Playing for Keeps

by Rhonda Laurel

  Since they remained in agreement that they didn’t want to know the sex, Charisma came up with a color scheme that would be suitable either way. He had to admit it was nice to see her put so much passion into a new project and not worry about gaining weight or trading in her sexy clothes for something a little more practical. Grandma Reed made sure she had plenty to eat when they went over for dinner. He enjoyed spooning ice cream out of the carton with her at midnight, giving her foot massages, and dropping by Reed Designs with her favorite smoothie. She cried when they watched romantic movies and was equally pumped up from watching action movies. Each night they leafed through the book of baby names and compiled lists.

  Derek stared down at the sonogram photo again, smiling to himself. He wanted them to be a family. Even though he was determined not to hound her about marrying him, that remained something he deeply wanted. He’d talked to his brother Alex about his frustrations, but he was soon put at ease by his big brother’s advice. Charisma loved him and that was all that mattered. Alex reminded him that she was a fiercely independent woman and a little stubborn but those were also some of the things Derek loved about her. Although his brother seemed better at handing out love advice than following his own advice. When Derek asked what Alex was doing to jumpstart his love life, Alex deflected the topic and started talking about a project he’d been working with Noah and how Chloe was loving her new dance class and was over the moon about the ballet gear Charisma had sent her. Derek let him dodge the questions because he did love to hear about his niece and nephew. He’d be delighted if they had a sweet, adorable little girl like Chloe or Mackenzie. Alex also mentioned something about a possible job opportunity, but he had to cut their phone conversation short to go get the kids out of the pool.

  He put the photo of his baby back in his pocket and picked up the menu and the notes the chef Josh had left for him. He’d wanted to expand the summer menu. He was proud of their food selections. They had the classic favorites his athlete friends loved, but they’d also added a few Russian dishes he’d loved as a kid.

  He glanced up when the hostess held the entrance door open and got the shock of his life. It was Debra Reed, Charisma’s mom. He thought about sneaking off to his office, but it was too late. She’d already seen him and was coming his way. She was an older version of Charisma. They had the same build, sense of style, and confident walk.

  “Hello, Mrs. Reed.” He gave her his best grin, but wished he had a mouth guard so he wouldn’t grind his teeth.

  “Derek, I told you a long time ago to call me Debra.”

  “I don’t believe you’ve ever stepped foot in my bar,” he said as he wiped his hands on a towel. “What can I do for you?”

  “We need to talk.”

  “Have a seat. But I insist you eat something. It’s better to talk with something in your stomach.” He waved at a passing waitress. “Moira, can you put in an order for a lobster Caesar salad with extra dressing and crostini on the side.”

  “Sure thing, Derek.” The waitress nodded and headed off into the kitchen.

  “OK, Amazing Kreskin,” Debra said as she climbed onto the barstool and folded her arms over her chest. “What do I want to drink?”

  “A glass of white Riesling.” He put a glass on a cocktail napkin, then turned to the bottle-covered wall for his best bottle. He took the cork out and poured a much bigger glass than he’d give the average customer.

  She squinted at him. “How did you know that I’d like that salad?”

  “Every time Charisma takes food to you from here it’s always the same thing. She orders the extra crostini because she says you both love it and you fight over it if there’s not enough.” He started wiping down the bar with the towel.

  “Oh.”

  “Hey, Derek,” a couple of female patrons called out as they made their way across the dining room floor.

  He nodded to them. “Ladies, always good to see you.”

  “Are there always hockey bunnies hanging around here?”

  He stopped mopping the bar. “That’s my chef’s wife and her sister. They’re no more bunnies than you are a fan of the sport.”

  “It’s too violent for my tastes. A bunch of hotheads skating around with sticks leaves a lot to be desired.”

  “That’s right. You’re a football fan.” His jaw ticked as he cleaned the next glass and set it on a shelf under the bar.

  A few minutes later, her dinner came out. She ate while he filled the drink orders. She seemed to be enjoying the food even though she was constantly distracted by her cell phone.

  Finally she finished her food and eyed him again. “So this is your next occupation after you finish being a hockey player?”

  “Maybe. It’s an honest living, and I love this place.” He topped off her wineglass again.

  “Does Charisma know about your intention to become a fulltime bartender? She’s accustomed to a certain lifestyle, and you can’t maintain that and raise a baby with a fledgling restaurant.”

  “I can take care of your daughter and our child just fine. They are the most important thing to me.”

  “If everything is so great, why haven’t you asked my daughter to marry you?”

  He gritted his teeth. “I asked. She said no. We’re working things out.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Debra said, but the tone of her voice said exactly the opposite.

  Derek gripped the glass so tightly he almost shattered it when he saw the small flash of a smile on her face. “I’m glad you stopped by.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “I’m not, but it had to be done.”

  “What’s your deal with me?”

  “It’s not about liking you, it’s about what’s best for my daughter.”

  “Am I not rich enough? Is my career not high profile enough? I know hockey isn’t football, but it’s still a billion-dollar industry. I do pretty well for myself.”

  “I told you, this isn’t about you. It’s about Charisma. She makes impulsive decisions all the time. My job as a parent is to keep her focused on her future.”

  “I think her refusal to marry me has something to do with you being so dismissive about us.”

  “She has her own mind. I don’t control her.”

  “Since when? You’ve been using her as your puppet since she was a kid. She had no childhood because you were always using her to chase some dream of yours. You goaded her toward Lamont, no matter how many deplorable things he did to her. But I guess that was OK because he played football.”

  “Don’t take that tone with me. If Charisma turned you down then she has legitimate reservations about marrying you. Men like you never settle down with one woman. At some point you pretend to be reformed so people think you’ve grown and have become a family man, but you still have women on the side. You may have buttered up her grandmother with expensive gifts and charmed the rest of the family, but I’m not buying it.”

  Derek looked around the room. The only people who weren’t staring at them were the ones who were too polite to gawk. Debra had gotten quite loud, but then again, that was her intention. To get him to lose his cool and do something foolish like the addlebrained brutish hockey player she thought him to be. Funny how she always felt safe around Lamont whose personality was as combustible as they came.

  So, she’d taken off the boxing gloves. He never thought he’d go bare knuckle with his future mother-in-law, but so be it. She’d been lurking in the shadows since their relationship began, spouting her doubts about them. He only imagined what harm she could do if she were to influence their child somehow. It was clear her end goal was to separate them. He could see her trying to convince Charisma to file for sole custody and shut him out completely. He shook the negative thoughts out of his head. He’d just gone from zero to a hundred in a matter of seconds. He had faith the love of his life couldn’t be swayed that easily.

  He took a deep breath and looked her straight in the eyes. “Charisma is the only woman I will ever want or need fo
r the rest of my life. But that doesn’t suit your smear campaign.” He slammed the glass down on the bar. “I am grateful she has family elders like Sydney and Curtis and Grandma Reed in her life, because you and your husband have dropped the ball.”

  She glared at him, threw her napkin on the bar, and hopped off the stool. “We gave our kids a good life!”

  “She’s having a baby and needs love and guidance and encouragement from her parents. You are obviously incapable of giving her any of those things. This could have been a special bonding time for the both of you, but you’d rather squander it harassing her about living her life the wrong way.”

  “I see this was a mistake to come here. There’s no reasoning with you.”

  “No, I’m glad you came. I’ve been meaning to have a sit down with you and your husband for the longest time, but I find it to be quite difficult. It would be great if her father would just spend some time with her.”

  “That’s none of your business either. Especially if she isn’t marrying you,” Debra shot back. “I still don’t condone this relationship and I never will.”

  “Then I guess you don’t want to have anything to do with your grandchild.”

  “I didn’t say that,” she snapped.

  “Stop hurting your daughter.” He flung the bar rag across his shoulder.

  “Excuse me?”

  “She says left, you scream right. She wants cake, you insist she has pie. I don’t know when you stopped listening to her, but it’s a damn shame you can’t take stock of the woman she is now. I don’t care if you like me. I’ve given up trying to placate you. I’m done overlooking your attempts for me not to get to know your husband. But we’re going to be family soon, whether you like it or not, and I will not have my child in an environment where there is no respect for my child’s mother.”

  “Are you threatening to keep my grandbaby away from me?”

  “No, I’m promising that you won’t be given chance after chance to derail my family.”

  He watched as she stormed out of the bar like the world was on fire. He hated to have such heated words, but some things had to be said. If there was any chance to have a family with Charisma that wasn’t riddled with mistakes from the past and monstrous parents, he’d take it. She deserved that much and more.

  By the time he’d picked her up from Grandma Reed’s and was headed back to their apartment, he’d grappled with whether or not he should tell her about the run-in with her mother. He decided it was necessary because he didn’t want her to feel like he was hiding it from her. It would only be ammunition for Debra.

  Later, he broached the subject as he snuggled next to Charisma in bed. “I don’t want you to get upset, but your mom came to see me at the Slap tonight.”

  “Oh no.” She turned to face him. “What did she say?”

  “It’s not important, but I want you to know I stood up to her and it got pretty heated. I didn’t want it to go that far, but she—”

  “I know. She has a knack for pushing certain buttons.” She sighed. “How did you leave things with her?”

  “I think we’re both clear where we stand.” He pulled her close. “Now let’s get some sleep. We can talk about it some more in the morning.”

  “OK.” She laid her head back down on the pillow.

  Derek listened to her breathing. After a few minutes, she was asleep. As he dozed off, he couldn’t help but feel like she’d soon be forced to make a choice.

  * * *

  Derek held his breath as the writer and photographer followed Charisma throughout the apartment. She’d spent all of yesterday getting things ready, but you wouldn’t know it to look at her. She’d groomed and arranged the place within an inch of her life, and they’d even slept at Grandma Reed’s house last night to make sure nothing was out of place this morning. Their apartment looked great. As expected, they oohed and aahed as they went from room to room. The kitchen had state-of-the-art appliances and beautiful marble counters. All the artwork perfectly matched the color scheme and was interesting without being distracting. She’d done such a magnificent job on his game room, he almost didn’t want to use it.

  The themed guestrooms were also a hit, and they were impressed by the canvas in the long hallway that had been sent to them by his parents. The painting was by a Russian Impressionist his mother adored. They got a big chuckle out of their master bedroom, which had at least twenty-five pillows on their king size bed. The bathroom boasted a customized shower, claw foot tub, three sinks, and its own walk-in closet for linens. Charisma talked extensively about the correlation between the designing of the guestrooms highlighting some part of their lives. The Alamo, Goal Post, Ballerina, and Monte Carlo rooms all had some special meaning to them. The terrace was decorated with sturdy, wrought iron furniture and a gas grill. The nursery was still a work in progress, but it was coming along. He’d invited a few of his teammates over last weekend and they’d put up the teddy bear wallpaper.

  Jared was supposed to join them today for the apartment showing, but he’d flown out to Minneapolis with Tyler and Anna Beth to a Blake Hotels construction site to resolve a design issue that had come up since they’d set the foundation. He’d sent her notes and assured her that she would be fine. They’d worked on the apartment design together, and she knew the project intimately. She was living in the finished product, after all. He suggested she talk from the perspective of designing with the architect to plan a decorating strategy. Then she could riff on how all of that came together in practical living space, especially since she was one of the residents. He loved how she smiled every time she heard one of the residents talk about how chic and contemporary the lobby and the common areas were and they made a statement as soon as one entered the building.

  Finally, they’d come full circle and were back in the living room.

  Uma, the writer, turned to Charisma. “This place is fabulous.”

  “Thank you. This is the end result of the combined efforts of the Reed Designs & Interiors firm. My cousin Jared is an architectural savant.”

  “And Charisma comes in and finesses the project with her impeccable decorative touches.” He made sure to throw that in there. He knew she’d never compliment herself.

  “And I love the artwork,” Uma said. “I especially like the adorable photo in the ballerina room of the three little girls sitting on the porch.”

  Charisma laughed. “That’s actually me and my cousins, Morgan and Isabelle. I’m sure you know who they are.”

  “Yes!” Uma clapped. “Wives of legendary quarterback Seth Blake and country western singer Tate McGill. You ladies have the same taste in men. Hunky and hot. I love it. You wouldn’t believe how many celebrities we interview that don’t have a clue of what’s in their homes. Or worse, they rented something for the photo shoot.”

  “I took my time mapping out how to bring our personalities together. Derek had a wonderful home in Center City before we moved here. It was important that he retain some of that comfort he had at his old place.”

  “But it was missing something vital.” He grinned and put his arm around her waist. “A family.”

  “You two are so adorable,” Kevin the cameraman said. “You are the most fabulous pregnant woman I’ve ever seen.”

  “Thank you.” She ran a hand over her stomach.

  Uma put her finger to her lips. “A friend of mine just took over as editor in chief at Contemporary Parents magazine. I write freelance for them, and Carly’s looking for a bold cover and feature story. I think you would be great.”

  “What?”

  “You would be a great fit. A stylish woman of the world who’s blazing a trail for herself and happens to be an expectant mother.”

  “I don’t know.” She bit her lip.

  “I think it’s a wonderful idea,” Derek said. She deserved to be on the cover, she was such a wonderful person and she’d done so much to turn her life around. She could be an inspiration to other women. It made him happy just thinking abo
ut it.

  “I’ll have to think about it.”

  “Here’s her card.” Uma sifted through her portfolio and handed over a business card. “I’ll call her and let her know you may be calling.”

  She took the card. “Thanks.”

  “We’re all wrapped up here, but I hate to leave.” Uma laughed. “It’s an amazing place. I’ll e-mail with the shots we’d like to use for the cover. I do hope you’ll consider calling Carly.”

  Derek saw them out, then came back into the apartment. Charisma was standing in the middle of the floor staring at the business card.

  “I think that went well.” He closed the door. “In fact, I would say it went great.”

  She nodded. “This will be awesome publicity for the firm.”

  “And for you as a designer. Your name is going to be out there in a big way, so get ready.”

  “I have to admit, it did feel good being recognized for putting my best foot forward.”

  “How about we celebrate? Let’s grab a bite at that trattoria in Jersey that you like.”

  “Franco’s?” She clapped, then paused and frowned.

  He took her hand gently. “What’s wrong?”

  “I just clapped over pizza.” She groaned.

  “The greatest pizza you’d ever tasted.”

  “I was twelve pounds lighter when I made that declaration.”

  “There’s more.” He rubbed his hands together. “Get ready for a taste-bud overload. After we split a pie, we’ll swing by that cupcake shop that was featured on the Food Channel.”

  “You are too good to me.” She encircled her arms around his waist.

  “I’m proud of you. You designed the hell out of this place.” He got down on his knees and put his hands on her tummy. “Malyutka, your momma is a creative dynamo. I hope you inherit all of her talents.”

  “And your dad’s big heart and soulful eyes.” She covered his hands with hers.