The Persistent Groom (Texas Titan Romances)

by Jennifer Youngblood

  “A lot of guys would get a bighead with all the fame and fortune, but you haven’t. That’s commendable.”

  He could tell from the dark look on her face that she was referring to Riley. Had Riley been in his shoes, he’d be a monster. Ace shrugged. “I dunno, I don’t give it much thought. It is what it is, I guess.” He didn’t want to talk about it anymore.

  Silver kept her eyes trained on Gracie. “Us being here together … it feels like old times, doesn’t it?” Her tone was reflective. “Before everything happened.”

  Hope flickered inside him as he turned to her in surprise. “Yes, it does.” He gave her a slight smile. “It feels more right than anything has felt in a long time.” Without thinking, he reached for her hand and linked his fingers through hers. For a second, she tensed, and he feared she’d pull away, instead she relaxed beside him. They sat there, not saying a word.

  “Why Silver Coulter, is that you?”

  Silver jerked, her face falling, as she removed her hand from Ace’s.

  A middle-aged woman with short flaming-red hair stepped up to them. “I thought that was you, honey.”

  “Hello, Janene,” Silver said stiffly as she rose and gave the woman a hug. Ace also stood.

  Janene grew thoughtful. “Let’s see, I believe the last time I saw you was when you came to the club with Dinah and Bruce to celebrate Riley’s birthday.”

  Ace’s immediate thought was that he didn’t like this woman with her sickly sweet, false cheerfulness. She was the type to smile at your face while stabbing you in the back.

  Her lips turned down. “Oh, yeah. That’s right. You and Riley aren’t together anymore.”

  Kudos to Silver, who looked the woman in the eye when she answered, not backing down an inch. “Nope. We’ve been divorced for two years. As tight as you and Dinah are, I figured you would’ve been one of the first people she told.”

  Janene laughed nervously. “I’m sure she mentioned it, but it must’ve escaped my mind, with all the other stuff I have going on.”

  “Yes, I’m sure you’re busy,” Silver said, a faint mocking tone in her voice.

  Ace smiled inwardly. Silver had come a long way since high school.

  “Oh, I am,” Janene cooed, “so busy. In fact, I’m here today with my grandson, Charlie. You know my daughter, Maggie.”

  “Yes,” Silver said.

  “Well, she married Charles Madison, the third. He’s finishing up his medical degree and is planning on joining his father’s plastic surgery group this fall. I help with little Charlie whenever I can. Maggie needed a break, so I told her to take a day at the spa. Anyway, enough about me and my brood. How’s your little business going? It sounds so sweet. I’m so glad you have a way to pass the time after the divorce.”

  Had the woman really just said that? “Silver’s business is more than just a way to pass the time,” Ace countered. “She’s making a name for herself. In fact, she just headed up the Light the Way Charity Auction and Gala.”

  Janene’s eyes widened in surprise, probably because Ace joined the conversation so abruptly.

  “Silver is to be commended for all that she does,” Ace said, challenging the woman with a look.

  “Of course,” Janene clucked. She looked back and forth between Ace and Silver, her voice heavy with innuendo. “I didn’t realize that you and Ace Sanchez were together.” Her eyes danced. “Dinah’s been holding out on me. Wait ‘til I see her at the club,” she sniffed, flicking her long nails.

  When Ace saw Silver’s mortified expression, it took him half a second to connect the dots—realize that this was the very thing Silver feared the most. Her ex-mother-in-law going on the rampage. “Silver and I aren’t together,” he said firmly. “We’re just friends.”

  Silver looked at him in surprise, and he couldn’t tell if she was pleased or disappointed that he’d set the record straight.

  “Oh, my bad,” Janene said lightly. “I thought I saw the two of you holding hands. Must’ve been a trick of the light.”

  Ace and Silver just looked at her, not saying a word.

  Janene gave them a toothy smile. “Well, it was good seeing you, Silver. I’d better go check on Charlie.” She flicked her wrist. “Ta, ta.”

  “Horrible woman,” Silver muttered. She turned to Ace. “Thanks for standing up for me.”

  “Anytime.”

  A peculiar light shone in her eyes as she nudged him. “Just friends, huh?”

  He wasn’t sure what to make of her shift in attitude, but he wasn’t about to pass up his window of opportunity. A wicked grin split his lips. “Friends who hold hands …” his eyes moved to her lips “…and occasionally may or may not meet for a kiss in the pool.” He noted with satisfaction how her cheeks grew rosy.

  She wrinkled her nose. “Nah, you’re mistaken. Must’ve been a trick of the light.”

  He laughed. “For sure.”

  Chapter 10

  Silver paused in the doorway, looking at Gracie’s angelic expression as she slept, curled into a ball, her hand clutching the blanket. Whenever she felt down and out, all she had to do was look at Gracie and it helped reset her priorities. Tonight was no exception. With all the upheaval going on in her life—the repairs on the living room, being here with Ace, the fret over what Dinah might do—she needed to keep her focus on Gracie and the blessing she was in Silver’s life. It had been a full day for Gracie. After they left the zoo, they went grocery shopping and then came back to Ace’s house, where they put together a simple meal of barbecue chicken, baked potatoes, and a salad. Ace’s friends from the Titans dropped in for a visit as they were finishing up dinner. For a second, Silver felt the same flush of embarrassment she’d felt this morning when Kade caught Ace and her kissing in the pool. Especially when Kade made a teasing comment about them. But after a few minutes, Silver realized Kade meant no harm. He simply enjoyed needling Ace in a fun-loving way. Ace, Kade, and Xavier had earned the nickname The Triple Threat because of the seamless way they worked together on the field. But watching them interact tonight, Silver realized their relationship went much deeper. They were truly good friends. Kade and Xavier also owned homes in this same neighborhood. Gracie stirred, bringing Silver back to the present. “I love you, sweet pea,” she said softly, pulling the door almost closed, but leaving a couple of inches so she could hear if Gracie needed anything.

  Ricardo and his workers were starting on her house tomorrow. She’d need to go in the morning to pack up her belongings in the living room and remove them so they wouldn’t be in the way. Ace offered to help. She probably should’ve told him no in case Riley showed up, but it was so wonderful having Ace around that she wanted to hold onto whatever this thing was between them a little longer. Silver called Marla earlier in the day to update her on all that was going on. Silver couldn’t afford to let any of her projects suffer due to all the commotion. Marla hooted when Silver told her she was staying at Ace’s house. “I knew the two of you would get together,” she said jubilantly. Silver tried to explain that they weren’t together, but Marla only laughed. At the end of the day, Marla was determined to believe what she wanted, so it really didn’t matter what Silver said. Silver sighed, her thoughts going back to the moment when they saw Janene Donnelly at the zoo. When Ace insisted they were merely friends, it stung. Then Silver had to laugh at the absurdity of her reaction, knowing that if he hadn’t said it, she would have. Before Janene came, when they were holding hands, she’d felt a burst of sheer happiness. But she couldn’t plow ahead with her own wishes, knowing it might hurt Gracie. Riley had called a dozen times and left two voice messages since she’d hung up on him. She’d ignored it all, but knew that wouldn’t work forever. She sighed wearily, a feeling of impending doom overshadowing her. Her heart clutched. She offered a silent prayer and felt a measure of peace wash over her. She had to keep pressing forward, hoping it would all work out in the end.

  She stepped into the den and halted in her tracks when she realized Ace was sitting
on the couch. He’d been on the phone with his sports agent when she put Gracie to bed, and she wondered if he might turn in for the night, because he had to get up so early every morning for his workout. Energy had been building between them the entire day like restless clouds gathering before a storm.

  He smiled, sending a jolt of anticipation racing through her. “Hey.”

  “Hey,” she said back, trying to reign in her pounding heart. She paused in her tracks, unsure where she should sit. When Xavier and Kade were here, Ace made a point of sitting close to her and casually draped his arm around her shoulders a few times. If she sat right next to him, it would give him the wrong idea. But if she sat too far away, he would also know something was up. Finally, she decided to sit down on the same section of the couch where he was, a foot away from him. He scooted to face her, placing his arm over the top of the couch, his fingers dangerously close to her shoulder.

  “How’s Gracie? It took you a while to get her to sleep.”

  “Yes, it normally does. Bedtime is always a drawn-out ritual.” She chuckled. “Most of the time Gracie asks for a hundred glasses of water and something to eat before finally settling down. Once we got through all of that, Gracie wanted me to tell her a story about the two princesses in the bedroom.”

  He made a face. “Princess in the bedroom? I’ve never heard that story before.”

  She laughed as some of the tension ebbed. Being around Ace was good medicine. “No, it’s not a story. She’s talking about the princess paintings you have on the wall of the bedroom.”

  “What princesses?” he said dubiously.

  “The pictures of the two girls, dressed in medieval clothes, holding the flowers,” she said, feeling as though she were stating the obvious.

  “Oh, those pictures. They’re not princesses, but sisters.”

  “Really?” She studied him. “Why do you have those pictures on your wall?” She motioned, her hand encompassing the room. “They’re so different from everything else in your house.” She tried to phrase her next statement so it wouldn’t sound rude. “The whole bedroom’s feminine.”

  He laughed. “Yes, very much so. You can thank Ariana for that,” he said dryly. “That’s her room … or rather the room she stays in when she comes to visit. I told her to decorate it how she pleased.”

  “Oh.” It was hard for Silver to wrap her mind around the new life Ace had carved for himself. To have enough money to allow his sister to decorate a room that would only be used when she visited. To always be in the public eye … having to perform at a topnotch level … it must be stressful. And yet, Ace seemed to be managing it okay. She realized then that he was studying her. A smile tugged at her lips. “What?”

  “I was just wondering what was going on in that beautiful, infinitely complicated head of yours.” He reached out and fingered a strand of hair against her cheek, his hand lingering there.

  Her mouth went dry as she swallowed. If only she could squelch this dizzying attraction, she might stand a chance at keeping her cool. Her eyes went to his lips, and she thought about their earlier kiss, an intoxicating heat swirling up her collar. “Tell me about the paintings.” There. She’d asked an intelligent question. Something to divert his, or rather her, attention.

  He removed his hand from her hair, shifting. “What do you want to know?”

  “Who’s the artist?”

  He grinned. “Is this a pop quiz to see if the football player still has any brains left after an X number of hits?”

  She put a finger to her lips, her expression one of mock concentration. “Now that you mention it, I was thinking you were a little slow.”

  “Hey,” he drawled with an exaggerated wounded expression.

  “Nah, just teasing.” She returned his grin with one of her own. “You seem like you’re still halfway intelligent.”

  “Halfway,” he mused. “I guess I’ll take that.”

  Ace’s easy-going manner had the magical ability of soothing her nerves. Before she realized what she was doing, she nudged him. “You look like you’re doing all right.”

  His eyes caught hers. “Better, now that you’re here.”

  She flinched, catching herself. Oops, she’d better keep her guard up. He was so dang charming … and so incredibly handsome she could hardly form a clear thought around him. Geez. She was pathetic. “Tell me about the paintings.”

  “They were done by an artist named James C. Christensen. They’re called Two Sisters—one is wealthy, one is poor.”

  She cocked her head. “Makes sense. I notice they’re framed accordingly. The rich in an ornate frame and the poor in a simple one.”

  “Yes. Both sisters are holding flowers. The rich girl’s flower symbolizes charity, the poor humility. The idea is that regardless of whether you’re rich or poor, you can make a valuable contribution to society.” A slight smile touched his lips. “I think it was Ariana’s way of reminding me to always remember where I came from. And that rich or poor, I’m enough.”

  His words caught her off guard, pushing a lump of emotion into her throat. “Wow,” she said quietly. “That’s neat. You and Ariana must be close.”

  “We are.” He chuckled. “When we’re not driving each other crazy.”

  Her thoughts took another turn. “You seem close to Xavier and Kade.”

  “Yeah, they’re good guys.”

  It was refreshing to know that Ace had some good friends who seemed to genuinely care about him, unlike Riley who viewed Ace as competition. “You must really love the Titans to tattoo it on your arm.” She couldn’t help but smile when she said it. Ace should’ve known her well enough to realize she couldn’t let something like that go without calling attention to it. They’d always teased each other relentlessly—like how he enjoyed teasing her about her maiden name … Silver Bliss. It still struck her as funny, and a little odd, that he tattooed the initials of his team on his arm. “What if you get traded to another team? Would you cross a line through TTF and put your other team under it … like those thugs in prison who cross out the names of their ex-girlfriends and add another underneath it?”

  His eyes widened as he gulped a laugh. “What?”

  She pointed to his arm. “Your tattoo. I saw it this morning when you were swimming.”

  He raised the sleeve of his t-shirt.

  She swallowed, trying to ignore the definition of his bicep. Her fingers itched to trace the outline of the letters, TTF. Instead, she balled her fist and pushed it into the couch.

  “Do you think this stands for Texas Titans Football?”

  “Yeah.” She shrugged, not knowing what to make of the hint of amusement twinkling in his eyes. “What else could it mean?” At that one question, his demeanor changed as swiftly as Texas weather. She was confused by the twinge of pain in his dark eyes. This time, she touched his arm. “Are you okay?”

  He nodded, a forced smile wrapping his lips. Silence stretched between them, leaving Silver trying to figure out what to say, until he spoke. “One of the reasons Xavier and Kade and I are so tight is because we were drafted to the Titans the same year, all of us rookies, trying to make a name for ourselves.” He paused, giving her another smile that looked more like a grimace. “You can’t imagine the pressure we’re under—one minute the fans are chanting your name and the next, you’re being cut down to size by the coaches and critics. There were four of us then.”

  Silver tensed. “Four? What happened?”

  “Timothy Fuller, Tiny Tim, was a defensive lineman. A tough guy, weighing over three hundred pounds and leading the pack for tackles. But he had a heart of gold. We played against New England, and Tim didn’t do so well. The coach ripped him up afterwards. Tim went out partying to blow off some steam. He got drunk and drove the wrong way up an exit ramp and hit a semi-truck head on.”

  Shock rippled through her. “I’m sorry.”

  He nodded, remorse turning his eyes to a fathomless midnight. “I was there at that party … knew Tim was upset. I should�
��ve never let him drive.” His voice caught as he took in a breath. “It was Kade’s idea to get the tattoo as a way of remembering Tiny Tim Fuller. To remember that our worth is not merely defined by what happens on the field, or the scoreboard.”

  Her hand seemed to have a mind of its own as she traced the letters with her index finger. “I can’t imagine what that must’ve been like to lose your friend … especially after …” Her voice trailed off when she saw the moisture in Ace’s eyes. She shook her head. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought that up. It’s just that after the birthday party at the restaurant, seeing Lucas’s father … reminded me of all that you went through.”

  “It’s okay. I think about Lucas still … miss him almost every day.”

  The haunted look in his eyes touched something inside her as she nodded.

  A rueful grin tugged at his lips. “I was a mess back then, wasn’t I?”

  “Yes,” she answered truthfully, her eyes tracing the faint scar over his eyebrow, “you were.” Her mind went back to that night in the park, when she went looking for Ace after Lucas’s death. The sight of him drunk, blood trickling from the gash in his head had jolted her—made her question whether or not she could trust her heart to Ace. He could hardly take care of himself at that point, much less be part of a viable relationship. “That was a terrible time.” She shuddered. “The darkness in you was so fierce, it scared me,” she admitted.

  He nodded, a grim expression cloaking his features. “I was angry … reckless … mad at the world.” He paused. “Is that why you chose Riley?”

  “W—what?” Time seemed to stop as Silver drew in a ragged breath. He kept looking at her with his dark eyes that had the power to penetrate through her defenses, straight into her heart. She leaned back. “Ace,” she began, “I don’t think talking about this is a good idea.”

  He caught her arm. “Please?” His voice was gravelly … pleading. “I need to know.”

  “It’s complicated,” she began.