Chapter Seven
Becca didn’t like the fact that her palms were sweaty and she had a hard time acting normal. What was the big deal about standing on Mitch Flashman’s doorstep or getting a glimpse into his private world? She’d brought her cousin and son. This wasn’t a date.
She wanted to laugh at her nerves, but she couldn’t. Instead, she centered herself and remembered her heart-to-heart with Nora earlier in the day.
“Look, it’s obvious he’s attracted to you.” Nora blew at her bangs, which continued to obscure her vision. “And I’ve seen the way you look at him. What’s the problem?”
Becca sighed. “I don’t know. He’s different. I like him, even though I don’t want to. And yeah, he’s handsome. I don’t know.”
“You said that already.”
“What?”
“I don’t know.” Nora smiled. “You want to know what I think?”
“Not really.”
Nora being Nora ignored her. “I think you like this man, that maybe you’re kind of crushing on him. And he’s the first man since Neal who’s made you feel all girly and goofy.”
Becca wanted to disagree. Miserable, she’d nodded.
“Good. It’s about damn time. Neal was amazing. And he’s dead.” To the point. “Nothing wrong with dating someone else that you actually like. And by all that’s holy, have sex again. If he won’t work, put an ad on Craigslist or something before you have cobwebs growing in your hoo hoo.”
The conversation had ended in great gales of laugher, and it put a smile back on Becca’s face.
So when Mitch opened the door, he saw her grinning instead of looking as if she might pass out.
He smiled back. “Hello. Come on in.” He stood back, and she entered through the grand door to his mansion. Okay, not mansion. Palatial estate set on many acres in the mountains. His view of the snowcapped peaks was amazing. Heck, she’d been impressed with the circular stone driveway and gorgeous landscaped front, visible even under a layer of sleet covering it.
Simon and Nora crowded her in the entryway as they took off their shoes. She followed suit, then saw Mitch staring at them.
She blushed. “Sorry. Habit. Makes your floor last longer.”
He nodded. “A trick my mom taught me years ago.” He wiggled sock-covered toes at her. And wow, were his feet huge.
Simon, holding their offering of sweets, stared. “Dude, you have big feet. What are you? A fifteen?”
“Thirteen.”
“I’m a twelve,” Simon said, proudly.
She sighed. “Yeah, and he keeps growing.”
Mitch looked sympathetic. “It only gets worse. I didn’t stop growing until I was in my early twenties. Went through a ton of clothes.”
“Me too.” Deacon joined them holding a beer. “Mitch got a lot of hand-me-downs.” He smirked. “But I always had to have new. Because I’m so huge.”
“Yeah, his head is so big it barely fits through the door,” Mitch muttered.
Simon laughed.
Nora remained quiet, so Becca turned to her. But her cousin was focused on the house, her mouth open. “Look, before this goes any further, I want the tour.” Nora shoved the plate of cookies she’d made at Deacon. “I know how this goes. You’re being nice because you want Becca helping you with Linda the Man-Eater Madison. Good call. But eventually Becks, Simon, or I will annoy you, and you’ll want us out of your house. Before that happens, the tour. That’s our price for helping you.”
Mitch blinked. “Ah, sure. But I wouldn’t just throw you out for being annoying. I’ve been dealing with Simon on a daily basis, and I don’t think I ever kicked him out of the coaches’ office.”
Becca was pretty sure he was teasing.
“I make him run laps. Ialmostkicked his sorry butt off the field two weeks ago,” Deacon admitted.
