant demands. And give herself a little distance from the passion in that kiss. She couldn’t seem to get it out of her mind.

  Her cell phone rang and the display noted it was Ronnie calling. She quickly admonished herself for the shot of joy and excitement that went through her. He was her employee, and maybe even a friend. But definitely not a boyfriend. Her focus should be on her mother and Addie…not on a handsome blue-eyed man with a southern drawl.

  “Hi, Ronnie,” she answered.

  “Hey, I’ve got that nanny cam thing for you whenever you get back in town.”

  Maybe he would stop by and check on her mom. Should she ask him? If she did, it would alleviate her concerns over her mother. But the purpose of hiring him had been to help her get her life back under control, not to become reliant on him, as Addie was quickly becoming.

  Oh, who was she kidding? She was becoming as dependent on him as Addie was.

  “I have a favor to ask,” she finally said, sighing at her own weakness.

  “Whatever you need. I’m at your service, Kayla,” he replied.

  Why did he have to say it like that, especially her name, which somehow sounded more sexually explicit than any four-letter word he could have chosen. It was like a caress against naked skin, sensual and tempting.


  His kindness and the way he took care of them was hard enough to resist, but once he threw in the flirting, it was nearly impossible. She kept trying to remind herself that guys like Ronnie didn’t get serious about women like her. And that she had a responsibility to Addie and to her mom that left no time for dating.

  But the sound of Ronnie’s voice made it easy to forget everything else.

  “I, um, was wondering if you could go by the nursing home and find a place for the camera in my mother’s room and maybe just casually check on her and make sure she is okay.”

  “You’re really worried, aren’t you?” he asked after a brief pause.

  Knowing it was useless to deny it, she said, “Yeah, actually I am really worried about her.”

  “You could have called me earlier this week,” he said. When she didn’t respond he asked, “Why didn’t you call me earlier if you were so worried?”

  “You’re supposed to be off work this week. I thought you might have other things to do…other jobs I mean,” she said.

  “I have been busy, but it won’t take even an hour to run by and check on her. Next time just call me instead of getting all worried,” he said.

  “Thanks, Ronnie. I owe you for this. If there is ever anything you need, just let me know,” she said.

  She could swear she heard his smile right before he said, “Anything? How about a date then…when you get back?”

  “I don’t know.” She hesitated. Was he serious? “I’m not sure I really have time for—”

  “I’m not asking you to marry me. Just let me take you out for a little fun and maybe get another one of them scorching-hot kisses of yours. Like the one that has been on repeat in my head since Saturday,” he said.

  Her one moment of weakness was being used against her. She wasn’t sure what had possessed her to kiss him like she had. Bringing up that very kiss in conversation only increased the power of her memories of the hunger and passion between them, of Ronnie with his shirt off in her front yard, of his closeness the other night in her laundry room, of his fingers on her mouth.

  “You did say anything.”

  “Okay, fine. One date, just as friends,” she replied. Oh, God, was she really going to do this? His flirting was wearing her down, out-cheering her mantra about not being his type and not having time to get involved with him.

  “I will pick you up at seven o’clock on Saturday night,” he said. “I’ll call you when I get back from visiting your mama.” Then he disconnected the call.

  She could not force away the grin she now wore, so she pulled out some of the designs she had presented to the client during yesterday’s meeting and began working on revisions. It was next to impossible to really concentrate while waiting for Ronnie to call her back. As much as she was concerned about her mother she also just wanted to listen to him talk. His low tone with that slight southern drawl had been visiting her dreams.

  She needed to get a grip. Guys built like Ronnie didn’t have relationships with chubby girls like her. They just slept with them.

  He was probably thinking he would get lucky after her display of desperation on Saturday. Shame was what she should have felt after basically throwing herself at him, but she only wanted to do it again. If she went into this whole date thing with her eyes wide open, knowing it was two consenting adults with no expectations, maybe she would be the one to get lucky.

  The idea of being with Ronnie… She doubted the experience would be anything but amazing. Was it so depraved to admit she’d been alone for a good while and that she wanted a man? That she wanted Ronnie…

  Sometime later she jumped when her cell phone rang. Glancing at the alarm clock next to the bed, she realized almost three hours had passed since she’d talked to Ronnie. She waited for it to ring a second time before answering it with a monotonous sounding “Hello.”

  “Were you sleeping?” he asked.

  “No, I was just working,” she replied.

  “You sounded all sleepy and sexy when you answered, but I’m glad I didn’t wake you up. Can you get on the internet and go to a website real quick?” he asked.

  She followed Ronnie’s directions, and after logging in she was able to view her mother’s room at the nursing home. She could see her mother already in bed sleeping peacefully.

  “It will be better quality in the morning when there is more light in the room. This should do the trick, though, until you get back in town to go visit her in person. I told her I was with the electric company and needed to check out the outlets, so she didn’t seem to have a problem letting me look around her room. She did mention a couple of times what a nice-looking man I am. Am I really that attractive, or is it just her medication talking?” he asked.

  He was so fishing for compliments, probably wearing his infamous grin. How could she answer that without giving away the fact that he was good-looking enough to distract her at inappropriate times?

  “She may have Alzheimer’s disease but her vision is good, from what the doctor tells me,” she said.

  “Well, you don’t have Alzheimer’s and you don’t wear glasses. So tell me, Kayla, objectively, am I attractive to you?”

  Damn him! She could feel his smile through the phone line and it was making her grin, as well.

  “Yeah, you’re fine. You know you are,” she finally replied.

  “I wanted you to say it. I’m just making sure that kiss wouldn’t have been the same for some other man. That just maybe my ugly mug is really capable of getting that kind of a response out of you,” he said.

  “Good night, Ronnie,” she threatened with a laugh.

  “Wait, before you go, I was wondering if you trust me to sand down your mother’s table and chairs and refinish them. I fixed the table, including the leg that made it unbalanced, and I fixed the spindles in the backs of all the chairs. They could all use a fresh coat of stain, though,” he said.

  He had been working on her mother’s table and chairs over the past few days she’d been out of town? It was a thoughtful thing to do since she’d only asked him to stop by briefly to check the house and get the mail.

  “That would be so great. I’ve wanted to find someone to refinish the set but just haven’t had time. Keep track of how many hours you’ve spent working on it and I will pay you for the work,” she said.

  “If you insist. It’s just one of the many services I offer,” he said. “Good night, Kayla,” he finished with a husky laugh.

  After hanging up with Ronnie, she put away her laptop and got ready for bed. It took a while to go to sleep because her thoughts and grins were keeping her awake.

  Mmm…Ronnie.

  His voice, his blue eyes, his broad shoulders, the way he moved and mostly his stupid grin.

  * * *

  Yes! Kayla was going to go out with him on Saturday.

  He realized by Tuesday evening that he missed both her and the kid. Kayla was becoming a pretty decent friend, and Addie was good times.

  He’d had a nice long talk with one of his older sisters, who had preached at him relentlessly about not playing with a single mother’s heart. But he wasn’t playing, he was serious. Seriously lusting for Kayla.

  Then today he had gone to the school early just to watch Addie at practice. The team of girls had mobbed him, wanting him to coach them. Apparently their useless coach had finally stepped down, stating she just didn’t have the time anymore and without an adult advisor the girls were “screwed,” or so they had emphatically claimed.

  Even after his last attempt, he still knew nothing at all about coaching cheerleading. But how hard could it be to help out for a week or two until the girls could find someone else to coach them? Surely they could convince one of the other mothers or maybe an older sister to take over.

  Not only would the guys give him shit if they found out about him being a cheerleading coach, but those girls deserved someone who knew what they were doing. They were good kids. Not to mention, what would Kayla think if she found out? Would
she think he was trying to push his way into her and Addie’s life outside of his job duties?

  All he knew was, the minute Addie had looked at him with her imploring eyes he’d caved. Besides, all he would have to do was sit there and make sure they didn’t revert back to defensive cheers when their own team had the football.

  He sat down at the table to fill out the paperwork the principal at Addie’s school had given him. After attaching the information on his background that Rusty had shared with him, he decided to do a quick internet search. He needed to know what cheerleaders did at these competitions, and in general, besides hanging around on the sidelines at Friday-night football games.

  An hour later, he was aggravated about what he found. Addie’s team needed boys, strong boys, if they were really going to stand a chance at this competition thing that meant so much to them. The football team would be the most likely bet for the kind of boys they needed.

  The following afternoon, Ronnie showed up at Addie’s practice after turning in his paperwork to the principal, feeling a little more prepared thanks to his internet research. With Buck in tow, he had the girls run laps in the gym, in formation, while he pulled out the mats from the storage closet in the gym that Kaitlyn had pointed out to him. When the girls finished warming up and managed to line up correctly, he stood before them like a drill sergeant.

  “Which one of you wants to commandeer at least four, but preferably eight, members of the football team for the stunts you will have to do for this competition?” he asked. “We need boys with upper-body strength if we want to have a chance at winning. So again, who is going to take care of rounding up some boys?”

  “Their coach won’t let them. He says male cheerleaders are—” Kaitlyn began.

  “Yeah, we’ve tried for years to get some guys to join with no luck,” one of the other girls said.

  “Work on those flips of yours—together, you know, like a team—until I get back,” he ordered.

  He walked back outside with Buck to talk to the football coach. Addie had said this competition was important to her and he’d agreed to help her achieve that goal. The football coach hadn’t impressed him at last weekend’s game but he hadn’t disappointed either. Having lost the first game of the season wasn’t a good sign for the football team’s overall success, and Ronnie hadn’t noticed any banners hanging around the gym that announced the football team as reigning champs of any kind, so what was the harm in the players helping the cheer squad with a few stunts?