The woman rocked back on her heels, her head whipping around as she stared at him. “Oh my saints above, it is!” She stood quickly and took her little man’s hand in hers. “Krew has a picture of you on his wall. He watches clips of you over and over again on my phone. We’ve been to your games. I just never imagined seeing you in a park like you’re a normal human or something. Oh my, I’m beside myself!”
Caleb grinned. This was more like it. He’d loved her teasing with him, but he’d never turn down a gorgeous woman and her cute son worshipping him. He pocketed his phone, bent down, and extended his hand. “Nice to meet you, Krew. I’m Caleb Jewel.”
“Don’t I know it!” Krew shook Caleb’s hand, looking at him as if he’d hung the moon. “You’re the best middie in the NLL.”
Caleb chuckled. “Thanks.” He straightened and offered his hand to the woman. “Pleasure to meet you. Caleb Jewel.”
She put her hand in his, and he loved the feel of that soft palm and her long fingers against his. “Emily Gehring—I mean, Housley.”
“Which is it: Gehring or Housley?” Was she recently divorced? That would explain why she’d been so adamant about not being married.
“Housley.” She lifted a brow as if daring him to challenge her.
“Emily Housley.” He looked her over carefully. “Beautiful name for a beautiful lady.”
Her mouth dropped slightly open. Caleb wanted to flirt with and pursue her, right now. He wasn’t long on patience, but he was nothing if not an expert at lacrosse, blowing things up, and how to get a woman to fall for him. He would exercise a little self-restraint, and she’d want him even more.
So instead of revealing the extent of his attraction to the beautiful mama, he squatted down to the little boy. “You want to play some catch?”
“Yes!” Krew jumped into the air, clutching his stick. “Right now?”
Caleb nodded. “If you and your mama have time.”
“We have time, right, Mama? We have time.” Krew wrapped both hands around his stick and leaned forward. “Please,Mama, say we have time.”
Emily smiled. “If you want to miss out on swimming in the neighborhood pool, pizza for dinner, ice cream, and playing those silly video games of yours.”
“What are you trying to do, blackmail him out of playing with me?” Caleb even loved the way she saidpool. Her inflection was adorable.
Emily shot him a sly look.
“Yes!” Krew screamed. “I’ll eat only broccoli for dinner and not play video games for a week.”
Caleb’s chest swelled. This kid really did worship him.
“You heard it.” Emily shot Caleb a conspiratorial wink, and he liked being in cahoots with her. “Broccoli and no video games.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Krew said. “Please, please, please.”
“Well, get going.” She cast a smile at Caleb that was radiant with appreciation.
Caleb had to wonder—did she appreciate him because he was being cute with her son, helping her avoid video games, and getting some vitamins in the little guy, or did she appreciate him as a fine-looking man and superstar athlete? He caught the ball Krew tossed his way in his lacrosse stick and jogged out onto the grass field with Krew running happily by his side. Here’s to hoping the beautiful Mama was into him.
* * *
Emily tried to pay attention to the instructionstheCaleb Jewel was giving her son. She wanted to work with Krew on her own once this magnificent specimen of a man walked back out of their neighborhood park, never to be seen again, unless it was on the big screen on the field of a Denver Outlaws game.
The problem was that Caleb was too extraordinary. Instead of cataloging the way Krew should be gripping his lacrosse shaft or how to get more whip or torque on the shot or throw the pass more accurately—or “crisp,” as Caleb said it—she could only catalogue how perfect this man was. Whoo-ee! For an October evening in Colorado, it was as steamy hot as midsummer back home in Alabama.
She thought Caleb’s unexpected appearance was heaven sent, and not just because he was handsome. He was cute with her boy, he’d been fun to flirt with, and ooh, could he move! She’d been around athletes a long time—she’d been on track scholarship at the University of Alabama, and in her senior year she’d married a football player who’d gone on to play for the Denver Broncos—but watching Caleb move was poetry in action. What would he think if he knew that not only did Krew have a poster of him on his bedroom wall, but Emily paused to stare into those blue, blue eyes every time she walked past it? And maybe she blew kisses at his charming smile, imagining she’d see it directed at herself one day. She smirked to herself. Dreams did come true. She couldn’t believe she’d needed Krew to help her connect the dots, but who truly thought a superstar like Caleb Jewel would just waltz through the neighborhood park?
That poster of Caleb infuriated her ex-husband, Jeff. He thought his son should hang his special edition Denver Broncos poster on the wall. She’d told him that maybe Krew would, if his father wasn’t a dirtbag. For some reason her comment hadn’t gone over well.
Caleb snuck some looks her direction, unbothered that she was watching him openly. Of course, she was watching her son, but Caleb was a beautiful addition to the view. He gave her a smile and a wink, then went back to tossing the ball with Krew and offering instruction and praise. He showed a million times more patience and interest than Krew’s own father ever had. She scowled, and Caleb sent her a concerned glance. Forcing her features to smooth out, she didn’t let herself think about Jeff again.
The light was fading, and she figured she’d better get Krew home for dinner, stories, prayer, and bedtime. He was in first grade now, all-day school, and he always struggled in the morning. His little body craved more sleep. She didn’t like him leaving her for school, but she did like having the time to work. For the first time since college graduation six years ago, she was able to work in her field of home design, and she was rocking it. “Krew, we’d better go.”
Krew groaned, but Caleb murmured something that made her son’s adorable face lit up. He fist-bumped Caleb and obediently trotted to her side.