The miracle groom, p.1
The Miracle Groom, page 1
The Miracle Groom
Texas Titans Romances
Lucy McConnell
Orchard View Publishing LLC
Copyright © 2018 by Lucy McConnell
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Contents
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
Chapter 25
Epilogue
Now Available from Bestselling and Award-Winning Author Lucy McConnell
Preview
About the Author
Chapter 1
Cedar Bell fanned her face with a clipboard, grateful that her billowy cream top didn’t stick to all the sticky places on her body. The Texas sun was quite different from the California sun she’d grown up with, and the humidity here was… stuffy. Even after two years in Texas, she was still getting used to the differences in climate and culture.
Several Texas-themed slogans came to mind as she waited just outside the practice stadium doors to welcome the Titans players to the first annual Tiny Titans Football Camp. The players would go over fundamentals with children ages seven to twelve. Cedar had opened registration two months ago and was ecstatic when all one hundred spots were filled within seven hours—an omen that she was on the right track with the camp and with her life.
Cars began streaming into the players’ parking lot: two sporty numbers with shiny paint and one pickup truck with a lift kit. Go big or go home, Cedar thought.
The man they called Zeus—Kade Kincaid, and his recently signed brother, Anthony, climbed out of their trucks at the same time. They grinned at one another and headed her way, joined by Xavier Newton.
Cedar sucked in warm air to calm her trembling limbs. She’d poured her heart and soul into this camp for the last four months. With only two positions available, organizing the inaugural Tiny Titans Football Camp was the coveted internship in her master’s program.
Cedar had heard that the Titans organization planned to hire one of the interns for a full-time position at the end of the internship. Choosing between Cedar and Darrin, the other intern, was a no brainer. Darrin hadn’t done a half day’s worth of work since they smiled for their IDs and created passwords. There was no way the field facilities manager, Mrs. Kent, would hire him, not when she could barely stand to be in the same practice stadium with the slacker. As long as everything went well today—and everything would go well—then her post-graduation job was in the bag.
“Hello, Mr. Kincaid, Mr. Kincaid, Mr. Newton.” She checked their names off the list. “Thank you for coming. If you’ll head to the lounge area, Trudy will have your shirts and schedules for the day.” She pulled the door open, enjoying the short blast of cool air as the hunky men passed by. Her eyes lingered on their broad shoulders and fit bodies. Everything’s bigger in Texas. She pulled back her smile in an effort to appear professional.
As soon as the door shut behind them, she fanned herself again. Forget spray-on tanning salons—this town needs a spray-on deodorant salon. She lightly tapped the clipboard to her chin as she considered the possibility of a deodorant salon. Of course she couldn’t call it a deodorant salon. What woman wanted to walk into a place with a name like that? There had to be a better term. Something that sounded inviting and sweet and sophisticated. Was there a sophisticated term for perspiring? Or sweat? Drizzle? Moisture? Dampness?
She frowned. Names were the hardest part of dreaming up a business idea. Taking her thoughts in the other direction, she focused on the benefits a deodorant salon offered as she smiled, held the door, and gestured which direction players should go once inside.
Dry? Parched? Parched was pretty good. It could be cute in the right font, and it didn’t give away what went on behind closed doors. Women liked to look beautiful, they just didn’t want the world knowing how hard they worked for it. That’s where the billion-dollar cosmetic companies cashed in. Not to mention clothing designers, hair product manufacturers, perfume, lotions… the list danced on, leading dollar signs in a cha-cha through Cedar’s head.
“What’s his name?” Ariana Sanchez startled Cedar from her musings with a teasing smile. She carried a large box in her thin but defined arms. Ariana wasn’t one of the players, but she was helping out with the camp today in the agility station and had primo parking.
Cedar tucked away her idea for Parched. Her fingers tickled with the need to start typing. She had a half-dozen small business plans on her hard drive, and she almost had the degree. Ideas for small businesses rolled out of her as easily as Kade Kincaid threw touchdowns. Unfortunately, she didn’t have the Kincaid money to back her up. “Excuse me?” she asked Ariana, reaching for the door.
Ariana rested the box on her hip. “I asked what his name was.”
Cedar looked around the parking lot to figure out which player Ariana wanted to meet. There were only a few stragglers at this point, but she was pretty sure Ariana knew most of the guys on the team. Her brother, Ace Sanchez, was part of the Triple Threat that lead the team last year. Ace was sidelined this year with an injury, but he was still active in the football community. “Which guy?”
Ariana laughed at her cluelessness. “The one you’re daydreaming about.”
Cedar pulled the door open wider to give Ariana and her box room to pass through. “Actually, I was dreaming up a new business idea.”
Ariana lifted her sculpted eyebrows. If there was one way to describe Ariana, “beautifully sculpted” was it. She owned a fitness gym and had the definition to prove it. Although tough, she managed to maintain a level of femininity with her swoopy eyeliner and diamond stud earrings. “Running your own business is tough—take it from someone who knows.” She adjusted the box as three players hurried past. Cedar waved them in with a smile.
“Hey, I used to be a camp counselor for six- and seven-year-olds. Nothing scares me.”
Ariana laughed. “Sounds like you’re in the right place, then.”
“You too! Thank you for all your hard work.” Cedar motioned Ariana through the door as another player approached. Ariana called farewell and made her way into the building.
The man was a walking house who cast a long shadow. Cedar would hate to be on his bad side. “Hello, Mr. Carter. Thank you for coming.” She pointed the defensive tackle in the right direction. He nodded, his headphones still on his ears. Cedar wasn’t sure if he heard her, but he turned the right direction, so at least he didn’t wander off. She checked him off her list. Her first list for the day, that is. There were several.
She continued to welcome the last of the players who poured in like Gatorade vendors before a game. Several others wouldn’t arrive until after lunch when some of these guys would go home. She’d tried to be flexible and still get the first-string players here. They were the ones the kids wanted to see. They were the role models. In the meantime, that deodorant salon was looking like a better idea as muscles and bright smiles and testosterone paraded before her eyes and made her stomach turn to goo. Who knew she was such a sucker for a nice body? Not her, she’d always dated intellectual types who had strong brains and weak arms.
Ariana’s comment about being in the right place stuck in her head like chewing gum under a bunk bed in cabin 5. bed frame. There was no doubt in her mind that her experience at Camp Buckeye was what put her above the other applicants for this position. She hadn’t always thought that she was supposed to be here. Darrin had broken up with her the night before they received their acceptance emails. Neither of them had been happy to have to work together. Once two people break up, they should be able to maintain a distance that allowed them to politely ignore one another. The best break ups include the option of never seeing the other person again—ever. Since that wasn’t the case, Cedar had done her best to remain emotionally un-invested in Darrin’s activities outside of their shared responsibilities. When he started taking long lunches and leaving early, the relief of not having to look at a man she’d kissed—and wonder what she had been thinking—energized her to work all the harder.
Though there were still moments when she thought she might—just a little—miss him. Sure, she was angry at him now, but they’d been good together for a while. He had the ability to charm a desk chair, and she enjoyed watching him work. He talked them into sold-out plays, better tables at restaurants, and even managed to get their A- on a group project to a solid A after just a few minutes with the professor. Having Darrin on her team had given her confidence to take risks.
Once the herd of players cleared and the parking lot was free of movement, she ran her finger down the list. One more to go. Cedar checked her smart watch. Camp started in five minutes. She needed to be in there to make sure Darrin got the microphone turned on. Seriously, he was such a trust-fund baby. She scanned the
She tapped her foot. If he wasn’t there in two minutes, she would have to head inside without welcoming him. Cedar ground her teeth. She hated leaving a job unfinished. Feeling her temperature rise, she stepped inside the door and stared out the window, willing Teo Parata to appear.
Chapter 2
Teo steered his SUV into the players’ parking lot and took the first available spot at the end of a row. He’d have to sprint across the blacktop if he was going to make it on time. Shifting into park, he bailed out of the car and ripped open the back door. “Come on, Akoni, we’re late.”
Akoni lifted his pudgy arms, eager to get out of his car seat. The kid had a love-hate relationship with the straps. He loved to hate them and arched his back in protest whenever Teo tried to buckle him in. His efforts were admirable, matching Teo’s determination to hold back the defensive line on the field. While Teo was grateful to see hints that his son would follow in his footsteps, maybe even play for the Titans one day, he would love to see Akoni apply himself to a less frustrating situation. But there was no changing who the kid was—and Teo admired his spunk.
Teo tucked the one-year-old into the crook of his elbow, threw the diaper bag over his shoulder, and took off at a sprint. He was pushing it. Not by running, that came easily enough. He was pushing the clock. Thankfully, this wasn’t an off-season mandatory workout. Coach would have made him suffer for showing up late. Coach may not breathe down his neck today, but the camp was important to the Titans and to the downtown area. James Knight, the team owner, wanted to make sure Dallas loved the Titans enough to overlook the traffic jams on game days and approve changes in roadways to make life easier for the fans.
Akoni giggled as they ran. As much as Teo loved to toss his son in the air and have his laughter fill up their otherwise empty home, today was no game. He’d have to be on guard for reporters—cameras were sure to be everywhere. Any chance columnists had to get the latest scoop on the Kincaid brothers was sure to be a feeding frenzy, and the last thing Teo wanted was his son caught up in a tank of sharks. Teo had been able to avoid the press after Amy died in the middle of last season by releasing a blanket statement asking them to respect his time of mourning and give him space. By walking through those doors, he was declaring himself open to interviews and comments.
He reached for the door only to have to pull back quickly as someone opened it from inside.
“Whoa.” The little woman tipped her head up and up until Teo was blindsided by her eyes—blue with swirls of green like the ocean surrounding his island home. The ocean he’d stared at when he needed to re-center himself, when he needed a quiet moment alone, and when the family gathered for luaus.
“Whoa,” Teo echoed, taking in her strappy sandals, tight jeans, and flowing cream top that accented her peaches-and-cream skin. She had a nametag on a lanyard, and he glimpsed the word “intern” printed there.
She cleared her throat. “Mr. Parata?”
“Teo,” he corrected. A woman this beautiful should use his first name. That should be a rule.
“You’re late.”
“Yes, I am.” He didn’t bother to explain that Akoni had a major diaper issue this morning, and he’d gagged his way through cleaning the kid and throwing out his clothing. Things like that happened with toddlers.
“Oh, you brought a friend.” She nodded to Akoni.
Akoni, a sucker for a pretty face, lit up, showing off his baby teeth. He was barely learning to walk and only said one word, but Akoni’s smile was practiced perfection. The woman smiled in return, softening for Akoni’s adorableness. Teo’s kid was cute—that was not up for debate—and he knew it, too. She reached for Akoni’s foot and tickled his shoeless toes.
“Player,” Teo muttered.
The intern pulled her hand away and straightened her shoulders as if she were slipping back into the role of responsible intern. “You’re the last one to arrive, so I’m afraid you’ve missed your chance at orientation. I’ll send Trudy to find you with a shirt.” She pulled open the door and gestured for him to go inside. He would have held the door for her, but her lips were set in a line that pointed for him to get a move on. And he’d thought meeting his coach when he was late was a bad thing. She’d have him running laps around the parking lot if he didn’t get out of her way.
They marched down the hallway to the practice field, where the sound of children’s voices welcomed them. Akoni curled into Teo at the noise as if he could become a part of him. Teo bounced him gently.
“Teo!” called Brady Giles. A cornerback, Brady was 6’3” tall and new to the team. Teo had heard the move had more to do with personal reasons than with football.
“Over here, man. You’re with me.” Brady had about ten kids bouncing around him like cheerleaders after a touchdown. He didn’t seem fazed by their enthusiasm. If the smile of his face was any indication, he was feeding off of it—excited to play. Teo had been looking forward to this camp for that very reason. Nothing made a guy feel better about his choices in life than having a bunch of kids looking up to him. Not that Teo had an overly developed need for attention. Quite the opposite, he relished his privacy from the public in general. In this situation, with kids who wanted to learn about football, he was thrilled to put himself out there and share as much as he could to help keep them safe on the field and feed their love of the game.
All his excitement had petered out when his nanny up and quit that very morning, saying she wanted freedom to pursue other career paths. Her words had changed the camp from a fun opportunity to a “have to” task.
“Thank you for coming today. We appreciate your participation,” said the polite intern before she hurried off, checking boxes on her list. Teo watched her leave, wondering what he’d done to offend her and if he should apologize.
“Teo!” Brady threw a ball to Teo earning him a round of cheers from the peanut gallery. On instinct, Teo dropped the diaper bag off his shoulder and snatched the ball out of the air, spinning so he could maintain his hold on Akoni.
He scanned the room for a place to set Akoni down. The tables had tablecloths with the Titans logo. Akoni could grab on to the fabric to pull himself up and get a laptop in his face. He could crawl onto the field and be trampled by one of the kids—or worse, a player. Teo went head-to-head with these guys in practice and came back sore. His baby wouldn’t stand a chance. He could fall down the concrete stairs … bite an electrical cord … put his finger in a socket … This place was a hazard.
But Teo couldn’t throw footballs and teach blocking while holding a one-year-old. Especially with the owner, James Knight, standing there with his arms folded, watching over things with his eagle eyes.
Teo tossed the ball back. “One second,” he told Brady. With Akoni tucked to his chest and the diaper bag in hand, Teo started toward a friendly face. Ariana Sanchez, Ace Sanchez’s sister, was standing behind the group of kids waiting to hear their assigned station. Teo had eaten at the Sanchez family’s restaurant several times. Ariana was an acquaintance, if not a friend. Surely she could watch Akoni for a bit.
He was only a few feet away when a group of kids rushed Ariana. “Are you guys ready to have some fun?” She waved for them to follow as she headed to the agility area.
Teo cursed under his breath. Ariana was too busy. There had to be someone here who could help him. He spied the intern who had opened the door moving from the first aid station to the drink cooler. She didn’t look frazzled, maybe she had time to spare. She smiled easily as she checked in with the players and fist-bumping the kids. “She’s perfect,” he decided, and switched directions to intercept her.
