City of Champions

by Barlow, Chloe T.

  Claudia leaned back on Wyatt's dresser, crossed her arms and twisted her full lips into a beguiling half-smile.

  That sneaky little grin is definitely hereditary, Jenna thought to herself.

  "You're very pretty," Claudia said to her. She surveyed Jenna up and down with a sharp and clever look that belied her young age.

  "Thank you. So are you," Jenna answered, with a smile of her own.

  "Oh, um, thank you," Claudia said quickly, standing up straight and putting her hands in her pockets.

  The compliment didn't seem to sit well with Claudia, which was odd, seeing as she was as patently beautiful as her once-famous mother.

  "What are you a doctor of?" Claudia asked, diverting the conversation away from herself quickly.

  "I'm an orthopedic surgical resident."

  "Too bad you're not a neurosurgeon. I should warn you that Wyatt has a chronic case of hard headedness."

  "I don't need to specialize in brains to know that," Jenna laughed, her tension easing immediately around the lively young woman. "So, you call him Wyatt? I heard your mother use his middle name."

  "Yeah. From what I understand, my dad picked the name Wyatt. My mom and abuela picked Alejandro for his middle name. They'd love nothing more than to rid our lives of all things McCoy, I think. Seeing as we're stuck with his last name, they made that compromise.”

  "That makes sense, I guess. That must have been so hard for you, dealing with your father's issues and the way he…"

  "Disappeared? So, Wyatt told you about that? Interesting. I must say, Dr. Sutherland, you're a welcome change to the usual trash chasing after my brother."

  "Oh, um, thanks. I don't think I'm really chasing after him, I mean…"

  "Don't worry, I didn't mean it like that. I was just surprised to find you here. He's never actually introduced us to any girls or brought them here or anything. But it's hard not to miss the girls that tried to hook him over the years, some more successfully than others."

  Claudia made a face at the memory, but Jenna couldn't focus on it. She was too distracted by the instant and shocking level of acidic jealousy that rushed through her at the mention of other women in Wyatt's life.

  "I guess we can't hide in here anymore," Claudia said, interrupting Jenna's unwelcome bout of possessive thoughts. "Are you ready to face the Mexican Inquisition?"

  "Excuse me?" Jenna asked with a laugh. Though she quickly stopped when she saw the serious look on Claudia's stunning face.

  "I'm not kidding. Brace yourself. Those two are gonna get one look at a classy lady like you and sink their grandchild and great-grandchild wanting claws right into you."

  "I didn't feel all that classy when you first saw me," Jenna said quickly. "And besides, they can't be that bad…" Jenna added slowly.

  "We'll see. Wyatt's driven them crazy over the years with his…"

  "Claudia," Wyatt said gruffly. He was standing at the door, glaring at his sister with an intimidating look on his face.

  "Oops, busted," Claudia said, with a little smile thrown Jenna's way. As Jenna left the room, Claudia whispered in her ear, "He must like you a lot. I've never seen him that mad about my big mouth."

  Jenna tried to respond, but no words came out. She was too stunned by Claudia's words.

  Wyatt walked over to Jenna, placing a hand at the small of her back, "Don't believe a word she said about me," he whispered into her ear.

  His touch calmed her a bit and she turned to him before they left the room.

  "Well, you came in too soon. If you hadn't interrupted, I might've gotten a chance to hear something I shouldn't believe."

  "Then my timing was just right, after all. Look, are you ready to do this?"

  "I'm not going to just ignore them."

  "You didn't answer me," he whispered.

  "It's okay. I should be asking you if you're ready. I got the impression from Claudia that…"

  "Enough about what she said. Stop stalling and let's get in there," Wyatt commanded.

  Jenna suppressed a smile, but she quickly followed his instructions.

  "We begged Alejandro to come home for Christmas, but he said he couldn't. I think I know why now," Wyatt's mother said to Jenna, with a teasing tone. Wyatt glanced at Jenna, worried about her reaction to his mother's revelation.

  "What? I don't understand…" Jenna whipped her head in Wyatt's direction.

  Dammit, he thought.

  She was clearly confused. Wyatt could almost hear the gears in her brain churning, trying to process why he'd lied and told her his family didn't want to see him for the holidays. He searched for words to end the tense moment, but his sister was already on it.

  "Mom, don't embarrass her," Claudia said to their mother.

  Wyatt was instantly grateful to his sister for trying to ease his mother's interrogation of Jenna. He was surprised by how much he liked having Jenna meet the women that meant so much to him. But the last thing he wanted was for her to hear something from them that made her suspicious of him in any way.

  "Mama, I'm sorry I couldn't make it," Wyatt interrupted, "but I hope you had a great Christmas. I did call, you know."

  "You did. You're such a good boy. And we were going to stay in Texas and not bother you. But, your brother cancelled his visit at the last minute. He is off to who knows where. So we decided to come up and see you."

  Wyatt's teeth gritted at the mention of his little brother. He was always "off somewhere," satisfying whatever latest whim — or woman — that appealed to him. Worrying about whether his family was all right without him over the holiday season had never interested him. Yes, Wyatt had deserted them this time of year, but it was for a very good reason.

  "Do you like children?" he heard his abuela ask Jenna, quickly pulling him back to the conversation.

  In the twenty minutes since he'd taken Jenna into the living room to meet the rest of his visitors, they hadn't been overly pushy with her. They must've been just getting warmed up before diving into the weighty topics.

  Before Jenna could even answer the question, he could see they were already examining her hips. He assumed they were trying to gauge if they were wide enough to accommodate the many grandbabies his mother wanted.

  "I love kids," Jenna said, with a smile, and Wyatt felt a bit of relief that she hadn't been offended. "I've helped to raise my best friend's son over the last several years. Her husband died when she was only a few weeks pregnant."

  "And she volunteers with local underprivileged kids in the area. She helps them with their health, athletics, tutoring…you name it," Wyatt interjected.

  "Thanks, Wyatt," Jenna said softly, her cheeks flushing a bit.

  "It looks like our Alejandro knows quite a bit about you, my dear," his mother said sweetly. She glanced at his abuela, quickly turning back to Jenna, "But do you want kids of your own?"

  "Mama, lay off her a minute, will you?" Claudia said. "I'm sorry, you don't have to answer all their nosy questions. It's just rare that we get to see my brother care enough to know a girl's last name, much less all these sweet little details."

  "Claudia!" Wyatt said, with a chastening voice. He'd been lucky to catch Claudia in his room before she said anything too awful to Jenna about him, but he knew she wasn't done trying to torment him.

  "Um, no, it's okay," Jenna answered quietly. "I would love to have kids of my own. It's something I've always wanted."

  "That's wonderful," Wyatt's mother exclaimed. "Maybe you will want to have kids soon?"

  Wyatt felt Jenna's whole body tense up next to him. He looked over to her and was shocked to see she'd turned completely white. Any smile on her face was gone, replaced with a look of pure anguish and panic.

  "Are you okay?" he asked, leaning forward to whisper in her ear.

  She shook her head and jumped up out of her seat.

  "Um, I'm so sorry, but I just realized I have to go. It was really nice meeting you all. Please forgive me." Jenna quickly darted out of the room toward the door, leaving
all of them with shocked faces.

  He tried to catch her, but she'd already gotten on her shoes and left before he could talk some sense into her.

  "I'm sorry, I have to go get her. I'll be right back."

  Wyatt quickly put on shoes and a jacket and ran after her.

  Jenna rushed to her car in Wyatt's driveway as fast as she could. Her hands were trembling as she tried to unlock the door. She'd rushed out so quickly that she hadn't even grabbed her coat, but there had been no time for that.

  Shame filled her at making such a scene in front of his nice family, but Jenna knew she couldn't be in that room with them anymore. Her emotions were out of control, and she couldn't let anyone see her that way. She needed to be alone until she could collect herself again.

  She'd let the magic of these few days so completely consume her that she'd barely thought about the painful procedure and lengthy treatment awaiting her. With that much desired escape, came the fact that she hadn't even let herself think about what this could mean for her future — and the life she'd dreamt to have for herself one day.

  What if this course of treatment doesn't work? What if I need invasive chemo and end up not being able to have kids? she thought in a panic. Will cancer just keep taking from me? It took my mother at the beginning of my life. Is it going to take my chance to create it? Will I forever be alone in this body?

  That bleak possible future flashed before her eyes — it would be a life of smiling at happy women with their swollen bellies, as they celebrated their own granted wishes. She would probably deflect questions when people asked if she would ever want a family. Maybe provide some bland excuse, or change the subject, all the while hiding the pain of knowing she'd never experience the joy of creating life.

  Or worse, what if I really am sick? What if it simply kills me? The only remnants of my mother will die with me. How will my father ever get through that?

  Jenna's throat closed and it felt like she was suffocating — as though her knees were rubber and would never hold her weight. This place wasn't for her — a place full of big families and hopes and dreams. She was days from embarking on a painful medical process that might not be successful. Jenna had walked that path before and she knew there was a good chance it would only devastate every person around her. She didn't want to drag Wyatt, or his lovely family, down with her. All she could do was run.

  She grabbed for the door handle, but before she could open it, she felt Wyatt's firm grip pull her back.

  "What the hell was that about, Jenna? Don't you like my family?" he asked angrily from behind her. It made her feel sick that he thought her response was to his family, who'd been nothing but kind to her.

  "No, of course not. It's not that," Jenna answered, turning her body to him but staring at her feet. She felt his calloused fingers stroke her chin and lift her face, so she was staring into his eyes, her teeth chattering lightly. "I just realized I need to go home. You should have some time with your family, and…"

  Before Jenna could control herself, a lone tear slid down her cheek. Wyatt reached up his other hand, wiping the tear away with his thumb. His touch was so caring that Jenna wasn't sure if she could breathe without releasing the sob she was fighting hard to hold back.

  "Hey. What's all this about, tough girl?" Wyatt removed one hand from her face so he could take her keys and slip them into his pocket. "Talk to me, belleza."

  Wyatt took off his jacket and put it around her shoulders, then brought her into his arms.

  "You know you never call me by name unless you're upset," she laughed out harshly against his chest.

  "I am upset, and don't change the subject, Jenna," he said sternly, leaning back to look down at her face.

  "I think I liked belleza better."

  "Me, too," he said, with a soft smile. "Now, please, tell me." He leaned forward as he whispered against her cheek, dropping the lightest of kisses on her skin.

  "I can't."

  "Why not?"

  "It's not because I don't want to tell you. It's just that I'm…I'm not ready."

  "It is something though, isn't it? Something that made you want to run from me?"

  "Yes. I didn't want to leave you all. I think I panicked. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for so many things, Wyatt," she added, looking down again.

  And she was sorry. Sorry Chase made her reluctant to trust Wyatt. Sorry her body may be a ticking time bomb of genetic brutality. Sorry she ever consulted on Wyatt's shoulder and delivered a diagnosis that could threaten his whole career.

  "Then make it up to me and come inside. Remember Mama said she's going to make tamales. You don't want to miss that."

  Jenna's stomach growled and he laughed, pulling her in to a tighter embrace. He turned them around so he was leaning his back against the side of her car and rested his chin on the top of her head.

  Jenna kissed his neck and breathed him in before shivering slightly.

  "You're still freezing, that settles it. I'm dragging you inside, but this conversation isn't over," he said, standing upright. Jenna looked up at him with embarrassment in her eyes.

  "Wait, are you sure I'm invited? After the way I acted…" she asked softly, amazed by her own desire to just curl into his warmth and never leave.

  "You're a smart and beautiful doctor that doesn't take my shit and loves kids…I think I wouldn't be welcomed back in if I didn't bring you with me," he teased, gently lifting her chin again and lowering his lips to hers for a brief moment before continuing. "They weren't offended or anything when you left. Just confused. I'll come up with an excuse."

  "Okay, thank you. But before we go in…will you please kiss me again, for real?"

  He smiled down at her with a broad, open grin that filled her cold body with warmth.

  Wyatt took her face in both of his hands and leaned down to kiss her lips with a light, cautious touch. She could tell he wanted to be gentle with her, but she needed more. Jenna licked the seam of his lips, pushing through to touch the smooth terrain of his teeth.

  Wyatt growled against her mouth and drew her more closely to him. He allowed her tongue entrance, quickly reaching into her mouth with his own, tasting her right back.

  Jenna breathed him in and just gave into the feeling. She let her arms wrap around his waist, her body mold to his, and suddenly realized that all the unhappy thoughts in her head had simply…disappeared.

  She knew it was impractical and all kinds of foolish to let herself be so open with this man. Yet, relaxing into him — being connected to him so fully — felt just too right, too complete. She refused to deny herself this moment.

  What if the news is terrible next week? I don't want to regret missing this time with him…this chance to make more of my life, if only for a few more nights, Jenna thought, as she let his tongue lazily explore her mouth and he swallowed every sigh she uttered.

  Life was right here at her feet willing to give her something great. She so desperately wanted this chance with Wyatt, and needed to take it — because life was one cruel breath away from possibly taking so much from her.

  He pulled away from her mouth and Jenna breathed out heavily, resting her head on his chest.

  That sense of release, that openness she felt with Wyatt was inexplicable to her. There was no logical explanation for it. It was terrifying that this feeling could come to her from just one person.

  If she were smart, she'd walk away now before they both got hurt. But Jenna was tired of being wise. She was sick of doing the right thing. All she wanted was to rest in this man's arms and just let everything go away.

  It suddenly made sense to Jenna the way Tea looked at Griffen years after she'd been so devastated from losing Jack. Jenna had never seen happy devotion as an adult — she had only seen the loss after it was gone. The loss that lived in her father's eyes every day after her mother died. If there was any chance Wyatt felt that way about her, would her own illness, and all the risks it entailed, break him, too?

  "You still with me, Doc?" Wyatt
asked softly against her hair.

  "Yeah," she choked out.

  Whatever happened next, she would let herself have this rush in her veins, an intoxicating sensation of being tethered to him, yet still feeling free, all at once.

  "Does that mean you're ready to go inside with me?"

  "Yeah, maybe another kiss, first?" she whispered.

  "Good idea." And then he stole her senses again, caressing her lips with his own. With each stroke of his tongue in her mouth and his fingers through her hair, he wiped those bad thoughts away, yet again.

  When he finally leaned back from her, she felt bereft. Her desire for more must have shown on her face because Wyatt chuckled deeply in response.

  "I should get you inside and to my family before they think I ran away to Vegas with you."

  She looked up quickly, his words shocking her back to reality.

  "What?"

  "Relax, Doc. Come on," he said, with a chuckle, stepping aside and holding out his hand to her.

  She looked at his tanned skin, fingers curled in toward the most welcoming of invitations, and Jenna had no desire to resist it. Instead, she simply slid her hand into his and let him take over the moment, pulling her close to his side and leading her back into the warm security of his home — and his life.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Wyatt pushed through the door to his home. He swallowed his concern at not seeing Jenna right away, and called out into the emptiness, "Doc, I'm back."

  He'd rushed straight home to her from the stadium after his post-game shower. It had been the last game of the season. As with every one since Jenna had consulted on his shoulder, he'd played better than any other time he could remember. Her observations about his playing were beneficial to him, but it was also the hope that she'd watch and be impressed that pushed him even harder.