Charming the Firefighter (14 page)

He climbed out, then turned and leaned into the car. “You’re worth waiting for, Penelope.”

He shut the door and walked to his house. She sat there stunned, watching until he went inside.

You’re worth waiting for.

No one had ever thought so before.

* * *

F
RIDAY
NIGHT
, P
ENELOPE
made her way through the crowd to the stands at the football field. She’d dressed in jeans and a heavy sweater, and prayed the weather held. She had no idea how long a football game lasted or how cold it would get.

“Penelope!”

Frowning—who on earth would be calling her name?—she glanced around, then smiled to see Mr. Montesano waving at her, a grin on his face. “Hello,” she said when she joined him. “It’s nice to see you again.”

To her shock, he gave her a quick, hard hug. “You, too. Are you excited about the game?”

She glanced at the field where the teams were warming up. Excited wasn’t exactly how she’d put it. “I’m...happy that Andrew’s so excited,” she finally said. And her son was that indeed. He’d practically bounced off the walls at breakfast, bugging her to make sure he had all his gear, checking and rechecking his bag, only to call her midway through the day asking her to drop off his spikes after school. “He’s really looking forward to playing.”

“Remember how Leo would get before a game?” Mr. Montesano asked the middle-aged gentleman next to him.

The other man chuckled. “Like a cat in a room filled with rocking chairs. That boy always did have too much energy.”

“Penelope,” Mr. Montesano said, “this is my son, Frank. And his wife, Rose—your Leo’s parents.”

“Your Leo?”
a gorgeous brunette said, then gave Rose a nudge. “Did you hear that?”

Rose smiled. “There’s nothing wrong with my hearing, Madelyn.”

Madelyn. Penelope’s eyes widened and she looked at the group, quickly surmising that this was Leo’s family.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Leo’s mother said, taking Penelope’s hand. “These are my older sons, James and Eddie.” James was as tall as Leo, though not as broad. Eddie, shorter than both his brothers, was wider, his eyes hazel instead of brown. “James’s wife, Sadie, Eddie’s girlfriend, Harper, and Harper’s daughter, Cassidy.”

Penelope tried to smile, hoped it looked less forced than it felt. “Nice to meet you all.”

Sadie had long, flyaway blond hair and had poured herself into a pair of tight bright pink jeans that no one over the age of eighteen should wear. Harper was just as pretty, her hair a darker honey-blond that swung to just above her shoulders. Her daughter was adorable in an oversize sports jersey.

“And I’m Maddie,” the brunette said, not even bothering to hide how she was sizing up Penelope. “Leo’s very favorite sister.”

Penelope frowned. Wasn’t Madelyn his only sister? Penelope abandoned that thought as she again surveyed the group. Goodness gracious. And Mr. Montesano had called Leo hers.

“He’s not mine,” she told Madelyn, but the words came out a squeak and that would not do. When she was nervous or around strangers, she often felt inadequate and unsure, but right now she wanted to show even a touch of confidence. “We’re...friends.”

I don’t want to be your friend. I want you.

Horrified, Penelope glanced at Rose as if Leo’s mother could read her thoughts, could somehow tell what she was thinking. Or, worse, see some of the heated and very non-platonic dreams Penelope had had about Leo.

“Right. Friends,” Mr. Montesano said. “That’s what I meant.”

His expression seemed innocent enough, but she wasn’t buying it. She shifted her blanket to her other arm. “Well, I hope you all enjoy the game.”

“Won’t you join us?” Rose asked. She was an attractive woman, her dark, chin-length hair sprinkled with gray. “Unless you’re meeting someone? Or have plans to sit with some of the other mothers?”

“Actually, I haven’t met too many of them yet.” She supposed she should do that, should make more of an effort when it came to her son’s social network. Should know the parents of the boys Andrew was spending so much time with. But the thought of doing it tonight, of sitting with strangers who didn’t share her worries, who would probably think she was foolish to be concerned over her son’s well-being, was too much for her.

“Come on,” Madelyn said, scooting over so Penelope could sit between her and Rose. “Sit with us. I promise we don’t bite.”

“Don’t believe her,” James said. “I still have the scar from when she chomped on me.”

“I was three and you were pissing me off,” Madelyn said sweetly.

“She’s right,” Rose said. “You deserved it for teasing her.”

“It still hurts,” he murmured, giving his mother a hangdog look.

Madelyn jabbed her elbow into his leg. “You big baby.”

James leaned forward and told Penelope, “Just a friendly warning. You always need to watch your back around Maddie.”

Maddie rolled her eyes. “Yes, yes, I’m extremely dangerous, blah, blah, blah.” She grinned at Penelope. “Come on. We’d love to get know Leo’s latest...friend better.”

Penelope sat. “Why do I get the feeling there’s more to that statement than I’d be comfortable knowing?”

“Because you’re obviously a very wise woman filled with good sense—though that begs the question of why you’re friends with my idiot brother,” Maddie said as the marching band came onto the field.

“I thought I was your idiot brother,” Eddie said.

“Just one of many, my friend,” Maddie said, patting his knee. “One of many.”

Penelope didn’t know how to act or react. She was sitting between Leo’s sister and mother and feeling very uncomfortable about it all considering that the last time she saw Leo she’d kissed him.

She wrinkled her nose. Kissed? They’d made out in her car like a couple of teenagers. She slid a sidelong glance at Rose. Oh, dear Lord, Penelope hoped his mother didn’t know what they’d been doing. As a mother herself, she was pretty certain she could live forever without Andrew ever having sex.

“How long have you and Leo known each other?” Rose asked, but not in a suspicious way that made Penelope uneasy.

“A couple of weeks.”

“From your son playing football?”

Penelope’s face warmed. “Actually,” she said, unable to meet the other woman’s eyes, “we met on Labor Day when Leo came to my house. I had a slight...accident with my gas grill that day.”

“Gas grills are death traps,” Sadie said, leaning forward to look at Penelope. Her expression serious, she nodded once. “Death traps.”

Penelope had to agree. “Leo was very...capable.”

“He’s a regular Boy Scout,” Maddie said, not sounding too happy about it. “Except when it comes to dealing with my boyfriend.”

“No need to be mean,” Rose said. “Whatever issues Leo has with Neil—and vice versa—they’ll work out on their own.”

Maddie crossed her arms. “Yeah, in the meantime I have to be the one in the middle.”

Rose reached in front of Penelope and touched Maddie’s arm. “If you don’t like where you’re standing—”

“I know, I know.” Maddie sighed. “Move.”

“Right.”

“Who’s Neil?” Penelope couldn’t help but ask. Leo hadn’t mentioned anyone named Neil.

“Maddie’s boyfriend,” Leo’s mother said.

“I hate that,” Maddie grumbled. “I’m a thirty-year-old woman. Aren’t I too old to have a boyfriend?”

“Never. Besides, that’ll change when Neil becomes your fiancé. And when will that be?”

“Oh, hold on,” Maddie said, standing. “I think I hear my daughter calling.”

“Bree’s on the other side of the field,” Rose pointed out.

Maddie still shrugged on her jacket. “Coming, Bree.”

And she walked away.

Leo’s family certainly was...unique. A voice boomed out of the loudspeaker and announced the teams’ lineups, then a sweet-voiced girl sang the national anthem. By the time for kickoff, Penelope was a nervous wreck.

“Are you all right?” Rose asked.

“Fine,” Penelope lied.

Rose gently pried Penelope’s fingers from the program she was crushing. “Is this the first year your son has played?”

“Yes.” Penelope couldn’t take her eyes off the field where Andrew was lined up, ready to receive the kick from the other team. “This is the first game I’ve ever been to.”

“Ever? You never went to a high-school football game?”

Penelope shook her head. “I never understood the game so I didn’t bother.” Had always considered sports to be a waste of time. “I studied up on the game this week. Mr. Montesano...that is...Big Leo—” and she felt incredibly silly calling him that “—explained the basics to me during practice the other day, but I was still confused so I looked up a few things online.”

“That’s smart. And shows that even though you may not be one hundred percent behind your son playing, you’re willing to find out more about the game and show an interest in it and him.”

Penelope was proud Rose thought so and wondered if Andrew would agree with the other woman’s assessment. The game started, and by the third quarter, she was more relaxed. Maddie had returned, and Penelope had figured out that whatever animosity existed between Leo and her boyfriend dated back years. She was curious enough that she planned on asking him about it, as he was so easygoing. She couldn’t imagine him feeling hostility toward anyone.

The entire game was almost enjoyable. Almost. If she wasn’t so worried about Andrew, didn’t flinch and gasp each time he got tackled or bumped or hit, she might have enjoyed it more. The Montesanos were a loud, chatty bunch except for Eddie and, it seemed, his young son, Max, who stopped playing with his friends on the other side of the field long enough to come ask for money.

But she was definitely out of place with them. They were lighthearted, and there was constant teasing and what she hoped was good-natured ribbing. She felt stiff, rigid and humorless.

It was the middle of the fourth quarter when Andrew got hit. Hard. Penelope jumped to her feet when her son didn’t get up. “It’s okay,” Rose told her, holding her arm. “Leo will take good care of him.”

But she didn’t want Leo to take care of him. She should be down there. When she made to move forward, Maddie stopped her. “I understand you’re worried, but give him a minute before you rush onto the field.”

Penelope realized she was right. She’d look foolish racing down there, insisting she take him to the E.R. to get checked out. The wait until he finally got to his feet and limped off the field was agonizingly long.

“I should take him to the hospital,” she said to no one in particular.

“It’s a tough sport to watch,” Rose said soothingly, rubbing Penelope’s arm. “My own boys played. James was always careful, rarely got hurt. Eddie quietly went about his business, but Leo? That boy gave me a heart attack every Friday night.”

“How did you deal with it then? And how do you deal with it now knowing that if there’s danger, while most people are running away from it, he’s running toward it?”

“It’s not easy, believe me, but I couldn’t ask him to give any of that up. It’s a part of him. He loves helping people. He loves the thrill of it, too. As parents, sometimes the best thing we can do for our children is let them go. Encouraging them to take chances is the hardest thing we do because when they hurt, we hurt.” Rose squeezed Penelope’s hand. “Look.”

Penelope followed Rose’s gaze to see Andrew run onto the field from the sidelines. “He’s okay,” she breathed.

“He probably had the wind knocked out of him.”

The minutes ticked away and Andrew’s team was behind by six. To win they needed more points than a field goal would give them, so only a touchdown would do. Third down and long, Andrew raced down the field, cut left and lost his defender. The quarterback threw the ball—high and to the right of Andrew, but he somehow managed to leap in the air, catch it with one hand and evade two tackles to get into the end zone.

The crowd went wild. Even Penelope found herself on her feet cheering and yelling. They kicked the extra point and less than a minute later, the game was over, the defense having held their opponents to the middle of the field.

After the teams shook hands, Andrew ran up to the bleachers and gave Penelope a big hug. Tears stung her eyes. He was so happy. So proud.

Maybe this was one of those times when it was worth taking a risk.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

A
NDREW
COULDN
’
T
STOP
SMILING
.

He felt like a dork but hey, he had caught the pass and run in for the winning touchdown. Maybe it was okay that he was standing there, getting slapped on the back by his teammates and enjoying the shit out of being the hero.

“Andrew!”

He looked over as Kennedy came running toward him, her hair floating behind her, a huge smile on her face, her breasts bouncing in a way that was hard to look away from.

“You were awesome!” she squealed when she reached him. Then she leaped into his arms.

He shut his eyes and held on tight. Yeah, being the hero was definitely the best thing ever. Kennedy did a little shimmy thing that had his body tightening. He knew he should let go, but she felt so good in his arms, all curvy and soft, and she smelled great, like sugar cookies, totally sweet and tempting.

While he probably was pretty rank, but she kept hugging him and making that squealing sound so he didn’t think she minded.

Finally, she leaned back. “I was so excited when you caught that pass. Oh, my God, we were all going crazy. You’re, like, the hero of the game!”

His thoughts exactly.

“Hey,” Luke said, coming up behind Andrew and giving him a slap on the shoulder. Andrew tensed, worried Luke would be pissed his girlfriend had hugged Andrew—was still technically hugging him—but when he glanced over, Luke was grinning. “Great job, dude.”

“Thanks,” he said.

“That’s what I was just saying,” Kennedy said. She gave him another squeeze, then hopped over to hug Luke.

Envy ate at Andrew. Why couldn’t she look at him like that? What did he have to do to make that happen? “You had a good game, too,” he said, realizing he should say something to Luke instead of standing there staring at the other guy’s girlfriend like a pathetic loser. “That block you made in the third quarter stopped them from getting the first down.”

Luke shrugged. Slung his arm around Kennedy’s shoulder. She wore Luke’s other jersey, the one for the away games, and had tied the hem of the oversize shirt so it clung to her curves the way her jeans did. Andrew wanted to see her wearing
his
jersey with
his
number.

“I just did my job.” Luke glanced at Kennedy. “I’m going to shower then we’ll get something to eat.” He faced Andrew. “You want to come?” He wiggled his eyebrows. “Jess said she’d go, too.”

At that moment Jessica joined them. “Congratulations, Andrew!” She, too, hugged him. Hell, he’d never been hugged by two hot girls in one night before. He’d never been hugged by two girls
period
in one night.

Jess wasn’t Kennedy, but she was pretty. Still, when Kennedy left to say goodbye to her parents, he didn’t know what to say to Jess. He shifted. “You...uh...want to get something to eat with us?”

He winced because, duh, hadn’t Luke already said she did? But Jess just smiled. Rubbed his arm. “Sure. I’ll wait with Kennedy while you get cleaned up.”

He nodded and headed toward the locker room.

“Drew,” Coach called. “Wait up.”

Andrew stopped to see the coach jogging toward him. He wasn’t sure how he felt about his mom going out for coffee with him. He thought maybe it wasn’t too bad. Coach was cool, though, so why he’d be interested in dating Andrew’s mom was beyond him. She wasn’t exactly fun. Yeah, he guessed she was pretty enough—for someone who was old. Still, he didn’t really like the idea of her dating. Not that he thought his folks had a chance of getting back together—he wasn’t an idiot. That dream had died when his dad remarried.

Even so, the idea of his mom dating, being single and going out with men... It was too weird. She was his
mom.
Not a woman.

“Here,” Coach said, holding out the game football. “You deserve this.”

Andrew took it. “Thanks.” Having the game ball was almost as cool as having two hot girls hug him. He knew exactly where he was going to put the football in his room, could already picture it on his shelf.

“I know I already told you this, but you did a great job out there. And not just with that last catch, but the whole game. I’m proud of you.”

Warmth suffused Andrew and he dropped his gaze. It was cool that someone like the coach was proud of him, but there was still something Andrew had to know...

“Are you and my mom going to go out again?” he asked.

Coach raised his eyebrows. “I’m not sure. Why?”

Andrew shrugged. Tossed the ball from hand to hand. “It’s a little weird for me, that’s all.”

“In what way?”

“You’re my coach and she’s my mom.”
Duh.
How could he not get that?

Coach studied him as if he could see the real reasons Andrew didn’t want them dating, didn’t want his mom dating anyone at all. It was just wrong. “I am your coach and I’m sorry if it’s awkward for you, but I enjoy spending time with your mother and if she’s agreeable to it, I’d like to take her out again.”

Even if Andrew didn’t want him to? That didn’t seem fair. “Yeah. Okay. Whatever,” he muttered and walked away.

Some days he hated being a kid. He didn’t get to have an opinion or a say in things, even in his own life. He decided he really didn’t want his mom dating his coach. If they cared about him or respected him, you’d think they could deal with that.

He hadn’t wanted to move here in the first place but he’d been forced to because he was just a kid. His mom hadn’t asked him where
he
wanted to live or even what he wanted. Neither of his parents had when they’d decided to get a divorce. They’d just told him at dinner one night—over pork chops, his favorite—that they were splitting up and oh, yeah, his dad would be moving out and Andrew would be staying with his mom. Whether he liked it or not.

It wasn’t fair.

“Andrew. Andrew?”

He turned, frowned at Gracie walking toward him. God, did she have to dress so weird? Yeah, she had on jeans, but she wore a freaking tent thing—a poncho or whatever—over them and some sort of knit scarf covered her hair. “What?”

She stopped as if she’d hit a wall, and he saw the flash of hurt in her eyes. Guilt nudged him but he shoved it aside.

“I just wanted to tell you congratulations,” she said, sounding unsure, yet still lifting her chin. “Great game.”

“Yeah,” he muttered, shuffling his feet. “Thanks.”

She stepped closer, frowned at him. “Are you all right?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Because you’re scowling and you sound like someone stole your puppy.”

“I’m fine. I’m just...” He didn’t know what. He was pissed off all the time, and no matter how hard he tried not to be, he couldn’t seem to stop. Even tonight, which should have been one of the greatest nights of his life, he was feeling unsure and confused. Seeing Gracie didn’t help. He glanced around. Lots of people were still there, people who could see him talking to her. He stepped back. “I have to go.”

“Oh. Okay.” She looked disappointed and puzzled. “Sure. I guess I’ll see you later.”

She made it sound like a question. He couldn’t respond, didn’t want her to think he planned on hanging out with her, not when he had a date tonight with Jess. “Yeah. Maybe.”

At the edge of the field, he met up with Kennedy. She hugged him again. Over her shoulder, he saw Gracie watching them. He bent his head and hugged Kennedy back, like he should. When he looked up again, Gracie was gone.

He wished he could call her back. Wished he could go home and sit on the deck with her. Not because he liked her, not in the way he liked Kennedy, but because he could talk to her. He could tell her about his mom dating the coach and why it bugged him. She’d understand.

Instead, he went inside to shower and wished he’d been nicer to Gracie even while he hoped no one had seen them talking.

* * *

L
EO
JOGGED
ACROSS
the dark parking lot to catch up to Penelope before she took off. His steps slowed when he realized she was talking to someone. He almost stumbled and stopped dead when he saw who she was talking to.

Maddie.

Determined to intervene before any damage was done, he hurried over to them. “Penelope,” he called as she opened her car door. She turned and he was struck by how pretty she was, how much he’d missed her even though they’d seen each other yesterday.

Christ, he was losing it. He needed to figure this thing out, decipher these strange feelings he had for her, before they took over his life and he ended up like some chump pining after a woman who wanted very little to do with him.

“Leo. Hello.” Then she smiled as if she was really glad to see him. Maybe she did want to be with him.

“Yes,” Maddie drawled, sounding way too smug for his liking. “Hello, Leo.”

He shot her a quick, hard glance, one that clearly told her to watch her step and not to blow this for him. She grinned. Obviously, she was as good as always at reading his mind, knowing what he wanted from her and then doing the exact opposite just to piss him off.

Little sisters were nothing but a pain in the ass.

“Maddie,” he said. Then, because he couldn’t be mad at her longer than ten minutes—his cross to bear—he hugged her.

She squeezed him back. “Good game, Coach. Though I would have run a different play on that third down conversion in the second quarter. You could have gotten a first down if you had.”

“Too bad you don’t have the whistle or the jacket that says
coach,
” he said, pretending to be sympathetic. “Then again, girls don’t often coach football.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You know I hate it when you call me a girl.”

He grinned. “Why do you think I do it?”

Penelope cleared her throat, her wide-eyed gaze bouncing between him and Maddie. “I’m afraid I’m lost. You two do like each other, don’t you?”

Maddie laughed. “How could I not like Leo? He’s so pretty. The prettiest of us all.”

“True,” he agreed. “So true.”

“What brings you out into the parking lot?” Maddie asked, glancing at Bree, who waited in the truck. “Were you looking for me?” she asked, acting as innocent as a nun at Mass. “Oh, that’s right. You were calling for Penelope. Well, here she is.”

Penelope still seemed confused by their relationship. “Yes. Was there something you wanted?”

Maddie batted her eyelashes. “Yes, Leo, was there something you wanted from the pretty Penelope? Do tell.”

He jerked his thumb in the direction of her truck. “Your kid’s waiting for you.”

“She’s fine,” Maddie said with a wave. “She’s texting. As long as her phone doesn’t run out of battery life, she’s good in there for hours.”

“What are you even doing here?” he asked with a sigh.

“Here as in this life? Here as in this parking lot?”

“Here as in talking to Penelope.”

Maddie linked her arm through Penelope’s, leaving Penelope to look bemused and shyly pleased. “Penelope and I bonded during the game. She sat with us and—”

“Us? Not the whole family.”

Please, God, don’t have let her sit with his entire family. She was already skittish, and they could send the most confident person over the edge.

“Every last one,” Maddie said so cheerfully he wanted to strangle her. “She especially enjoyed Mom’s stories about how long it took to potty train you.”

Leo’s neck heated and he could barely make eye contact with Penelope. “She didn’t.”

Penelope nodded. “Don’t worry. A lot of men weren’t potty trained until they were six—”

“Seven,” Maddie corrected helpfully.

“Seven,” Penelope repeated, her lips twitching.

“I was fully potty trained before I went to kindergarten,” he assured her.

“Oh, now, Leo, don’t be embarrassed,” Maddie said, stepping away from Penelope to squeeze his arm. “It’s not as if we told her all your secrets. We saved some for Sunday.”

He almost didn’t want to know. “What’s Sunday?”

“Why, Mom invited Penelope and Andrew over for dinner. Isn’t that great?”

Yeah, great. He nudged Maddie away. “Your kid’s trying to get your attention.”

She turned, saw Bree waving madly, then sighed and hugged Penelope, who looked shell-shocked. Maddie tended to have that effect on people. “It was so nice meeting you, Penelope. I’m looking forward to dinner Sunday.”

“Me, too.”

They watched Maddie walk away, then get into her truck. He waved to Bree before turning to Penelope. “You don’t have to come Sunday.”

“You don’t want me to?”

Why did she have to sound so disappointed, so worried about it?

“No, no, it’s not that. I just don’t want you to feel pressured or uncomfortable.”

He wasn’t used to having a woman he was seeing invited to a family meal. But so far things with Penelope hadn’t exactly gone according to plan, so why should this be any different?

“Like I said,” Penelope told him. “I’m looking forward to it. I enjoyed your family tonight.”

“My family and the game?”

She smiled, and he didn’t think he’d ever get tired of seeing her do that. “I’ll admit I enjoyed your family a lot more than the game.”

“Drew did well,” he said, leaning against her car. “And he had fun.”

“I know. It’s just hard. Hard for me to let go, I guess.”

He could only imagine. “Hey, have you eaten?”

“Only a quick bite when I stopped home after work to change.”

“Great. Why don’t you come over to my place? I’ll cook a celebratory dinner. Do you like pasta?”

“You want to cook for me?” she asked, as if he’d suggested he give her his liver, so she’d have an extra on hand in case she ever needed one. “I mean, I didn’t know you could cook.”

“Come on over and find out for yourself.” She hesitated so long he felt like shuffling his feet, felt like the teenager he’d been at this very school fifteen years ago asking a pretty cheerleader out, hoping against hope she’d let him get to second base. “You worried about Drew being home alone?”

“No, he’s going to Luke’s to spend the night there. I had grounded him for joining the team without permission, but he was so excited about winning the game, I couldn’t say no.”