Jilted Jock : A Hero Club Novel

by Rebecca Jenshak

  The kid’s event was starting in fifteen minutes and I got to be an obstacle. The kids had to kick a ball past me and into a net. Me vs. fifty screaming tykes – I was more nervous about that then I had been for my own race.

  I wasn’t one hundred percent sure where I needed to be in the course, so I headed to find Chuck for my orders.

  I felt lighter than I had since she’d left and just as soon as I realized it, some of that lightness faded. That’s the thing about trying to move on from a broken heart, one thought, one reminder of the past and that progress takes a step backward.

  I was taking one step forward, literally and figuratively, when the past and present all collided, and there she was. My future. She stood ten feet in front of me, blue eyes wide with nerves and a hesitant smile on her lips. As many times as I’d tried to picture it any other way, it only took seeing her again to know in my soul that she was it. I’d do anything to be the man she wanted and needed.

  Walking toward her, I reminded myself to breathe. My memories hadn’t captured her accurately. She wasn’t just beautiful; she was fucking radiant. A majestic unicorn. The eighth wonder of the world, or my world anyway.

  I stopped in front of her, heart beating like a drum in my chest. “Hi.”

  “Hi.” She smiled, gave a small wave, and then interlocked her hands in front of her.

  Someone patted me on the shoulder and told me great work as I just stared at her memorizing every detail and skipping straight past all the formalities to determine what her being here meant.

  “This is amazing, Finn. Chance told me about it. It’s really great. I didn’t even know this group existed.”

  I swallowed thickly. “It was founded just last year.”

  She nodded and we stared at one another some more.

  “I’m sorry. I can’t believe you’re here. I’d hug you, but I’m pretty dirty.”

  “Yeah, I should have called. I wasn’t sure I was going to come. I sat in the parking lot for an hour changing my mind every time I decided one way or another.”

  “I’m glad you did. It’s good to see you. Are you in town for the weekend?”

  “Yes.” She nodded. “I mean no. I got back last night. New York was an adventure, but California is my home.”

  My hopes lifted, but only for a split second. Just because she’d moved back didn’t mean she’d changed her mind about me.

  “Finn,” someone yelled, and I looked up to see Chuck motioning me over.

  “I have to work the kid’s obstacle race.”

  She held up both hands. “Oh, of course, you’re working. I just wanted to say hello and tell you that this is really cool. You’re going to make a difference in a lot of people’s lives.”

  She looked like she was gonna flee and my stomach twisted into knots.

  “Come with me.”

  “To the obstacle course?”

  “Sure. A few dozen kids kicking balls at us, could be fun. And also, I just don’t want you to leave. I’ve missed you so damn much. There’s so much I want to say to you.”

  “Okay, yeah that could be fun.” Her answer was agreeable but contained none of the excitement I wanted.

  “Actually, not just to the obstacle course. Come with me to dinner or coffee. Date me. Marry me.” I gave her a rueful smile. “I know that’s a lot to dump in your lap after not seeing you for three weeks, but I’m laying all my cards on the table. You own me, heart and soul. I want as much of you as you’ll give me. I always have, but before I didn’t understand how to be who you needed. I’m not saying I’m gonna get it right, but I’m saying it’ll be the most important item on my to-do list every single day. Nothing is more important to me than you.”

  “Chance said you were doing the steps, but I didn’t want to believe it until now. Why? You could have any woman you want.”

  “Then I choose you. A hundred times over.”

  She stepped forward and pressed her body to mine. Her lips met mine slowly and tentatively. So many thoughts racing through my head at the same time. All ridiculous and all of it taking root somewhere deep and sprouting with hope and excitement.

  “Yes,” she said finally after she’d stepped back, leaving me stunned.

  One side of my mouth pulled up. “To which thing?”

  “All of them.” Her eyes filled with tears. “I drove across the country trying to decide if I was being selfish by holding on to you.”

  I started to speak, but she cut me off. “For three weeks and more states than I can count, I searched for a sign that we were meant to be together. I even hiked Angels Landing.” She smiled and shook her head. “About halfway up when I was delirious from adrenaline and nerves, I realized that maybe there are no signs. Because even if there’s someone out there who is better for you, they’d never love you the way I do. I’d do anything for you, and all of this here today, seeing you again, I know you feel the same. And that has to mean something.”

  “I’m gonna get it wrong sometimes, but I swear I’ll never stop trying to get it right.”

  “Me too. We’ll figure it out together one day at a time.”

  “You really hiked Angels Landing?”

  She nodded and I could see the honesty and pride in her eyes. “It was the scariest most amazing thing I’ve ever done.”

  I pulled her tight against me.

  “I love you, Finn. Wildly.”

  “I love you too, sweetheart.”

  I threaded my hands through her hair and tipped her head up so I could take her sweet mouth.

  “I just have one question,” she said as my lips hovered over hers.

  “Shoot.”

  “Well, the thing is my old house is rented and finding a new place is such a pain. Chance offered me his guest room, but I think I’m going to be spending a lot of time in LA.”

  “You need a place to stay, huh?”

  “Temporarily, of course. Two weeks tops until I can find a place of my own.”

  “I don’t know. See, there’s this cat that someone forced me to keep and she’s pretty particular about who I let stay with me.”

  “I’ll win her over, don’t worry.”

  “You’re a fan of hers but not of mine, if I remember correctly,” I said, smiling. I breathed her in and closed my eyes, savoring the moment in case I was delusional and was dreaming it all up. When I opened them, she was still there, and I squeezed her tighter.

  She moved like she was gonna kiss me and I inched back, a teasing glint in my eye.

  “Fine. I’m a fan,” she relented.

  I waited.

  “Okay, okay. Not just a fan, your number one fan.”

  “Think you might have some competition.” A crowd had formed around us and she followed my gaze to see the group of teenagers hanging back, too polite or maybe scared to interrupt and ask for a photo or autograph.

  “We’ll see about that.” She wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me. She pulled back far sooner than I wanted, but there were children present, so I held on to the promise I’d get to kiss her a lot more often. I planned to start as soon as we left here and stop – never.

  “Do we have a deal?” she asked.

  “No.”

  “No?” A stunned look made her eyes wide and jaw drop.

  “Two weeks isn’t going to work for me. I’m going to need more time.”

  “How much?”

  “Let’s start with forever.”

  She nodded, more tears filling those beautiful blue eyes. “That sounds perfect.”

  I picked her up and kissed her hard, screw the onlookers. I loved her so much, beyond reason, though the reasons were many.

  The microphone crackled and Chuck gave the five-minute warning for the kid’s race. Adele and I finally pulled apart.

  “Ready to go watch CJ dominate?” she asked, breathless and lips swollen, the front of her clothes as dirty as if she’d run the race with me.

  “He’s here?”

  She laughed and pointed to where Chance
and Aubrey held onto their son near the kid’s course. After I took a couple photos with the kids who’d waited for me to stop sucking face with my girl, we walked over to them. Something about them all showing up cemented the fact she was serious. I knew how much they meant to her and her to them. I’d never been more thankful to see Chance in my whole life.

  “Hey, mate,” I said, and we hugged.

  “Good to see you, regretting hugging you about now though.”

  I laughed and pulled back, eyeing his white t-shirt – now streaked with dirt and mud. “Sorry.”

  He clapped me on the shoulder. “Not as sorry as you’ll be if you screw this thing up again. I went easy on you last time.”

  I chuckled. “God, you’re a cocky bastard.”

  Adele

  Six Months Later

  “Wow, Adele, you look…” Chance walked fully into the tent where Aubrey and I were finishing getting ready. She tucked the veil into my hair as my brother took in my wedding dress. “You look perfect. Absolutely stunning. Your groom is out there puking his guts out… I think he got the better deal.”

  “Oh no, Finn’s sick?” Aubrey asked, a hint of a whine in her voice. She’d been pacing around nervously all morning making sure everything was perfect. She wasn’t even this much of a bridezilla for her own wedding.

  “Nah, don’t worry, princess, he’s just working those pre-game nerves out of his system.”

  Aubrey placed both hands on her hips, which made her adorable baby bump more obvious. “You mean pre-wedding nerves.”

  “Yeah, that’s what I said.”

  Laughing at them, I stood tall and asked, “Am I ready?”

  With no full-length mirror, I had to rely on a small lighted mirror Aubrey had brought and the confidence that she’d never let me marry the man of my dreams looking anything less than my best.

  Even before they confirmed it, I knew Aubrey had done well. I’d only had one request for today and that was to give Finn whatever he wanted. Honestly, after his last wedding fiasco, the fact that he wanted to have any sort of ceremony was a small miracle.

  Aubrey hugged me tight and then handed me my bouquet with a wistful smile. “Alright. It’s time.”

  She left Chance and me alone in the large tent. Outside was a view of the Pacific Ocean and probably a breathtaking sunset, but I only cared about the man waiting for me. His woodsy scent lingered in the air from when he’d set up the tent earlier today. This was our home for the next week. A tent and an SUV filled with food, clothes, and hiking and climbing gear.

  Another adventure was beginning.

  Chance held out his arm and I took it. “Mum and Dad would be so proud. I’m proud of you.”

  “I wish they were here.”

  He nodded and swallowed thickly.

  “I’m really glad it’s you walking me down the aisle though.” I squeezed his arm and laid my head against his shoulder for just a moment.

  Slowly we walked out of the tent and up the makeshift aisle. Pink and red rose petals littered the ground leading to my soon-to-be husband. My heart skipped and tripped at the sight of him. Unbelievably handsome in his tux, he beamed back at me.

  I stole a glance at Aubrey who wiped a tear away and pulled CJ close to her. It was just my small family here today, but after much begging, Finn and I’d agreed to let Foster throw us a reception when we got back from our honeymoon.

  Chance stopped short at the end of the aisle, kissed me on the cheek, and swallowed hard before giving my hand to Finn.

  “You look beautiful.” My fiancé’s blue eyes shined with unshed tears that made my own well in response.

  It was then that I felt a gentle brush against my leg and looked down to see Marshmallow. As I squatted to pet her, I glanced up at Finn. He winked. “She practically begged to come.”

  I bit back a knowing smile. More like Finn couldn’t bear to leave her. For someone who thought he wasn’t a cat person, this one had him wrapped around her adorable little paw.

  “It’s perfect,” I said, giving her a little rub behind the ears. Our rings were looped around a ribbon tied to her collar. A pink leash was attached and draped loosely on the ground. Finn held the other end. “This is why you were trying to teach her to walk on a leash.”

  I stood and kissed my groom. “I love you.”

  The minister cleared his throat and Finn pulled back, a devilish grin on his face. “I think the kissing comes after the vows, sweetheart.”

  “I think the kissing should happen any time I want.”

  He huffed out a small laugh. “Yeah, what the hell am I even saying?” He wrapped an arm around my waist and gently tugged me to him, capturing my mouth and kissing me so hard my lips tingled.

  “Alright, alright,” Chance interrupted us.

  I pulled away breathless and snuck a look behind me. Aubrey held a hand over CJ’s eyes.

  “Uh, maybe we should get started,” the minister interjected.

  The service was simple. Finn and I chose not to write our vows and stick with the traditional. We’d spent the past six months pouring our hearts out to one another. I felt like we’d vowed an eternity in those late-night conversations, sealing the promises with kisses and hearts that beat in unison. We were stronger together than apart. Two metals melted together to withstand anything that came our way.

  Later, when the ceremony was over and Chance had taken his family home, Finn and I danced under the stars. Me in my wedding dress, him in his tux, Marshmallow at our feet, and the stars as our spotlight.

  “What do you say, Mrs. McCash, shall I carry you into our tent or would you prefer me to ravish you under the moonlight?” He smirked. “Full disclosure, I plan to do both, but I figure I’d let you decide where we start. Look at me putting my wife’s needs before my own already. I’m going to be a baller husband.”

  I smiled and placed a chaste kiss on his lips. “Tent. I want to give you your wedding gift first.”

  He placed a hand under my legs and had me in his arms in an instant. He paused at the threshold. “I thought we agreed, no gifts.”

  “You said that, I never agreed.”

  “Good, because I got you something, too.”

  Of course, he had.

  Inside the tent, I went in search of my gift and then sat on the air mattress next to Finn. Leaned back on one arm, he had a small white box with a red ribbon in an elegant bow in the other hand.

  “Open mine first,” he pleaded, leaning forward and setting the gift in front of me.

  With shaky hands, I pulled the ribbon from the top. Finn loved hard and over the top and his gift giving matched. I had no idea what was in this tiny box, but I knew it was going to be so much more than I could ever give him.

  Carefully lifting the top, I peered inside and pulled out a key. It was the key I’d given him to my old house. I knew because I’d marked it with a pink dot of nail polish to distinguish it from my other keys. A sweet reminder of how it’d all begun.

  I smiled as I held it in my hand. “How did you get them to give it to you? Weren’t they worried you’d use it to break into their house? Oh God, you didn’t do something crazy like put all new locks on their house just so you could have a key, right?”

  He chuckled and shook his head from side to side slowly. “Even crazier, sweetheart. I bought the whole damn house.”

  My mouth dropped open and an onslaught of emotions slammed into me. Happiness won out and my eyes pricked as tears formed. “But your apartment in LA?”

  Since I’d moved back, we’d been living together at his place. I’d gone back to work for Harry, with a hefty raise and an agreement that I’d only be part time until I finished school and got my CPA license. The drive back and forth didn’t bother me. And though we’d discussed maybe buying a house in Hermosa Beach someday, logistically it didn’t make sense when Finn had to be near the training center for practice and games.

  “We’ll keep the apartment for now, but Hermosa Beach is where I want our home to be. Me,
you, a couple of babies.” He winked.

  “Don’t forget Marshmallow.” The image of that small house holding four people and a wild cat made me smile. It’d be chaos for sure.

  “Never.”

  “I love it. Thank you.”

  He picked up my present and gave it a little shake with a grin.

  “It’s not a house or a car, I’m afraid.” Nerves made my stomach twist into knots. My gift felt so small after his.

  Lifting the packet of papers from the box, Finn’s eyes crinkled in confusion and then widened. “Are these…” He looked up; hope tinged with disbelief in his blue eyes. Hyper blue.

  I nodded as he began silently reading the top page. “I never sent them, but I responded to every email you wrote. Fear and guilt wouldn’t allow me to complicate things, but those months apart… I never stopped thinking about you. You were always there. In my thoughts and in my heart. The item on my gratitude list that I wouldn’t allow myself to write and the draft emails I wasn’t brave enough to send.”

  “God, I love you,” he said, voice thick with emotion. “Thank you. This is the best gift you could have given me.”

  He laid back with the papers and continued reading, and I joined him. Lying beside my husband, head resting on his chest, I closed my eyes and let his voice soothe me. They were pieces of a love story in its most painful, hopeless stage. Not perfect or convenient, but it was ours. It was passion and adventure and most importantly, it ended happily ever after.

  THE END

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  Preview of The Assist

  Interested in more jocks? Continue reading for a free sample of book one in the Smart Jocks series, The Assist.

  ***

  You know those stories where the smart girl tutors the dumb jock? This isn’t it.