Until We Touch

by Susan Mallery

  This would be her first year with the full change of seasons, she thought happily. In Los Angeles, the passing months were marked by different clothing in the stores, but the actual temperatures didn’t vary that much. It was in the sixties in winter and near a hundred in the summer. But it wasn’t as if they ever got super cold or had snow. Some years it barely rained.

  She picked up her pace to a slow jog. She was looking forward to snow and all the fall and winter festivals. Christmas was going to be great, she thought happily. Beautiful and fun. She’d heard rumors of a giving tree, where you could pick a tag from a child and get them a gift. That would be fun.

  She reached the park and started along the jogging path. Her pace increased, as did her breathing. Would she be spending Christmas with Jack this year? Of course, they were frequently together around the holidays, but things were different now. They were together. She spent a few nights a week at his place.

  A week or so ago, she would have said yes, of course they would be together for the holidays, but now she wasn’t so sure. While she was supposed to be getting over Jack, she was actually falling for him more each day. He, on the other hand, didn’t seem to have the same problem. He’d been unable to plan for six or seven months in the future.

  Obviously her “get over Jack” plan had flaws. Like the fact that spending time with him only made her want to be with him more. And the thought of being with anyone else was horrifying. Which didn’t bode well for her future. She wanted...

  She wanted what Dellina had, she admitted to herself. A happy relationship with a future. She wanted what Taryn had. A gleam in her eye when she talked about the man she loved. She wanted to be the most important person in someone’s life. She wanted to matter.

  She wanted to be more than her causes.

  Larissa came to a stop in the middle of the path and blinked against unexpected tears. That was it, she realized. She wanted to be more than the woman who rescued owls and snakes and chiweenies. She wanted to be a part of something that lasted longer than a temporary rescue. She wanted a family of her own. She wanted love and happiness and forever.

  Maybe it was her fault that her parents had had to get married and maybe it wasn’t. The guilt had been with her so long, she couldn’t imagine what it would feel like not to have it. But however she’d come to exist in the world, she deserved more than the half life she was living. Her happiness or lack thereof didn’t change the past. It only affected her future.

  * * *

  “YOU SURE ABOUT THIS?” Percy asked, sounding doubtful.

  Jack laughed. “Kid, it’s no big deal. I mean come on. It’s golf.”

  Percy didn’t look convinced. Jack guessed that from his perspective, the scene was a little chaotic. The charity event had begun with a breakfast with the pros and the celebrities were introduced. Percy had gone a little wide-eyed when he’d realized that a couple of basketball greats were part of the lineup, along with baseball players, a few guys from the car-racing world and several actors.

  Adding to the noise were the paparazzi and the spectators milling around.

  “I don’t know anything about golf,” Percy admitted. “Larissa gave me a couple of articles to read last week. I got through them okay, and I understand the basics. But you have to pick clubs and stuff. I can’t help with that.”

  Jack put his hand on the teen’s shoulder. “You want to be my caddy?”

  “Yes, but—”

  “No buts. You’ll have a great time.” He paused. “Melissa will be impressed.”

  That had Percy grinning. “Anything I can do to impress her works for me.”

  “Yeah? Why did I think you were going to say that?”

  They were by the clubhouse at the Fool’s Gold golf course. The Pro-am was being played on a public course, which added to the logistics involved. Raoul Moreno was one of the key sponsors and a large portion of the proceeds would go to his organization, End Zone for Kids.

  Jack thought it was interesting that he’d agreed to the event long before Percy had shown up. And that Percy had been brought to town by End Zone. Life was nothing if not coincidental.

  He’d already met the other men in his foursome. There were two professional golfers, Jack and an action movie star named Jonny Blaze.

  Jack watched as Jonny stood in a crowd of women. He signed autographs on paper, pictures of himself and—Jack cringed—one young woman’s cleavage.

  Kenny walked up and saw the crowd.

  “Don’t judge,” his friend told him. “He’s still in his twenties. It’ll get better as he gets older.”

  “Not everyone matures,” Jack said.

  “True enough. Sam and I are wagering on the game. We wondered if you wanted in on the bet.”

  “Sure. A hundred bucks a stroke?”

  “Done.” Kenny offered a fist for Jack to bump.

  Jack knew that regardless of who won, the money would go to charity. Still, he wanted to be the one to walk away with the bragging rights.

  Larissa hurried toward them. She had a large tote over one shoulder. She pointed at Kenny. “I’ve already seen you,” she said.

  “You have and it was memorable.”

  Larissa laughed, then turned to Jack and Percy. She set her tote on the grass and started pulling out the contents.

  “Event hats,” she said, handing them each one. “Very stylish.”

  “Nice,” Percy said, trying his on, then adjusting the sizing band for the baseball cap.

  She straightened again and held out a tube of sunscreen. “Both of you,” she said firmly. “It’s a warm sunny day.”

  Percy frowned. “You do know I’m black, right?”

  “You can still get burned and sun damage. Don’t you want to still look hot when you’re forty?”

  He grinned. “I’ll always look hot.”

  “There’s the attitude. Now put on the sunscreen, young man.”

  Jack was already applying his. He knew better than to argue.

  “Stay hydrated,” Larissa added. “When the drink cart comes around, take water.” She pointed at Percy. “You can have soda when you’ve had two waters. Promise?”

  The teen signed heavily. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Good.” She looked at Jack. “You, on the other hand, know the importance of hydration. Have you met the other guys in your foursome?”

  “We have,” Percy told her. “We have Jonny Blaze.”

  Larissa wrinkled her nose. “He was signing breasts earlier. Women were actually pulling down their shirts and having him sign their cleavage. Don’t you think that’s a little skanky?”

  “I don’t know,” Kenny began, then stopped talking when Larissa glared at him. The former receiver cleared his throat. “Yes, it’s very skanky. They should be ashamed.”

  Jack nodded. “Appalling.”

  “I don’t care that you’re humoring me,” Larissa told them both. “I appreciate it.”

  She stood on her tiptoes and kissed Jack, then hugged Percy and Kenny.

  “All right. Everyone do good. I’ll be cheering from the sidelines.”

  With that, she waved and hurried off. No doubt to hunt down Sam, Jack thought, watching her go.

  Her ponytail bounced with each step. She moved with purpose and grace. She was quite a woman, he thought happily. And later that night, he would have her naked in his bed. Life, he decided, was very, very good.

  * * *

  LIFE WENT TO HELL later that afternoon, Jack thought as he faced President Newham at the end of his first round. His team had done pretty well, considering Jonny Blaze was more interested in posing for pictures than playing golf. But when the action star focused, he had a decent swing and could get the ball on the green. But the women constantly lifting up their shirts and flashing their boobs was making it d
ifficult for them all to keep their heads in the game.

  With the eighteen holes finished, all he wanted was to have a beer, grab Larissa, eat dinner, then go to bed. He would take things in the opposite order, except he had Percy along with him.

  But all that was put on hold when the university president asked if she could have a word.

  “Now?” he asked.

  “Yes.” She sounded very certain. “This will only take a minute.”

  Percy didn’t know who President Newham was, but obviously recognized her innate authority. The teen took possession of Jack’s clubs and announced, “I’ll wait for you here.”

  Jack’s sense of foreboding only got worse when he followed President Newham into a small meeting room in the clubhouse and found Mayor Marsha waiting for them. No good ever came from an unscheduled meeting with her.

  “You played well today, Jack,” the mayor said by way of greeting.

  He nodded cautiously. The small windowless conference room only had one exit. And right now, it looked very far away.

  He tried to distract himself from his sense of dread by paying attention to details. The mayor, for example, wore a suit, like she always did. With pearls. They were at a golf course. Couldn’t she lighten up? Put on some jeans and maybe a T-shirt?

  Trying to generate the image required more imagination than he had, but the effort was enough to allow him to relax a little.

  “Jonny Blaze seems nice enough,” the mayor added. “Although he needs a little maturing.”

  Jack held up both hands. “If you’re asking me to take him—”

  “Not why we’re here,” President Newham said. “Jack, we wanted you to be the first to know that we’re moving ahead with reactivating the football program at Cal U Fool’s Gold. The regents have approved preliminary funding.”

  He stared at her. “That’s great. I’m surprised they came through. It’s going to take a lot of work, but in the end, you’ll add to the prestige of the school and the bottom line.” He started to add it would be a win-win, but something about the way both women were looking at him made his mouth go dry.

  “What?” he asked, his voice a little higher than he would like.

  “There’s a condition,” Mayor Marsha said. “For the funding.” She and the university president exchanged a look.

  “They’re very specific about who they want running the program,” President Newham added. “And that person, Jack, is you.”

  * * *

  THE NEXT MORNING, Jack was still randomly telling people no. He’d said it to the mayor, the university president and neither of them had listened. Percy had thought the news was cool and Larissa had stared at him as if he’d just solved every animal welfare problem on the planet. Even Taryn had nodded sagely and said she could see him taking on something like that.

  What no one seemed to remember was that he didn’t get involved. Ever. He wasn’t that guy. He was the one who wrote the check. Other people did the work. Other people got involved. Other people cared. He was heartless Jack and he liked it that way.

  He joined the other players on the course. Jonny Blaze looked as if he’d been at it all night. Jack knew he’d slept just as little, but for far less fun reasons. He’d tried, but he’d been unable to relax. Him start a football team? He wasn’t a coach. He didn’t know the first thing about coaching. He wasn’t the guy the university should depend on to get the program up and running.

  He had to explain that. Yesterday he’d said no. They’d pressed him. Unfortunately he’d been too shocked to do more than promise to think about it. But now...

  The guys and their caddies headed toward the tee. The two pros went first. Jack carried his iron in his hands. Jonny Blaze stepped close to him.

  “You’re doing good,” the action star said. “Only five strokes behind the pros. My last two holes yesterday really blew.” He yawned. “I’m feeling more on my game today.”

  Jack wondered how that was possible. “Good luck with that.”

  “Thanks.” Jonny nodded toward Percy. “You must have been about twelve when you had him. You have the same eyes. His mother must have been hot as hell.”

  It took a second for the meaning of the words to sink in.

  Jonny thought Percy was his? Jack felt the noose of responsibility tightening around his throat. He didn’t need one more thing right now. He was already getting in too deep with Larissa and now the college coming after him to be the coach?

  “He’s not mine,” he said quickly. “He’s a responsibility that won’t go away.”

  As soon as the words were out, Jack regretted them. None of this was Percy’s fault. Besides, he liked the teen a lot. Sometimes helping Percy was the best part of his day.

  But before he could say any of that, he heard a crash. He turned and saw the teen had dropped his bag of clubs onto the grass and was running in the opposite direction.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  LARISSA STOOD ON the porch of the large house and waited for someone to answer the door. Taryn had found the address for her, although it had taken nearly a day and a half. Apparently halfway house locations weren’t heavily advertised.

  The front door opened and a woman in her mid-thirties stepped out. She was pretty, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. “Yes? Can I help you?”

  “I’m looking for Percy,” Larissa said. “I heard he was here.”

  The woman hesitated for a second, then nodded. “Sure. What’s your name?”

  “Larissa.”

  “I’ll tell him you’re here.”

  With that she stepped back into the house and closed the door. Larissa didn’t check, but she was pretty sure the door had locked automatically. She had a feeling that was a lot more about keeping people out than keeping the residents in.

  She paced the width of the porch while she waited. The last day had been awful. Percy had disappeared during the tournament and she couldn’t figure out why. Jack had said it was his fault, but he wouldn’t tell her what had happened. No one had seen or heard anything. She thought Percy was happy in his new life. She thought he was excited about his future. So what had gone wrong?

  The door opened and Percy stepped out onto the porch. Until that second, she hadn’t realized that she’d half expected him to refuse to see her.

  She rushed toward him and wrapped her arms around him. He was still for a second, before hugging her back.

  “I’ve missed you,” she told him, moving back so she could see his face. “Are you okay?”

  One corner of his mouth turned up. “Larissa, it’s been a day. I’m fine.”

  “You’re not fine. Fine people don’t leave. You just left.”

  His gaze shifted from her to something over her shoulder. “I had to go. I can’t mooch off you forever.”

  “Who said anything about mooching? You’re a part of the Score family.” She stared into his dark eyes. “Why did you leave? What happened?”

  Percy raised one shoulder and looked past her again. “Nothing. It was time. Look, I have to live my own life. It’s time for me to be a man.”

  “You’re already a man. Percy, come on. What about finishing your GED and going to college?”

  “I’m still going to do that. I’m going to be a teacher and help kids like me.” His gaze returned to hers. “This is better. Jack doesn’t need me crowding him. I’m looking for a job. I’ll be fine. The people here are decent. Don’t worry about me.”

  There was so much information in that short speech, she thought. She didn’t know where to start.

  “Why would you think you crowd Jack? He likes you. He likes having you around. You’re like family.”

  Percy’s expression tightened. “I’m not family, Larissa. I’m a project. You think I don’t know that?”

  “No,” she said stubb
ornly. “It’s not like that. It’s never been like that.”

  He looked at her then and for a moment, he seemed much older than his years. “Don’t worry about me. I’m not going to change my mind about college or being a teacher. I’m going to get it done. I’ve talked to the people here and they’re going to help me get a job.”

  “You already have a job at Score.”

  His mouth twisted. “I have a made-up position. I want a job I got because of who I am, not who I know.”

  “It’s not like that,” she said again. “Percy, this is all wrong. Come home. If you don’t want to stay with Jack, stay with me.”

  The smile returned. “I’ve seen your apartment. You don’t have room for Dyna, let alone me. It’s better this way.”

  “It’s not.” She felt her eyes fill with tears. “What happened? Just tell me that. Something happened to make everything different.”

  He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. The action was so much like what Jack would have done.

  “I was trying to rescue you,” she admitted. “And now you’ve gone and grown up.”

  He chuckled. “I had to eventually.”

  “We could have put it off a while longer.”

  He released her. “I’m okay, Larissa. Thank you for all your help. You really did save me. I’m staying in town, so we’ll still see each other. But I gotta make my own way. I hope you understand that.”

  She nodded, even though she didn’t. She didn’t understand at all.

  * * *

  TARYN WALKED INTO Jack’s office without knocking. Unfortunately he wasn’t on the phone, so he couldn’t pretend to be busy. Because when Taryn had fire in her eyes, it was always best to be somewhere she was not.

  Still, he wasn’t going to let her know she had him worried, so he gave her a smile and then leaned back in his chair.

  “What’s up?” he asked, even though he already had a good idea of the problem.

  She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. “What the hell is wrong with you? You hurt that kid and that means you hurt Larissa, too.”