The Persistent Groom (Texas Titan Romances)

by Jennifer Youngblood

  The Persistent Groom

  Jennifer Youngblood

  Copyright © 2017 by Jennifer Youngblood

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Visit Jennifer’s blog at jenniferyoungblood.com

  Contents

  Foreword by Lucy McConnell

  Introductions by Cami Checketts and Taylor Hart

  My Gift to You …

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Epilogue

  A Note From the Author

  Excerpt of The Fearless Groom by Cami Checketts

  About the Author

  Also by Jennifer Youngblood

  Foreword by Lucy McConnell

  Dear Reader,

  "Work isn't WORK unless you would rather be DOING something else."

  ~Don Shula, Miami Dolphins

  When I saw this quote, I instantly thought of the three authors of the Texas Titan Romance series, Cami Checketts, Taylor Hart, and Jennifer Youngblood. They work, day after day, to create swoon-worthy romances, characters to fall in love with, and a world where pure love can bloom. It ain’t easy, folks! Yet, I know they get up in the morning with the thought, “I get to be a writer today.”

  So much of football, or any sport, is a mental game. If your head’s not on right, then you’re not going to be there for your teammates when they need you. These ladies are the ones I want on my team. They are fun and creative and they are serious business women with goals and deadlines. They come through. Every. Time.

  That’s why, when they told me about their new football romances, I could see them scoring a touchdown by writing books that would inspire readers to sigh, laugh, and fall in love with the game all over again. That’s just what they’ve done. I’m thrilled to introduce the Texas Titan Romance series—I know you’re going to get lost in the pages and have a great time.

  I hope you enjoy The Fearless Groom by Cami Checketts, The Persistent Groom by Jennifer Youngblood, and The Tough Love Groom by Taylor Hart.

  Happy reading,

  Lucy McConnell, author of the Lime Peak Ranch Series

  Introductions by Cami Checketts and Taylor Hart

  Dear Reader,

  The first time I met Jennifer Youngblood I was a bit starstruck because I’d already read several of her books and loved them. Within minutes of meeting her I had found my newest favorite friend. Jennifer is the most genuine and fun lady. I wish we lived next door, but then we decided that we’d never get any work done!

  You are going to absolutely love her latest book, The Persistent Groom. These characters carved a place in my heart. Ace Sanchez, the handsome, kind, and irresistible football player, Silver, the dedicated mother who still hast the right amount of sass, and her adorable daughter Gracie. I simply loved them all and this storyline had twists and secrets that just kept me flipping pages.

  I know you will love the newest addition to the Texas Titan Romances, The Persistent Groom.

  Hugs,

  Cami Checketts

  Author of The Fearless Groom: Texas Titan Romances

  Like the mythical Greek God’s who played on Mount Olympus, the men on the Texas Titan Football team are larger than life. More heroic, tender, and gorgeous then should be allowed!

  But the reason I love these men has nothing to do with their looks or how they throw a ball or catch a pass. It has everything to do with their passion—on and off the field.

  The stories about these men are like unwrapping your favorite candy and letting it unfold slowly in your mouth, filling your taste buds with joy and wonder…until it’s gone…and you have to reach for another. They’re addicting!

  Ace and Silver might be the most interesting couple of all the couples—because they have second chance love going for them! It’s the kind of love that has built up for a long time and made both of them wait and think and ponder until…there’s no more time for pondering! Ace kicks it in gear and he’s running to the end zone before Silver knows what’s happened! It’s a fun story about how the past can really ruin the future if two people don’t come into it with no pride and are willing to lay it all on the line for love!

  I got really invested in these characters and hated to see the book end! You are going to love them! Get ready for sizzling romance and an emotional journey that will have you turning page after page late into the night!

  Taylor Hart

  Author of The Tough Love Groom: Texas Titan Romances

  My Gift to You …

  Get Beastly Charm: A Contemporary retelling of beauty & the beast for FREE. Get the book HERE.

  Getting this book will automatically sign you up for my newsletter where you’ll get information on discounts and other freebies.

  1

  The first rule of event planning: no matter how thoroughly you plan an event, something always goes wrong.

  Silver knew the drill. In fact, she made a practice of adding in extra time to deal with unexpected hiccups. But this job had been riddled with problems from day one. What made it worse was that the Light the Way Gala and Bachelor Auction was her biggest event yet—the one that could either make or break her rising business. Silver had been jumping from one problem to the next all day long, putting out fires. Judging by the pinched expression on her assistant’s face, it wasn’t getting any better. She let out a long breath, bracing herself for the bad news. “What’s wrong now?”

  “The photographer says if you don’t pay him extra, he’ll pack up his crew and leave.”

  “What?” Silver exploded, her hand going to her hip. “That’s ridiculous. I already paid him the first half of his fee. He doesn’t get the rest until the job’s done. That was our deal.”

  Marla threw her hands up in defeat. “I tried to tell him that, but he won’t listen. Says he’ll only talk to you.”

  She muttered under her breath, shaking her head. Her regular photographer was doing a wedding this weekend, forcing Silver to get someone else. This guy came highly recommended, but was trouble from the get-go. And now, thirty minutes before the start of the Gala, he was threatening to leave. “He’s supposed to be setting up at the entrance to photograph guests as they arrive, and his people are to be inside as well.” A red-carpet reception was an integral part of the event, and having a photographer on site to take pictures was mandatory. Swarms of reporters and paparazzi were already camped out on the front grounds of the mansion, waiting for Dallas’s elite to arrive, donning their finest evening wear. As far as Texans were concerned, this gala ranked right up there with the Oscars. This year, the event was bigger than ever because the famous Triple Threat of the Dallas Titans were participating in the auction. The three most celebrated football players on the team also happened to be bachelors. Three lucky ladies would bid exorbitant amounts for the opportunity to go on a date with one of the trio. News media outlets dubbed the gala Dallas’s most important event of the year. The tickets, which cost five thousand dollars a head, sold out the first hour they were on sale.

  When Silver got the oppor
tunity to plan this event, she thought she’d died and gone to heaven, hardly believing something like this could fall in her lap. Then she almost cried when she discovered which football players were participating in the auction. Fate certainly had a sense of humor. Here she was, planning an event where Ace Sanchez would be one of the main participants. She could only hope she could avoid him. An unbidden image of Ace flashed through her mind, and she saw his black, soulful eyes and lopsided grin. Her heart picked up a notch as she balled her fists. She shook her head, brushing aside all thoughts of Ace. Whatever was between them ended a lifetime ago. They were living separate lives in separate universes. She had to remain focused on the task at hand. Her business depended on it. Silver tried to think of a solution that would appease the photographer. The wretched man had her over a barrel, and he knew it. She’d have to pay the bozo extra to keep him tonight, but she certainly didn’t have to use him again. Her eyes narrowed as she straightened her shoulders. “I’ll go talk to him.”

  Marla nodded. “I’m afraid there’s more.”

  Silver tensed. “What else?”

  “America Starr has been causing a ruckus, refusing to eat the food laid out by guest services. The poor caterer is at her wits’ end.”

  An incredulous laugh bubbled in Silver’s throat. “Well, what does the caterer expect? Everyone knows America’s reputation. Furthermore, she’s not the first celebrity to make waves at an event. It goes with the territory. As a professional, the caterer should be used to celebrities making unreasonable demands.”

  “America threw the entire tray of food out in the hall where it splattered all over her body guards.”

  Silver’s eyes bulged. “What?” A world-renowned pop singer, America, was one of the emcees for the event. She was notorious for being difficult, but her fame provided the gala lots of publicity. So, the organizers of the event turned a blind eye to America’s antics. On camera or in front of a crowd America was gold; but in real life, she was a spoiled, teenage brat. America pitched a royal fit because she was picked up from the airport in a regular rental car rather than a limousine. She flat-out refused to ride in the rental car. Instead, she sat on the curb at the airport with her luggage piled in mountains around her until a limousine was called. Also, her two-thousand-dollar a night suite in an award-winning, five-star-hotel was in her words, “too stuffy.”

  Silver rubbed a hand across her forehead. “Tell the caterer to give America whatever she wants, even if it costs extra. We have to keep her happy.”

  Marla nodded.

  “Anything else?”

  Marla seemed to duck slightly under Silver’s piercing gaze. “The sound system’s still cutting out. The techs are working on it and assure me it’ll be fixed in time for the auction.” She paused, shaking her head. “But, I dunno.”

  Tiny beads of sweat popped over Silver’s forehead. She’d barely gotten a wink of sleep the night before, fretting over details of the event, and it was starting to catch up to her. “Okay, thanks for letting me know. There’s nothing we can do about that now, just hope and pray they get it fixed in time. How’s the ballroom? Is everything set for the banquet?”

  “Exquisite.” Marla’s face brightened. “You should definitely use this florist again. The arrangements are the best I’ve ever seen. I love the contrast of the red tulips against the periwinkle hyacinths.”

  Silver relaxed a fraction. “Good.” At least one thing was going right. Bliss Events was up and coming, but this was her business’s first time doing an event of this caliber … at Rosecrest Mansion, to boot. Once a residential mansion, Rosecrest was transformed into a world-class, luxury hotel that was a favorite gathering place for the Dallas social scene. Silver had a deep appreciation for the venerable mansion with its Spanish Colonial Revival Architecture that boasted a buttery vanilla stucco exterior, clay roof tiles and arched windows and doors. Silver always wanted to do an event here. If she pulled this off, it would bode well for her business. A few more hours, and it would all be over. She just had to hold her cool … and avoid Ace Sanchez at all costs.

  Silver had just finished up with the photographer when her phone rang. She pulled it out of her pocket. It was a number she didn’t recognize. Figuring it to be someone calling about the event, she answered. “Hello?”

  “Hello, this is Ruth Fielding from The Wexton Academy.”

  Silver’s pulse increased as her hand went to her chest. “Yes?”

  “I apologize for calling you after business hours, but I thought you’d like to know that your daughter Gracie has been accepted into our program.”

  Tears sprang to Silver’s eyes. “That’s fantastic!”

  “We have you scheduled for an appointment next Tuesday at nine a.m. This meeting is for you and Gracie. It’ll be a great opportunity for both of you to meet her teachers and get acquainted with our school. I’ll send you an email with the pertinent details and a list of resources accessible to Gracie. Let me check to make sure I have your correct email address.” Silver heard papers rustling in the background before the woman rattled off the address.

  “Yes, that’s it.” Her head was spinning. Gracie would be attending The Wexton Academy! It was like she had to keep repeating it, for the information to sink in.

  “Very good,” the woman said briskly. “We’ll look forward to seeing you and Gracie on Tuesday, June 3. Have a good rest of the evening.”

  “Thank you.” Silver ended the call, her heart soaring. The Wexton Academy was one of the top private schools in the nation for Down syndrome children, helping them assimilate into a mainstream educational environment, but they were very selective about the students they accepted. Their waiting list was years long. Gracie was now five years old, and Silver had put her name on the waiting list a few months before she was even born. Gracie’s acceptance into the program was nothing short of a miracle—one Silver had prayed for too many times to count. The school was ghastly expensive. As a single mom trying to get a business off the ground, Silver had no idea how she was going to pay for it or fit the two-hour-commute into her schedule each day. But she was determined to make it work—even if she had to take on extra events and get up at four in the morning. She offered a silent prayer of gratitude for the blessing, and then asked that the event would run smoothly. She took in a deep breath and smoothed down her black evening dress, ignoring the intermittent flashes of pain in her feet caused by her skyscraper heels. She’d worn her tennis shoes for as long as she could, but put on the heels an hour ago. With her feet already hurting, it was sure to be a long night. She sighed, straightening her shoulders as she sucked in her stomach. No matter how stressed she was on the inside, she had to remain unruffled on the outside—look the part of the successful event planner. A large part of her job was mingling with the guests to ensure everyone was happy. Even though her budget was slimmer than a runway model, she’d splurged on one nice dress to wear to such occasions. It was simple but elegant, and she’d dressed it up with dangling, teardrop, faux-diamond earrings. Marla and two other employees would handle the behind-the-scenes details, keeping in close contact with her to make sure everything ran smoothly.

  As Silver stepped into the ballroom, her breath hitched as she took in the spectacular display. Marla was right, the florist was exceptionally good. Large arrangements were spotted in strategic areas so the pops of color would have the greatest impact. Her gaze went to the white, linen tablecloths and pristine table settings reflecting light from the enormous chandeliers overhead. Soft classical music played in the background. There was a sense of breathless anticipation in the air, and yet, everything was perfect and untouched. This was the pay-off in Silver’s profession—that moment of realizing that, despite the craziness and stress, she was doing what she loved. And her business was growing. This event could open doors for her, get her into more high-society events. She’d learned that the work was the same whether she booked clients with tight budgets or deep pockets, so she made a practice of going for the gusto. A
quiver of excitement tingled through her, she felt she was on the cusp of something great. Gracie got into The Wexton Academy, and Silver planned the event of her dreams. It was a rocky road getting here, but her persistence and hard work was finally paying off. For one blip of a moment, her heart felt light enough to fly.

  Marla and Angie stood near the stage, their backs to her. Silver was almost to them when she caught a tidbit of what they were saying. Her good mood was snuffed out faster than a candle flame in a blizzard.

  “Whatever you do, don’t tell Silver that Ace Sanchez came looking for her,” Marla said. “Her intestines are liable to explode.”

  Angie snorted out a deviant giggle. “He’s a hottie, that’s for sure. What’s their history?”

  Silver probably should’ve said something then and there, but her tongue was lead in her mouth. Ace came looking for me? Why? The fierce longing welling in her chest came as a shock. Her mind whirled as she tried to make sense of her reaction.

  “They were best friends in high school, but didn’t actually date,” Marla responded, a note of authority in her voice like she had the inside track into Silver’s life. “Silver dated Riley Coulter the school’s quarterback, eventually married him and had a kid.”

  Angie’s voice grew incredulous. “That’s Silver’s ex-husband? The builder, whose billboards are plastered all over town?”