If The Shoe Fits Page 22

  She smiled. Ah, if only tonight were going to be a fairytale…

  Still, she hesitated before lifting one of the shoes from of the box. What if—

  Oh for heaven’s sake. She was being irrational. It wasn’t as if Mr. Griff was her own special fairy godfather.

  “This dress makes Gus your fairy godmother, you know,” said Sophia, draping the gown across the front of her. “Just like the one in the movie.”

  Who’d been an older female, but, yes, the comparison was there. There were a lot of comparisons all of a sudden.

  It’d be so nice to believe that it was true. That at the stroke of midnight she’d run off and leave her shoe and Prince Charmant would come after her.

  And Madeleine wouldn’t interfere.

  She handed the shoes to Sophia. Let her little sister believe in magic and fairy tales for now; reality would come soon enough.

  ***

  “Uh oh, Giac.” Perla scooted onto one of the stools at the counter at. “Hurricane Staci at two o’clock.”

  Giac looked over her retro-eighties, Snookie-pouf. Perla was right. Staci and her take-no-prisoners attitude were storming the gates of Casteleoni’s. Just what he didn’t need at this eleventh hour when he and Gus were putting the final touches on Bella’s presentation before they loaded everything into the van. He scrambled out of his apron and intercepted Staci before she made it past the counter.

  “Giac.” Staci gripped his arms, the first touch the woman had ever willingly given him. And Giac had been okay with the status quo. “We need your help.”

  Of course there’d be a reason for her to be nice to him; she needed something. “I’m kind of busy right now, Staci. And shouldn’t you be? The auction’s in a few hours.”

  “I know. That’s why we have to move fast. My mother is making everyone’s life a living hell and she’s threatening to send Sophia off to boarding school.”

  So what else was new? What Giac wanted to know was why it had suddenly become a soapbox for Staci.

  He was saved from answering by the front door bells jingling again.

  A man Luke had never seen before—because he would have remembered him—strode through the door and—

  Put his hands on Staci’s shoulders? What was happening in the universe?

  “Hi. I’m Luke.” The guy extended a hand. The other never left Staci.

  Giac shook Luke’s hand automatically because he was still processing why the guy was touching Staci. Surely someone of his obvious good taste wouldn’t fall prey to the likes of her?

  “Has Staci brought you up to speed?”

  “Speed?” Giac felt as if he were moving in slow motion through molasses. And he didn’t have time for it. They had to get everything loaded. He shook his head, trying to clear the confusion. “I’m sorry, but I have to get moving. Perhaps we could discuss this some other time, you two—”

  “Oh but Giac, you have to listen.” Staci put a hand on his chest.

  Giac looked down at it, waiting to feel the pain of the knife she probably stabbed him with… but couldn’t. He looked back at her.

  She plucked her hand away. “Sorry, but we really do need your help. It’s for Bella.”

  “Bella?” That cleared his head somewhat. More when he started to worry that Staci was planning a minefield for her nemesis. “What do you want with Bella?”

  “We want to help her.” Luke stepped around Staci and clasped Giac on the shoulder. “Look, we all know that Madeleine wants one thing and one thing only.”

  Giac nodded. “World domination.” He wasn’t kidding, but Luke laughed anyway.

  “Besides that. She wants respectability. To be one of the ‘in’ crowd. And she thinks becoming a Board member is her ticket to the cool crowd. Problem is, she’s aware that she’s going to need something extra to get herself invited in.”

  “But they’ve spoken to Carolyn Charmant about the position. I heard her mention it myself when she was in for lunch.”

  “But Mother doesn’t know that and we have to make sure she doesn’t until this auction is over,” said Staci.

  “How?” Regardless of her improved taste in men, Staci could be just as conniving as the witch who’d given birth to her.

  “She thinks Bella isn’t working the auction.”

  “Why on earth would she think that? It was a coup in the Casteleoni cap she’s counting on to improve our standing in the community.”

  “Because she thinks if Reese fails, his mother will never get the position and she’ll have a shot at it.”

  “You’re kidding.”

  “Unfortunately, no. But that’s the way Mother’s mind works.”

  “Well, obviously we’re not going to let tonight turn into a fiasco, so what are you proposing?”

  Luke and Staci wore identical Cheshire-cat smiles. The same ones Giac had learned to be wary of.

  “What’s said to be the best revenge?” Luke asked.

  “Duh. Living well. Why?”

  “Exactly.” Luke leaned on the counter conspiratorially. “We all know that Reese is head over heels for Bella. What do you think would happen if Bella ends up with a better social standing than Madeleine?”

  Ah, for a moment, Gus had reveled in the hope that their plan had a prayer of succeeding. And while it was the same one he had for Bella, the reality was, it couldn’t happen if Madeleine was against it. “You’re forgetting one thing: Sophia. Bella will never do anything to jeopardize her sister. Plus, there’s this place to consider. It’s almost as important to Bella, and Madeleine can wreak havoc and revenge here, as well.” Giac sighed. “Sorry, you two. It’s a nice idea, but it’ll never work. Madeleine’s got the law on her side.”

  Luke’s grin got even bigger. “I think I’ve got that part figured out. Casteleoni’s is going to take some more effort, though. That’s where I’m hoping you’ll come in.”

  Staci nodded and grabbed his arm. “Please help, Giac.”

  Staci was asking for his help? Weird had just gotten weirder. And maybe, just maybe, that meant this could work.

  “What do you need me to do?”

  Luke jerked his head to bring the conspirators together. Even Perla leaned in to listen. “So first I’m going to talk to Reese’s mom...”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  “Where’s that boy?” Gus stormed around the kitchen, but was careful to avoid knocking any of the trays now lining the kitchen counters.

  He hefted himself onto a stool and stared at the alley entrance, as if that would make Bruno arrive earlier. The boy was supposed to help him load the van before they picked up Bella for the drive to the riverfront.

  Suddenly, there was a loud squeal of tires, followed by a screech, then the sound of an aluminum trashcan meeting a brick wall.

  Gus groaned. At least he wasn’t baking the soufflé here. That noise would have deflated it.

  The steel door creaked open and Bruno stood there with a kicked-puppy expression on his face. “I’m here, Gus.”

  Gus sighed. “I hear.” He walked toward him, waving away the stammering apology Bruno was in the process of forming. It didn’t matter now. “We must get the trays loaded. The sternos are packed and the utensils ready.” He lifted one of the boxes and headed outside. “You put the boxes on the van floor, then the food, she will go on top—-”

  Gus slammed to a halt in the alleyway and stared. That was not the catering van. That was… that was…

  He didn’t even bother to turn around. “Where is the van?”

  Bruno cleared his throat. “Ah, the van. Yes. Well...” He shuffled his feet. “Well, um. I... um... was going to fix it after that mishap with the door a few weeks ago?”

  “What fix?” Gus spun around, his temper beginning to boil. “The van, she no need a fix. She runs fine.”

  Bruno shook his head and the ear flaps of his cap waggled like dog ears. “Yes, well, there was this little clicking noise and I thought I could, you know, take care of it.”

  “So?” T
he boil was about to steam.

  “Well... um... here’s where it gets a little tricky—”

  “Tricky? Tricky?” The pot boiled over. “We don’t need tricky. We don’t need little click fixed. We need the van to get to the auction. Now how we do this?”

  Bruno cringed as Gus came toward him. Gus knew he was being unreasonable, because clearly, the van was not coming. But they could not show up at this high-society event in that... that... “It’s an abomination.” He had Giac to thank for that useful word.

  “No, it’s a station wagon.”

  “It’s an orange station wagon.”

  Bruno hung his head and the ear flaps on his cap drooped. “It was supposed to be a rust color, but I guess when my buddy mixed the paint he added a little too much orange—”

  “A little!” Gus didn’t care that his shout echoed along the walls of the alley. Everyone would see it soon enough and they’d be a laughing stock showing up in this... this... zucca on four wheels.

  “Well, okay, maybe a lot. But it’s all we have now, Gus. It’ll carry all the food and I rented a tux to wear, so I’ll look professional when I unload it at the boat.”

  Gus exhaled every bit of air in his lungs and threw up his arms before spinning around to head back into his sanctuary. “Fine. Giac and I will go in his car.” It was a compact, already a tight fit on a good day. With serving trays and mixing bowls and what-not, it would probably end up looking like a clown car. “At least I will not have to arrive in that pumpkin.”

  ***

  “You look beautiful, Bella. Just like a princess,” Sophia said just before the doorbell rang. “I’ll get it!” she bellowed, galloping from the room.

  Sophia’s adoration went a long way toward calming Bella’s nerves. She put the rhinestone drop earring in her other ear and smoothed the front of dress. Gus had done a magnificent job and he’d made her feel beautiful.

  Would Reese think so?

  Bella sat on the edge of her bed. Those kinds of thoughts were best forgotten. Tonight was not the night to go there. She had to make sure everything ran smoothly because once Madeleine found out she was still on the job, that pumpkin soufflé mess would be nothing compared to her stepmother’s ire.

  She slipped on one of Mr. Griff’s pumps, readying herself for the cool hard feel of the Lucite, but instead, found her foot cushioned as if there were a pillow inside the shoe. She picked up the one on the bed and looked at it. No cushioned sole. Odd. Very odd.

  She thought back to Sophia’s fairy tale prattling this morning. If only Gus were her fairy godmother. Or maybe Mr. Griff was.

  Yeah, and she was off to the ball where her ride home would turn into a pumpkin at midnight.

  A shaft of sunlight slid through the blinds and glinted off the last of Mr. Griff’s coins as if it were winking at her.

  “Bruno’s here, Bella!” Sophia hollered from downstairs just in time to save Bella from listening for singing mice… Bella picked up her purse and headed out the bedroom door.

  Thank God Madeleine was at a hair appointment getting all done up for the event. Bella had had to time this precisely.

  “Thanks, Soph. Do you have your bag? Bruno and I will take you to Aunt Theresa’s.” Bella ushered her sister out the door.

  But she came to a dead stop on the front path.

  “Bruno, what is that?”

  Bruno wrung his hands. “It’s my car.”

  “It’s orange.”

  Poor Bruno flushed almost the same shade. His eyes shifted and he stared at his feet. “I know,” he mumbled.

  “But where’s the van? All the food? Giac and Gus?”

  At last the poor guy looked up. “I got it all taken care of, Ms. C.” He swept a hand to the back of the car as if he were a game show host. “All the food’s in the back and Gus and Giac are driving over with everything else. I even rented a tux so I’d look real professional tonight. I want to help you make this a success.”

  She couldn’t be angry. He really had gone to a lot of trouble to make it right. And she wanted tonight to be a success also.

  “Here you go, Ms. C.” Bruno held the door open like a royal footman. “Your carriage awaits.”

  Sophia was already in the middle of the front seat. She patted the passenger side. “Come on, Bella. I want to hear the mice.”

  “Mice?” Bella looked at Bruno who, once again, hung his head and shuffled his feet.

  “The breaks squeal.”

  “Squeak,” Sophia corrected. “You said they squeak just like mice do.” The little girl pounded the seat again. “Come on, Bella. I want to ride with the mice and you don’t want to be late for the party.”

  ***

  “You think this will work?”

  Giac held his breath as Carolyn Charmant considered what Luke had just proposed. Everything hinged on her agreeing to do this. It’s why he’d grabbed the jar from under the front counter and why he’d let Gus drive his car to the riverfront, something that would normally require a presidential order and motorcade. But there was a time and place for everything and tonight, The Midnight Maiden was it.

  “You really think so?” she asked again.

  He, Luke, and Staci nodded.

  The movie star didn’t answer. This was, after all, her son they were talking about.

  But then the award-winning star of stage and screen smiled and put a hand to her forehead. “All right, then.” She cleared her throat and her voice lowered. “You know? I do believe I feel a migraine coming on.”

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Reese was directing the drayage company at Community Hospital for the Meet-and-Greet, when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

  “Hey, Charmant.”

  “Coach. What are you doing here? We weren’t expecting you for another two hours.”

  Randy Meade took off his cap and rubbed his thinning hair. “I know, but I got something to say to you and I thought it’d be better before the auction than during.”

  What about after? Reese really didn’t have the time for a heart-to-heart at the moment. Especially with the condition of his heart right now. He’d put it on the injured reserves list and was looking forward to rehabbing it once this event was over.

  “Can it wait, Coach? I’m pretty busy.”

  Randy grabbed his shoulder. “No, it can’t. I got a plane to catch tonight and you owe me, son. At least a bit of your time. I won’t take up too much.”

  Reese gave a last look around, barked an order at Kelly, and then faced Coach. “Okay. What is it?”

  Suddenly, Randy didn’t look like the awe-inspiring coach who’d led a team of men and a grateful city to a Super Bowl victory. “I want to apologize.”

  An apology was the last thing Reese had expected.

  “I know I should have said something before, but until little Maggie was born, I just didn’t have it in me to blame my daughter. I made you out to be the big bad wolf taking advantage of my little girl, and, well, I did you a disservice.” Randy looked him in the eye. “And I’m damn sorry about the ending of your career. You were one hell of a football player and deserved to go out better.”

  Reese swallowed the lump in his throat. “Thanks, Coach. That means a lot. But our argument didn’t end my career—my injury did.”

  The “Coach” was back. “Maybe. But if it hadn’t, you would have had the job to come back to. But I made it personal and I’m damn sorry I did. It cost you.”

  “How could it not have been personal? I was dating your daughter. I wish to God I’d stayed away from her.”

  Randy actually smiled. “Yeah, at the time I did, too. But I had a nice talk with Devin after Maggie was born. Just the two of us, watching that little baby sleep in her crib. And you know what my daughter said?”

  Reese shook his head.

  Randy cleared his throat. “She said she was sorry for causing the disagreement between us, but she’ll never regret going out with you. Even though her heart broke when you ended it, she said you did something
good for her. If you hadn’t ended it when you did, she never would have met her husband and our little Maggie wouldn’t have been in that crib.” Randy cleared his throat again and looked away. “You know the baby was named after my late wife?”

  Reese nodded. “I’d guessed as much.”

  Randy glanced back with a sheen in his eyes. “Yeah. Well, there could have been another baby—a different baby—in that crib, but it wouldn’t be my little Maggie. She has my wife’s eyes, you know.”

  The two men were silent for a bit, then Coach coughed and stuck out his hand. “So. I wanted to apologize. Tell you there are no ill feelings on my part. A little late, I guess, but I wanted you to know.”

  “No, Coach.” Reese shook his head. “I should have just stayed away from her. I knew better than to mix business and pleasure. I just forgot to pay attention to my conscience.”

  “Nonsense, Reese.” Randy’s old coaching voice rose to the surface. “Nothing would have made me happier than for you and Devin to end up together. But when you ended it, even though it was for the right reasons, I forgot that you were still the same guy I’d always known. I couldn’t see beyond the fact that my daughter had gotten her heart broken. I should have.” He clasped Reese’s hand. “I’m sorry for losing sight of that.”

  Reese’s grin was small. “Well there’s a turnaround.”

  Coach shrugged. “You were—are—a stand-up guy, both on and off the field. There was never any delineation between the two for you. That’s why you’re doing so well with this new venture. Who you are as a person, not just a celebrity, goes a long way toward driving your business. People know what to expect when they hire you on, Reese, because everything you’ve ever done, both on and off the field, has been done with integrity. Be you, Reese, who you’ve always been, and your clients will keep coming back. Be true to yourself—”Coach tapped him in the vicinity of his heart—”and you can’t go wrong.”