Run With My Heart (Texas Tornadoes Sports Romance Book 1)

by Lorana Hoopes

  Headlights flashed, blinding her, as a car pulled into the parking lot. Please be him, she thought. Please be Tucker.

  But it wasn’t. She recognized Benji’s mother’s car as soon as it grew closer. “Do we go ahead and let them in?” she asked Kenzi in a quiet voice.

  “Of course we do,” Kenzi said. “It’s freezing out there, and I promise everything will be okay.”

  Shelby nodded, but as another car pulled in, she couldn’t help but wonder what they would do if Tucker didn’t show.

  * * *

  “Thanks for agreeing to do this, guys.” Tucker looked around at the assembled group of football players. Not only had most of the guys from his team agreed to come; but Emmitt, his old teammate from the Rebels, had arrived as well. The Rebels were already out of the playoffs for the year, and as his wife’s family lived close to Southlake, he had decided that he would help out and then drive out to meet them.

  “What exactly are we doing, Tucker?” Emmitt asked.

  “We are playing Santa to some kids who deserve it,” Tucker said with a smile. He had spent entirely too much money on the toys and new equipment, but he knew in his heart it would be worth it. “Everyone grab a gift and let’s load up.”

  He glanced at his watch as the guys began grabbing packages. They were a little behind schedule, but he didn’t think Shelby would mind when she saw what he had in store. He grabbed a few packages and carried them out to his truck. The back was already loaded up with presents, but there was room for two more. He slid them in and then turned to see how the other guys were doing. They had decided to ride three in a truck, but even with that, they still needed four trucks to carry all the packages.

  When the last box was loaded and the men were situated in the trucks, Tucker climbed behind the wheel of his own. Emmitt and Blaine were riding with him, something he never thought he’d see.

  “This is a nice gesture,” Emmitt said as Tucker turned the key.

  “Thanks, Rev. I guess you rubbed off on me more than you or I knew.”

  Blaine, surprisingly, stayed quiet. Tucker didn’t mind though. He enjoyed catching up with Emmitt as they drove to the center.

  His eyes widened as he pulled into the center’s parking lot though. There were more cars than he could ever remember seeing parked in the parking lot. So many that he was forced to park in the fire lane because there were no open spots.

  “Are all these cars here for the party?” Blaine asked.

  “I think so,” Tucker said.

  “I hope we brought enough gifts,” Emmitt said as if reading Tucker’s mind.

  “Well, if we didn’t, then I’ll just have to go shopping again tomorrow.”

  As he turned the engine off, he spied a figure clad in red speeding in his direction. Was that Shelby? He blinked, not believing his eyes. He’d assumed from the color of the dress that it had to be Kenzi, but Kenzi’s hair was dark; and the hair on this woman was definitely blonde. His heart skipped a beat as he stepped out to meet her.

  “What took you so long?” she asked when she was within earshot. “The kids are waiting inside, and I’m running out of ways to entertain them.”

  He could hear the frustration in her voice, and it matched the expression on her face. But he couldn’t concentrate on her words. His focus was drawn to her mouth. Her beautiful lips were painted cherry red, and they screamed that they wanted to be kissed. There was makeup around her eyes that brought out their color as well, and something about the red against her skin made it appear creamier than he remembered. Every bone in his body ached to take her in his arms, but he couldn’t do that right now. Right now, it was all about the kids.

  “I’m sorry.” He took her hands, unable to keep himself from touching a small part of her. “We took a little longer loading up than I thought we would, but I promise it will be worth it.”

  She glanced briefly down at their hands before meeting his gaze. “We?”

  At that moment, the passenger door opened behind him and Blaine and Emmitt stepped out. Then, as if in sync, the door of the other three trucks opened and their players tumbled out as well.

  “Yeah. We. I brought a few friends.” He squeezed her hands, enjoying the expression of shock painted across her face. “Now go tell those kids that it’s time to open presents.”

  With a final incredulous glance, she turned around and dashed back into the center. Tucker turned to his friends and motioned them with his hands. “Let’s go, boys.”

  Tucker could scarcely believe it was the same center as he walked in. The feel of Christmas was everywhere — from the decorative wreaths hung about the room to the sounds of “White Christmas” playing softly over the speakers to the artificial Christmas tree near the far end. It sparkled with every color of light and probably every ornament the center had from the looks of it. The only thing it was missing was presents.

  The room had been filled with a dull chatter, but as he and the other football players walked in, a hush fell across the room. Kids and parents alike stared at them as if the men were mirages in a desert, and everyone appeared afraid to make the first move or say a word for fear they might disappear.

  “It’s Tucker.” Benji’s voice echoed across the room, and Tucker smiled. He was glad Benji was here. He had a special present for the boy. “I knew he’d make it.”

  And then the dam broke. The kids raced across the floor shouting “Merry Christmas” and asking about the presents. “Are those for us?”

  “One at a time,” Tucker said with a smile. “Let my friends set the gifts down first.” The children quieted, but Tucker could see their barely-contained energy with each bounce of a foot or bob of a head. They were calm now, but it wouldn’t last long. “First, let me introduce my friends. This is my friend Emmitt Brown. I played with him on the San Antonio Rebels where he still plays. He drove down here just to meet you guys.”

  Eyes widened and jaws dropped as the kids looked at Emmitt. “Next to him is Blaine Hollis. I’m sure you guys recognize him as the quarterback for the Tornadoes.” He continued the process until every player had been introduced. “Now, my friends have some gifts for you guys. Who wants presents?”

  The screams of the children rocked Tucker back, and he chuckled. They were certainly excited. “All right, let’s open some presents. If you like dolls and dress-up clothes, I want you to find a player holding a pink gift, and if you like sports and cars, find a player with a blue gift.”

  As they hadn’t known who all would be in attendance or what they might like, Tucker had figured wrapping all of the presents in pink and blue would be the easiest way to get the right type of gift to the right child. This would allow the kids to choose the type of gift they might enjoy more. The children scrambled around deciding on which gift they wanted, and when every child had one, Tucker gave the announcement they could open them.

  Chaos ensued. Paper was ripped and thrown into the air. Squeals of laughter and shouts of joy echoed throughout the room, and, as soon as their gift was open, the kids were off showing it to their parents, their friends, or just playing with it in the middle of the floor.

  Tucker touched the gifts still in his pocket as he made his way over to Benji and his mother. Benji had ended up with a microscope, something Tucker was sure the boy would enjoy with his love of science. “Hey Benji, do you like your gift?”

  The smile on the boy’s face said more than words ever could. “I love it, Mr. Tucker. Thanks for doing this for us.”

  His mother — a pale, slender woman with mousy brown hair who looked as if life had been harder on her than necessary — sniffed and wiped a tear from her eye. “Yes, thank you. This is more than we could have hoped for.”

  Emotion choked Tucker’s throat, and he coughed to clear it. “I actually have one more gift for Benji if that’s okay?”

  Questions filled her eyes, but she nodded.

  “Benji, I probably won’t be playing in the game, but I have two tickets with your name on them. Would you lik
e to come see the Tornadoes play in person? You and your mother would be my guests in the luxury box.”

  Benji’s eyes grew to the size of half dollars. “Really? Me?”

  “Yes, you.” Tucker knelt in front of the boy and placed a hand on his knee. “I don’t have any kids yet, but when I do, I hope I have a son just like you, so it would be amazing if you could come to the game.”

  Benji turned his face to his mother. “Mom, can we?”

  “It’s too much.” Emotion filled the woman’s voice and another tear escaped from her eye.

  “No, it’s not. Please, come.” He placed the two tickets in her hand. “I insist. Merry Christmas.”

  She nodded and though she could say no more, he could read the thanks in her teary gaze.

  “That was very kind of you, Tucker.”

  Tucker turned to see Sylvie Sanders and her cameraman behind him. “Thank you. I’m glad you could make it. Have you had a chance to get some footage of the party?”

  “I have, but I am curious as to why you called me out here. Does this have anything to do with your suspension for Sunday’s game?”

  So, she’d heard about that. He opened his mouth to tell her it did. To tell her that Jude Renfrow had been the donor last year and pulled his donation because of the skirmish with Tucker, but then he realized his motives for donating to this party would come into question. Yes, he wanted to play Sunday, more than anything; but he didn’t want to ruin this moment for the kids.

  “No, it actually isn’t, Sylvie. I called you out here because I wanted the people of Southlake to see what an amazing center this is, what fantastic kids these are, and what an outstanding job Director Shelby Doll is doing here. This party almost didn’t happen because they couldn’t find a donor to fund it. I couldn’t let that happen. After volunteering here for the last week, I have seen firsthand how important this center is to the families who use it. I know that not everyone can donate the way I did, but everyone can do something even if it’s volunteering their time.”

  “So, you don’t care about the game Sunday?”

  Tucker smiled and shook his head. “Of course I care about the game Sunday. It’s the wild card game. If we win, we continue on in the playoffs, but if we lose it will be the last game of the season. Do I wish I was playing? Absolutely. But I learned an important lesson. I was suspended because I got into an altercation with someone after our last game. Even though I didn’t throw the first punch and was just defending myself, I was in the bar because I was angry. I was angry at our loss, angry at being traded, angry at my father. Working here has let me see how misplaced that anger was. It has showed me how lucky I am to play on a great team with these other amazing players who came out tonight to help me bring some Christmas cheer to these kids.”

  “Well, that is certainly a feel-good story that our viewers will enjoy,” Sylvie said as she motioned for the cameraman to stop rolling. “Off the record though, do you know why the previous donor chose not to donate this year?”

  Tucker flashed her a tight-lipped smile. He knew what she was trying to do, but he wasn’t going to bite. He’d given her enough information that if she really wanted to run with that story, she could look it up herself. Instead, he pointed over her shoulder at the refreshment table. “I need to see Shelby about something. If you’ll excuse me.”

  18

  “This is amazing, Tucker. I can’t believe you pulled all this together in just a day,” Shelby said as he approached her. She held out a glass of punch to him and then filled a second cup for herself.

  “You did all the hard work, Shelby. I just got the toys here.” He took a sip of the punch, but his eyes never left her face.

  Shelby’s heart quickened in her chest. The way he was looking at her felt like a caress. She could almost feel his hand against her cheek, and the thought of it sent her blood pulsing through her body. “You did a lot more than that, Tucker Jackson. Don’t think I don’t know it.”

  “Well, I have two more things for you. Will you follow me?”

  Follow him? With the way he was looking at her right now? She’d probably follow him off a cliff right now if he asked. “Sure.” The word barely made it past her throat and came out more like a whisper than an answer, but he seemed to understand it anyway.

  He took her cup and placed it on the table along with his own. Then he reached for her hand. Warm tingles shot up her arm as their skin touched, and Shelby fought to compose her breathing. He led her toward the door. “Wait, my coat.”

  “Don’t worry about it. You can use my jacket. We won’t be long.” He paused long enough to shrug out of his suit jacket and place it on her shoulders.

  She knew the chill was biting outside, but even when they stepped out of the warmth of the center, she didn’t feel it. It was as if their connection was heating them both.

  “I got a few more things for the center,” he said as he steered them toward the back of his truck.

  Her eyes widened as she saw the new sports equipment in the bed of the truck. “Tucker, you didn’t have to do this.”

  “Yes, I did. Have you tried playing basketball with those balls?”

  She chuckled at the seriousness in his voice and shook her head. “I know how awful they are. I don’t play, but I’ve watched the kids try to use them. Still, this is too much. You’ve done so much already.”

  “If I plan to keep volunteering, I’d like to have better equipment.”

  Her lips parted and she stared up at him. “Do you mean it? You want to keep volunteering?” She had hoped he would want to stay, but she hadn’t wanted to ask him for fear of his answer.

  He took her other hand and pulled her close to his chest. “If you’ll let me.”

  Suddenly, it was hard to breathe. It was as if a hand was squeezing her lungs closed. “Of course I’ll let you.”

  The corners of his lips twitched, showing off the dimple in his cheek. “Good, there’s just one more thing then.”

  “What’s that?” Shelby could hardly get the words out. She felt locked in his gaze. The smell of him intoxicated her — this manly scent that reminded her of campfires and woods. It made her want to close her eyes and breathe in deeply.

  “We need to get you to relax a little.” He let go of one of her hands, and she watched in slow motion as his hand touched her hair. With deft fingers, he pulled the first pin out, and she felt a chunk of hair fall and bounce by her face. Then another pin and finally the clip holding it all in place.

  She wanted to say something, to do something, though she had no idea what. But she couldn’t. Her feet were frozen in place. Her eyes were locked with his. It was taking all her effort just to remember to breathe. And then his hand was in her hair, and the feel of it sent the tiny hairs on the back of her neck up. Goosebumps broke out on her arms, and she closed her eyes, relishing the sensation.

  “That’s much better.” His hand moved from her hair to the back of her neck, and Shelby’s eyes snapped open. Was he going to kiss her? She could see the desire in his eyes and hear it in the thudding of his heart. Or was that hers? It appeared she could no longer tell the difference.

  “I have one more question for you, Shelby Doll.” His voice was husky and constricted with emotion.

  “Yes?” The word was airy, far off, as if she had answered from another plane.

  “Would it be breaking any rules if I kissed the director of the center?” The twinkling in his eye told her he didn’t really care if it did. He was going to kiss her unless she protested, and she had no plans to do that.

  She managed a small shake of her head, and then warmth flooded her body as his lips touched hers. Having always been the shy, quiet one, Shelby hadn’t kissed that many men; but she didn’t think she would ever forget this kiss with Tucker. Electricity buzzed through her, racing down her legs and curling her toes in her shoes.

  “Oh, I do have one more gift for you,” Tucker said when they pulled back.

  Shelby couldn’t imagine what else he
might have for her. He’d already given her more than she had ever expected. “What is it?”

  “I probably won’t get to play because of this suspension, but will you be my guest at the game on Christmas?” He pulled out two tickets from his pocket. “There’s one for Kenzi too.”

  “Of course, I’d be happy to, but there has to be something we can do so you can play.” She couldn’t stand the thought of him not getting to do the thing he loved the most. He had changed so much. The man who stood before her today was no longer the angry man who had entered her center a week ago.

  He brushed her hair behind her ear and shook his head. “No, but it’s fine. It’s just a game. Working with you and with these kids the last week has shown me that.”

  Shelby could tell it was still more than a game to him, but he was trying to accept it. She had to try and help him.

  * * *

  Tucker could tell from the glint in her eye that Shelby wasn’t going to just let it go, but at least she didn’t push him for more information.

  “Okay, if you’re sure.”

  “I am.” She shivered in his arms, and the reality of the cold air around them landed on his shoulders. “We should get back inside. You’re freezing.”

  “I’m fine,” she said through chattering teeth. “How’s your dad?”

  “He’s good. They put the stent in yesterday afternoon. He has to stay another day for observation, but then he should be able to return home. I — uh — took your advice too, on the way back here. I opened my heart to God. He’s helping me forgive my father and myself.”

  Tears clouded Shelby’s eyes, and she blinked them back. “That’s wonderful, Tucker. Oh, and I almost forgot. The kids have something for you too.”

  “For me?” He couldn’t imagine what the kids might have for him, but he followed Shelby back into the center.