“It looks like Gracie’s having a good time,” Ace said.
“Yes, she is. It’s nice of Antonio to keep an eye on her.”
“He’s a good kid.”
Silver angled to face Ace. “He looks a lot like you.”
He shook his head, a wry grin sliding over his lips. “Poor kid.”
“Where’s your other brother?”
“Axel?”
“Yes.”
“I’m sure he’s around here somewhere, probably running around like a hooligan and getting into trouble.”
She chuckled. “I’d forgotten about all of the ‘A’ names. Is there a significance? You’ve probably told me before, but I can’t remember.”
“My grandfather was named Ace, so my mother decided to carry on the tradition.” A smile played on his lips. “Once she got started with the ‘A’ names, she just kept going.”
“Your mom’s a good lady.” She chuckled, shaking her head. “I’d forgotten how feisty she is.”
“Not me,” Ace said sourly. “I’m reminded of it every day of my life.”
She gave him a censuring look. “Don’t take it for granted. Enjoy every moment with your mom.” For some strange reason, her eyes grew moist as she blinked.
Ace picked up on her thoughts. “How’s your mom?”
Her throat went thick. “My mom passed away a year after Gracie was born.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know. Julia was a good woman.” He touched Silver’s arm, giving her a slight smile.
The compassion in Ace’s eyes elicited a lump of emotion. She gulped it down with a hard swallow.
“Was it her lungs?”
His question caught her off guard, reminding her how well Ace knew her.
Silver nodded. Her mother had battled a rare lung disease. She’d contracted the disease before Silver was born. Silver had never seen her mother healthy. There were times when she’d get a little stronger, but would then have bouts where she was so weak she could hardly get out of bed. “Yes, she went through a barrage of treatments, but nothing worked. The one consolation was that she got to meet Gracie before she passed.”
“Do you ever hear from your dad?”
“No, I haven’t spoken to him since we were in high school.” Silver’s parents divorced when she was three, and she could count on one hand the amount of times she’d communicated with her dad. “The last I heard, he was living in Wisconsin.”
“It must be hard.”
She looked imploringly into his eyes. The years they spent apart seemed to evaporate into the warm, stuffy air. The roar of voices and the music provided a background of white noise, making the moment seem more intimate somehow. How easy it would be to get lost in the depth of his warm and compassionate eyes. One minute they were the color of rich cocoa, then they grew lighter like honey when he laughed. “What?” she breathed.
“To be all alone with Gracie.”
His eyes held hers, as blood pumped furiously through her temples. She’d forgotten how close she and Ace used to be. Few people could understand what it was like to be alone, with no immediate family and no extended family to speak of. “Your uncle Jorge, he was Lucas’s father, wasn’t he?”
Ace jerked slightly, then nodded, pain settling in his eyes.
Silver felt a ping of chagrin for bringing it up and reopening old wounds. She didn’t even know why she’d asked Ace that, perhaps a part of her wanted to let him know that she knew him well too. She and Ace had only been seeing one another for a couple of weeks when she got his text, telling her that his cousin had been killed at Fort Bragg. Silver borrowed her mother’s car and went looking for Ace. She finally found him at a park, sitting on a bench. He was drunk, out of his mind with grief. There was a gash over his right eyebrow where he’d fallen and hit his head on the curb. Silver sat down beside him and simply listened. Then she put her arms around him and let him cry it out. Ace told her how Lucas had been his rock, the person who kept him out of trouble and set him on the right path when he got in with some bad friends. It had been Lucas who introduced Ace to the football coaches and started him down the path that led to his career.
Without thinking, she reached up and traced the zigzag of the scar over Ace’s brow, so faint now it was hardly noticeable.
Ace jerked slightly, looking surprised that Silver had touched him
“You’ve come a long way since then.” Losing Lucas had thrown Ace for a loop, causing him to question everything. He started drinking too much and lost his focus on the future, drifting aimlessly for a while. Ace’s family was very religious, but Ace had stopped going to church. He’d been angry, wondering how a loving God could allow Lucas’s life to be snuffed out in a violent, senseless manner.
The Ace sitting in front of her was a changed man. She wondered what happened to give him a renewed sense of purpose. Ace had pulled himself up by his bootstraps and was at the top of his game in a very competitive field.
Ace placed a hand over hers. Then in a smooth, sure motion, he brought her hand to his lap and linked their fingers, squeezing so she couldn’t pull away. He scooted his chair closer to hers. “I’m glad you came tonight,” he said softly.
Her pulse shot through the roof as her mind whirled. She couldn’t deny liking the feel of Ace’s hand in hers, even as her mind argued she couldn’t do this. On the other hand, she didn’t want to live in fear of what Dinah and Riley might do. Being here with Ace and his family felt a little like coming home, but it was also scary and unsettling. Everything was happening so fast she could hardly process it. From the moment Silver learned Ace was coming to her house, she’d fretted over how she would handle planning his date—never imagining she’d end up here at the restaurant with him holding his hand. She looked across the room to where Gracie was sitting. Her face was a mask of concentration as she leaned over, coloring a page. She had to think of Gracie, put her needs above her own. The Wexton Academy would be a tremendous opportunity for Gracie. She couldn’t mess that up now. Silver withdrew her hand from Ace’s. He gave her a questioning look, but she only shook her head and looked away. When he slid his arm around her shoulders and leaned in close, her heart about jumped in her throat.
“What’re you doing?” she said, trying to shift away from him.
“Look at me, Silver.”
“What?”
“Look at me … please,” he implored.
She angled toward him. “What?” she demanded, her gaze settling on the tiny mole that only added to his sexiness. It had taken all the intestinal fortitude Silver could muster to resist Ace in the past. But now, when faced with the new, improved version, it was proving to be nearly impossible.
His eyes roved over her face, and she felt like she was an open book. “This is about Riley, isn’t it?”
Geez. Was she that transparent? Irritation bristled over her as she gave him a hard look. “You and I have been living separate lives for years. What gives you the right to simply show up out of the blue and demand to be a part of my life?”
A sardonic smile touched his lips. “I’ve always wanted to be part of your life, Silver. You’re the one who shut me out, remember?”
She caught the edge in his voice, saw the old familiar hurt in his eyes. “That’s not fair.”
“Life’s not fair,” he shot back. “Tell me about the school.”
She rocked back. “What?”
“Riley threatened you about Gracie’s school, because you were with me. That’s why you’re worried, isn’t it?”
Her first inclination was to deny it, but he kept looking at her with penetrating eyes that melted her defenses. “Yes,” she admitted, quietly.
His jaw hardened as he nodded, and judging by the black look on his face, Silver half expected him to jump up this instant, hunt Riley down and clean his clock. “Tell me what’s going on.”
A scornful chuckle escaped her lips as she tucked her hair behind her ear. “The whole thing’s absurd. If it weren’t so sad, it’d be funny.”
He rubbed her arm, prompting her to continue. Haltingly at first, she told him about The Wexton Academy and how excited she’d been when she learned Gracie got in.
He took in a breath and let it out slowly. “Tonight you learned that your former mother-in-law was the one who pulled the strings. And according to Riley, she could make things very difficult for you, if you step out of line.”
“Exactly.” The frustration of it all weighed on her like a concrete block around her neck.
Ace scrunched his brows. “You and Riley are divorced … and have been for a couple of years, right?”
She cocked her head. “How do you know how long I’ve been divorced?”
He gave her a sheepish grin. “I ran into Tricia Long, and she mentioned something about it.”
Silver wrinkled her nose. “Really? I haven’t talked to Tricia in ages.” Tricia had been on the cheerleading squad with Silver and always had a thing for Riley, which is probably how she knew about the divorce.
Ace shrugged. “News travels fast through the grapevine.”
“Evidently.” It was kind of flattering how Ace had kept up with her.
A furrow wrinkled his brow. “I don’t get why Riley’s mom is so concerned about what you do. Does she want you to get back with Riley?”
“Absolutely.”
He nodded, the corners of his lips turning down.
She lifted her chin. “I have no intention of ever getting back together with that egomaniac.” She shuddered. “Not gonna happen.”
“It’s about time you saw him for what he is,” he muttered.
“I always knew what he was,” she countered, “and so did you. We were both weak back then, both wanting to be part of the popular crowd, both needing Riley’s stamp of approval.”
Ace’s jaw tightened. “Then high school passed, and we grew up and realized how hollow popularity can be.” He gave her an accusing glare. “And yet you married him.”
She didn’t want to rehash this now … or anytime, really. The past was better off left in the past. She’d done what she had to do, and that was that.
“Why did you marry him?” he mused. “You knew how he was, and you knew how I felt about you.” His eyes bored into hers. “And forgive me for being so bold, but you loved me too.”
Time seemed to stand still as he awaited her response. Wretched tears welled in her eyes, she blinked them away. “It doesn’t matter. What’s done is done,” she snipped.
He cocked his head, studying her, a new light coming into his eyes. “There’s more to the story, isn’t there?”
She coughed as her throat tightened. “Let’s just leave the past where it belongs, okay?” She hated how small her voice sounded in her ears. Great. Now Ace would pester her relentlessly. “Look,” she said, a sudden weariness overtaking her, “it doesn’t matter anymore. I married him, and it was a disaster, just like you said.” Her eyes narrowed. “Happy now?”
A beat stretched long and hard between them before Ace spoke. His voice was tense like he was weighing every word. “I’m sorry for the things I said to you that day. I was angry.”
For a split second, she thought she hadn’t heard him correctly. Then her eyes went moist. Quickly, she looked away, but not before he saw.
“Hey, I really am sorry I hurt you. I’m sorry I wasn’t the man you needed me to be then.”
The regret in his voice evoked a longing she could hardly contain. Ace was so intuitive and concerned about her feelings. It was refreshing … and heartbreaking knowing she couldn’t reciprocate. Finally, she nodded. “I’m sorry I hurt you. I really am,” she said softly, almost to herself.
“Why is Riley’s mother determined to get the two of you back together?”
Her mind raced to keep up with the rapidly changing conversation. “She doesn’t like me.”
“O-kay,” he said, “then why?”
One word. “Pride.”
He frowned. “I don’t understand.”
She chuckled harshly. “Dinah Coulter is only concerned about one thing—her image. She couldn’t believe I had the audacity to leave Riley, despite his multiple affairs.” The outraged expression on Ace’s face was gratifying. It was good to have someone to talk to—especially considering Ace knew Riley. She talked to Marla about the situation, but Marla didn’t know Riley personally, so she was only getting Silver’s perspective. Silver often felt like a lone warrior trying to hold her ground against Riley and Dinah, who made a point of ganging up on her. Dinah always tried to make Silver feel stupid for having a varying opinion. And Riley tried to bulldoze over her to get his way. “Dinah would have a hard time seeing me with anyone.” She hesitated, not sure if she should share the rest.
“But?” Ace prompted.
Everything seemed to hang in the balance as Ace waited for her to continue. She had the feeling that once she opened this door, there was no closing it. But yet, she wanted to tell Ace the truth, make him understand where she was coming from. She owed him that much, she supposed. The words seemed to tumble out on their own accord the instant Silver debated if she should release them. “Dinah would go berserk if she thought I was entertaining the idea of getting back together with you.” She paused, drawing in a breath. There, she’d said it. Gotten it out in the open.
Ace’s face went rigid, then came the spark of anger. “That’s ridiculous,” he scoffed.
“Yeah, well, Dinah has never been known for her reasoning abilities. She knows how threatened Riley feels by you … especially now that you’re a football star.”
Ace grunted in disbelief. “You can’t be serious.”
“Unfortunately, I am. You were Riley’s closest friend and his rival. That makes you enemy number one. Not to mention the fact that you showed up the day of my wedding and begged me not to marry Riley.” She gave him a sad smile. “So, you see? As great as the idea seems, it just wouldn’t work between us.” Silver could only imagine how ludicrous this must sound to him. If she hadn’t experienced it firsthand, she wouldn’t believe it either.
“No,” Ace exploded, his face tight with anger.
Silver wasn’t sure what to make of his reaction. “Huh?”
“No,” he repeated, locking eyes with her. “That’s not acceptable. Riley and his mother have no right to control your life. If you want to date me, it’s none of their business.”
He spoke the words with such confidence that for a split second, she could almost believe he was the authority on the situation and he could control the outcome.
“You don’t know Dinah. I’m sure Riley ran crying to her right after he left my house. She’s probably sharpening her knives right now, trying to decide how she can inflict the most damage.”
“Why’re you so scared of her? What’s the worst that can happen?”
A humorless laugh tickled her throat as she ticked through the items. “Let’s see … she can keep Gracie from going to The Wexton Academy. She could spread rumors casting a negative light on my business.” Her voice went down an octave as she shuddered, voicing her greatest fear. “She could use her vast resources to take Gracie away from me.”
“There’s not a court in Texas that would separate Gracie from you. You’re a good mother, anyone can see that.”
“Thanks, but you don’t know Dinah. She’d find a way.”
He shook his head. “I don’t believe that. I think she’s bluffing.”
An incredulous laugh bubbled in her throat. “I don’t have the luxury of calling her bluff. Not at the expense of my daughter,” she added, her voice trembling with conviction.
“Okay, we’ll have to agree to disagree on that one. Let’s go back to the school. Would it be the end of the world if Gracie had to attend another school?”
She tensed, not appreciating how Ace was trying to solve everything with quick answers. It seemed so simple from an outside perspective. But she was the one risking the wellbeing of her daughter and their livelihood. “Gracie has been on the waiting list for The Wexton Academy since
before she was born.”
His eyes widened in surprise. “Really?”
“Really,” she said firmly. “So, yes, it would hurt. The Wexton Academy specializes in helping Down syndrome kids assimilate into mainstream society. Other schools merely tolerate special needs kids, shuffle them from grade to grade until they’re finally out of their hair.” She could tell from the strained look on his face that she was making a good point.
“I still think you’re making a big mistake by caving to Dinah’s demands. The only way to combat bullies is to stand up and face them head on. You’re not giving Gracie enough credit. She’s a spunky little girl. I have a feeling she’s going to be just fine, regardless of which school she attends.”
“Unfortunately, your feeling doesn’t solve the problem,” she said, making air quotes. “I won’t risk my daughter’s future for anyone or anything,” she finished, pinning him with an icy glare.
His eyes narrowed. “I’m not asking you to risk your future or Gracie’s. I’m only saying that you’re not thinking this through. You can’t keep letting Riley and his mom rule your life. I thought you were better than that.”
The comment was a slap in the face, bringing everything to a head. “How dare you judge me!” She didn’t try to stop the tears from springing to her eyes. “This was a mistake.” She stood. “You don’t know anything about my situation.”
Ace jumped to his feet, his dark eyes sparking. “Sit back down, and let’s talk about this like rational adults.”
She slung back her hair. “I’m done talking!”
“This is what you do? Up and leave when the conversation gets hard?” He gave her a disappointed look. “I expected more from you.”
The Persistent Groom (Texas Titan Romances) Page 7
