The Last Man She Expected

by Michelle Major

  “What happened?”

  “I dunno. Caroline pushed me out of the way, and Anna called her a poopy-head and she said I was the poopy-head because I miss the ball when I kick. Anna was mad, and Caro was mad and I felt pukey.”

  Wow. That was a big download of information. Parker scrubbed a hand over his jaw, trying to figure out the best way to respond. He would have liked to pull Caroline out of the drill and drag her over to her poopy-head mom for a lecture on bullying.

  But he didn’t know which one Caroline was and more important, understood making a scene wasn’t going to help Evie get through the soccer season.

  “I agree with Anna,” he said, even though he knew that was probably inappropriate, as well. He didn’t care. He was the assistant coach and not a parent, which gave him a bit of a pass. “How did Coach Josh and I not see that?”

  “I dunno,” Evie repeated. “But I miss the ball a lot.” She clenched her fist in the fabric of her unicorn T-shirt. “Will you ask Coach Josh if I can sit on the bench on Saturday? I’ll be a good cheerleader. I promise.”

  Parker blew out a breath. This kid killed him.

  “Everyone plays,” he said gently. “That’s how Coach Josh runs the team.”

  “Yeah, I know,” Evie agreed. She glanced around him toward the rest of the team. “I gotta go practice.”

  “Hey, Evie?” Parker put a hand on her shoulder when she started to move past him.

  She looked up, her milk-chocolate-colored eyes wide. In some ways, Mara’s daughter reminded him of Josh as a kid—small and unsure and a perfect target for demon kids like Caroline. Parker had never experienced that sort of uncertainty. He’d been confident, athletic and a pint-size master at hiding the emotional trauma in his life. Josh had struggled while Parker instinctively understood what had to be done to survive and flourish.

  He was back in Starlight to help his brother, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t spread the wealth a bit while he was here.

  “What, Coach?”

  The word coach hit Parker like a swift uppercut to the jaw. It was a role he’d never expected to play, especially for a dozen chattering kindergarten girls, but he found he liked the idea of it. The teams he’d been on through recreation leagues and in high school had meant the world to him, giving him an outlet for his aggression and the feeling of belonging he’d never had at home.

  Maybe he could be the person who offered that to Evie.

  Maybe it could make up for what he’d helped do to Mara during the divorce proceedings.

  “How would you like some private soccer lessons before the game?”

  She tilted her head, reminding him of an unsure puppy trying to figure out whether he was offering a treat or a correction. “Would Anna come too?” she asked, shifting her gaze to the field beyond him once again.

  “If you want her to then—”

  “No,” she admitted, sounding almost embarrassed about leaving out her friend. “Just me. Will you not tell her or her daddy?” She shrugged. “I just wanna be not bad anymore and she’s already so good.”

  How the hell could Paul Reed cut this adorable, gentle girl out of his life? The man might be a genius at running a hotel conglomerate, but he was an absolute fool in his personal life to give up something so precious.

  “No one will know but us...” He paused then added, “And your mom. We’ll have to get her permission.” His gaze zeroed in on Mara, who stood on the sidelines several feet away from the rest of the parents, staring at him and Evie. She hadn’t been there the whole time. He would have noticed. His body immediately tightened, a visceral reaction he couldn’t control even if he tried.

  She wore a pair of dark tapered jeans and a cream-colored sweater. The weather in Starlight had turned consistently a few degrees cooler over the past couple of days as autumn took firm hold of the valley.

  Parker didn’t mind the change. It remained sunny and comfortable during the day, temperatures dropping only as the sun set.

  He liked how cozy Mara looked, even though he could almost feel the agitation radiating from her. Her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail and he could see the hint of gold dangling from her ears.

  “Wave to your mom,” he told Evie now, “So she doesn’t think I’m trying to corrupt you over here.”

  “Mommy worries,” the girl said, raising a hand in Mara’s direction. Mara’s features softened as she waved back. Parker couldn’t help but notice she didn’t make eye contact with him.

  “It means she loves you.” He wished his own mom had worried more when he and Josh were kids. Or that Lillian had taken more action to protect them.

  Josh called Evie’s name, and the girl froze for a moment. She was terrified of soccer, and Parker hated it.

  “Will you talk to Mommy after practice?”

  “You bet,” he promised. “Head over with the team. You’re almost finished.”

  The girl nodded and walked away, looking about as enthusiastic as if she were heading toward a firing squad. He could have sworn she muttered, “Thank God,” under her breath as she moved toward the other girls.

  Evie Reed was five going on forty-five, and her old-soul personality absolutely charmed him.

  He followed her to where Josh stood with the rest of the team. His brother gave a recap of practice and a pep talk to get the girls excited for their first game. Parker watched the girls’ faces as he listened. Their expressions ranged from determination in Anna to subtle panic in Evie’s big eyes. A couple of the girls held hands and danced as Josh spoke. Another girl, a redhead with long braids, stood on her head.

  To his credit, Josh didn’t get distracted or seem frustrated with the team, most of whom had the attention span of a gerbil. He kept the speech short and sweet then instructed the girls to help gather the orange cones and random balls littered around the field.

  They did so with the same squealing energy they seemed to bring to every aspect of practice.

  “Nice work.” Parker grabbed the mesh ball bag. “Do you remember Coach Jamison?”

  “Your high school football coach?” Josh asked, one brow raised. “I remember him being a loud-mouthed jerk.”

  “He was definitely intense,” Parker agreed. “It worked for football players. He had a tendency to spit in your face while he was screaming at you.”

  “Nasty.”

  “Yeah, well.” Parker patted his brother’s shoulder. “Even he wouldn’t have been able to keep those girls in line. He would have given up and headed to the bar an hour ago. You’re good with them. I’m impressed.”

  “Thanks.” Josh shrugged but couldn’t hide his smile. “Anna wanted to be on a soccer team, and they needed a coach.”

  “They’re lucky it’s you.”

  Josh picked up a ball and tossed it to Parker. “You make a decent assistant. Who knew my big brother would be able to handle not being in charge for once?”

  Parker thought he detected a slight edge to the words, but before he could ask Josh what he meant, the girls returned with the balls and cones.

  A few of the moms waved to Josh and gave Parker a not-so-subtle once-over as they walked toward Parker’s SUV and Josh’s truck, which were parked next to each other in the lot.

  “Don’t sleep with any of the moms from the team,” Josh said quietly.

  “That’s offensive,” Parker countered.

  “Be offended.” Josh hefted the equipment bag into the truck bed. “Just don’t sleep with them.”

  “I wouldn’t—”

  “Are you tired, Uncle Parker?” Anna asked, bouncing past him to climb into the truck. “Daddy said you’re going to sleep.”

  “Um...” He paused at a snort of laughter from behind him, and turned to find Mara standing there.

  “Are you and your daughter spies or something?”

  She frowned.

 
“You’re both experts at sneaking up on people and listening to private conversations.”

  “Maybe you were too busy checking out the soccer-mom brigade to notice me approach.”

  I’m only checking out you, he wanted to answer but held his tongue. “Jealous?” he asked instead, earning a louder burst of laughter.

  “Don’t flatter yourself.” Her chin hitched. “Why were you talking to Evie?”

  “Hey, Mara.” Josh came around the side of his truck. “Evie did great tonight.”

  “Uh-huh.” She smiled but not with any confidence. “The game on Saturday should be fun.”

  “You’re a terrible liar,” Parker said as Josh waved to another parent across the parking lot.

  “Unlike you,” she shot back then took a step away as his brother turned, glancing between the two of them. “I was talking to Brynn tonight,” she told Josh. “She’s in charge of the Founder’s Day Craft Fair this year and needs a new venue because of the damage to the gym.”

  Josh shook his head. “Bummer. It’s going to take months to repair. I’m going to submit a bid for some of the work if the timing is right with opening the mill.”

  “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about—”

  “You’ve changed your mind and want to be my new designer?”

  Emotion flashed in Mara’s eyes but disappeared too quickly for Parker to name it. “Actually—”

  “Daddy!” Anna’s voice rang out from the open window of the truck’s backseat. “I’m hungry.”

  “Almost ready, sweetheart,” Josh called. “Okay if I give you a call after dinner?”

  Mara nodded. “Sure.”

  Josh headed around the truck again, and Parker turned back to Mara, only to find her heading to her car.

  He caught up with her in several long strides. “We need to talk.”

  Her gaze remained straight ahead. “No, we don’t.”

  “It’s about Evie.”

  This time there was no question of the emotion in her eyes when she turned to him. Pure rage.

  “What do you want with my daughter?” she asked through clenched teeth. Parker had read stories about people coming between grizzly-bear mamas and their cubs. He imagined it felt something like this. He had no idea what prompted the reaction from Mara, but she was definitely in full mama-bear mode. He needed to diffuse it quickly.

  He held up his hands. “It’s not bad. I promise. She’s nervous about Saturday’s game, so I offered to do some private coaching with her.”

  Mara’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open.

  “I told her I’d have to talk to you first, get your permission. That’s all.”

  She stared at him a beat more then gave a small nod. “I’m sorry I overreacted.” She crossed her arms over her chest like she wanted to shield herself from him. “Your words and the way you said them...” She shook her head. “I need to commit to helping Josh with the mill’s design, but I can’t make myself do it. The reasons aren’t important. I appreciate you offering to help, but it would probably be better if I asked Josh to—”

  “Evie didn’t want Anna involved,” he interrupted, not wanting to examine his feelings about Mara turning to his brother instead of him. Of course she would. She and Josh were friends, and despite the way she’d responded to Parker’s kiss, she didn’t seem to like him very much.

  “Really?” Mara glanced toward her SUV. The back door was open and he could see a book propped on Evie’s knees in her booster seat.

  “I’m sure you can handle it if you don’t want me involved.” She already had enough reasons to dislike him, no sense giving her one more. Even if he wanted to spend more time with Mara, she was Josh’s friend. The whole point of Parker being in Starlight was to support his brother. Chasing away someone important to him and Anna couldn’t be part of the plan.

  She flashed the barest hint of a smile. “I can’t play soccer.”

  “It’s not complicated at this point. If you can kick a ball, you’re golden.”

  “I hate to admit it, but that might be an overestimation of my skill. I tried taking Evie out in the backyard to pass the other night, and she quit after five minutes because she had to do too much running after my stray kicks.”

  “You seem preternaturally capable at everything, Mara. I like knowing there’s something you can’t do.”

  “The list of my failures is legendary,” she said with an eye roll. “You can call my mother for the unabridged version.”

  “I doubt that’s true,” he said, hoping she could hear the sincerity in his voice. He’d known her only a short time, but already Mara challenged so many aspects of his ordered world. Over the past week, details of her divorce case had come back to him. She was different than how her ex-husband had portrayed her, and what Parker had believed to be true. If he started looking at the spouses of his clients as sympathetic, where would that leave him in the courtroom?

  A big part of his success was built on his tenacious drive and ability to stay emotionally unattached. After the way he’d grown up, he’d learned to see things as black and white. He didn’t want to operate in the shadowy world of shades of gray.

  “Mommy?” Evie called, and Mara immediately trotted over to the Toyota. She leaned into the vehicle for a minute then straightened and shut the door. Color tinged her cheeks when she returned to stand in front of Parker.

  “Would you be available to stop by tomorrow around five?” she asked, glancing at a spot just over his left shoulder. “Evie would love to have your help.”

  He could tell how much it took for her to invite him into her world, and he did his best to ignore all the ways the idea of being a part of it appealed to him. “Sure,” he answered simply, pulling his phone from his back pocket. “Where do you live?”

  She rattled off an address in the historic neighborhood a few blocks from downtown. “We’re staying with my aunt,” she said, sounding embarrassed at the admission.

  “I’m sure she’s glad to have you there.”

  Her gaze flicked to his, a frown marring her delicate features. “It’s weird when you’re nice. I can’t get used to it.”

  He gave a gasp of mock horror. “I’m a nice guy.”

  She opened her mouth like she wanted to argue then gave a little shake of her head. A strand of wispy hair escaped the ponytail, falling against her cheek. He wished he could be the man to tuck it behind her ear. He wished a lot of things when it came to this woman.

  “Whatever you say,” she told him. “We’ll see you tomorrow night.”

  Parker watched her walk to her car and remained rooted in place as she pulled away. Evie waved from the backseat, and he returned the wave. His heart suddenly felt too big for his chest, like it wanted to grow but didn’t have the room within his body.

  This was what Starlight did to him. The town made him forget himself and the man he’d become. At the moment, he couldn’t tell if that was good or bad, but he knew these weeks had the potential to change things in ways he couldn’t imagine.

  Chapter Seven

  By the time five o’clock the next evening rolled around, Mara was an exhausted bundle of nerves. She hadn’t slept well the night before so had climbed out of bed at four in the morning to start a double batch of her favorite blueberry scones.

  She’d delivered the pastries to the coffee shop then dropped Evie at her school, which had reopened that morning, the gymnasium portion of the building indefinitely barricaded.

  Then she’d returned to Perk to submit the weekly order from Nanci’s wholesale coffee supplier out of Seattle. Her heart had seemed to skip a beat when a couple of regular customers popped into the office to say how much they missed having Mara behind the counter.

  Blown away at the thought of being missed, she’d actually put on her red apron and joined the staff for a few minutes. The familiar routine of pourin
g coffee and creating art in the foam relaxed her. At first she’d tried to exchange casual banter with the people in line, but even to her ears it came off awkward and stiff so instead she’d concentrated on making each drink perfect.

  Mara had never mastered the ability for easy small talk, but she could bust out a complicated latte order with no problem. Her mother would have been horrified to see her in this kind of job. She’d been angry and critical when Mara had explained her plan for moving to Starlight from Southern California. “We wanted more for you,” her mother had said when Mara returned from her cousin’s wedding excited for a new start.

  She understood at a bone-deep level what a disappointment she was to her parents. Her older brother Harry had graduated from medical school and was currently finishing a prestigious surgery fellowship in Utah. Mara’s decision to study interior design had seemed frivolous to her mom and dad. They hadn’t understood her love of transforming space and the creativity that went into it.

  She’d somewhat redeemed herself when she’d been hired by Paul’s company. Working for a prestigious hotel chain had satisfied her mother to an extent. Marrying the owner had been even better. Her parents spent minimal time with Paul during her marriage to him, but he checked off the boxes for the things they found important. The things Mara had thought were important to her, as well.

  Until Evie came along and changed everything.

  She drew in a deep breath when the doorbell rang. If spending time playing nice with Parker would make her daughter more confident on the soccer field, Mara supposed it was a small price to pay.

  And also a practice run for the inevitability of seeing him at the mill. Josh had been thrilled she wanted to be involved and loved the idea of coordinating the grand opening with the Founder’s Day celebration and craft fair. They’d talked for a while after the girls were in bed last night and worked out a few details. Josh wanted to give Mara a desk on-site, but she’d insisted it would be easier for her to do most of the initial work at home.

  She felt a kinship to Little Red Riding Hood trying to dodge the Big Bad Wolf with her need to avoid Parker. But somehow she’d managed to invite the wolf into her home and hated to admit how excited she felt to spend time with him.