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even think about it.
    The crowd cheered as the Cloverdale goalie blocked a kick, and Piper turned her attention back to the game. However, it soon wandered back to Raffaele Conti. The television crew had moved on, and he was strolling along the sideline, watching the players but also talking animatedly to those around him. Piper leaned toward Aunt Judy and pointed him out, giving his name.
    â€œGil told me he lived here years ago as an exchange student,” she said. “Do you remember him?”
    Aunt Judy stared for several moments. “Why, yes. Yes, I do!” She nudged her husband. “You remember Raffaele, don’t you? Back when Gerald was in high school? That’s him!”
    Uncle Frank looked over at Conti, recognition gradually dawning. He nodded. “Hasn’t changed much.”
    â€œNo,” Aunt Judy agreed. “Except for the touch of gray in his hair, which only adds distinction. He was always a good-looking boy.”
    â€œI’ve seen him around at my hotel,” Scott said. “The whole team’s staying at the Cloverton.”
    â€œAre they?” Aunt Judy said, looking at Scott with interest. “I hope they haven’t been rowdy.”
    â€œNo, not at all. In fact, I shared a table with a couple of the players at breakfast. Practiced a bit of my Italian, though I have to admit my Spanish is a lot better.”
    Piper heard Will cough, but when she glanced at him he seemed absorbed by the game.
    â€œVery friendly guys,” Scott went on. “And one of them, Frederico, I think his name was, seemed quite taken by that girl who came into your shop the other day, Piper.”
    â€œMiranda?”
    â€œRight. Apparently there was some kind of welcoming party. Frederico had a lot of questions about her, which I couldn’t answer, of course, except to say that she’s the daughter of one of the coaches. That’s right, isn’t it?”
    Piper nodded. Miranda was indeed the daughter of the Cloverdale assistant coach, Gerald Standley. Did Miranda return Frederico’s interest? Piper wondered, and if so, how would her father feel about that? Probably a nonissue, she decided, since the team would be moving on in a few days.
    She glanced back at the sideline. A bigger issue, she thought, might be the fact that Raffaele Conti was now speaking with Gerald Standley’s wife, Denise, and from the look of it, in a rather flirtatious way. If Aunt Judy thought Conti hadn’t changed much over the years, Piper guessed she would say the same about Denise Standley, who had a decidedly youthful appearance with her slim figure and pretty face.
    Denise Standley didn’t appear to be flirting back and instead leaned away from Conti. She took a step back as though ready to leave, but Conti moved forward, taking her elbow as he continued talking.
    Where was Gerald? Was he seeing this? Piper glanced around, but before she could find him, Scott pushed his box of sushi her way once more.
    â€œAnother spicy tuna?”
    The Cloverdale team scored a goal and the spectators rose en masse with a roar. By the time things settled down, Raffaele Conti had joined his team’s coach beside their sidelined members, and Denise Standley stood with her husband, Gerald, near their team bench.
    Miranda Standley appeared in a line of girls in gold and black cheerleading outfits, all shaking pom-poms. They led the crowd in a rousing cheer full of rhythmic claps and stamps, and Piper smiled and relaxed.
    All, she felt sure, was fine.
At least
, she added,
for the moment
.

5

    T he Cloverdale All-Stars lost, the game ending with a heartbreaking, last-minute score of 4 to 3. But during the postgame analysis exchanged during the walk to the parking lot and beyond, the team’s supporters agreed that Cloverdale had made an excellent showing, had identified the weaknesses of the Bianconeri team, and would come back with a strong win the following night.
    In that