A Daddy for Jacoby

Chapter Eleven

Justin kept Gina’s hand in his as he led her off the dance floor. Moving her in front of him, he steered her back to the table, but only long enough to grab his jacket. Gina shot him a look but kept walking. They slowly made their way around the outer rim of the tables until they reached a shadowed cove between the stacked bleachers.

She halted. “Where are we going?”

“Trust me.”

He tugged on her hand and made his way to the double doors he’d used years ago to sneak out of school. Only one thing could get in the way— Ah, still no fire alarm attached. Perfect.

In fact, the doors had been propped open to allow a cool breeze to enter the stuffy gym. He eased outside, pausing to make sure they weren’t interrupting someone else with the same idea. Nope, they were alone.

The night air felt good against his heated skin. “Much better.”

“Where are we?” Gina shivered slightly in the light breeze. “And why?”

He let go of her long enough to drape his suit jacket over her bare shoulders. “The far side of the gym. This road leads from the front parking lot to the athletic fields around the back.”

She tucked her tiny purse into the inside pocket of his jacket, then slipped her arms into the sleeves. Justin grinned as she rolled the long cuffs back to her wrists.

“And the woods are beyond that,” she said. “Something tells me you’ve used this exit before. Reliving a bit of your youth, Mr. Dillon?”

Justin took her hand again and moved back into the shadows. “No, I never snuck out here with a pretty girl.”

The music from inside the gym was muted but could still be heard. He dragged her up against his body, putting one hand beneath his jacket to the small of her back, and pressed her close. He brought their joined hands to rest against his chest. Her free hand went to his shoulder, her touch warm through his shirt.

Maybe this wasn’t the best idea.

Hell, he was pushing his luck holding her like this, but her conviction that he was a good person had got to him. Got to a place he’d buried so deep, he couldn’t even find it anymore. He’d tried to keep a wall between them, but this lady—one part vixen, one part angel—kept finding ways to get past it. He should’ve walked away when she gave him the chance, but he wanted to stay and give her the night she deserved.

Now selfishly, he was doing something he’d wanted to do for the past hour, hold her in his arms away from the crowds and spying eyes. A moment alone, just the two of them, and if he found the courage, he was going to kiss her.

Despite every fiber of his being telling him it was the last thing in the world he should do, he wanted to kiss Gina. A full-contact, wet-tongued, bone-melting kind of kiss. Like the one they’d shared in the dark of his kitchen. The one he couldn’t get out of his head.

“I heard the good news the other day.”

Justin stilled. Good news? Was she talking about Jacoby? No, wait—she said the other day. “What good news?” he asked.

“About your friend, Bobby Winslow? Racy said it looks like he’s going to recover from that horrific car crash.”

“Yeah, he’s going to be in the hospital for a while, and there’s a lot of talk about whether he’ll be able to get behind the wheel of a race car again, but he’ll survive. That’s the most important thing.”

Gina dipped her head to rest it on his shoulder. “Gage said all Bobby ever wanted to do was be a race car driver. It must be so hard knowing he might have to give up his dream.”

Justin wouldn’t know about that. He’d given up on his own dreams long ago. Then again, holding this lady in his arms felt about as close to a dream as one could get.

“Is this okay? Dancing out here?” The softness of her hair brushed against his chin and tickled his nose. He pulled in a deep breath and her signature scent wrapped around him as they moved. “We can go back inside if you want.”

“What I want,” Gina whispered, her breath warm against his neck, “is to be right here, like this, with you.”

An emotion he couldn’t describe filled his chest. Pride? Pleasure? He didn’t know and he didn’t care. He didn’t want to think, just feel and let the rest of the world disappear.

Except for one small thing he wanted to share with her right this very minute. “Guess what? I finally got the DNA test results back. Jacoby is my son.”

Gina’s smile was serene. “Of course he is. Congratulations, anyway.”

“You didn’t have any doubt?”

“Not once.”

Not sure how to reply to her confident tone, he stayed quiet as they moved in a silent embrace as one song ended and another began.

Gina’s fingers gently traveled to the large stone at the center of his bolo tie. “I remember this. You wore it at Racy and Gage’s renewal ceremony.”

“Same suit and boots, too.” His words came out in a rough whisper. He had to pause and clear his throat. “The tie once belonged to my grandfather. Racy found it in an old box years ago, long after my father died and Billy Joe and I— Well…”

Surprised at how much he wanted to share this story with her, he continued, “Racy gave it to me the day she and Gage renewed their vows. I told her she should give it to her husband, but she insisted it stay in the family. Someday, I’ll pass it down to Jacoby, I guess. Maybe he’ll want to wear it to his senior prom.”

Gina’s fingers traced the braided leather cords that hung from the tie to lie against his shirt. Her touch sent a burning sensation through him. He flexed his fingers at her back to keep from crushing her to his chest.

“Well, you look very handsome wearing it.”

He used their linked fingers to lift her chin until he could see her eyes. “I know I haven’t said it, and I’m a fool for waiting so long, but you look beautiful tonight.”

Thanks to the shadows it was hard to see the now-familiar pink blush on her cheeks, but he was sure it was there. “Yes, it’s a pretty dress—”

“It’s not the dress. It’s you, Gina.”

She pulled from his touch and looked away. He untangled their fingers, his hand cupping the nape of her neck. The slightest pressure had her looking at him again.

“It’s your smile, your eyes and this bright pink in your hair you keep trying to hide.” It took only a tug of his index finger to set the curl free and it fell to rest along her neck and the collar of his jacket. “There, much better.”

“Justin…”

His thumb stroked across her lips, stopping her words. He lowered his head until their foreheads touched. “This has got to be the craziest thing I’ve done in a long time, but right now I want to—”

A muffled cry broke the night air. Both Justin and Gina stilled.

“What was that?” she whispered. “An animal?”

“Shh…wait…”

There it was again. Justin recognized the sound this time. He released Gina, pushing past her. “Go back inside. Now.”

“Justin, what is it?”

“Someone’s in trouble.” He started for the far corner of the building, heading deeper into the dark. Gut instincts, honed to a razor’s edge thanks to his time behind bars, kicked in. Whatever was going on, it wasn’t good. “Just go.”

“And leave you alone? No way.”

Gina caught up with him as they rounded the corner. He wanted to yell at her to listen to him, but the scene in front of them caused Justin to grab her and they froze.

Twenty feet away, two seniors and their dates, obviously from the dance from their tuxedos and gowns, were in a world of trouble with four men, clearly intruders from their scruffy jeans, T-shirts and hooded sweatshirts.

Two of the hoodlums held one boy captive despite his struggles to break free, a bandana jammed into his mouth. A pretty blonde girl was held by a third man, his hand pressed tightly over her mouth. The last goon was squared off with another partygoer, a young kid in a white tuxedo, built like a football player, who stood between his visibly scared date and the shiny glint of a switchblade.

Justin turned to Gina and gestured to her to make a phone call. She reached inside the jacket for her purse, but he couldn’t wait. He raced across the grass, shoving the tuxedo-clad kid to the ground as the thug with the knife lunged.

Surprise crossed the knifer’s face at his sudden appearance and Justin sucked in his stomach, but the sharp edge sliced twice at his shirt. Adrenaline pulsing through his veins, he swung out his right leg, striking with his foot and sending the knife flying into the night sky. Before the guy could recover, Justin threw a quick fist to the jaw and the guy was flat on his back.

“Justin! Look out!”

He turned, with barely enough time to plant his feet before being charged by the thug who’d let go of the girl to come after him. He used the man’s forward motion against him, but they both went sprawling into the dirt. This one was bigger and managed to place a few punches, but Justin fought back and when the opening came, he knocked the wind out of the jerk with a well placed right hook.

Knowing there were two other goons to deal with, Justin struggled to his feet, only to find they’d released the other teen and took off. Red-and-blue lights flashed, and seconds later a deputy sheriff’s cruiser rounded the far corner of the building, blocking their escape. Chaperones and teenagers spilled out of the nearby double doors.

That fast, it was over.

Justin winced as he stood, a little unsteady on his feet when Gina raced to his side. “Ohmigod, are you okay?”

She reached for him, but he only grabbed her hand and held on tight. “I’m…fine,” he punched out between gutted breaths. “What about…the kids?”

It took a few moments and most of the adults to get the curious onlookers back inside the gym. Then it was only the coach, another male teacher and Mrs. Powers left, along with the sheriff’s deputy, who’d been patrolling the parking lot when the call came in. Volunteer EMTs arrived next and right behind them, the sheriff.

“Gina!” Gage stepped out of his Jeep. “Are you all right? What’s going on here?”

Justin lessened his grip, but Gina held on tight and stayed by his side as her brother approached. Gina quickly filled him in on what had happened, ending with her assurance that as far as she knew both Giselle and Garrett were safe inside the gym.

Gage gave Justin a long stare before he walked away to talk with his deputy, who had the four assailants sitting on the ground by a chain-link fence. The EMTs checked out the teenagers and the four attackers who were then handcuffed and squeezed in to the back of the cruiser.

“You kids came out for some fresh air and then this group showed up?” Gage addressed the teens.

The one who’d had the cloth jammed into his mouth nodded, tightening his arm around the weeping girl next to him. “Yes, sir. They just appeared out of the dark. They must’ve come from the football field.”

He went on to explain how they asked for money and when the teens refused and tried to head back inside, things got ugly. His friends backed up his story, repeating what they’d already told the deputy, who with the okay from Gage, headed to the jail with the assailants.

“Michael?”

A woman’s high voice had everyone turning toward the doors. Justin recognized her as one of the chaperones who’d given him and Gina a look of disdain earlier tonight.

“Oh, Michael!” She rushed forward and pulled the boy in the dirt-stained white tux into her arms. “Your sister just told me what happened.” She released the boy long enough to wrap one arm around the girl next to him. “Oh, sweetie, are you okay?”

“We’re fine, Mrs. Simpson,” the girl said.

“Yes, they are,” Gage agreed, jerking a thumb in Justin’s direction, “thanks to that guy.”

Ten pairs of eyes locked on him at once, but the ones he was most interested in were a vivid shade of blue. He looked down at Gina and saw concern and admiration in those cerulean depths, along with the sparkle of unshed tears.

“Hey, it’s okay,” he whispered when she blinked, releasing one of those tears. He quickly brushed it away with the pad of his thumb over her cheekbone. “It’s all over.”

“But you could’ve been hurt…” Her voice trailed off as she wrapped her arms around his waist, leaving him no choice but to put his arm across her shoulders.

Ignoring the slice of pain across his midsection, Justin tightened his hold and turned to look at her brother. His face also held concern and admiration. Justin knew the sheriff’s concern was for Gina and the way she held on to him, but the respect aimed his way? That was a surprise.

“Thank you, sir.” Michael walked to Justin and held out his hand. “I don’t know what would’ve happened if you didn’t show up.” He shrugged, then continued, “I figured it was going to be a plain ol’ fist fight. That I could’ve handled, but I was out of my element when I saw that knife.”

“Hey, you got between danger and your girl. You put her safety and well-being ahead of yours,” Justin said, taking his hand. “That was a very brave thing to do.”

The kid straightened his shoulders and Justin could see his words had the desired effect on the teen’s fragile ego.

The kid nodded and seconds later, Justin found himself accepting the appreciation of all the adults with a handshake and a quick nod. It was surreal, considering the way these people had treated him and Gina earlier in the evening. In his younger days, he probably would’ve told them to take their thank-yous and shove them where the sun don’t shine.

Now, he accepted them, making sure to point out it was Gina’s phone call that got the law there quickly. Then everyone headed back inside until it was only Justin, Gina and Gage standing outside.

“You two going back to finish chaperoning?” Gage asked.

Good question. Justin had no idea what they were going to do, but he sure could use a couple of aspirin and a stiff drink. “Ah, I don’t know—”

“We’re just going to enjoy the rest of our evening,” Gina interrupted Justin, “by ourselves.”

“I’ve got to head to the station and call Racy to let her know you’re both okay.”

“How’s Jacoby?” Justin asked.

“Curled up on the sofa watching a movie and fighting sleep when I left. We plan to take him to church with us in the morning, if that’s okay with you?”

Justin nodded.

Gage started for his Jeep, but stopped to lightly slap his brother-in-law on the back. “You did a good thing here tonight, Dillon. There just might be hope for you yet.”



Gina watched Justin slowly climb behind the wheel. He’d taken back his jacket at her insistence even though he’d told her the slight trembles he was experiencing were a delayed reaction to the fight. He was lying. He was hurt. She could feel it in the way he’d gripped her shoulder earlier and the sharp intake of breath when she’d squeezed him.

“So, where to next?” He buckled the old-fashioned seat belt across his lap and started the engine. Pulling from the parking lot, he headed toward Main Street. “Want to get something to eat? We could go by the diner. I’m guessing they’ll be overrun with teenyboppers in another couple of hours.”

“How about your place?”

Justin hit the brakes for the red light at the intersection a bit too hard. When the truck stopped, he swung his head to look at her. Despite his best effort, she noticed from the corner of her eye that the movements made him flinch.

“My place?”

Proud at how casual her words came out, Gina smoothed out the skirt of her dress. “Of course, we could go back to my house, but my mother might be home by now.”

“Ah, n-no,” Justin croaked, then cleared his throat. “My place is fine.”

She angled to face him, as much as her own seat belt would allow, and lifted his Stetson from where it lay between them to rest it on her lap. Leaning forward, she slowly walked two fingers up the length of his arm from his wrist to shoulder.

“You know, there’s something at your place that both of us really need,” she said.

He looked at her through hooded eyes. “What’s that?”

She bit back the first response that popped into her head, despite the longing that hummed in her veins. With pouted lips, she returned his stare, lashes fluttering. “A first-aid kit.”

He groaned and closed his eyes.

A quick horn toot from the car behind him made Justin put his attention back on the road. He continued to drive, and Gina faced forward again, stunned she’d actually pulled that off.

“How did you know?” he finally asked.

“I’m smart, remember?”

“Gina, it’s no big deal.” He sighed. “You don’t have to do this, I’ll be fine.”

“It’s your place or the clinic.” She gestured at the turnoff to the lake. “Or do I make another 9-1-1 call?”

He glared at her, but she only returned his look and released the catch on the sequined flap of her purse. Justin put on the left directional signal and headed for the cabin. Moments later, they were inside and Justin stripped off his jacket. Letting it fall to the floor, he headed for the kitchen and flipped on the overhead lights.

Gina picked up the jacket and headed for the bathroom. Hanging it on a hook on the back of the door, she found a first-aid kit beneath the sink. She then grabbed two towels, wetting the smaller one with warm soapy water.

Walking back into the main room, she halted, noticing the new furniture for the first time. A sofa and loveseat faced the fireplace and a larger television sat atop a nearby cabinet. Simple end tables held mismatched lamps and a coffee table was covered with magazines, a drawing tablet and a tin full of crayons. A round dining room table and four chairs sat nearby in front of the row of windows. All of it was clearly secondhand purchases and while the place still needed something Gina couldn’t quite put her finger on, it was easy to see Justin was working hard to make a home for himself and his son.

“What do you think?” He returned from the kitchen, his bolo tie gone and the top buttons of his shirt undone, a bottle of whiskey and two glasses in his hands. “None of it’s new, but—”

“I think it’s great.” She joined him at the couch and made room on the coffee table for the items she’d brought from the bathroom. “I also think we’re going to need a bit more light.”

He clicked on one lamp, the sudden brightness causing her to blink, but for the first time she could see the slash marks and spots of blood on his shirt.

“Oh, Justin.”

He backed away from her outstretched hand and set the glasses next to the first-aid kit. Quickly pouring a splash of whiskey in each, he straightened and offered her one. “Thirsty?”

Gina shook her head. He couldn’t look at her. His eyes moved to the glass in his hand before darting around the cabin. Then it hit her. Having her in his home again was driving him crazy. But was it a good crazy or a bad crazy?

She now realized he’d been fighting an attraction to her as much as she’d been fighting what she felt for him. But she’d heard the longing in his voice, felt the restrained desire when he held her while they danced, in the gentleness of his touch when he wiped away her tears.

He didn’t want this—whatever this was between them—and he was fighting it with everything he had. The question now was what was she going to do about it? What would happen if she and Justin gave in to the powerful magnetic pull they seemed to have toward each other?

Would it be magical or the biggest mistake of their lives?

And was she willing to take the risk of falling even deeper for a guy, who according to all common sense was one hundred percent wrong for her?

“You sure?” he asked again, tipping the whiskey-filled glass toward her, finally looking at her.

This time she nodded. Yes, she was sure.

“Suit yourself.” He lifted the glass in a mock toast, then tossed back a mouthful.

Gina took the opportunity to move in closer and quickly unbuttoned his shirt. Two quick yanks and the material was free from his pants and hung open.

“Hey!” He tried to swallow and choked.

“Like I haven’t seen this before? Please.” Gina tried to play it cool as she pushed his shirt open, but the twin red marks that covered his well-defined stomach from midchest to his waist made her cringe. “Oh, my…you know, this would work better if you lay down.”

She looked up at him in time to see Justin toss back the rest of his drink.

“Fine, have it your way.”

She dropped to the couch, crinolines and tulle puffing out around her. His belly button and the faint hairline that disappeared beneath his belt buckle were right in front of her. She grabbed the soapy towel and pressed it to his skin.

“Geez…” Justin released the word in a long hiss.

“You’re not even bleeding. Don’t tell me this stings.” When he didn’t reply she looked up and found her gaze locked with his. “Well? Does it?”

A heartbeat passed before he spoke. “No.”

Breaking free of his hypnotic hold, she focused again on the toned stomach muscles that twitched beneath her fingers. She moved the cloth with gentle pressure. “Is it cold?”

“No.”

“Then what are you complaining about?”

Justin dropped the empty glass to the couch cushion beside her, and pulled her to her feet, the towel falling from her hand. “Tell me you aren’t as innocent as you sound. Do you have any idea what you’re doing to me?”

“I don’t—”

He released her, his hands moving low over her waist until they reached her backside. He pressed her intimately against the junction of his thighs. “This, this is what you do to me.”

Biting her bottom lip to hold back a triumphant smile, Gina grabbed on to his dress shirt. His eyes were glued to her mouth, making it impossible for her not to soothe the self-inflicted bite mark with a swipe of her tongue.

Did he just growl?

“Then maybe you should finish what you started at the dance,” she whispered. Feeling a new boldness, Gina pushed up on her tiptoes, her hips shifting in a natural rhythm against him as her mouth stopped inches from his.

“Meaning what?”

“You were going to kiss me before we were interrupted.”

“Kissing you in public, fully clothed, is a lot different than kissing you here.” Justin dropped his head, his lips warm on her bare shoulder. “Or here.” He trailed his mouth to the curve of her neck, gently nipping. “Or here.”

Gina tried and failed to hold back a low mewl when his lips reached her ear, the heat of his tongue circling the outer shell. “We’re—we’re still clothed now.”

“Not for long.”

His warning, spoken against her lips before he took her mouth, caused her heart to pound wildly. He tasted dark and dangerous, like the smooth whiskey on his tongue and the cool night air that clung to his skin. She wound her arms around his neck, fingers curling into the thick strands of his hair. He angled his head to deepen the kiss, more demanding and greedy now. She welcomed him with the quick swipes of her tongue against his.

This kiss was more passionate, more carnal and more decadent than the one they’d shared a few weeks ago, if that was even possible. It burned hotter and brighter, causing a rush of desire to sizzle through every inch of her. His mouth left hers and she gasped for air, instantly missing his touch. Then his lips moved to her other shoulder, his tongue leaving a moist trail to her collarbone. Her eyes drifted closed as she cradled his head in her hands and arched her back as he moved lower.

Was she directing him? She didn’t know or care. All she knew was she didn’t want him to stop.