Belonging (15 page)

"I hope you're not a sore loser," she heard
herself say lightly.

"The way I see it, I can't lose either
way."

It didn't occur to her until after she'd hung
up an hour later, but that was exactly how she felt, too.

There was a familiar-looking BMW parked at
the baseball field the next morning when Angie and the girls piled
out of the Crawfords' station wagon.

Bill spied it at the same time. "Say, Angie."
He winked at Janice, then grinned. "Isn't that Matt
Richardson?"

Angie nodded, her eyes on the figure lounging
against the shiny black hood of the BMW. It was Matt, all right.
Taut, trim, powerful-looking. A brown-and-gold-striped knit shirt
stretched across shoulders that seemed impossibly wide, especially
in comparison to the narrow hips hugged tightly by a pair of worn
jeans.

Somehow she wasn't surprised to see him. He
had offhandedly asked last night if Kim had a game today, and she
had half-suspected—or was it hoped?—that he would show up.

Bill cupped his hands and shouted to Matt,
whose lean legs carried him fluidly across the grass. His dark hair
was attractively feathered across his forehead by the breeze.
Angie's heart knocked wildly as he approached.

His hello and smile encompassed the three
adults, but his eyes lingered on Angie before he reached out to
ruffle Casey's curls. "Hi, there, squirt," he teased. Casey
giggled, her eyes bright and sparkling.

"Hi, Nancy." He smiled at the youngster, then
looked at Kim. "Hi, Kim. All set for the game?"

Solemn brown eyes surveyed him before the
child slowly nodded. Matt noticed how she edged closer to her
mother, her thin hand slipping into Angie's. He wondered a little
about her insecurity and made a note to ask Angie about it.

"Speaking of the game, we'd better get out
there." Angie nodded to where the rest of the team had started to
gather on the opposite side of the field.

"You know why he's here, don't you?" Janice
asked smugly as she fell into step beside Angie.

Angie rolled her eyes. "It's not very hard to
figure out, especially after the way you practically knocked our
heads together last week."

"I know, I know. Cease and desist. You
already made that very clear." Janice grimaced, then glanced back
to where Matt and Bill stood together talking, Casey and Eric
nearby. "But I'd say the fact that he's here, without any outside
interference from me, speaks for itself. And I don't see you
complaining," she added almost challengingly. They stopped in front
of the team's low-slung wooden bench. "Do I get to be your matron
of honor this time?"

Angie shook her head, but she was smiling as
the crowd of young girls began to gather around them. It was just
like Janice to be so optimistic and hopeful; sometimes she wished
she were just a little more like her. As for Matt... well, when he
wasn't eyeing her in that disturbingly male way he had, she could
relax and enjoy his company.

The game resulted in a victory for Kim's
team, their first win of the season. Caught up in the chattering
excitement around her, Angie found herself responding to Matt's
delighted expression as he came toward them. She'd heard Matt
cheering Kim whenever she made a good play, and while it might only
be motherly pride, she felt a warm glow when he approached Kim.

"Beating the opposition eighteen to fifteen
calls for a celebration. You like ice cream, Kim?" Kim's eyes lit
up, and she nodded tentatively. Encouraged, he turned to Angie.
"How about it, Coach? Is there any place close we could go to grab
an ice-cream cone?"

Angie checked her watch. It was nearly noon.
"I don't know," she began doubtfully, glancing at the two children.
"It might spoil their lunch—"

"Oh, Mommy!" Casey groaned.

"Uh-oh." Matt flashed a lopsided grin. "Sorry
about that. I didn't even think about lunch."

She felt a small tug on her hand. "Can we go,
Mom? Please?"

Soulful brown eyes looked pleadingly up at
her. Kim rarely asked for anything, so she hated to say no because
of something as trifling as a late meal. The three imploring faces
awaited her response. She couldn't refuse.

"All right," she relented, then glanced at
Matt, a twinkle in her blue eyes. "But only if Mom gets to have a
banana split. But we have to get the car seats out of my car.

"Done," Matt said in satisfaction. He asked
Bill and Janice if they would like to come along, but they
declined, saying they were due at Bill's parents' for the
afternoon.

They had nearly reached Matt's car when Angie
heard a voice hailing her from behind. She turned to see Todd
Austin striding toward her.

"Hi, Angie. I stopped by your house, but when
you weren't there I thought I might find you here." Todd wore a
pair of crisply pleated slacks and a pale yellow golf shirt.
"Hello, Kim. Casey." He nodded politely at the two girls, one on
each side of her. Was it her imagination or had Kim's fingers
tightened on hers?

"Hello, Todd." Her mind more on Kim's
reaction than on Todd, she began to ask what had brought him here,
but Casey's voice overrode hers as she looked up at Matt.

"Can I have orange sugar ice cream?"

Matt looked at Angie blankly. "Orange sugar?"
he mimicked silently.

"Orange sherbet," she explained, glancing at
Todd. From the corner of her eye, she saw Matt grin down at Casey.
"You can have anything you want, hon," he told her.

Todd looked past Angie to where Matt now
stood behind her. "I'm sorry," he apologized rather stiffly. "I
didn't mean to interrupt."

It wasn't until Matt stepped forward and
extended his hand that Angie realized she had been remiss in not
introducing the two. Todd had been on vacation when Matt started
his job.

"You must be Todd Austin," he said easily.
"I'm Matt Richardson."

"Oh, yes. Our new chief of police." Todd was
polite, but his tone was distant as his eyes moved assessingly
over the foursome.

His expression was faintly accusing when he
looked at Angie again. That, combined with the coolness in his
voice and his possessiveness earlier that week, made her just the
slightest bit edgy. Still, considering how closely she had to work
with Todd, she didn't like such tension existing between them.

"Was there something you wanted to see me
about, Todd?" she asked with a faint smile. "Matt was just about to
take us out for ice cream. Kim's team won their first game of the
year."

For just a moment he looked angry, then he
seemed to relax. "I thought you might want to review the rest of
the budget material this weekend. Parks and recreation just came
through this morning."

Angie groaned. Ratification of several
departmental budgets was on the agenda for Monday's council
meeting. "Don't tell me. More changes?"

Todd nodded, his expression rueful. "This is
the last, I hope. I've got everything with me if you want to go
ahead and take it now."

"That'll be fine." She walked with him to his
car, parked about ten spaces over from Matt's. He handed over a
leather-bound bundle, then stared at her for a moment.

She sensed what was on his mind. "Todd, I
don't want any hard feelings between us," she said quietly.

He was silent. "Because of him?" he finally
asked, indicating Matt with a slight incline of his head.

He looked so disappointed her heart went out
to him. But there was no point in encouraging him needlessly.
"No," she said very gently. "To tell you the truth, I'm not really
sure how I feel about Matt," she admitted. "And where you're
concerned, I can't pretend to feelings that aren't there, either.
I like you, Todd—very much. But only as a friend. Do you
understand?"

"Yeah," he muttered. "Can't get much plainer
than that." He looked down and shifted his feet, then finally
looked back up at her. "I guess I made a fool of myself, huh?"

She shook her head, relieved to note that he
was smiling.

"Everything okay?" Matt glanced over at her
quizzically when she got into his car a few minutes later. Casey
was already in her car seat and Kim were sitting next to in the
back seat.

"It is now," she answered.

"Can I ask you something?" he asked
presently.

"Ask away," she said lightly.

"Am I competing with someone else? Todd, for
instance? I know you said there was nothing going on between you
two, but the way he looks at you..." His voice trailed off.

It would have been the perfect way out, Angie
realized. She didn't want Matt Richardson or Todd Austin or any
other man in her life. Yet here he was, here they were together.
And she really didn't mind.

She couldn't lie to him, any more than she
could lie to herself. "No. There's no one. Todd would like to
change that, but..." She hesitated.

"You wouldn't."

She nodded.

"I see." The makings of a smile appeared on
his lips. "Does that apply to me, as well?"

Angie stared down at her hands. Now there was
a question—a very good question indeed.

Her silence reached all the way to Matt's
heart. Damned if cool, competent Angie wasn't just the slightest
bit shy. He took her silence as encouragement. Granted, it wasn't
much to go on, but he would take what he could get.

A blond head suddenly bobbed between them. "I
thought we were gonna get ice cream!" Casey complained.

Matt sighed. This was one discussion he'd
have liked to continue. Instead, it crossed his mind he was quickly
learning that patience, especially as it pertained to Angie Hall,
was indeed a golden word. But he could wait. It would make the
reward all the more precious.

An hour later both Casey and Kim had devoured
hamburgers and French fries, as well as half of their ice-cream
cones. Angie watched as the waitress walked toward their table with
a tray in her hands.

"I'll probably regret this tomorrow," she
laughed as the dish containing triple scoops of ice cream covered
with thick, rich toppings and a fluffy mound of whipped cream were
placed before her. "My over-thirty figure can't handle very many of
these." Her eyes glinted teasingly. "Banana splits are my one
weakness."

And you are mine
, he added silently,
wishing he could be honest, totally honest, with her. Sitting
across from her in the booth, his eyes took in the slim bare arms
resting on the tabletop. He'd already committed her body to
memory—full, round breasts that he fairly ached to fit into his
palm, legs that were long and slim, topped by that delightfully
curved derriere

"Your over-thirty figure couldn't get any
better," he finally told her, his eyes as warm as his voice.
Smiling, he gently pushed the dish closer to her.

Angie picked up her spoon. Her face flushed
with unexpected pleasure at his compliment. "Sure you don't want
some?"

He nodded. "Better eat it while you can," he
added with a chuckle. Kim and Casey, seated on either side of her,
had turned covetous eyes to their mother's treat. His smile
deepened as Angie took her first bite, then closed her eyes. It
tasted disgracefully rich, almost sinfully delicious.

It wasn't until she was nearly finished that
she looked up and caught Matt's expression. His smile was gone, but
his eyes were fairly dancing with merriment that reflected a boyish
charm.

He leaned toward her, his words meant for her
ears alone. "You lose," he said very softly.

Angie couldn't help it. Her mouth curved with
unwilling amusement. Until that moment she had completely
forgotten about the silly bet he had insisted on several nights
ago—that within the week they would share a meal. And now, it
seemed, she owed him a kiss. What was it he'd said? Freely given,
freely accepted. Oddly, the prospect filled her with a strange
tingle of excitement, a feeling of feminine warmth and
anticipation. It had been so long that she almost didn't
recognize it. Almost—but not quite.

"Are you copping out on me already?" His
voice was laced with devilry.

Her palms grew suddenly damp. Not yet anyway,
she answered silently. Wordlessly she shook her head.

"Later, then?" She heard him voice the
question, saw an even deeper question in his eyes.

She glanced around the crowded restaurant,
needing a moment to compose herself. Matt wouldn't force her into
anything. She didn't know how she knew it--she just did.

And somehow that gave her the courage to
smile shyly across at him. "Later," she echoed huskily.
Later...

CHAPTER NINE

On the way home, it struck Angie how
different Matt was from Todd. Todd was tense sometimes. A worrier,
not always particularly patient.

But the easy way Matt acted with the girls,
especially, impressed Angie. He didn't seem to find Casey's
nonstop questions at all annoying, though several times Angie saw
him trying hard not to laugh. He even tried to engage quiet Kim in
conversation. Kim responded shyly, but Angie marveled that she
even responded at all. Her usual reaction when a man spoke to her
was to drop her eyes and look away, pretending she hadn't
heard.

Yes, Matt was different. He was kind and
sensitive. The very fact that he hadn't pressured her into
something she wasn't sure she even wanted, much less something she
wasn't ready for, was proof positive. Many men would have already
sought greener pastures. As virile-looking a man as he was, he
would have no trouble attracting his share of female attention.

Angie had shied away from men ever since Evan
died. Matt Richardson, however, was the kind of man she could care
about, really care about. But did she dare? It was a question she
didn't yet have an answer to.

With a start she realized that Matt had
pulled into her driveway. She smiled a little self-consciously
when