Touchdown Baby (11 page)

Chapter Nine

Water ran down both arms from the torrential downpour. Puddles formed around her on the floor, getting her dirty looks from the lady who organized the carts. .

With a look down at herself and the mess she was making, Ava rushed toward the bathroom. The image that peered at her through the mirror was scary. The perfectly applied eyeliner and mascara now ran in sooty black streaks down her face, with a nice line running under her nose from a swipe she had thought would help her look presentable. The chignon she had elegantly put her hair up into that morning with a ton of hairspray now hung limp down her back, looking like a black cat was tangled in a rat’s nest.

The tears that finally had stopped flowing began again, but now with sobs of laughter mixed in. Another look at her pitiful appearance and she realized she was the Walmart girl from the movie she had watched last night while cuddled up on the couch with Ashlyn, except she wasn’t pregnant.

She took a quick glance around to insure her privacy and pulled her cell phone out of her jacket pocket to try Roxi. With no answer, she tried her mom with dread. Again, no answer. Where in the world could they be? The memory of her mom saying she and Lexi were taking Ashlyn to Build-A-Bear that day came back, and she contemplated calling her dad. Of course he would be happy to pick her up, but did she really want to take the chance he would make a scene? Probably not. Therefore, with a deep breath and a prayer he would answer his phone and wasn’t already halfway to Nashville, Ava punched in Jace’s number.

“Jace? It’s me. I need your help.”

“Where are you? Are you hurt?” Jace’s questioned without waiting for an answer to any single question.

“I am fine, just stranded. I just quit my job and am standing in a bathroom in Walmart.” The trembling in her tear-strained voice must have panicked him, and the remainder of the conversation consisted of getting her exact location and his assurance he would be there within the hour. Right before he hung up, he absently told her to relax.

As if she could just relax while standing in wet clothes with make-up smeared across her face waiting for one of the most beautiful people in the country to pick her up at a Walmart. Who was she kidding?

Her reflection made Ava grab a handful of paper towels, and she began to wash the offensive goop from her face. Five minutes of painful scraping of rough paper on tender skin still sensitive from crying, she began to resemble a human again. The next step was looking for dry clothes. After a quick examination of her suitcase, she realized maybe her luck was changing since she was stuck at Walmart. Having packed no casual clothing, she decided what better place to pick up a cute new outfit that would fit into her new budget: poor. Her next stop in the store was the tops and T-shirts section.

Fifteen minutes later she was standing in the dressing room in a pair of adorable jean shorts and a T-shirt in a deep jade that matched her eyes, hugged her body and accentuated her more than generous breasts. Resigned that this was by far the best she was going to do, she slipped out of the dressing room with the tags still attached and headed straight for the checkout.

This was how Jace found her, having her ass scanned by a more than eager teenage boy, who had glued his eyes to the V-cut of her shirt. Just a hint of drool escaped down his acne-ravaged chin. A simple smile made the boy blush. When she requested he cut the tag from her shirt, which hung against her breast but under her arm, she thought both males would have coronaries.

****

Whether Jace approached her in the hopes of staking his claim or just to relieve the squirming adolescent of any more embarrassment, he would have to contemplate later. Without consideration of his celebrity status, he slipped right up behind her with the confidence of someone who always got what he wanted. Unfortunately, the teenager instantly recognized him.

“You’re Jace Johnson!” the young man stated, without sparing another glance at Ava.

For a moment, Jace considered denying his name, but the idolatry that emerged from the cashier stroked his ego, and he reached across Ava’s shoulder to shake the sweaty hand of a boy who had conveniently forgotten about the beautiful woman.

When Jace noticed Ava was about to remove her checkbook from her purse, he pulled out his wallet and dropped a fifty on the counter. He grabbed the suitcase she had standing beside her, placed a possessive hand on her elbow and ushered her out of the mechanical doors.

When he had pulled up to the front of the store, he knew he should have parked legally but now was grateful for his car being close. He noticed Tony-the-cashier, who apparently spilled the beans about his famous customer, and a crowd had gathered to watch their exit, camera phones snapping. Managing to squeeze Ava’s bag into the small confines of his sports car and making a hasty exit before anyone got a good shot of them became his sole goal.

“What was all that about?” Ava demanded when Jace made it out of the parking lot.

Jace checked the rearview mirror before merging into the oncoming traffic, “What?”

“Why did you pay for my purchases, rush me out of the store and act as if you didn’t want to be seen with me?”

The groan that escaped him was just ammunition for Ava to continue her tirade. Half listening to her bitching and moaning about his Neanderthal ways, Jace let her have her say until she finally blurted out, “I thought we were friends.”

God save me from irate females.

Jace pulled off into an abandoned parking lot. “Woman, are you listening to yourself? Of course, we’re friends. Hell, you’re one of the best friends I have. The reason I was rushing you out was so we weren’t swarmed. For someone who only days ago made me duck in her car so no one would see me, you sure are ready to jump down my throat for trying to protect you.”

“Why did you pay for my stuff?”

“I didn’t want the kid to have your name. The way the press is hounding me, I didn’t want to drag you into it. I practically had to beg you to stay at my house the night before your interview. I thought you would appreciate it.”

“I’m sorry for snapping at you. It’s just been a long day. I’m exhausted.”

Jace took a moment to look at her. He noticed the lack of make-up. The circles she normally hid so well appeared deeper in the overcast car. “Do you want to tell me what happened?”

“No, but I will.” After relaying the confrontation that had occurred that morning, leaving out the parts about him being labeled a manwhore, she said, “I guess this means you can take me to Nashville with you. I’ll be able to do my internship before my interview. That is if you don’t mind us staying with you?”

“I would love for you both to come stay at my house. Do you want to go back and get Ashlyn?”

Ava sighed. “No, she is staying with my mom this weekend. I’ll call Mom and see if she can bring her to me. She and your mom are always talking about going to Nashville for a girls’ trip. This would be the perfect opportunity. They could also bring my car. I guess I should call now. She didn’t answer earlier.” Ava seemed drained, and at his strong suggestion she not do anything drastic about her job or lack thereof, she sank back in the soft leather seat and promptly fell asleep.

Jace contemplated firing Bob and staying with his normal attorney for the paternity testing since it was already out in the open, but he didn’t want to hurt Ava’s reputation by causing her any more problems with her old employer. She wasn’t telling him the whole story; he just didn’t know how to get the real reason for her abrupt departure from her without calling her out.

When she adjusted in her seat, Jace couldn’t stop himself from noticing the way her shorts rode up her legs with only the barest fabric covering her most intimate spot; memories of kissing her inner thighs and the taste of her had his dick hardening. Averting his eyes from the view that captivated his attention and trying to focus on the wet roads that stretched ahead, he allowed himself the memories of a more innocent time when he drove her home during a thunderstorm.

The skies had opened up, as only they could during a late summer thunderstorm in East Tennessee. Summer storms were as common as bikinis at the river, and they normally passed within an hour.

Ava came down the stairs of our house and approached me. “Will you take me home?”

Not bothering to look up from the sports show I was watching on television, I said, “Wait out the storm and then you can ride your bike home.”

The sound of her sniffling as she sat beside me on the couch caught my attention, and when I saw the tears that filled her eyes, they broke my heart. At that moment, I would have agreed to anything to get her to stop.

Once we were in the car, I asked her what happened as I pulled out of the drive.

“Roxi and I had a fight. She thinks I’m trying to steal her boyfriend. Oh shoot! That was supposed to be kept secret.”

I squirmed in the way only a teenage boy would when a discussion about his little sister’s love life occurred.

“I would never do that to her, she’s my best friend. I love her like a sister. Why would I want her nasty boyfriend anyway?” Ava sounded angry over the situation; Roxi should know her better than that.

“What happened that made Roxi think you would want her friend?” No matter what, I could not say boyfriend in the same sentence with a reference to my little sister.

“He tried to kiss me. I didn’t let him. I actually punched him in the stomach, and he told Roxi I punched him because he wouldn’t kiss me.” Ava sounded so aggrieved I pulled to the side of the road so we could talk a little easier.

I tried to figure out a way to respond to her about the situation without actually getting details. “You do realize after Roxi thinks about it she’ll know he’s lying. Every guy, no matter how old, will lie to get himself out of trouble, especially if the trouble is about a girl or involving a girl.”

“But how could she not believe me? I’ve never lied to her. I’ve never even kissed a boy, and if I were going to, it wouldn’t be with a boy like Tommy. He has smelly breath and fish lips.”

I was relieved at least Ava hadn’t kissed anybody yet. “So what kind of boy would you kiss?”

“Somebody like you. He would have to be smart, cute and fun. I don’t want to kiss just anybody; I want my first kiss to be memorable. You only get one first kiss. Bad breath and fishy lips are not memorable, or at least not the kind of memorable I want.”

The air burned in my lungs when Ava said she would kiss a guy like me. I released the breath, but when I tried to inhale again, I choked. Ava reached over to pat my back in a perfectly innocent gesture. My blood ran hot, and before I could contemplate my actions, I pulled her against me and touched my lips against hers. The lightning was so close now the thunder actually vibrated the car, and I slipped my arms around her back.

I had no idea how it happened, but the innocent pressure of this kiss turned hot within seconds. I had kissed plenty of girls, and I recognized her innocence. When I felt her pull back, I kept my embrace gentle.

When she looked up into my eyes, the awe in hers shinned bright. I couldn’t remember who moved first, but before I could form an argument of why this wasn’t a good idea, her arms wrapped around my neck and my hands roamed her back.

Making out was so erotic to my high school mind, and I knew it was as bad as going all the way to Ava, who was just starting high school. But nothing could have stopped me from taking that first taste of her. She tasted just like strawberry licorice, and I knew I would never be able to eat it again without thinking of her.

When we finally had to pull apart for air, I turned to straighten in my seat to hide my boner. Nothing was said as I pulled the car back on the street, and I took her home.

Apparently, innocent memories could get you hard under the right circumstances, and Ava sprawled across leather in tiny denim shorts and a tight T-shirt made for the perfect storm. He had to get out of the car or explode in his pants like an unrestrained boy, so he pulled into the closest gas station. After a quick fill up of gas and the purchase of a couple sodas and chips, he slipped off his jacket and covered Ava and her temptations. They were Nashville bound.

In the final hour of his return trip home, Jace called Alex and cancelled their plans for that evening. They agreed they would get together the following day after the press conference. Jace made a call to his agent to verify his arrival time at the hotel where his statement would be read to the press. The call proved more informative than he imagined when he found out his paternity test had been set up for Tuesday.

The next thirty minutes flew by while Jace thought of the changes happening so quickly in his life. In a week he discovered he might be a father to a child he never met, had fallen in love with a woman who had stolen his heart eight years earlier, and met a little girl he wanted as a daughter. All of this not in his life plan, which was just football. He knew other guys had both family and football, but it wasn’t in his DNA.

“What are you thinking?” Ava spoke softly.

Jerking his head toward the sound of her voice, he tried to play off the fact she caught him off-guard.

Ava smiled when he jumped, straightened in her seat, and asked again, “What are you thinking?”