Winning Moves (Stepping Up 3)

Kat frowned. “Are you talking to Dad?”

“Yes,” her mother confirmed. “And Jason’s parents.”

Jason walked back into the room and set his backpack on the table, which he unzipped.

“Is Jason there with you?” her mother asked.

“Yes,” Kat answered. “Do his parents want to talk to him?”

“He’s there,” her mother said, sounding excited. Laughter erupted before Kat heard Jason’s mother say, “I told you so.” Next, Kat specifically heard her father say “you owe me fifty bucks.”

Kat gaped. “Mother! Are they betting on whether or not Jason and I would be together?”

Jason laughed, a deep, sexy sound that always did funny, wonderful things to Kat. He joined her by the fridge and kissed her on the nose. “Let me talk to my father.”

“We bet because we all want you back together,” her mother said indignantly.

“Jason wants to talk to his father,” Kat informed her mother. She handed the receiver to Jason.

He covered the receiver with his palm. “Why shouldn’t they bet on us? I am.” He winked and kissed her. “I think our phones are beeping with messages. Can you check my voice mail and make sure there isn’t anything urgent? Thanks.”

Her gaze touched his with understanding. It was a small request but it meant a lot. He was offering her an invitation back into his life in every possible way and it was surprisingly scary. Why? Why was it scary?

“Yes,” she said. “Of course.” She tried to move away, but he caught her, a question on his too-handsome face. She loved this man. Why was she scared?

She rose onto her toes and kissed him. “Talk to my father. That’s an expensive call you’re just sitting on.”

He hesitated and let her go, but she could see and feel the reluctance in him. “What’s this about a bet,

Father?” he asked in a playfully authoritative voice, as if he was the father, not the son.

Kat gave Jason her back as she grappled with, and tried to identify, whatever this was that she was feeling. She removed her purse from the bag and grabbed her phone from where Jason had set it down. She knew Jason’s calls were probably more urgent than hers but she wasn’t sure she was ready to listen to his.

She had a number of text message alerts from different people. First was Ellie, who’d let her know that Tabitha had come to her early this morning, claiming her innocence for whatever Kat had accused her of. I suggested strongly that she smarten up and start respecting you. Kat snorted.

“Like that is going to happen,” she murmured and went on to the next message, which was from Marissa.

Kat glanced up, giving in to the urge to look at Jason, bringing his profile into view. She could tell that he was now talking to her father about some big investment return they’d both gotten. He leaned on the counter, handsome and shirtless, with his hair rumpled and sexy. But it wasn’t his looks that made her heart beat a little faster. It was the way he was chatting with their families. The way he was truly a son to her parents. He fit her so well.

Kat inhaled and forced her attention to her phone, and read Marissa’s message.

Marcus is the most amazing humble, sexy person. I like him too much. It’s kind of scary. Need girl talk, please? Oh, and Tabitha called to apologize. Please don’t fire her, Kat. I don’t want to ruin anyone’s career.

Kat smiled at that final part of the message. Marissa was a special person and Tabitha had no idea how lucky she was she’d picked Marissa as her target. Kat would give Tabitha another shot because of Marissa. Hopefully, Tabitha would finally see the light, and value her second—correction—her third, chance. Kat checked her call log and found four attempts from her parents to reach her. She set her phone down and picked up Jason’s, an unmistakable flutter in her stomach. His call log also showed four missed calls from his parents. She could just imagine the four of them all sitting together, talking, laughing, and betting that their children were together in the same house. Then urging each other to try the calls again. They hadn’t been worried. They’d been curious and hopeful.

The final call on Jason’s phone was a number that Kat didn’t recognize and it had gone to voice mail. She punched the button and listened to a studio executive telling Jason how impressive the show’s television ratings had been. The studio wanted to talk contract renewal with Jason.

“I’m working on that,” Jason said behind her. “Yes. I am. I promise. I’ll let you know when I’ve properly convinced her.”

She squeezed her eyes shut, certain she knew what he was talking about, because she knew him so very well. Marriage. She wanted to marry Jason again. She wanted it very badly, but it had taken them years to get here, to a place where they were together again.