If The Shoe Fits (29 page)

“
So you’ve talked about a
relationship?” Mom just wouldn’t let up. “And you’re both on the
same page? Then it can work, Reese.”

If only that were true.

Chapter Thirty

Bella never did put in an appearance. Reese
was on the fence about whether or not that was a good thing, but in
the end, it didn’t matter. The auction was tomorrow night; he’d see
her then.

And afterwards… Afterwards was a whole other
story.

He’d put his mother in a cab after lunch for
her board meeting, then headed over to Luke’s condo to “remind” him
where he’d better be tomorrow night. He wasn’t taking any chances
with this event.

Luke opened the door beer in hand. And a
couple more under his belt if the smell was any indication. “I’ll
be there tomorrow, Reese. Don’t worry. You don’t have to check up
on me.”

“
Let me in.” Reese pushed by Luke.
“How many have you had?”

“
Not enough.”

From the looks of the place, Luke had had
more
than enough. Gym clothes flung over the sofa, empty
beer cans tossed—and missed—at the trashcan, newspapers chucked
onto the floor. “Something wrong?”

“
Nah.” Luke swayed around him,
kicking at a beer can, then caught his balance with a hand on the
flatscreen.

“
Is it Tanya?”

“
Hah!” Luke swung his foot again
and would have fallen if Reese hadn’t caught his arm. “No way could
Tanya do this to me. Uh, uh.” He shook his head like a dog after a
walk in the rain.

Reese took the beer from Luke’s hand and led
him to the sofa, shoving the laundry onto the floor as they both
sat.

“
Thanks.” Luke’s cockeyed smile
was as empty as the six-pack on the floor.

“
What’s going on, Luke? Is Jared
okay?”

Luke waved the air as if he were swatting
flies. “Sure. Fine. Never been better.”

“
Then what is it?”

Luke’s sigh could probably be heard clear
across the state. He closed his eyes and when he opened them, they
were much clearer than they usually were after a six-pack and a
half.

“
Woman.”

One word, so much angst. Reese could relate.
“Staci?”

Another shuddering breath. “Yeah.” Luke
grimaced. “She broke it off.”

“
Oh.”

“
Yeah,’oh.’” Luke sat forward, his
elbows on his knees. “Who would’ve thought I could fall so fast?
Not me, that’s for sure. Love-’Em-and-Leave-’Em-Luke—that’s me.”
This grin wasn’t empty; it was full of self-derision. “Now I know
what it feels like on the other side. And it stinks.”

“
I know what you mean.”

Luke swung his head around to face Reese.
“You, too?”

“
Me, too.”

“
God, man, that’s rough. I knew
you had it bad for her, but I could have sworn she felt the same
way about you.”

“
I was hoping the same thing, but
she’s throwing my own rule in my face. Keeping our professional
relationship professional.”

“
And you’ve changed your mind?”
That seemed to sober Luke up.

“
The auction will be over after
tomorrow.” “

Luke shook his head. “Look at us. What a pair.
Two of the most chased after guys in the NFL, sitting on my sofa,
pining after two women.” He flopped back next to Reese and flung
his hands over his head,
thonking
against the wall. “I don’t
get it. Where’d we go wrong? Why is it that the ones who matter are
the ones who won’t fall all over us?”

“
Beats me.”

They sat there, silent.

“
Bella said there’s someone
else.”

“
Ouch.” Luke looked at him. “Staci
said the same thing, only it’s some kid.”

“
A
kid
?”

“
Yeah, I know. Makes no sense to
me.”

But it might to Reese. With both Bella and
Staci backing away from them, it might have something to do with
Sophia. But what? And what the hell did he and Luke have to do with
it?

“
Do you think she meant
Sophia?”

“
Bella’s sister?” Luke shrugged.
“Beats me. I mean, yeah, Stace has been hanging with her, but what
would dating me have to do with the kid?”

“
Unless her mother thinks you’re a
bad influence.”

Luke shrugged. “Anything’s possible, I guess.
But from what Staci’s said, the woman doesn’t have anything to do
with the kid. Pawns her off on Bella or Staci and Drew all the
time. She’s got some big agenda to get on the Arts Center Board and
is sashaying all over the place to get in people’s good graces.
Staci said it’s kinda nauseating to watch her mother sucking up to
the board members.”

“
The Arts Center Board?” Reese had
barely heard of the organization yet today he’d heard about it
twice.

“
Apparently the woman thinks it’s
the height of society to be on the Board and now that there’s an
opening, she’s lobbying for it.”

The spot his mother was probably discussing
right now with those very same members.

And suddenly everything fell into place. Bella
quitting the event. Demanding that there be nothing between
them.

“
Madeleine’s put them up to it.”
And the woman was using Sophia as a pawn.

“
Why would she do that? It makes
no sense.”

“
I’m not sure why, but it’s got
something to do with the Board.” Reese’s instincts on the playing
field had never let him down and this felt like one big Hail Mary
play on Madeleine’s part. “She wants to be on it and my mother’s
getting an invitation to become a member as we speak. There’s some
connection, I’m just not sure what.”

“
From what Stace has said, the
woman
is
a manipulative son of a bitch.” Luke kicked a can
out from under the sofa. “You know they call Bella Cindabella,
don’t you? Madeleine’s taken her stepmother role to heart for
years.”

“
I’ve heard that nickname.” He
smiled inwardly as he remembered the first time they’d
met.

“
You know what that means, don’t
you?”

That he was going to have some well-placed
words with Madeleine Casteleoni. “What?”

“
It means you get to play Prince
Charming and ride in on your white horse to save the damsel in
distress.”

For once, Reese didn’t mind the poking fun at
his nickname—because that’s exactly what he felt like doing as he
got off Luke’s sofa and headed out the door. If Madeleine was
bullying Bella, he was going to put a stop to it.

Halfway down Luke’s front path, Reese’s cell
phone rang. “What’s up, Kelly?”

“
There’s a problem over at the
hotel with the VIP suites. Jake’s in a meeting with the NBA people,
so I can’t interrupt him. You might want to head over
there.”

Damn. Reese sighed and kneaded the muscles of
his neck. “Right. I’ll get on it.” He snapped the phone shut and
cursed. If this truly were a fairy tale, he’d have a fairy
godmother swoop in and handle it so he could take care of
Bella.

But it wasn’t and this was his job. The
situation with Bella would have to wait.

***

Mr. Griff popped out of his office in the shoe
store and told the new girl to take the rest of the day off. After
she left, Jonathan Griff pulled a long gold chain from beneath his
shirt. Dangling at the end next to his St. Michael’s medal was a
key.

Chuckling, he approached the glass case at the
front of the store and turned the lock. A small door levered
open.

“
It’s about time to deliver
these.”

Chapter
Thirty-One

“
Just an eensy weensy peek, Gus?”
Perla looked like a just-coiffed Pomeranian begging for a doggy
treat as she hung onto the pass-through window into Gus’ kitchen.
“I won’t tell, I promise.”

“
No, no,
e
no.” Gus slammed
a pot with each word.

“
What won’t you tell, Perla?”
Bella tapped the woman on the shoulder, apparently surprising them
all with her arrival.

Perla spun around, her guilty grimace quickly
replaced with a bright—fake—smile. “Oh, nothing, love. Absolutely
nothing.” Perla patted her teased hair and did a quick little
two-step around Bella, back through the counter opening.

Bella looked from Perla to Gus. What were they
up to?

“
Hey, Gus. Everything you asked me
to get is in my car. Someone parked in our spot and I had to park
down the street. Please send Bruno out when he’s free to bring it
all in.” Bella slipped an apron over her head.

“
Si
, but first you must
come.” Gus grabbed a brightly wrapped package from beneath his prep
table and shrugged through the saloon-doors. His grin was as wide
as his girth.

“
What’s that?” She smiled. This
was what Perla was talking about. The woman liked to be the first
to know.

Gus waved a finger. “Tomorrow you will make us
proud. All of us. Your mama and papa, too, God rest their souls.
You will make the
festa
magnifica
and help the
hospital. For this, I make you look
magnifica,
too.” He
clutched her chin and smacked a wet kiss on both cheeks. “This is
for you.”

Bella had a hard time undoing the bow as she
struggled with the lump in her throat. The customers’ applause
wasn’t helping matters.

“
Hurry up, honey.” Perla rushed
back through the counter to her side.

Bella held up the package with the
industrial-strength ribbon. “You want to help, Perla?”

“
Love to, doll.” Perla pushed past
Mr. Campanale, and with one flick of a tangerine talon, removed the
ribbon.

“
The woman can get through any
gift wrap in under twenty seconds,” mumbled Harry.

Perla glared at him as she handed over the
gift.

Bella lifted the lid and pulled back layers of
rustling tissue paper. “Oh, Gus,” she breathed, “it’s
beautiful.”

Shimmering seafoam green fabric whispered
along the tissue paper as she lifted a long dress from the box. The
criss-cross bodice was sleeveless and the skirt had a long slit up
the back. She’d have to rethink her shoe choice for tomorrow night
because there would be no black waitress shoes for this
masterpiece.

“
Thank you, Gus.” She kissed his
cheek. “It’s absolutely beautiful.”

Gus patted her hand and, behind him, Giac
wiped a tear “You’ll look like a princess,” he said.

“
In this dress, I’ll feel like
one.”

Gus seemed to be having a hard time putting
his emotions into words. Perla, however, had no such problem. She
petted Bella’s skirt as if it were made of mink, and a calculating
look came into her eye. She lunged at Gus, attaching herself to his
arm.

“
Gus, you’ve certainly outdone
yourself with this. Simply extraordinary. Which is why I’d like to
talk to you about a little outfit or two I could use for my trip to
the beach this summer. You see, Francesca and I...” Perla led Gus
into the kitchen to finagle a new summer line.

Bella laughed as she repacked the gown in its
box. The downtown department stores would reap the benefits once
Francesca got wind of Perla’s plan because the sisters were in a
constant battle to out-do each other.

Bella put the dress under the counter, away
from ketchup bottles and salt shakers. When she stood, Mr. Griff
was at the counter.

“
Good afternoon,
Bella.”

“
Hi, Mr. Griff. What can I get
you?”

Jonathan smiled. This was the fun part of his
job. “Actually, my dear, it’s what
I
can get for
you
.” He set the burgundy velvet box on the countertop.
Raphael’s golden bow shimmered in the sunlight streaming through
the windows. “I have a gift for you. It’s only a loan, and you’ll
understand why when you see what’s inside, but—” He put his hand on
hers when she went to open the box. “You have to wait until at
least noon tomorrow to open it or I’ll have to take it back. No
earlier. Can you do that?”

There’d been a few over the years who hadn’t
been able to wait, but he was always pleased when his Charges
proved him a good judge of character.

“
I don’t understand.”

They rarely did. “I know, lass. And I can’t
explain it now. But what’s inside this box is yours for only twelve
hours, so you don’t want to waste any time by opening it too soon.
Trust me on this, okay?”

“
Okay, Mr. Griff, I can do
that.”

He’d known her character was good. Just like
he’d known it about Reese. He was definitely improving his Guardian
skills.

“
But on one condition,” she
said.

Or maybe not. “Condition? That’s not how—er,
that is, it’s highly irregular.”

“
So is teasing me with a present I
can’t open until tomorrow.” Her smile took the sting out of the
admonition just as he would expect from someone of her
character.