His dad smirked. “You want in her pants so bad, you can’t even think straight.”
Landon’s mind went to the curves of Gina’s naked body, but that was none of his dad’s business. He wanted to tell the old man to shut the fuck up about her. “We’re talking about you and me, Dad. Not her.”
“So you’re moving? Is that what you’re trying to tell me?”
“I’m saying I would love to have you in my life. I would love for my kids to one day have a grandfather. But it’s not going to be one with liquor on his breath. And it’s not going to be one who only comes around when he needs something. I’m not putting my life on hold for you anymore.”
Martin sat for several minutes with his elbows on his knees, staring at the floor. Landon wanted to fill the silence, to jump in and add more, but he made himself remain quiet. He’d said what he’d wanted to say, and now it was his dad’s turn. He’d been waiting on his father his whole life. Surely he could wait another minute or two.
Finally, Martin took a deep sigh and stood. “I may have been a total screwup as a dad, but at least I did one thing,” he said as he walked to the door.
“Gave me my size?” Like everyone else, his dad saw him first as a football player. “Or my throwing arm?”
“All the crap I put you through”—his dad laid a hand on his shoulder—“gave you strength. Made you man enough. To have this conversation.” His eyes misted. “I’m proud of you, son.”
The older man walked slowly toward the door and walked out. Walked away from Landon’s life.
Maybe for a while.
Maybe forever.
Landon stood in the middle of his living room for several minutes after the door had shut.
I’m proud of you, son.
Okay, so it wasn’t “I love you,” but it was the most recognition he’d ever gotten from his dad.
The fact that the conversation was over made Landon feel freer. Lighter. Every day since he was nine years old, he’d wondered why his dad hadn’t come to get him. What he’d done to make his dad so mad that he didn’t love him.
But now that burden had been lifted. Yeah, it sucked that he’d lived through it, but now he was done. He was worthy of someone’s love. Gina had taught him that he was good enough for her and anyone else. She’d given him a sense of worthiness he’d never had before.
He was ready to move on with the rest of his life.
And he hoped like hell that Gina would agree to come along.
Gina held the iced Frappuccino to the side of her face as she waited for Landon to answer the door. The five-minute walk to the coffee shop had done nothing but make her hot and increase her anxiety. She was worried about what had been going on between Landon and his father.
He jerked the door open and stopped. She studied him, waiting for some hint of what might happen between them. How this conversation might end. Finally, he rushed toward her and wrapped his arms around her in a hug so tight her drink squished between them, its coldness like a shard of ice between their warm bodies. She inhaled his scent, wondering if this would be the last time they’d be this close.
“God, am I glad to see you.” His breath tickled her ear as he spoke.
Her rib cage shuddered with emotion. “I didn’t know your dad would be here.”
Landon released her and took the now-squished cup from her hands. He dropped it onto the sidewalk outside his condo and pulled her through the door behind him.
He stopped in the entry hallway and faced her. “He was supposed to be here two hours ago, but he’s the most unreliable person I know.” His hand cupped her chin. His fingers stroked her cheek. “I told him I was done. Finished with him.”
A sudden fear sliced through her. What if she’d been wrong? What if Martin Vista was about to be the kind of man his son needed and now Landon had dumped him? “You did what?”
Landon ran his fingers through his hair, leaving the curls a jumbled mess. “I’m not going to wait around for him to want to see me anymore. If he wants to be a part of my life, it’s his doing. His choice.”
“And this is . . . okay with you?” Was he glad to have come to the decision? Or upset that it came to this? She tried to read his expression.
“It makes me feel better. Yeah.” He moved closer, pinning her against the wall in the hallway. His arms framed her head. “Like I’ve been in a bad movie, but now it’s over and I can move on to the next part of my life.”
She swallowed. The next part of Landon’s life. The part beyond this summer and beyond her internship at Morgan’s Ladder. The part of his life without her. Like he’d said the other night, the part where he’d always remember her.
She looked down at their feet. She couldn’t watch his face while she asked the next question. “So what are you going to do?”
“I hear Nashville’s not a bad place to live.” He nuzzled her ear. “At least until some hot volleyball player figures out where her first lawyer gig is going to be.”
Her head shot up. “You . . . want to move to Nashville?”
“Who else is going to make sure you don’t live the rest of your life in the shadow of Nick Varnadore?”
Yes. Nick Varnadore. For a few brief seconds, she’d forgotten the guilt and grief of it all, but now it was back. “You really think I need to deal with that, don’t you?”
His green eyes bored into hers. “Yeah, I do. But I’m going to be there for you. For as long as it takes.”
“I told you I loved you and you . . .” She couldn’t finish. It hurt her too much to know that he’d said nothing in response to that.
“I’m a guy. We do really stupid things sometimes.”
But he hadn’t said he loved her. She nodded and pressed her lips together, determined not to let him see her disappointment. “I’ve thought a lot about what you said. And you were right. I need to decide what I want to do with my life.”
“And have a career that you want to have? Not because your guilt is driving you to it?”
She nodded. “Will you help me get through it?”
He wrapped his arms around her. His fingers threaded through her hair as she rested her head on his shoulder.
“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” she whispered. “What I said about your dad.”
His chest vibrated as he chuckled. “No. I’m pretty sure at the time you were going in for the kill.”
She looked up and grinned. “So I’m a better fighter than you are. We established that on the volleyball court that first night we met.”
One side of his mouth quirked up, but his demeanor was serious. He took a deep breath. She stilled, waiting to see what he’d say next.
“I’ve never come close to falling in love with anyone.” He twined his fingers through hers on either side of them. “But with you . . . I’m not even sure when it happened.” His voice was thick with emotion. “God, I love you so much.”
Her body wanted to fly and collapse, all at the same time. Like a great weight had been lifted from her, she felt relieved and set free, all because of his words. “You don’t know how badly I’ve wanted to hear you say that.”
“We’ve got a lot to talk about. I really do want to move to Nashville with you. I’ll quit my job and break my lease and—”
She placed a hand on his forearm. She’d come here on a mission and she needed to complete it. “I need to give you something.”
He backed away, a puzzled look on his face, as she reached into her pocket.
“The prosecutor’s office was done with this. They said you could have it.”
She hated that such an important item was in a crumpled plastic bag, but she’d wanted to give it to him as soon as Suzanne had given it to her.
“What is it?” he asked.
She nodded toward the baggie. “Look at it.”
His questioning eyes finally left hers
as he dumped the item into the palm of his hand. “My mother’s bracelet.” He turned over the charm and touched his engraved name with his fingertip. His eyes glistened with unshed tears. “I . . . didn’t think I’d ever see this again.”
“Suzanne had told them she wanted to get it to you as soon as she could.” She reached up and touched it. “She wanted you to have it.”
He smiled. “She’s brought a lot of good to me this summer.”
Gina grinned. “Maybe you should apologize for yelling at her that first day you met her.”
“I think we’re going to have to name our first child after her.”
Gina’s eyes widened. He laughed.
“You’re already thinking about having babies?” she asked. A warm feeling blossomed through her chest. He really did want to spend his life with her.
He nipped at the end of her nose. “I think the Seminoles are going to need a good quarterback in another eighteen or nineteen years.”
“But what if she wants to go to Tennessee instead?”
“Let’s argue about this later,” he said as his lips settled on hers. His tongue explored her mouth. Though their previous kisses had been hot, this one was different. This one had the certainty of love. It held more promise of the future.
With her back against the wall, she could feel every hard ridge of his body as he pressed against her. He raised her hands above her head and held them there with one of his while his other hand glided down her rib cage and her hip.
“We need to get this slushie off our chests,” he whispered as he nibbled at her earlobe.
She reveled in the tenderness of his mouth against her neck. “It’s a Frappuccino.”
“Whatever.” He flicked the sensitive spot behind her ear with his tongue. “We need to get it off.”
“Did you have something in mind?”
“Come with me.” He took her hand and led her toward his bedroom. “I’ll show you.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Though writing is a solitary venture, no author travels this path alone. Special thanks to the following people:
Thriller writer Steve Berry (www.SteveBerry.org), whose down-to-earth presentation at my first writers’ conference convinced me that I could do this. Also, because he led me to Frank Green.
Frank Green, whose weekly writing workshop has produced forty-five-plus published novels; thanks also to the various writers who populate Frank’s living room every Wednesday night and who helped me learn the craft.
Jill Marsal for her ability to show me how to make this story stronger.
Maria Gomez for taking a chance on an unpublished writer.
The First Coast Romance Writers, the Lucky 13s, and Romance Writers of America.
The many accomplished romance writers who have shared their wisdom along the way, including Lena Diaz, Valerie Bowman, Alyssa Day, Renee Ryan, Mary Buckham, Vanessa Kelly, Terri Ridgell, Madeline Martin, Ava Milone, Lisa McKinney, Eileen Ann Brennan, and many others.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Photo © 2014 Michael Straley
As a child growing up in the Ozarks, Sheila Athens developed a love for the natural beauty of the outdoors and the quiet reflection involved in writing. Her earliest pieces included character sketches for her dolls and theatrical works for the neighborhood children. After many years—which included marriage, a couple of careers, and earning a master’s degree—she bought her first romance novel in a hotel gift shop and her new dream was born. Now she writes stories that celebrate the power of love. In 2013 she became a finalist in the Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart contest. She currently resides in the South with her husband of twenty-five years and their two teenage sons.
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