The Ghost Groom

by Jennifer Youngblood

  Deep down, Rennen knew Monroe was right. Ever since the news broke a few weeks ago that the Titans had signed a two-year contract for 12.3 million with Rennen for the starting running back position, reporters came crawling out the woodwork, wanting interviews. It didn’t take long for them to drag up the details of his past, growing up in foster homes, never knowing who his real parents were. Phrases like foster care survivor and rags-to-riches were being thrown around. Rennen could handle just about anything the press threw at him, but what he couldn’t handle was the scores of people claiming to be his parents.

  It disgusted him how so many people wanted to cling to his coattails now that he was somebody. Where were his parents when he was a defenseless kid? What kind of mother would desert her baby? These were the questions that had plagued him his entire life, still plagued him. When the press started hounding Rennen, Monroe suggested that Rennen hire a PR firm to be his voice and help field the reporters. Rennen hired The DaVinici Firm, a local group who represented other Titan players, including starting quarterback Kade Kincaid. The firm was known for helping clients spin a positive light on potentially damaging situations.

  “All right,” Rennen finally said. “Let’s do it.”

  “Awesome. Lainey Summerfield from the DaVinci Firm will contact you with all the details.”

  “Sounds good.” Rennen met Lainey the week prior. She was his point of contact at DaVinci. In her mid-fifties, Lainey was approachable and seemed to know her stuff. It would be good to have her as a buffer between him and the press.

  “And you’re doing the Tiny Titans Football Camp tomorrow, right?”

  “Right.”

  “Good, events like that can only help.”

  Unlike Monroe, Rennen hadn’t viewed the camp as a PR opportunity but was more concerned about giving back to the community, spending time with at-risk kids. Now, he kind of wished he hadn’t committed to it because it would take up the bulk of his day, meaning that he had to put off trying to find Ariana’s gym. Monroe went through a long list of pointers, things Rennen should say to the press. Halfway listening, his thoughts went back to Ariana. If only she’d give him a chance to talk to her in person, he was sure they could work things out. She seemed like a reasonable person.

  Ace had a great career, longer than most running backs in the NFL. But someone was bound to replace him eventually. The same would happen with Rennen, which is why Monroe fought so hard to get him a sizable contract for the next two years. If Rennen weren’t taking Ace’s place, someone else would.

  He smiled, thinking about Ariana’s spunk. Her dark eyes were filled with enough vitality for ten lifetimes. She was tough, yet feminine with her subtle curves. He kept thinking about how her stilettos showcased her shapely legs and her wispy hair framed her exotic face. The excitement he felt around her was intoxicating.

  When Rennen first started playing football in high school, it felt like he was restoring a part of himself. For the first time in his life, he was the best at something. Football seeped into his blood, and he knew he could never let it go. As crazy as it was, he was having some of those same feelings about Ariana. Now that he’d met her, he didn’t want to let her go. But that was ridiculous. They’d spent a couple meager hours together at a club. Yeah, the kiss had been spectacular, but it was one kiss. He couldn’t help but laugh at himself. Maybe all the stress from the press was starting to get to him. Then again, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was supposed to meet Ariana.

  “Hey man,” Monroe said. “I’m getting another call. Can you hold a minute?”

  “Sure,” Rennen said absently, his thoughts rambling. When Rennen was in high school, he’d channeled his energy into the one thing that had never failed him—football. His desire to be the best carried him through college on a full ride at Ohio State. He was drafted to play for the Sacramento Vipers in the seventh round and was later traded to the Titans, which Rennen was ecstatic about because it got him back to Texas and gave him the opportunity to play back-up to the great Ace Sanchez. As soon as Rennen achieved one goal, he’d push through to another. His ultimate goal was to secure a lucrative contract as a starter. He assumed when he reached that point, he’d finally feel complete. But a strange thing happened. Now that Rennen had gotten everything he thought he always wanted, he felt more lost than ever. For some time, he’d been praying for clarity to be able to understand what he was feeling.

  When he was a kid, he kept a running prayer in his heart that he’d find his mom. But as time went on, and the prayer remained unanswered, he became angry at God. During junior high and his freshman year of high school, he was headed down a dark path that might’ve destroyed him had the Boyd family not entered his life. At the time, Rennen was living with a foster family, the Youngs, an elderly couple with no children of their own. For the Youngs, foster care was a business. While Howard and Denise Young kept Rennen at a distance emotionally, his physical needs were met, which was a drastic improvement over previous situations Rennen had been in. Rennen had mastered putting up a good front to the Youngs, while getting into drugs and alcohol.

  It was during this time that Rennen met Warren Boyd when they had a science class together. Warren was a popular kid whose dad Gary was the high school track coach. For some reason, Warren took an interest in Rennen. They eventually became friends, mostly because Warren wouldn’t have it any other way. Rennen joined the track team and Gary recognized his potential. Rennen became a track star and then transitioned into football.

  Things took a downward turn, however, when Rennen’s foster father, Howard, died of cancer. His wife Denise had a mental breakdown and could no longer care for herself, much less Rennen. Rennen would’ve been moved to another town with a different set of foster parents had the Boyds not stepped in. They worked it out through the state so Rennen could live with them the remainder of his high school career.

  The three years Rennen spent with the Boyds were the happiest in his life. For the first time, Rennen got a taste of what it was like to be part of a real family. Rennen had coped with his turbulent past the best way he knew how. He thought he’d put the worst of it behind him until news of his contract with the Titans went public, and people started coming forward claiming to be his parents. Anger surged through him as he clenched his fist. He just wanted his past to stay in the past where it belonged.

  The night before, Rennen had been pretty low when Doug and Matt, fellow Titan players, stopped by and invited him to a karaoke club. Rennen told them no at first, but they kept after him, saying he was too keyed up and needed to release a little steam. He was digging his heels in to refuse, but then had a strong feeling that he needed to go. When he got to the club and started dancing, it felt good to let loose and simply enjoy the moment. Then he met Ariana and assumed that was why he needed to go. Seeing how things had fallen apart with her, Rennen didn’t know what to make of his feelings. He rubbed a hand across his forehead. Maybe he was making too much of this. A good night’s sleep would help him view things more clearly. Ariana was one girl, after all. Rennen had tons of girls lining up to date him. It wasn’t smart to get hung up on the one who got away. Thoughts of her flooded him again. He could almost smell her fruity shampoo, feel her in his arms.

  “You there, man?” Monroe asked.

  “Yeah, I’m still here.”

  “Sorry that call took so long.”

  “No problem.”

  They spoke a few more minutes about the upcoming interview and camp the following day. They ended the call and Rennen rubbed his hand over his face. He needed a good night’s sleep to help recharge his battery. Tomorrow, he’d forget about Ariana and focus on his career. As much as he wanted to, he wouldn’t go searching for her gym.

  Relationships were complicated enough without adding the extra layer of her being Ace’s sister. He went to the fridge to grab a water. He lifted the bottle to his lips and drained it in a few swigs, then crushed it in one hand and tossed it in the nearby garbage bin.


  He couldn’t resist the temptation to look at his texts to see if Ariana had responded while he was talking to Monroe. Disappointment stabbed through him. She hadn’t. He grunted. Of course not. She’d told him to never contact her again. It didn’t get any clearer than that.

  “Forget her,” he muttered. “Don’t be stupid. You don’t need any more drama in your life.”

  He needed sleep. Heck, he might even call up a few girls to arrange dates for the next few weeks. That would help take his mind off Ariana. He straightened his shoulders, feeling a little better now that he’d worked out a plan. Plans were good, giving him something concrete to work towards. He’d do as he’d always done, put one foot in front of the other and move forward until his feelings got in line with his head. Yes, that was the sensible thing to do. In a couple of weeks, Ariana would be a distant memory.

  Onto bigger and better things.

  5

  Despite her frustration with the Titans for letting Ace go, Ariana was suddenly glad she’d agreed to teach the agility portion of the first-annual Tiny Titans Football Camp as she looked at the eager expressions of the fresh-faced boys surrounding her. They were on a section of the practice field in the state-of-the art Titan complex that included the game stadium, a workout center, and executive offices on the upper floors. Cedar Bell the intern over the camp had planned everything to a T, which was nice because it allowed Ariana to focus on the boys.

  “Are you ready to have some fun?” she yelled.

  “Yeah!” they responded.

  “My name is Ariana. I want you to tell me your names.” She pursed her lips together. “Let’s see … how can we make this more interesting?” She held up finger. “I know, also tell me your favorite player.”

  The boys jabbered excitedly amongst themselves. She’d known this would capture their interest. Thanks to Antonio and Axel, Ariana knew how to relate to boys. Now, if she’d been asked to teach a class to a group of girls, it would’ve been a different story. Boys were easy. Just give them plenty of physical activity, sprinkle in a little competition, and feed them lots of snacks and they’d be happy.

  They went down the line, telling their names and favorite players. It was gratifying to hear a couple of them name Ace. Of course, next year, they’d be chanting Rennen Bradley’s name instead. Irritation squelched over Ariana as the protective sister in her came out full force. She kept replaying the stunned look on Ace’s face when he realized the guy Ariana was talking about was his replacement on the Titan team.

  Regret pressed heavily on her chest as she thought of Rennen Bradley. She’d been flying so high after meeting him that the crash back to earth was rough. After she learned who he was, she’d Googled him. There were so many crazy stories about Rennen’s past it was hard to know what was fact and what was fiction. One online magazine claimed he was raised by a group of ranchers. Another, notorious for stretching the truth, said Rennen was a test-tube baby. From what Ariana could piece together, Rennen had been abandoned as a baby, then passed around various foster homes. According to one article from a more reputable source, Rennen had been removed from one home as a baby due to cigarette burns and unexplained bruises on his little body. Realizing this about him made her heart hurt. She felt guilty for the harsh texts she’d sent. Then again, her loyalty was to Ace. Despite Rennen’s upbringing, he was taking Ace’s spot. And that meant there could never be anything between them. She pulled her thoughts back to the task at hand.

  She lifted the whistle hanging by a string around her neck. “I need you to form two lines. Make sure you’re an arm’s width apart. Every athlete needs to be in top-notch condition to perform well on the field.”

  “Where’s the football?” a freckle-faced boy with glasses asked.

  “There’s much more to football than merely the ball,” Ariana countered. “Before you even think about passing that ball, you’ve got to get a good grasp of what your feet are doing.”

  “You can practice most of these drills at home. I suggest doing them three or four days a week. When I blow the whistle, you’re going to jog in place, get your knees as high as you can. Use your hands to propel your legs up. Like so.” She demonstrated it. “We’ll start slower and then build up speed. Follow my lead. Ready, go.”

  She blew the whistle and jogged in place. The boys copied her movements. The idea was to take them through a few simple drills and add in games to make it interesting. She’d put together an obstacle course where two groups could compete relay style. The Kincaid brothers would pop-in the last ten to fifteen minutes of the segment and work with the boys on a few fundamentals. And much to the boys’ delight, they’d show them how to throw a football.

  They jogged for about three minutes until Ariana blew the whistle for them to stop. The boy with freckles and another boy were sucking air and clutching their stomachs like they’d just run a marathon.

  “You trying to kill us, lady?” the freckle-faced boy grumbled.

  Ariana bit back a smile. He was so darn cute, but she could tell from the deviant look in his eyes that he was a handful. There was normally at least one heckler in every group. Heck, she couldn’t say much because she’d been that heckler when she was the kid’s age. “Nope,” she said pleasantly. “Just trying to teach you a few things to help you get in good shape.”

  Most of the boys had come here with stars in their eyes, wanting to meet famous football players. All one hundred spots were filled almost as fast as the slots opened. Ariana was sure being put through tough drills by a girl was a letdown. She’d need to take it slow so she wouldn’t tire them out too soon. And she’d have to make sure they drank plenty of water on breaks. She looked at the boy. “What did you say your name was?”

  “Chris,” he said hesitantly.

  “All right, Chris …” her eyes moved over the group “… and all the rest of you. Let me show you a few more drills.” Ariana made sure to add stretching and breathing exercises in between. After they were sufficiently warmed up, she pointed to two rope ladders spread across the AstroTurf, parallel to each other. “I want you to take turns running through the ladders, making sure the balls of your feet touch every space in between the rungs. Keep your knees high like we did before and use your hands to propel forward. Keep your steps light. Like so.” She ran through the ladder. “Okay, your turn.”

  Chris let out an exaggerated sigh. The heavyset kid standing next to him did the same. “Do we have to do it?”

  Ariana kept her tone neutral. “You can run laps around the field instead, if you want.”

  They went bug-eyed. “No,” Chris said. “We’re good.”

  She grinned. “Thought so.”

  After they got the hang of it, she motioned for them to gather around her. “Now, for the fun part.” She flashed an exuberant smile and was pleased when most of them smiled back, anticipation brimming in their eyes. “I want you to call off one and two as I point to you.” She ran through the group. “The ones gather on my right, the twos on my left.”

  She pointed at the obstacle course. “Here’s what we’re gonna do. You’ll go through the ladder first, then the cones, and zigzag through the markers, making sure to touch each one. After you finish the course, run back and tag the hand of your teammate who’ll then go through the course. The first group through wins an extra snack.” She pumped her eyebrows. “And I’ve got something really tasty.”

  “What is it?” a tow-haired boy asked, eagerness lighting his eyes.

  “You’ll have to wait and find out.” She rubbed her hands together. “Huddle up. Everyone put an arm in and on the count of three, we’ll yell ‘Titans’. Ready?” They piled their hands over hers. “One, two, three. Titans!” they boomed.

  Ariana motioned. “All right. Line up, boys. A little competition’s good for the soul.”

  “I couldn’t agree more.” Her breath caught as she turned toward the voice and found herself staring into a familiar set of green eyes flecked with gold. A lock of his hair fell over one eye
, giving him a sexy-windswept look. He was wearing a sleeveless t-shirt and athletic shorts, offering a bird’s-eye view of his defined biceps and muscular legs. Her heart picked up a notch. “Rennen, what’re you doing here?”

  “I was told to come over and help with the agility exercises. Make sure you’re teaching them correct form.”

  The comment set her off like a spark to dry grass, igniting a raging fire. Ariana straightened to her full height, her hands going to her hips. “Who told you to come over here?” She was volunteering her time to do this, and was perfectly capable of teaching a group of kids agility drills. She craned her neck looking for Cedar and found her near the water station holding a baby on her hip while pressing the button to fill a camper’s cup.

  Amusement sparkled in his eyes. “That’s not important.”

  Ariana scrunched her brows. “Well, it’s important to me.” It took her half a second to realize he was baiting her. As she drove to camp this morning, she’d briefly wondered if Rennen might be here. She’d mentally prepared herself to act aloof so he’d get the message loud and clear that she wasn’t interested. But when she didn’t see him, she assumed she was in the clear. Obviously not.

  He motioned. “An obstacle course, huh?”

  “We’re doing relay races,” one of the boys explained.

  “And the winning team gets an extra snack,” another added.

  Rennen folded his arms over his chest, his tone musing. “Interesting.” He looked at the boys. “What do you say, we raise the stakes?”

  “Yeah,” they chimed.

  Ariana tensed. She didn’t know what Rennen was up to, but it couldn’t be good. “We’ve already got our plan.” She jutted out her chin. If Rennen thought he could come out here and switch up everything on a whim, he’d be sorely disappointed.

  “I’ll join one of the groups. You join the other.”

  “No,” she balked. “This isn’t about us. This is about the boys.” She stepped closer to him, lowering her voice. “I’m sorry about what happened between us, Rennen. But let’s not drag these boys into it.”