her eyes with the back of her hand, but smeared mascara wouldn’t make the fashion statement she was going for.
To say her nerves were frayed was like saying the Titanic had hit an ice cube. This morning she felt like she was going under just as fast and fatefully as that famous ship.
All because of Cole Lassiter.
She’d been waking up in the middle of the night, going over and over in her mind those weeks she had spent trying to get a response from Cole.
Cole had to know about Adrian, right? After all she had done to inform him, how could he not know? How could he act so unparent-like toward Adrian? But, then, it took more than sperm to be a father, didn’t it?
At her side, Adrian’s hand rhythmically beat the air. Such big movements only happened when his world was off-kilter.
Her son was picking up on her mood. Out of the blue, he’d decided he didn’t want to brush his teeth this morning. Heaven help her, she’d resorted to her old method of persuasion and told him that his father always brushed his teeth so he wouldn’t have stinky breath and people would like him. That had promptly taken care of the problem.
It had also set her to wondering what woman got to take advantage of Cole’s minty-fresh breath nowadays—even while she castigated herself for caring.
She took a look around the field where the coaches organized their teams while waiting for the start of today’s activities. Since Adrian didn’t play soccer, he would have to stay by her side while she took care of her volunteer duties.
For the past few days Isabella had invoked all her willpower to give Adrian the privilege of wandering the grounds within her eyesight instead of making him stick with her. She was trying her best to let him have more independence, but was having a hard time letting go.
But today had nothing to do with independence but with mother’s intuition. She could tell by the rebellious glint in his eye that she couldn’t trust him to stay out of trouble by himself.
“Hi,” drawled a deep Southern male voice behind them.
Isabella’s heart skipped a beat until her head caught up with her and she realized it wasn’t Cole.
The man was the father of one of Adrian’s friends.
Why was she jumping every time she heard a man speak? She’d been doing that every day since her first encounter with Cole, and not once had he approached her.
Just because today was the last day of the games, did she think he would seek her out to say goodbye? Not likely.
“Could Adrian hang out with us today? My wife is helping on the field and we could use the company.”
“Sure.” She watched as the two boys raced each other up into the stands safely under proper supervision. The resourceful father produced two pair of cheap binoculars from his bag.
Adrian held a pair of binoculars up to his eyes and scanned the field, looking for his own father, his hero come to life.
Because she couldn’t stop herself, Bella took a look toward the medical tent with little expectation of finding Cole there.
Everyone took pride in the special games being conducted as safely as possible and this week’s regional competitions were no exception. Which left a doctor with too much time on his hands. Apparently, sitting in a stifling medical tent while awaiting a medical incident wasn’t Cole’s style.
For the last several days he’d been everywhere, helping out at the registration table, chaperoning the non-competitive activities and handing out medals, which pleased her athletic son beyond imagining as Cole presented him with a slew of blue, red and green ribbons for his various competitions.
Everywhere Cole could be found, there was Adrian. And all that time Cole had said nothing, done nothing, to acknowledge Adrian as his son.
He’d seemed to be avoiding her, too. Not that she had sought him out. She didn’t have to. That same awareness of each other they’d shared all those years ago gave her a sixth sense in knowing where he was the whole time he was on the stadium grounds.
What was his game? That was the thought that had been uppermost in her mind the past four days.
She had reverted, she was ashamed to admit, back to that passive girl who waited for answers to come to her.
Well, she had waited long enough.
Today she would make him listen. She would look him in the eye to make sure there was no misunderstanding and tell him he was too late. Neither she nor Adrian wanted him in their lives …
But Adrian did want his father in his life.
She stumbled over a lost pompom, almost losing her balance.
Still, she needed to protect her son from the emotional highs and lows of his father dropping in once every fourteen years or so. Adrian didn’t handle upsets well. Better to keep Cole as a fantasy superhero than a flesh-and-blood man.
Was she doing the right thing for Adrian? That was what it all came down to.
Taking a deep breath, she started the long walk toward the medical tent.
Once there, she asked the volunteer, “Have you seen …?” Why was it so hard to say his name? “Dr. Lassiter?”
The white-haired grandmother working the desk gave her a quick shake of the head. “Not today. He’s a busy one, isn’t he?” She gave Isabella a wink. “And handsome, too. If I were a few years younger, I’d be looking for him myself.”
“You’d have to stand in line,” the nurse on duty added. “In fact, I’m old enough to be his—ahem—older sister and I would catch a drink or supper with him if he asked. He’s as nice as he is beautiful.”
Isabella shoved down the absurd possessiveness that welled up in her. History proved that even when he had vowed undying love, Cole had never been hers to keep.
“When Dr. Lassiter shows up, could you page me?” Isabella felt like an overaged groupie as the two women raised their eyebrows at her. “It’s important,” she added. Even to her own ears, she sounded like a desperate woman pathetically trying to attract the attention of a rich, handsome doctor.
“Aren’t you Isabella Allante? Dr. Allante’s daughter?” the nurse asked.
Isabella nodded. “Yes, I am.”
“I worked for him right before he retired.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t remember …”
“Understandable. You were busy getting married and having babies.”
“Baby. Just one.”
“A boy, right? Your father was always talking about his grandson. He was so proud. Dr. Allante was a brilliant doctor and a pleasure to work for. Please give him my regards.”
“I will. He still keeps up with the progress in his field.” The subscriptions to his favorite medical journals and newsletters cost her dearly but they fed her father’s
