by Misty Evans
Behind that small group, Jenna caught movement. A figure sliding into the shadows.
Jacob.
She knew it as sure as she knew her feet were going to have blisters from her damn shoes. A twinge of anxiety worked its way up her spine. Her limbs felt shaky. Her voice grew ragged. “I have decided to step down as president of 3 Wishes.”
A murmur rippled through the crowd. Jenna held her head high and continued. “As many of you know, I’ve been unsuccessful in the spotlight, and unfortunately, with all the good that’s happened behind the scenes, I’ve been a failure there as well.”
Her parents looked confused. Alex was frowning. Van shook her head.
Volunteers and kids exchanged looks. The board members, however, were all smiling smugly. They’d accused her of chasing off Jacob. They’d refused to listen to her suggestion to remove Hawke from the running. Getting rid of her would make them all very, very happy.
“My parents, the founders of 3 Wishes, are back from their second honeymoon to help out, and I will, of course, make sure the day-to-day operations aren’t compromised during this transition, but it is my strong suggestion the board and the founders elect Jacob Swinton to the position.”
Heads swiveled again, everyone looking for Jacob. She couldn’t see him clearly in the back, but she knew he was there, staying out of sight.
She prayed he would come forward and accept the presidency right there tonight. She gave him a few seconds to see if he did.
He didn’t.
She wiped at a bead of sweat making its way down behind her ear. “Jacob is the reason you are all here tonight enjoying the setting, the flowers, the excellent food. He’s the reason I’m here. He took a woman who was in way over her head and couldn’t find her way out and turned her into a self-confident, overachieving, success story. Everything I have accomplished in the past month, is due to him.”
Her throat had gone as dry as her mouth. She was starting to sound croaky, so she took another sip of water. “Jacob resigned from the board because of me. Because of a terrible misunderstanding. But 3 Wishes doesn’t need me. It does need Jacob. So I’m stepping down, and hoping Jacob will come back. I was never cut out for being president. He can run the foundation with his eyes closed and his hands tied behind his back.”
She grabbed the remote off the dais. “And now I’m going to show you all why he deserves to be Donor of the Year.”
Abigail appeared on screen, thanks to the wonders of Skype. She gave a moving speech about her brother, about how he’d accepted her and taken care of her for all these years.
There wasn’t a dry eye in the house when she was done.
Wanda dimmed the lights and Jenna hit the play button on the remote, making her way to the side of the stage to watch as her video played out.
It opened with Ruth and Calen, their stories about Jacob. A dozen more thirty-second shots followed, each of a different family Jacob had personally helped without any notoriety or fame. Each gave a testimonial about the good he had done, the way their lives had changed for the better. That segment ended with a close up of Calen talking about his favorite Swinton Family Camp memory and how Jacob had made his dreams come true.
Jenna had already watched the video a dozen times when she was putting it together and editing it. Tears still welled in her eyes.
The screen went dark and people began to shuffle and talk. She held up a hand, pausing the video, and spoke over them. “The video isn’t done, folks. I have one more thing to show you, and believe me, you don’t want to miss this. We have to hear about our other nominee for Donor.”
The crowd quieted. Jenna hit the play button again.
A grainy copy of the video from the USB appeared. Jenna jacked up the volume.
Hawke’s voice rang out over the room. Jenna flinched when it got to the part about the freaky sick kids, hating that the kids and their parents had to hear that. But it was time they knew the truth, that everyone knew the truth.
An appalled gasp rang out. The video finished. Jenna stepped up to the microphone once more. Hawke sat staring at the screen, his mouth hanging open.
“As my last official act as president, I’m overruling the board of directors, and I think the reason is obvious. I’m awarding the 3 Wishes Donor of the Year award to…”
She pulled the plaque from the shelf inside the dais and raised it up. “…Jacob Swinton.”
Applause broke out. Hawke jumped up from his table, knocking over water glasses and making the floral arrangement nearly tip over. “You bitch!” he said. “That award is mine!”
His inebriation caused him to miss one of the stairs and trip as he rushed forward. He went down on one knee, grasping at air before toppling to the side. Lucky for her, Alex was already across the room and grabbing Hawke before he could go any farther. A second figure, one she recognized and loved, joined Alex in hauling Hawke away from the stage. Alex walked Hawke out the back, and Jacob turned to look at her.
His face was blank, his eyes hard.
He hated the video.
He hates me.
He would never accept the award from her. She turned to the audience. “Calen, would you please come forward and present the 3 Wishes Donor of the Year award to your friend and mentor?”
Calen nearly jumped the tables in his hurry to get to the stage. From her chair, Ruth beamed.
As the boy rushed by Jacob, he grabbed his hand and pulled him up the stairs.
Jenna handed the plaque to Calen and stepped back, her eyes never leaving Jacob. “One more thing before I leave,” she said into the microphone. Hushed murmurs ran through the crowd again. “Please, I need to set the record straight on one more thing.”
The room finally fell silent again, everyone probably wondering if she would top the last shocker she’d thrown at them.
The urge to touch her face, twirl her hair, burned under her skin. She held it at bay. She needed everyone, especially Jacob, to listen carefully and not be distracted by her nerves. “I never had a relationship with Hawke Thorn,” she said, looking Jacob in the eyes once more. “The tabloids and the gossip rags had it all wrong. The only man for me—the perfect man for me—was always you, Jacob. I love you, and I’m sorry I hurt you. You’re not only Donor of the Year for 3 Wishes, you’re my hero because you’re the kids’ hero. I don’t know anyone who deserves that plaque more than you.”
With that, Jenna lowered the microphone an inch for Calen, kicked off her stupid shoes, and left the stage.
22
After another fitful night of sleep, Jacob opened his eyes and squinted at the rays of sunshine filtering into his bedroom. He was still on UK time. A couple of weeks spent with Abigail was well worth the horrendous jet lag waiting for him.
The last doctor he’d found for Abigail had some success with gene therapy, for her condition specifically, and he’d had promising results. Jacob had gone to support her during her first round of treatment. To his happy surprise, he’d definitely sensed the chemistry between his sister and the doctor. They’d fought every step of the way, but he’d seen a spark between them. So he’d keep an eye on that situation. He’d hated to leave her but he had meetings that wouldn’t wait. Who was he kidding? He’d been hiding out from the press ever since the dinner.
Instead of vilifying him in the media like they had done for weeks, now they were touting him as the bachelor to end all billionaire bachelors. He’d had to learn quickly that if he wanted to go anywhere in London, he’d have to get creative.
All because Jenna had stood up in front of the whole world in a televised event and told everyone she loved him. Fuck, he missed her. He'd had a lot to think about after the donor dinner. The whole event had been overwhelming. Calen had presented him his award after he’d had a hell of an introduction from Abigail via Skype. All of the families he'd helped were there. Every. Single. One. Jenna hadn't missed even the families he'd helped in passing. All of his kids. The Donor of the Year award. And Jenna.
Fo
rever Jenna. She'd done the scary thing for her. She'd stood up on stage and told him...told the world, she loved him. That she'd made a mistake. She'd put words to the feelings he'd been unable to work away. Unable to fight away. Unable to file away.
He'd been too shell-shocked to do anything. To move, to think. And he'd seen that shattered look in her eyes. That look had been making his brain churn since the dinner. He wanted to make that look go away. He wanted to hold her and tell her he loved her too. But he hadn’t done that. There hadn’t been time. He'd made his stilted speech in a hazy fog. He’d been sure she'd give it to Thorn, so he hadn’t even planned to say anything. He vaguely remembered thanking everyone for coming. Rattling off the names of his kids. But not much else.
There had been some rounds of congratulations after. People shaking his hand. His kids coming to give him hugs and congratulations. Then it had felt like the walls were crashing in on him. For someone who wasn't used to dealing with his emotions, he'd been doing a whole lot of feeling since Jenna slouched into his life. The dinner had been emotion overload. He hadn't even been able to stick around, as he’d scheduled his flight to see Abigail directly after. But that was before Jenna had made her speech.
One thing he did remember clearly, Hawke's pissed off expression. Yeah, it was childish, but God it felt good to see that smug grin off the asshole's face for once. Jacob could get used to something like that.
Now that the haze and the fog had cleared, he could think through the emotional turmoil of that night, of Abigail and her treatments. He'd been lying in his big bed alone for weeks because he thought Jenna wanted Hawke, that she'd chosen the slovenly rocker over him. But she loved him. She hadn’t chosen Hawke at all. And what she'd done for him. Bringing his family together like that.
Something pricked his lids and he blinked rapidly. That's what she'd been doing all those times in Vegas—chasing down his families. Not running off to spend time with the tattooed wonder.
He'd walked away from her. Hadn't given her a chance to explain things. He'd done what he always did. Batten down the emotional hatches.
And he'd lost the woman he loved.
Fuck. He needed to talk to her. More than that, he needed to stop her from making a mistake that would only make her unhappy. She couldn't do that. Not for him. He wouldn't let her.
He wanted her. Now it was time to fight for her like she was fighting for him. There was no way he was letting her step down. That’s not what he wanted.
Then what do you want?
Jenna. He wanted Jenna. Right, then, time to get her back.
Jacob made one quick call before climbing out of bed. The board meeting at 3 Wishes was in two hours. If he hurried, he had time to make the rest of the calls to the other board members so they would support his decision.
* * *
Jacob wiped his hands on his pants. He hadn't been this nervous since his first pitch to a potential donor. Hell, maybe never. Maybe it had been too long. It had been a couple of weeks. Maybe she was over it by now. It didn’t matter. At least he'd tell her how he felt.
Besides, she'd fallen in love with him once. She could fall in love with him again. He wasn’t letting her go so easily this time. He deliberately waited until the meeting was five minutes in. Jenna was notoriously late and he didn't want her to walk in, see him, and bolt.
He opened the door and everyone turned to face him. The board expected him of course, but Jenna, she froze.
Now or never Swinton. “Excuse the interruption.”
She blinked at him, lips slightly parted. Damn, he wanted to kiss her. He'd missed her. Missed her smile, her scent, her laugh. He missed everything. “J-Jacob.”
“Miss McIntyre. If you don’t mind, I need to address the board briefly.”
Her voice trembled and she shook her head. “I, uh...I suppose…”
“Just for a minute, please.”
She stepped aside and he saw how she was careful and deliberate not to touch him.
“Thank you. I wanted to address the board one last time before I am officially off. Earlier this month, I stepped down for personal reasons. As you all heard from Jenna a couple of weeks ago, she has requested that I return, and in return she will tender her resignation.” He inhaled deeply. What if she said no, she wouldn’t have him? Tough, she was stuck with him. “I am afraid I need to decline her offer.”
“Jacob, please—”
He continued. “Jenna McIntyre’s work with the foundation has been tireless. I cannot, in good conscience, accept her resignation. Not on my behalf anyway. Jenna is 3 Wishes. The work she does with volunteers and her kids is invaluable, and 3 Wishes would be lost without her.”
“Jacob, this foundation needs an organization like Swinton behind it.”
He ignored her. “That is why I offer a new proposal. That Jenna stay on as President, as she should, because of the lengths she will go to have wishes granted. And I propose that I remain on the board.” His gaze locked on hers. “I would also very much like for her to be mine.”
Board members shifted in their chairs. A few whispered to each other.
He cleared his throat. “I love you, Red. I've loved you ever since I walked into 3 Wishes that first day as a stand in for my mother and you ran straight into me, wearing flip flops, a Tony Hawk t-shirt , and a hoodie. Your hair was in a sloppy bun thing on top of your head. You didn't look like the woman who would one day be president of this foundation. You looked like a co-ed on her first day at university. Something shifted for me that day, and from that moment on, you have dominated my every waking thought, and half of the sleeping ones, too. I love you and I want to be with you. If you'll have me.”
Tears spilled out of her eyes and she sobbed as she nodded. Jacob scooped her into a hug and held her as she cried.
“Yes, I’ll have you. I'm so sorry. I should have just told you what I was doing with the video—meeting with your families. I never dreamed you thought I was running off with Hawke. I am so—”
He stopped her with a kiss. His lips glided over hers and he dipped his tongue into her mouth, sliding home. The problem with kissing Jenna was once he started...he couldn't stop. It took several cleared throats from the board members to remind him where he was.
When he pulled back, he whispered. “I would have done this a lot sooner, but I had to fly to London to see Abigail.”
She touched his face with a hand. “I missed you.”
“I have missed you more than you know.” Turning his attention back to the board he said, “So I'd like to put it to a vo—”
But everyone said aye without him finishing.
“Looks like it's unanimous. What do you say Jenna, will you have me?”
“I think that can be arranged.”
He took a chip from his pocket, one he’d had made with a picture of the two of them while they were in Vegas, and handed it to her. “You kidding? I'm never letting you go. What do you say after this meeting we head out of here. The plane is waiting on standby to head back to Vegas. That is, of course, if you're free? I have a destination wedding suite reserved for us.”
Her eyes lit up and she kissed him, grabbing the chip from his hand. “Well, seeing as I was about to officially quit my job, I’m pretty sure I can find a few days off. Besides,” she leaned and whispered in his ear, “I’ve been looking forward to becoming a member of the Mile High Club.”
He knew it when he looked into her eyes. Jenna was his new family. He wasn’t a gambling man, but he’d hit the jackpot with her.
He's a controlling and hot FBI agent--a man with a plan. She's a free-spirited spitfire with a mission--and nobody is going to get in her way. In the latest by Nana Malone, Lost in Plain Sight…
She’s an investigative reporter who lives to uncover the truth. He's the man who knows the truth. One wrong move and they’ll be silenced forever. In the latest by Misty Evans, Fatal Truth…
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Don’t miss the first books in the Hit Series in reading order!
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Hit & Run Bride
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Hit & Miss Groom
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Hit the Billionaire Jackpot
Other Books by Misty Evans and Nana Malone
Find more sassy books by Nana Malone:
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London Bound London Calling
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The In Stilettos Series
Sexy in Stilettos Sultry in Stilettos
Sassy in Stilettos Strollers & Stilettos
Seductive in Stilettos Stunning in Stilettos
Sinful in Stilettos
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The Donovans Series
Come Home Again Love Reality
Race For Love Love in Plain Sight
