The two of them, they were victims of poor circumstances and bad misunderstandings, and those very things had derailed their chances at a relationship.
Yes, his actions were selfish and dead wrong.
Hell, they might even be sick…
He drained the wine glass.
But, damn it. Come hell or high water. He was going to put their love train back on the fucking track.
Just as he placed the glass down, Hayven fell back in sight.
Though, she fought to seem controlled, he knew better.
Once she reached the table, she avoided his gaze purposely and ignored him completely. Again though, he’d secretly celebrate the progress that he’d made tonight, regardless of how small it was.
They would be together again.
“I really must be going,” she mumbled with flushed features. “The three of you can stay and enjoy yourselves.”
Richard stood up from the table and grasped her arm. “What’s wrong, Hayven? Are you sick?”
Straightening in the chair, he watched her and caught sight of her trembling lips. Her skittish gaze flew in his direction before moving away.
“I just have a little headache, that’s all.”
Richard tossed a few bills on the table. “Come on. I’m taking you home.” Then, frowning, he released an expletive. “Shit. Alyssa’s car is at the office. We’ll have to drive her there first.”
“Nonsense. There’s no point in you doing all of that driving,” he interjected quickly, passing a look amongst the three of them. “I’m heading back to the city and will be going past there. I’ll drop Alyssa off on the way.”
Naturally, only he heard her small intake of breath, he thought, seeing her tense beside Richard. That was because he knew the real woman breathing beside them all. They knew the caricature, the false creature that they all wanted to see.
But, he’d bring the real woman back out.
One fucking step at a time…
He kept his features impassive and smiled at them all again. For a brief second, his gaze clashed with hers again before she stubbornly refused to.
Perhaps, she was eliciting her own brand of payback, he fumed inwardly, watching as she edged closer to Richard.
But, everything would eventually right itself.
All in due time…
Alyssa placed a hand on his arm. “Thank you, Christopher. I appreciate your offer very much.”
He shrugged. “No problem.”
“Well, I suppose that just leaves me and Hayven then,” Richard noted, wrapping his arm around her waist possessively. “Before we leave, is there anything more that the two of you need to discuss?”
Purposely, he settled his gaze on her.
She barely disguised her troubled look.
He regarded her coolly, silently challenging her to face her feelings. Her eyelashes batted nervously, and as she looked away from him, she caught her breath. “No,” she said softly. “We’re done here.”
“Very well, then. I suppose that we are done,” he muttered, standing, and then assisted Alyssa from the chair. He tossed some bills on the table as well. Then, reaching across the table, he shook Richard’s hand again. “I’ll catch up with you later.” He paused. “And Hayven, I’ll be in contact with you soon about programming.”
She still wouldn’t look at him. “Of course, I’ll be in touch.”
As he and Alyssa walked away, her desperate and hurt look followed them.
Chapter 26
Two weeks later, she and a bus load of boisterous teenagers, mostly male, headed to the Stedman Outreach Center as planned.
After a couple of hours past, she was more than relieved as the bus rolled to a stop at the center’s gymnasium. Though she was accustomed to taking field trips and such, this was probably one of the loudest bus rides ever. Not to mention that the ride was cramped and hot. Luckily, she’d dressed casually in a white polo top, tan trousers, and canvas shoes. It’d lessened the discomfort somewhat.
Everything had been worth it, though.
They’d been looking forward to this trip for ages, she smiled, standing up from the bus seat and faced them. “We have a few ground rules to go over first, guys,” she relayed quickly, adjusting the glasses on her face. “First, there will be no running. We’re going to exit the bus in an orderly manner. Secondly, you will stay with your mentor or chaperone at all times. You will not at any point go anywhere unattended. Thirdly, you will respect all rules and properties while we are here.” She gave a huge smile. “And finally, have fun!”
The cheers went up on the bus again.
Just as she turned and faced the front, she found herself facing Christopher. The sight of him nearly rendered her silent, and she tried not to stare.
A black baseball cap covered his head, and the dark sunglasses shielded his gaze. He wore a navy blue t-shirt that carried the center’s logo and dark gray athletic track pants.
As usual, he was deliciously hot.
“Ms. Grace,” he nodded at her. “We’re happy to see that you and your crew have made it here safely.” Looking past her, he smiled at the kids. “And how are you guys doing today?”
The enthusiastic cheers lit the bus.
Laughing freely, he allowed them to have the exuberant moment. Then, raising a hand, he silenced them quickly. “We have some ground rules that we need to go over, first. While we want you to have fun, we want you to be safe first. One,” he muttered firmly, holding up one finger. “Forgive my language, but no bullshit, alright? You have to follow the rules and do what the adults ask you to do. You respect us. We respect you. That’s all we ask. Two: be respectful to your peers and treat each other with kindness. No fighting or horse playing. If so, you’re out. Three: enjoy yourselves and have fun. Can you do that for me?”
A boisterous ‘yeah’ came from the kids.
While the kids chattered incessantly, he finally addressed her again. “Ms. Grace, I think that we’re ready to unload. Bring them inside the gymnasium, and we’ll get them grouped and placed with mentors.” Then, he passed her one of his legendary gorgeous smiles. “Again, we’re more than happy to have Saint Joe’s here.”
Heart flittering, she returned the smile. “Thank you for having us,” she said somewhat breathlessly. “The kids have really been looking forward to it.”
The Stedman Outreach Center was huge. Easily, the older structural sections were recognizable apart from the new updated additions, she mulled quietly, leading the teenagers up the sidewalk. When they entered into the large gymnasium, she could feel the outpouring of generosity from the mentors sitting and standing around. Without a doubt, the kids were in good hands.
An hour and a half in, she found that she was enjoying herself. Laughing freely, she left her spot on the volleyball court and trotted to the water fountain at the corner of the gym. After drinking her fill, she moved to return to the game. Yet, just as she did, her name was called on the intercom system. “Ms. Grace, please report to the main office area…Ms. Grace, please report to the man office area…”
A short moment later, she was wandering down the narrow hallway. Frowning, she glanced around. Just which office was the main office? As she veered around the next corner, she finally spied it at the very end.
The door was partially open.
But, still, she knocked.
“Come in.”
“I’m Ms. Grace,” she said quietly, sticking her head in the door, only to find a very attractive older African-American woman, sixtyish or so. Then, she took a tentative step inside. “Someone paged me.”
As the woman smiled, she immediately sensed the woman’s kindness and generosity. Dressed in a t-shirt with the center’s logo like Christopher’s and black sweatpants, the woman still managed to look like a fashion model. “Ms. Grace,” the woman murmured, standing up from behind the desk. “I’m Ms. Jess, the director here. Please come in and have a seat.”
She returned the woman’s smile and settled in the seat facing the desk. “T
hank you.”
“We’re so glad to have Saint Joe’s here,” Ms. Jess added, leaning back in the chair. A smile curled her lips again. “From the looks and sounds of things, the kids are having a wonderful time.”
“They are,” she agreed readily. “And I can’t thank your organization enough for taking the time and hosting our kids.” Sighing hard, she passed the woman a serious look. “Most of them come from single parent homes or foster care. It breaks my heart that some many kids today lack the parental support and love that they desperately need.”
“I can see that you’re an individual with the same mindset as my own,” Ms. Jess said seriously. “It’s how the center came about in the first place. We wanted to give hope for the kids in this community. The vast majority of the kids in this neighborhood are like yours. Fatherless. Motherless. Troubled.” She sighed hard. “It breaks my heart to see so many of these poor babies grow up in an unstable environment. Long ago, my husband and I made a commitment---God rest his soul---that we were going to do whatever we could to give back.” Staring at her hard, the woman smiled again. “Here I am, still today, a cantankerous old woman dishing out whatever love and support that I can.”
“Cantankerous?” she said with a small laugh. “Oh, I don’t believe that for one minute.”
“Why don’t you ask Christopher?” Giving a deep chuckle, the woman leaned forward, drawing closer to the desk. “He’ll easily disagree with your assessment.”
“Really? You think so?”
“Think so. Hell, I know so,” Ms. Jess countered back with a quick laugh. “Christopher has known me for a very, very long time. He knows exactly the kind of temperament that I have.” Then, her expression turned serious. “That boy, there, he’s literally been through hell and back. You have no idea how hard and how many times we had to fight to pull him out of the darkness.”
“It sounds like things were horrible,” she said quietly, feeling the tears swell. “At church, we pretty much got the idea that he’s suffered through some things.”
Not to mention his attitude and words at times…
“That’s putting things lightly. To this day, I’m amazed by the strength and character he’s shown. That’s why he needs people in his life that truly and honestly care about what happens to him.”
“I worry about him sometimes,” she confessed softly, and it was puzzling that she wanted to share so much with the woman. “A lot of times, it’s like dealing with two people. There’s one side of him that’ll let you in, and then, there’s the other that holds you at arms length.”
“He does that for a reason,” Ms. Jess uttered, eyeing her thoughtfully. “He has a fragile heart and with good reason. In his lifetime, he hasn’t had too many people that he could depend on. His entire life, trust has been an issue. If he gives it to you, cherish and treat it like its priceless treasure because there’s not many people that he trusts.”
“He’s a beautiful person, and he doesn’t even know it.” Looking at the woman embarrassingly, she blinked at the hot tears. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m so emotional. I guess its being around all of these kids and knowing what the program means for them.”
And thinking about him…
Loving him when she shouldn’t…
“Well, it’s more than obvious that you care about him,” Ms. Jess acknowledged with a sympathetic smile. “And I’m grateful that outside of here, he has support. He’s an incredible human being, and if there’s anyone deserving of happiness, it’s him.” Then, passing her a smile, she turned all businesslike. “Believe me, I called you in here for more than just gushing over the co-director. We’ve ordered t-shirts for your group. But, unfortunately, they’re located at the other center across town. The mentors are busy, and I’m not able to leave. I was hoping that you’d go with Christopher and pick them up.”
The heat rose in her face.
The two of them alone…
With no one else around…
Was that a good idea?
“Of course, I’ll go,” she nodded, forcing the mental arguments aside. “Where’s Christopher?”
“Probably, he’s in the storage room. When he swept by here a few minutes ago, he mentioned that he was going to grab more equipment,” Ms. Jess said absentmindedly, frowning as she scoured over a paper in her hand. “Go out the door. Take the long hallway all the way to the end. That’s where you should find him. Please overlook the mess, though, when you get there.”
She stood. “I will.”
“It was nice meeting you again,” Ms. Jess smiled genuinely. “Hopefully, today will turn into a long-term commitment between your church and Stedman’s.”
“I’m hoping the same thing,” she agreed, smiling back. “Now, I’ll get out of your way.”
“Thank you, Ms. Grace. Goodbye.”
“Goodbye.”
A minute later, she cited the directions in her head while traveling along the narrow hallway. Finally, she spied the storage room just as she’d been directed. The door stood wide open, and as she ventured inside she heard the clanging noise of equipment being moved around. Veering around the corner, she spied him. Bent over, rummaging through an overflowing box, he was in search of something.
“Fuck, where in the hell is it?” Swearing under his breath, he tossed more items from the box and didn’t pay attention to where any of the items were going. All around him, balls and other sports items rested on the floor. “How damn hard can it be to find a simple net?”
Smiling widely, crossing her arms along her chest, she padded softly inside the room. Still, she didn’t make her presence known. For once, couldn’t she see him fully unguarded like she used to? Would that be so wrong?
Muttering under his breath, still cursing, he hurled more items out. “What am I going to have to do? Go on a full ass out scavenger hunt to find this shit?”
“You really need to watch your language,” she chastised, drawing closer, and then stopped behind his stooped form. She pushed the glasses up her nose. Spying the net carefully folded above his head, she reached over him and attempted to grab it. Then, giving a smug look, she added. “If you’d calm down and quit cussing up a storm, maybe you’d have found it by now. I swear, men and their inability to find any---”
A surprised yelp left her as she lost her footing, and before she could stop herself, she was falling. But, her descent ended fast as he caught her and pulled her safely onto his lap. Snickering, holding her close against him, he returned her smug look. “And as you were saying…men are incapable of finding what?”
She fought to think.
Not to breathe in his pure masculinity…
But, heaven help her, this is exactly where she wanted to be, she swallowed hard, and stared at the pulse jumping in his neck. Like hers, it was beating an uncontrollable tattooed beat.
“Men can’t find anything even if it’s directly in front of them,” she murmured quietly, sounding out of breath, and finally, she met his gaze. “I must say, that you proved my point so easily.”
His smile was lazy. “Is that so?”
“Yes.” She licked her lips nervously. “It’s so.”
As his gaze fell to her mouth, his smile died along with hers, and suddenly, the room was fraught with tension.
Selfishly, eagerly, yet subtly, they drank in the sight of one another. His hold tightened about her. She didn’t dare pull away. For this moment, it’d been the kind that they’d been waiting for since he’d walked back into her life.
The need and desire to be close…
It superseded reason.
It outweighed everything.
“You okay?” he asked huskily, running his eyes over her face, and again, she felt their sweet, gentle caress. “I didn’t mean to make you fall.”
“Y---you didn’t,” she stammered, taking in an unsteady breath, and gave a shy smile. “It’s not your fault. I wasn’t paying attention to what I was doing.” Then, an embarrassed flush stained her features. “You can
let me go now. I think that I’m alright.”
“Alright,” he agreed with reluctance. “Up we go.”
Rather than letting her stand on her own, he held her close against him as he stood. A startled, but pleased gasp left her as he hitched her up, bringing her closer to his body.
“What are you doing?” she asked quietly, still clinging to him. “I said that you could put me down.”
“Well, I can’t exactly put you down in the middle of all this shit on the floor, now can I?” he challenged, carefully stepping over some of the sports items on the floor. “If I put you down here, you’re liable to break your damned neck. So, chill.”
She looked at him stubbornly. “Alright, if you say so.”
Still, though, was she really putting up a fight?
When they were out of reach of the clutter, he stopped midway the storage room. Again, they both were reluctant to release each other as she slid down his hard body.
“Thank you,” she said, blushing all over. “For breaking my fall…again.”
He shrugged. “No problem. Saving damsels in distress is one of my specialties.”
“Obviously leaving things in disarray is as well.” Planting her hands on her hips, she frowned. “And you have made a fine mess for one single net.” Blowing a breath, she shook her head and started picking items from the floor. “Come on, I’ll help you clean it up real fast. We have to hurry because Ms. Jess needs us to pick the shirts up from the other center.”
“Shit,” he cursed, retrieving a racket off the floor. He glanced at his watch. “I forgot about that. They close in about forty-five minutes. The drive alone will take twenty.”
Pausing, basketball in one hand, she looked at him. “The kids will have to be bussed back soon. I want them to get their shirts,” she sighed. “But, considering the time frame, I don’t know if I’ll be able to go with---”
“Nonsense,” he offered the rebuttal fast. “Aren’t there other representatives with you from Saint Joe’s?”
“Yes. But, I’d hate to make them responsible---”
“I’m sure that they’re more than capable of seeing the kids back to the church safely.”
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