The Ghost Groom

by Jennifer Youngblood

  Rennen’s heart lurched. “Who’s Paul?”

  Ariana jerked around. “Hey.” She laughed nervously.

  Rennen’s insecurities came flooding back with a vengeance as he shot Ariana an accusing look. “Who’s Paul?” he repeated.

  She placed her phone on the bedside table. “My ex.”

  Blood rushed to Rennen’s temples. “Your ex-boyfriend?”

  “Yeah. He’s been trying to reach me for days, and I just now had a minute to call him back.”

  Rennen’s throat went thick as he swallowed. “You keep in touch with your ex?”

  She gave him a funny look. “Yeah. Paul and I were together for a long time. He’s mostly just a friend.”

  He arched an eyebrow, his body tensing. “Mostly?”

  Ariana’s lips curved into a smile. “You’re jealous.” She stood and went to him, her eyes roving over his face. “Aren’t you?”

  “Do I have something to be jealous about?” He didn’t like the idea of her toying with him.

  “No, of course not.” She slid her arms around his waist. “Don’t get all bent out of shape. Everyone has a past. You probably have a long string of ex-girlfriends.”

  “Not that I keep in touch with,” he shot back. Sure, he’d dated lots of girls, but none of them held a candle to Ariana. He’d never felt like this about anyone before. “Why was Paul calling you?” The jealousy stabbing him was so sharp it hurt his chest.

  She let out a long breath. “Let’s not go into this right now, okay?” Her voice took on an edge. “It’s not important.”

  He put his arms around her, a fierce protectiveness overtaking him. He couldn’t stand the thought of Ariana ever being with anyone else. He searched her face, craving reassurance that all was well between them.

  She lifted her face to his, her hands going up to cup his cheeks. “Paul is my past. You’re my future. I love you.”

  “I love you too,” he said, a silly grin washing over his face. It had been stupid to get so worked up about Ariana’s ex. Ariana was here with him, not Paul. Her beauty, the essence of her wafted over him as he pulled her closer, drinking in her scent. His lips captured hers, and he kissed her like he’d wanted to all evening, holding nothing back.

  14

  The next week seemed to fly by with Ariana and Rennen spending every moment they could together, which wasn’t as much as they would’ve liked considering Rennen’s daily training sessions and her hectic work schedule. Ariana knew it was only a matter of time before she’d have to introduce Rennen to her family, but she wanted to keep him to herself a little longer first.

  Maybe she’d wait until after the rematch was over tomorrow. After that, she and Rennen could settle into their lives … somewhat. Ariana knew from Ace’s experience that as soon as the football season got underway, Rennen would be going nonstop. Ariana was getting used to the throng of reporters that had taken up residence outside her gym. They peppered her with questions as she came and went. She’d always look straight ahead and utter, “no comment,” dismissing them from her mind like pesky flies. Ariana hoped they would lose interest after the rematch. Her mind flitted to the two-hundred grand. She wondered if she’d have enough to add saunas in the dressing rooms. That would be nice.

  “Whatever daydream you’re having … I want in.”

  She jumped, turning to Beth. “What?”

  “Judging by the ginormous grin on your face, you’ve got to be thinking about Rennen.”

  She laughed. “Is it that obvious?”

  “You’re in love,” Beth cooed. “And I have to admit, you did score a great one.”

  “Yeah, I kind of did, didn’t I?” A burst of happiness enveloped her. She’d never imagined love could be this amazing. There was a time when Ariana had thought she might be in love with Paul. But in comparison to the real deal, she realized that she only cared about Paul as a good friend. Too bad he didn’t feel the same way. Paul had been calling her nonstop, begging her to get together with him so they could talk. She kept putting him off but would eventually have to put closure on the situation. She and Paul had left it that they were dating other people but would still see each other occasionally. She’d have to break it to him that she was no longer on the market. Of course, Paul must realize that after seeing the media frenzy over her and Rennen. Her phone rang. She reached for it, not recognizing the number.

  “Hello?”

  “Hello. This is Della Chastain. We met at The Hideaway Inn.”

  “Hi, Della.” Ariana couldn’t imagine why she would be calling. Sure they’d exchanged numbers, but it was more of a formality. Something you did out of decorum, never expecting to hear from the person again.

  “You’re probably wondering why I’m calling.”

  “Yes.”

  Long pause.

  For a second, Ariana thought they’d lost the connection. “Della? Are you there?”

  “Yes.”

  That’s when Ariana noticed that Della’s voice sounded strange, too high-pitched. “Are you okay?”

  “Is there any way we could meet for lunch?”

  Ariana scrambled to keep up. “Are you in Ft. Worth?”

  “Yes, Thomas and I are headed back to New York. But we thought we’d stop by here first.”

  “Okay.” That was odd. “When would you like to have lunch? Or dinner maybe? I can check with Rennen to see if we can make something work.”

  “I was kind of hoping we could get together today.”

  Ariana’s eyes widened. “Today?”

  “Yes, if that’s okay.”

  She shook her head. “I’m sorry, I need more notice.”

  “Please. There’s something important I need to talk to you about.”

  This conversation was getting weirder by the minute. Della had seemed perfectly normal, but maybe she wasn’t. Maybe their meeting at the inn wasn’t a coincidence. “Yeah, sorry, it’s not gonna work. Like I said, I’ve got a lot going on today.” Something about this situation was off.

  “I can come to you.”

  She was starting to get a little freaked out. “No, that’s not a good idea.”

  “It’s about Rennen,” Della blurted. “Something I need to tell you.”

  Ariana tightened her hold on the phone. What was Della playing at? “If it’s something important, then maybe you should tell me now.”

  “I’ll meet you at Café Pierpont, just around the corner from your gym in twenty minutes. Please, it’s very important.”

  Before Ariana could respond, Della ended the call.

  Beth gave her a funny look. “What was that about? Are you okay?”

  Ariana shook her head. “I’m not sure. Rennen and I met this couple at the inn where we stayed, and now the woman—Della—is wanting to have lunch.”

  “Seems harmless enough.”

  “Yeah, I suppose. But Della and her friend Thomas don’t live here. They’re from New York. She says she has something important to tell me about Rennen.” Her heart thudded against her ribcage.

  Beth’s eyes registered surprise. “That’s strange.”

  “Yeah, very.”

  “Are you gonna meet her?”

  It then occurred to Ariana that Della somehow knew that she owned a gym and the location of it. They hadn’t talked about that, had they?

  “Maybe you should call Rennen and get his take on it,” Beth said.

  Ariana nodded. “Good idea.”

  She called him, her heart dropping when it went to voicemail. “Hey, it’s me. Call me when you can.” She shook her head. “Rennen’s tied up all day. He had training this morning. His agent flew in today and they’re meeting at the PR firm to make sure everything’s set for the rematch.”

  Beth’s features tightened. “Do you think this woman’s a threat? Maybe you should call the police.”

  Ariana laughed in surprise. “No, I don’t think she’s a threat. She seems like a classy lady.”

  Beth shrugged. “Then maybe you should meet her
… hear what she has to say.”

  “Yeah, maybe.” Ariana’s curiosity was piqued. What could Della possibly have to tell her about Rennen? Café Pierpont was a safe enough location, lots of people coming and going. If Ariana didn’t meet Della she’d probably show up here at the gym. It was better to meet her at a neutral place. “Okay, I’ll go. But if I’m not back in an hour, then you’ll know something’s wrong.”

  “Should I call Tina to watch the front desk and come with you?” Beth asked, concern etching her features.

  Ariana waved a hand. “No, that’s okay. I’m sure it’ll be fine.” She slung her purse over her shoulder. “Wish me luck.”

  Café Pierpont was known for being busy at lunch and today was no exception. Ariana tried calling Rennen on the drive over, but couldn’t reach him. She drew in a calming breath as she turned off her truck engine and got out. As she stepped into the café, she spotted Della sitting at a booth in the back corner. When Della saw her, she smiled. “Thanks for coming,” she said, as Ariana slid into the seat.

  Ariana drew her lips together nodding. It was shocking to see the transformation in Della since she’d last seen her. The lines around her mouth and eyes were more pronounced. Dark circles were carved under her eyes, making her glasses look like they had extra rings around them. And she had a hollow look, like she’d not slept in days.

  “Did Thomas not come with you?”

  Della cut her eyes at the table across the room where Thomas was sitting alone. He was holding a menu, his eyes peering over it as he watched them. A jolt went through Ariana as she remembered why Thomas looked familiar. He was the silver-haired man watching her and Rennen at The Red Table on the night of their first date. She tightened her fist, glaring at Della. “Are you a reporter?” Disappointment rankled her gut. She’d thought Della and Thomas were such nice people, but they’d been playing them the entire time.

  “No, I’m not a reporter.” Della’s voice was weary.

  Ariana tried to piece it all together. “Why is Thomas sitting over there?”

  “He wanted to give us a chance to talk alone.”

  Ariana sat back, folding her hands tightly over her chest as she leveled a glare at Della. “Why did you want to see me?”

  Della let out a long sigh and reached for her glass. Her hand shook as she took a drink of water and set the glass back down. “My real name is Delphine Degarmo.” She spoke the words like they were supposed to mean something. When Ariana shook her head dubiously, Delphine continued. “I own Bella Bisou cosmetics.”

  Her breath hitched. Now that meant something. Bella Bisou was one of the largest cosmetic companies in the world. Of course Ariana recognized that. Every girl who wore makeup would. “Beautiful Kiss,” she uttered, repeating the American translation of the French phrase.

  Delphine nodded. “Yes.”

  Ariana felt like she was in a sparring match with an opponent who switched positions so quickly she could hardly stay with her, much less pin her down. She looked across the table, repeating all she knew to find some thread that would help her understand what was going on. “Your real name’s not Della Chastain, but Delphine Degarmo.” Now that she thought about it, the name did sound familiar aside from the cosmetic line. Where had she heard it before? She searched her mind. “Aren’t you some French heiress? A socialite turned businesswoman?” She could tell from the look on Delphine’s face that she was on the right track.

  “My father’s name was Renatus.” She waved a hand. “A well-known family in France. My father was the sole heir to the Renatus fortune.”

  “What does your father or his fortune have to do with this?”

  Delphine reached in her purse and pulled out a photo. She slid it across the table to Ariana who picked it up and gasped. The man in the picture bore a startling resemblance to Rennen. It all came together in a hard jolt. Ariana sat there, stunned. Then her eyes narrowed as she gave Delphine a hard look. “You’re Rennen’s mother.”

  “Yes.”

  Ariana’s mind whirled, bringing a wave of nausea. “Why would a woman like you abandon her own son? And why are you here talking to me instead of Rennen?”

  A pained smile stretched over Delphine’s lips. “I had no idea Rennen was my son. I’d given up hope of ever finding him until I saw the Katie Moss interview.”

  “And saw how much he looks like your father,” Ariana supplied.

  “I still wasn’t sure … even then.” Her hand went up to smooth her hair. “The only way I could be positive was to do a DNA test.”

  Ariana’s brows furrowed. “Is that why you followed us to the inn?” She felt so used. Betrayed. Hot prickles covered her. Rennen was not going to take this well. They’d sat together at dinner, talked about personal things. And all the while, Rennen’s mother had been right beside him. To make matters worse, thanks to this little meeting at the café, Ariana was now right in the middle of it. Heat blazed up her neck. “I can’t believe you were right there with us and didn’t say a word.”

  She spread her hands. “I couldn’t say anything, not until I knew for sure. You can imagine how terrible that would’ve been for Rennen if I’d claimed to be his mother, then found out I really wasn’t.” She shuddered. “He’s been through enough already.”

  “Yes, he has,” Ariana shot through clenched teeth. “Because of you.” Her mind went back to something Delphine said. “Were you gathering DNA evidence at the inn? Is that why you pushed your way into our dinner?”

  Tears pooled in her eyes as she touched her glasses. “No, I just wanted to be able to talk to my son.”

  “What kind of evidence did you gather?”

  “A toothbrush … hair.”

  “You broke into Rennen’s room and stole those things?”

  “Yes.” She hesitated. “I know how this sounds, and I understand why you’re upset.”

  “Oh, I’m more than upset.” Ariana leaned forward, her eyes burning. “I’m fighting mad. And what you’re seeing now is nothing compared to what you’ll get when Rennen hears about this.”

  Delphine nodded. “That’s why I’m here. I hoped to be able to tell Rennen all this myself.” She hesitated. “Unfortunately, the story will break before I get the chance.”

  Alarm trickled over Ariana. “What do you mean?”

  “I tried to be discreet about the DNA test, but someone leaked the information. I found out this morning from a trusted source that the story will air in the next twenty-four hours.”

  Ariana’s eyes bulged as she clutched her neck. “You’ve got to stop it!”

  Delphine shook her head. “I tried.” She let out a brittle laugh. “Believe me, I tried.” A sour expression twisted her face. “Unfortunately, anything surrounding the Bella Bisou empire is big news. Plus the fact that Rennen is now a celebrity. There’s no stopping this.”

  Ariana’s nails dug into her palms as she balled her fists. “Rennen’s not going to take this well at all.”

  “I know.” Delphine’s mouth vanished into a thin line.

  “Why did you want to meet with me? Why not tell Rennen this yourself?”

  “I didn’t have his number.”

  Ariana arched an eyebrow. “I’m not buying that. A woman of your influence could’ve found a way to get in touch with him.”

  Delphine fingered her napkin. “That night at dinner, when I realized how bitter Rennen was ...” her voice broke “… I was afraid.” She gave Ariana a hopeful look. “But he’ll listen to you. I can tell the two of you are close. You help round off his hard edges.”

  A disbelieving laugh broke from Ariana’s throat. “Seriously? This is between you and Rennen. I have nothing to do with it.” She shot Delphine a blistering look. “And frankly, like Rennen said, what possible excuse could you have for abandoning your own child?” She shook her head, disgust heavy in her voice. “You sat there and told us all that stuff about how your son had died of cancer. None of that was true, was it? Was it?” she repeated, her voice escalating.


  Delphine’s face drained. “I said I had lost my son because of cancer. You assumed that meant he died, so I left it at that.”

  “No, you led us to believe that was the case.” Ariana’s voice was hard as flint. There was no way she was letting Delphine weasel out of this. What did that even mean anyway—lost her son because of cancer?

  “Much of what I told you was true.”

  “Much?” she flung back. “Sorry, that doesn’t cut it.”

  “If you’ll just hear me out, you’ll understand how it happened.” Desperation coated her voice. “Please.”

  The server approached the table in a huff as she retrieved her pad from her apron. “I’m so sorry it took me a while to get over here. This place is a madhouse today.” She looked at Ariana. “What can I get you to drink?”

  “A Dr. Pepper … the biggest one you’ve got,” Ariana muttered.

  The server tried to take their food orders, but both Delphine and Ariana declined, saying they’d just stick with their drinks. After the girl left, Ariana sat back in her seat, eyeing Delphine. “Okay, I’m all ears.”

  15

  Rennen, Monroe, and Lainey sat around the conference room table at the DaVinci PR firm. It had been a hectic morning. Training ran over a full hour, then Rennen had to hurry and get showered so he could meet Monroe and Lainey for this brainstorm session. Unfortunately, a swarm of reporters cornered him as he exited the Titan Training Complex to get to his car, pummeling him with questions about his and Ariana’s relationship. It astounded Rennen that people were so consumed with everything he was doing.

  Monroe and Lainey sat across from Rennen, heads close together, having an in-depth conversation about Rennen’s talking points for the reporters. Rennen knew he should be more involved in the process, but he was having a hard time concentrating. His mind ran through the quick phone conversation he’d had with Ariana before darting into this meeting. She’d asked if he could meet her somewhere to talk. Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible. He’d be tied up at this meeting and having dinner with Monroe afterwards. Ariana’s voice was tense … worried. He could tell something was wrong. A part of him wondered if he should bag dinner and find out what was going on.