The Ghost Groom

by Jennifer Youngblood

  Rennen also got to his feet. But the second he did, Ariana side-swept his leg, sending him tumbling backwards. She jumped on top of him, pinning him down on the mat. She squeezed his arms with all she was worth, her knees pressing into each side of his waist to give her leverage.

  The referee stood over them. “One … two … three,” he shouted.

  The crowd stood and cheered. Ariana felt the swell of victory then saw the hint of laughter in Rennen’s eyes and realized with a start that he’d let her win—had probably let her win the first time too. She peered into his eyes. “You really made up with your mom?”

  An unencumbered smile split his lips, sending a ray of sunshine shooting into her heart. “Yep, sure did. In fact, she’s here.” He motioned with his head to the left. Ariana looked over and saw Delphine and Thomas sitting two rows from the front. Heat burned up her neck as she thought about her predicament—on top of Rennen, pinning him down, in front of the all these people … and Rennen’s mom. If her own mother saw her right now, she’d be mortified. She moved to get off Rennen, but he slid his arms around her waist, pulling her back down. “What’re you doing?” she grunted.

  “What I should’ve done yesterday,” he uttered. In a flash, he turned so that he was on top of her.

  “You’re such a pig,” she muttered indignantly before his lips came down on hers. She fought against the kiss for an instant. “Not here,” she tried to say, but the familiar flame licked through her as she returned his kiss with an urgency that surprised her. He pulled away, getting to his feet. Then he held out a hand, helping her to her feet.

  His eyes lit with victory as a smile tipped his lips. “Now that’s what I call a sparring match.”

  A smile curved her lips. “You talk big for a guy who just got whooped.”

  Rennen crouched into a fighting position, grinning. “Care to go for round two? Double or nothing?”

  She made a face. “Are you serious?”

  A reckless glint came into his eyes. “For real this time.”

  Adrenaline rushed through her veins. “All right. I’m game.” She balled her fist and socked him, her hand making a loud pop as it connected with his jaw. He fell to his knees, then curled into a fetal position.

  Alarm trickled down Ariana’s spine. She’d not hit him that hard, had she?

  She leaned over and touched his shoulder. “Are you okay?”

  When he didn’t move, she shoved him. “Rennen.” Her throat went thick with fear. She about jumped out of her skin when he got up on one knee and reached for her hands. A picture flashed on the Jumbotron as piano music began playing. At first, Ariana didn’t get it. Then everything became clear as tears brimmed in her eyes. The picture was a black and white photo of Rennen, holding up a large poster that read, I’m sorry.

  His gaze held hers. “Just me and you … no distractions … only what really matters. I love you, and I want you in my life. Please give us another chance. I promise, I won’t let you down.”

  “I love you too,” she uttered, tears rolling down her cheeks. She let out a half-laugh. “I’m sorry I’m so stubborn.”

  He stood, arms encircling her waist. “And I’m sorry I’ve been too stupid to realize all the blessings I have in my life … starting with you.”

  She stood on her tiptoes, lifting her face to his. A thunderous applause broke out across the stadium as their lips connected. Ariana slid her arms around Rennen’s neck letting the feel of his lips overtake her, drowning out all else.

  Epilogue

  Six months later …

  Ariana wrinkled her nose as she looked across the table at Rennen and Ace. “You sure this is a good idea?”

  Ace hooted, his voice taking on an exaggerated Mexican accent. “Yeah, wedo, you should listen to your woman. I don’t think your delicate stomach can handle more than a couple of these tamales.”

  “We’ll see about that, amigo,” Rennen snorted. He patted his stomach, a cocky smile sliding over his lips. “I’ve got a gut of steel, and I’m about to prove it.”

  Ace chuckled. “That’s what you said last week, when I roasted your butt in sprints.”

  Rennen pulled a face. “That was luck. Besides, my body’s worn-out from the Titan’s season.” His eyes sparkled, a teasing grin tugging at his lips. “You know, winning the Championship Game was tough, man.”

  Ace scowled. “Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, wedo. Whatever helps you sleep at night.” He looked at Ariana. “You sure you wanna marry this guy? His ego’s the size of Texas.”

  A smile played on Ariana’s lips as she looked down at the humongous rock on her finger. “Well, I guess I could hock this thing and make a small fortune.”

  Rennen clutched his chest. “Ouch. Now that hurt.”

  “Just teasing. I guess I have to keep him.” Her eyes locked with Rennen’s as a surge of electricity raced through her. Then came the wave of tenderness.

  The past six months had been a whirlwind with the renovations at the gym and Rennen’s winning season. But they had also been glorious. Ariana was so in love with Rennen she could hardly breathe. They were getting married in the spring. Her mother was overjoyed to be able to plan the wedding, but her ideas were so grand, they bordered on outlandish, reminding Ariana of the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding. While it was a constant battle to make sure the wedding would be tasteful and elegant, Ariana was glad her family was so excited about the event. Everyone had welcomed Rennen into the family with open arms. And despite the fact that Rennen and Ace were always competing for the top-dog position, Ariana could tell they were close.

  Delphine purchased a condo in Ft. Worth so she would have a place to stay during her frequent visits. Thomas accompanied her on her trips. Delphine and Thomas were so close that Ariana was starting to think Thomas was more than just her chauffeur. They’d not brought their relationship out in the open yet, but Ariana suspected that was coming in the near future. She chuckled inwardly. If Fabiana had anything to do with it, Delphine and Thomas would be married by the summer. She had taken one look at them and deemed them two, timid souls in need of a helping hand to bring them together as a couple.

  Now that Rennen’s season was over, he and Ariana were planning a trip to the Hamptons to visit Delphine. Rennen asked his mother who his father was, but she told him some things were better left in the past. Ariana knew Rennen well enough to know that he wouldn’t be satisfied with that answer forever; but for now, he was willing to let it ride while he strengthened his relationship with Delphine. The change that had taken place in Rennen was remarkable. He seemed more complete and settled.

  Silver put a hand on Ariana’s arm. “You might as well sit back and relax.” She pointed to the large platter of tamales in the center of the table. “Those two aren’t going anywhere.”

  “I know, and Mom’s in the kitchen making more tamales,” Ariana said.

  It was comical how fast Rennen and Ace’s eyes bulged.

  “Seriously?” Ace asked. “I thought Mom was watching Gracie and little Ace.”

  “Yeah, they’re in the kitchen, but Dad’s watching them while Mom’s cooking,” Ariana said straight-faced, but then couldn’t hold back the laugh. “Just teasing,” she quipped.

  Rennen sighed in relief.

  Silver pushed back her chair. “Speaking of the kids, I’d better check on them.” She chuckled. “You know how much Gracie loves fried ice cream. She’ll eat Fabiana out of house and home.”

  “I doubt that very seriously,” Ariana said. “Mom has enough food in that kitchen to feed ten armies.”

  Silver just shook her head and smiled as she walked away.

  It was fun to see Ace and Silver with two children, now that Silver’d had her baby. Fabiana was tickled pink to have another grandchild and kept hinting to Ariana and Rennen that they should start their family right after they were married, so she could have another grandchild.

  Rennen rubbed his hands together. “Let the eating begin.”

  “You�
�re going down, wedo,” Ace said.

  They looked at Ariana.

  “Give us the signal to start,” Ace prompted. “And remember, you’re the moderator.” He glanced at Rennen. “But don’t be giving your man any preferential treatment.”

  “Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it,” Ariana said, her gaze locking with Rennen’s.

  Rennen’s eyes danced with adventure. “She’s telling the truth. She won’t cut me an ounce of slack.”

  A bubble of sheer happiness broke in her chest, spreading warmth through her. “Someone has to keep you in line.”

  A smile tugged at Rennen’s lips, his eyes caressing hers. “And you’re the perfect one for the job.”

  “Absolutely.”

  A full smile broke over his lips. “I love you, babe.”

  She smiled back. Life was good! Oh, so good. “I love you too.” She leaned forward, excitement trickling down her spine. “Ready, set … go!”

  Get Your Free Book

  Hey there, thanks for taking the time to read The Ghost Groom from the Texas Titan Romance Series. If you enjoyed it, please take a minute to give me a review on Amazon. I really appreciate your feedback, as I depend largely on word of mouth to promote my books.

  The Ghost Groom is a stand-alone novel, but you’ll also enjoy reading the other books in the Texas Titan Romance Series.

  The Persistent Groom

  The Fearless Groom

  The Tough Love Groom

  The Miracle Groom

  The Trustworthy Groom

  The Second Chance Groom

  The Dream Groom

  Just a quick note—you may have noticed that my spelling of wedo (Ace’s nickname for Rennen in the epilogue) was a bit unusual. Language is always tricky. The correct spelling is güero. However, I wanted to make sure everyone understood what Ace was saying, so I took liberties and used the phonetic spelling. I hope it didn’t throw too many people off, especially those from Texas.

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  Bonus Chapter of The Persistent Groom

  The first rule of event planning: no matter how thoroughly you plan an event, something always goes wrong.

  Silver knew the drill. In fact, she made a practice of adding in extra time to deal with unexpected hiccups. But this job had been riddled with problems from day one. What made it worse was that the Light the Way Gala and Bachelor Auction was her biggest event yet—the one that could either make or break her rising business. Silver had been jumping from one problem to the next all day long, putting out fires. Judging by the pinched expression on her assistant’s face, it wasn’t getting any better. She let out a long breath, bracing herself for the bad news. “What’s wrong now?”

  “The photographer says if you don’t pay him extra, he’ll pack up his crew and leave.”

  “What?” Silver exploded, her hand going to her hip. “That’s ridiculous. I already paid him the first half of his fee. He doesn’t get the rest until the job’s done. That was our deal.”

  Marla threw her hands up in defeat. “I tried to tell him that, but he won’t listen. Says he’ll only talk to you.”

  She muttered under her breath, shaking her head. Her regular photographer was doing a wedding this weekend, forcing Silver to get someone else. This guy came highly recommended, but was trouble from the get-go. And now, thirty minutes before the start of the Gala, he was threatening to leave. “He’s supposed to be setting up at the entrance to photograph guests as they arrive, and his people are to be inside as well.” A red-carpet reception was an integral part of the event, and having a photographer on site to take pictures was mandatory. Swarms of reporters and paparazzi were already camped out on the front grounds of the mansion, waiting for Dallas’s elite to arrive, donning their finest evening wear. As far as Texans were concerned, this gala ranked right up there with the Oscars. This year, the event was bigger than ever because the famous Triple Threat of the Dallas Titans were participating in the auction. The three most celebrated football players on the team also happened to be bachelors. Three lucky ladies would bid exorbitant amounts for the opportunity to go on a date with one of the trio. News media outlets dubbed the gala Dallas’s most important event of the year. The tickets, which cost five thousand dollars a head, sold out the first hour they were on sale.

  When Silver got the opportunity to plan this event, she thought she’d died and gone to heaven, hardly believing something like this could fall in her lap. Then she almost cried when she discovered which football players were participating in the auction. Fate certainly had a sense of humor. Here she was, planning an event where Ace Sanchez would be one of the main participants. She could only hope she could avoid him. An unbidden image of Ace flashed through her mind, and she saw his black, soulful eyes and lopsided grin. Her heart picked up a notch as she balled her fists. She shook her head, brushing aside all thoughts of Ace. Whatever was between them ended a lifetime ago. They were living separate lives in separate universes. She had to remain focused on the task at hand. Her business depended on it. Silver tried to think of a solution that would appease the photographer. The wretched man had her over a barrel, and he knew it. She’d have to pay the bozo extra to keep him tonight, but she certainly didn’t have to use him again. Her eyes narrowed as she straightened her shoulders. “I’ll go talk to him.”

  Marla nodded. “I’m afraid there’s more.”

  Silver tensed. “What else?”

  “America Starr has been causing a ruckus, refusing to eat the food laid out by guest services. The poor caterer is at her wits’ end.”

  An incredulous laugh bubbled in Silver’s throat. “Well, what does the caterer expect? Everyone knows America’s reputation. Furthermore, she’s not the first celebrity to make waves at an event. It goes with the territory. As a professional, the caterer should be used to celebrities making unreasonable demands.”

  “America threw the entire tray of food out in the hall where it splattered all over her body guards.”

  Silver’s eyes bulged. “What?” A world-renowned pop singer, America, was one of the emcees for the event. She was notorious for being difficult, but her fame provided the gala lots of publicity. So, the organizers of the event turned a blind eye to America’s antics. On camera or in front of a crowd America was gold; but in real life, she was a spoiled, teenage brat. America pitched a royal fit because she was picked up from the airport in a regular rental car rather than a limousine. She flat-out refused to ride in the rental car. Instead, she sat on the curb at the airport with her luggage piled in mountains around her until a limousine was called. Also, her two-thousand-dollar a night suite in an award-winning, five-star-hotel was in her words, “too stuffy.”

  Silver rubbed a hand across her forehead. “Tell the caterer to give America whatever she wants, even if it costs extra. We have to keep her happy.”

  Marla nodded.

  “Anything else?”

  Marla seemed to duck slightly under Silver’s piercing gaze. “The sound system’s still cutting out. The techs are working on it and assure me it’ll be fixed in time for the auction.” She paused, shaking her head. “But, I dunno.”

  Tiny beads of sweat popped over Silver’s forehead. She’d barely gotten a wink of sleep the night before, fretting over details of the event, and it was starting to catch up to her. “Okay, thanks for letting me know. There’s nothing we can do about that now, just hope and pray they get it fixed in time. How’s the ballroom? Is everything set for the banquet?”

  “Exquisite.” Marla’s face brightened. “You should definitely use this florist again. The arrangements are the best I’ve ever seen. I love the contrast of the red tulips against the periwinkle hyacinths.”

  Silver relaxed a fract
ion. “Good.” At least one thing was going right. Bliss Events was up and coming, but this was her business’s first time doing an event of this caliber … at Rosecrest Mansion, to boot. Once a residential mansion, Rosecrest was transformed into a world-class, luxury hotel that was a favorite gathering place for the Dallas social scene. Silver had a deep appreciation for the venerable mansion with its Spanish Colonial Revival Architecture that boasted a buttery vanilla stucco exterior, clay roof tiles and arched windows and doors. Silver always wanted to do an event here. If she pulled this off, it would bode well for her business. A few more hours, and it would all be over. She just had to hold her cool … and avoid Ace Sanchez at all costs.

  Silver had just finished up with the photographer when her phone rang. She pulled it out of her pocket. It was a number she didn’t recognize. Figuring it to be someone calling about the event, she answered. “Hello?”

  “Hello, this is Ruth Fielding from The Wexton Academy.”

  Silver’s pulse increased as her hand went to her chest. “Yes?”

  “I apologize for calling you after business hours, but I thought you’d like to know that your daughter Gracie has been accepted into our program.”

  Tears sprang to Silver’s eyes. “That’s fantastic!”

  “We have you scheduled for an appointment next Tuesday at nine a.m. This meeting is for you and Gracie. It’ll be a great opportunity for both of you to meet her teachers and get acquainted with our school. I’ll send you an email with the pertinent details and a list of resources accessible to Gracie. Let me check to make sure I have your correct email address.” Silver heard papers rustling in the background before the woman rattled off the address.

  “Yes, that’s it.” Her head was spinning. Gracie would be attending The Wexton Academy! It was like she had to keep repeating it, for the information to sink in.