Caitlin's Hero (8 page)

As she drove home, thinking of how she’d break the news to him, she realised Riley was going to
go nuts.
Caitlin grinned. She could already see him bouncing around the flat with excitement.

It was the thought of their flat that brought her crashing back down to reality.
My God.
What would Brodie think when he saw the old house and the little flat that had become their home? She shrugged.
Oh, well, it’s our home. We own it, and that’s better than some people have. Maybe we can wait out in front a little before seven
.

Caitlin parked her car on the street so as not to bother the other residents, now or in the morning, when she would need to drop Riley at squads
.
The noise was obvious from the moment she stepped from the car. It sounded like heavy metal music. She didn’t recognise the band, but then, she didn’t really listen to that genre
.
It’s very loud for this late at night
. As she walked down the hall to her front door, the walls were almost throbbing from the loud noise.

New tenants.
She grimaced, remembering the moving van that had boxed her car in on Monday. The flat above was rented out, and tenants were always coming and going. How on earth was she going to get to sleep? Bags under her eyes from being kept awake would not be a good look for her dinner date tomorrow night.
Glancing
at the wall clock, she noticed it was after midnight. She corrected herself.
Make that tonight.

That thought made her happy all over again as she folded out the
sofa
into her bed and quickly and efficiently added the linen. After a trip to the bathroom to wipe off the remnants of her make-up and brush her teeth, Caitlin was soon snuggled down under her pink
-
covered doona, and as she hugged her spare pillow she wondered what it would feel like to snuggle with Brodie instead. Caitlin fell into a deep sleep almost immediately with a little smile on her face, the loud music not annoying her at all.

* * * *

Brodie had a good training session—he was sharp and focused. JT just kept clapping him on the back and laughing at him. His teammates and the coaching staff were all in shock at the way he’d attacked the session with gusto. Brodie had not realised the extent of his malaise, but that was over. Now he felt good. Better than good—Brodie felt
young
.

He had tried not to overthink his decision to ask Caitlin and her brother out to dinner, though he did wonder why the parents couldn’t look after the kid. But, hey, he didn’t know their schedule. Maybe the parents worked nights or were away. Brodie managed to put a positive spin on things. The kid would be a useful chaperone. That was a good thing. He had come so close to seducing Caitlin in the car park last night that it frightened him.

Brodie James did not lose control, ever. Not even when he’d found his wife in bed with the captain of a rival team. No, Brodie had just turned on his heel and walked away. Brodie was calm, under control, and always thought things through before taking action. That was why he had captained his country for so long. He was honoured that his opinion was sought after and he was often invited to take part in forums on how to better his beloved rugby league.

Brodie led by example. Well, apart from when he’d married Lila, but that time was behind him now and he had managed to keep any gossip regarding his failed marriage out of the media. The mutual respect he and most reporters shared had helped, as did the money he’d bribed Lila with for her silence.

Having given it plenty of thought on the drive home from training, Brodie concluded that the best place to take his dinner dates was some place they’d feel most comfortable, and that place was bound to be Mia’s Restaurant. It would also help him clear any bad feelings between him and the owner, Angelo, in regards to his behaviour last night. The man was not an idiot. He had seen the state of play when Caitlin and Brodie had returned, somewhat dishevelled, from their car park ‘talk’.

As Brodie opened the door to his home and dropped his training bag on the floor, he smiled. Yes, he would make a booking now. Grabbing his phone, he scrolled through until he found the number he was
searching
for and placed the call. He had a few hours before he needed to leave, so Brodie sat at his desk and opened his laptop, checking emails before spending some time on his
business portfolio.

After showering and changing into a clean, well-worn pair of jeans that fitted his
large frame,
Brodie pulled on a black V-neck sweater. It was woollen and soft, the feel of it pleasing against his skin. He didn’t mind the way the sweater clung to his muscled torso and arms either. Why should he? Brodie had worked hard to get his body into shape, and still did. He looked at himself in the mirror, his craggy, well-worn face
reflected
back at him, and remembered how every scar had appeared. His was a rough sport and pretty boys didn’t stay pretty for long. The crooked nose from various breaks was a little larger than he would have liked, but he knew his dark brown eyes, high cheekbones and strong, square jaw were not unattractive to women. Maybe it was the high profile that actually drew the female interest, but it didn’t really matter to Brodie anymore. He was comfortable in his own skin.

He rubbed his hand over his close-cropped brown hair. He had learnt early on in his career to keep it that way. His naturally curly hair made him appear too soft for the life he led. Brodie thought about spraying on the latest fad in aftershave, supplied to him free of charge from the manufacturer, but decided against it. Brodie preferred natural. If someone didn’t like his smell, they could just take a hike. He hesitated at that thought, hoping that this would not be the case with his angel.

He strode purposefully from the bathroom and pulled on his crocodile skin boots, a good purchase made whilst in the top end of Australia for an exhibition game held there some years ago. It had been to encourage Indigenous boys to turn to league instead of trouble. There were many Indigenous Australians making a name for themselves playing league, and they were always up for giving something back to their communities.

He could feel his stomach quiver with anticipation about tonight and how it would go. He was nervous, which was invigorating. Brodie felt alive.

He knew the
road
in Ashfield that Caitlin had given him as her address, so it was a quick trip. Ashfield was only a few suburbs away from him. As he turned his black Range Rover onto the street, Brodie noticed that he’d arrived on time for his date. Trying to catch sight of a house number so he could get his bearings, he saw two figures standing on the kerb up ahead.

“What the hell?” Brodie said, as he realised it was exactly the people he was looking for. Brodie was a little old-fashioned and had expected to collect his date from her door, but as he pulled up
next to them
and began to climb out of the car, both passenger doors on the left opened and his guests jumped in. Brodie was half out of the door and felt a bit comical just getting back in. This was going to be an interesting night. He turned towards Caitlin and shut his door again.

“Well, hello, angel,” he said to her, with a big, goofy grin he couldn’t stop from breaking out across his face.

When he turned to the rear seat passenger he was amused to see another grin
—just like his own, he imagined
—
reflected
back at him.

“You must be Riley. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” he said enthusiastically. “I’m Brodie James. Glad you could join us for dinner, mate.”

He saw in the kid’s eyes that he was a fan and completely awestruck. Brodie had seen this look before in young kids. Hell, he remembered
feeling
just like that when he’d met his hero some twenty years ago. It was quite an honour when you realised you had become a sports idol, and something Brodie never took for granted. He tried to spend as much time as he could with fans. He hated disappointing anyone.

As Caitlin and Riley fastened their seatbelts, Brodie put the car into drive and headed for the restaurant. The silence was a bit unsettling so Brodie tried to lighten the mood by informing his two dinner companions of his choice of venue. Riley whooped in the back, but a quick glance at Caitlin revealed she was biting at her bottom lip. He took her hand gently and brought it up to his mouth, kissing her knuckles.

“If you don’t want to go there, that’s okay, angel,” Brodie whispered. “We can find somewhere else. I should have thought about it more. Of course you wouldn’t want to go where you work. I’m sorry, angel. What would you like to do?”

Caitlin had trouble speaking, she was so overwhelmed. She had immediately recognised the car from last night. She was also impressed with the man’s thoughtfulness and easy way of including Riley in their plans. She was relieved to be going to Mia’s because she felt comfortable there. The problem was, Brodie was looking at her with such concern, and his lips sent shivers through her whole body as he kissed her hand. Finally, Caitlin managed to croak out the answer he was waiting for.

“Mia’s would be wonderful.”

As she sat back into the comfiest car seat ever, Caitlin finally relaxed. She was going to make the most of this night. It wasn’t every day she and Riley got such a treat.

Brodie pulled the car up
outside the familiar door. Caitlin went to jump out when a big hand came down onto her jeans-clad leg.

“Relax, angel. Let me come around, get the door for you. It’s what a gentleman should do for a beautiful lady, and have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?”

She had never felt so special in her life. Riley was already on the kerb and looked confused as he watched Brodie walk around the car and open his sister’s door, then take her arm. Caitlin heard Riley giggle. She didn’t know what was so funny and would be having words with him later about good manners.

Caitlin didn’t think she walked into the restaurant so much as floated in. Brodie had booked a table by the window. Angelo warmly welcomed and fussed over them.

“Ah, it is good to see you again,
giovane, bella
. Welcome—come this way. I have saved the best table for you.”

Brodie pulled out a chair for her. He then seated himself next to Riley, directly opposite her.

“It’s so I can gaze into your amazing emerald eyes all night,” he explained, sounding so sincere she couldn’t help the quiver of excitement from racing over her skin.

Riley made a gagging sound, then giggled. Caitlin sent a frown at him. It wasn’t long before he was lost for words, though, because Brodie threw his arm around her brother’s shoulders, giving him a manly hug and explaining how Riley would understand one day. He finished off the little talk with a ‘mate’ and a wink for good measure.

Caitlin thought that Riley would just explode, right then and there.

I bet he wishes some of his mates from school would walk past and see him now
. She smiled lovingly at the two males facing her. She could just see Riley holding court at school, telling all his friends about the evening. She had the classic urge to pinch herself to check if this was real.

Angelo supplied some of his finest meals to their table—the freshest pasta, cooked to perfection and covered with generous helpings of aromatic sauces. She ate so much that she kept glancing at Brodie just to make sure he didn’t think her a glutton, but each and every time she looked up, Brodie was smiling back at her.

She even enjoyed her first glass of champagne. Brodie had gently insisted she try the bubbly, slightly pink-coloured drink, which was sweet and very enjoyable. Riley had ordered an orange juice rather
than his usual choice of Coke,
to her surprise and delight.
Riley
was obviously trying to impress his hero
by ordering a healthier alternative
.

Caitlin declined dessert. She just couldn’t fit it in. She sat back, delighted to watch Riley and Brodie enjoying their gelato and talking easily about football, swimming and the like. The conversation had been so easy and natural between the three of them all night.

It was good for Riley to have another male to talk with. It made Caitlin a little sad that her brother had no one, now his father was gone. It had been a year since her brother had had a father figure in his life. As if sensing her saddening mood, Brodie pushed a spoonful of lemon gelato to her lips, and without thinking Caitlin pulled the spoon into her mouth and sucked.

“Mmm,” she moaned, “that’s good.” She licked the remnants from the spoon he held out to her.

To her surprise, Brodie reached right across the table and dragged her forward to meet his lips. There was no gelato left after Brodie had explored every inch of her mouth with his tongue. Just as abruptly, Brodie pulled away, muttering something she couldn’t quite hear.

One look at Riley, and she burst into a fit of laughter. He was open-mouthed, his spoon dripping melted gelato all down his arm as he watched them, his big, green eyes nearly popping from his head. It wasn’t long before the three of them were all laughing together.

Brodie was having the time of his life. He was relaxed, as the company was more enjoyable than he could have dreamed possible. His angel was breathtaking and she didn’t even know it. Dressed in jeans and a simple long-sleeved black shirt, she was perfection. It appeared to Brodie that she wasn’t wearing
any makeup
on her pretty oval face, but she didn’t need to. She was stunning
au naturel,
just as he preferred. To him, nothing could outshine her—his heart was filled with her. The easy way she spoke to her brother and the love they showed towards one another made him almost jealous of the kid.