“I see.” She really didn’t, since, when he left the dining room, Cole looked like he was ready to murder his sister.
Being an only child, she clearly didn’t comprehend family dynamics.
“I think I’ll see what’s going on in there.”
“You go right ahead,” Cara said.
Savannah moved down the hall toward the kitchen, where she heard both Alicia’s and Cole’s unabashed laughter. As she rounded the corner she saw Alicia dumping a handful of bubbles on Cole’s head. He retaliated by rolling up the dish towel.
“Don’t you dare,” Alicia said, giving Cole a warning look and backing away, but her expression was filled with mirth. She ran toward the container of spatulas.
Cole snapped the towel her way and she grabbed at it with the spatula.
The two of them battled back and forth. It looked like a very unconventional sword fight. Cole, obviously much bigger than his sister, lunged and grabbed her, then tickled her. She burst into laughter.
“Oh, god, stop. You know I hate when you tickle me.”
“You started this by throwing dishwater at me.”
“It wasn’t dishwater, you moron. It was bubbles.”
He held her firmly in his grip. “Whatever. Do you give up?”
“Screw you. I’ll never surrender.”
He lunged for the towel and she whacked him on the back with the spatula. He turned to come after her again, but spotted Savannah leaning against the wall.
He dropped the towel.
Alicia, still trying to catch her breath, leaned against the counter. “Please tell me you’ve come to save me. He’s trying to kill me.”
Savannah’s lips lifted. “I don’t know. From where I’m standing it looks like you held your own.”
Alicia pushed off the counter and headed her way. “He cheated. He knows my weaknesses. But I’m still running like hell.” She winked and walked by.
Savannah walked into the kitchen. “Abusing your little sister?”
He folded the towel and hung it up on the holder. “She’s hardly little anymore, and she started it. Plus, she’s mean with that spatula.”
“You sound like a ten-year-old making excuses.”
“So now I’m in trouble for roughhousing with my sister? Does that go in your report?”
She folded her arms. “What report?”
“I don’t know. Whatever report you’re making about your visit today.”
“Cole, my visit today was because your mother invited me. This was not about work.”
He leaned against the counter. “So you’re here just to get to know me better.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s part of my job.”
“Then it’s work.”
He had her there. “I suppose you’re right. But I’m not judging you on your family and how you relate to them. Seeing you with your parents and your sister helps me formulate your image in a much better way than just reading a paper bio. It’s more three-dimensional. I can’t help your future without knowing about your past.”
“If you have questions about my past, just ask.”
“All right. Tell me how you got started in football.”
“That’s all in my bio.”
“It’s more engaging coming from you.”
“Pee Wee league. I was five.”
She took a seat at the center island. “You played every year?”
“Yeah. I loved it. It was physical and loud and I was always a fast runner. My parents said I had all this excess energy. Which in parent speak means I was an unruly pain in the ass. Football gave me an outlet for it.”
She could picture him as a rambunctious kid. “I imagine it would. What did you do when it wasn’t football season?”
He quirked a smile. “Mostly got in trouble.”
She laughed. “I see. Did you play any other sports?”
“Yeah. When my parents figured out that sports equaled the outlet I needed, they signed me up for soccer and baseball, too. I didn’t like those as much as football, but it was something to do to pass the time until football started up again.”
“We have photo albums with all of his sports photos. Would you like to see them?”
Savannah turned around to see Cara coming in to refill the iced tea pitcher. “I’d love to.”
Cole frowned. “Mom. No. Don’t drag out the old albums.”
Cara waved her hand at him, grabbed another pitcher of tea, and started toward the doorway. “Oh, come on. What fun is it to be your mother if I can’t embarrass you?”
Curious, Savannah slid off the stool and followed Cara into the family room. Alicia and Jack were playing a card game. Alicia looked up when Cara crouched down and opened up the lower cabinet of the bookshelf.
“Oh, god, Mom, not the photo albums.”
“Yes. I’m going to show Savannah the ones of Cole when he was younger and in sports.”
Alicia cast Cole a sympathetic look as he trailed in. “Sorry, dude.”
Cole grimaced at Savannah. “I hate when she does this.”
“Have a seat on the sofa,” Cara said, then took a spot next to her and laid one of the thick photo albums on her lap. “This is Cole playing Pee Wee football. His first year. He was five.”
Savannah watched the pride cross Cara’s face as she flipped the pages, stopping every now and then to smile and lay her hand on a photo of Cole when he was small.
Oh, heavens. Savannah was struck with such a fierce sense of longing. This was a mother’s love, a mother’s pride in her child. So this was what it was like.
She hadn’t known, had never felt it. Her heart ached with wanting something she’d never had—would never have. She was shocked when tears burned her eyes. She hurriedly blinked them back and shook off the melancholy. This wasn’t about her. This was about Cole.
Focus on Cole and stop feeling sorry for yourself.
She returned her gaze to the photo album, concentrating on the pictures as Cara turned the pages.
Cole was adorable as a kid, with dark shaggy hair, kneeling for the cheesy photo with his helmet in his hand and a wide grin.
“You were so cute,” Savannah said.
Cole, who’d taken a seat across from her, said, “So, you’re saying I’m not cute now?”
No, he was definitely not cute. More like devastatingly handsome. “I didn’t say that.”
Cara flipped through the pages and Savannah got to see Cole progress from year to year. It was amazing to see his growth spurts, from adorable child to losing his teeth to adolescence to his high school photos. In college, he’d added more muscle—and even more good looks.
She lifted her gaze to his. “Didn’t you ever have an ugly phase?”
“No,” Alicia answered. “It’s disgusting. He’s always been perfect and beautiful. I, on the other hand, had braces and acne and was chubby.”
Cole laughed. “That’s true. You did. You were lucky to have me as your older brother. It’s the only thing that saved your social life in high school.”
“Yeah, thanks. Didn’t help me much with the guys, though. They still weren’t interested in dating me.”
“Not until you grew boobs and lost the baby fat.”
“And by then I wasn’t interested in them because they were all egotistical, single-minded pricks. I was a virgin until I got to college.”
“Way too much information, Leesh,” Cole said.
“As opposed to you, stud muffin, who likely got laid before you got your driver’s license.”
Cole grinned. “It was Melissa Petry. And I was fifteen, as a matter of fact.”
Cara sighed and gave Savannah a look that spoke volumes. “The things you learn about your kids after the fact. Always so enlightening.”
“And so many things you don’t want to know,” Jack said, giving pointed looks to both Cole and Alicia.
“Oh, come on, Dad,” Alicia said. “We’re both adults now. It’s not like there need to be any secrets.”
“Yes, there do,” Jack said. “Especially with my only daughter. As far as I’m concerned, you’re always going to be my baby. Innocent and untouched.”
Alicia rolled her eyes. “Such a double standard. You’ll probably pat Cole on the back.”
“No comment,” Jack said, reaching for the crossword puzzle.
Savannah adored this family. They squabbled, said too much sometimes, but the love was evident. Cara was clearly so proud of both of her children. It was obvious they had been raised in a stable, loving, but firm environment. And Jack, though quiet, clearly loved his kids. Both parents had worked hard to give their children the tools they needed to succeed.
And despite Cole’s recent turmoil with his image, he didn’t appear spoiled or entitled. She didn’t quite know where his issues had come from, but apparently not from his upbringing, which seemed warm and generous.
She was envious of his family life. It was as different as night and day from hers.
After visiting for a while longer, she stood. “Thank you for inviting me for dinner, Cara. I had a lovely time.”
“Do you need to leave so soon?”
“I’m afraid so. I have some work to catch up on.”
She said her good-byes to Cara, Jack, and Alicia.
“I’ll walk you out,” Cole said, surprising her since he’d been so distant with her throughout the evening.
“All right.”
When she got to the driver’s side door of her car, Cole slid his hand in hers. Shocked, she turned to face him, but he’d only grabbed her keys out of her hand.
“You were nice to my family. Thanks.”
“Did you think I’d come here to interrogate them?”
He raked his fingers through his hair. “Honestly? I didn’t know what your intentions were in coming here.”
She laid her hand on his arm. “Just to have dinner. To get to know you better.”
“Why?”
“To help me help you.”
“You put that much effort into your clients?”
If she were honest with herself she’d say no. Not as much as she was putting into Cole. She didn’t know why she was pushing so hard with him. Maybe because he was so resistant? Maybe because he didn’t believe in her.
There couldn’t be another reason, could there?
“Yes. You’re going to have to start trusting me, Cole. Have some faith in me. I really am here to help, not hurt, your career.”
He walked down to the end of her car. She followed. He leaned against the trunk and folded his arms. “I’m not easy to deal with.”
“Is that right? I hadn’t noticed.”
He gave her a hint of a smile that caused her pulse to kick. Really, this would be a lot easier if she didn’t find him so incredibly attractive. She’d worked with good-looking athletes before who’d never gotten her motor running. So what was it about Cole that got to her?
“I like you, Savannah. I think you’re beautiful and smart and you seem to be able to put up with me. Not a lot of people can stick it out.”
Uh-oh. “I like you, too, Cole. But remember, I’m being paid to stick it out.”
“There’ve been other people paid to stick it out who haven’t.”
She offered a smile. “I don’t give up easily. Maybe you will.”
“Is that a challenge?”
“It might be. We haven’t even started the real work yet. Maybe you should reserve judgment.”
“Why? Thinking of putting me through some grueling image makeover paces?”
“Something like that.”
“I think I can handle it.”