Showdown (Gridiron Book 2) Read online

  Nodding, he covered the old woman’s hand and felt like he was given the key to understanding the woman he loved. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Essie gave her approval, so you must be okay. Now, go get me a piece of cake.”

  Kissing her cheek, he felt a smile break across his face. “I’ll be right back.”

  “I like the corner piece with all the frosting and since I don’t need to worry about too much sugar at my age, see if you can find one with a flower.” She smiled and then shooed him away as she welcomed the next person who waited to have a chat with her.

  Ronnie joined him as he walked toward the dining room. “Are you having fun?”

  Kissing her cheek, he nodded. “Absolutely. I’m getting Nana another piece of cake.”

  “She likes the frosting, so make sure it has a big flower on it because that’s her favorite.”

  Feeling her follow closely, he took her hand. “You look like there’s a list of questions you have for me.”

  “How did it go with Daddy?”

  Stopping in the hallway, he brushed his fingers over her cheek. “I’ve received his blessing.”

  “What did you need that for?”

  “Never-you-mind. I need to get a piece of cake because I don’t want to keep the birthday girl waiting.” Leaning down, he gave her a quick kiss and then walked toward the dining room, praying she’d leave it at that. “Do you want a piece of cake?”

  “I want to find out what you were talking to Daddy about but will settle for a piece of cake.”

  “Smart move since I’m giving nothing up.” And he wouldn’t until the time was right and he had a ring in his hand.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  It was lunchtime before they landed at the Kendall-Tami Executive Airport. “What kind of plane did you say this is again?” Ronnie asked.

  Shutting down the engines, Chase glanced over. “It’s a Malibu Mirage and one of the smallest planes that has a pressurized air cabin. I like the range and found I can make a lot of trips without stopping to refuel.”

  Unfastening her seat belt, she admired his large, capable hands and thought of all things he’d done with them, shivering at the memory. Not only could he fly a plane, throw a football, ride a horse, and hold her body gently, he gave her unimaginable pleasure. Feeling warm at the memory, she cleared her throat.

  “Are you okay? Your face is getting a little red.”

  Patting his hand, she smiled blandly. “I’m just a little warm, and once we get outside, I’ll feel better.” She fussed with her purse and prayed he didn’t ask more since letting him know how much he affected her was not on her agenda. The control she had ahold of was tenuous at best, and any little movement was sure to make it fly out of her hands.

  And that wasn’t anything she was ready for.

  Standing, she moved out of the cockpit and pulled out her phone. “I’m going to call a taxi, so we can go home and have a swim before we have to face reality.”

  “All right, honey.” Shaking his head, he let out a breath. “You can run, woman, but your feelings are still going to be there, and the sooner you accept them, the better.”

  Looking over her shoulder, she let out a laugh. “Don’t you rush me.”

  “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

  Walking into the cabin, she knew that’s exactly what he intended to do and answered her ringing phone. “What do you mean she got out on bail?” Ronnie screeched into the phone. “Joel, how did she manage it after pulling a knife on someone?” Wiping her forehead, she realized she was sweating. “All right, come by around five for dinner, and you can fill us in, and we’ll come up with a plan.” She ended the call and stared blankly out the window, wondering how one crazy nut case could cause so many problems.

  She wanted to blame her client but wasn’t sure if she should since he’d done nothing more than have bad taste in women. Maybe it was time to go through her client list and see if there were any other red flags because she did not care to deal with this in the future.

  Hearing Chase come up behind her, she guessed the news was going to make him more nuts than he already was. And the chances of him not going into protective overdrive were just about nil, which meant he was going to be underfoot for the foreseeable future. “Have you heard about your offer on the house yet?”

  Taking her hand, he frowned. “I haven’t checked my phone yet, but I will. Let me make sure my plane is taken care of and then you can explain the phone call and what’s got you ten kinds of irritated.”

  Leaning her head against his chest, she let out a breath and appreciated the fact that she had someone to lean on. His big arm wrapped around her and her heartbeat slowed down from the frantic staccato it had been playing. “I’ll explain everything when we get in the cab.”

  “I look forward to it because whatever it is had better be ready to deal with me.”

  Letting out a laugh, she patted his arm. “I know, sweetie.”

  Sitting in the deli near the grocery store, Ronnie stress-ate her way through a turkey pastrami sandwich. “I need some potato salad to go with this because the fruit isn’t going to cut it.” Taking another big bite, she watched Chase signal to the waitress.

  Once the woman arrived, he ordered French fries and potato salad and that told her was a keeper. “Thank you for taking care of me because I’m in desperate need of some carb therapy.”

  Eating his own giant sandwich, he nodded in her direction. “I know you don’t like having your movements dictated by security concerns, but it’s not going to be forever.”

  “I know; it’s just that…”

  “Are you worried I’m going to crowd you in your ten-room mini-mansion?”

  Eyes flying up, she studied him as she wiped her mouth. “No. Yes…maybe. Chase, I had an office and a life up until a couple of weeks ago. Now, I have a boyfriend, an office that isn’t safe, and a crazy lady after me. It’s a lot to take in.” The French fries and potato salad were delivered, and she decided to start on the fries. “I’m having a mini-freak out.”

  “I’m your boyfriend?”

  “Yes, of course! You met my Nana Boo.”

  “I had a feeling that was the case, but it’s good to hear it from your mouth. I know what you told Scott about only searching for a baby daddy, so I need to make sure we’re on the same page.”

  “Scott is a big-fat gossip, and I’m never going to take him on as a client.” She moved the plate of French fries closer and started eating again. “He’s a spoiled boy-man who’s being paid way too much money for throwing a ball.” Giving him what she felt was a perfect stink eye, she grabbed another fry. “Maybe I’ll ask you to be my baby daddy, but it’s hard to tell at this point.”

  “You can ask me whatever you want, but I’m never going to be your baby daddy. I’ll be your husband, the love of your life, and maybe your reason for living, but I’ll never be your baby daddy.” Pulling the French fries in his direction, he gave her a smile.

  “Whatever.”

  “Clearly, you’re more interested in fussing at me for something you don’t really care about instead of dealing with your real fear of having a crazy woman after you.”

  “Is that a problem?”

  Shrugging, he grabbed another fry. “No, I was just stating the facts.” Signaling to the waitress again, he grabbed the bowl of potato salad. “My girlfriend needs some chocolate. What do you have for dessert?”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it.” Patting Ronnie’s hand, she glanced over at Chase with a withering glare.

  “She thinks that I’m the reason you need chocolate. That’s just wrong.”

  “Oh, stop, it doesn’t matter.”

  Pulling her hand across the table, he held it tightly. “We’re going to figure this thing out, and both come out in one piece. I promise that I’ll do my best not to make you crazy and I know living next door to one another is going to prove to be one of my better ideas.”

  “Oh, poo. There’s no way we’re going to be sleep
ing separately, so let’s don’t pretend.”

  “That’s true, but at least I’ll have a place to go during the day, so I won’t be in your hair. I have a couple of endorsements to take care of in the next couple of months, my foundation and the many appearances it requires, and I need to get up to speed on my new team. My schedule is packed, so don’t you worry.”

  “You’re right. I don’t know why I’m panicking. It’s all going to be just fine.” Giving him a deb smile, she looked over his shoulder and hoped that her chocolate dessert was coming soon because clearly, she was going to need it.

  ***

  Sitting with Joel in her office, she wondered if he was over-reacting to the threats the woman posed. Dismissing the thought almost immediately, she knew it wasn’t possible since SEALs were known to underplay things. “How should I proceed?”

  Joel leaned back and let his hands rest on his knees. “Trevor did some recon on her apartment and discovered she had quite a few photographs of you and copies of some articles that have been published over the last year. You’re definitely her target, and with her history of mental instability, it’s smart not to underestimate her. It seems the boyfriend’s refusal to buy her a car was just the tipping point she needed to blame you for all of her troubles.”

  Sitting back in her chair, she curled her legs underneath her and tapped her pen. “I still can’t figure out why Andre dated someone like that. He’s a nice guy and has a ton of options.”

  “The woman is beautiful. Crazy as shit, but beautiful. It’s not always a man’s first concern to see if the woman who’s offering herself up is mentally stable. If it were, there would be a lot of detectives on the MPD with free time. And vice-versa, since this type of thing can go both ways. The point is, you’ve been put in the eye of the storm, and we need to figure out how to keep you safe until the woman goes to trial or does something that gets her put back in jail with the key thrown out.”

  The office door opened, and Chase walked in with two beers and a glass of wine. After handing the glass to Ronnie, he handed a beer to Joel and then sat in the chair that faced her desk. “How are you doing, honey?”

  “Not great, it seems like the crazy lady is gunning for me and has no reason to stop until she’s successful. I’m stuck here until she does something that puts her in jail. My other choice is to have security with me when I leave the house.” Taking a healthy sip of her wine, she laid her head back against her chair. “There goes all my free will and independence.”

  “I don’t think something as simple as a crazy woman is going to take that away from you,” Chase replied. “If I have to go out of town, then Trevor or one of Joel’s men can hang out until I return.”

  Joel leaned forward and nodded. “This is easily managed, and all you have to do is work out of your house until we get this woman arrested. Just think of the time you’ll save since you don’t have to commute. Hell, you can work in your pajamas all day.”

  “I like getting dressed up and going to my beautiful new office and working. I want my clients to have confidence and making them come to my house is not going to do that.”

  “You’ve made your clients rich and have their futures carefully planned out. You could have one of them show up right now, and they wouldn’t feel differently about you,” Chase responded.

  “Well, I guess we’re going to find out,” Ronnie replied as she scowled. “I need to redecorate this room if I’m going to be spending time in here.” Sliding her feet out, she powered up her computer and waited. “Give me thirty minutes, and then I’ll get dinner started. I just need to order a few things for the room first.”

  Standing, Chase walked around the desk and lifted her chin. “I got you, and we’re going to make this work.” Leaning down, he pressed his mouth against hers and kissed her thoroughly. “Joel let’s give her time for some decorating therapy. Come on out, and we’ll get the bar-b-que started.”

  “Sounds good, man.” Lifting himself out of the chair, he grinned at Ronnie. “Don’t worry. This isn’t going to be as painful as you think.”

  “Thanks, Joel. I appreciate everything you’ve done.”

  Tapping the desk with his knuckles, he started to move toward the door. “I wonder how well the Super Bowl MVP can handle the grill.”

  “Probably the same way he handles throwing a ball, which means we’re in for some delicious steaks.” Hearing his laughter, she returned her attention to one of her favorite decorating sites and the many choices for rugs.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Ronnie stood in the kitchen with Ana and Ella, drinking margaritas. They munched on chips and guacamole as they looked out the big window into the backyard.

  “So, he moved in? It’s official?” Ana asked as she shoved a chip in her mouth.

  Refilling her glass, Ronnie sighed. “Yes, he has. His escrow closes at the end of the month, and he takes possession the first week in April. We’re flying up next week to Jacksonville, so that we can decide what to bring down from his house.” Taking a healthy sip, she stared at her friends. “He’s hog-tied me to him, and I’m not exactly sure when it happened.”

  “It happened on Valentine’s day when you had your way with him,” Ella responded.

  Shaking her head before sitting down, Ronnie studied her nails. “It happened when he came to the horse farm and spent a week with me. He got me good.”

  “You might as well enjoy it because being tied up is the new thing among young couples. I just read an article on Buzz Feed that suggested it’s gone mainstream. It’s not something that I’m real interested in, but those Velcro handcuffs might be worth trying,” Ana said before she walked over, grabbing the chip bag to refill the bowl. “What…why are you both staring at me?”

  Loud laughter erupted out of Ronnie’s mouth, and she put her hands up. “If the most conservative of us is thinking of handcuffs, then Lord save me and Ella.”

  Ana pointed her chip at Ronnie and shook her head. “Don’t mock me; I’m engaged to a man who’s an underwear model, and it’s imperative that I keep up on the latest trends. I didn’t come to this relationship with a lot of experience, and don’t want to miss out on anything.”

  “Your fiancée is not an underwear model. He’s a football player who happens to have done one underwear campaign,” Ella said.

  “Tomato…tomahto. I like to call him an underwear model.” She ate her chip and then smiled. “I know that I’m a boring scientist but feel less so when I remember who loves me. Some days, I look at him and wonder when he’s going to figure that out.”

  “He fell for you the day he met you, and that’s never going to change,” Ronnie stated. “And you two are perfectly suited because you both like to work hard, eat, watch movies, and apparently act like a couple of sex-crazed monkeys.”

  The front door slammed, and she walked over to see who had shown up. Seeing Chase walk through the front hall with Scott in tow, she let out a breath. The two had become inseparable in the last week since Chase had taken an interest in the kid’s career and was coaching him in the afternoons. “I see you brought your pet project with you.”

  Chase swept Ronnie up in his arms, laying a big noisy kiss on her mouth. “Hi, honey.”

  “Hi, yourself.” Feeling heat roll down her spine, she gave him a squeeze before sliding down his body.

  Leaning over, he whispered in her ear, “Behave, woman. We have company, so don’t try and get me into trouble.”

  “All right, I’ll save it for later.” Turning in his arms, she faced Scott. “Are you staying for supper?”

  “I’d love to stay, thanks.”

  “You get to eat with the defensive line tonight since Jack and Clark are on their way over.”

  “Sounds great since I want to get to know them.”

  “You probably want to become friends too since they are going to be the only thing standing between you and men the size of freezers.”

  “I’m not above bribery,” he replied.

  “Well
, follow me, and I’ll get you something to drink and some snacks. We’re not eating for another hour.”

  “We’ll take them outside, honey. I want to show Scott the great fence project.” Walking into the kitchen, he greeted Ana and Ella. “Have you ladies seen what we’re doing in the backyard?”

  “No,” Ella replied.

  “I came up with a great idea, and the men just started on it yesterday. Since there’s so much foliage between the houses, we’ve decided to make arches, so the properties are connected, but still separate. I think the kids are going to love it when they get bigger and it’s going to be like the secret garden when it’s all completed. Ronnie loves the woods around the farm, so that’s where I got the idea. We’re going to end up with a magical place in the middle of Coco Plum neighborhood.”

  “He’s even going to build a tree house with different levels,” Ronnie added as she thought of the time they spent in the tree house out at the farm. Glancing over, she winked at Chase and knew he was remembering too. She pulled two beers out of the fridge and handed them to the men and then flapped her hands. “Go show him the project, Chase, ‘cause we have girl things to discuss.”

  “Follow me, Scott, and prepared to be amazed.”

  “Don’t think a fence is going to do that, but okay.”

  Sitting down, Ronnie stared out the window and admired Chase’s retreating figure. He wore his usual uniform of athletic shorts and T-shirt, and they did a nice job of showing off his body. “He touches me whenever he’s near in the sweetest ways. In fact, I’m starting to rely on him being near, and don’t know whether to fall completely into his arms or run screaming. So far, the falling seems like a much better idea.”

  “I recommend the falling,” Ana sighed.