The Second Chance Groom

by Taylor Hart

  “Yes, I was thinking about when you helped Bucky, and my dad punished you by making you muck out the stalls for two months.” She smiled at him.

  He shook his head, not liking that it was that big of deal. “I liked Bucky and your dad was angry.”

  “I know, and you made it right.” She tilted her head to the side. “And you took a punishment that wasn’t yours, it … I don’t know. I guess I felt like you were a man at that moment.”

  “Really?” With Cassidy staring kind of dreamily into his eyes, he figured this was the only place he wanted to be for the rest of his life.

  “Yeah.”

  Wishing he could change so many things in the past, he had to force himself not to reach out and brush his lips to hers. It felt like quicksand with this woman.

  His father hovered at his side. “Cassidy, could I have that dance?”

  Cassidy swallowed and turned to him. All the intensity that had been there evaporated for the moment. Biting back a grumble, he watched her saunter off with his father to the dance floor.

  Felicity appeared at his side, taking his hand. “Dance with a sister-in-law. I won’t be able to stay long; my feet already are swelling and Kade is worried.”

  Anthony met eyes with his brother, who was hovering. Kade always hovered in regards to his wife’s health. “Sure.” His brother looked annoyed, a far cry from the legend that had just been on the stage.

  They fell into a two-step and he tried not to look at Cassidy and his father. “You should be home if your feet are swelling. You have to take extra care of yourself.”

  Felicity smiled at him. “You love her, don’t you?”

  It was easy to see why his brother had fallen in love with Felicity. She was not just a pretty face. She had a depth of compassion that was just as fierce as he’d ever seen. But he knew her. Her background. Her parents’ life. What she’d been through. He understood her better.

  So he told her the truth. She knew him as well as his brother, probably knew about his deepest secrets. “I don’t think I ever stopped loving her.”

  Reaching out, she touched the center of his chest. “Be careful with your heart.”

  He nodded.

  They danced another minute. Then he started moving to his brother.

  “I am fine,” she protested.

  He handed her off to Zeus, patting him on the shoulder. “Get your people to bed even if you have to carry them.”

  Kade grinned.

  Felicity rolled her eyes and growled at Anthony. “Why did you give him that idea?”

  Kade whipped her off her feet, carrying her like Zeus would carry his woman around.

  Felicity scowled at him, but didn’t fight it. “Tell Cassidy to call me and I’ll give her the interview,” she told Anthony.

  Kade trudged through the crowd of teammates, who whooped and hollered at them.

  Anthony let out a laugh and the other teammates all clapped. Everyone watched them leave, most of them knowing what Kade had gone through with Felicity and how this child was a miracle.

  The song ended and another slow one began. It didn’t look like his father was done chatting with Cassidy, but she didn’t look like she was having a bad time, so that was good. He watched them dancing for a few seconds, then decided he couldn’t stay away from her any longer.

  “May I?” He tapped his father’s shoulder.

  “No.” His father turned away from them.

  She laughed, but Anthony didn’t relent, gently taking her hand and nudging his father out of the way. “Go,” he said, casting him a mock challenging look.

  His father shook his head, but relented. “Ruin all my fun. Have a good time.”

  Cassidy laughed again. “I guess I’m done dancing with your father.”

  “Did you still need to?”

  “Nope. He filled in some of the gaps I had from the google doc.” She frowned. “But something doesn’t seem to fit. It outlines all the major happenings in your medical life since your accident, and he told me some interesting things, but …” She trailed off, and they swayed to the music. “I don’t know. Guess I’ll just keep digging.”

  “Sounds good.” Making a note, he told himself to check out that Google doc. To make sure he followed the timeline.

  “I love this song.” Cassidy began singing softly with Montana Crew’s song, “Fire and Ice.”

  Anthony rolled his eyes. “Did you know Cameron Cruz actually wrote this song?”

  Giving an exaggerated smile, she put her hand to her mouth. “I know. A quarterback who sings country music on the side, who would have guessed?”

  He laughed.

  She patted his chest. “Who knows, maybe one day you’ll do a song with Kent Sloane.”

  Loving her touch and not hating the idea, he shrugged. How could he tell her in this moment he felt a lot of things could be possible for him. “Maybe.”

  She leaned into him and he closed his eyes, loving the feel of her in his arms. Gently, she pulled back and their eyes locked. He wanted this moment to last forever. “How did you start interviewing elite athletes anyway?”

  A smile crossed her face. “Nope.”

  “What?”

  “I’m interviewing you; you’re not interviewing me.”

  He scoffed at her teasing. “Poe, this is getting old. I need to know about you.” Gently, he pulled her closer. “Talk to me.”

  Their eyes met again and his heart pounded. He wouldn’t kiss her, not yet. After what had happened at the club, he didn’t want to risk all the yards he’d gained.

  To his amazement, she leaned closer. “Just hold me.”

  If he had died in this moment, he could honestly say he was a happy man. The feel of her body against his let him imagine that she was his.

  The dance floor was crowded and the party was busy. Yet he was still startled as his father approached them, having picked his way through the dancers. “Sorry to interrupt you two, but Anthony, will you come with me, please? We need to have a chat.”

  Chapter 15

  Cassidy walked to the edge of the dance floor, finding it odd that his father would drag Anthony away so abruptly. Actually, that wasn’t true. John Kincaid was a force of nature.

  Looking around, she started to feel uncomfortable. She should go interview more players, but the high-society scene had never been her scene and she didn’t really want to hobnob.

  As a girl, her father had dragged her around, hobnobbing with the horse buyers who were filthy rich like the Kincaid types, but she always found a way to sneak off in a corner and read her book. As she’d gotten older, it hadn’t changed. Her father just teased her that she’d found a way to read more books on her Kindle app on her phone.

  Imagining how she would write this scene, she started describing it in her mind. The chandelier in the center of the ballroom looked like it was suspended in the air, like the breath of a fairy.

  Strike that. Wait. What? Breath? What was she even doing? Ugh. Okay, suspended like mini acrobats wearing diamonds at a night circus. Maybe. Was that the feel she was going for? What had that recent writing book said about descriptions? They should fit the way the character feels.

  She thought of the woman in the book she was writing. The chandelier jewels were suspended like time itself had stopped, like the magic of time could erase all the bad and take her back to her younger self, where she believed in magic and fairies and Peter Pan and fairy dust.

  “Cassidy.”

  Cassidy jumped, since she’d been completely engulfed in her mind.

  Scar stood behind her. He smiled. “Sorry to startle you.”

  As he stood there, she realized he truly was hot. Samantha, who wrote Dear Abby, would say he was smoking hot, a double-decker, and more. Which always made Cassidy laugh, because she sounded so Southern.

  The side of his lip tugged up, deepening the scar on the side of his face. He was akin to Anthony in that he was tall, dark, and handsome. She found it funny how in this circumstance, Anthony was m
ore like Ken Barbie and Scar would be the bad boy. He even had that mischievous glint in his eye.

  “I was just talking to Anthony and his dad,” he said. “They’re still talking, but I think they’re going to fund my project.”

  His mood was infectious. “I’m so happy for you.”

  “It’s going to be bigger than Texas. They’re talking about making it a national thing.”

  “Very nice.”

  He jerked a thumb back to the other room. “I told Anthony I would find you and tell you he’d be out soon.”

  “Thanks.”

  “You look pretty tonight.” He held her gaze.

  She nodded, keeping it casual. “Thanks. How is third-string going?”

  “Good. I get paid to play football. I may be nothing more than tackle fodder most days, but every once in a while I put one past the defense.”

  She smiled and put her hand out. “Are you going to dance with me?”

  With a grin, he took her hand and twirled her into a slow two-step. “What you’ll find about me is that I will always dance with a pretty lady. Even when she is just using me for an interview.”

  “Well, now that you mentioned it …” So she asked him some benign questions about Anthony, and discovered that everyone liked the Kincaid brothers and had accepted Anthony for the most part.

  “I’m not gonna lie,” Scar said. “It was rough when he first signed on. I cried nepotism like everyone else. The truth is, he’s good.”

  It was a different kind of dancing than there’d been at the club, more formal. She noticed some of the players were watching them. She couldn’t see Anthony or his dad, and she figured it was kinda fun to get to know Scar.

  The song ended but another began, more of a twenties music fox-trot thing. There were a lot of people on the dance floor, so she didn’t feel embarrassed at all. Scar was good at dancing, she discovered. She didn’t know the dance, but she followed his moves and they both ended the song laughing.

  He pointed to the drink station. “Should we get some water?”

  “Sure.” They walked over and she eyed the variety of alcohol displayed, but she knew how persnickety James Knight and John Kincaid were. None of the players would be getting drunk.

  Scar asked for two bottles of water, and the guy handed over premium ones. Of course the water was premium. Wasn’t everything in Kincaid world premium?

  They wandered out onto the expansive patio, which was filled with players and an assortment of people. As they headed toward the side of the deck, Cassidy looked over the property. Memories rushed through her mind: playing in these gardens below, swimming in the pool, and riding the horses that she knew would be in the huge barn at the back of the property you could see from here.

  “I guess you’ve known Anthony a long time?”

  She was a bit startled, forgetting for a moment everyone knew that. “Yeah.”

  Scar sipped his water and stared out at the property. “It’s a pretty nice house, I’ll say that.”

  She was interested in him. “Where did you grow up?”

  “San Diego,” he said slowly. “But I’m staying in Texas forever.”

  “Why?”

  He let out a laugh, but his eyes grew serious. “Don’t you know there’s no going backward?”

  It hit her in the center of the chest. “Guess not.”

  He nodded and took another sip of water. “You learn that quick in the military, if you know what I mean.” Then he froze. “I’m sorry.”

  Of course she thought of Kyle, but to her own surprise she didn’t get upset. “It’s fine.”

  They stewed in silence for a moment. “So tell me about you and Anthony?” Scar finally asked. The question felt sincere.

  Embarrassed, she said, “It’s complicated.”

  Scar let out a derisive laugh and turned his piercing blue eyes back to her. His dimple deepened. “Isn’t it always complicated?” He moved a couple of steps to the railing and leaned on it.

  She copied his position, uncertain about what everyone was saying about her and Anthony’s relationship. She wondered if Scar had seen the kiss, then seen her run crying to the bathroom and Anthony waiting for her.

  “Kincaid is a good guy,” he admitted. “Both of them are, really. I like Anthony. He’s a bit cocky, but he deserves to be. He has to be to come back from the injuries he had.”

  Intrigued she was actually getting an interview, her reporter instincts kicked in. “Is this your official word on him?” she asked, casually taking a sip herself.

  “Yep. My official statement. Anthony’s a good guy.” His eyes glanced past her. “And he’s coming, so I guess our time is done.” He put out his hand for a high five.

  Anthony returned it.

  “Thanks, man,” Scar said, patting him on the back. “It’s gonna be great.”

  Anthony nodded, coming closer to her. “You bet.”

  Scar waved. “Thanks for the dance, Cassidy.”

  She waved back, and Anthony frowned.

  “What?” she said.

  Pinching his lips together, he shook his head. “We just gave him millions for his organization and I come back and find him hitting on you.”

  “He wasn’t hitting on me.”

  Anthony cocked an eyebrow. “Well, yeah. Scar’s not your type, obviously.”

  This had her smiling. “Oh? And who is?”

  He laughed and took her hand, leading her down the patio steps. “Me, of course.” A mischievous look sparked in his eyes. “Dad got some new horses. Want to take them for a ride?”

  She laughed as well, feeling more normal and like herself than she’d felt in a long, long time. “I get the fast one!”

  Chapter 16

  Anthony watched as Cassidy rode in front of him. They’d had some extra clothes in the barn, and both had changed. He realized his cheek muscles hurt from smiling so much. The woman he was with cared nothing for her clothes and everything for the thrill of riding the horse. This was what he’d missed in a woman. Genuineness, realness.

  How many women had he dated over the years who’d been so concerned about how they looked and how he looked and the outfit they wore to the party and who they were talking to? Cass wasn’t like that. Sure, she fit into this world, the fancy one. She was drop-dead gorgeous. The truth, though, was he was even more frustrated because he’d seen what happened the other night when he’d kissed her at the dance club. He wanted her to be comfortable being with him.

  After their ride, they walked back to the house and he found the party was pretty much over. The staff was cleaning up. His father was nowhere in sight.

  “Oh, man.” She touched her hair, which was coming loose from the bun at the back of her head. Strands were falling everywhere, yet she looked so beautiful. “I better get back.”

  “Do want to hear something first?”

  She looked suspicious for a moment. “What?”

  “Trust me.” He reached out his hand.

  Hesitating, she reached back. “Okay.”

  With that small feat accomplished, he began leading her through the ballroom, down another corridor.

  “Your mother’s room,” she said softly.

  He nodded.

  They went through more hallways. Of course, the house was always kept in immaculate shape. His father would, on a whim, invite people to stay from all over the country. No one ever went in this room except him, his father, his brother, and now Felicity. Of course, Cass had been here a long time ago. He pushed the doorway open.

  His father had turned the whole ceiling into a skylight when his mother had been sick. Moonlight filled the room. At the center of the room was the piano.

  She stopped moving. “I love that your dad took the roof off.”

  He nodded, appreciating that she had remembered. This was the other thing he liked about Cassidy, she knew him. With some women there was always a façade and he felt like he had to keep that up. With her, there was never a façade. It was just them.

&n
bsp; He let go of her hand and walked to the red baby grand piano. His mother had been flashy and always liked red. “I thought I’d show you the end of your song.”

  She didn’t move. “Anthony?”

  Their eyes held and he felt a resurgence of chemistry, attraction, something so powerful and intoxicating. He had been mesmerized with this woman since he’d seen her again at sports camp.

  He started to play the song—he’d written it for her a decade ago. “Finished it last year when I was injured.” His pulse raced. “I never thought I’d get a chance to show it to you.”

  Ribbons of music flowed around them, a mix of Bach and some Megadeth themes. Closing his eyes, Anthony felt the music, getting lost in it and time and space, forgetting all these walls around him and letting himself go straight into the flow. There would be no way to guess how much time had passed.

  Cassidy sat at his side, the way she always had all those years ago when there hadn’t been any walls between them. Just like the first love he’d held on to for so, so long, it was free and happy and easy. He’d had no idea how hard relationships were until he’d lost her.

  He finished the song and turned to see tears now on her cheeks. They simply stared at each other, talking in that language that didn’t require words. This stunned, suspended, happy feeling encompassed them and he took her hand again. This time she didn’t resist.

  His heart raced and he wanted to kiss her, but he gently lifted his other hand and caressed her face, peering into her deep blue eyes. He could sense something inside of her. Fear. Pain. “Poe, I want to kiss you,” he said softly.

  Blinking, she shook her head. “I want to kiss you, too, but I’m a mess, Anthony. A complete mess. I told you. Losing Kyle … my dad …” Their breath mingled and she didn’t pull away.

  He pulled her in and held her. “It’s okay. It’s okay.” If she needed to grieve still, he would be patient.

  She held to him and cried.

  For the first time since Cassidy had come back into his life, he felt like it was real again. Like there were no longer any walls. Gently running his hand down the back of her head, he was so grateful she was in his arms. “Life is messy, Poe.” He let out a light laugh. “That’s the only thing I learned after I got injured. Sometimes life is messy and you just have to give it time.” He didn’t want to give it time, whatever was happening with him and Cassidy again. But he would. “You have to trust in God. I had to learn that.”