Hit and Run (Summer Rush #2)

by Cheryl Douglas

  “You don’t know,” he said, trying to be reasonable. “Not yet. But I have to believe time will prove to you that you can trust me. I’m in the same position you are, you know. You’re living in the same building as your ex, a guy who’s made it clear he’s still in love with you and wants you back.”

  “But you know I would never—”

  “What I know is that you and I have a long, complicated history. I’ve hurt you more than anyone ever has. I have to earn your trust again, to make you believe in me and in us. I know that can’t happen overnight. But it will happen. I have to believe that.”

  “When you suggested we get married, where did that come from?”

  He tipped his head back as he chose his words carefully. “It’s not that I don’t think about what it would be like to be married to you, Dani. I do. A lot. But I know we’re not there yet. Where did that come from? Me trying to nail you down, I guess.” He smirked, hoping she’d appreciate his honesty. “If you’re wearing my ring, every other guy would have to back off.”

  She smiled. “And if you’re wearing my ring, every other girl would have to back off.” She tapped her finger against her lips, pretending to consider the possibility. “Hmm, might not be a bad idea.”

  He chuckled. “But you and I both know that’s not the right reason to get married.”

  Her features softened when she said, “You’re right. I can think of plenty of reasons to marry you, but I don’t want that to be one of them. If the time comes, I want to marry you because I can’t stand to live without you. Because I want…” She glanced away before she added, “To have a family with you.”

  He wanted to believe they’d get there eventually, a proposal for all the right reasons, instead of one borne of desperation and fear, but something in her gaze made him question her. “You do want that, right? I mean, I’m not in this relationship because I’m trying to figure out whether this is right. I already know it is.”

  “Of course I want to build a life with you. I wouldn’t be going through everything that I am if I didn’t.”

  He felt guilty for all that he’d put her through, but he intended to do everything in his power to give her the family he’d taken from her. His parents already loved her and would embrace her as part of their family without question. His teammates were his extended family, like his brothers, and would accept her gladly, if she made Ace happy. And he wanted to give her children someday, a family of her own.

  “You remember how we used to talk about getting married and having kids?” He smiled at the sweet memory of those late-night talks on the phone, when one or both of them would fall asleep and wake up with the phone in the crook of their neck, beeping in their ear.

  “Of course I do,” she said softly.

  “Back then, we didn’t know where life would take us. We still had college to worry about, and what I might do if I didn’t get that pro contract I wanted so badly.”

  “But you did get it.” She smiled. “You got everything you wanted… in case I haven’t said it before, I’m really proud of you.”

  “Thanks.” He’d heard those words before—from his parents, coaches, friends—but they’d never meant more to him than they did coming from her. “Now we don’t have to worry about where life might take us. We’re set. You in your career and me in mine.”

  “Yeah…” She licked her lips. “Set.”

  “Now that I’ve signed that new contract, we don’t have to worry about me moving away. We can just focus on the future. Our future. Together.” He stared at her image, waiting for her to smile, for her eyes to light up, something to give him the impression she was as excited about that possibility as he was.

  “There’s so much more we have to talk about, but not tonight, okay? When you get back.”

  He felt a tightness in his chest when he realized there were still issues to resolve, things standing between them, and he didn’t know what they were. “Uh, okay. You gonna give me a hint what you want to talk about when I get back?”

  “I can’t.” Her stare was pained, as though she was thinking about something she’d rather forget. “Just know that I’ll be thinking about you every minute until you get back. I love you.”

  “I love you too, babe.” He drew a deep breath, knowing trying to sleep tonight would be futile and he couldn’t afford to be off his game tomorrow. “Uh, Tenley and Rowan have a spare key to my place. I’ll fire off a text to let her know you’ll be picking it up from her, okay? I want you to be at my place when I get home. I don’t want to wait any longer than we have to… to talk.”

  “Okay, I’ll see you then.” She blew him a kiss before his screen went blank.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Dani passed by Tenley’s house to pick up Ace’s key a few hours before he was due home. She was nervous but knew she couldn’t put it off any longer. He had to know about the miscarriage before they could move forward.

  “Hey,” Tenley said, welcoming Dani with a hug. “It’s so good to see you. Come on in.”

  “Thanks.” Dani had passed by their house a few times during the wedding planning stages, to pick something up or drop something off, but that was before she and Ace were a couple. Things felt different now.

  “Can I get you a glass of wine?”

  Dani had a strict policy against drinking and driving. Ever. “Uh, no thanks. A coffee would be great though. If it’s not too much trouble?”

  “Of course not,” Tenley said, smiling. “Come on into the kitchen while I make it.”

  Dani sat at the breakfast bar while she watched Tenley prepare coffee. “You must miss Rowan when he’s away, huh?”

  “Ugh, you have no idea.” She giggled. “Especially now that we’re trying to have a baby. Sometimes his schedule doesn’t work with mine, if you know what I mean.” She winked as she placed the cream and sugar on the island in front of Dani. “Which sucks, because it means we have to wait an entire month to try again. Not that I’m complaining all that much. The practice is always fun.”

  Dani laughed. “I bet it is.”

  “You must be excited too,” Tenley said, setting the first mug of single-brew coffee in front of Dani. “Now that Ace signed that big fat contract, it means he’s not going anywhere for a while.”

  “I am excited about that.” Dani prepared her coffee, giving the task more attention than it warranted as Tenley stared at her.

  “So why don’t you seem excited?”

  “We’re just…” She liked Tenley and considered her a friend, but the problem that was weighing on her went beyond the casual friendship. Especially since Tenley’s loyalty no doubt lay with her husband’s best friend. “Figuring things out. A lot happened between me and Ace back in the day, and it’s going to take some time for us to work through it.”

  “That’s understandable,” Tenley said, leaning against the counter as she took a tentative sip of her black coffee before blowing on it so she could take another. “But at least you guys are making strides, right? Moving in the right direction?”

  “I think so, but…” She didn’t know how much she should reveal. She wanted to get Tenley’s take on the little bombshell she was about to drop on Ace, so she could get an idea from one of his friend’s on how he might react, but she was scared. She didn’t want Tenley to think she was a terrible person for keeping the secret from Ace for so long.

  “But what?” Tenley frowned when Dani didn’t respond. “I hope you know that I consider you a friend, Dani. Anything you say to me in confidence will remain between us, I promise. I wouldn’t betray you by telling Ace or Rowan.”

  That was all Dani needed to hear before she blurted, “After the accident, I found out I was pregnant.” She didn’t bother to look up at Tenley before she added, “Ace doesn’t know.”

  “What happened?” Tenley asked, setting her mug on the island. “Did you have a miscarriage or—”

  “I miscarried.” She bit her lip, trying to hold back her tears. “My parents didn’t want me to hav
e the baby, but putting it up for adoption or terminating the pregnancy weren’t options I’d consider. I was young, but I wanted that baby.” She released a trembling breath as she wrapped her cold hands around the warm mug. “I hated Ace for what he did, but I still loved him too. I guess I wanted to keep a part of him, even if I couldn’t have him. Having his baby would have given me that.”

  “Wow,” Tenley whispered. “You really loved him, didn’t you?”

  “You have no idea.” Dani looked up at Tenley, trying to find the words to describe how she’d felt about her first love. “He was a part of me. He’d infiltrated every part of my life, and that’s the way I wanted it. His friends were my friends and mine were his.”

  Tenley nodded. “I know something about that. I had a boyfriend when I was young, one who was a huge part of my life.”

  “He’d pick me up from work, hang out at my house. At school we were always together. Weekends, weeknights, every minute we could sneak away, we would.”

  “Losing him must have been terrible for you,” Tenley said sympathetically. “I can’t imagine.”

  “That’s what people don’t understand. It wasn’t just losing my twin brother that did me in. It was losing Maceon at the same time. All of a sudden, two of the most important people in my life were”—she snapped her fingers—“gone. Just like that. I knew I’d never see or talk to either one of them again.”

  “I’m so sorry, Dani.”

  She took a sip of her coffee and set it down, staring into the mug. “I was actually happy when I found out I was pregnant.” She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “I know it sounds crazy, since I was so young. But I thought God was giving me someone else to love, someone to replace the people he’d taken from me.”

  “But then you lost the baby too.” Tenley winced. “God, that must have been awful.”

  “It was.” Dani nodded. “And the worst part was that I couldn’t openly grieve for my baby. My parents were relieved that I’d miscarried. They thought it was for the best, that I should be grateful I didn’t have to worry about that problem anymore. But I never saw my baby as a problem. I saw it as a blessing.”

  “I’m sure Ace would have too,” Tenley said, leaning over to touch Dani’s hand. “I haven’t known him all that long, but I know he’s a stand-up guy. If he’d found out he was going to be a father, he would have loved that baby and done whatever he could to provide for them when he got out. I have no doubt about that.”

  “I’m sure you’re right.” Dani licked her lips. “I have to tell him tonight, about the miscarriage, and I’m so afraid of how he’ll react.”

  “I’m sure he’ll be shocked and maybe hurt.” Tenley tipped her head as she looked at Dani. “You had your time to grieve the loss all those years ago. You’ll probably have to give him some time to do the same.”

  She knew Tenley was right, but she hoped he wouldn’t shut her out while he grieved over their loss. “I just hope he doesn’t hate me, and his parents, for keeping it from him.”

  “They knew?” Tenley asked, sounding surprised.

  “Yeah, my parents told them. When I made it clear I intended to raise the baby, they thought his parents should know, so they could help with medical expenses and everything, I guess.”

  “I’m surprised they didn’t tell Ace. They seem like a really tight-knit family.”

  “They are, but I guess they didn’t see any reason to tell him after I miscarried. He was already dealing with enough, being locked up. I guess they thought finding out about the miscarriage would only make it worse.”

  “Makes sense, I guess,” Tenley said before taking another sip of her coffee.

  “Can I ask you something?” Dani asked, knowing she was probably way out of line.

  “Of course, anything.”

  “Ace and Stacey…”

  Tenley smiled. “I wondered when you’d get around to asking me about them.” She rounded the island with her cup and sat next to Dani. “They met at a time when they were both looking for something, someone, to make them forget, I think. Stacey was trying to get over my brother, and Ace helped her do that.”

  “Did she love Ace?” Dani asked, not sure she was ready to hear the answer.

  “She did.” Tenley smiled. “But something you need to understand about my best friend, she gives her love freely. Unlike me. I’m a lot more cautious. It takes a while for me to give my heart to someone.”

  “I can relate,” Dani said, wondering if she’d ever really given Mike her heart.

  “At the time, I didn’t know what Ace was trying to forget, but I sensed there was something… or someone. When I found out about you, I understood.”

  “I still can’t believe he talked you into having your wedding at the hotel just so he could reconnect with me,” Dani said, rolling her eyes. “You guys went above and beyond in the name of friendship.”

  “There’s nothing Rowan wouldn’t do for him, which means there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for Ace. We saw our friend hurting, so naturally if there was something we could do to help him, we wanted to. Besides, it wasn’t exactly a hardship. You guys gave us the wedding of our dreams.”

  “I’m glad,” Dani said, squeezing Tenley’s arm. “You two deserved it.”

  “But you asked me about Stacey and Ace.” Tenley set her elbow on the island, resting her chin in her hand. “Were they in love? Yes, I think so. Was it a forever kind of love? No, definitely not. Will they always be friends? Yeah, I’m pretty sure they will.” She grinned. “Any more questions, or did I cover everything?”

  “You really think that he’s over her, that he’s ready to move on?”

  Tenley laughed. “God, yes. Like I said, Dani, it wasn’t the kind of love that stays with you forever. Not like what you and he seem to have.”

  “Is she over him?” Dani hated herself for asking that question, but if she didn’t, she’d always wonder.

  “She is one hundred percent, head over heels in love with my brother and only wants the best for Ace.”

  “Good to know,” Dani said, relieved.

  Tenley reached across the counter and grabbed a keyring with a crystal heart on it. “The key to Ace’s house.”

  “Thanks,” Dani said, curling her hand around it. “I’ll give it back to you—”

  “No need,” Tenley said, smiling. “I have a feeling he’ll want you to keep it.”

  Dani wasn’t so sure. After their talk, he may not want her to set foot in his house again.

  ***

  Ace smiled as he pulled into his driveway and saw Dani’s car. Damn, it felt good coming home to the woman he loved. If only he could convince her to make it a permanent arrangement.

  “One step at a time, Phillips,” he muttered as he jogged up the steps, leaving his suitcase in the trunk. “Hello,” he called as he turned the doorknob.

  “Hey,” Dani said, jumping up off the couch. She made a beeline for him. “There you are! I missed you.”

  She launched herself at him, wrapping her legs around his waist, and he laughed as he stumbled back. He’d been nervous about their talk, but her zealous greeting convinced him they were going to be fine.

  “I missed you too, babe.” He leaned against the wall, needing the physical support so he could kiss her the way he wanted to. When they finally broke apart, he said, “God, I needed that.”

  “Me too.” Her eyes were glazed as she focused on his lips. “It feels like I’ve thought about you constantly. Made it hard to get any work done.”

  “I feel like I should apologize,” he teased, setting her down. “But I’m not going to. I love that I distract you.”

  She linked her hand through his as they walked into the living room. “I hope you don’t mind that I made myself at home.” She gestured to the bottled water on the table.

  “Mi casa es su casa.” How he wished his house was her house.

  “Do you want anything?” she asked shyly. “I feel silly even asking you that. It is your house, after all.�
�

  She seemed nervous, which made him more anxious to hear what was on her mind. “Nah, I’m good.” He sat down, dragging her down with him.

  She settled in beside him, her legs resting over his. “So it was a good series, huh? Two games out of three against your division rivals. Can’t ask for much more than that.”

  “Sure, I could,” Ace said, grinning. “I could ask for a sweep, but I’ll take two of three without complaining.” When her smile slipped, he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I know you don’t really wanna talk baseball, so tell me what’s on your mind.”

  Her sigh was labored, as though she could barely breathe as she squeezed his hand. “God, this is so hard. I don’t know how you’ll react. Just know that I never meant to hurt you, Maceon.”

  Now he was the one having trouble breathing. If she was planning to break up with him, he wouldn’t make it easy for her. He finally had the only woman he’d ever really loved back in his life and wouldn’t let her go without one hell of a fight. “Just tell me.”

  “You know how when we were together before…”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, we were always careful, right? I mean, I was on the pill—”

  “Dani, where are you going with this? What does this matter now?” He watched her pale while her eyes darted around the room. “Were you… did we…?” He couldn’t even form the words as his gaze drifted to the flat stomach concealed by her black cotton sundress.

  “I got pregnant,” she blurted, air gushing from her lungs on a whoosh. “I didn’t find out until after the accident and by then…” A tear slid down her cheek while another clung to her lashes. “It seemed too late to tell you.”

  “Oh my God.” He tipped his head back while his mind reeled, trying to process what her words meant. “What happened to the baby? Please tell me you didn’t—”

  “I had a miscarriage,” she said quickly, curling her hand around his wrist. “Just shy of three months.”

  He closed his eyes, feeling the loss as though it had just happened. “I don’t believe this.”