Taylor stood before the mirror and slipped on the Tiffany earrings her parents had given her for her sixteenth birthday. She checked the pins in her hair, making sure they were secure enough to hold the braids in the updo she’d fashioned for tonight’s party.
There was a short knock on her door before it swung open. Freddie signed for her to hurry up and come downstairs.
Taylor signed back, In a minute.
Knowing Freddie wouldn’t leave without her, Taylor grabbed the gold wrap that she’d bought to go with her black sequined jumpsuit and a small matching clutch. She gave herself a final once-over in the mirror before following her impatient niece downstairs.
Her entire family had assembled in the great room. Everyone was decked out in black and gold, the official Army colors, and the official colors for tonight’s celebration. She spotted Jamar standing near the fireplace and damn near tripped over her own feet.
Other than in pictures online, this was her first time seeing him in a suit. She had not been ready. The tailored jacket hugged his chiseled shoulders and tapered down to his waist. He’d paired it with a cream-colored shirt and black-and-gold paisley tie. Forget being a snack, this man was the entire freaking buffet.
She headed for him, but when she walked past where Darwin sat on the edge of the sofa, her brother reached out and grabbed her by the wrist.
“Wait a minute,” Darwin said.
Taylor noticed Jamar take a step forward, but she held up a hand.
“What?” she said to her brother.
Darwin looked around, then tilted his head toward the dining area. “Come with me,” he said, heading into the room and not bothering to see if she followed. Arrogant ass.
“What?” Taylor asked again.
“I wasn’t comparing you to Caleb yesterday,” Darwin said. “At least I wasn’t trying to. If it seemed that way, I’m . . . I didn’t mean for it to seem that way.”
Taylor wasn’t sure what was happening right now, but it was possible her brother was trying to apologize. Maybe she should warn the rest of the family that the world was coming to an end.
“Rebecca and Freddie thought I was insensitive yesterday,” Darwin continued. “I didn’t mean to be.”
Of course Rebecca and Fredericka were behind this.
She considered simply accepting his unvoiced apology, but figured she could at least own up to her part in last evening’s episode. She was so used to Darwin adding a negative spin to everything she did, her knee-jerk reaction was to respond antagonistically, often without taking the time to digest his words.
“Maybe I was a bit too sensitive,” Taylor offered. “I’ll be the first to admit that, where you’re concerned, I tend to react somewhat irrationally.”
“You overreact,” he said, his voice losing the tiny thread of contriteness it had held just a minute ago.
“I’m justified, asshole,” Taylor shot back. So much for them turning over a new leaf when it came to their relationship. “God, I swear, Darwin.”
He stuck his hands out, his shoulders practically meeting his ears as he tried to defend himself. “You said it yourself. I was just agreeing with you.”
He was such an asshole.
“Can we please just come to an understanding?” Taylor said. “Whenever you get the urge to offer your opinion about anything concerning me, don’t. It’s as simple as that.”
“I’m just trying to—”
“Don’t.”
Taylor heard her dad clear his throat from somewhere just over her shoulder. “Do you two care to join us for this toast?”
“Sorry, Daddy,” Taylor said. She turned to her brother and hissed, “See, now you’ve pissed off the Colonel on his birthday.”
“Taylor,” her father said.
“My fault, Dad,” Darwin said.
Darwin motioned for her to go ahead of him. Taylor pinched his arm, but then she took his hand and held on to it as they made their way back into the great room. She gave his hand a squeeze before releasing it.
She loved him. She didn’t like him most of the time, but she would always love him.
She went over to Jamar and grabbed hold of the hand he offered.
He pressed a kiss near her ear and whispered, “Everything okay?”
She nodded, but before she could voice a response, her mother began her toast. Taylor felt tears welling in her eyes as she listened to her mother honor her dad’s sixty years on this earth and over forty years of service to his country. Was it any wonder why she had a reputation for flaying her opposing counsel like a fish? The woman was a brilliant orator.
Once done with the private family toast, they filed out of the house and into their respective cars.
“What happened with your brother?” Jamar asked as he eased into the caravan behind her dad’s new car.
“It’s all good,” Taylor said. “For a minute I thought Darwin had turned into a normal human being, but he’s still an asshole. All is right with the world.”
“I guess that’s good to hear,” he said with a chuckle.
“I honestly wouldn’t know how to deal with him if he was pleasant,” she said. She leaned over and pressed a kiss against his neck. She whispered against his skin, “I saw how you were ready to tackle him for me. Normally, I’d find that kind of stuff annoying because I’d rather fight my own battles, but I have to admit that was pretty sexy, Twenty-Three.”
He glanced away from the road long enough to give her a quick kiss on the lips. “You help me slay my dragons, and I’ll help you slay yours.”
“Mutual dragon slayage. That’s definitely going in the playbook.”
He reached over and caught her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. “I think we need to revise that playbook when we get back to Austin. Some things have changed since you first came up with it.”
“All those end dates have to go.” He brought her hand up to his mouth and kissed the back of it. “I don’t want this to end.”
Her heart lurched in her chest, a mixture of excitement, anticipation, and fearful hope surging through her.
“I don’t want it to end either,” Taylor said in a soft voice.
They pulled in next to Darwin’s car at the Iron Mike Conference Center on Fort Bragg. When they walked inside, Taylor couldn’t contain her gasp. The decorator had transformed the banquet hall into a tasteful, sophisticated tribute to the Army, with black and gold silk bunting and tablecloths, and a dance floor that had the Army’s emblem projected onto the center of it. It was the perfect setting to celebrate her dad’s birthday.
As the guests started to file in, Taylor braced herself for the good-natured ribbing about Colonel Powell’s “wild child” from her parents’ friends. She’d expected at least a few questions about the viral video with Craig, but instead found herself fielding multiple inquiries about her relationship with Jamar. Her date, to his credit, took it all in stride, even signing a few autographs.
“I don’t appreciate you being more popular than I am at my own dad’s birthday party,” she said, resting her head against his chest as they rocked back and forth to an old ballad from the ’70s.
“That’s because you’re doing this celebrity dating thing all wrong.”
She looked up at him. “How should I be doing it?”
“You should use me to get stuff out of people.” He tipped his head toward a group of men standing near the open bar. “Take that guy who came over about a half hour ago.”
“The one with the Bluetooth speaker hanging from his ear like it’s 2005?”
“Yep, that one. He would have paid fifty bucks for my autograph and a selfie. Easy.”
Taylor burst out laughing. “No way!”
“No doubt,” Jamar said.
“First of all, what makes you think that? And secondly, why would you charge someone for an autograph?”
“I would never charge someone for an autograph. I was only pointing out that you could if you wanted to play my celebrity to your advantage. And I know he’d do it because he has a Chicago Bears tie pin and phone case, and he’s come over to talk to me three times already tonight.”
“Well, next time I’ll set up an autograph booth,” Taylor said with a laugh. She hooked her arms around his neck. “For now, I’ll bask in the knowledge that every woman—save for my mother, of course—is jealous that I’m here with you.”
His brow arched. “Even your sister?”
“Hell yes. Chester is all right, but he’s no Diesel Dixon.”
She felt his deep chuckle reverberating through his chest.
As they swayed to the music, Taylor tried to figure out exactly what she was feeling. It took her a moment to recognize it as contentment. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d experienced anything close to this, especially when surrounded by people who never missed the opportunity to throw some of her ill-advised teenage antics in her face.
Being cocooned in Jamar’s embrace provided a sense of peace she desperately needed, his presence making this trip home not only bearable but also enjoyable.
The party lasted until midnight, with much of the crowd remaining until the very end. Taylor was beyond relieved to learn that the same company that had furnished the decorations was in charge of cleaning up the mess now that the festivities were over.
Her mother had planned a postparty brunch for tomorrow, but Taylor and Jamar’s early afternoon flight out of Raleigh would require them to leave by nine in the morning. Which was why they said their goodbyes to both her sister’s and brother’s families, then followed her dad’s car back to the house.
Taylor and Jamar got caught by a red light, so her parents arrived home a few minutes before they did. The two were making their way up the walkway, holding hands like a couple of teenagers, when Jamar turned the Lincoln into the driveway. The Powells waited at the door for Jamar and Taylor to join them before entering the house.
Her dad wrapped his arm around Taylor’s shoulder and gave her a squeeze. “Although I would have liked to have you home for Thanksgiving as well, I’m happy you chose to come for the party. Tonight was pretty nice, wasn’t it?”
“The most fun I have had in ages,” Taylor said. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “Happy birthday, Daddy.”
She gave her mother a kiss and bid both her parents good night. They headed toward their downstairs bedroom, leaving Taylor and Jamar to linger in the quiet stillness of the empty great room.
“You had a good time tonight,” he said.
“I did. Did you?”
“Yes.” He nodded, then added, “Well, except for your sister-in-law stepping on my foot a dozen times during the Cupid Shuffle. If I can’t run the forty during my tryouts, it’s probably because she broke my little toe.”
“Oh no,” Taylor laughed. “I noticed you wincing a few times tonight. You should have told me. I would have rescued you.”
His amusement faded, a somber, pensive expression taking its place.
“No,” he said, the sudden rasp in his voice sending pinpricks of unease down Taylor’s spine. “That’s um . . . that’s not why I was wincing. And it’s not why I won’t be able to run the forty-yard dash.”
She frowned, her anxiety ratcheting up even more as he took her by the hand and led her to the sofa.
“You’re scaring me,” Taylor said.
“Don’t be,” he said. “There’s nothing for you to be scared about. Me, on the other hand . . . yeah, I’m a little scared.”
“Would you please stop with the vague bullshit and tell me what’s going on!” She glanced toward her parents’ bedroom, then lowered her voice. “Tell me,” she said.
He rested his elbows on his thighs and clasped his hands together. Releasing a deep breath, he finally said, “A few weeks ago, I felt something in my knee.”
Her stomach dropped. “Something like what?”
“It started as a pinch, but the ache has gradually progressed.” He tapped his fingers against his lips, then looked over at her. “I’m scared my knee won’t hold up.”
“How long has this been happening?”
“Since Mount Bonnell,” he said. “Maybe a little before.”
“Jamar,” she said in a fierce, accusatory whisper. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“You know why, Taylor. Because you would have stopped the training.”
“Of course I would have stopped. I’ve read nearly everything there is to read about your injury; I know how devastating it would be if you suffered another blow to your knee. There would be no coming back from that kind of damage, Jamar.”
“I know,” he said. “I just have so much riding on this.”
The agony in his voice tore at her heart, but this could not be up for debate.
“It’s not worth it. Nothing is worth you permanently injuring yourself. You have to know this.” Taylor cupped his jaw in her hands. “I’m so sorry this is happening, because I know how hard you’ve worked. But you can’t do this to yourself.”
She leaned forward and rested her forehead against his. In a pained whisper, she asked, “Do you think Silas would want you to put your body in jeopardy because of him?”
“It’s not just about Silas,” he said. “I told you, it’s about me leaving on my own terms.”
“So if you make it through that tryout and onto a team, what makes you think you wouldn’t get carted off the field in the very first game? That’s the risk you’re willing to take?”
His eyes fell shut, the corded muscles in his neck constricting as he swallowed. His anguish was a tangible thing in the room.
Taylor squeezed his hand, her soul aching for him. She wished more than anything that she could fix this, but some things just weren’t meant to be. This was one of them. She had to get him to see that his health was more important than playing football again.
But before she could conjure up a new argument, he said, “I’ll call Micah in the morning, before we leave for the airport. If I can’t get through a line dance, I sure as hell won’t get through any team’s training camp.”
The relief that crashed through her took her breath away. She should feel guilty, knowing how hard this was for him. But all she could feel was the tension ebbing from her body.
Still holding his hand, she rested her head against his shoulder. There were no words, no platitudes she could utter that would make this better for him. All she could offer was her presence and hope that it would be enough.