Cinderella And The Ceo. SUSAN MEIER

struggled not to growl with frustration. It was almost sacrilegious that his family would drag softball into their scheme.

      “Yes, I did.”

      “Good. I’m sure the girls are eager to get started.”

      “Most of them are,” Deke agreed, walking away because he didn’t want to get any more involved with his “boss” than he had to. All things considered, she probably was the person who reported his progress to his family. And after the day he’d spent, running to keep up with tasks the other employees seemed to be able to do in their sleep, he doubted her account would be a good one.

      But Laurel stopped him by touching his forearm. “I really appreciate your doing this.”

      Warmth radiated from the spot she touched on his arm, but more than that, her genuine smile of gratitude brought his thoughts to a crashing halt. How could he accuse her of being in on any kind of conspiracy? If she knew anything about his family’s plan to test him, a woman of Laurel’s level of sincerity would never be able to hide it from him.

      Which meant she didn’t know his family had probably paid the old coach to retire for a summer, and she really was appreciative of his coaching her daughter’s softball team.

      That knowledge inspired a burst of male pride in Deke. After hours of losing the battle with foam peanuts, pleasing her made him completely forget that she’d spent the day treating him like a peon. Worse, he had the urge to please her again.

      Deke almost groaned. In thirty seconds of conversation and with one touch on his arm, Laurel made him forget he was here to please his family, not please her! How was he supposed to quickly, efficiently ascertain what his family wanted from him so he could do it and get the heck out of here, when the world’s biggest distraction was always close enough to touch?

      “You’re welcome,” he said, then walked away from her.

      The truth was, this would be a lot easier if she was in on his family’s scheme. At least then his anger would keep him sane. Without that, his wayward reactions to her could really throw a monkey wrench into things.

      “All right, that’s it for the day,” Deke called to the noisy group of eight- and nine-year-old girls who were performing various softball drills on the grassy playing field. “Melody and Rachel, you gather the equipment this afternoon. Tomorrow we’ll have a schedule of whose turn it is to make sure all the balls and bats get into the duffel bag for me to take home. I’ll also have a printed practice schedule for your mothers. Right now, you guys, er, girls, can hit the showers.”

      Audra tugged on his pant leg. “We don’t have showers, Mr. Bertrim.”

      “Okay, then,” Deke said, glancing around to try to figure out what the appropriate dismissal line would be.

      “Go to your mother’s car. Get on home. Get outa here,” he said, and started to chuckle. This was different, but fun, and so far the girls were nothing but enthusiastic little charmers.

      “See you, Mr. Bertrim,” Sally Walker sang as she ran by him.

      “See ya.”

      “See ya.”

      The chorus continued until all the girls were off the field and jogging toward the vehicles awaiting them in the gravel parking lot. Only Audra stayed behind.

      Deke glanced down at her. “So, how’d I do?”

      She shrugged. “Most of the girls like you because you’re cute. So you didn’t do too bad, but tomorrow we’re really going to want to play ball.”

      “And you will,” Deke agreed, picking up the duffel bag that contained the equipment and slinging it over his shoulder. The hour-and-a-half of exercise was exactly what he needed to clear his head and put everything into perspective. He was heir to the throne of his family’s business, and apparently they thought he needed some training or a test of his abilities. He didn’t like that he hadn’t been told the truth, but he wasn’t so arrogant that he wouldn’t respect his family’s wishes. Or Tom Baxter’s. Because in two years Tom would be Deke’s right-hand man. And Deke needed to win Tom’s respect as much as he needed to win his stepfather’s. After thinking all this through, Deke realized he wanted to prove himself. And quickly. So there would be no doubts.

      And so he could get the hell home, away from the temptation of a woman who would drive him insane if he had to live with her for three long months. A woman whose daughter was currently yanking on his pant leg.

      “But there’s nothing wrong with some practice drills to get you into shape.”

      Audra looked at him. “We’re eight. All we do is exercise. We don’t need to get in shape.”

      Laughing because she was downright adorable, Deke ruffled her hair. “Smart little thing aren’t you?”

      “My mother had me tested to see if I was gifted.”

      Deke stopped by his small white rental car, rifling in his pants pocket for his keys. “Are you?”

      “Borderline,” Audra said, shrugging. “But don’t let that scare you.”

      “Hey, I don’t care if you have green hair. All I care is that you catch the ball, throw the ball and hit the ball when you’re supposed to.”

      Audra grinned. “Me, too.”

      Because the softball field was only a few blocks from Laurel’s home, Audra and Deke made the trip in minutes. When he pulled the car into the driveway, Audra bounded out as if her pants were on fire. Deke followed her up the sidewalk and into the kitchen.

      “So was it fun?” Laurel asked Audra, but she looked at Deke.

      “It was great, Mom.”

      Deke smiled and nodded, confirming that the situation would probably work out. He saw Laurel breathe a sigh of relief.

      “I made beef stew,” Laurel announced, and as she said the words, Deke smelled the spicy, rich aroma. But he also smelled something else. Something sweet. Cinnamon.

      “And an apple pie,” she added, turning away from him to the stove, as if embarrassed to face him.

      Instead of the sexual reaction he usually felt any time he was in Laurel’s company, warm and fuzzy emotion enveloped Deke when he realized she’d made that pie for him…that’s why she was embarrassed. Just from watching Audra play, he knew softball meant a great deal to her, and because Laurel was grateful to him for saving her daughter’s summer, she’d baked him a pie.

      Thrown off balance because no one had ever done something so personal, yet so practical for him, and he didn’t know how to respond, Deke said, “I love pie.”

      She risked a peek at him. “Most people do.”

      “Thank you,” Deke said, overwhelmed with a gratitude that felt very much like amazement. People had given him gold money clips encrusted in diamonds, but it wasn’t the same as having somebody bake a pie for him. He got the sense that pleasing Laurel was the best thing in the world a man could do, but as soon as he got that feeling it amended itself. What he really felt wasn’t that pleasing her was the best thing a man could do, but that pleasing her was somehow his job—or maybe his destiny.

      Which was preposterous. He had a destiny all lined up, one that had been waiting for him since birth. He didn’t need another one.

      “You’re welcome. Now go wash up and we’ll eat.”

      “Yeah, wash up,” Judy said with a laugh. “We’re starving.”

      Deke hadn’t even realized Judy was in the room until she spoke, and he knew this situation was throwing him for so much of a loop that he wasn’t paying enough attention to what he was doing. If he didn’t soon gather his wits and keep them, he might accidentally give away his real identity. And that wouldn’t just be stupid, it would be trouble.

      He left