First Down (Texas Titans #3)

by Cheryl Douglas

  Grayson hadn’t expected kindness from a man who clearly hated him, but he took him up on his offer. The last thing he wanted was for his legs to give out and force Kent to peel him off the porch. “Thanks.”

  Kent sat on the wooden bench next to Grayson. “Seems you’ve gotten yourself into a hell of a mess.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You’re in love with her.” It was a statement, not a question.

  “Yes, sir, I am.”

  “Call me Kent,” he muttered. He narrowed his eyes at Grayson. “Of course, you probably already knew my name, didn’t you? My name, address, Social Security number, make and model of my car. That’s the way you operate, isn’t it? Invading people’s privacy.”

  Grayson’s spine stiffened. “I got your address from Alana’s resume. I assumed she’d be staying with you until she got on her feet.”

  “She was here, but she moved out last month. She got a job keeping the books for some boutique downtown.”

  “Oh.” Grayson knew Kent wouldn’t divulge her new address, and she’d changed her cell phone number shortly after she moved back home. He knew, because he’d tried calling in a moment of weakness. “Well, I’m glad to hear she’s doing well.”

  “Are you?” Kent asked, crossing his arms.

  Grayson had a sense of how the man’s suspects must have felt locked in an interrogation room with him. “I’m in love with her. Of course I want her to be happy.”

  “Love and trust go hand in hand, boy. From what I heard, you didn’t love her enough to be honest with her. Nor did you trust her enough to be honest with you.”

  “I made a mistake.”

  “You made more than one mistake.”

  “I know that.” Grayson rested his elbows on his knees and hung his head. “But that doesn’t change how I feel about her.”

  “We all make mistakes,” Kent said, his gruff voice softening. “I’m sure as hell not perfect. I happen to think a man isn’t defined by his mistakes. He’s defined by what he does afterward.”

  Grayson looked up, trying to read his expression, but Kent remained impassive.

  “If I loved a woman, I sure as hell wouldn’t wait months to ask her forgiveness.”

  “I was trying to give her space.” Grayson sighed. “She said that’s what she wanted.”

  “I think you were trying to get over her.”

  “Maybe I was. What else was I gonna do? She told me if I cared about her, I’d leave her alone. I was just trying to honor her wishes.”

  “You honor the woman you love by being there for her through the good times and bad. You honor her by refusing to give up on her.”

  “I’m surprised to hear you say that,” Grayson said. “Isn’t that what your son-in-law tried to do?”

  “My ex-son-in-law is a worthless piece of shit. He wasn’t fit to shine my baby girl’s boots.” Kent grinned, a flash of white teeth slashing across his weathered face. “Glad she finally came to her senses on that score.”

  “Yeah, me too.” Even if he could never have her, Grayson couldn’t imagine Alana settling for a man like Ronan. “Is he leaving her alone?”

  Kent chuckled. “Soon as Alana gave them the word, my boys paid the man a little visit. They made sure he understood that if he bothered their little sister again, he wouldn’t be walking away from their next meeting.”

  Grayson smiled in spite of his sadness. “Your sons sound like my kind of guys.”

  Kent tipped his head and studied Grayson. “They might be after all.” He remained quiet for a moment. “I was prepared to hate you, but I have to admit I don’t.”

  “You don’t?” That was the last thing Grayson expected him to say.

  “No, I don’t.” Kent drummed his fingers against the wooden armrest. “You think I don’t know what kind of man you are?”

  Grayson held his breath.

  “I was a cop most of my life. You really think I’d let my little girl move to another state and take a job without finding out more about it? I know all about you and your partners.” Kent watched the storm clouds rolling in. “It wasn’t long before Alana started talking about you when she called her mama. I did a little digging, and learning about the kind of man you are put my mind at ease. So you can imagine my surprise when she came home broken-hearted.”

  “I know you think I’m a bad guy, Kent, and I don’t blame you. But I had my reasons for what I did. There’s no question I was wrong, but…” Grayson let his explanation die. It didn’t make any difference if Alana had moved on with someone else.

  “So tell me why you did it.”

  “I had her checked out when she got to town, because I got the feeling she was hiding something. I couldn’t be too careful. I mean, we were going to hire her as an accountant, someone who would have access to our financial records. That’s not something I can afford to take lightly.”

  “I can understand that,” he said, nodding. “But that doesn’t explain why you had Ronan followed.”

  “Alana told me about him. I didn’t like what I heard.”

  “There’s more to the story than that.”

  Grayson knew Kent was too shrewd to accept half-truths. “She called me the day she was due to arrive in Arlington. She was upset because Ronan was hassling her. I was already starting to develop feelings for her, and I was concerned about her safety.”

  “So you weren’t checking out the competition?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Alana thought you suspected she and Ronan still had something going. She thought you didn’t trust her, so you wanted to know for sure.”

  “It was nothing like that,” Grayson said, frustrated that he had to have that conversation with Kent instead of his daughter. “I was thinking of her and her safety. I knew she was done with her ex.”

  Seeming satisfied with his response, Kent chuckled. “I couldn’t believe it when she told us you bought her apartment building behind her back. What the hell were you thinking?”

  “I was thinking that your daughter deserved a decent place to live.” Annoyance washed over him all over again. He was having the dump renovated, not that it mattered to him anymore after Alana moved out. “I offered to rent her a little house I own, but she was too damn stubborn to even look at it. She was determined to do it all on her own, with no help from me or anyone else.”

  “Grayson, she grew up with bossy, opinionated men who thought they knew it all. Me and her brothers love her and want to protect her, but sometimes I fear we may have gone a little overboard.” He cleared his throat, looking angry all over again. “Then she married that man. He didn’t just want to protect her—he wanted to own her.”

  “So I’ve heard.”

  “And that contract you asked her to sign… What the hell were you thinking?”

  “I wasn’t.” The morning after they’d made love, he told Cal and his partners that he was willing to accept the fallout if Alana ever sued for damages. He trusted her. Too bad she would never know the lengths he’d gone to to make their relationship work.

  “It’s a little like asking a girl to sign a pre-nup right before the wedding, isn’t it?” Kent asked. “Not the brightest decision.”

  “No, it wasn’t. But she didn’t object to signing the papers, because she said she didn’t want anything from me. I knew that was true, so for me, there was no risk. That’s why I instructed my lawyer to forget the whole thing.”

  “Is that right?” Kent stroked his jaw. “Interesting. Does Alana know that?”

  “I never had the chance to tell her. She left town. Not that I think it would have mattered. By the time she found out about the building and the investigator’s reports, the damage was already done. There was no going back.”

  “Then why are you here now?”

  “Hoping to move forward with her. I guess that’s not gonna happen now.” He stood, wiping his palms on his jeans. “Thank you for taking the time to talk to me, Kent. If nothing else, it’s helped give me closure.”
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  “Closure?” His bushy white eyebrows came together. “You’re telling me you’re giving up? Huh, I wouldn’t have pegged you for a quitter.”

  “You said she’s moved on, that she’s happy.”

  “That doesn’t mean she couldn’t be happier with you.” He held up a hand. “Don’t get me wrong. This fella she’s seeing is nice enough. A cop, in fact.”

  “Really?” Grayson didn’t care if the guy dressed up as a clown and performed at birthday parties. The only thing that mattered was how Alana felt about him.

  “Yeah, but…”

  Grayson’s heart kicked into overdrive. His instincts told him Kent was about to say something that could change everything. “But?”

  “I’d say she’s in like, not love.”

  “So you think I still have a chance with her?”

  “That’s for her to decide.”

  “Then you’ll tell me where to find her?”

  Kent stood up, looking Grayson in the eye. “Since you came all this way, I guess that’s the least I can do.”

  ***

  Alana listened to her friend ramble about the new man in her life and tried to muster some enthusiasm. “He sounds great, Kari. I’m glad you’re putting yourself out there again.”

  “Yeah, but what about you? You haven’t said anything about Jack. You’re still seeing him, aren’t you?”

  “Actually…” She hadn’t planned to tell her friend about Jack’s transfer, but since Kari had brought it up, she wouldn’t lie. “He’s leaving town. He got an offer at a force in San Diego. He made detective. Isn’t that great?”

  “For him, maybe. But how about for you?”

  “I’m fine with it. He was a nice guy, but you know it wasn’t serious.”

  “Because of Grayson?” Kari sighed. “Honey, if you’re not going to call him, you have to forget about him. It’s not healthy to obsess over a man this way.”

  “I’m not obsessing over him.” She sounded too defensive to be convincing. “I couldn’t care less about him.”

  “Did I tell you I saw him last week?”

  “What? Where? Why are you just now telling me this?” Alana bit her lip when she realized how irrational she sounded.

  “I went to High Rollers with Ben for a drink. He was there with one of his partners.”

  “Did you talk to him?”

  “Yeah.” Kari laughed. “He made a beeline straight for me. I was actually kind of surprised he recognized me. We only met once.”

  “What did he say?” Alana knew torturing herself wouldn’t help her get over him, but her heart and mind were out of sync. Her heart needed to know whether he’d said anything about her.

  “He asked how you were.”

  Alana’s throat tightened as she felt the familiar burn of tears welling. “What did you tell him?”

  “That you were good. I didn’t tell him about the new job or apartment, and I certainly didn’t tell him about Jack. I didn’t think you’d want me to.”

  “No!” If he knew about Jack, all hope would be lost. She still hoped it was him every time her phone rang, even though she’d changed her number. She knew that a man as resourceful as Grayson would find a way if he really wanted to reach her. “You were right not to tell him. He doesn’t need to know.”

  “You still miss him, huh?”

  Purposely avoiding the question, Alana asked, “Can I ask you something?”

  “Of course.”

  “Do you think I should have given Gray another chance? Did I rush to judgment because of my experience with Ronan?”

  “Maybe.”

  “That doesn’t help. Since when are you shy about voicing your opinion?”

  “Since you started crying at the drop of a hat.”

  Alana knew she had been an emotional wreck since she’d gotten home. She’d started dating again just to put her family’s minds at ease, but it hadn’t helped her forget Grayson. “I’m not that bad.”

  “Yeah, you are.” Kari sighed. “Not that I don’t understand. I do. But you need to figure out what you’re going to do, Alana. You can’t go on like this forever.”

  “Do you really think I should call him? What if he’s moved on? He may have a girlfriend for all I know.”

  “I doubt it. Those guys are pretty high profile. If he was seeing someone, I probably would have seen it in the paper or at least heard about it.”

  Alana glanced at her door when someone tapped on it. “Oh, that must be the pizza I ordered.”

  “What the hell happened to your clean eating regime? Every time I talk to you, it’s take-out or cold cereal. That’s not like you.”

  Kari would worry if she admitted she didn’t have the energy to prepare a meal, so Alana said, “I’ve just been busy at work. Don’t worry, it’s a thin whole wheat loaded with veggies. I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

  “Okay, love you, girl.”

  “Love you too.” If not for Kari’s unwavering support, Alana wasn’t sure she would have survived the past few months.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Grayson’s carefully prepared speech disappeared as soon as she opened the door. “Hey.” One word, one syllable. That was all he could manage while his heart felt as if it might beat out of his chest.

  “Grayson.” Alana covered her mouth as her eyes welled up with tears.

  He prayed those were happy tears. “Guess you’re surprised to see me?” He looked over her shoulder, hoping she was alone. Not that her boyfriend would have prevented him from saying his piece.

  “You could say that.” She stepped back, inviting him in. “How did you know where to find me?” A half-smile tilted her full mouth. “Wait a minute, do I want to know?”

  He chuckled, grateful she didn’t seem as angry or resentful. “I went to your parents’ place. Your dad told me where to find you.”

  “Really?” She closed the door and leaned against it. “That surprises me.”

  “Believe me, he made me work for it.” Grayson took in her little apartment. It was nice. The walls were freshly painted, the carpet was clean, and the compact furniture looked new. It wasn’t large, but it was well taken care of. Most importantly, the building seemed safe. “Nice place you got here.”

  “Thanks, I like it.” She gestured to the small kitchen. “I’m just waiting on a pizza. Would you like a drink in the meantime?”

  He hoped that meant she was inviting him to stay for dinner. “I’d love a beer, if you have one.”

  “I think my brothers left some when they helped me move in.”

  He followed her into the kitchen, barely suppressing a groan when she bent over to check the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. She was wearing black shorts and a fitted black tank top. The way her shorts rode up reminded him of the night they’d made love in his hot tub. Curling his nails into his fists, he reminded himself she was likely another man’s lover. He had no right to touch her.

  “Here we go,” she said, looking triumphant as she pulled two bottles out of the fridge. “I think I’ll join you. I could use a drink.”

  “Been one of those days for you, too?”

  The sparkle faded from her eyes as she reached into a drawer for a bottle opener. “I’ve had a lot of those days lately.”

  Meeting her eyes, he said, “Me too.” He reached for the bottles and the opener. When their fingers brushed, he felt a bolt of arousal charge his body. “The past few months have been hell for me. I had no idea I could miss someone so much.”

  Alana opened and closed her mouth. “Why are you here?”

  Before he could answer, someone knocked on the door.

  “Damn it,” she said, running a hand over her disheveled ponytail. “That must be the pizza.”

  “I’ll get the door. You grab the beers.” He shouldn’t be issuing orders in her home, especially since he was already walking a fine line with her, but he needed to put some distance between them before he did something stupid… like drop to his knees and beg for forgiveness.
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  “Let me get the money,” she said, following him with her purse.

  “I got this.” He reached into his jeans for a wad of bills. He peeled a twenty off the top as he pulled the door open.

  “Hi,” the teenager said with a wide grin. His face fell when he saw Grayson. “Oh, I, uh, thought…”

  “Hi, Charlie.” Alana waved at the kid over Grayson’s shoulder. “How are you?”

  “I’m good.” He frowned at Grayson before stepping aside so he could get a better view of Alana. “How are you?”

  “Fine, thanks.”

  “How much?” Grayson asked, intentionally stepping into the kid’s line of sight. It was irrational to be jealous of a pizza delivery boy, but anyone who looked at Alana that way made his blood boil. The kid wouldn’t know what to do with a woman like Alana, but the teenage Romeo probably thought he might get a chance to figure it out.

  Charlie looked at the receipt taped to the box as a blush crept up his neck. “Oh, uh, $15.73.”

  “Thanks.” Grayson reached for the box while he shoved a twenty at him before closing the door.

  Alana gripped the beer bottles until the skin stretched across her knuckles. “That was rude. He’s a nice kid. In fact, his grandmother lives downstairs. She’s trying to teach me—”

  “I’m not interested in Charlie-boy or his grandmother.” Grayson winced when he realized cutting her off wasn’t the best way to ingratiate himself to her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude. I just… It bugs me to see other guys looking at you that way, okay? I know he’s only a kid and you have no interest in him, but it still pisses me off.”

  Grayson had never admitted to being jealous before. Hell, he couldn’t even remember when another woman had provoked those feelings in him. The fact that he was worried about a pizza delivery boy with acne and pizza sauce on his shirt was evidence that he’d lost his mind over this girl.

  Alana’s lips twitched before she relaxed her stance. “I can’t believe you’re jealous of Charlie. That’s just sad, Grayson.”

  He glanced at a framed photo on her end table. “I guess he’s the guy I’m supposed to be jealous of?”