Chapter 19
When I lay next to Sommer after making love to her, it had to be one of my favorite things. Which would be a shock to anyone who knew me. After my declaration, I thought things would shift and that I might have scared her. But when she reciprocated my feelings, well, that just made me happier. We were at my house and not in a restaurant.
When Sommer suggested we forgo my favorite strawberry shortcake I had brought in along with the rest of the dinner, I decided we’d eat it in bed later.
Best decision I’d made. Licking whipped cream off her nipples while feeding her strawberries had now turned into my favorite dessert. Everything about her started to be in the top-ten things I enjoyed.
That included showering, which was where Sommer received her latest orgasm of the night. Since dinner, we had christened my kitchen counter, my bed, and my shower. Watching suds roll down her curves had my dick hard as a rock. I almost asked her to get out so I could torture myself with cold water, but instead, she dropped to her knees and let me explode down her throat.
“You’re killing me, Sommer.”
She stood, licked her lips, and gave me a smile full of pride with a hint of sinister in it. “You look alive and well to me.”
I reached around her, turned off the water, snagged a large fluffy towel off the hook, and wrapped it around her shoulders. She pulled her hair to the side, wrung it out, and somehow fashioned it to stay in a ball on top of her head.
Once she was mostly dry, I grabbed a towel for myself and wiped away the drops of water. The cool air had felt like a balm on my very overheated skin. We got out, I gave her a hair dryer that I had in my vanity, and I left her alone for a few moments while I tossed on a pair of gray boxer briefs.
She sauntered back in, no makeup, hair still a bit damp at the ends, and naked. “Do you have a shirt I can borrow?”
Without hesitation and thankful that she agreed to spend the night, I grabbed one of my old practice T-shirts with my name and number on the back. She slid it on, and I watched the hem land on her midthigh. The Hawks logo rested just below her left boob.
“I knew you’d look good wearing my number.”
She slid into bed, and I followed on the other side. “You understand why I can’t, though, right?”
“Yes, it would blow our secret.”
“Right.”
Fuck that secret. I hated everything about it. Sommer didn’t realize how some of the guys looked at her. She didn’t know that despite them being my teammates, I’d rip their balls off and shove them down their throats if they ever said anything about her—or, worse, to her. Then, our secret affair would be out in the open.
“I can tell you’re thinking something.”
“Just how gorgeous my girl is, that’s all.” I didn’t want to tell her what was actually rattling around in my brain. She’d probably tell me to ignore them if anyone said anything. Which would be easier said than done. Thankfully, no one had crossed the line. Sommer smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Hey, what are you thinking about? You had that same forlorn look on your face earlier when we were dancing. It’s like you drifted off somewhere else.”
“Well, this really isn’t the time to ask, but I do have a question for you.”
“Okay, what is it?”
“How come you never asked about my parents?”
I wasn’t sure how to answer her, so like always, I went with the truth. “I figured if you wanted me to know, then you’d tell me. Obviously, I knew there had to be a story since you were raised by your grandparents, and you never mentioned them.”
She looked down before raising her now sad eyes to meet mine. I hated that the sparkle had been absent. “Babe, you don’t need to tell me. If it’s too much?—”
“No, I want to. My mom had me when she was young, and unlike your mom, she didn’t want me.” Her voice hitched, but her eyes thankfully didn’t fill with tears. Conversely, I could feel them start to build up behind mine. Sommer let out a breath before continuing. “She did try for a couple of years and then decided that she didn’t want to be a mother. Of course my grandparents flipped out. I don’t remember much, only what I’ve heard family members talk about over the years.”
“How old were you?”
“I was three when she left. My grandparents got custody of me.”
“And your father?”
She shrugged. “No clue. Mom never gave my grandparents a name. She claimed she couldn’t be one-hundred-percent sure of who it was.”
“I’m sorry, Sommer.”
“It’s fine. He couldn’t have been that great if he had unprotected sex with my mom and then never checked to see if he got her pregnant.”
I sucked in a long breath, thinking of my mom. Sommer must have picked up on it. “I didn’t mean to insinuate anything about your dad. I know those circumstances were messed up.”
To say the least, but this wasn’t about me. I wanted her to tell me more and let me into her life. “Yes, it wasn’t an ideal situation, but I can’t imagine not having my mother.”
She smiled, and this time, it reached her eyes. “I’m so glad you did, and I’m so happy that it worked out with your dad.”
I hadn’t realized I’d absentmindedly been playing with a few strands of Sommer’s hair, but I didn’t stop either. “Where’s your mother now?”
“I’m not sure. We never heard from her after she granted my grandparents custody. Mind you, it came at a price of five million dollars. Not that my granddad and grandmother bought me, but more so to ensure I was raised feeling loved. When I heard that bit of news after I turned eighteen, my heart broke for my grandparents more than it did for me. I never knew her. They loved her all of her life. I couldn’t fathom what that felt like. How do you raise someone, nurture them, only for them to leave? She probably did me a favor.”
“I’m sorry, Sommer. No kid should go through that. Nor should your grandparents. The entire situation is unfair. Have you ever tried to find her?”
“Nope, and I don’t want to. She knows where we are. If she wanted to, she could reach out. To be honest, if she did, I don’t think I’d welcome her into my life. My grandparents stepped in and were the best parents I could have ever asked for.”
“Can’t say that I blame you.” My blood simmered in my veins. Although she didn’t show any anger, I was pissed off on her behalf, and Mr. and Mrs. Bennett’s as well. They were such loving people; it must have ripped their hearts out when their daughter left. Thank God they had Sommer. I’d hate to think about what could have happened to her if they hadn’t taken her in.
“Anyway, I wanted you to know,” she admitted, pulling me from my thoughts. “Now, let’s change the subject. Tell me something good.” When I ran my hand under the sheet and up her shirt, she stopped me with a grip on my wrist and shook her head. “Haven’t you had enough for one night?” When I remained silent, Sommer rolled her eyes. “Don’t answer that.”
Chuckling, I kept my hands to myself and answered her question. “Well, I wanted to keep this a surprise, but remember when I said I had something I wanted to show you?”
“Yes.”
I hopped out of bed, zipped into my office, grabbed the blueprint canister, and headed back to my bedroom. She giggled when I came in. “Damn, women talk about gray sweats on a man, but gray boxers ...” Sommer let out a catcall type of whistle. “They win hands down.”
I chuckled. “You’re weird.” Sitting on the bed, I opened up the tube and pulled out the drawings. “This is a small building about three miles away from the stadium. It used to be a bookstore.”
Sommer leaned closer. “Is that where Piccadilly used to be?”
“Yes, I think that was the name. Do you know it?”
“I sure do. I loved it there. Gram would bring me to story hour. Wow, I haven’t thought about that place in so long. Miss Anita was one of the sweetest women. And a friend of my grandmother. They went to school together. Anyway, the store was super kid-friendly.” Sommer’s voice perked up, and I loved seeing her smile return. “I remember there would be bright-colored pillows strewn on the floor, and kids would sit while the owner, Miss Anita, would read to them. When she passed away, the store closed. Her family no longer lived in Utah. Sadly, it’s been abandoned ever since.”
“Not anymore,” I happily informed her. “I bought it last month.”
“You did?” She laughed, not that I blamed her—it wasn’t your average purchase. “Why?”
“To open Imaginarium Hall. That’s the name of it. It will be a place where kids can come and use their imaginations and just be kids. Look ...” I pointed out an outlined room on the print. “This will be filled with toys that will spark a kid to think and learn without realizing they’re doing it. They can dress up and pretend. There will be costumes from fairy tales and storybooks from fiction to nonfiction. Whatever they want to be, they can. Then here”—I pointed out a different room—“will be a small art center.” I went on to tell her about all my plans, including a little reading corner for kids. “Of course, there will be a room that will have various blocks so kids can build whatever they want.”
“This is incredible. What made you think of it?”
“A few things. First, I saw how much Ariel loved pretending and playing dress-up. She’s lucky—she has a great family and friends.”
“And her uncle Jimmy.”
“That’s Yimmy,” I corrected with a wink. “And yes, she’ll always have me. But not all kids do. One day, she was sleeping on the couch next to me, wearing a princess costume, tiara and all, with a smile on her face. I started to wonder about other kids. I was lucky. I had my sport and a team to keep me busy and out of trouble ... for the most part.”
“So this is for the kids who don’t have anyone?”
“No, it’ll be for all kids who want to be kids. I’ve spoken to some retired teachers who miss teaching. They’ll play an integral part. My mom will be helping me get the art room set up. And my aunt Mia—well, she’s not really my aunt, but really my mom’s best friend—she’s an English teacher and will assist me there. I’m hoping to have it done before next spring.”
A tear rolled down Sommer’s cheek, and before I could say anything, she wrapped her arms around me. “You’re a wonderful man, Jimmy Hall.”
“It’s about time you noticed,” I teased. “This is just something that I’ve been wanting to come to fruition for a long time. Let’s face it, your grandfather pays me enough money for me to live ten very lucrative lives. Not that I’m complaining. Giving back to the community and helping kids is the least I could do.”
A lot of athletes had their own charities that centered on their sport or, sadly, a disease that had affected their family or friends. But when I started to think about what I wanted to do, it was to give kids something that they might not get at home. Or even if they did, they could play with other kids. Being from a small town and an only child, it was tough some days. Granted, I had baseball and I didn’t care about much else, but other kids weren’t as lucky.
“I want to help. Can I volunteer?”
“Anytime you’d like.” I rolled up the prints, tucked them back into the tube, and set it aside. “Let’s get some sleep. I owe you breakfast in the morning.”
Sommer nodded and let out a yawn. I kissed the tip of her nose as she snuggled under the covers. “Good night, Jimmy. Thank you for a wonderful first date.”
“Good night. Thank you for coming over.” Something else sat on the tip of my tongue, but I kept it to myself. One day soon, I’d admit to Sommer that I’d fallen for her. Until then, I’d hold her in my arms and give her all the best dates that I could.