Angela was alone with David, nervous and excited as a kid on Christmas morning.

She had no regrets. They’d driven out to the community pond and had a blast skating. They’d moved as one. She’d been amazed how right it had felt to be with David. He’d kissed her in the gazebo, and then again in the car before the drive back to her house. They’d steamed up the windows until they couldn’t see out.

Not once had she asked herself what she was doing, because she knew. She was having fun. She was letting her attraction to David become more than a dream.

She was letting him in.

Dear Reader,

I’m a mom, so I understand my heroine’s need to be the Super Mom. As a woman, I think all women are blessed with the nurturing gene. But sometimes we want to take care of everyone else and we forget to take care of ourselves!

What I love about this series is that the women on Danbury Way take care of each other. As friends, they give each other reminders and advice on everything from their love lives to taking care of kids. My heroine, Angela, finds true love and answers to the problems with her son because she realizes she deserves to be happy, too—with a few gentle nudges from her sister and friends.

May we all be blessed with friends who encourage us to reach for our dreams.

All my best,

Karen Rose Smith

The Super Mum
Karen Rose Smith

www.millsandboon.co.uk

KAREN ROSE SMITH

An award-winning author, Karen Rose Smith has had over fifty romance novels published. Each book broadens her world and challenges her in a unique way. While writing The Super Mom, she recalled the friendships she’s experienced that have touched her the most. Some are lifelong. Some are recent. All have enriched her life. Readers can e-mail Karen through her Web site at www.karenrosesmith.com or write to her at P.O. Box 1545, Hanover, PA 17331.

To Lisa Smith—Thank you for your thoughtfulness

and support through a difficult time. May we always

find that ray of sunshine and feel its warmth.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Epilogue

Chapter One

She was a fraud.

Everyone in the neighborhood thought Angela Schumacher was a Super mom, which might have been true a couple of years ago. But now, handling two jobs, caring for Olivia, Anthony and Michael more or less on her own, she was frazzled and on the edge.

She parked in her driveway and leaped out of her van, just staring at the scene in front of her. Evening light was fading fast. Her neighbor and babysitter, Zooey, stood just outside Angela’s front door carrying Jack Lever’s toddler. Zooey’s hand was in a “stay” position to Olivia, Michael, and Jack’s daughter, Emily, as she called to someone around the corner of the house.

Concerned that her normally unflappable, beautiful neighbor seemed hassled, Angela rushed forward. Although her blond hair was cut to a chic chin-length bob, and she usually felt good about herself when she looked in the mirror, next to Zooey she felt like a shrimp at five foot four. She’d never understood why it had taken Jack Lever so long to fall in love with his beautiful, willowy nanny. But he finally had, and everyone on Danbury Way had cheered. Now they were engaged to be married.

“Jack, be careful on that ladder,” Zooey called around the corner of the house, her breath puffing white in the early December cold.

“What ladder?” Angela asked, astonished. What in the heck was going on here? Maybe a cat had climbed up onto the roof… “Why is Jack climbing a ladder?”

Shifting two-year-old Jack Jr. from one arm to the other, Zooey replied calmly, “It’s Anthony.”

The fact suddenly registered with Angela that Anthony wasn’t standing in the doorway with the other kids. Her heart raced. Her mouth went dry. Panic clamped her chest. “What about Anthony? What’s wrong? Why do you need a ladder? Is there a fire?”

Zooey gave her friend a hint of a smile. “No, no fire. Calm down. He’s locked in his room. We can’t get him to open the door. He and Olivia got into an argument. He took her rock collection, went into his room and locked everyone out.”

Seven-year-old Olivia came rushing to Angela now, and so did Michael. “Mummy, I hate him,” she cried, tears rolling down her cheeks. “He’s got my rocks.”

Olivia’s rock collection was her most precious possession. That’s obviously why Anthony had taken it. From the Super mom front, she was failing miserably with her oldest child. Anthony had been acting out in subtle ways for the past few months, ever since Jerome had missed his last two dates to see him.

Little Michael, whose fifth birthday seemed to give him permission to ask more questions than any other five-year-old in the world, gazed up at her with certainty. “You can make him open the door. That’s my room, too. He won’t let me in.”

“Jack just wanted to peek in the window to make sure he was okay,” Zooey assured her.

At that moment Jack rounded the house and smiled at Angela. “He’s as stubborn as any nine-year-old. He won’t look at me or talk to me. He totally ignored me when I rapped on the window. But he’s okay. He’s sitting on his bed with his earphones on, playing with his GameBoy.”

“I don’t know what to do with him,” Angela murmured. “I can’t make up for what Jerome won’t do.”

After she shooed the other kids into the house, Zooey bounced Jack Jr. a bit. “Maybe it’s time you look into the Big Brother program at the community center.” She glanced at Jack for support.

He shrugged. “You’d get a positive, male influence that way. On the other hand, you could get married again…” As usual Jack’s voice was full of mischief, and Angela knew he was just trying to make her smile. But right now, the idea of finding a husband ranked right up there with wanting to find a snake in her basement. She wasn’t looking for one, didn’t need one and would rather dismiss the whole scenario.

One thing she did know was that she had to take Anthony in hand. Up until now she’d been too lenient. She’d felt guilty because Jerome had left their Rosewood, New York, home without a backward glance. Disappointed he didn’t understand what gems he had in his kids, sorry that they didn’t feel his love, she’d overcompensated. That had to stop. Anthony had to understand reality, and she was going to explain it to him.

Turning to Zooey, she asked, “Can you stay for a few more minutes until I talk to Anthony?”

“No problem.”

As Jack took Jack Jr. from Zooey’s arms, he gave her a fast but resounding kiss. “Emily, are you coming with me?”

His daughter, the same age as Olivia, shook her head. “Olivia and I have stuff to talk about.”

Jack raised his brows at Angela to ask what she thought.

She could imagine what stuff the two girls had to chatter about. But they were great friends, and Angela didn’t mind Emily being around. “She can stay for supper if she’d like. I’m just going to make grilled cheese sandwiches and soup.”

Jack whispered to Zooey, “Maybe we can convince Jack Jr. to go to bed early.”

On a mission, Angela headed through the dining room to the kitchen, realizing how happy Zooey and Jack seemed. Planning their wedding for Valentine’s Day, they were the picture of what a couple was supposed to be. She didn’t believe she’d ever been that happy with Jerome.

They’d married because…

Because Angela had wanted a husband and a family. Her parents divorced when she was sixteen and her adopted sister, Megan, was fourteen. The break-up had hurt them both deeply. They’d turned to each other and were still best friends. Angela didn’t know what she was going to do when Megan got married and moved out of the garage apartment after New Year’s. Her sister had found love, too.

Maybe Angela had married Jerome because she’d wanted to believe in love…wanted to believe a man could stick better than her father had…wanted to believe in happy endings. But she’d learned the hard way that all men were alike. Well, maybe she was rethinking that a little because of the goings-on in the neighborhood. Megan and Greg seemed happy. Zooey and Jack couldn’t take their eyes off each other. Her neighbor Carly and her husband Bo were opposites but seemed to fit together like two puzzle pieces. Neighbors Rebecca and Joe seemed content, too, and the buzz said they were going to get engaged any day.

Sometimes Angela felt as if she were operating in an alternate universe.

In the kitchen, Angela searched in the silverware drawer for a shish kebob skewer. Then she hurried upstairs, trying to figure out what to say to her oldest child.

At his door, she put the tip of the skewer in the small hole in the knob and popped the lock.

Anthony’s room had been messier than ever the past two months—another aspect of his acting out. Although Michael was untidy in his little-boy-getting-older way—socks on the floor, toys not put back on the red-and-blue shelves—Anthony’s messiness was different. It was deliberate. Candy bar wrappers lay strewn about. Half a banana sat rotting on his nightstand. There were clothes on the floor—his jeans and a shirt. His bedspread, patterned with soccer balls, baseballs and footballs lay sprawled over the footboard. She had a rule that the kids make their beds every day, and he’d been breaking it.

She had to take back control. She had to teach him he couldn’t act however he wanted, that life wasn’t always fair, that there were rules and boundaries.

When she approached the bed, he didn’t even look up. He was sprawled there, one leg crossed over the other, headphones on, his fingers pressing buttons on his GameBoy. Determined to get his attention, she simply went to him and removed the earphones from his head.

“Hey!”

“I don’t answer to hey. It’s Mom. And when I come into the room, or when anybody comes into the room, you look at them.”

His eyes went wide at her firm tone. Then he looked wary. He had Jerome’s brown eyes. The same jaw, too. But he was as blond as she was. Even at nine he was already getting tall. He’d be six feet before long.

She motioned to the bed beside him. “Can I sit? We have to talk.”

Again, that wary look and a half shrug.

“Things have to change around here. Especially your behavior.”

A defensive frown shaped his mouth and, remaining silent, he folded his arms over his chest.

“I know you’re upset because your dad canceled your last two outings. But you can’t behave badly because of it. We can talk about it anytime you want.”

“You’re never here.”

True she was at home a lot less than she used to be, but that couldn’t be helped right now. “I’m here as much as I can be. I have to work to keep this house, to buy your clothes, to buy food. I’m working more now because with Aunt Megan leaving and getting married, we’ll have more expenses. I’m looking for someone else to move in above the garage, but until I find that person, money’s going to be tight.”

His brows arched as if he’d never thought about all that.

“I don’t want you to worry about it. We’ll be okay. But that’s why I took the part-time job at Felice’s Nieces. I guess I should have explained all this to you before I did it. I forget that you’re growing up.”

When he lowered his eyes back to his GameBoy and didn’t respond, she remembered Zooey’s suggestion and plunged in. “There’s a Big Brother program at the community center, and I’m going to look into getting you an older buddy who can do things with you.”

“I want Dad to do things with me,” he grumbled.

“I know you do. But I can’t control what your dad does and neither can you. Instead of just being unhappy because he doesn’t come around, we have to do something about it.”

“I’m not going to hang out with some stranger!” Anthony exclaimed and rolled over on his side, turning his back to her. Angela sighed. Like everything else, this wasn’t going to be easy. She could bake a great apple pie, but her life was falling apart and she had to do something about it.

Felice’s Nieces, Rosewood’s upscale ’tween and teen shop, was always loud, colorful and usually busy. Angela’s full-time job as an office manager for a pediatric dentist was methodical and paperwork oriented. She actually enjoyed working here two nights a week, sometimes on Saturdays, and interacting with the kids. Besides that, she received a discount on her daughter’s clothes.

As she separated ringspun denim jeans from sand-blasted ones, she was aware of the plasma screen TV flickering with the latest DVD for the ’tween set. Surround sound blared from every direction.

Finished with the jeans, Angela moved toward a table laden with brightly colored sweaters. The kids picked at them and tossed them back down, and they constantly needed to be straightened. As she folded a lime one that Olivia might like for Christmas, the buzzer on the glass door sounded and she looked up.

Her heart beat faster as she examined the man who had just walked in. Tall, blond and broad-shouldered, he looked like every cheerleader’s dream. Square-jawed, his face too rugged to be called handsome, he looked totally out of place amidst giggling girls, tall displays of jewelry and carousel racks filled with the latest styles. She couldn’t quite gauge how old he was. Her age, maybe?

Reluctantly she returned her attention to the sweaters on the table, taking another peek at him as he went to the cashier’s desk and spoke to the manager. Those shoulders filled out the hunter-green sweater to perfection. She could only imagine the muscles there. His gray stone-washed jeans fit his backside even better. The cross trainers he wore were expensive, and she wondered if he’d come in to buy somebody a Christmas present.

Stop it, she scolded herself. As if you’d consider getting involved with anyone right now, let alone a hunk who’d be scared to death of three kids and a mortgage payment the size of the Eastern Seaboard.

Angela was stacking sweaters into a neat pile when a deep male voice made her jump.

“Are you Angela Schumacher?”

Spinning around, clutching a sweater to her chest, she looked up into the fascinating hazel eyes of the blond man who’d walked in a few minutes before.

Flustered, she had trouble finding her voice. Finally she managed to say, “I’m Angela.”

He extended his hand. “I’m David Moore. I’ve been selected to be Anthony’s Big Brother.”

“I see,” she replied inanely, not knowing what else to say. His hand was still extended and she slipped hers into it, immediately aware of the heat shooting up her arm, the increased rate of her pulse, the giddy feeling she hadn’t experienced since she was a teenager.

Composing herself, she pulled her hand away. “The community center said you’d give me a call before you stopped by the house.”

“When I called your house and explained who I was, your sitter told me you were working here tonight. Zooey, her name is.”

“Oh, Zooey’s my neighbor. She’s watching the kids for me while my sister’s on a business trip and…” She trailed off feeling foolish. “It’s complicated.”

“Life usually is.”

His smile curled her toes. What was wrong with her? Her ex-husband had taught her many lessons and she’d remembered them all. She wanted nothing to do with another relationship.

A little voice she didn’t recognize whispered, Who’s talking about a relationship? What about a torrid affair?

Feeling herself flush, Angela asked, “Do you live near here?” She still didn’t understand why he had just dropped in.

“No. But my store’s across the plaza—Moore’s Sporting Goods.”

She hadn’t made the connection. “That’s you?”

“That’s me. I coach high-school football on the side. That’s how I got involved with the mentoring program.”

His hazel eyes turned a bit greener, and Angela wondered how old he really was, how he’d come to own a sporting goods store and why he coached on the side. Too many questions. She didn’t care, did she? Well, she cared where Anthony’s well-being was at stake. She really didn’t know anything about this man…

As if he’d read her thoughts, he took a folded sheet of paper out of his back pocket, unfolded it and handed it to her. “Here are my stats with basic information and the names of parents of kids I’ve mentored. If you don’t like what you see there or you don’t get the information you want to hear from my references, you can choose another mentor. I know these days parents need to check out anyone who will be spending time with their kids.”

“Do you have children?”

“No.”

That’s all he said, but he wasn’t wearing a wedding ring. The absence of one didn’t mean anything, and besides, she shouldn’t even be looking.

“I thought I could spend some time with Anthony on Saturday.”

She’d have two days to check out his references. That should be enough time. “I work here in the morning, but afternoon would be okay. I have to tell you, though, my son doesn’t like the idea of a mentor or a Big Brother.”

“He might change his mind once we actually do some fun stuff. We’ll go easy and take it a little at a time.”

Her gaze fell to his lips and she felt that giddiness again. A little at a time. Is that the way he handled women, too? Shoot. Something must have triggered hormones she didn’t even know she had.

Someone nudged Angela’s elbow. “Ms. Schumacher? Does this go together?”

Angela looked down at Denise, a twelve-year-old who often came into the store without her mom.

“You’re busy,” David Moore remarked. “I don’t want to take up your time. “I’ll see you Saturday afternoon.”

“Saturday afternoon,” she repeated, reminding herself she needed help with Anthony, not a hot affair.

Then she laughed inwardly. Who could possibly have a hot affair with three kids around?

Angela shook her gloved hands, trying to bring some warmth back into them. Snow had fallen last night into this morning. Even though it was early December, the four inches that had fluttered down like fairy dust had collected and stayed. She knew she should probably wait to tack up the string of lights around her front door, but she had time right now, and that was something she didn’t often have. The sky was gray, as if snow could fall again at any minute, and the temperature hovered at freezing.

Angela concentrated on climbing the small ladder carefully and attaching nail-on clips that would hold icicle lights around the perimeter of the porch roof. Her two-story Colonial was gray-and-white brick. The breezeway attaching the garage to the house sported white siding with gray shutters. She loved the house and it suited her needs perfectly. After Jerome left, she’d used her settlement to turn the space above the garage into an apartment for Megan. The arrangement had worked well for both of them. But at the end of the month Megan would be moving out, and Angela would have to cover the entire mortgage herself, as well as the utilities, until she found a renter. The problem was she couldn’t let just anyone move in. It had to be someone she could trust around her kids.

The purr of a vehicle’s engine along Danbury Way slowed. Angela didn’t pay much attention. There were nine houses in the cul-de-sac; somebody was always coming and going. However, the vehicle pulled into her driveway. When she heard the slam of the door, she finished hammering in a clip then turned to look.

She almost lost her balance. David Moore was walking toward her, and she realized she was surprised. She’d half expected him not to show up, even though his references had said he was reliable. According to them, he’d kept all his appointments with their kids. But in Angela’s experience men usually bowed out of important events, didn’t stick around or keep vows.

“That doesn’t look too steady,” David noticed, as he motioned to the rickety ladder.

“I only have a few more clips left, then I’ll be finished.”

“It might be easier for someone taller to do it. I don’t have to reach as high. Come on, let me help you down.”

He was so tall, maybe six-two. From up here she could see his hair was a mixture of brown and blond. He seemed to have a tan that could be year-round, and she guessed the sun streaked his hair, whether he was skiing or swimming. There was no doubt he was athletic.

When he offered her his arm, covered by the red down jacket, she took hold of it, noticing how strong it was. At five-four and 105 pounds, she felt fragile as she stepped down and stood before him.

“I didn’t get a call from the community center saying you didn’t want me to come. You checked the references?”

“Yes. Everybody gave you glowing recommendations.”

“I enjoy being with the kids and I hope they enjoy being with me. That’s what matters.”

Whatever David Moore had been or was now, his ego didn’t seem to be as big as her house.

David took the hammer from her hand and went up the first step of the ladder. “Clips?” he asked.

Taking a few from her pocket, she handed them to him. In less time than it would have taken her, he had the lights fastened along the edge of the porch roof.

Facing her again, he asked, “Is Anthony around?”

“He’s up in his room, sulking. I told him you might come by. He wants no part of a Big Brother. So he says.”

Whenever she looked into David Moore’s eyes, she felt…stunned in some way. From the stat sheet he’d given her, she had seen he was twenty-eight, three years younger than she was. She’d never entertained the idea of being attracted to a younger man. Even before Jerome, she’d seemed to be attracted to men older than she was. But there was something about David that was so…breath catching.

“Since he’s not in favor of this idea, maybe we should go at it sideways,” David suggested.

“Sideways?”

“Kids are taking advantage of the first snow and tubing down the hill near there servoir. I saw them when I drove in.”

She understood what he meant. “Anthony has a sled.”

“The social worker who works with the community center said Anthony has a sister who’s seven and a brother who’s five. Do you think they’d like to go, too? If we made this a group outing, maybe Anthony would get used to me.”

“You want me to go along?”

“Wouldn’t you feel better about me spending time with Anthony if you were around?”

This man was perceptive. “Actually, I would. I didn’t like the idea of you just taking him away somewhere. Not yet, anyway.”

“Then sledding it is. Hopefully I can ease into a friendship without a lot of pressure on him to accept me.”

“I could make cocoa to take along, and I baked a batch of cookies when I got home. We can take those, too.” She didn’t have the reputation of being Super mom for nothing.

“A woman who actually bakes!” he commented with a grin. “You’re a lost breed.”

She laughed, a bit self-consciously. “I like to cook and experiment with recipes. Especially desserts.”

His gaze slid over her fitted green wool jacket and black leggings. “You mustn’t eat them.”

She blushed, feeling foolish. “I eat my share. I’m just so busy running from one job to another and taking care of the kids, I must burn it off.” She began to fold the ladder.

“I can get that. Does it go in the garage?”

She nodded. “You can come into the house and go through the breezeway off the kitchen. I’ll round up the kids and tell them to get ready.”

Olivia and Michael, who were watching TV, looked interested when Angela introduced David. After she explained they were going to go sledding, they gave a “whoop” and ran to their rooms to dress warmly.

Standing in the foyer, she called up the stairs. “Anthony. Come here a minute, will you? Mr. Moore is here.”

Anthony came to the top of the stairs and gazed down at her and David.

“Come on down,” she said, hoping he wouldn’t be rude. She’d been firmer with him since the day he’d locked himself in his room, and he wasn’t happy about it.

When he reached the bottom step, David extended his hand to him. “Hi, I’m David Moore.”

“I don’t need anyone to take me to the movies or treat me like a kid,” Anthony said defensively.

“I guess you don’t. And you’re old enough to know what you want to do. But I thought all of us could try out this snow. I put tubes in the back of my SUV and I’ve got a toboggan, too. Or, you can take your own sled. I thought we’d all go.”

Anthony looked at his mother. “You’re going to go sledding?”

“I just might. I’m not over the hill yet.” She didn’t know why she’d said that.

“You could break something,” Anthony mumbled.

David laughed. “Maybe you and I will just have to make sure she doesn’t.”

It was obvious that Anthony was fighting a battle within. He didn’t want to go along with David, but he liked the idea of sledding. Or tubing. Or tobogganing. “Olivia and Michael are going, too?”

“Sure. We can all use the fresh air,” Angela remarked, as if it weren’t a big thing to go on a family outing. They rarely did that anymore. Since Jerome left, outings emphasized his absence. Not that he’d been great at family activities. When they were married, he’d worked late and had always done his own thing on weekends.

It had taken Angela too long to catch on to what her husband’s own thing was. But she had caught on and had confronted him with a woman’s bracelet she’d found in the pocket of his suit jacket. Then her next-door neighbor, Judith Martin, had told her she’d seen Jerome and a redhead having a late dinner at Entrée, a trendy restaurant in town that another one of her neighbor’s owned. Jerome had insisted it was a business dinner, but she’d figured otherwise. He’d taken the woman to that particular restaurant so it would get back to her. He’d wanted out. She’d suggested counseling, but he’d just laughed, hurting her big-time when he admitted he wasn’t meant to be monogamous—it simply wasn’t in his nature.

When he’d left that evening, he’d seemed happy about changing his life. She’d cried herself to sleep every night for about two weeks. Then, after a heart-to-heart with her sister, she’d known she was better off without him. He’d chipped off a piece of her heart, though, and although it had been three years, the wound hadn’t completely healed.

“Do you know where my boots are?” Anthony asked, being practical.

“I think they’re in the basement. While you change, I’ll get them. Tell Olivia and Michael to put sweaters on under their parkas.”

Anthony made a face, then ran up the stairs.

By the time Angela found the kids’ boots and her own, David was back in the kitchen, shedding his coat. “If I help you, we’ll get out of here sooner—before Anthony changes his mind.”

The truth was, she wasn’t used to having a man in her kitchen anymore. Since her divorce, she’d become independent in every sense of the word and in every part of her life.

“What would you like to help with?” she asked cautiously.

“I make great hot chocolate, with milk and an instant mix. Is that what you were planning on doing?”

“Actually, it was.” When she smiled at him, she felt that heart-twirling sensation again.

Trying to chill, trying to ignore tingles running through the body she no longer knew, she motioned to a lower cupboard. “Saucepan is down there. Hot chocolate mix is in that jar.” She pointed to a mason jar on the counter next to a row of ceramic canisters.

When she reached above her to get a thermos from the upper cupboard, she had to stand on her tiptoes. But the thermos was pushed back on the shelf, just out of her reach.

“Here, let me.” He was behind her then, and she could feel the strength of him…the heat of him…smell his limy scent as he reached above her.

“I’m too short,” she mumbled. “Megan can reach up there. She must have put it there.”

“Megan?”

“She’s my sister. She lives in the apartment above the garage. She usually helps me with the kids, but she’s away on business now. My neighbor across the street has been helping out.”

When he lowered the thermos, he set it on the counter, and they were very close, his elbow brushing hers.

She had to get a grip. She was going to be in the presence of this man the whole afternoon, and she couldn’t act like an idiot.

“I noticed Anthony’s name is different from yours.”

Making the decision to take back her maiden name hadn’t been easy, because she hadn’t wanted to affect the kids, who had of course kept Jerome’s surname of Buffington. But she’d needed that piece of paper reiterating her independence in that way, too. “I took back my maiden name after my divorce.”

“Bitter divorce?”

“It could have been more amicable, I guess, but we tried to put the kids first.”

“But now your ex-husband isn’t putting the kids first?”

This man was a stranger, yet he deserved to understand the situation so he could relate to Anthony. “Jerome isn’t the most dependable man on earth. He’s missed his last two dates with the kids. Anthony, especially, has reacted to that. I’m afraid he thinks his dad doesn’t love him. I’ve called Jerome and left messages but he doesn’t call back. The truth is—I think he sees my number on his caller ID and ignores us.”

“And this is why you called the community center?”

“We had an incident earlier in the week. Anthony locked himself in his room. A neighbor suggested the Big Brother program. I’m willing to try anything. I don’t want him to turn into a defiant teenager.”

Nodding solemnly, David moved a few steps away to retrieve the packets of hot chocolate.

Angela felt as if she could breathe again.

Now that he knew something about her, she wanted to know more than statistics about him. “Is your family around here?”

After a moment’s hesitation, he explained, “My dad lives about an hour north and I have a sister another half hour from there. I don’t see them as much as I should.”

“I know what you mean. Life gets too busy. Since Megan got engaged, I don’t see as much of her as I used to.”

“That happened recently?”

“July. She and Greg are getting married on New Year’s Eve.” Angela sighed. “I’m going to miss her when she moves out.”

“Is she moving far away?”

“No, they’ll be staying in Rosewood. But…it won’t be the same. She was a great support after my divorce. She’s my best friend.”

He was listening to her, looking at her as if he understood every word she said. When had a man ever listened to her? Really listened?

He’s younger than you, a scolding voice in her head warned her. And you have three kids, it added, as if the age difference weren’t enough.

However, David was looking at her as if they were the only two people on earth. Her fingers practically itched to sift through his brown blond hair that fell rakishly over his brow. The scent of his aftershave drew her closer, as did the gold sparks in his hazel eyes.

He lifted his arm…

Was he going to touch her cheek? Was he going to bend his head and kiss her?

The zip of sexual attraction bounced between them as she waited breathlessly.

Chapter Two

David knew he had to deep-six any desire he felt for this woman. Escaping from whatever had come over him, he straightened and took a healthy step away from her. “I’d better get the milk going.”

She blinked those very blue eyes at him. What was it about Angela Schumacher that got to him?

“Sure.” A look of self-protective pride spread over her face, mixing with another emotion. Disappointment maybe?

They weren’t going to talk about what almost happened. That would make it more real. At this point, he could turn off his attraction to her and set himself on the right course. He was here because of her son.

End of story.

She busied herself wrapping cookies in tin foil. “Sledding will be a real treat for the kids today. Last year we only went twice. Did you go often as a kid?”

The questions about his background shouldn’t have thrown him, but they did. He didn’t know how much he wanted to reveal. It wasn’t as if he had anything to hide—his life was an open book, if anybody wanted to look. But his life hadn’t ended up where he thought it would, and there had been disappointments along the way for him, as well as his family.

“We lived on a farm, so there were a lot of places to go sledding.”

“What kind of farm?” She looked genuinely interested.

“A dairy farm. Dad still keeps it all running, but I don’t know how much longer he can do that.”

“What about your mom?”

“She died when I was in my teens—of ovarian cancer.”

“I’m so sorry. Losing a parent is rough. My parents were divorced, and I didn’t see my dad much after that. It’s not nearly the same thing, but it’s why I know how Anthony feels,” she said.

“We’ll see if we can’t do something about that, starting today.”

The smile she gave him tightened his gut and made other physical reactions start happening, too. He wondered if she knew what a powerful punch she packed as a woman.

He was going to stay out of striking range.

By the time he and Angela finished in the kitchen, the kids were dressed and ready to go. Anthony wasn’t coming anywhere near David, but that was okay.

Angela had taken a few minutes to slip into ski pants and a jacket. The outfit was a brilliant turquoise with a yellow stripe. She was petite but not demure. Feminine, yet not passive. He thought of the fiancée who’d left him because his career had been ruined…because she’d wanted some of the fame his dad had dreamed of for him. Jessica’s leaving while he’d worked in rehab to regain use of his leg had seemed like a crushing defeat. Fate double dealing him. At twenty-eight, he still couldn’t figure out women, and for the past couple of years had stopped trying. He dated, but never seriously. Sometimes he felt as if he were out of step with the rest of the men of his generation who hopped from one woman’s bed to another, as if sex and relationships were some kind of game. Maybe it was his upbringing, but he’d never felt like that.

A half hour later, as David unloaded his toboggan from the rack on his SUV, he saw Angela lifting a saucer from her van. Michael grabbed it and, struggling with it, took off through the cluster of kids and adults at the top of the hill.

“Michael, wait,” Angela called after him.

David hollered over to her, “I’ll watch out for him. Take your time.” He started off toward Michael.

Soon he was aware of Anthony following, a good ten feet behind him. This Big Brother thing was going to be a hard sell. But if he didn’t push, the nine-year-old might come around. Most kids did because they missed the male figure in their life who wasn’t there anymore…because they felt as if a piece of their life was missing.

The next hour seemed to fly by in a mixture of runs down the hill, trudges back up, laughter and adrenaline rushes—mostly because of getting too close to Angela, not the speed of sledding down the hill.

Anthony just sort of buzzed around at a distance, giving David curious looks now and then, acting sullen and withdrawn otherwise. He’d met up with a friend, and at one point the two boys had joined David on the toboggan. Afterward, Anthony had gone his way again. As Angela kept a close eye on everyone, David noticed she oversaw the outing but didn’t sled herself. Did she feel she couldn’t have fun when the kids were around?

Although she was holding a cup of hot chocolate and breathing in the warmth, her nose and cheeks were red. They’d have to leave soon.

In spite of an inner voice telling him to stay removed, David approached her. “How about taking a run down the hill with me?”

“I don’t think so,” she answered politely.

“Are you afraid I’ll dump you in the snow?”

She gave him a genuine smile. “Maybe. I’m not a speed junkie.”

“You don’t like roller coasters?”

“I avoid them at all costs. I turn an ugly shade of green.”

“I doubt that. Come on. You need to show your kids you can join in the fun.”

“I do?” She looked a bit defensive.

“Sure. I think one of the reasons kids keep a distance from their parents is because they think their parents were never kids. Or have forgotten what it was like to be a kid.”

As she gazed out over the snow-covered vista and the pines beyond, she seemed to think that over. Her focus went to Olivia, who was tubing down the hill with a friend. Then she concentrated on Michael, who was in his own world, spinning his saucer on a snow patch. Anthony had taken his sled and was doing belly flops down the hill.

A tall man had arrived a few minutes ago with his daughter, and Angela had spoken to him for a while. David had definitely noticed. That same man was standing by a picnic table, watching his daughter, who was sledding with Olivia.

“Hey, Jack,” Angela called to him. “Can you keep an eye on my kids for a few minutes?”

“No problem,” he called back.

She turned back to David, “All right,” she agreed. “One run.”

“You have to smile, so they think you’re having fun even when you’re not.”

She laughed, and he liked the sound of it. He liked her.

A few minutes later he was positioning the toboggan. “It’ll be easier if I hop on first. Then you slide back between my legs.”

Her eyes grew a bit bluer and wider, and for a moment she looked as if she wanted to run. Maybe he’d been wrong about a mutual attraction. Maybe it had been wishful thinking.

“This will be over quicker than you can say your name.” He hopped on before she could change her mind, then motioned in front of him.

After brief moments of hesitation, she sat at the foot of the toboggan, then levered herself backward until she was between his legs, closer to his chest.

He realized he was going to have to put his arms around her to guide the toboggan, unless she wanted to handle steering. “If you want me to guide the sled, I’m going to have to put my arms around you and take hold of the lead.”

“Fine,” came her small low voice.

This had been such a bad idea. His knees were lodged against her hips. After he slid forward, his arms went around her and he felt her tense. But then she handed him the rope.

“Stay loose,” he warned her, his chin practically touching her shoulder. “If we do capsize, it’ll make the tumble easier.”

“Do I really want to do this?” she muttered, looking toward heaven.

His arms were under hers now. In spite of the cold he felt the warmth from her body, the heat of whatever sexual attraction was zipping between them. It wasn’t one-sided.

She wore a pull-on knit cap, and it almost touched his nose as he used his leg to push them off. “Hold on,” he suggested as they tilted over the crest of the hill and began their descent.

She did hold on. Her hands clasped his arms, and the rush of wind, the bite of cold rising from the snow, the accelerated speed as they picked up velocity, weren’t as thrilling as having this woman in his arms. As they flew down the hill, she lay into his chest. He leaned forward to protect her. The ride was exhilarating. Her perfume mingling with the pine and winter was intoxicating. The rush that went through him surpassed anything he’d ever felt on the football field. That was most surprising of all. He’d thought he’d lost that adrenaline lift forever. But here it was today, because of Angela Schumacher.

The ride was over as quickly as it had begun. One moment the toboggan was speeding, the downhill slope propelling it. The next they were coasting to a stop.

Neither of them spoke or moved, although other sleds and tubes careered down the hill around them. Riders jumped off, grabbed their leads and marched up the hill again for another run.

But David and Angela just sat there.

“That was something,” he said just to get her to talk.

When she glanced over her shoulder, their faces were very close. “It was indescribable.”

Her lips were so prettily curved, her chin as petite and delicate as the rest of her. He wanted to kiss her more than he wanted to take another ride like that. But if he did, he’d ruin his chance to get to know Anthony. He’d ruin their chances of maybe becoming friends. He’d ruin the path he’d set for himself to make success a priority, his store and working with kids all the purpose in life he needed.

He inched back away from her. “I’m glad you liked it.”

When she saw he was extricating himself, she slid forward and then climbed to her feet. Slapping her hands together to warm them, she grimaced. “I think it’s time to go. The kids have got to be as cold as I am.”

He wasn’t cold at all because of the fire that had started burning inside of him—a fire he knew could only lead to trouble. “Maybe we could round them up and have more of that hot chocolate. Anthony hasn’t even looked me directly in the eyes yet today, and I’d like to accomplish at least that much.”

“Hot chocolate it is. I think there are a few cookies left, too.”

They began trudging up the hill. The snow was wearing an icy sheen from the movement of the sleds on top of it. Near the top, one of Angela’s booted feet slipped.

Before she could topple sideways, David wrapped an arm around her. They were body to body again, and he wondered if he should have just let her fall.

But he couldn’t have done that.

As soon as she regained her balance, she pushed away. “Thanks,” she mumbled, negotiating the rest of the climb herself.

David was beginning to see that Angela Schumacher was a modern day, independent woman.

Maybe.

Jessica had taught him that actions weren’t always a good indicator of what was going on inside a woman’s head. After the accident that had killed one of his friends and ruined his career, she could have earned an Academy Award for her smiling visits of support, the cards she sent him in rehab, the telephone calls that had assured him he’d be on top of the world again in no time.

The day after the accident, everyone had known his NFL dreams were dust. Including Jessica. Maybe she really hadn’t known how she’d felt. Maybe she’d been trying out a role to see how it fit. Maybe she hadn’t felt any love at all, but had simply wanted to ride his jersey into a life of fame, fortune, big houses and luxurious cars. She’d walked away because she’d signed up for a fiancé different from the one she’d gotten.

Loyalty and promises kept were rare commodities these days.

Angela was shaking when she reached the top of the hill. Her trembling had nothing to do with the cold and everything to do with David Moore. Teenage crushes were long ago and far away and had no right to reach out and grab her now. Just because his eyes seemed to swallow her up. Just because his smile made her toes curl. Just because he listened as if she really had something to say. None of that could excuse this reaction.

Olivia came running over to her.

With a nonchalance she wished she could feel, David offered, “I’ll round up Michael and Anthony and stow their gear.”

“I’ll warm up the van and get out the snacks.”

As Olivia dragged her tube behind her, they walked toward the van in the parking lot. “Do we have to go home?”

“Sure do. You’re going to turn into an icicle otherwise.”

When Angela pressed the remote to open the doors, Olivia asked, “How did it feel going down the hill with Coach Moore?”

What should a mother say to that? “It was over so fast I hardly remember it.”

Liar, an inner voice accused.

“He’s a real hottie, isn’t he?”

Angela just stared at her daughter. She was only seven, for goodness sakes. “Where do you pick up this language?”

“I watch TV,” her daughter said impishly, then added, “I hear the middle-school girls talking on the bus. Everybody does. I don’t live in a bubble, Mom.”

Whatever happened to seven-year-olds playing with baby dolls, putting puzzles together or skipping rope with friends? Even Olivia wanted an MP3 player for Christmas, and Angela had no doubts she probably knew how to use one.

Still with that grin, her daughter added, “I think you like him.”

Oh, terrific! Apparently her reactions to the man were obvious even to Olivia.

“Coach Moore is going to spend some time with Anthony, I hope. That’s it.”

“You don’t want to go out with him?” Olivia asked with her eyes narrowing.

“Of course not. When would I even have time?” She dropped her arm around Olivia’s shoulders. “I’ve got a life daughter, dear. I’ve got you and Anthony and Michael. What more do I need?”

“You still miss Daddy, don’t you?”

As always, when her kids asked a question like that, Angela paid complete attention. Dropping down to Olivia’s eye level she admitted, “I miss what we once had. I miss another adult in the house to talk to…someone I’m connected with in a special way. But I can’t control what your dad does. I wish he’d visit with all of you more, but he’s trying to get a new business up and running, and that keeps him busy.” At least that was the excuse Jerome was giving. It was also his excuse for not sending timely child support payments.

“I miss Daddy, but I don’t miss you and him arguing about him never being there.”

Kids saw and heard everything and she had to remind herself of that every day. “Things are just different now. We’re a different kind of family. And that’s okay.”

“So…” Olivia drawled. “Don’t you want to go to the movies or something with Coach Moore?”

“No,” Angela returned, straightening. “That’s not on the agenda. As I said, he’s going to be Anthony’s friend. Then maybe your brother won’t be so miserable all the time.”

“Yeah. Then maybe he’ll stay out of my room.”

Ten minutes later they were inside the van, drinking hot chocolate and munching on chocolate chip cookies. David had encouraged Olivia to take the front seat beside her mom while he sat in back of Angela and Anthony sat beside him. Of his own accord, Michael had crawled into the van’s third seat. They’d left the door open a bit on Anthony’s side.

“Your mom makes great cookies,” David commented.

“Some moms don’t bake at all,” Olivia remarked over her shoulder, sounding shocked, as if that was inconceivable.

Suddenly one of Anthony’s friends was standing at the van door.

“Hi, Simon,” Angela greeted him. Simon was in Anthony’s class and also had played Little League with him.

Simon pointed to David. “My dad says he played for the NFL.”

Anthony cut a sideways glance to David. “You didn’t tell me that. Is that true?”

Angela was all ears herself.

“I was drafted by the NFL and I went to training camp, but I never got a chance to play. I was in a car accident that messed up my leg.”

“That was rotten luck,” Simon stated emphatically. “My dad says you’re a great coach, now, though. The Raiders won almost all their games.”

“Your dad must be a football fan.”

“He’s always in front of the TV watching sports of some kind. Mom doesn’t like it. That’s why she said we’re gonna cut down a Christmas tree tomorrow, and he has to go along.”

“That’d be neat to cut down a Christmas tree,” Anthony said wistfully.

Angela saw David studying her son. Then he said, “I’m great with a saw. If you and your mom want to pick out a tree, I could cut it down for you.”

“Can we do that, Mom?” Anthony asked, excited.

Angela loved seeing that sparkle in her son’s eyes. She’d missed it the past few weeks. If cutting down a Christmas tree would help put a smile on his face, she’d freeze off her toes and fingers again tomorrow. She was also willing to try to put her reactions to David into deep freeze, too. “If Coach Moore’s willing to saw it for us, I guess we can.”

“That’s a plan, then,” David stated. “Why don’t I meet you at the Christmas tree farm around two?”

“Two will be fine.” Angela told herself she was just looking forward to the outing because it was something Anthony wanted to do for a change. It didn’t have anything to do with the fact that David would be along.

After Simon had taken off for his family’s car, David opened the door on her side of the van. “I’d better be shoving off.”

“Wait,” she called, before she thought better of it.

Already out of the van, David closed the door and stood before her window.

When she pressed the button, it rolled down a bit. “Thank you,” she said softly, meaning it. “Are you sure you want to go tomorrow?”

“I’m sure. It’s been a long time since I’ve cut down a Christmas tree. I’ll see you at two.”

With a wave, he headed off toward his SUV, and Angela couldn’t help staring after him. He was three years younger than she was, a bachelor and way too intriguing. Reluctantly, and with a sigh, she came back to reality. She was a single mom with responsibilities and no spare time. This outing tomorrow was for her children’s sake, and she wouldn’t forget that.

After Anthony closed his side of the van, she switched on the ignition. “Buckle up.”

As the kids fastened their seat belts, she did the same, all the while remembering the feel of David’s body around hers as they’d sped down the hill. For those few moments, she’d felt young and free and alive again.

With another sigh she backed out of the parking place and started for home.

As Olivia, Michael and Anthony ran from tree to tree, squabbling about which one would be perfect in their living room, David asked Angela, “Do they ever agree?”

She laughed. “Once in a great while. I’m just so glad to see Anthony is a part of this today. He’s actually excited about something. He’s been moping around for so long, I was afraid he’d forgotten how to have fun.”

To his surprise, David was having fun, too. He usually related to kids one-on-one, not in a family setting. This was different. But there was no other way to reach out to Anthony and have him reach back.

As spokesman, Anthony ran over to them and pointed to a Douglas fir. “That’s the one we want.”

Michael complained, “I like the one over there.”

“It’s not as tall,” Olivia berated him. “We want a tall tree.”

Out of the blue, as if he’d been thinking about it all day, Anthony asked David, “I know you don’t play in the NFL, but do you know guys who do? I mean, you went to their training camp and all.”

“I’ve kept in contact with a few. Do you know Duke Smith of the Redskins?”

“Wow! Duke Smith! Yeah, I watch him on TV.” Anthony looked at the tree and then back at David. “Maybe you’d like to help us put up the tree. Whaddya think, Mom? Can he?”

“And he can stay for supper,” Olivia piped up.

Angela looked flabbergasted by her daughter’s invitation.

If he helped with the tree, David knew more questions about football were going to come up. He also knew something else might come up that he should probably tell Angela about. It was the incident that had started him mentoring in the first place. Yet all of it was personal, and he and Angela weren’t on that level yet.

When he was silent, Angela recovered her composure and asked, “Do you have other plans? You probably cherish your free time on weekends.”

“I do. But I haven’t helped put up a Christmas tree in years. Are you sure you want me there?” he asked Anthony, looking straight at him.

The boy met his eyes this time. “Yeah. Last year Mom tried to do it herself and the whole thing fell over the next day. It was a mess.”

When Angela laughed self-consciously, David could have kissed her. She was so cute when she blushed. “Your son is a practical kid.”

“He doesn’t want more of his favorite ornaments to break. I can’t say I blame him.”

“At least they picked a straight tree.” He grinned, as he took his saw from the sled they’d brought along to transport the tree.

After David cut down the fir and arranged it on the sled, Anthony asked if he could pull it, and Michael insisted on helping. David motioned down the trail to the barn where the proprietor of the farm was bagging the trees so they were easier to take home. All the kids started down the hill, cooperating for a change.

“That won’t last long,” Angela said with a smile.

David knew Olivia’s invitation had taken Angela aback. “I don’t have to stay for supper. I know you weren’t prepared for that.”

For a few moments, she looked over the rows and rows of fir trees, as if debating with herself. Then she said, “All the kids want you there. I think they’re starved for a father figure. The question is, do you want to be that? Mentoring Anthony is one thing. Having two other kids pile on is another.”

“You’ve got great kids. I’m a novelty right now. Hopefully Anthony and I can form a friendship that will help him. But if your other two kids want to be part of that, I don’t mind. I intend to give Anthony alone time, though, because I think that’s what he needs.”

“You’re right about that. He and Jerome never spent a lot of time together, but whenever he could, Anthony tagged along with his dad.”

“We could just stop for a pizza on the way home,” David suggested, not wanting to put her to any bother.

“Pizza’s okay once in a while, but I try to get them to eat wholesome food whenever I can. I have leftover roast beef in the fridge. I’m thinking of hot roast beef sandwiches, if that’s okay.”

“That sounds fine. You really do try to be Super mom, don’t you?”

She bristled a bit. “Is there something wrong with that?”

“No. Not if it doesn’t wear you out.”

Her shoulders relaxed. “It does. But as long as I can do it, I’m going to try.”

They could hear the kids chattering as they trudged down the trail. They could see them. But David knew the trees blocked the kids’ view of them. No one else had followed them into these rows of trees, and it almost felt as if they were alone in the middle of nowhere.

Angela was looking up at him with those big, blue eyes. He’d taken off his gloves after he’d cut down the tree so he could rope it to the sled. Now he was glad he had. Her swingy hair brushed against her cheek, and he pushed it back, letting his thumb linger on the softness of her skin. Her eyes grew bluer and wider, and he saw the same desire there that he was feeling. They were both wondering—wondering what a kiss would be like…wondering if a fire would start…wondering if the earth would move.

He rarely acted on impulse anymore. But now, desire drove him to seize the moment, answer some of his questions, discover if the chemistry he was feeling was real. When he bent his head, she raised her chin. His lips covered hers.

Did the kiss last for an instant? Or maybe an hour?

There was no time as heat exploded in his body…as he pushed his tongue into her mouth…as she responded quickly and fiercely.

When her children’s laughter soared up the hill to them, he broke away and stepped back, feeling turned inside out.

That was impossible. The kiss had begun and was over in a few seconds. How could he be so fully aroused? How could he want to lay her down in the pine needles and the patches of snow and take the passion she seemed willing to give?

He’d thought his questions would be answered after a kiss, but there were only more of them. “I shouldn’t have done that. The way Anthony is feeling right now, if he senses anything going on between us, he’d never let me become his friend.”

“You’re right,” she murmured. “And I’m not looking for…for…for an involvement. I don’t have time. I don’t have the energy. Men cause me nothing but disappointment.” She brought her hand to her lips when she realized she’d said out loud what she was thinking.

“I’ll try not to disappoint you where Anthony’s concerned,” he vowed solemnly. “Come on. We’d better catch up.”

She didn’t argue, and he knew she didn’t want to linger, either. She’d obviously been hurt, maybe by someone other than her ex-husband. They both had scars that would keep anything from developing except a hot affair.

And it would be hot. That sample kiss had told him that.

But he had to put Anthony first.

He’d make sure he stayed away from Angela Schumacher. That was the only reasonable thing to do.

Chapter Three

Later Sunday evening when the doorbell rang, Angela was still reeling from David’s kiss at the Christmas tree farm. It had practically knocked her boots off, yet she’d acted as if nothing had happened and he’d left after a quick supper. Now, for a change, all three kids were watching the same program on TV while she tidied up the empty ornament boxes.

When she opened her front door, she found Rebecca Peters. Rebecca was the newest neighbor on Danbury Way and Angela had liked her immediately. She was one of the most stylish women around, with gold highlights in her dark-brown hair, blue eyes and a very fashion-forward wardrobe.

She, too, had found romance.

“I thought you and Joe were away for the weekend.”

“We didn’t go. Joe couldn’t find somebody to cover for him at the clinic.” Joe Hudson was a veterinarian and took his responsibility for his furry friends seriously.

“But…” Rebecca drawled, holding out her hand to Angela.

“It’s beautiful!” Angela stared at the simply exquisite solitaire on Rebecca’s finger, then gave her friend a huge hug. “This is wonderful. When are you getting married?”

Taking Rebecca by the hand, Angela tugged her toward the kitchen. “We’ll have a cup of tea and you can tell me all about it.”

Rebecca laughed as she followed Angela into the wine-and-spruce-green kitchen with its island in the middle, eat-on counter along one wall and numerous birch cabinets.

After another look at Rebecca’s diamond under the brighter kitchen lights, Angela said, “I knew this would happen sooner rather than later.”

“Me, too,” Rebecca confided with a shy smile. “I love him to death. Since he had to go to the clinic, I told him I was going to come over and tell you our good news.”

While Angela put on the tea kettle, Rebecca wiggled her hand under the recessed lighting. “We’ll probably be planning the wedding for spring. I want the works—from wedding gown to flower girl.”

They chatted for a few minutes about the type of gown Rebecca might choose, about colors she liked for her attendants, about possibilities for facilities for receptions.

The teakettle whistled, and Angela brought it over to the counter where she poured water into two mugs.

Adding the teabags, Rebecca admitted, “I really came over here to find out who that hunky man was in your driveway this afternoon.”

“You weren’t too busy to notice someone in my driveway?” Angela teased.

Although Rebecca’s cheeks turned a little pinker, she admitted, “Joe and I can’t spend all our time in bed.”

Both women laughed. Then Angela sobered up quickly when she thought about David. He was going to pick up Anthony on Friday to take him to the movies. They’d settled that much. Actually, there wasn’t anything else to settle, she told herself firmly.

“He’s going to be Anthony’s Big Brother, although Anthony still isn’t sure he really wants one. We all went sledding yesterday, and then this afternoon we found a Christmas tree.”

“Anthony’s Big Brother,” Rebecca mused. “Hmm. Are you sure that’s all he’s going to be?”

“He’s younger than I am,” Angela said lamely.

“How much younger?”

“Three years.”

“That’s nothing.”

“Maybe.”

“Is he single?”

“Oh, yes.”

“What’s he do?”

“He owns a sporting goods store in the same plaza as Felice’s Nieces.”

“This is David Moore we’re talking about?” Rebecca asked, sounding concerned.

“Do you know him?”

Rebecca’s blue eyes clouded. “No, I don’t. But I’ve heard things.”

Trepidation danced up Angela’s spine. “What kind of things?”

“He’s a football coach.”

Angela nodded. “I know that.”

After hesitating a few moments, Rebecca went on, “Now, I wasn’t there, understand. The incident happened before I moved here. But he was involved in some kind of brawl on the football field and ended up with community service because of it.”

Shocked, Angela leaned against the island. “You mean an actual physical fight?”

Rebecca nodded. “Yep, an actual fight between him and another coach.”

“I don’t understand. How could he keep his coaching position? Why would the community center put him on a list to be a mentor?”

“I don’t know the ins and outs of it. How did Anthony relate to him?”

“By the time David left tonight, they were talking football. I think he’s coming around. But now I don’t know if I want David Moore around him.”

“Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything.”

Rosewood was one of those communities where gossip spread like an epidemic. Their neighborhood was the perfect example. For a long while, Megan had been the butt of it. Everybody had thought her sister was sleeping with Carly’s husband before Carly and Greg had broken up, which hadn’t been true at all. Still, Rebecca didn’t gossip idly, and a brawl on a football field would have had plenty of witnesses.

“I’m going to have to find out what this is all about,” Angela decided soberly. She’d call David tomorrow and ask him to meet her for coffee. They’d get this straightened out one way or another.

Pushing her own concerns aside for the moment, she said to Rebecca, “Now tell me what you want Joe to wear for the wedding.”

When Angela entered Rosewood’s trendy coffee shop, Latte & Lunch, residents on their way to work or up early for whatever reason were drinking lattes, macchiatos and espressos. Angela hadn’t had any caffeine yet so she couldn’t blame her increased heart rate on that. She’d told herself this meeting with David could be a confrontation, and she was simply nervous.

Underneath that, there was something else and she couldn’t deny it. She’d gone through the motions with him on Sunday evening as they’d decorated the tree and then had supper, all the while still tingling from their kiss at the Christmas tree farm.

Now the tingles were anticipatory ones and she simply didn’t know how to shut them off.

He was waiting for her at a table for two in the corner. When he stood, his expression was serious. “I would have ordered for you, but I didn’t know what you’d like.”

She could see he was already nursing a cup of what looked like black coffee.

“I’ll get something and be right back.” Postponing the inevitable, she thought, not really wanting a cup of latte. But she needed something to do with her hands…something to focus on other than him.

Back at the table, the busyness of the place was almost a comfort because no one was paying attention to anyone else.

“Is this about that kiss?” he asked.

That kiss. She hadn’t given him any indication on the phone of why she wanted to meet. “No. I found something out and I thought we should talk about it.”

“You found something out?”

She could feel her cheeks heating up. “I heard gossip—about you.”

“I see. Want to fill me in?” His hazel eyes were steady on hers, not evading her, and she hoped Rebecca was all wrong about what she’d heard.

“One of my neighbors told me something that was disturbing to me. She said you were in a brawl on the football field while you were coaching.”

Time ticked by as conversations and people swirled around them. “I see. The references I gave you didn’t reassure you?”

“They reassured me when I didn’t know about the fighting. But if you’ve got a temper, if you have anger that erupts like that, how can I trust you with Anthony?”

“Have you seen any sign of anger?” he asked. His voice was stiff and defensive.

“No, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t there. I’ve only been around you for two days. And men who have anger issues can sometimes keep them well hidden.”

Looking down at his coffee, he turned it around in his hands. Then he met her gaze, his voice crisp. “What happened is a matter of public record. I’ll admit, I was angry after my accident. My life had been torn apart and taken a turn I never expected. But I funneled that anger into recovery, into working in a lumber yard until I had enough money to buy my own store. While I did that, I coached.”

“That one particular night, I was coaching a game and one of my players got clipped. The two boys started a fight. The other team’s coach got involved, and so did I, shouting back and forth. In the midst of the ruckus, Coach Witherspoon turned on my player, who was mixing it up with his. I told him to move away, and he swung at me. I defended myself by swinging back. It wasn’t the brightest thing I’ve ever done, but I felt I was defending my player.”

Of course, this situation wasn’t cut and dried. Angela sighed, not knowing what to think. Before her divorce she’d thought she was a good judge of character. David’s demeanor toward the kids had told her he was kind and wouldn’t fly off the handle at the drop of a hat. But she’d been wrong in so many ways about Jerome, and she could be wrong about this man, too.

David took her silence as a request for further information. “The chief of police was in the bleachers, and before either of us could throw another punch, he split up the fight. Since practically the whole community had seen what happened, Chief Raymond didn’t feel he could let it drop. So he suggested we both do fifty hours of community service, mentoring needy kids. That’s how I got into the program.”

“That coach shouldn’t have been mentoring kids if he couldn’t keep his temper in check. What was the chief thinking?” Angela asked, outraged.

“He was thinking that sports can sometimes bring out the worst, as well as the best. He was thinking we’d both gotten caught up in the moment, as well as the players. Witherspoon isn’t a bad guy. I got to know him afterwards. He should never have swung in the first place. And I should never have swung back, no question about it.”

She liked the fact David was taking responsibility for what had happened.

“I can’t speak for Witherspoon,” David continued. “I can only tell you about me. I was twenty-three then and trying to find my way. I’ve learned a lot in five years, and my life has stabilized. I’ve kept mentoring kids all that time and not one of them, or their parents, has had a complaint. Other than the references I gave you, you can go to the community center files to check out the recommendations and reports yourself. Most of all, I think you should look at the man I am today, rather than the man I used to be.”

“I don’t know who you are today.”

“You’re a parent, and you don’t want to take anybody else’s word for it. I get that. All I can say is that experience taught me the kids should come first. I think I’ve learned that lesson well. But you’re going to have to take it all into consideration and then make your decision. Anthony’s your son and you don’t want him around anyone who wouldn’t be the best influence.”

Another man might have gotten angry with her because she had listened to gossip. But she could see David wasn’t angry. He’d removed himself from her, though. The lights of desire she’d seen in his eyes were gone. To her surprise he wasn’t trying to convince her to think his way, the way Jerome often had and still did. He was letting the facts stand for themselves and allowing her to make the decision.

The thing was, staring into his hazel eyes, feeling the tug of attraction for him even now, she couldn’t make the decision. “I have to think about all of this.”

David stood, towering over her. “You think about it. The community center can find you another mentor for Anthony, but I want you to remember something. Hard experiences can lead to change, and I’ve changed my life into something I like now. Give me a call if you want me to take Anthony to the movies on Friday.” Taking a business card from his pocket, he laid it on the table next to her coffee. “My cell phone number is on there if you need it.”

Then he left the restaurant, leaving Angela feeling…empty.

On Wednesday afternoon, David was explaining the benefits of the Alpina cross-country skis to a customer when the phone on the cashier’s desk rang and his manager picked it up.

“It’s for you,” Edgar Pawalski said. “An emergency.”

After excusing himself from the customer, letting Edgar take over, David picked up the receiver, trying not to panic. His dad lived alone at the farm and anything could happen.

Instead, he heard a high-pitched woman’s voice. “Coach Moore? I understand you’re a Big Brother to Anthony Buffington?”

Immediately David was taken back to his conversation with Angela the day before yesterday. He’d been unsettled by the fact that she couldn’t seem to put her faith in him, and he hadn’t completely analyzed why. He’d hoped he’d hear from Angela, but he hadn’t, though he hadn’t heard from the community center, either. He was sure he would have if Angela had told them she wanted another mentor.

“Yes, I’m Anthony’s Big Brother.”

“This is the principal of Rosewood Elementary School. I’m in a bit of a pickle. Anthony was playing basketball after school. He fell and injured his arm, but I can’t get hold of his mother or his father. He says he has an aunt, but she’s away on a business trip. He’s in a lot of pain. When I asked him who else he might want me to call, he mentioned you.”

That surprised David. “You can’t reach Ms. Schumacher?” That seemed unbelievable to him because Angela would always be available for her kids. “Have you tried Felice’s Nieces?”

“Anthony told us she works part-time there, and we’re wondering if her cell phone isn’t charged or if she might have turned it off in transit. He’s pretty miserable and upset. Maybe you could come talk to him until we can reach her? Nothing we say seems to help.”

“How badly is he hurt?”

“I’m no doctor, Coach, but I’ve seen lots of accidents with kids and I think his arm is broken.”

“I’ll be right there.”

“Come to the nurse’s office at the elementary school. You’ll have to stop in at the main office first to get clearance.”

“Will do.”

Ten minutes later David had stopped in the elementary school office, spoken to the secretary, and was walking down the corridor to the nurse’s office. He was familiar with the ins and outs of the high school since he coached there. He’d been to the elementary school gym on a few occasions, but had never entered the recesses of the school itself. Normally, the pictures hanging on the cork strips outside the classrooms would make him smile. With Christmas coming, craft projects seemed to abound—from Christmas trees decorated with popcorn balls to reindeer fashioned from paper plates. But he was too worried about Anthony to appreciate the whimsy of the art projects.

When he entered the nurse’s office, he saw Anthony hunched up in a corner of the cot against the wall. The nurse was sitting at her desk at a computer.

He rapped on the door. “I’m David Moore,” he told the nurse before she could get up.

“Oh, Coach Moore. I just reached Ms. Schumacher. She’s on her way.”

“Mom’s gonna be so mad,” Anthony mumbled, his eyes filling with tears. He was cradling his arm and David went over to sit beside him.

“Why would she be mad? It’s not your fault you fell.”

“She didn’t want me to stay tonight because she was working. She said it would be easier for Zooey if I just came home with Olivia and Michael. But I wanted to stay, and she let me, and now she can’t even work ’cause she has to come get me. She’s going to be mad.”

Not knowing how much comfort Anthony would want, yet following his instincts, he capped the boy’s shoulder. “She’s not going to be mad. She’s going to be worried. All she’s going to care about is that you’re okay.”

“But I’m not. I have to go to the hospital.”

At that moment, Angela rushed into the nurse’s office and came up short when she saw David.

“Anthony asked them to call me when they couldn’t get hold of you,” he said in quiet explanation.

“I forgot to charge my phone last night. When I got to Felice’s Nieces, there was a message to call the school.”

David moved away as she rushed over to Anthony and put her arm around him. “Oh, honey. How are you doing?”

“It hurts, Mom.”

David could see the boy was trying to keep a stiff upper lip for his mother, but it wasn’t working too well. He went on, “I’m sorry I fell. I shouldn’t have stayed. If I had listened to you—”

“It’s okay,” she said soothingly. “The important thing now is to get you taken care of.”

It was easy to see how upset Angela was, even though she was trying to hide it. Her hand was shaking a bit, and David didn’t think she should drive Anthony herself. “Would you like me to drive you to the emergency room?”

Angela’s gaze met his and they both remembered the last conversation they had. “I can’t ask you to do that.”

“You don’t have to ask. I’m offering. I think it would be safer for everyone if I drove.”

She took a deep, calming breath. “I hate to admit it, but I think you’re right. The problem is, I won’t have my van when we’re all finished.”

“I can drive your van and then get a ride back here.”

Her blue eyes asked the question if he was trying to prove she was wrong about him…wrong to doubt him. But that wasn’t why he was doing this. Something about Angela more than interested him. She was trying to take on the world, all by herself, and take care of her kids at the same time. She deserved a little help.

The nurse got up from her chair then. “We keep a wheelchair here just for these kinds of situations. I can wheel Anthony outside.”

“If you give me your keys I’ll bring your van to the front door,” David said to Angela.

After only a moment’s hesitation, she reached into her purse and took out her key ring. About ten keys were on a ring attached to a large rhinestone star. He had to smile.

Fifteen minutes later they were at the hospital. Angela had called the pediatrician, and he’d advised her to take Anthony to the emergency room. An hour had passed until Angela filled out the paperwork and an orthopedic doctor had checked out Anthony, who had insisted David come to the examining room with them.

The doctor told Angela, “I need X-rays. I’ll send someone for your son. Do you want to come along?”

“Can Coach Moore come instead?” Anthony asked the doctor.

Angela’s hurt was evident in the quick sheen that coated her eyes. “You don’t want me to come with you?”

“Oh, Mom, you’ll just cry or somethin’. Coach Moore is probably used to this kind of thing, playing sports and all.” He looked up at David. “Did you have X-rays after your accident?”

“I had all kinds of tests.”

“See? I told you, Mom.”

Her attention went from her son to David. “Do you mind?”

“Not at all. While we’re gone, you can take a few deep breaths. I doubt if we’ll be long.”

Once the attendant came to wheel Anthony to X-ray, the rest didn’t take long at all. David kept the boy distracted as best he could, telling him about playing football in high school and college, asking Anthony what subjects he liked best in school, discovering the boy intended to be a firefighter when he grew up. The arm was hurting him badly. David could tell. Talking seemed to help, and by the time the attendant wheeled Anthony back to the cubicle in the E.R., they were on their way to forming a friendship of sorts. That was going to be all shot to hell if Angela decided she wanted another mentor for her son. But Anthony needed a friend now, and David could be that for him tonight.

Waiting wasn’t anybody’s strong suit, and by the time the doctor reported to Angela what the X-rays had shown, David could see she was worried sick but trying to pretend she was a competent mother who took accidents like this in stride.

The doctor was all business as he declared, “It’s broken, all right. We might as well take care of setting it now. No use making the boy suffer longer than he has to. Son, have you had anything to eat this afternoon?”

“No, sir. Nothing since lunch.”

“Great. We’ll get you prepped and you can go home with a cast that everybody can sign.”

Things moved fast after that. Before they knew it, Angela was kissing Anthony, and a nurse was wheeling him away. She’d followed the gurney out of the cubicle and stood in the hall looking after it.

David picked up the bag that held Anthony’s clothes and belongings. “Come on. Let’s go up to the waiting room outside same-day surgery. The doctor said that’s where they’ll bring him when he’s finished.”

When she turned toward him, she was pale.

“He’s going to be all right,” David reassured her.

“I know. But he’s so little. The hospital’s so big. I don’t want him to be scared. I don’t want this to hurt his chances to be anything he wants to be.”

“Nothing’s going to keep that boy down.”

She ducked her head and David knew why. Taking her hand, he pulled her back into the cubicle for some privacy. Setting the bag of clothes on a vinyl chair, he cupped her chin in his hand and lifted her head. Tears were streaming down her cheeks.

“What’s wrong?” he asked gently.

“I tried to do everything right. I married a man I thought I could have a life with. We were happy with three beautiful kids until I found out about his affairs. Until he decided he wanted to be single. Until everything fell apart. I don’t know what I would have done without Megan the past three years. But she’s moving out, I had to take this extra job, and now Anthony’s hurt. And I can’t get in touch with Jerome. It’s as if he doesn’t even care he has a family. Or had a family. Somehow I always feel as if everything is all my fault.”

Her tears were flowing in earnest now, and there was only one thing David could do. He enfolded her into his arms.

Holding Angela was supposed to be a comfort-giving gesture. She needed someone to lean on, and he was there. She was leaning into him. Her breasts were pressing into his chest. Her sweet, summer-garden scent filled his nostrils and made him need in elemental ways. Her hair was silky under his jaw as he held her and she cried out of frustration, loss and fear. He suspected there was a lot of fear. She was a woman alone with three kids. She could be afraid of responsibility and bills and a life that was changing. At first, she’d seemed to be the epitome of an independent woman, and maybe she was. But this was another side of her—the side that needed a man’s comfort and support and a shoulder that was strong enough to help get her through this crisis.

Who was the real Angela? Did she want to be on her own? Did she want to hook up with a man? Did she need someone to count on? Or was she looking for an easier way to live her life than as a single mom?

Jessica had had a poor background without the loving family David had experienced in his early years. She’d worked at a fitness center, but as they’d gotten engaged and they’d both pinned their hopes on NFL dreams, she’d talked about quitting her job, searching for a house for them, taking the time to decorate it and join a few clubs. She’d wanted a life with him that would lift her out of the one she’d known. Not so much emotionally, but physically and monetarily. He hadn’t realized all that until after she’d left.

He wouldn’t be any woman’s easy way out again.

Angela’s sobs had ebbed away and she was quiet now, just resting against him. Freezing the desire that raced through him like a running back heading for a touchdown, he forced himself to put his hands on her shoulders and back away.

When she looked up at him, there was confusion there…and dismay. “I’m so sorry. I don’t break down like this. It’s not me.”

Was that the truth? he wondered. Was this situation with Anthony the clincher after a long list of squalls she’d had to handle on her own? “Don’t worry about it,” he said. “You’re entitled. Your son was just taken to the operating room.”

Seeing the bag of Anthony’s belongings on the chair, she went to it. “I tossed my purse in here.” Retrieving it, she straightened her shoulders. “I’m going to the ladies’ room before we head upstairs. I know you’re probably sorry you got mixed up in this whole thing. I never meant to fall apart on you.” She ran her hand through her hair. “I must look a mess.”

“You couldn’t look a mess if you tried,” he said honestly.

At that, color came back into her cheeks again. “I’ll meet you in the E.R. waiting room in five minutes, tops. I promise.”

As Angela went down the corridor, he realized he’d have to decide just how involved he wanted to get in her life.

Then again, maybe getting involved wasn’t an option. He didn’t even know if she still wanted a mentor for her son. He wondered if he should be that mentor—or if he should walk away now.

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