by Gina Ardito
Jordan recognized Cam’s assistant, Val, leading the chant from the dais’s microphone. While he watched, Val’s attention swerved, and she pointed to the scoreboard. The crowd’s chanting quickly became a wave of cheers and mad applause. Because there, up on the jumbotron screen, was the image of Cam snuggled up against him as they looked down upon the melee on the field.
As if on cue, the clouds parted, and a strong single beam of sunlight fell on them. Heat warmed his face, and he stared up at the brightened sky.
“I’m guessing that’s Bertie’s way of saying he’s pretty happy with us right now.”
“So am I,” she replied and kissed him again.
Chapter 15
Cam stood behind Jordan as he and Marcus each took hold of the giant scissors and cut the tape on their professional sports therapy center. A light smatter of applause greeted their efforts from the small crowd of supporters surrounding them.
“Welcome,” Marcus announced as he pushed the button to open the wide, glass double-doors. “Come on in!”
Cam allowed Jordan the honor of entering on his own and turned to speak with Marcus’s wife, Theresa. “It looks great, doesn’t it?”
“It’s amazing,” the other woman enthused. “I’m so proud of them!”
Cam laughed. “There were times I wasn’t sure they’d ever stop arguing over what went where.”
Theresa poked an elbow in Cam’s side. “You got that right.”
On the inside, the space had been perfectly apportioned for equipment, exercise areas, a sauna, and a holistic center complete with massage tables and an acupuncture office. They’d even installed a lap pool and a jetted tub for hydrotherapy patients.
Once all the guests entered, Theresa joined her husband near the office area where a table had been set up with non-alcoholic drinks and appetizers. Other members of the therapy staff, wearing black t-shirts emblazoned with the center’s turquoise and white logo, milled around the equipment, showing guests how each piece worked, what muscle groups would be affected and how.
Cam returned to Jordan’s side. She placed a hand on his shoulder and gave an encouraging squeeze. “Congratulations. It’s perfect.”
“Yeah. I can’t believe it’s finally done and ready.” He settled his hand on top of hers, then lifted both hands to place a kiss inside her palm.
She instinctively curled her fingers closed, like a child clutching a perfect pebble within her grasp. These days, every kiss, every tender moment was precious. Life was a treasure chest, and love was the jewel inside. Without the jewel, the chest was just a box, like any other box. It might be fancier or made from better components, depending upon a person’s circumstances, but it was still an empty box. On the other hand, fill the box with love, the true jewels of life, and the box’s worth increased exponentially.
“Outstanding, Jordan.” Susan Harwich approached them, hand outstretched to shake Jordan’s. “The place looks incredible. I always knew you had a real talent for this line of work. You can spot the diamonds in a coal mine. That’s a gift.” She quirked a brow, but humor rode high in the sparkle in her eyes. “You sure I can’t coax you back to HRR?”
“I’m sure. I appreciate all you did for me, Susan. You gave me a chance when I was getting my life back together, and you got Marcus and me a great deal on this property—”
“I got you a killer deal.” Her toothy smile resembled a shark’s, and Cam suppressed a shiver. “And I got a little revenge while I was at it. Bella will think twice before encroaching on my territory again. All in all, this was one of my best deals ever. Thanks to you.”
He shook his head. “Unh-uh. This was all your doing. Between the price you negotiated and your construction contacts coming through for us, we came in far enough under budget to install all Marcus’s dream equipment. Which went a long way to putting him at ease after I let you take your time getting us all to the table. You’ve made me look like a hero. So, thank you. And I’m also grateful that you put me in touch with your clients on the Island. They’ve been a big help in getting my new realty office launched.”
Cam took a step back, allowing the two business associates to have a private discussion about corporate properties and slaying your dragons, whatever that meant.
While Jordan was a partner in this new therapy venture, he preferred to be the silent kind while he continued pursuing commercial real estate for fun and profit, working closer to their new home.
“Cameron?”
At the sound of her mother’s hesitant voice, she turned to find the woman striding forward, hands clasped at waist-height in front of her and twisting with nervousness. Mr. Ellison stood at Mom’s side, his arm draped around her shoulders in a protective stance.
Guilt pierced Cam at the sight. Her mother was afraid of her. Not of any physical harm, but of what Cam might say to hurt her.
She’d done that, caused those haunted eyes and deep lines around Mom’s mouth. The two of them had always shared a contentious connection. But no incident was as contentious as their argument the night Bertie died. That night was the first time she’d ever thrown her mother out of her apartment or refused to apologize after her temper cooled. And she’d kept her mother at arms’ length ever since.
Love, she reminded herself. The treasure is love. Without love, the chest is empty.
She might have a twisted way of showing it at times, but her mother loved her. And after all this time apart, maybe today was the day to begin mending their torn relationship. Like a grown-ass woman who had a lot of love to give would do.
“Hello, Mother. I’m so glad you could come.” She bent to give Mom a quick air kiss, careful not to smear the perfect makeup or wrinkle the silk blouse.
Jordan cleared his throat. “Susan, why don’t I show you around the site?”
“No, Jordan, wait.” Mom laid a hand on the back of his chair. “Please?” When he paused, she pointed at him, then Cam. “I need to speak with you both. I promise I won’t take up more than a minute of your time. You two. You’re happy?”
Cam and Jordan joined hands again. “Yes,” Cam replied. “Blissfully so.”
Mom nodded. “Good. That’s good. And the new school? It’s working out for the foundation?”
“Yes. Faculty and kids are all delighted.” Cam felt Jordan apply a light pressure to her fingers, a prompt to move forward from their animosity. He’d been the one to invite her mother to the opening today, insisting it was long past time for the two women to bury the hatchet. “You... umm... you and Mr. Ellison haven’t been to our new place yet. Maybe you’d like to join us for dinner next Saturday? If you’re available?”
Her mother beamed and shared a joyful glance with her husband, who nodded. “That would be wonderful.”
“We live out in the ‘burbs now, Mother,” Cam teased. “You know that, right?”
“Yes. The birthday card you sent this year had your new address on it. I’m looking forward to seeing the house.”
“It’s beautiful,” she replied. “A sprawling ranch on an acre of wooded property in a great neighborhood with lots of shops and galleries in town. It’s perfect for us. No need for Jordan to worry about elevators and staircases. His office is a five-minute drive from the house. We even got a dog! An Australian shepherd we named Hudson. He’s big and goofy, and he’s got plenty of space to run around the grounds. Or we can take him through the wildlife preserve down the road with its wide paths and walking trails. Some days, if you’re there at the right time, you can see deer. It’s an entirely different way of life: slower, quieter, and infinitely more relaxing. Wait ‘til you see it. You might like it so much you decide to move there yourself.”
Mom gave a delicate shiver. “Don’t be ridiculous, Cameron. Why would I ever leave the city for the sticks?”
“Ahem!” Mr. Ellison’s not-so-subtle interjection caused her mother to duck her head.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to suggest—that is, I’m sure it’s lovely, and I can’t wait to see it. Bu
t you know I’m a creature of habit, a metropolitan denizen from the day I was born. I have my routines and my showroom and my vendors. Everything I know is here. If I want quiet, I take a few days out at the summer cottage in the Hamptons. I don’t think I could ever live like that full-time, though. You and I are very different that way. You’re far braver than I am. And a lot more flexible when life throws you a curve.”
Wow. Cam had never seen her mother back down so quickly. And with such graciousness. Maybe Mr. Ellison would finally be the husband Mom needed, the man who took control and kept it, pushing her out of her comfort zone and keeping her on her toes. She hoped so. She really did want her mother to be happy—and settled.
She let loose a laugh, subtle but joyful. “You’re probably right. I’m still anxious for you to see the place, though. And should you decide you need quiet in the future, you could come and visit. You’d be more than welcome. We’ve got plenty of space. And we could have a few mother-daughter outings in the area. I’ve been ceding more and more of the day-to-day operations of the New York office to Val. She’s a godsend, I swear. The foundation’s in very good hands with her. I’m actually considering opening a satellite office out by us, a new project for me to focus on. You know how hard it is for me to sit still. Of course, that’ll only happen if Jordan can find us the perfect location again, the way he did with the Loughlin building.”
“So everything’s worked out for you.” Her mother waited for Cam to nod, then turned her attention to Mr. Ellison. “There. See? I told you it would be all right.”
“Tell them, sweetheart.” Mr. Ellison’s tone, while soft and sweet, was laced with steel.
Uh-oh. Cam stiffened, braced for some horrible news. Tell them what?
Her mother planted her hands on her hips. “I don’t see why it’s such a big deal. I was right, wasn’t I?”
Cam’s nerves skittered and popped. Oh, Mother, what did you do?
“Tell them,” Mr. Ellison repeated. “Go on. They have a right to know.”
Know what? Whatever it was, Cam wasn’t so sure she had the right or the desire to know. She gripped Jordan’s hand, nearly crushing his bones as dread tightened her every nerve ending.
“It’s about the Loughlin building,” her mother said with a defeated sigh. “Technically, Jordan didn’t find the place. I used my influence on the board to insist we only sell the site to the Delgado Foundation and that Jordan Fawcett was to be the agent of record on the deal.”
“So you were the anonymous board member!” Susan Harwich exclaimed with a finger of accusation. “Of course. It all makes sense now.”
Her mother nodded, but she kept her focus pinned to Cam. “I knew it was perfect for your needs, and I knew that if I brought it to your attention, you’d be against even looking at the place simply because I was the one to suggest it. You would’ve remained too stubborn to see the potential.”
Cam would’ve liked to argue, but how could she? Her mother was, sad to say, one hundred percent right. She would never have considered a site her mother pushed, always looking for the ulterior motive behind the offer.
Luckily, her mother didn’t wait for an agreement or a denial.
“All I’ve ever wanted,” Mom continued, “was for you to be happy. And you are, aren’t you? I did the right thing, didn’t I? Cam, I waited years for you to bounce back from what happened between you and Jordan. When you didn’t, and it seemed like you weren’t ever going to look for love again, I assumed you two might have unfinished business between you. I did some research. Found out that, like you, Jordan had never married, wasn’t dating, and I was thinking, maybe you two needed a push. Then I learned he had actually returned to New York and I knew what I had to do.” She shrugged. “It seemed like fate to me. So obvious any idiot would see it. And now you two are together and you’re happy, right?”
“I was,” Cam said. “But now that I know you manipulated us both...” She shook her head.
The hurt on her mother’s face stuck a knife in her heart. And she reconsidered what she planned to say.
The treasure is love. Her mother loved her. So, okay, in her twisted way, she’d set them up, in order to bring them back together. But after that initial bit of meddling, she’d left them both to their own devices to sink or swim. In the end, they had created their own happily ever after. All Mom had done was push. They’d done the hard work on their own.
Cam hardened her expression to stone and kept her tone harsh. “Well, then, I guess there’s only one thing left to say.” She pulled her mother into a tight hug and crooned in her ear, “Thank you.”
Her mother stiffened in her arms. “You’re not angry?”
She pulled away, laughing. “You gave me the best gift ever. A second chance with the man I love. How could I possibly be angry with that?”
“Well, if learning about your mother’s interference has put you in such a good mood...” Jordan interjected, “this might be the right time for a fumblerooski.” He turned his chair so that he directly faced Cam. The others around them all took a step back, and several more guests joined the circle, including Theresa and Marcus, as if they all anticipated some grand event would take place that they’d be witness to.
A befuddled Cam, when asked later, would admit she never recognized the signs. Until Jordan reached into his pocket and took out a small, blue jewelry box she’d seen once before, several years ago. Too much had happened in the last few minutes for her brain to fully comprehend the gravity of the moment.
“Cam, I love you. I’ve always loved you. I’ll go to my grave loving you. But until then, I want to spend every breath we have together with you. On your terms, whatever they may be.” He flipped open the lid to reveal the square-cut diamond glittering on its bed of sapphire velvet. “So, I’m giving you this ring, as a symbol of all I feel for you. The choice is yours what to do with it. Place it on your right hand and we’ll go on at your pace until you feel comfortable with my promise of forever. When you’re ready to talk about an engagement, maybe a wedding sometime far in the future, you can move it to your left hand. Or, you can just keep it in the box for the rest of our lives. The choice is entirely up to you. What do you say?”
She was ready. She was more than ready. Eagerly, she pulled the ring from the box and slid it onto the finger of her left hand. “I love you too, Jordan. And I want to spend every breath I have left by your side. The wedding can wait, but for now, I’m happy to be engaged.”
While everyone broke into spontaneous applause and cheers, he pulled her onto his lap. She roped her left arm around his neck, extending her hand to admire the glint of the diamond beneath the overhead lights.
Nuzzling his collarbone, she whispered, “I can’t believe you kept this ring all these years.”
He chuckled and murmured in her ear. “I kept the suit, too. I thought it might be unlucky to wear it again today, but you gotta have hope, right?”
Hope. Sure, you had to have hope. But more importantly, you had to have love. She gazed at the happiness streaming to them from the people they’d touched, the people who cared, and her focus landed once again on first her mother, and then Jordan.
“Hope and a treasure chest full of love.” She placed her lips on his and allowed love to carry them both forward to their future.
BOOKS BY GINA ARDITO
THE MONEY SERIES
The Bonds of Matri-money
A Run for the Money
That’s Amore!
THE NOBODY SERIES
Nobody’s Darling
Nobody’s Business
Nobody’s Perfect
Chasing Adonis
Duping Cupid
THE AFTERLIFE SERIES
Eternally Yours
In Your Dreams
Waiting in the Wings
THE CALENDAR GIRLS SERIES
Charming for Mother’s Day
Duet in September
Reunion in October
Homecoming in November
Memories
in December
Even Now
A Love to Keep Me Warm
Lightning in a Bottle
Echoes of Love
ANTHOLOGIES
Kaleidoscope Hearts 2
DEAR READER,
Thanks so much for reading PLAY ACTION PASS. I started writing this story about fifteen years ago when my son was playing in his local Peewee football league. I was Team Mom with all the responsibilities that entailed: snacks; coordinating parent volunteer services; staying on the field in driving rain, muggy mosquito-filled nights, and blustery fall evenings. I always brought my Alphasmart to write on, and the other parents would tease me about the possibility I’d one day use my experiences on the field to write a football romance.
I wrote the first two chapters of this story during that time, then stalled. And there Cam and Jordan sat, in my “Unfinished drafts” folder on my computer. Until last year.
Fast forward fifteen years, my football-playing child is now in law school, and I needed a quick story I could pull up and finish for an anthology with eight other authors. PLAY ACTION PASS found a home within the pages of KALEIDOSCOPE HEARTS 2. But in order to make it fit the format the anthology required, a lot of scenes and conflicts wound up on the proverbial cutting room floor.
Thus, when the anthology was removed from sale and I reacquired the rights to my characters and their romance, I taped together all the bits and pieces I’d had to cut from the first edition. I loved writing this story the way I’d always envisioned it, and I hope you enjoyed reading this version.
If you did enjoy it, I’d like to ask a favor. Please consider writing a review on your favorite retail site? Amazon, BookBub, Goodreads, or just recommend it on Facebook to your friends and family members! Independent authors such as myself need those reviews in order to compete with bigger names and bigger houses with bigger budgets for advertising. Like other small businesses, I rely on word of mouth to find new readers. Your voice helps. And yes, I do read my reviews. Good or bad, I appreciate whenever a reader takes the time to share their thoughts about my work.