Tears welled in Hope's eyes. It was silly. Mothers weren't supposed to cry watching their sons play catch. Though she knew darn well it wasn't Jason throwing the ball that had her all misty, but the man squatting in front of him showing him how to catch with a mitt.
As she'd expected, there was nothing special or complicated about sports shopping for a little boy. They'd bought socks and shorts and left the jersey so the store could imprint his team name and number. Brad had insisted on buying the mitt as a gift, and, though Hope had almost stopped breathing at the price tag on the glove he'd chosen, Brad had instantly put her at ease.
"I'm single, well-employed, and have nothing else to spend my money on. Let me get him a good glove."
And she had. She'd also let him buy a batting practice set so he could help Jason with his swing before the official practices started. From where she sat on the park bleachers, Brad was going to have a lot of instruction time ahead of him.
"Hi there." Kara Harper climbed onto the bleacher beside her. "I thought it was you up here."
Hope didn't see anyone else. "Are you alone?"
"No. Nick and Bradley are getting the gear from the car. Catherine is with her grandmother. Well, sort of her grandmother." Kara chuckled to herself. “Long story for another day.”
Something Kara’s easy manner made Hope want to hear the long story. Maybe some day. She had never really had time to make friends with parents or have play dates like so many families with two parents. She looked to the field where Nick and Bradley and another man were sauntering up to where Jason and Brad were. "I'm sure we won't stay much longer."
"Nonsense. Baseball is a team sport. It'll be good for everyone to get some practice in. The men love this sort of thing. That fella there, that’s Doug. He’s married to a friend of mine. They haven’t any children.” Kara turned to her and smiled. “Yet—but he volunteers to coach and loves it. He’s coming off basketball with some special needs kids and promised Nick he’d help with Bradley’s team."
“Oh,” Hope looked down at the massive amount of bags and equipment Nick and the others had unloaded. “I didn’t realize Nick was the coach.”
“Yep,” Kara laughed. “I’m lucky that the price of this boy’s toys doesn’t get any higher than a few bats, and gloves, and shoes, and,” she laughed some more. “you see where I’m going with this.”
After shopping with Brad and his penchant for the pricier toys, she easily laughed with her new friend. She really did get it. For the next while they chatted about anything from how fast kids grow to the price of gasoline to how to get paint off the kids’ clothes. By the time she got the full story on her husband Nick’s best friend’s mother stepping in as a grandmother figure, Hope was laughing so hard at the stories, she ached for a big happy family to fuss with.
“I think those guys are having too much fun.” Kara pointed to the field.
The men were laughing, switching places between batting and base coaches as each of the boys took turns and ran around the diamond. Plenty of high fives were shared, but more amongst the adults than the kids. Hope had to agree, the guys seemed to be bonding as much as she and Kara were. Which was really nice. She felt as though she'd made a new friend. Even though Kara was a part time attorney, and Hope was a glorified maid, she felt like she and Jason fit right in with the Harpers. And she liked it.
"Looks like the boys are packing up." Kara pointed to her husband, collecting balls into a bag.
"Yeah, it's time for lunch. They're probably starved."
Jason came running up and onto the bleachers, his friend on his heels. "Mommy, Mommy." At the top he practically crashed into her. "Can I go play at Bradley's house?"
Bradley sidled up by his mom. "Dad said it was okay."
"I don't know," Hope supplied. She wouldn't have wanted something like that sprung on her.
"Please. Please," the two boys echoed.
"We could bring him home later if you'd like?" Kara offered. "It's no problem. The more the merrier. It will be nice for Bradley and Jason to hang out."
And to play in a backyard, Hope thought. Until now she'd not let Jason accept any invitations to play at the homes of the other kids, afraid of what he'd feel about not having what they had. Now she realized how unfair she'd been to him. "Sure. Just call me when I need to come pick him up."
"Yay!" The boys ran off, shouting to the men waiting below.
Hope pulled out her phone. "What's your number?" Their telephone numbers exchanged, Hope climbed down to meet up with Brad. "I guess I've lost my son for the rest of the day."
"How about an early lunch? I know a great little place to eat by the shore—"
"Oh, you don't have to …" A huge smile pulled at her cheeks. "Sounds delicious."
They'd barely made it out of the parking lot when her cell phone sounded. "Hello?"
"Sorry to bother you—" Nina was on the other end “—but Teresa called in sick, and Sofia just sliced her hand open and is on her way to the ER, and we're way behind."
"And you called everyone else?"
"Yeah, sorry."
"All right. I'll pick up my car and be right over."
"A couple of hours and we should be caught up. I won't need you to stay till we're all done."
"No problem. See you soon." Normally when she had to fill in for a few hours on a busy weekend, she'd just bring Jason with her and make the best of it. There was no making the best of losing out on a seaside lunch with Brad.
"They're calling you in on your day off?" Brad kept his eyes on the road.
"It happens. If you'll just drop me off at home, I'll pick up my car."
Instead of turning right at the corner toward her house, Brad turned left. "I'll take you. Four hands will be better than two."
"This time I have to say it. You don't have to do that."
He cracked a cocky smile. "Yeah, I do. I'm higher up on the food chain than you are. If it's your responsibility to run and help, it's even more so mine."
"Maybe, but still …"
"Besides, together we'll knock out the work faster, and then we can have a late lunch."
Her cheeks tugged at the corner of her mouth. "I like the sound of that."
"A late lunch?"
She nodded, but what really made her toes tingle and her face want to burst into a happy grin was the word together. Having someone to count on, no matter what, was looking way better than nice. So far, Brad had proved her wrong. He had plenty of substance.
***
Who would have thought coaching a handful of elementary school kids could be fun? When Jason finally swung and hit the ball, Brad was almost more excited than Jason. Brad actually found himself thinking ahead to spending more time with the boy—and his mother. Without trying, Brad could see them in a house with a big yard and a younger brother or sister in a family-size SUV. And wasn't that tidbit of information going to make his mother a happy woman?
Stopping at the red light, he faced the woman who had come to mean so much to him in such a short time. "Listen, later, at lunch …"
"Yes?" Oh, how her eyes sparkled in the sunlight.
He swallowed hard. Telling her the truth would never get any easier. It had to be done, and he was pretty sure that once again in this case, Ava would be right. Sooner would be better than later. "I've got a few things I'd like to share with you."
"Like what?"
"Not now. We're almost at the hotel, and I don't want to be interrupted." And didn’t want her any place she could walk away from him before he could make her see how important she and Jason were to him.
"It's not bad news, is it?” Her brows formed a fretful V. “You're not trying to butter me up or something?"
"No." At least he hoped not. He had already started praying Hope wouldn't be put off by his interference and subterfuge at the hotel. "I'm hoping you'll think it's good news."
Nodding and smiling again, she leaned back into the seat. "Then I guess I'll wait."
And she was doing a better job of it then he was. As a businessman, he knew how to bide his time, but when it came to Hope, he seemed to have a hard time being patient. He pulled into the hotel parking lot and almost bit his lip to keep from pulling her into his arms for a quick kiss.
Inside the hotel they worked side by side. Getting time alone with her enough motivation for him to move at lightening speed. But even with two of them working as fast as they could cleaning rooms, they were still lagging behind from where they needed to be.
He, Hope, and a girl named Lani were working the same floor but not making much progress.
"Does she always work so slowly?" Brad had restocked their carts twice already and Lani had yet to request a restock.
"Some days are better than others." Hope shrugged and snapped the fresh sheet onto the newly stripped bed.
It struck him that he'd heard this woman's name before. "Hope, are you covering for her?"
"Everyone has hard times." She averted his gaze and tucked the bottom sheet in at one corner.
Brad moved to the foot of the bed and reached for the other end of the sheet. "You're not answering my question."
"And I'm not going to. My people are my problem." She shifted to another corner.
"Then she is a problem?" He closed the gap, coming up directly behind her. When she stiffened, he took hold of her in his hands and spun her about to face him. "Who else do you cover for?"
"No one." She closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath, slowly blowing it out before meeting his gaze. "Lani has three kids under six, and a boyfriend who shows up long enough to get her pregnant, take what money she's saved, and disappear again. She's totally reliable and dependable when he's not around. I think he's back, but I can't get her to talk to me."
Hope was as beautiful inside as she was out. He knew he shouldn't, but he brushed a stray lock of hair from across her cheek and tucked it behind her ear. "Covering for her isn't going to fix her boyfriend problems."
"Maybe not. But firing her isn't going to fix anything either." The sparkle in her eyes had turned to fire. She was like a mama lion protecting her cub. This woman was amazing. So many problems of her own on the forefront but she was fighting for someone who clearly couldn’t fight for herself. Neither of them had moved. They still stood toe to toe. Chest to chest.
Resisting the urge to kiss the chin tilted up in determination, Brad nodded. "No. You're right. But there has to be some agency that can help. I'll look into it."
"I've tried.” Some of the fight slipped away from her. “Lani won't cooperate. I keep hoping something will change." Her gaze fixed on his, she slipped her tongue out to moisten her lower lip, and all the blood in his veins rushed south.
"Do you have any idea how special you are?" This wasn't the time or place to get personal. He knew that more than anyone. But he couldn't resist one quick tiny peck on the lips.
Except there was no such thing as tiny or quick when it came to his mouth on Hope. The slightest taste and he wanted more. Just like the other night, within seconds, heat spread through him, hot and scorching like flames on kerosene.
"Brad," she mumbled against his lips, her breath warm and taunting.
His lips eased away from hers, trailing kisses across her jaw. "Oh, Hope."
"Yes," she muttered softly.
For a long frozen second Brad stared down at her. "God, you are beautiful." He didn't dare share everything he thought and felt for fear she'd think him crazy. Crazy in love.