Playing at Love (21 page)

With a gasp, she was running again, taking the long way around the group in the middle of the field. Her hood flew back as she ran into the wind, rain soaking into her hair. She winced when she felt her ankle twist in the mud, but she kept going, running toward the back of his blue Grizzlies Football jacket. When she was about twenty feet away, Jack suddenly stopped and turned around. Unable to slow her momentum, Tess slammed right into him, barreling into his chest.

He grunted in surprise and the two fell over.

…

Jack felt his back hit the ground and the weight of someone land on top of him. He was seeing stars behind his eyelids when he heard a voice.

“Jack? Are you okay?”

He opened his eyes to see Tess’s face hovering over him. He blinked, thinking that whatever just hit him had done something to his brain. Tess wasn’t really there. She was at her choir competition in Indianapolis tonight. Plus, she didn’t want to see him; she’d told him she couldn’t be with anyone.
Plus
, Tess Johansson would
not
be down on her hands and knees straddling him in the middle of the football field in the rain. He closed his eyes again, unwilling to take part in the painful fantasy.

“Jack?”

He felt soft, caressing hands on his face and the heat of someone just above him. “Tess,” he wheezed, once a bit of wind returned to his lungs. When he opened his eyes again, she was still there, leaning over him.

She seemed to be studying something in his eyes and then she sighed, looking relieved. “Oh, Jack,” she whispered, dropping down onto her elbows, her face at his neck.

Her whole weight was on him now, and Jack felt the almost unbearable urge to wrap his arms around her and tell her again that he loved her, to tell her that he’d been an idiot when he was a kid and he’d been an idiot the other night, and that he’d probably be an idiot his whole life. But he’d broken her heart before, and she didn’t want him now.

Just as he was about to sit up, he felt her kiss him on the neck. “Tess?” he choked out, feeling his body stiffen in confusion.

She pulled back and looked him in the eyes. Something new was there, deep behind the dazzling blue; something that he’d seen there before but had been lost for a time.

“I love you,” she said, her hair spilling all around him. When he didn’t move, she leaned down and kissed him. “I love you,” she repeated, her lips still touching his. He shuddered when her warm breath caressed his cheek.

Jack closed his eyes. When he felt her kiss him again, his body flooded with joy and warmth, and he slid his arms around her back. She giggled against his cheek as he squeezed her tight. He reached a hand up and swept her hair away from her face, ready to speak.

“Shh…” She ran a finger over his lips. “I love you,” she said for a third time.

Just as he went to kiss her again, Jack caught a glimpse of a dark green rain jacket past her shoulder.

“I’m assuming this is a tackle drill, Coach Marshall?”

Jack tilted his head to find a crowd of about ten people huddled around them.

“And what exactly are you doing to my sister?”

Tess squeaked and rolled off, pulling down her skirt. “Charlie!”

“Is this guy bothering you?” Charlie asked. “I’ve got my .38 special in the car.”

“Everything’s under control,” Tess said, sounding like she was torn between mortification and laughter.

Charlie nodded then looked at Jack. “Then would you mind taking her somewhere else for whatever this is?”

“Okay, Charlie,” Jack said, lifting his hands in surrender. “Although I’m sure I don’t have to explain to you the benefits of being sacked by a girl.”

Charlie made a face. “Dude, she’s my sister.”

“Don’t change the subject,” Tess cut in, pointing up at Charlie. “How could you leave my competition like that? And for a football game? You terrible brother.”

“Hey, I was supporting you in both places,” Charlie argued. “Speaking of…” He looked toward the parking lot, where Jack could barely make out the figure of a woman standing alone, probably waiting for Charlie. “I’ve got to go be supportive elsewhere,” Charlie said. “Catch you guys later.” He turned to the surrounding crowd and cleared his throat. “Nothing to see here,” he said. “Move along.”

Jack chuckled and Tess rolled her eyes as they watched Charlie run off into the rain.

“Way to go, Coach,” one of Jack’s players said as he breezed by. “Jo is hot.”

Jack leapt to his feet then offered a hand to Tess, helping her up. “Where are your shoes?” he asked, eyeing her bare feet.

“Over there.” She pointed toward the bleachers. “They’re Italian. I didn’t want to ruin them in the mud. But I think that damage is done.”

Jack chuckled and looked down at her, combing his fingers through her hair. She looked so beautiful in the falling mist. “How did the choir do?” he asked as they walked toward the stadium.

“Second,” she said. “So I guess it’ll be up to Walker now.”

“What do you mean?”

“He said he’d make the final decision if our programs tied.”

Jack stopped and looked at her. “Tess,” he said reluctantly, “we won the game tonight. There is no tie. I’m sorry. The football program isn’t going to be cut.”

“You won?” She seemed to be processing this.

Jack stared at her, suddenly very worried that the only reason she had come to him was because she thought they’d lost the game. Panic grabbed him by the throat. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing her again.

“Tess…” He stepped toward her. “I—”

“You
won
?” she repeated, her face lighting up. “Jack! That’s wonderful!” She threw her arms around him and squeezed until he coughed. “I’m so proud of you!”

Jack stared at her in wonder. Yes, his side
had
won, and he’d worried about what that would mean for Tess. But he also knew she was strong and passionate—a fighter, which was why he was so crazy about her. He knew she would land on her feet—and be better for it. He trembled when she took his face between her hands. “And you played Andy,” she said, pulling him down for a kiss. “I heard the crowd cheering at the end. He must be on cloud nine.”

Jack laughed, feeling overwhelming love for the woman he held in his arms. “I’m sure he is,” Jack said. “He’ll be celebrating all night.”

“And what about you?” She slid a hand low around his waist. “Do you have to go to a coaches’ meeting now or talk to your team?”

Jack slowly shook his head. “The players have the homecoming dance with the rest of the school. I’m done for the night.”

Tess bit her lip then pulled back a smile that Jack recognized. It made his heart speed up in his chest.

“I don’t think you
are
done for the night, Coach.” She slipped her hand into his, squeezed it, then tugged him to keep walking.

Just as they took a step, Tess suddenly winced then hopped on one foot, favoring her right ankle.

“What’s wrong?” Jack asked, trying not to laugh as she hobbled around in a circle.

“My first football injury.” She smiled proudly through the cringe.

Jack heard her gasp in delight as he quickly swept her up into his arms. “I know of only one surefire cure for a twisted ankle,” he said, carrying her directly toward his car parked at the stadium entrance.

“What’s that?” Tess asked, her hands clasped around his neck.

“Bed rest,” he said. “My house. Plenty of it. In fact…” He looked down at her beautiful, rain-drenched face. “I don’t want to see you out of my bed for the next two days.”

Tess giggled then tightened her grip. “If that’s the only way…”

“I’m afraid so.”

She sighed resignedly then nuzzled into his neck. “Darn, stupid ankle.”

“Come on.” Jack laughed. “Let’s go home.”

Epilogue

“Your cell either got water damaged the other night or it’s about to have kittens. Either way, you should change that ringtone. What is it with you and the Backstreet Boys?” Jack tossed Tess her phone. “I’ll allow you one call, so make it good.”

Tess gazed at him as he leaned against the doorframe, wearing nothing but a towel, one hand rubbing the back of his neck. It was a sight she wished she could permanently burn into her brain.

“That sounds fair,” Tess said, “after nearly two full days of being completely incommunicado with the outside world.”

Jack grinned and ran a hand through his damp hair.

They hadn’t done much talking that first night after the game. But the following morning, over juice and toast and sweet kisses, they’d talked about everything from movies and books to Rick’s final article in the paper, which Jack had read aloud. They’d even talked about Tess’s concession letter to Principal Walker. Later that night, Tess had composed the first half of it while Jack had snored softly, looking all sexy and rumpled. She thought the letter sounded very good, very dignified for a resignation.

She’d chewed on the pen cap, her heart breaking when she thought about Penny and the other members of the choirs who would have to choose a different elective next semester. But it had been a fair fight. And she knew she personally would live to fight another day.

What she couldn’t fathom losing was Jack. Not after all they had been through the past two months…the past fifteen years and two months. He would be staying at Franklin High for the foreseeable future, as the hero coach who finally pulled the football team out of its seven-season slump. But Tess would need to find a job, one that might not be in Franklin. She was a music teacher—that was her first love. Jobs like that didn’t grow on trees. But at least she wouldn’t have to worry about her parents’ house anymore, which was a huge relief. In fact, she was already thinking about how to invest her share of the profit once it sold.

When Jack adjusted his towel, Tess forgot about obsessing over her vocational future—she would much rather obsess over Jack. Despite the current situation, she wasn’t worried about
their
future; they would figure something out. She felt a secret promise of forever in their silent moments. Once she’d decided to really open up to him, to offer her whole heart, Jack did the same, and everything felt different.

After one last yearning sigh, she picked her phone off the pillow where it had landed. “It’s a text from Mac,” she said. “Three, actually.”

“What do they say?” Jack asked.

Tess squinted at her screen. “The first one is about Rick.
Oh
.” She felt her eyes growing wide but didn’t share the details of the message with Jack. She would have to corner Mac at school tomorrow and get the entire scoop. “Um, anyway, the second text says, ‘Look at the paper.’”

“What paper?”

Tess shrugged. “I don’t know. The third one only says, “‘Never mind,’ and she attached a link.” Tess looked up at him. “Should I open it?”

Tess smiled when she heard him give a little groan of disappointment as he crossed the room to her. With a nudge to his knee, she persuaded him to sit on the bed. When she crawled over to him and climbed onto his lap, she felt his disappointment fade.

“So we can read it together,” she explained.

“You won’t hear me complaining,” Jack said, wrapping an arm around her.

As the link connected, the
Franklin Standard
home page popped up on the screen, and Tess moved her face next to Jack’s. He was a faster reader than she was, because she could tell the exact moment when his cheeks lifted, stretching his mouth into a broad smile.

“Congratulations,” he said, putting his other arm around her and giving her a squeeze. “Or congratulations to Penny, I should say.”

Tess grinned, turning to press her forehead against the side of his face. “She deserves the scholarship,” she said. “Her dream is to get into the musical theater program at NYU. Do you think she’s heard the news? I should give her a call.”

But just as she was about to search for her number, her cell disappeared.

“Not so fast,” Jack said, holding the phone out of reach. “I said you could make
one
call.”

“I didn’t make a call,” Tess protested, a bit halfheartedly when she felt Jack’s free hand move up, resting on the back of her neck. With his other hand, he made a move as if he was going to silence her phone. But then he stopped.

“Huh. There’s a bunch of other missed calls.”

“Really? That’s weird.”

Without her having to ask, Jack handed over the phone. “From Eva,” Tess said, scanning through her missed calls. “The one who has the music studio I was telling you about.” She frowned down at her cell. “She phoned five times and left a voice mail.”

“What does it say?”

Tess slid off his lap and sat at his side. “Nothing,” she said after listening to the message. “She just wants me to call her. What time is it?”

“Almost five.”

“Do you mind if I…?”

He held up his index finger, “You have time for one call. Because there’s something I really need to show you.” He was fingering the edge of the towel around his waist. “Soon.”

Tess bit her lip and grinned. “I’ll make it quick.” She clutched her phone and walked into the other room.

…

Jack sat on the edge of the bed. Smiling, he leaned back and ran a hand over the spot next to him. She had been right there, her legs crossed, wearing his T-shirt, the neck hole sliding off her shoulder. He felt a deep pain in his chest when she was away, even if she was only in the next room. Something inside him ached at the thought of her leaving his house at the end of the weekend.

He was happier with her than he’d ever been. They loved each other; they trusted each other. Even this early on, they had a history that made their relationship even more special. Still, he couldn’t bear that she wouldn’t be here with him forever, every night and every morning…for better, for worse…as long as they both shall live.

“Eva!” Tess gasped. “Are you sure?”

Alarmed, Jack sprang to his feet and found Tess in the kitchen, slowly lowering herself into a chair. He moved to her side and quietly pulled up a chair, staring into her face. She didn’t look upset, but there was definitely some vast expression trying to break through her bemused countenance.

“Tess?” he whispered, laying his hand over hers.

She lifted her eyes to him. “I…” She was speaking into the phone. “I don’t know what to say.” She listened for a minute then dropped her chin, laughing. “Well, thank you, then.
Officially
. Thank you with all my heart. Okay, we’ll talk soon. ’Bye.”

Jack stared at her as she lowered the phone.

“Tess? Is everything—”

“She’s giving me her studio,” Tess said, staring straight ahead at the wall.

“What?” Jack wrapped his fingers around her hand.

“Eva. She wants to retire.” Tess exhaled a weak, unbelieving chuckle. “And she wants me to take over. All the classes—everything. My own music school. Isn’t it amazing?”

Jack’s muscles relaxed and he let go of the breath he was holding. “Baby,” he said, pulling her onto his lap, “that’s
completely
amazing.”

She broke into a glorious grin, her whole being lighting up with joy. “Do you know what that means?” she said, leaning in to touch her nose to his cheek.

“What?” Jack asked, feeling his heart pick up speed.

She kissed him once, slowly. Jack couldn’t help trembling. “It means I’m not leaving.” She kissed him again.

He swept the hair off her shoulder, moving his mouth to the side of her bare neck. “Town?” he asked in a whisper. She tilted her chin to give him full access. “Or this house?”

She straightened her head, then pulled back to look him in the eyes.

“Neither, I hope,” Jack continued, touching a finger to her cheek, then running it across her bottom lip. “Because I absolutely cannot live without you.”

After a moment, Tess leaned down and kissed him, letting her lips linger on the side of his mouth. Jack’s entire body flooded with perfect warmth. When he felt her tug at the towel around his waist, that warmth turned to heat. He pulled back to find her grinning.

“Then neither, it is,” Tess said, placing a hand on either side of his face. “Now, what was it you wanted to show me?”

Acknolwedgments

THANKS…

to Mom and Dad for having faith in beginner’s luck and for lending me the ante,

to Heather Howland for placing the first bet on a long shot,

to my high-rolling editor, Stacy Abrams, for scooping up the dice and going all in, and to Alycia and Lauren for blowing on the dice,

to my publicity team, Heather and Debbie, for making it happen,

to the Entangled Authors Loop ladies, for gathering around the table and cheering me on,

to my critique partner/card sharp, Sue, for stacking the deck and never letting me fold,

to Nancy, my unswerving beta, for keeping the game clean and keeping cupcakes at the table,

to my pit boss Gary, and my bookies: Randy, Shoopz, The Sherrys, and all my other gassy dudes,

to my glam squad show girls, Ginger (photog), Lydia (G.A.), and Susan (supporter of my Jennifer Aniston hair and of me looking like Angelina Jolie in general),

and to all my friends and family, thank you for encouraging me to stay in the game and to always bet high.