Authors: Rose Harris
Jace took the papers out of his jacket pocket and handed them to the lawyer. After Bob looked them over, he asked Jace to tell him what he remembered about the evening in question in general and about one Felicia Frampton in particular.
Jace leaned back and closed his eyes to conjure up the events of that night. He rubbed the back of his neck, much in the same way he rubbed Ava’s what felt like hours ago, and began to tell Bob the details of the evening as he remembered them.
“I was dealing with some unexpected pressures in my life and came home for a few days to blow off some steam. I had stayed at my parents’ on Monday night and decided to go visit Alex on Tuesday afternoon. He was visiting his own family, and it was close by.” Jace made the decision before he had entered the law office to keep his relationship with Ava to himself. The feelings he had toward her had nothing to do with the case, and he didn’t want to involve her unless it was absolutely necessary.
“Both of us had not planned our visits home and rarely got time away during the season. Alex was surprised I wanted to visit him, and after hanging around his house all afternoon, I discovered he had broken up with his girlfriend that morning. A night of partying sounded like a great idea.”
Jace looked at Bob and noticed he was taking notes as he relayed the story. Stretching long legs out in front of him as he tried to get comfortable in the wing chair, Jace stared out the window that was directly behind the attorney and let the memories of that night come back to him as he had done numerous times over the last two days.
“We decided to go to a local bar a few miles away from Alex’s house called the Naughty Dog. We got to the bar around seven o’clock, found a table toward the back, and politely asked the waitress to keep our attendance at the bar on the down low. She seemed to understand we didn’t want attention on us, and for the first few hours, things were pretty quiet. I guess around nine or nine thirty a bachelorette group came into the bar, and they really got the party going.”
Jace looked at Bob and noticed, while he had been staring out of the window, Bob had apparently been taking in Jace’s body language as he tried to remember the details of that night.
Jace wasn’t sure what Bob was writing down, but the lawyer apparently felt his posture was as interesting as what he was saying. He continued with the events that had haunted him since he received the papers on Saturday morning. “By the time this group of ladies entered the bar, Alex and I had both had downed more than a few beers and were feeling good.”
“A couple of the girls started flirting with some guys at the bar, then one of them starting talking to Alex. I don’t think any of ’em knew us when they came over, so we both just sat back and let them flirt. Eventually we invited the entire group to drink with us. I remember congratulating the bride-to-be and buying shots. We all laughed when they demanded the entire bottle be brought over. I knew I would regret all the alcohol when I woke with a hangover, but we were having a great time. ”
Jace let out a deep chuckle at the memory of the eight women trying to drink him and Alex under the table. The amazing thing was most of them actually did. Although, he’d attended his fair share of parties during his college days, he had never become a heavy drinker. The thing with being an athlete, he was watched constantly, and his coaches monitored his actions practically daily. That meant binge drinking was not something he did on the normal basis most college students did. He was considered a lightweight compared to some of his friends, but he had been holding his own that night.
Bob sat silently across the desk from him. Jace knew he was going to sound like a spoiled rich boy when he revealed the rest of the long night, at least the parts he still remembered. Making eye contact, Jace sat up a little straighter in his chair and held his back straight, so his presence would command attention, and revealed the final moments of the memories he had of that night.
“After growing tired of being ignored, a couple of the local boys recognized us and interrupted our little party for autographs. Normally, I love meeting fans and talking football, but like I said, I had had a few too many drinks and felt bulletproof. The guys didn’t take too kindly to being insulted and left the table. At some point, the girls got up and were dancing, and I joined them. Alex sat in the booth and talked to several other ladies.” Jace paused when a knock on the door interrupted their meeting.
Bob politely excused the interruption to Jace as he responded to whoever was beyond the closed door. “Come in.”
The door opened on silent hinges, and Ava appeared to let Bob know an important conference call that had been scheduled prior to the unexpected appointment with Jace was holding. Bob looked at Jace and apologized for the inconvenient timing of the call but reiterated he needed to take the call.
Bob excused himself from the office, and as he exited, he asked Ava to make sure Jace got something to drink while he waited.
Jace watched Ava take a deep breath and walk into the office and in her professional voice, she followed her boss’s order. “Excuse me, Mr. Johnson, but would you like anything to drink while you wait? We have coffee, tea or water.”
Raising his right eyebrow, Jace looked her up and down, “Honey, why are you being so formal? Are you or are you not the same lady whose shirt I had my hand up and whose tongue was in my mouth not even thirty minutes ago?” Not giving her time to respond he continued, “I would appreciate a bottle of water if you don’t mind, and Ava, I need to see you after I get done in here.”
When she cut her eyes at his graphic reminder of their earlier encounter, he imagined if she had a gun, he would be the first person she would shoot. With a nod of her head, she agreed to get his water and hopefully his request to talk, before she stepped out of the room. He would have to apologize for his rude behavior.
Jace expected Ava to bring in his drink and was shocked when an unknown young woman in a chocolate brown suit and stiletto heels appeared with his water. She handed it to him while stroking her fingers over his. Being used to the attentions of admiring females, this was nothing new to Jace, so he flashed his signature smile and politely thanked her. As she exited the office, Jace noticed she added a little more sway to her walk. He opened his water and drank deeply from the cool bottle until Bob returned. The meeting took up exactly where it had left off.
“After a couple of songs had passed, the guys we’d had trouble with earlier started harassing some of the ladies. I felt ten feet tall, so I got in their faces. The bouncers really didn’t care about my status or reputation and asked me to leave, but just as I was getting ready to go, the girls decided they would take Alex and me out with them in their limo for the rest of the evening.
“We agreed to go, and the ladies all asked for autographs for their boyfriends, fathers, brothers, and, of course, the groom. This is about all I remember. Alex woke me up the next morning when he returned to the Naughty Dog to get his car. Somehow, I had managed to get in the backseat of his car and pass out. I was alone, but my shirt was off and the snap of my jeans was undone.”
Bob continued to make notes, and when he finally looked at Jace, he simply asked, “Do you remember any one girl?”
“No. Not their names or their faces. They were just girls,” Jace responded. Shame burned his gut, and the water he drank moments before threatened to reappear. He felt a cold sweat overtake him because of his idiocy.
“What about Alex? What does he remember from that night? Does he remember you separating with any specific girl?”
“I haven’t been able to get in touch with him. I left a message for him on Saturday, and then I cut my phone off. I checked my messages this morning, and everyone I have ever met has called but him.”
“Do you and he still have a close friendship? I understand you both play on the same team now, but are there any problems that would cause him not to contact you?”
“Alex and I are best friends. We’ve been friends since we both played for the Vols, and our friendship has gotten stronger over the years. I don’t know why he hasn’t called, but he knows where to find me and he also has my parents’ number. I’m sure I will hear from him soon, and he will be able to help clear up some of my fogginess.”
At least I hope he can
.
Bob leaned back in his executive chair, and Jace wished his chair was even half as comfortable. The attorney asked a question Jace still wasn’t sure how to answer. “Jace, how can I get in touch with you? Where are you staying?”
This was a perfectly legitimate question, but Jace wasn’t yet ready to give up his secret hideaway. “You can get me on my cell phone. Just leave a message if I don’t answer. As far as where I’m staying, I’m really not ready to give that away.”
Bob sat up straight in his chair and faced Jace across the large desk, “Mr. Johnson, Jace, you need to be able to trust my office to keep your confidentiality. My employees are careful and courteous in every situation. I will stress the added importance of confidentiality in your case.”
“Bob, it’s not that I don’t trust you. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be here meeting with you. The fact of the matter is if the media knows my physical whereabouts, I’ll be disrupting the lives of the people I care for most. I specifically didn’t go to my parents’ because of the added stress of the media living outside of their house until the next big story blows through. Hopefully, once they catch on I’m not staying there, they’ll leave. I won’t take that chance in the house where I am staying.” Jace felt like a pampered celebrity as he ranted to this professional man, but he didn’t care; he would not put Ava through the pressures of the press, especially with her sweet daughter there.
“Jace, what could I do to guarantee your confidence with our office on this one matter? I have to tell you, the first thing I would recommend you do is let an attorney contact Ms. Frampton’s lawyer and set up an appointment to have the paternity testing done as soon as possible. We are going to need an address for the company that handles the testing. I could use your home address and they will set the testing for you closer to your regular residence if you would like.”
He made a decision he was sure would get him in trouble with Ava, but he knew it was the perfect resolution. “Bob, I know what you can do. As you are aware, I’m sure, I have a younger sister, and your employee, Ava Banks, happens to be a friend of hers. I propose this: if you have any messages to get to me outside of my cell phone, you have Ava contact me directly. I will make sure she has my itinerary for the foreseeable future, and I will be available for the testing with only a phone call.”
There, it was done. Come hell or high water, he knew Ava would do nothing to jeopardize her job. He felt bad for putting her in the middle, but damn, he had to have someone on his side. Who better than the only person to understand him and accept him for all the annoying habits he hid from the public?
Bob cleared his throat before he replied to Jace’s proposal. “Jace, I have to speak to Ava before I can commit her assistance in this matter. If you will excuse me, I will speak to her now and be right back.”
Jace nodded his agreement and waited patiently for the man to return.
After only about five minutes, Bob was back with Ava flanking his side. As he escorted her in the office, Jace noticed he kept a protective hand on the small of her back. He was instantly aware of the familiarity of this action.
Who the hell does Lawson think he is, having his hands on Ava
?
Jace tried to keep his expression neutral, as he felt the jealousy inside him come to life. This was like nothing he had experienced over a girl since he’d been in high school.
“Jace, I am pleased to let you know Ava has agreed to your request. She and I will personally be working on your case. This should make you more comfortable under the circumstances. Ava will be the only one in the office with access to your file, other than myself. She will be getting started on the scheduling of the paternity testing before the end of the day. I am sure you are aware she is currently furthering her education, and she is actually only in the office six hours a day. I assure you this will be a sufficient amount of time for her work on your case, and things will hopefully run smoothly.” Bob continued to keep his hand against Ava’s back, and it pissed Jace off.
“I also expressed to her your interest in our being able to contact you through your sister. She agrees this will be a simple matter, so if everyone is in agreement, I would like to have Ava draw up the paperwork for the retainer agreement, and if possible, we could meet in the next few days to sign the necessary paperwork. Hopefully, by that time I will have heard back from Ms. Frampton’s counsel, and things will progress rapidly.”
At the end of the meeting, Jace agreed to come back in a few days. He smiled at Ava, but she shot daggers from her eyes. He knew she would be upset about being forced to deal with his case directly, but he wasn’t expecting such outrage from his friend.
What am I supposed to do?
After shaking hands with Bob and confirming he would set his next appointment up through Ava, Jace walked out of his new attorney’s office right behind her.
Ava’s office stunned him. The space, an exaggerated closet, was extremely claustrophobic, and Jace wondered how she could stand ten minutes there, much less the six hours a day she worked. The tight squeeze around the desk made him want to throw her over his shoulder in a total caveman way and rescue his woman from this cramped space.
His woman! Damn, he had to get out of here.
A deep breath to clear his mind of such thoughts made the scent, so uniquely Ava’s, surround him in memories of sex against the shower wall. She smelled as if she bathed with honeysuckle and sex perfume, with just a hint of baby lotion floating off her skin. Unfortunately, the smell of baby lotion intensified his feelings toward her.
Get out before you say or do something you will regret
.
As soon as she was seated behind her desk, she started. “Jace, why did you single me out at work? Do you know what you just did? People are going to think there is favoritism in the office because I know your sister. I need this job. When you go back to your superstar life, I’ll still have to face these people. Your singling me out is going to be hard for people to forget.”
“What are you talking about? I only asked for your help because I trust you. Bob wanted the address of the place I’m staying. What was I supposed to do? How do you think it would look if everyone knew where I’m staying? I was trying to protect you.” Running his hand through his hair and then turning slightly, Jace closed the door.
“What are you doing, open up the door. How am I going to explain you being in my office?”
“They are going to think we are discussing my case. With the door closed my confidentiality is assured,” Jace spat out, insulted by her lack of trust in him.
The woman who sat across from him in the ratty chair looked too young, just like the way he remembered her, the sweet, innocent girl who followed him around during his heyday in high school. She looked so vulnerable sitting there; he wanted to take her in his arms and tell her how sorry he was for putting her in an awkward position and for treating her like an easy lay years ago.
Damn, I’ve made a lot of mistakes
.
Just staring at her made his guilt multiply. He realized before his stay was over, he would have to make up for his past mistakes. Maybe they could go back to being as close as they once were. Football absorbed him completely. He knew he couldn’t give her the life she deserved, but he could give her a friendship that would last a lifetime. The thing was how would he ever be able to handle it when pricks like
Bob
touched her, and he had to just stand by and watch?
“Are you finished? I have work to do, and I have a lot to cram in within the next few hours, and now I have to get started on your case.” Ava sighed as if in defeat.
Exhaustion clung to her face in the form of black creases stretched under her eyes. Why didn’t he notice that before? “I’m sorry if I caused you more work. Maybe it would be better if I went to another firm. I should have just gone to my regular lawyer.” Jace tried to give her an easy out; he couldn’t live with himself if he caused her more problems.
“Are you kidding? Do you want me to get fired? If you don’t hire the firm, Bob…I mean Mr. Lawson…will know I had something to do with your decision. Don’t worry, like you said, you know you can trust me with your secrets. I’ll take care of everything. I promise to maintain complete professionalism while you are a client of this firm.”
He chewed on his bottom lip, just as he always did when he was worried about something.
“You don’t have to change for me. I know you, and I respect you for the things you’ve done. I promise to stop putting you in awkward positions.” Like when your legs were draped over my shoulders as I pounded into you for a soul-shaking orgasm that rivaled the thunder that shook the house during an electrical storm. Damn, where did that thought come from? He really had to get out of here, which brought him back to the reason he had followed her into her office and shut the door in the first place.
“I have a huge favor to ask, and this has nothing to do with my case. Can I borrow your car? Before you say no, hear me out. I can’t drive my car around town. I need to keep it hidden in your garage. Nobody would ever think to look for me in an old Ford Escort, not that there is anything wrong with your car. I, of course, would come back to work and pick you up at the end of the day. Nobody would be the wiser. If you want, I could always pick you up a few minutes before everybody leaves so they don’t see us together. I promise not to draw any attention to myself.” Jace pled his case, just as he’d done when he wanted to borrow his parents’ car.
The fact he was practically on his knees begging didn’t escape him. The way she watched him and the panicked expressions that crossed her tight features worried him.
“You can borrow my car, but I need you back here in two hours so I can run home and take Ashlyn to my mom’s for the evening. Normally, I get out of class at five on Mondays, but I need to come back here to finish up my day. I get off at seven, and then I will have to go back to Mom’s and get Ashlyn before I can go home.”
Her schedule made Jace tired, and he thought he had it bad. Getting up at six to review tapes for two hours before his training started sounded easy compared to the constant running Ava endured. “Why don’t you just go straight to the campus from here? I thought Roxi took Ashlyn to daycare?” Jace asked through this shock at her hectic day.
“The daycare provider called, and she’s sick and can’t watch her today. Mom doesn’t get home from her morning volunteering at the retirement home until one, and Roxi’s first class starts at twelve thirty. I’ll need to run home, feed Ashlyn and then take her to my mom’s. Don’t look at me like that. This kind of thing happens. Hopefully, the rest of the week, I’ll drop her off at daycare and pick her up by six-thirty as usual.”
“So you normally don’t come back to work after your classes?”
“I always come back after my classes.” Ava spoke as she sorted the papers on her desk. “Mondays are my easy day so this is just a minor glitch. Today I just have to run home in the middle of the day, so that means I have to stay late.” Glancing up at Jace, she explained further. “I don’t get enough time in either before or after my classes to assure everything gets done normally, so I come back after classes to finish up any loose ends. This firm has been really flexible with my schedule. That’s why I don’t want to push my luck here.”
Jace didn’t understand what she was trying to convince him of or why, other than she wanted to prove she was superhuman.
Ava’s daily pressures were hard for Jace to wrap his mind around. She put too much on herself. An idea formed that would hopefully help her out, at least for today. “Why don’t you let me help you out today? I can take Ashlyn to your mom’s for the afternoon so you don’t have to leave work early. You can get an extra hour and a half here, then you can take a cab to the campus for your classes, and I will pick you up from there.” He’d given her the perfect scenario. He couldn’t understand the ashen look that crossed her face.
“I couldn’t put you out that way. I still have to get her lunch and…” Jace cut her off before she could think of another reason.
“Honey, I can make a mean peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I’m sure we’ll be fine for a couple of hours on our own. Her car seat is already in the car, and I remember the way to your parents’ house, so no worries there. I’ll even make sure Roxi has Ashlyn’s bag packed, so she’ll have everything she needs. Okay?”
Jace watched her eyes with hope. How was he ever going to handle leaving her this time? With her agreement to his idea, he felt for the first time like she could rely on him as a friend. Also he had something other than his legal problems or football to think about.
How much trouble could he and Ashlyn have in a half hour?
Panic raced through him when he noticed her eyes filled with tears, and it almost made him take back his offer until he realized she was smiling and nodding affirmatively. Knowing when to take his leave, Jace asked for the keys. When she bent down to get them from her purse, he tried not to look down her shirt, but after all, he was a man. Damn, she had the best rack. He still dreamed about the way her nipples tasted. Trying to get his mind off her breasts, he reached for his wallet and pulled out a fifty-dollar bill. That should cover her cab fare and buy her lunch. Just as he finished discreetly putting it on her desk, she rose up, and he had to pretend he was looking at the pictures on her desk.
As he picked one up, he was shocked to see it was a picture of her daughter with the Easter Bunny, his parents and Ava’s parents. Ashlyn looked like she had two perfect sets of grandparents, and he felt a little remiss he would never willingly give his parents the grandchildren they so obviously wanted.
Jace put the picture down. He took the keys from Ava and felt the spark of electricity the slightest graze of their fingers caused. With only a nod as a goodbye, he turned to leave with the images of Ava and Ashlyn spending their holidays with him as a family.
****
The driveway of his temporary home needed a new coat of sealant, and as Jace sat and evaluated the house, he discovered the entire structure needed a facelift. Although livable, it could definitely use some TLC. The decision hit him like lightning. He would do everything he could do to help Ava and Roxi get the house in better shape while he was in residence. The thought of having to stay under the radar for a few weeks caused him trepidation, but some home improvement projects to keep him busy would help pass the time. He would survive.
Thoughts of the training he should be doing had him debating the logistics of how long it would take to work on the improvements, but after a moment of consideration, he realized the easiest way to stay in shape would be with some manual labor. Although Ava would deny his assistance, Roxi would jump at the chance to have someone else do the work around the house. He was counting on Roxi to persuade Ava over to his side.
The sidewalk was new and led him to the brightest red door he’d ever seen. Upon entry, he called out, “What do you want done first, a new roof, the front porch repaired or would you like me to paint the front door?”
“Nice seeing you again too,” Roxi replied from the family room. “I would have thought you would want to get out of your Mr. GQ clothes before you try to change our house. Just for the sake of sibling love, I’ll tell you a secret. If you ever mention the color of the door to Ava, she may take off your manly parts. She loves that door, she claims it feels inviting,” Roxi joked, as she set Ashlyn down off her lap.
Jace watched his sister as she let the little girl down. There was obviously love and affection between them. He’d never really thought about his sister having babies, but looking at her now, he hoped she would give him a niece or nephew one day to spoil. As the chubby-legged toddler ran toward him, he just couldn’t bring himself to think of Ashlyn as just a friend’s kid or, worse, niece.
So what does that mean? Am I ready to put someone before football? Am I ready to change my dreams?
As if Ashlyn had missed him, she launched herself into his knees, almost knocking herself down in the attempt. Swooping her up for a toss he could remember his dad doing with him, Jace felt a sense of belonging that scared him to his toes. He hugged the little girl, who wrapped the sweetest smelling arms around his neck.
“Well, it looks like you two must have bonded at some point between yesterday and today, because the only people who get a reception like that are the people Sweet Cheeks loves.” His sister smiled at the look of shock and terror he felt cross his face.
Roxi stood up shaking her head, and with Ashlyn bouncing in her eagerness to be tossed again, he didn’t bother asking why. Then, in a typical, cut-to-the-chase Roxi way, she asked him what he wanted to do first, because if he was willing to do some work around her house, she wasn’t going to fight him. Grabbing his sister around the waist and hoisting her over his other shoulder, he made both of the girls laugh when he complained about them being too heavy.
Jace and Roxi talked about the repercussions of having Jace do anything to the house. They both agreed Ava would hit the roof. Roxi would work out the details. The way she figured it, if her brother was going to be loafing on her couch, she didn’t care if he was the NFL’s Golden Boy; she was making him earn his keep.
Roxi kept watching Jace. He wasn’t sure what she was watching for, but suddenly she looked sickly white. Before he even knew what was happening, he was beside her holding her hand.
“Are you okay? Are you going to be sick?” Jace panicked as he watched his baby sister fall against the back of the couch with a look on her face as if she had seen a ghost.
Eyes open, Roxi looked at him as if he was a stranger, and he couldn’t decide whether he should call an ambulance or their mom. She examined him as if she had never seen him before. Jace felt like he was being judged and found lacking. “What’s going on?”
Roxi bolted from the couch, stating she had to call Ava immediately. Jace grabbed her arm in an attempt to slow her down. When she turned to look at him, she had the broadest smile on her face. “I am going to call Ava and see what we want to get done first.” Going on tippy-toes, she placed a sweet kiss on his cheek and then did the same with Ashlyn.