The Practice Proposal (18 page)

How appropriate.

Thank goodness she’d taken a vacation day, having planned to be with Cole no matter
what the outcome of the World Series had been. She could spend the day alone, but
she’d learned from grieving where too much alone-time could lead, and she didn’t want
to go there again. Paige was the one person who wouldn’t ask too many questions or
judge Liza for being so stupid.

So. Stupid.

Liza powered up her phone and texted Paige.

Coming by this morning. See you then…

She slogged through the motions of showering and getting dressed in her most comfortable
jeans, a long-sleeved tee, and a cozy, soft-yarn sweater that always felt like a hug.
No doubt she could use one of those today.

She got to Sweet Bee’s around nine, both happy and sad to see that business was slow.
Jingly bells rang on the door as she opened it.

Paige caught sight of her from the kitchen. She came out grinning, waving a section
of newspaper, appearing tiny in her big white apron. “Look who’s in the paper again!”
She gave Liza a once-over and lowered her eyebrows. “Where’s Cole?”

Liza shook her head, her bottom lip quivering, tears threatening to fall.

Paige furrowed her brow and rushed Liza into the kitchen, tossing the newspaper onto
a stainless steel table. “What happened?”

Liza grabbed the newspaper. On the front page of the
Washington Post
, above the fold, was a shot of her and Cole, him on one knee, putting that gorgeous
ring on her finger. Liza had looked in the mirror countless times in her life and
never seen herself so happy. Tears blurred her vision as she read the headline.

“Perfect Play: Collins Gets the Girl.”

Liza couldn’t help but read some of the article.

“Prior to clinching the World Series with a two-run homer, Nationals first baseman
and Series MVP Cole Collins hit a run-scoring triple, then defied the odds and stole
home. He’s also been busy stealing the heart of Liza Sutherland, to whom he proposed
marriage during the seventh-inning stretch…”

Paige grabbed Liza’s hand. “Where’s your ring?”

With plenty of tears and tissues, Liza told Paige what had happened—including her
deal with Frank. Paige hugged her, way better than a sweater. She didn’t judge her
for being so drawn in by Cole or for agreeing to such a sleazy deal.

“He had me convinced, too.” Paige shook her head.

“It was a pretty clever plan, and I fell right into it. With the press showing up
at the farm that first night—”

“And me,” Paige said, “stupidly letting him come here for the pie war.” She scrunched
her face.

Liza smiled wanly. “At least you got some business out of this embarrassing mess.”

“You don’t have anything to be embarrassed about. I would’ve fallen for his charm
a heck of a lot faster than you did.”

Liza blotted her eyes, glad she hadn’t bothered with mascara. “He used me as a tool
in front of forty-one thousand people—just like he did when he
proposed
in front of those reporters—all to get himself a contract.”

Paige looked like she was fighting a smile. “A tool?”

“Whatever. You know what I meant.”

Paige cocked her head. “A hammer? A screwdriver? Maybe a socket wrench?”

“Stop.” Liza shook her head. “I’m not in the mood to laugh.” But she did grin a little.
She glanced over at the opposite table where Cole had made his pies in their pie war.
On it sat a cake that caught her eye.

Paige followed her line of vision and frowned. “That was supposed to be for your engagement.”

“What is it?”

“A cake.”

“I see that, but what
is
it?” Liza stepped to the other side of the kitchen to get a closer look. Paige trailed
behind her.

“I had a baseball player cake mold that I use for kid’s birthday cakes, so I fixed
it up for you guys.”

Paige used a Sugar Sheet overlay of a Nationals player in a batting stance, put Cole’s
number on the jersey and gave the guy blond hair. She’d even put a little mole on
his cheek. Where the player’s hands met the bat, she’d stuck a gumball-machine diamond
ring.

Liza sniffled, trying not to tear up again.

“It was the best I could do on short notice,” Paige said.

“Thank you, really. I should’ve guessed you’d do something thoughtful like that. I’m
sorry you went to the trouble, considering….”

“No problem.” Paige squinted at the cake, deep in thought. “Cole believes in voodoo
magic, right?”

Liza had no idea where she was going with this. “Yes?”

Paige took the cake out to a table in the front, farthest away from her one customer.
Liza followed her.

“Have a seat.” Paige hurried back into the kitchen, and returned a few minutes later
with two cups of espresso, plates and napkins, a knife, and a packet of pink-striped
cake pop sticks.

Paige opened the cake pop sticks, handed several to Liza, and grinned mischievously.
She took one herself and stabbed it into the cake, right on the baseball player’s
butt. “There’s some voodoo magic for you, mister.”

Liza couldn’t help but laugh this time. Only Paige would’ve thought of something like
this.

“Your turn,” Paige said.

Liza picked up one of her sticks, hesitated, then poked the player in the eye. As
juvenile as it was, she got a strange sort of satisfaction from it. She grabbed another
stick and went for the knees. Before long, the cake looked like a pink-striped porcupine,
and Paige had Liza laughing and sipping espresso.

“We got him pretty good,” Paige said, cutting the cake amid all the voodoo sticks,
and somehow managing to come out with a couple of pieces that were only partially
mangled.

“Delicious,” Liza murmured through a mouthful of almond-tinged pound cake that melted
on her tongue.

Paige looked pleased. She might be the only person who doubted the deliciousness of
anything she baked. “I know you don’t want to hear this—”

Liza gave her an exaggerated frown. Just when she was starting to cheer up…

“But I wouldn’t be a very good friend if I didn’t say it.”

She looked at Paige skeptically, but she knew that wouldn’t stop her.

“You and Cole both misled each other…at first. You started dating him because of a
deal. I get why—even why you didn’t tell me—but still. Frank might’ve told him to
settle down if he wanted another contract with the Nats, but Cole didn’t have to do
what Frank said.”

Liza scowled.

“Okay. Maybe, in the beginning, he might not have been a hundred percent sincere—even
though I think he was into you all along. But there was nothing fake about the way
he looked at you all starry-eyed. He’s not an actor. He’s a baseball player.” Paige
hurried to the kitchen and came back with four sections of newspaper, all featuring
pictures of Liza and Cole, including the one from last night. She spread them across
the table. “See? Look at him. Look at you. From the very beginning, it was there.
That
it
that everyone dreams about finding. You two are in love, however you got there.”
She crossed her arms and gave Liza the Paige-stare. “
Both
of you.”

Liza hated to admit it, but Paige had made some good points. If she hadn’t known the
couple in the pictures—hadn’t been one of them—she would’ve bet they were in love,
too.

“I understand why you reacted the way you did. I would’ve done the same thing.” Paige
stuck her finger in the icing, came away with a dollop, and ate it. “But think about
it this way…if he was putting on an act, dating you just to get a contract from the
Nats, he was doing a bang-up job already without having to freakin’ propose. Jeez,
he’d already skated by with a practice one. How was he gonna get out of that huge
seventh-inning-stretch production if he was just faking it? That ring alone must’ve
set him back a few fat paychecks. Sure, he’s rich, but that was an investment he didn’t
need to make. Besides, how much negative publicity do you think he’d get for breaking
it off with you after he went and made you the sweetheart of the World Series?”

She chewed on the icing end of one of the cake pop sticks. “And America doesn’t want
a sweetheart with puffy eyes and a naked ring finger. You should see what he has to
say for himself. You didn’t give him a chance last night.”

“I blocked his number from my phone.”

“Why?” Paige’s eyes widened. “I would’ve at least wanted the satisfaction of seeing
how many times he called or texted.” She winked.

Liza gave her a wan grin. “You would.” She took another bite of the sinfully good
pound cake and promised herself she would go for a run later.

“Maybe you’re afraid he’ll have a good explanation for what he did and you just don’t
want to hear it.”

Was Paige right? Liza had what she thought was a good explanation for making the deal
with Frank, even though Cole might not like the idea. Then again, Cole probably felt
the same way about his agreement with Frank.

“Maybe you’re right,” Liza said. “I’m so used to being alone—”

“And sad.”

“And seeing my future like that.” Things were becoming clearer in her mind—probably
thanks to the sugar and caffeine. And to Paige. “So at the first sign of trouble with
Cole, I bailed, and headed back to my comfort zone.”

“That about covers it.” Paige nodded, and a section of pink-striped hair fell in front
of her shoulder. “Do you still like feeling that way, or did you like how you felt
when you were with Cole?”

Liza’s heart sank. She studied the barren spot on her finger where her engagement
ring should’ve been, then picked the fake one off the cake and put it on. “Oh, God,
Paige. What have I done?”

Chapter Twenty-One

Liza stepped into her office at the foundation, feeling better after spending yesterday
with Paige. She’d pretty much gotten in the way while Paige baked to fulfill several
large special orders. Paige had helped her work through the situation with Cole, and
Liza had woken up this morning feeling better about things. She’d unblocked his number
from her phone and made a pact with herself—if she didn’t hear from him before lunchtime,
she’d make the first move and call him. Or text? She still couldn’t decide. And she
had no idea yet what she would say or write.

She took off her jacket and draped it over a chair, catching a glance of her wall
calendar. November already. Time had rushed by since she’d been with Cole. And the
days had been happy ones, with all the late-season baseball and postseason play. With
all of Cole’s tender kisses and nights wrapped in his arms. Liza smiled a little.
Should she even wait until lunchtime to call him?

She pulled her chair away from her desk and almost sat, but then noticed the white
envelope that had been left on the seat. Her name was written on the front in handwriting
that bordered on block lettering. She picked it up, opened it, and pulled out the
paper inside—a blank page folded around a check from Frank Price, made out to the
foundation in the amount of five hundred thousand dollars.

A tingly surge of adrenaline radiated through Liza. Her hands trembled and she sank
onto the chair. Frank must have dropped the check off yesterday—or had a courier bring
it—because Liza was the only person in the office so far this morning and probably
would be until midday. She’d unlocked the door herself.

It had taken Frank only hours to make good on their deal. Had Cole told Frank to pay
her off and be done with her? She hated to admit it, but she’d hoped Frank would make
an argument that Cole had really wanted to date her, and had really fallen for her,
too. But if Cole had been sincere about being with her—
being her husband
—then there would’ve been no need for Frank to have written the check at all.

Liza tossed the envelope on her desk and pressed her eyes closed. What little hope
she had that things would work out had been dashed by the stroke of a pen. She felt
even worse to have been let down a second time.

More camps, more kids, better equipment…

She thought of all the good a half-million dollars would do for BADD, but it was little
comfort. Regardless of the good it would do, she couldn’t take Frank’s donation after
all that had happened.

Maybe Paige could help her see a bright side to the situation, but Liza didn’t have
the energy to call her. Besides, she’d dumped on Paige all day yesterday. After hearing
about the check, Paige might hurry over with another voodoo cake, and Liza didn’t
have the stomach for that this morning. She could, however, use some coffee.

She went into the kitchen where, while she’d been off yesterday, her coworkers had
posted all the newspaper pictures of her and Cole on the white board and written “Congratulations
Liza!” in huge colorful letters. Someone had even drawn a giant diamond ring. Thank
goodness they were all out working on the anti-doping video project that was wrapping
up. How was she going to explain to them what had happened, and to everyone else?
Especially her parents.

She brewed some coffee and went back to her office, determined to caffeinate herself
and review the applications she’d received for summer camp attendees. Surprisingly,
several hours passed while she read the touching stories in silence.

Around eleven, she heard someone come in the front door. Moments later, her mom called
from the hallway. “It’s me, sweetie.”

Her mom came into her office, looking a little tired but still lovely in tailored
black slacks and a spice-orange jacket. The woman was a true-blue Orioles fan, Series
win or not. Liza felt for her parents. They’d had such high hopes for the team, then
the disappointment of coming so close and losing. She didn’t have the heart to pile
on with more disappointing news. For today, she’d have to fake it.

“Hi, Mom.” Liza hugged her tightly. “You doing okay? And Dad?”

“We’re all right.” Her mom nodded. “Looking ahead to next season now.”

“Go Os.” Liza’s words sounded flat.

Her mom glanced out the window at the last of the leaves falling from the ginkgo trees
in the courtyard, and Frank’s check caught her eye.

Crap.
Liza had meant to put it away, then mail it back to Frank.

“Good gracious.” Her mom picked up the check. “Frank Price gave us five hundred thousand
dollars?”

Liza shrugged one shoulder and smiled as if she were excited. “Wow, huh?”

“Wow is right.” Her mom shook her head. “Poor Frank is really trying to make amends,
isn’t he? Tell you what, put this in your purse and we’ll take it to the bank on our
way back from lunch.”

“Lunch?” Liza couldn’t imagine keeping up this act during a long Friday-afternoon
lunch with her mom. But the alternative was staying here and facing her coworkers
even sooner.

“Naomi Tyler just opened a little bistro in Middleburg so I thought we’d check it
out. You know, a little mother-daughter engagement celebration lunch.” Her mom’s eyes
glimmered.

“That’s quite a drive for lunch.”

“So take the afternoon off—my treat.” Her mom ran the place, so Liza could hardly
say no. She didn’t care about appearances right now. And this way, she could avoid
her coworkers altogether. Until Monday.

“And what’s a little drive when there’s so much to talk about?” Her mom beamed. “We’ve
got a wedding to plan.”

Liza rubbed her forehead where a headache was setting in.

Her mom’s gaze followed Liza’s hand. “Where’s that gorgeous ring?”

Liza’s heart skipped ahead a few beats. “Getting sized.” She hated lying to her mom.

“Then it will fit just right.” Her mom smiled.

Lisa turned away and got busy shutting down her computer and gathering her coat and
purse. Given enough time to look closely, her mom would figure out that nothing was
just right anymore. Just right was just a fairy tale.

They locked up the office, headed out, and got in her mom’s car. Liza quickly put
on her sunglasses to hide her eyes. But her mom was distracted enough by traffic,
wedding ideas, and plans for Frank’s donation, that Liza didn’t have to try too hard
to play along. She could tell that, as excited as her mom was about the idea of a
wedding, she was treading lightly with the subject. They’d already planned one for
Liza and Wes. Without coming out and saying it, her mom seemed uncertain how similar
Liza would want her and Cole’s big day to be. No worries there, really. Neither wedding
was ever going to happen.

Liza had thought a drive in the rolling countryside on a gorgeous fall day would soothe
her soul a little. And it did. Until she realized that she and Cole had traveled this
way together a couple of times, back and forth to the storybook farm. Liza’s chest
tightened.

“I promised Charlene Shelton I would swing by and drop off a program from the Series.”
Her mom’s voice still sounded sad when she mentioned it. She gestured to the backseat
where several programs were stacked along with a few folded sections of newspaper.
Liza hoped they weren’t the ones with pictures of her and Cole. From now until forever,
she’d have an aversion to newspapers. They were good for nothing but lining birdcages
and house-training a puppy.

“Who is Charlene Shelton?” Liza asked. Her mom and dad knew so many people that Liza
couldn’t keep them all straight.

“Jim’s wife.”

“Which Jim?”

“Your dad’s golf buddy Jim. He and Charlene were in Pinehurst during the Series. Their
place is just up the road.”

Great. Now Liza would have more people to fake it with.

The area began to look even more familiar with the hilly fields and woodlands. White
fences seemed to stretch for miles as they passed horse farms and estates that appeared
even more idyllic beneath the bright turquoise sky. Her mom slowed and made a turn
into a long drive bordered with rows of magnolia trees. It took Liza a second to realize
it, but this was
the
farm. The place Cole had taken her twice. The place where he’d first said he loved
her.

“Jim and Charlene are Nats fans?” Liza asked, remembering the curly Ws embroidered
on the cushions on the chairs by the pond.

Her mom smiled knowingly. “We forgive them.”

So Cole knew Jim and Charlene, too. This was going to be worse than Liza had thought.
Charlene would be raving over their engagement.

Instead of turning toward the barn, where Liza and Cole had gone when they’d come
here, her mom kept straight down the driveway. Soon a house came into view. And not
just any house, but an incredible stone and white clapboard farmhouse with two chimneys
and a sweeping front porch.

“Wow, their house is gorgeous. This whole place is like…” Liza couldn’t think of the
words she wanted. “…a country estate paradise.” With the red-and-white barn that she
knew about but couldn’t see from here, the fire pit next to the pond, the party lights
along the pier. Everything about this place was perfect…except those curly W chair
cushions.

Her mom pulled around the stone-paved circle in front of the house and parked.

“How about I wait in the car?” As much as Liza wanted to see inside that house, she
didn’t want to have to talk about Cole. Especially on the very property where their
romance had begun. She rubbed her stomach. “I’m kind of hungry. Maybe you could just
drop and dash.”

“We won’t be long, I promise.” Her mom grabbed a World Series program and one of the
sections of newspaper from the backseat. “I’m sure Charlene wants to congratulate
you.”

Great.

Liza reluctantly picked up her purse and got out of the car. Until she worked up the
nerve to tell people what had happened, or until everyone learned it from Cole, she’d
have to play along. She and her mom stepped onto the front porch where large pots
of yellow mums bloomed like bursts of sunshine between sets of white rocking chairs,
and flanked the deep-red front door. A cool fall breeze rustled the colorful leaves
that had fallen from a giant oak tree in the front yard.

Her mom rang the doorbell, then glanced at the newspaper in her hand and sighed. “I
grabbed the wrong one.” She hurried off the porch just as the front door opened.

With a weary half-smile on her face, Liza looked up and straight into Cole’s bright
blue eyes.

…

After being without Liza for the last couple of days, Cole had to restrain himself
from taking her into his arms right that second. He’d missed everything about her,
and the peace he’d felt just knowing she was his. His chest tightened. She
wasn’t
his anymore. Man, he hoped he could convince her to give him another chance. Life
without her would be a million kinds of miserable. That was painfully clear to him
now.

She stood in front of him, looking tired but simply beautiful in her charcoal-gray
pantsuit. The surprised look on her face was priceless. She shook her head, her eyes
still wide, and let her purse slide onto the porch. “What are you doing here?” she
asked quietly, sounding dazed.

Cole stepped onto the porch and closed the door behind him. He risked taking her hand,
and she didn’t pull away. A surge of relief pulsed through him. Just touching her
again gave him hope. The porch wrapped around the house and he led her to the front
corner where the view was most spectacular. As crazy as it was, his legs had gone
a little rubbery, so he leaned against the railing. “I live here.”

It took Liza a second to get it. “This is
your
farm?”

He nodded.

“Your barn…your pond…your party lights?”

He smiled a little. Of all the things she might think of, she’d mentioned the party
lights. She saw things from a different perspective, and he loved her for that, plus
so many other reasons. “Yep. I’m the friend of Mack’s who owns this farm. I wanted
to wait until after we were engaged to tell you—kinda like an engagement surprise.”
He shrugged. “But that didn’t work out so well.” Cole tried to sound casual to cover
all the hurt he’d been feeling since he lost her. He’d tried to get angry about the
deal she’d made with Frank—and managed to for about five minutes. But ultimately he
couldn’t see where she’d done anything worse than he had.

The sun glinted off the tears welling in Liza’s eyes.

He smoothed his thumb across her fingers, waiting for her to say something.

“Just so you know,” she said softly, “if you’re ever thinking about it sometime…I
regret making that deal with Frank. No one should gain from being disingenuous, even
for a good cause. I’m sorry if you got hurt.”

“What I did was worse,” he said, “because it was totally selfish.” The breeze caught
a lock of her hair and blew it across her face. He gently brushed it aside and tucked
it behind her ear, lingering near her earlobe, then trailing his fingers down her
silky-smooth neck. His throat tightened. How could he live without this woman?

“And just so you know,” he said, “if you’re ever thinking about it sometime…from the
moment I got to know the real Liza, and every second since, I’ve wanted you to be
my wife.” He took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. “And not because of a contract.”
His pulse thrummed in his ears. “I don’t want a new contract if I can’t have you.”

Liza lowered her eyebrows and gazed at him intently.

“If you think I’ve been pretending,” he said, “I haven’t. I pretended with every girl
I ever dated, and it was a hell of a lonely life. Then there was you. The girl who
actually
got
me. Who knew my past and didn’t judge me. Who saw my flaws and stuck around anyway.
Who sparked a crazy chemistry I’d never felt before.” He clutched both of her hands
in his. “Who overcame her own grief and gave me a chance.”