Her dad nodded. “You can still come home this weekend, or next. It’s come to our attention that we’ve been too busy for our own daughter. That’s about to change.”
Danielle stepped forward, and took her mom’s hand in one of hers and her dad’s hand in the other. “I’m sorry I said that. Mom called on a bad day and I overreacted. I understand the work you two do is important.”
“You’re right,” Adele said. “Our work in the community is important, but so are you. What you said made both of us realize that we don’t always act that way. You were always so self-assured, so confident, we didn’t think you needed our extra attention.”
“I’ll always need my parents,” she said softly.
Her dad squeezed her hand. “We’ll always be there to give it to you.”
The intensity of the hum in the chambers increased. Awareness prickled the back of Danielle’s neck. Jacobe was there. The thought passed a second before she glanced to the back of the room. His eyes were already on her. She gasped. He hadn’t come alone. Will, Isiah, Kevin and other members of the team were there as well, and signing the paper to speak against the permit.
Her parents swiveled to see what the commotion was about. Adele looked back at Danielle. “Are you and he still dating?”
“We’re cool,” Danielle answered.
Her dad’s brows drew together. “What does that mean?”
If only she had the answer to that. “Nothing. We’re still dating, but it’s not serious.” That was the only answer she could think of that wouldn’t have her dad bucking up overprotectively and her mom scowling at Jacobe.
Even though Jacobe and the rest of the team smiled and stopped to greet fans, it was clear he was making his way to her. She glanced across the room to where Debra, Mason and Patricia were all wearing victory grins. Danielle felt similar. This had to help their end.
She looked back at Jacobe and committed everything about him to memory, sure that soon she wouldn’t even be able to say they were dating but not serious. His shoulders seemed broader, more powerful beneath a dark V-necked T-shirt and black blazer, his legs impossibly longer in dark slacks.
“You came,” she said, when he made his way to her side. The rest of the team found seats in the chambers. “And you brought company.”
“Of course I came. I would only have missed this for a game.” He pointed to the rest of his team. “They just followed me.” He looked at her parents.
Danielle quickly did the introductions. Jacobe’s eyes widened. “I’m happy to meet you. Danielle has told me about the work you do in the community. It’s admirable.”
Her parents looked both proud and sheepish. “We’re hoping to get more involved with Danielle’s work.”
The council members entered the chamber. Danielle led her parents and Jacobe to the seats in the front that Debra had saved for them. The council members quickly noticed the members from the Gators and smiled and waved their greetings. Everyone around here was an even bigger Gator fan now that the team had done so well in the play-offs.
The council meeting progressed quickly through the opening pledge of allegiance and as resolutions passed from the various members of the community. To Danielle’s surprise, the chairman requested a change in the agenda to move the vote on the Clear Water permit up in the agenda. Danielle shifted in her seat and glanced at the agenda. He moved it ahead of the opportunity for citizens to speak. She gave Debra a wary look.
“What’s this?” she whispered.
Debra shrugged. “I don’t know and I don’t like it.”
Neither did Danielle. The council approved the change and then went straight into the vote.
Liberty sat forward in her chair and tilted the microphone forward. “As we can see from the turnout here today, including that from the members of our championship Gators team, this is an important issue. The council members have already discussed the seriousness of the outcome and have taken into consideration the multitude of phone calls, emails, and messages left by the community. Please remember that as we make our votes.”
Danielle held her breath as she waited for each member to vote for or against the proposal. When the proposal passed unanimously to deny the local permit, even though Liberty’s yes was less than enthusiastic, she nearly bounced out of her seat and yelped her joy. Not getting the local permit would go a long way to the ultimate denial of the state permit.
After the council meeting ended, there were a lot of congratulations and handshakes. The council members came over to Jacobe to thank him for bringing their attention to the issue.
“Great job, Danielle,” her dad said when they were standing outside of the council chambers an hour later. It had taken that long for most of the crowd and residents to clear out.
“Thanks, but this is just the beginning. I’ve still got to work to make sure the state denies their permit. Clear Water needs to shut down, not put in patchworks that will do more harm than good. The state knows it.”
Pride filled her mom’s eyes and she hugged Danielle tight. “I love you, Danielle. And I’m so proud of you.”
Tears burned the back of Danielle’s eyes. She’d known her parents loved her, but hearing them say that and having them here was ten times better than having the feeling as a vague belief she kept telling herself.
Jacobe came over after her parents said goodbye and walked to their car. “Can I give you a ride home?”
“How do you know I need a ride?”
“Debra let it slip.”
She’d have to remind Debra to butt out. They had ridden together to the council meeting. Danielle wanted to be petty and ask if he was sure he wanted to give her a ride, except her need to be alone with him again burned away any petty feelings she had. She missed him. “I’d like that.”
“You’re victorious,” Jacobe said once they were seated in his car.
“Thanks to you.”
“I’m only a part of it. I got the attention your way, but you’re the one who did all of the talking to convince me, the council and the public to support the measure.”
“Still, you got their attention. I appreciate that.”
“Working with you all helped my reputation more than I expected. It’s amazing how much people saw me as less the bad boy and more the good guy just because I helped out at your events.”
Danielle had forgotten he was only helping out to improve his image and not because he had any real care for the environment. Jacobe gave back financially, but working with her was the only situation where he gave of his time. Obviously, he wouldn’t have wanted to go with her on the Water for Kids trip. No wonder he’d scoffed when she’d mentioned she was going to ask him to go.
He shifted in his seat and glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. “I’ve done some thinking since the other night.”
She clasped her hands in her lap and looked out of the window. “Oh, really? What have you come up with?”
“I was wrong, and I’m sorry.”
Danielle’s head whipped around. “What?”
“I’m sorry. I said I trusted you and I do. I think you should go to Malawi with Water for Kids.”
“You want me to go?”
“If we weren’t dating, would you have hesitated to say yes?”
She shook her head. “I wouldn’t.”
“I know. You should go. I know something like this will go a long way to bring attention to the River Watchers. Ultimately it’ll help your goals here. Don’t hold back your dreams because of me.”
Words every woman wanted to hear from her man, but was he telling her not to hold back because he wasn’t holding back his dream?
“If I go to Malawi, when I return will you be packing your bags for Phoenix?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know, Danielle.”
Pain tightened her chest. She faced the window again so he
wouldn’t see. His hand, warm and strong, covered hers on the armrest. “If I do go, that doesn’t mean I want it to be the end of us, if that’s what you’re thinking. I can’t ask you to drop everything in Jacksonville and move to another state. Well, I can, and I want to, but I won’t pressure you into that decision.”
He took his eyes off the road for a second to smile at her. “Not much anyway.”
“Are you serious?”
“I am. I care about you, Danielle. I trust you. At the end of the summer, you’ll be back and I’ll know where I’m going to play next season. It’d be juvenile for us to break up now because of what might happen. Agreed?”
He cared about her. Not love, but again she knew that was a word he wouldn’t throw out easily. Maybe they needed this. The heat between them had burned hot almost from the start, but heat didn’t build a long-lasting relationship. Would absence make their heat burn hotter, or would she return to find he’d cooled off?
The thought pained her, but it was a very real possibility and one she’d rather face sooner rather than later. She didn’t want to move to Phoenix, but maybe she would later. If they couldn’t survive a summer apart, which was nothing in the scheme of things, how would they survive a long-distance relationship?
His hand squeezed hers. “What are you thinking about?”
“Everything you just said. Okay, I’ll go. And I’ll consider how we’ll make things work when you move to Phoenix.”
His nod was stiff. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the back. “Cool.”
“Cool,” she said. She was really starting to hate that word.
* * *
The atmosphere on the plane delivering the Jacksonville Gators back home after winning the last game of the semifinals and making their way to the finals was nothing less than exuberant. Singing, drinking, chanting and lively conversation filled first class and had spilled over into coach. Jacobe laughed and joined in with his teammates, but his heart wasn’t really in it, and more than once he drifted away from the conversations to stare out the window.
“Jacobe,” Isaiah called. “What are you doing when you get home?”
Jacobe turned away from the window to Isaiah in the seat next to him. Kevin sat in front of them and was currently on his knees facing backward to talk with them.
“I’m taking Danielle to the airport later.” Surprisingly, he said that without any of the unsureness he felt inside.
Kevin shook his head. “You really want to send your girl off with her ex-boyfriend?”
“I’m not sending her off with her ex-boyfriend. She’s going on a trip to bring water to those who need it.”
“With her ex-boyfriend,” Kevin said, raising an eyebrow. “You’re not worried that he might try to cuddle up in her tent one night.”
“No. Danielle isn’t Christy.” He kept telling himself this.
“She may not be like Christy, but that doesn’t mean Luke won’t push up on her.”
Jacobe glanced at Isaiah next to him. “You think?”
Isaiah shrugged. “I’m not sure. I know he has a lot of good things to say about Danielle. I don’t think he’ll try and go there. He’s all saved now, and breaking up relationships isn’t his thing.”
“He said that?” Jacobe asked.
Isaiah shrugged. “In so many words. I pressed him about his relationship with Danielle.”
“Why did you do that?”
“Because you’re my friend,” Isaiah said without batting an eye. “I know Luke has been cool with us, but I don’t work with him every day. I know that your history with Christy really messed with your head. If his plans were to get with Danielle I wanted to know so I could tell you.”
Jacobe was struck speechless. He’d never really considered Isaiah and Kevin close friends. In a few sentences, Jacobe realized he’d been wrong not to. They had his back, were men he could trust. That felt nice. He hadn’t understood how much he missed having friends he could count on. “I appreciate that, man.”
“What did he say?” Kevin asked. “When you pressed him about Danielle?”
“Just that things didn’t work out for them in college. In hindsight, he let them break up instead of trying to keep her. He doesn’t blame her, and he’s happy if she’s happy. He wouldn’t do anything to mess that up.”
Jacobe raised a brow. “So he’s not going to try to sneak into her tent, like Kevin says?”
Isaiah held up his hands and shrugged. “He said he’ll see what happens. He’s not trying to break up a relationship.”
“But if she seemed unhappy, he’d step in to help make her happy.”
Isaiah’s look screamed, Bull’s-eye. “I thought you needed to know that.”
Kevin looked at Jacobe. “But you trust her?”
“I do.” He did.
“Does she know you’re in love with her?” Isaiah asked.
Kevin laughed. “In love? Normally, I’d say every man isn’t ready to be saddled up like you are, Isaiah, but since I’ve got a G riding on this...” He looked at Jacobe. “Have you told her yet, so I can get my money?”
Jacobe slapped away Kevin’s hand. “I care about her. And the bet was you got money if I proposed. I’m not there yet.” Even though he had thought about being with Danielle forever.
“And you trust her,” Isaiah said. “You don’t trust women.”
“Trusting and loving aren’t the same,” Jacobe argued.
Isaiah shrugged again. “I’m just saying, it wouldn’t hurt to let her know how you feel before she gets on that plane.”
Those words stuck with Jacobe for the rest of the flight and through his quick drive home to drop off his luggage before going to pick up Danielle. Not for the first time since she’d told him about her departure flight did he wish she wasn’t leaving so soon after he got back in town. They’d barely have time to talk. Instead, he was sending her off on a trip where she did something great for the world and he stayed behind to play a game. For the first time ever, he wished they hadn’t made the finals. If they hadn’t, he would be able to go with her. Not send her on the plane with another guy.
Funny, for a guy whose game plan was “we’ll see what happens.”
He cared about her. He wanted to be with her. He didn’t want any other guy to try to come between them. That wasn’t the same as being in love with someone. If he was in love, he’d know it without any questions or hesitations.
He didn’t trust Luke. Danielle knew Jacobe cared about her more than he had any other woman in years, but was that enough for her to tell Luke she was happy if he asked?
When he rang the doorbell, she swung the door open just a few seconds later. Her eyes were bright with excitement and a grin covered her beautiful face.
“Congratulations!” She jumped into his arms and kissed his cheeks. “You’re going to the finals! Aren’t you excited?”
“Yes. More so about you all up in my arms like this.” He squeezed her tight and kissed her. Holding her again felt good. He’d hated not having her in his arms when they’d fought.
“I’m so happy for you. You guys are going to win the championship. I know it.”
He put her down and she turned to go into the living area. He followed, watching the sexy sway of her hips. She had on a pair of jeans and a green tank top that matched the Gators colors.
“I hope so.”
“I wish I could be here to see it.” She pulled a gold cardigan off the couch and slipped her arms into it.
“Yeah, so do I,” he mumbled below his breath.
She turned a questioning glance his way. “What?”
He shook his head. “Nothing. Let’s get you to the airport.”
She talked about all the things Water for Kids had planned. She’d sent him a copy of the itinerary and promised to call. Her excitement about going on the trip she’d always dreamed
about was palpable. Her enthusiasm only tightened the guilt in his stomach. All he wanted to do was turn around and ask her to stay.
“I wish I could wait with you at your gate,” he said, after they’d checked her bags and were standing right before the security point. He pulled her against him and lowered his head to kiss her.
“I wish you could, too.” Her arms tightened around his neck.
“Be safe and have fun.” He started to let her go, then stopped. “Are you happy with me?”
She stopped smiling, and her eyes were serious when they met his. “Jacobe, I love you.”
His heart dribbled against this ribs like an eight-ton basketball. He felt hot and cold. Free and trapped. Happy and uncertain. She loved him.
“Danielle, I...”
She pulled his head down and kissed him softly. “Don’t say it just because I did. I just wanted to tell you before I left.” She kissed him again. “I’ll call you when I can.”
Then she was out of his arms. In a daze, he watched her go through the security checkpoint before getting lost in the crowd. Danielle loved him, and he’d let her go without saying anything back.
Chapter 16
They’d won.
Jacobe stood in the middle of the court staring at the final score and the 00:00 time on the scoreboard, but the victory hadn’t sunk in. The Jacksonville Gators were the league champions!
A second after that thought took hold, he grinned and was swarmed by people. His teammates, the media, members of the other team—everyone—were in the middle of the court. Congratulations went around, hands were shaken and microphones were stuck in his face, followed by questions of how he planned to celebrate this victory. His eyes kept going to the seats behind the bench.
He was happy. Ecstatic! Not only had the team that hadn’t been predicted to win won, but they’d swept the series entirely. He was at the height of his career. On top of the world.
Why wasn’t he more...happy?
“You cool, man?” Isaiah asked after they’d finished postgame interviews and were heading to the Suite to celebrate.
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