“Let’s go.” His voice was brisk and calm, but inside he was a mass of uncertainty and nerves. Hunter might hate him before the night was up.
Lilliana’s SUV coughed to a start, and she pumped the gas until the engine settled into a rumble. “I gather Will’s in trouble?”
“Yep. We need to keep Hunter out of the fallout. If we can.”
In less than three minutes, Lilliana pulled behind two nondescript dark sedans. At least the police were being discreet. As he climbed the front porch stairs, the door opened and a police officer reciting Miranda rights escorted Will out, arms handcuffed behind his back.
Will stumbled on the top stair, his gaze darting around, his face slack as if stepping foot on an alien planet. With his tough-guy posturing wiped away by fear and shock, Will looked years younger, innocent and confused. A shot of unexpected sympathy had Alec shuffling to stop to watch Will loaded into the back of one of the cars.
Useless what-ifs scrolled. Alec shook his head. Nothing he could do for Will now. It was Hunter who needed his help. He slipped into the house, Lilliana on his heels.
The one floor lamp fought a losing battle with the dark night. At the edge of its circle of light, Hunter sat on the edge of the couch, elbows on knees, head down.
Alec sidled closer, grabbing a straight-backed wooden chair from the corner and sitting down close enough to touch his knee.
“Will’s been arrested.” Hunter directed his statement to the floor.
“I saw.”
Hunter raised his head to meet Alec’s gaze. Tears had left shiny track marks down his cheeks, but his eyes were dry. “Did you call the police?”
“I had to protect Lilliana.”
“What about me? What about my brother?” The poignant pain of adolescence bit through his words.
What could he say? Having Will sent off might be the best thing to happen to Hunter, but not if bitterness drove him down the same path as his brother. “Your brother needs more help than you can give him. Reggie made it clear his boss man wasn’t done with Will. Maybe getting sent off isn’t a bad thing.”
“Fuck you.” Hunter hopped to his feet. A dynamic aggression emanated from him. Alec stayed seated. Inside the door, Lilliana stood still and silent, her dark eyes shooting straight into his heart. If he’d lost her through violence or through his own cowardice, he could imagine the pain, the shearing away of something he’d always yearn for. Maybe the bond between twins was as strong.
“Will’s alive. A year from now if he sank deeper into dealing, you might be burying him instead of watching him get arrested. I care about you. Lilliana cares about you. It’s going to be hard, but you won’t be alone.”
Hunter’s aggression morphed into something more complex. Something that spoke of a new understanding of the world, a maturity, but also a weariness. At seventeen, on the cusp of grabbing a dream, Hunter shouldn’t have to worry about having a brother in jail.
“I know someone who can help Will.” Lilliana stepped forward. The light behind her outlined her body and left her face shadowed. “Can you trust me, Hunter?”
“After what you did tonight, I’d trust you with my life.” Although the words dripped melodrama, his tone was solemn. “Both of you. Sorry I yelled, Coach.”
Alec hesitated, but something in him had fundamentally shifted the past weeks with Lilliana. He stood and pulled Hunter in for a brotherly hug, tapping his fist on the boy’s shoulder blade. “Listen, why don’t you grab some stuff and come back to Hancock House.”
Lilliana laid a hand on Hunter’s arm. “Please do. Your room is made up and ready.”
Hunter pulled his bottom lip between his teeth only emphasizing the wobble in his chin. “Ma is on her way. I can’t let her find an empty house.”
“Why don’t you and your mama come by the house Monday after practice? I might have a better idea where things stand then.” Lilliana patted Hunter’s arm before moving toward the door.
Alec followed. He stopped and turned at the top of the porch steps. “I know football is the furthest thing from your mind right now, but use it as a distraction. Funnel all your fear and anxiety and aggression into the game. Trust me, it helps.”
Hunter didn’t acknowledge the advice and closed the door. Alec shoved his hands into his front pockets and climbed in beside Lilliana, directing her to his truck. She idled at his bumper, yet he didn’t get out.
“Are you following me to the house?”
“If you’ll still have me.”
She leaned over and kissed him brief and hard. He took that as her answer and followed her to Hancock House, pulling in behind her. Her feet had barely touched the ground when he swept her into a cradle hold. He shut her SUV door with a foot and carried her up the porch steps.
“What are you doing?” Surprise but, if he wasn’t mistaken, also happiness made her question sound breathless.
“I’ve been an idiot.”
“We established that earlier.” The sensual kisses she skimmed over his jaw offset her chipper agreement.
“I should have asked you out years ago instead of staring at you across the football field wondering what it would be like to be your man. So you know, the reality is better in every way.”
“Alec.” His name was barely louder than her sigh.
“I’ve been lonely for years, but it was bearable, knowing how much it hurt to be betrayed. But, after loving you, losing you would kill me. I want to sell my house and move in here with you. Screw turning Hancock House into a B&B, let’s turn it into a home instead. We can even host your hundreds of relatives every Sunday if you want.”
He caught her gasp with a kiss. A kiss of passion and promise and a hint of humor.
He put her down so she could unlock the door, but she kept hold of his jacket. “Where have your people taken Alec Grayson?”
He pressed another kiss against her, both their lips tilted in smiles. “I feel like I’ve woken up from a black-and-white dream. That’s what you’ve done for me, Lilliana, painted my life. What do you say?”
“Hell yes. I never wanted to run a B&B anyway.”
“I know.” He rumbled a laugh, but veered serious again. “You should spend your days working on your art, not cooking and cleaning for guests. You have a talent that shouldn’t be squandered.”
Her smile was watery. “That’s about the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me.”
She fumbled with the door a few seconds before it swung open. Peace and safety wrapped around him like a treasured security blanket. The house seemed a living, breathing entity, or perhaps it was Lilliana’s spirit infused through the wood and metal.
He flipped the door to locked and swept her up once more, carrying her up the staircase to her room. The sight of her red Chucks swinging over his arm made him smile.
Nudging her bedroom door open, he put her down on the rug and pulled the zippered hoodie down her arms. His movements became more frantic with each item of her clothing he removed. She wasn’t standing idle. Her fingers battled with the buttons of his shirt.
She transferred her attention to her jeans, stumbling back against the wall on her shimmy to remove them. The need to be inside of her smashed all thoughts of slowly making love to her. After the danger of the night, he needed to affirm they were alive and safe and together in the most fundamental way possible.
While she wrestled her pants off, he grabbed a condom and stalked back to her, rolling it over his erection. She was naked and breathing hard, still leaning against the wall. He scooped her up and pressed her against the wall, his hands supporting her thighs. She grabbed his shoulders and circled her legs around his hips.
“Right here?” she asked breathlessly.
“Damn straight.” He ground the words out as he tried to be gentle. Gravity brought her down on him hard and fast. Her head lolled against the wall.
“Okay?” he asked hoarsely.
“Better than okay. Phenomenal. Amazing. Outstanding.”
A desperation
to banish the fear and uncertainty lent the moment a gravitas he couldn’t verbalize. He circled his hips, inciting a sensual moan from her throat that heightened his arousal until he had to thrust.
Bracing her against the wall, he canted his hips back then drove forward again and again. Her nails dug into his back, and her breathy words of encouragement quickened his pace. She came apart, her hips bucking into his, her nipples hardening against his chest. The sensation of her squeezing him tight sent him over the edge with her.
The sex was quick and dirty and not at all what he’d intended. He’d taken her against a wall when a soft, comfortable bed sat ten feet away. Not that she’d complained. She hung boneless and lax between him and the wall. When he eased her feet to the floor, she leaned heavily on him before finding her footing. Dazed, she stumbled her way to the bed like a drunk, falling face-first on the comforter.
After disposing of the condom, he stared down at her. Her rounded hips and beautiful ass, the side curves of her breasts and the delicate line of her spine, the gorgeous dark mass of her hair. Starting at her ankles, he skimmed his hands up her legs, over her ass, and along her back, ending tangled in her hair. Naked, he joined her in bed, half covering her with his body.
“Is your aunt going to be okay if I move in?”
She hummed noncommittally. “She likes you.”
“Would it be easier if we got engaged or married?”
She went stiff. “Maybe, but I don’t know if I’m ready to relinquish my black sheep status yet. Are you?”
“Not yet, but the time’s coming, isn’t it?” He held his breath, waiting for an answer to his indirect question.
“It’s most definitely coming.”
He rolled off her and scooted them under the covers. “Maybe I’ll surprise you sometime.”
She yawned. “You’ve already been the biggest, bestest surprise of my life, Alec.”
He huffed, hugged her closer, and savored the weight of her slight body against his. Lilliana had systematically shredded the bonds of betrayal and shame to his past. If he hadn’t gone through those trials, he would never have been worthy of her. Instead of turning backward, his mind cast forward, imagining his future—their future. He fell asleep to the music of her deep breaths, the creaking of the house, and a yowling cat. He was home.
Epilogue
The tension in the stadium was palpable. The Falcons were two minutes from winning their first state title. Lilliana sat on the fifty-yard line with Jessica and Darcy. The three of them gave high-fives, hugged, or clutched each other’s hands, depending on what the situation on the field required. Alec’s parents were a few rows up, cheering the Falcons and their son on. Lilliana had exchanged hugs with both of them and issued an invitation for Sunday dinner. His mother had accepted with a hopeful joy lighting her eyes.
Hunter had played his best game of the year against the toughest team he’d ever faced. His passes had been crisp, his leadership on the field outstanding. Maybe it had something to do with Lilliana’s relative judge coming through and getting Will into a wilderness rehabilitation program instead of jail. He had a chance to break the cycle.
Alec announced before the game that Hunter had a firm scholarship offer to play at Auburn. It would get him out of Falcon and into a great program. But other schools were sure to offer campus visits after seeing his performance at tonight’s game.
With a minute to go and the Falcons using their last time-out, Jessica said, “I’m pregnant.”
Lilliana had a feeling her face was a mirror image of the shock Darcy wore.
In a panicked, jittery voice, she continued. “The timing is crazy. I was scoping locations for a new restaurant in Huntsville. I’m not sure how I’m going to handle a baby on top of everything else.”
“Have you told Logan?” Lilliana asked.
“Of course. He’s ecstatic, and so am I. I mean, when I went off the Pill, I knew this was a distinct possibility especially as much as we— well, the odds are in our favor, I’ll leave it at that. But now that it’s reality … I’m scared.”
Lilliana put her arm around Jessica’s shoulders. “You’ll figure everything out. It’s okay to put off the restaurant in Huntsville for a while. You’re going to be an amazing mother.”
Jessica’s chin wobbled. “It’s not like I had the best role model, and neither did Logan. We were both pretty screwed up.”
Lilliana and Darcy’s gazes clashed over Jessica’s lap. Darcy piped up. “Logan is solid. You know that. He’s going to be an awesome father, and you’re not going to repeat the mistakes your parents made with you, right? Plus, this baby is going to have the best aunts in the world. Right, Lilliana?”
“You know it. My schedule is superflexible, and I can babysit anytime you get in a pinch.”
Jessica shifted. “Until you get the B&B open.”
Lilliana took a deep breath and on the exhale said, “The B&B idea is dead. Alec is moving in, and we’re going to fix it up together. I’m going to put my energy into a portrait collection for exhibition.”
Now it was Darcy and Jessica’s turn to look at her agape. Jessica asked, “Are you two getting married?”
“No, not yet.” She looked to the field where Alec clapped and yelled. “Eventually, we will though.”
Jessica hugged her tight. “I’m so happy for you.”
Lilliana and Jessica turned toward Darcy who looked startled by the sudden attention. “Don’t look at me like that. I have no news. I’m not pregnant.” She paused. “But, Robbie wants to try over the summer. He thinks a spring baby would work out best. I swear, everything revolves around football.”
The buzzer sounded and the crowd around them erupted. Darcy yelled, “Oh my God, we won! We won!”
Lilliana gave both women a hug and screamed at the top of her lungs along with everyone else. The crowd surged forward, and Lilliana let it sweep her along like a riptide. The fans were storming the field. Through the melee, she made her way toward the last place she’d seen Alec.
She stood on tiptoes and cursed how short she was. A strong arm circled her waist from behind making her squeak. Alec’s low, sexy whisper relaxed her into his body. “Can I get a kiss for winning state?”
“I’m pretty sure I just saw you on the sidelines clapping. Did you throw a touchdown?”
“No, but I’m hoping I’ll score tonight.”
“That would be a good bet.” She turned in his arms and brushed her lips over his. The sweet taste of Coke mingled with the smell of turf. Someone jostled them, and they broke apart, laughing.
The players were in the center of the field, helmets in the air chanting “State Champs.” Darcy and Dalt stood ten yards away, their heads close, his hand on the small of her back. Logan had Jessica in a bear hug, swinging her around in a circle, her feet off the ground, her laughter drifting over the crowd noise.
Somehow, improbably, Lilliana had found happiness where she’d least expected it. In Falcon, surrounded by old friends and new, and with a boy who’d trampled her heart but turned into a man who cherished it.
A lump of tears worked their way up her throat, and she buried her face in Alec’s neck, whispering close to his ear, “I love you.”
“I love you too. Hey, what’s wrong?” He tried to pull back, but she resisted, holding him as close as she could.
“Nothing’s wrong. Everything is absolutely perfect.”
Acknowledgments
For the anonymous contest judges who volunteer their time to read and comment on manuscripts. All of you made me a better writer and thickened my skin! I’m proud to be in the position to give back (and hopefully a hand up) to other writers who are sitting where I was a year ago.
And to the Romance Writers of America organization. I would still be floundering in the dark if I hadn’t discovered their network of support across the country.
The Falcon Football Series
Visit LauraTrentham.com for more!
About the Author
An award-winning author, Laura Trentham was born and raised in a small town in Tennessee. Although, she loved English and reading in high school, she was convinced an English degree equated to starvation. She chose the next most logical major—Chemical Engineering—and worked in a hard hat and steel-toed boots for several years.
Now she lives in South Carolina with her husband, two children, and a menagerie of animals. In between school and homework and soccer practices, she loves to get lost in another world, whether it’s Regency England or small-town Alabama.
Visit her at www.LauraTrentham.com or connect on Twitter at @LauraTrentham (https://twitter.com/LauraTrentham) or on Facebook (www.facebook.com/LauraTrenthamAuthor). Or sign up for email updates here.
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Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Begin Reading
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
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