Fair Catch (12 page)

Closing the browser, she sat back in her chair and let out a long breath. It had been nearly three years since the scandalous accusations had been made. How had Nick survived and kept smiling for the cameras? He had endured betrayal and weathered the gossip. Yet at several interviews, he revealed his desire to find a wife and start a family. How was it possible he wasn’t disillusioned? She felt a little guilty at her own cynical attitude toward marriage.

It seemed all too much to take in. The Nick she was getting to know was so different from the one on the Internet. Had Nick’s interest in her been genuine? She remembered the look in his eyes when their hands had briefly touched. Had he felt the same zing of attraction?

A tapping on her door startled her. Betsy, dressed in a lime-green jogging suit, opened the sliding doors to come in. Immediately she read the distress in Ellie’s face. “Are you okay?”

Ellie shrugged. “I’m not sure.” Moving to the kitchen counter, she sat on one of the barstools. Cupping her chin, she leaned on one of her elbows for support. “I just Googled Nick Coulter’s name. Betsy, how can he honestly be interested in me?”

Betsy made a derisive sound. “Don’t tell me you’re going to believe all those lies?”

“They’re not all lies. He’s a gorgeous bachelor. People like him. Women want him.”

Betsy slid onto the barstool next to Ellie. “That’s true, but you’ve met the man. He’s not a shallow, egotistical guy looking for a good time. He’s genuine and caring, and don’t forget he volunteered to take you and Cade to California.”

Ellie sat up straight. “But don’t you see how that could never work? He
is
a nice guy and wants to be my friend. The media would blow it all out of proportion.”

Betsy smiled like she had a secret. “I don’t think he wants to be just your friend.”

Ellie sighed deeply. “Even if that’s true, I need to stay out of his way, at least until things calm down. The last thing he needs is some photographer getting a picture of us together and a story circulating about the fling he’s having with his divorced neighbor.” In her heart, she hoped there would be a fling. All above board, of course.

Betsy’s eyebrows knit with concern. “What are you thinking?”

Ellie’s parents owned a timeshare for a condo in Evergreen, Colorado, a mountain resort about an hour from Denver. It would be the perfect place to get away. “I’m taking Cade and going to the condo for the week.” Besides, it would give her an opportunity to break the news to Cade about Thomas.

She would keep the tentative plans she’d made with Nick confidential. Those plans seemed completely insane now, but she would take the time to think things through. Having her name linked with a celebrity would change everything.

“Are you sure, Ellie? Nick asked about you when I took him breakfast.”

“You saw him?”

Betsy’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Yes. I met Mr. Lawson. He’s nice enough, but only wanted yogurt. What kind of man passes up homemade cinnamon rolls?”

“No idea.” Ellie looked at the digital clock on the microwave. “I just need to throw a few things together and then we’ll leave.”

Betsy’s forehead creased with worry. “Are you sure?”

Ellie stood up from the bar, determined to leave as quickly as possible. “I’m sure.” She figured time away would give her a chance to get her head screwed on straight, and when she returned, maybe Nick will have moved on and found someone else to flirt with.

* * *

Nick tugged on his tie, wishing he could replace the suit for a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. Taking a sip of water, he glanced at Alec who was across the table from him. His agent looked at ease in his suit and tie, but Nick knew the man was agitated.

“Are you sure you don’t have any alcohol hidden around here?” Alec asked under his breath.

Nick mentally counted to ten to keep his temper in check. While he’d never been a big partier, there were times when he’d had too much to drink and then had gotten into a car and driven home. After Jared and his wife had died at the hands of a respected businessman who’d had one too many cocktails at a party, Nick had vowed to never touch alcohol again. Since he hosted many parties where he couldn’t control how much alcohol one of his guests consumed—or whether or not they used a designated driver—he’d made a decision to never serve alcohol at any party he hosted.

Sucking in a calming breath, he cast his agent an exasperated look. “Sorry, no. Can I get you anything else?”

Alec looked bored and picked at his food. After rescuing Nick from the local media, Alec flew home to L.A. Now, a week later, he returned with Miranda Hawkins and Kara something or other in tow. The two women were currently in Nick’s newly redecorated powder room adjoined to the main floor bathroom.

“Coulter. When I said you’d moved to
Podunk
, I had no idea how accurate I was.”

Nick started to count to ten again. Miranda Hawkins and her husband had donated a million dollars last year to his charity,
Kids Come First
. She wanted to see Nick’s new house and Alec had arranged everything.

“I know you don’t like it here, Alec.” Nick looked at his watch, realizing he was almost free of the man. “But cheer up. It’s nearly six, and within the hour, you can be on your way. You’re flying first-class, so the second you’re seated, you can get totally sloshed.”

Alec grinned. “I never get sloshed.” He picked up his glass of ice water. “At least I haven’t called it that since my frat days.”

Nick almost laughed. Alec wasn’t really a lush, he just enjoyed getting on Nick’s nerves. Then he saw Alec sit up straight, his eyes lighting up.

Nick turned slightly to see the object of his agent’s interest. Becca, a pretty brunette from the catering service Nick had hired for the small dinner party, came out from the kitchen. Although she dressed in the typical catering attire: Black pants, white button-down shirt with a black tie, it didn’t hide her curvaceous body. “Do y’all need anything?” She smiled flirtatiously at Alec.

She had a Southern drawl that had Alec drooling. He had been flirting with the twenty-something beauty all evening long. “I have needs all right.” Alec smiled and leaned toward the girl.

Becca flushed bright red. Nick hoped she wasn’t the owner’s daughter. Betsy had recommended the local catering service since the owner was one of Owen’s parishioners, and the man had several of his daughters and their friends who worked for him.

“Uh, what can I do for you?”

Nick winced. Wrong choice of words, and with her Southern accent, it almost sounded like an invitation. Alec’s eyebrow rose. He would think it was a come-on and not an innocent remark. “Well…”

Nick cut him off. “We don’t need anything, thank you. As soon as the other guests return we’ll have the dessert.”

The girl’s face reflected her relief. “Okay. Y’all just call if you need somethin’.” She looked from Nick to Alec, twisting her hands together as she backed away.

Alec’s smile widened and he opened his mouth to speak, but stopped short when Nick stood up and flattened his palms on the table, leaning in close. “Cut it out. She’s not that kind of girl.” Turning slightly, Nick saw Becca had safely made it back to the kitchen. He hoped the company wouldn’t sue him for sexual harassment.

Miranda and her friend returned, saving Alec from getting hurt. Nick was half an inch away from punching him in the face.

Miranda, overdressed in a clingy gold dress, slid in next to Nick and brushed her arm against his shoulder. Miranda had been hitting on him since he’d first met her and her wealthy husband over a year ago. “Did you miss me, Nicky?” Her voice was low and seductive as she ran a hand through her short, platinum blonde hair.

No. He didn’t miss her and couldn’t wait until she left.

He cleared his throat. “Uh, I hope the bathroom was to your liking.”

Kara, a redhead dressed in a low-cut green dress, snorted a laugh and cut Nick a contemptuous glance. Obviously she was not happy to be here, nor did she seem to be a member of Nick’s fan club.

Another waitress came in to serve a variety of desserts, saving Nick from further inane conversation. He met Miranda’s smoldering gaze and gave her a tight smile. “What can I get you for dessert?”

Miranda’s generous mouth stretched into a smile as she leaned in close to him and placed her hand against Nick’s thigh. “What are my options?”

Nick schooled his emotions and ignored the innuendo. Miranda’s
options
were sitting right in the middle of the table. He shifted away so her hand lost contact and pointed to the dessert choices. “It depends on if you feel like chocolate or not.”

Miranda scooted close enough to touch Nick again, the strong scent of her perfume wafting past him. She lightly touched his arm with her hand and said, “I can’t possibly eat an entire dessert by myself.” Her fingers slid up his arm. “We can share.”

Nick just had to keep thinking about the kids and how Miranda’s donation would help them. The woman was completely opposite of what Nick found attractive in a woman. Fidelity being one of the most attractive attributes on his list.

Nick reached for the closest dessert on the table and set it in between the two of them. He didn’t have much of an appetite and longed for the evening to end.

“Kara, would you like anything?” Nick asked.

Kara, who was slung back in her seat and tracing her finger over the tablecloth pattern, let out an elongated breath. “Nothing. Thanks.” She looked at her watch. “What time does our plane leave?”

Alec chuckled. “Not soon enough, sweetheart.”

You’re telling me
Nick thought as he took a fork and cut into the cheesecake. It felt like this dinner party would never end. To make matters worse, Ellie had been gone for a week, making time pass slowly. She should be home sometime this evening—he couldn’t wait to see her again.

Alec stood up and walked around the dining room, admiring a snowcapped photo of the Rocky Mountains. Annette, his interior designer, had accomplished a lot, and the house felt more and more like home—except for these people in it.

Nick heard the sound of a lawnmower. The Colemans still hadn’t returned, but their lawn had been taken care of the day before. Owen cut his grass a couple of days ago. Hope burned inside his chest. Maybe Ellie was home. Hers was the only lawn left.

Alec heard the noise and wandered out of the dining room. Not long after, he let out an elongated wolf-whistle. Kara’s eyebrow rose, a wry grin spread across her face as she left to find Alec.

Nick could only imagine who Alec had just whistled at, and he wasn’t about to be left alone with Miranda. He stood up abruptly, nearly knocking the chair over. “I just need to keep an eye on Alec.” He smiled through his gritted teeth. “You never know what he might do to my nice neighbors.”

Scowling, Miranda stood and followed Nick into the living room. Kara sat in a wingback chair, twirling her necklace. Alec stood in front of the big picture window, looking directly at the Colonial house across the street. That could mean only one thing: Ellie was home.

Chapter Ten

Glad
to be home, Ellie turned into the cul-de-sac and pulled into her driveway. Right away, she noticed two things: First, the neighborhood had definitely settled down. The only van sitting in Nick’s driveway had
Josiah’s Catering
painted on the side. Next to his Denali was a black BMW. Second, her parents’ yard looked horrible. When was the last time she’d mowed the lawn?

Cade was tired, but she hadn’t let him fall asleep. She’d kept a running conversation all the way down the mountain. She glanced in the rearview mirror and said, “Look, sweetie, we’re home.”

 “Finally,” Cade muttered. Poor kid. The condo had been fun, but he’d missed all of his toys. “Can I play with my Legos?” His voice finally sounded perky.

“Sure.” She cut the engine. “But please take in your backpack.”

Cade climbed out of his booster seat and gathered up his backpack and blanket. He raced to the front door and twisted the knob, trying to get in the house. While he continued trying to turn the knob, Ellie grabbed their duffel bags and shut the car door with her hip. “Hang on, kiddo. I’ve got the keys.”

After she let him in, she paused at the doorway, her eyes sliding over to Nick’s house. Who was he entertaining? Her guess was one of the many gorgeous women he had at his fingertips. One thing her time way had given her was a reality check. Nick Coulter was a nice guy and a nice neighbor.

He couldn’t possibly be anything else.

As she closed the door, her stomach growled. Betsy and Owen were gone for the evening, so unless Ellie crossed the street and begged for Nick’s leftovers, she was going to have to cook.

She slipped off her flip-flops, her bare feet sinking into the lush carpet as she went to find Cade. She leaned against the wall and found him sitting happily in front of the television, watching SpongeBob and playing with Legos. “Cade, are you hungry yet?”

He shook his head, zoning out on the TV screen. “Not yet.”

Pushing away from the wall, she went into the kitchen. If he wasn’t hungry, she better get started on the lawn. Needing a few carbs, she rummaged around in the pantry until she found a bag of Cadbury eggs. Opening the bag, she reached in and grabbed a few, popping one in her mouth. As the chocolate melted on her tongue, she put on her old tennis shoes she used for yard work.

Before stepping outside, she thought about changing her clothes. What if Nick came out to talk to her? She glanced down at the faded jeans and the fitted white T-shirt she wore. There was already a small ketchup stain on the front of her shirt and she figured changing into another one would only add to her mounting pile of laundry.

“Cade.” She paused at the doorway. “I’m going to be outside mowing the lawn. If you need me, just come out front.”

This time he slanted a glance at her and smiled. “Okay.” He gave her the thumbs up.

Grinning, she went outside to find the mower. With her iPod playing Phillip Jacobs, she easily started the mower. A couple of minutes later, she was fully absorbed in making sure the diagonal lines were perfectly matched. The bag filled quickly, so she shut down the mower to empty the grass clippings. She struggled to keep the trash can lid open.