in town.”
“When she pass?”
“About fourteen years ago, after Kylie was born. You ready
to roll?” They stripped down to shorts, did some warm-ups, and put on their
gloves. In the ring, Gideon came out swinging. “What’s going on between you and
Joci? She’s off her game and the trail leads to you.”
“Direct. You don’t pull any punches.” Jared laughed at his
own joke.
Gideon raised an eyebrow, his left hook missed its target.
“Wades go for the jugular. Faster that way.”
“I’ve noticed.”
“My sister’s a real ball-buster. Growing up around us left
her little choice. Mom tried damn hard to dress her up in pink and ponytails,
but Joci wouldn’t have it. She’s as stubborn as they come.” Gideon’s fist made
first contact with Jared’s gut. “Now answer my question.”
“I want to date her. She wants the same thing, but denies
it, and I won’t take no for an answer. When it comes to mule-headedness, she’s
met her match.” Jared danced away from a left jab, sweat sliding down his
chest, tickling his bellybutton.
“She doesn’t trust easily,” Gideon said, blocking Jared’s
right cross, veins pulsing along taut biceps. “The men in her life haven’t been
there for her and over the years it has sucked her dry.”
“That’s why she axes relationships? She sees them as
burdens?” Jared’s one-two punch hit its target.
Gideon nodded after moving far enough back to avoid Jared’s
fists. “Most have been. That asshat of a first husband up and left after Kylie
was born. She held the family together when Mom was sick. Now she shoulders
Dad’s care, runs interference when I run too loose with the ladies, organizes
Tommy days, when she forces all of us to make care packages to send to our
brother. You want her? Fight by her side, no matter what. And take care of her.
She pretends to not need it…but she does.”
Chapter Eight
The high-school parking lot buzzed with cars. The first wave
of would-be girls’ soccer fans headed to the stadium. Jocelyn, Gideon and Alan
commandeered the front row. The teams lined up for play and Jared scanned the
filled bleachers. His gaze caught hers and he nodded thanks. Pointing at him,
she mouthed, “Your turn now.”
“Trust me,” he mouthed back with a smile that knocked her
socks off.
Tied at two-all in the second half of the game, during the
final minutes, Kylie passed to Tessa Atwater and the Madison Blaze scored,
winning the game 3-2. The crowd roared to its feet, hooting and hollering, the
Wade clan in the thick of it. Jocelyn let loose with cheers and clapped her
hands red. Her heart wept with joy watching the real victory of the day, Kylie
smack in the middle of the team hugfest, face flushed with delight.
When Kylie ran over to them, Jocelyn grabbed hold and
couldn’t let go.
“Great game. What you’ve done with those kids is
extraordinary,” Gideon said. His voice startled Jocelyn back to reality—one
with Jared Wyatt in a tight black T outlining every damn muscle hovering in her
face.
“The bleachers were packed, uniforms top-of-the-line, you
even provided drinks and snacks—a first for me. Thank you.”
“You did more than what you promised, I could do no less.”
Her knees buckled when his gaze locked on to her and seemed to probe for hidden
secrets.
“I’d start fundraising for the trip to the national
championships.”
“Deal.” Her daughter happy in her arms, Jared’s grin
lighting up her world, a one-word answer was all she could muster.
* * * * *
With Kylie at teammate’s house for a sleepover, Jocelyn
prowled around her too-quiet, too-empty house, surfed TV channels, tossed
through books, rearranged the spice rack—nothing grabbed her interest. Flipping
through cookbooks, she sought the perfect cinnamon scone recipe. Baking her
favorite breakfast would keep her busy for twenty minutes at least.
The knock at the door jacked her energy level from sluggish
to slow. Even if it were most likely a
“When she pass?”
“About fourteen years ago, after Kylie was born. You ready
to roll?” They stripped down to shorts, did some warm-ups, and put on their
gloves. In the ring, Gideon came out swinging. “What’s going on between you and
Joci? She’s off her game and the trail leads to you.”
“Direct. You don’t pull any punches.” Jared laughed at his
own joke.
Gideon raised an eyebrow, his left hook missed its target.
“Wades go for the jugular. Faster that way.”
“I’ve noticed.”
“My sister’s a real ball-buster. Growing up around us left
her little choice. Mom tried damn hard to dress her up in pink and ponytails,
but Joci wouldn’t have it. She’s as stubborn as they come.” Gideon’s fist made
first contact with Jared’s gut. “Now answer my question.”
“I want to date her. She wants the same thing, but denies
it, and I won’t take no for an answer. When it comes to mule-headedness, she’s
met her match.” Jared danced away from a left jab, sweat sliding down his
chest, tickling his bellybutton.
“She doesn’t trust easily,” Gideon said, blocking Jared’s
right cross, veins pulsing along taut biceps. “The men in her life haven’t been
there for her and over the years it has sucked her dry.”
“That’s why she axes relationships? She sees them as
burdens?” Jared’s one-two punch hit its target.
Gideon nodded after moving far enough back to avoid Jared’s
fists. “Most have been. That asshat of a first husband up and left after Kylie
was born. She held the family together when Mom was sick. Now she shoulders
Dad’s care, runs interference when I run too loose with the ladies, organizes
Tommy days, when she forces all of us to make care packages to send to our
brother. You want her? Fight by her side, no matter what. And take care of her.
She pretends to not need it…but she does.”
Chapter Eight
The high-school parking lot buzzed with cars. The first wave
of would-be girls’ soccer fans headed to the stadium. Jocelyn, Gideon and Alan
commandeered the front row. The teams lined up for play and Jared scanned the
filled bleachers. His gaze caught hers and he nodded thanks. Pointing at him,
she mouthed, “Your turn now.”
“Trust me,” he mouthed back with a smile that knocked her
socks off.
Tied at two-all in the second half of the game, during the
final minutes, Kylie passed to Tessa Atwater and the Madison Blaze scored,
winning the game 3-2. The crowd roared to its feet, hooting and hollering, the
Wade clan in the thick of it. Jocelyn let loose with cheers and clapped her
hands red. Her heart wept with joy watching the real victory of the day, Kylie
smack in the middle of the team hugfest, face flushed with delight.
When Kylie ran over to them, Jocelyn grabbed hold and
couldn’t let go.
“Great game. What you’ve done with those kids is
extraordinary,” Gideon said. His voice startled Jocelyn back to reality—one
with Jared Wyatt in a tight black T outlining every damn muscle hovering in her
face.
“The bleachers were packed, uniforms top-of-the-line, you
even provided drinks and snacks—a first for me. Thank you.”
“You did more than what you promised, I could do no less.”
Her knees buckled when his gaze locked on to her and seemed to probe for hidden
secrets.
“I’d start fundraising for the trip to the national
championships.”
“Deal.” Her daughter happy in her arms, Jared’s grin
lighting up her world, a one-word answer was all she could muster.
* * * * *
With Kylie at teammate’s house for a sleepover, Jocelyn
prowled around her too-quiet, too-empty house, surfed TV channels, tossed
through books, rearranged the spice rack—nothing grabbed her interest. Flipping
through cookbooks, she sought the perfect cinnamon scone recipe. Baking her
favorite breakfast would keep her busy for twenty minutes at least.
The knock at the door jacked her energy level from sluggish
to slow. Even if it were most likely a
Similar Books
