Jaci Burton (29 page)

If there was one thing Cole could do, it was work a room. These might not be his type of people, but in the game of conversation he was never lacking.

They stopped at the bar. Savannah got a glass of chardonnay. Cole asked for water.

Grant Cassidy, the Traders’ quarterback, was also here tonight. Surrounded by media, he was smiling and charming and always “on.” Yeah, he was popular with the media and maybe Cole was just a little bit jealous about that, but if the guys with the microphones and the cameras wanted to give all their attention to pretty-boy Grant tonight, that was fine with him. The less spotlight on Cole, the better.

In fact, he’d be happy to fade into the background. All he wanted to do was play football, play it well, and be left alone to let his performance speak for itself. That’s all he’d ever wanted.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t Savannah’s plan. She grabbed his arm and practically paraded him back and forth in front of the media.

He finally dug in his heels and turned to her. “Really?”

“Really.”

It didn’t take long for the fish to bite. As soon as they finished with Cassidy, the media swarmed him.

“Riley. How do you feel about being traded? Again?”

“Do you feel like a failure after being dumped by yet another team?”

“What happened with Green Bay? Was it your off-field behavior that cost you the job?”

“Haven’t seen you much in the local clubs here. Purposely keeping a low profile, or are we just missing you when we scout out the night life?”

“Maybe you have a girlfriend and are staying in nights? Is she here with you tonight?”

He was going to need a mouth guard to keep from grinding his teeth. He wanted to tell them all to shove it up their asses, his usual response to invasive, moronic questions like the ones they were
asking. But he kept his cool and answered them all, maintaining his calm and being as polite as humanly possible.

Despite the irritation prickling up his spine, he put on his best smile. “I feel great about being back home again. I’m jazzed to be with the Traders. They’re one of the best football teams in the league and I’m honored to be playing with them.”

He gave boring, team-positive answers. He told them he was happy to be with the Traders, that Green Bay was an amazing team and he expected them to have another stellar season, but he intended to look forward, not backward, and all he was doing right now was focusing on football, that’s why they couldn’t find him partying it up at the clubs.

Surprisingly, Savannah had been right. If he didn’t rise to the bait, the media got bored. He ended up fielding questions for about fifteen minutes until they found another sucker to badger and moved off. He turned to look for Savannah, but she had blended into the crowd. He signed a few autographs, fended off a couple frisky women who’d zeroed in on him when they saw him being interviewed, and made his way back to Savannah.

“You handled that well,” she said.

“I told you that you don’t have to worry about me. I really can handle myself.”

“When you want to.”

“So tonight I wanted to.”

She shook her head, but she was smiling. A genuine smile. That was a good thing. Maybe she was starting to believe in him.

“So what’s for sale tonight?” he asked.

“It’s a silent auction.” She led him over to the items up for bid. “You write your name down, and then someone else tries to outbid you.”

“I know how it works. Let’s take a look.”

It reminded him of a garage sale, only more expensive. There was a lot of junk, mostly stuff he’d never want to own, like artwork
and shit. Though there was other stuff here for the non–art lovers. The trips were nice. Too bad it was the beginning of the season for him. He’d have no time now to take any trips to these exotic locations. He remembered Mick had taken Tara on one of these short tropical vacations. Mick said it had been great. Private and secluded, though he hadn’t offered up much in the way of details—not that Cole had expected him to.

Cole looked at Savannah, imagining her in a skimpy bikini swinging on a hammock in some hidden paradise. Yeah, he could definitely get into that.

“What are you doing?”

His gaze met hers. “Huh?”

“Stop looking at me like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like…you know what.”

His lips curved. “Can’t help it. I was checking out this private tropical getaway up for auction and imagined you lying naked on a hammock.”

Her cheeks went pink. She leaned against him to whisper. “Well, quit imagining that because it isn’t going to happen.”

“I know it isn’t going to happen, but you can’t control what I fantasize about, Peaches.”

“You have to stop fantasizing about me. About us.”

“And you need to quit leaning your sweet little breasts against me or I’m going to get hard.”

She pulled back so fast he was sure she was going to topple over on those sexy high heels.

“Look at this state-of-the-art barbecue instead,” she said, pointing out some stainless steel grill.

He cocked a brow. “Seriously? I like my grill just fine.”

“How about this art piece?”

“It looks like two porcupines mating in Play-Doh.” He hoped she didn’t fall in love with it.

She gave it a critical eye. “You’re right. It’s hideous.”

“Good. Then I don’t have to worry about your taste level after all.”

She laughed and moved on. It was more fun watching her examine the different pieces. She wrinkled her nose at some, spent time considering others. So far nothing seemed interesting enough for her to want to bid on anything.

Until she picked up a box. Kind of an ordinary box, actually. It looked old—some kind of antique wood, would be his guess. It was worn, with a scrolled pattern over the top. Savannah opened it up and it started playing music, some song that sounded familiar to him but he couldn’t place the tune.

Savannah obviously knew the melody though, because she sucked in her bottom lip and tears sprung to her eyes. She quickly shut the box, put it down, and moved on to the next item.

Something about that song had affected her. He caught up to her and slid his hand in hers. She lifted her gaze to his and smiled.

“See something you like?” she asked.

“No. But you saw something that upset you.”

Her smile died. “No, I didn’t.”

“What song was playing on that music box?”

“Oh. That? I don’t remember.”

“Peaches. Don’t lie to me.”

“Beethoven’s
Moonlight Sonata
.”

“I’ve heard it before. It’s pretty. Kind of sad.”

She blinked several times and he could tell there was something about the song that bothered her. He squeezed her hand. “Talk to me.”

She shook her hand. “It’s nothing. The song reminds me of my mother.”

“Is it like one of her favorite songs?”

“Something like that.”

“Do you want to talk to me about your mom?”

“Not at all.”

She wasn’t just upset. She was shaking. “Okay. Hey, let’s go back and take a second look at that stainless steel grill.”

The tension in her shoulders relaxed and she gave him a smile. “Sure.”

But while they were looking over the grill, Savannah’s gaze drifted back to the music box. He wasn’t sure if what he saw in her eyes was regret or longing, but he did know he couldn’t leave it alone. He was going to have to do something about it.

It took a good forty-five minutes to look over every item up for bid. Savannah ended up bidding on a pearl necklace, entering a bidding war with some older woman who claimed she wanted it for her niece.

“She’s full of shit,” Savannah whispered to Cole as she hovered near the bidding sheet. “She’s eyeing it like it’s the last piece of prize pecan pie at the county fair and she hasn’t eaten in a month. She wants that necklace for herself and I know it.”

Cole fought a grin, folded his arms, and nodded. “You’re tougher and meaner than she is, Peaches. I know you can take her down.”

“I intend to. There are fifteen minutes left in the bidding process and my name is going to be the last one on that sheet if I have to stuff her under the table and stand on her to make it happen.”

“If you need backup, let me know. I’ll carry her off and lock her in the closet.”

She batted her lashes. “You’d do that for me?”

“In a heartbeat, honey.”

Laughing, she hovered near the clipboard until old woman bidder hastily wrote her next bid. Then Savannah sauntered over, topped the bid and hurried off, no doubt hoping the woman hadn’t seen her.

Unfortunately, she had and the woman hurried back, giving Savannah a glare.

“I want to flip her off so bad.”

“Go ahead.”

“It would be improper.”

“You want me to do it?”

Savannah looked horrified. “Oh, my god, no. I found out who I’m bidding against. That’s Helen Sandingham.”

“So?”

“She’s on the board of directors at the children’s hospital. Apparently she’s loaded and wields a lot of power in this city.”

“Yeah, well, Helen can shove it. I’ll make sure you win that necklace.”

Savannah laughed. “Leave it to you to be unimpressed.”

He kissed her cheek. “Hey, I don’t care who she is. You want the necklace, you’re going to have it.”

With a minute left to go, that Sandingham lady had put in a bid. Savannah wandered over to the table, but didn’t write another bid in. Instead, she hovered. So did Helen, pen in hand.

It was on.

This should be entertaining.

Savannah watched the clock and when it was down to fifteen seconds, she hurriedly wrote down a bid. Helen was about to get the last bid in when Cole stepped in.

“Mrs. Sandingham?”

She frowned, looked past Cole, her gaze riveted on the bid board. “Yes?”

“My name is Cole Riley. I heard you’re on the board of the children’s hospital.”

Her chest puffed up. “Why yes, I am.”

“I’m one of the new players with the St. Louis Traders. I just wanted you to know if there’s anything I can do to help the children’s hospital, you can count on me. I just got traded from Green Bay, but St. Louis is my hometown. I like to stay active in charity work, and working with kids is very important to me.”

She finally put her attention on Cole. “Oh. Well. Thank you. That’s very kind of you.”

“I’ll be sure to have my agent get in touch with you. Maybe I could arrange a visit to the kids. I could bring along some of the other team members.”

Now she was beaming. “That would be wonderful. The children love it when some of the local sports stars come by. I appreciate your dedication to your home city, Mr. Riley.”

He’d said it to pull her attention away from bidding on the necklace, but he realized he meant it. From the excited look in her eyes, this would be something he followed through on.

He took her hand in his. “Please. Call me Cole. And I’m happy to help out. I’ll have Elizabeth Riley, my agent, get in touch with you and you can direct her to the right people at the hospital to contact.”

“Thank you, Cole. It would mean so much to the children. It was such a pleasure to meet you.”

“You, too, Mrs. Sandingham.”

“Call me, Helen. And welcome home, Cole.”

He walked away, giving her a wink. She twiddled her fingers at him.

Cole wasn’t sure, but he thought Mrs. Sandingham might have forgotten all about the bidding war she’d been in with Savannah.

Savannah was at the bar sipping a glass of wine. Cole asked for a water.

“You’re my hero,” she said. “But I think Helen Sandingham might be a little bit in love with you.”

Cole took a long swallow of ice water. “I know. We have a hot date later.”

“She’s out of luck because I’m claiming you for myself. Thank you for distracting her so I could win the auction.”

“You’re welcome. You got the necklace you wanted?”

“I did. Time ran out so it was way too late for her to write the last bid. And I’m feeling rather smug about it, too. I should feel guilty, but I don’t.”

“No reason for you to feel guilty. You won it fairly…more or less.”

She laughed. “With a little interference from you.”

“Hey, whatever works. No holds barred in a bidding war.”

The head of the auction announced it had officially closed, and for everyone to step up and check out the list of winners. Those who had won needed to pay for their items at the back of the room.

She slipped off the bar stool. “I’ll be right back. I need to go settle up and claim my necklace, while simultaneously avoiding Helen Sandingham.”

“Sure. I’ll go with you. I need to do a little settling up of my own.”

Her brows rose. “Did you get that barbecue?”

“I’ll go find out.”

“Then I’ll meet you back at the bar.”

He nodded and waited for Savannah to disappear, then went to pay for the items he’d won. He met Savannah back at the bar about twenty minutes later. She had a gleam in her eyes and a velvet box in her hands.

“No fistfight with Mrs. Sandingham?”

“No. It turns out she had bid on a vacation in the Hamptons that she won, so she was too busy clucking about that to all her friends to worry about me and the necklace.”

“Good.”

“How about you? Did you get what you wanted?”

“I did.”

After making a few rounds and more tedious small talk, Savannah said they could leave.

Thank. God.

Though it hadn’t been as boring as Cole had thought it would be. At least the bidding war had been entertaining.

He drove Savannah back to her place.

“Would you like to come in for a drink?” she asked as he pulled into the driveway.

“Sure.”

He grabbed the bag from the backseat and followed her inside.

Savannah laid her purse on the table and strolled into the kitchen while he shut the front door. “I’ll go pour some wine.”

“Just water for me.”

“Fine. I’ll be back.”

When she came back out, she handed him the water. He handed her the bag.

She frowned. “What’s this?”

“I didn’t want to upset you, but this seemed to hold your attention at the auction. I wanted you to have it.”

She set her glass down on the table next to the sofa and opened the bag. She pulled out the music box. Her hand shook as she laid it over the box.