Ask Mariah Page 17

  The referee's whistle blew as they both landed hard on the gymnasium floor.

  "Foul. No basket," the referee said.

  "What?" he shouted, scrambling to his feet. "If anything, he fouled me."

  "You were charging."

  "I was shooting."

  Tony stepped between Michael and the referee. "Forget about it. Let's play."

  He muttered under his breath as he scowled at the referee. Any fool should have been able to see the other guy elbow him on his way to the basket.

  The game continued for several more minutes. He had another shot at a game-winning basket in the final thirty seconds, and took it, pleased when the buzzer rang at the exact moment the ball swished through the net.

  "That was sweet," Tony said, giving him a high five. "Reminded me of senior year in high school all over again."

  He laughed as they shook hands with a couple of other players, then headed over to the bleachers to get their bags. "I sure didn't feel this winded when I was seventeen." He grabbed a towel out of his gym bag and wiped his face and arms. His heart was pounding, his blood racing. He hadn't felt this good in a long time. "I'm glad you came home," he said to Tony. "I needed a workout."

  "You haven't shot hoops since I left?"

  "No time. I'm too busy with work and the girls and everything else."

  "But you used to love basketball." Tony shook his head in bewilderment. "In fact, you are the mellowest dude in the world except when it comes to hoops. Then you're a crazy man."

  "I still love the game." He sat down on the bench. "It just isn't as important to me as it used to be."

  Tony sat down next to him, and they watched the new game with interest. After a moment Tony turned his head to look at Michael. "Did you talk to Helen this morning?"

  "I talk to her every morning. She's my secretary."

  "Did she say anything about me?"

  "Nope."

  "Did she say anything about Joey?"

  "Nope."

  "Did she look even remotely upset when she first came into the office?"

  "Nope."

  "Is that all you have to say?" Tony demanded.

  "Nope. Stay away from Helen. She is a wonderful woman who's getting married in three weeks."

  Tony leaned forward, twisting his hands together as he rested his elbows on his knees. "I can't stop thinking about her."

  "Why? You didn't think about her for a year. She only got two postcards from you, one less than you sent me. Why the sudden interest?"

  "Maybe I just realized how great she is."

  "Maybe you just realized Joey Scopazzi is getting your former girlfriend, and you hate the thought of him winning. You've always been a poor loser."

  "I have not. And by the way, I'm not the one who almost got called for a technical foul a few minutes ago."

  He shrugged. "So I hate to lose, too. But only in basketball. I don't break up other people's relationships. You have to accept that Helen is with someone else. You blew it."

  "Thanks for the pep talk."

  "I'm calling it like I see it."

  "Fine. Are you going back to work?"

  "Yeah."

  "What about later? You want to have a drink? Go by Brannigan's and toss back some whiskey?"

  "No. I'm going ..." He stopped, not sure he wanted to tell Tony his plans.

  "Going to . .." Tony prodded.

  "I have some things to do."

  "What kind of things?"

  "Just things." Michael focused his attention on the game, but Tony persisted.

  "What are you hiding? Are you seeing someone? That's it, isn't it? You've got a hot date."

  He sighed, knowing if he didn't stop it here, there was no telling where Tony would end up. "I don't have a date. I'm looking at a house."

  "With ..."

  "Joanna Wingate."

  Tony's teasing smile vanished. "What the hell for?"

  "Because she's a historian, and the house might have historical value."

  "Bullshit. You're interested in her. I can't believe you're attracted to that woman. Actually I can believe it, because she looks just like my sister."

  "Nothing is going on."

  "Because of you or because of her?"

  "Because of both of us, I'll admit to being attracted, but that's the end of it."

  "Then why are you spending time with her?"

  "I told you why."

  "I don't believe it. You want her because she's the closest thing you can get to Angela."

  "Actually that's only the reason I don't want her," he said with annoyance. "She reminds me of the biggest mistake of my life."

  Tony gave him a shove. "Don't ever call Angie a mistake,"

  He shoved him back. "I can say anything I want. She was my wife."

  "She was my sister," Tony said belligerently.

  He let out an angry breath. "Yeah, and we both loved the hell out of her."

  His words defused the anger between them. Tony looked away from Michael to the game that went on before them, "You did love her, didn't you?" he asked after a moment.

  "You know I did." Michael wiped his face with the towel. "But we weren't happy. I don't know what happened."

  "She was crazy about you."

  "In the beginning, maybe. As time passed I was about as exciting as an old shoe." He paused. "In fact, I think Angela was having an affair."

  Tony looked surprised. "Are you sure?"

  "No." But once again he remembered the man at the funeral, the one who had cried for Angela.

  "I can't believe Angela would cheat on you. She certainly wasn't raised that way. My mother was the perfect role model of what a wife should be."

  "Angela wasn't Sophia. And she didn't want to be."

  "I know Angie complained about stuff. But I didn't take her seriously."

  "Maybe you should have."

  "I still don't understand how you can contemplate a relationship with this other woman."

  "Who said I was?"

  "Come on. I know you. You don't waste time with people who don't interest you. You were the original one-date wonder. Every girl had something wrong with her. Too slow, too fast, too talkative, too quiet." He paused. "Angela wouldn't let you walk away, though. She chased you like crazy. Mama and Papa thought you were the one pursuing her, but it was Angela all the time. She followed you everywhere, even spied on some of your dates."

  "Yeah, and when she got me she didn't want me anymore," he said with bitterness. "I always told her what to do, looked out for her like her parents had done. She married me to get free of the family, only to find out I was as much of a De Luca as any of you."

  "Maybe even more so." Tony sent Michael a pointed glance. "Which is exactly why you should stay away from Joanna Wingate. She could be trouble."

  He knew Tony was right. But he couldn't stop seeing Joanna. He liked her too much. She was smart, witty, and a fighter for things and people she believed in. She was also beautiful and sexy and since that first day he hadn't ever confused her with Angela. She was Joanna, and he wanted her bad. One kiss and she'd gotten under his skin. He got hard just thinking about her. He wanted to kiss her again, to explore every inch of her body. He wanted everything.

  What he needed was a cold shower.

  He didn't need Tony to tell him that seeing Joanna would complicate his life. But today they wouldn't be alone. They'd have two chaperones, Lily and Rose.

  * * *

  "It looks like a castle." Lily's eyes widened in amazement as Joanna helped her out of Michael's car.

  "You think so?" Joanna smiled at her obvious delight.

  "It's beautiful," Rose agreed, holding Michael's hand as they walked toward Ruby Mae's house. "It's much taller than our house."

  "But not as big as some of the buildings Daddy draws," Lily said importantly. "Did you know he built that big tower downtown, Joanna? You can't even see the top because it goes through the clouds."

  "I didn't know that. Your father is very talented.
"

  "Thanks," Michael said with an endearing grin that melted Joanna's heart. Dressed in a T-shirt and blue jeans, Michael looked carefree and attractive, she thought, a perfect blend of a man, athletic, intelligent, confident about his work, yet vulnerable where his girls were concerned. She liked him -- way too much.

  She had to remind herself this wasn't personal. They were working on a project together, the way she'd worked with many men at the university. Only those men hadn't made her blood race and her skin tingle every time they looked at her.

  She stuffed her hands into the pockets of her jeans. She had changed clothes after work, knowing there would be plenty of dust and grime involved in her search through Ruby Mae's papers. The jeans and T- shirt were comfortable, but they took away her defenses. It was easier to be cool and calm in her business clothes, where she wore authority like a cloak. Now she was just a woman, and he was just a man. And as she met his gaze she knew this outing was a bad idea. They weren't keeping their distance; they were getting closer, and God only knew where they'd end up.

  "Is the house haunted, Joanna?" Lily asked, walking up the front steps.

  "I don't think so."

  "What about that lady -- Ruby Mae? Maybe she's a ghost," Lily added, determined to add spice to the story.

  "There are no such thing as ghosts," Michael said.

  She raised an eyebrow. "How do you know?"

  He looked at her in amazement. "You're not telling me you believe in ghosts?"

  "There are some events in history that are difficult to explain. Actually there are some events in my own life that are difficult to explain," she added with a wry smile.

  "True." Michael opened the front door, and as they stepped inside. Rose sneezed and Lily wrinkled her nose.

  "It smells like Daddy's socks in here," Lily said.

  "Hey, wait a minute," Michael protested. "They're not that bad."

  Lily's eyes twinkled, but she didn't respond to her father. She just giggled and grabbed Rose's hand so they could start exploring.

  "Be careful. Stay away from the back fence and don't even think about going down the cliffs to the beach. Oh, and don't break anything," Michael added. "This isn't our house."

  "Does that mean it's okay to break things in your house?" Joanna asked as the girls scampered away. She loved watching Michael with the girls. He was great with them, never losing his patience or his cool.

  He put his hands on his hips as he smiled at her. "It's not okay, but that doesn't stop them. You may not believe this, but I can't always control them."

  "Really? I never would have guessed."

  "How have they been at school, by the way?"

  "Great. They're inquisitive, and Lily loves to do everything first, but they're wonderful children. They're very easy to love."

  Michael put one hand against his ear as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Are you sure you're talking about my children, the ones who have terrorized five different nannies."

  "Those nannies must have been wimps."

  "No, they just weren't you. You've got the touch, Joanna."

  "I've just got the looks," she said. "By the way, I spoke to my mother last night, and she showed me my birth certificate. Her name and my father's name are listed on it. So at least the paperwork is there."

  Michael sent her a thoughtful look.

  "What?"

  "Sophia's sister, Elena, called me last night, and she asked a million questions about you. She said she was curious, but I thought it was strange. Elena was wild in her younger days. She actually married and divorced before hooking up with her present husband. Since she met Charles and had two children, she has been very content, but she certainly wasn't before that. Sophia always used to bail her out.

  She felt uneasy at his words. "Are you suggesting that Elena could have given up a baby for adoption?"

  "I don't know what I'm suggesting. It's possible I made more out of the conversation than was there. But while Elena and I are friendly, she doesn't call me at home to chat like she did last night. I think she wanted to know something specific; I'm just not sure what. Look, let's forget it. Where do you want to start? Upstairs, downstairs, the attic? Shall we split up or work together?"

  His gaze traveled across her face and down her body. Joanna felt herself grow hot. She couldn't remember what he had just asked her. All she could focus on was the fact that he was standing a foot away from her, looking at her as if he wanted to do more than clean the attic.

  "Joanna?"

  He didn't continue with his question. And she didn't answer. She just leaned toward him, and he leaned toward her. Suddenly she was in his arms. His mouth touched her lips, and it felt as if she'd come home.

  "You do that really well, you know," Michael muttered as he lifted his head.

  "So do you."

  "I missed you today."

  "I missed you, too." She couldn't believe she was admitting that to him. But there was honesty in his eyes that demanded honesty in return. She started as she heard Lily call out to Rose. "The girls." She clapped her hand over her mouth. "My God, I almost forgot about the girls. If they see us kissing, they'll think I'm their mother again."

  Michael dropped his hands from her waist and stepped back. "You're right. We'll keep our distance."

  She wondered if that was possible.

  "I'll check the basement," he added. "You can start in the attic. With any luck we won't even see each other for a few hours. That should cool things down."

  She doubted it. She'd never felt such a sudden and intense attraction to a man. Maybe because they'd skipped a lot of those little steps that most people take, like going on a date, getting to know each other over coffee. Instead she'd jumped into the middle of his life, and he'd jumped into the middle of hers.

  "Joanna!" Rose screamed, interrupting her thoughts.

  She turned sharply as Rose ran through the kitchen door. "What's wrong?"

  "Lily fell down the cliff."

  Joanna ran toward the back door. "Go get your dad. He's in the basement -- down the hall to your left."

  The backyard of Ruby Mae's house went straight back to the cliffs that overlooked the Pacific Ocean. There was a short picket fence edging the property, but any determined six-year-old could easily get over it.

  Joanna climbed over the fence and carefully picked her way to the edge, hoping to catch a glimpse of Lily. As she did so she saw a path of crumbling cement stairs leading down the hillside. Before she could take a step toward them, Michael came up behind her, his eyes worried, his stance tense.

  "Do you see her?"

  "No."

  "Lily! Lily!" he shouted, cupping his hands so the wind wouldn't take away his voice. "Where are you?" He turned to Joanna. "You try, just in case she won't answer me."

  "Lily!" Joanna called, but there was still no reply.

  "She went down the steps," Rose said, sliding her arms around Joanna's waist. "Then she screamed and I heard the rocks fall."

  "I'm going after her," Michael said. "Call 911."

  "Joanna ..." Lily's voice carried across the early evening breeze. "Where are you? I'm stuck."

  "Wait," Michael said, putting a hand on Joanna's arm. "She sounds okay. Let me see if I can get to her first." He carefully picked his way down the first few cement steps, testing each one with his foot before putting all his weight on it. "I'm coming, Lily," he shouted. "Just stay where you are and don't move, okay?"

  She held her breath as Michael picked his way down the hillside, wondering if she shouldn't call 911 anyway. What if he fell? What if Lily was hurt?

  "It's okay. I can see her," Michael called a minute later. "I can get her. Hang on, Lily, I'll be right there."

  A few minutes later Michael came back up the hill, carrying Lily in his arms. He set her down on the grass and tenderly stroked the traces of tears from her eyes. "Does it hurt anywhere, honey?"

  Lily shook her head, her face streaked with tears.

  "Her foot was
caught in the roots of a tree," Michael said to Joanna. "I thought she might have twisted it, but it doesn't feel swollen." He ran his hand down her slender ankle once again. "Are you sure it doesn't hurt?" he asked again.

  Once again Lily replied to his question with a negative shake of her head.

  Michael sighed as he stared at his daughter. "I told you not to go near that fence, didn't I? What am I going to do with you? You scared me to death." He paused. "But I am really glad you're okay."

  Lily's bottom lip began to tremble, and Michael put his arms around her. Rose knelt down next to her father and put her hand on his arm. Joanna's heart almost broke in two at the sight. The girls might not talk to their father, but they truly loved him, and he loved them. There hadn't been a moment's hesitation in his actions, not a doubt that he might be risking his own life to climb down that cliff.

  "Joanna ..." Lily said as she pulled away from her father. "I'm sorry I went over the fence."

  "You should apologize to your father," she said sharply. "Not to me."

  Lily licked her lips. "I can't," she whispered, her face a picture of conflict. "Mama ..."

  "It's all right," Michael said. "I know you're sorry. You're also in trouble, and as soon as I can think of a fitting punishment, I'll let you know. Now, for the rest of the evening you are confined to the house. If you so much as set one foot out of the front or back door, I'll take you home."

  Lily and Rose nodded their agreement.

  "Can you walk on that foot, honey?" he asked.

  Lily cautiously stood up and took a few steps.

  "All right then," he said. "Let's go inside."

  "I brought some coloring books and some crayons. They're in the hall by my purse," Joanna said. "Why don't you sit at the dining room table and color for a while?"

  As the girls entered the house, she turned to Michael. "Are you okay?"

  "I've probably added a few more gray hairs to my collection, but other than that I'm fine. The girls are only six. Do you think I'm going to make it through their teenage years?"

  "If anyone can, you can."

  "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

  She pulled a twig off his sleeve, feeling an incredible wave of affection toward this man. "You're a great dad, you know."