Fumbled (The Girls of Beachmont #1) (9 page)

“See?” He stood up and walked
to the sliding glass door as he answered it. “What’s up, Daniels?”

I remained on the couch,
watching him talk on the phone as he looked at the framed images again. He
appeared comfortable in my place, something that made me relax, too. As
attracted as I was to him, I wasn’t sure I could handle being the girl that JT
Hunter was dating. The thought of people being in my business was the stuff my
nightmares were made of. Even when my principal tried to give me an award for
the after-school program, I refused to accept it. I was doing something I
loved, to help others.

But there was Tabor, and
the football circus that followed him. According to the news articles I’d read,
he would be training most of the summer leading up to preseason.

Training Camp?

Preseason?

Football?

All of those terms made
me want to break out into hives. I had never been a football fan, yet there I
was, holding the attention of one of the league’s most popular athletes. I was
lost in my own thoughts and didn’t hear Tabor speaking until he called my name
again.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” I said,
shaking my head and plastering a smile on my face. “What did you say?”

“Just apologizing,” he
said. “I’ve been trying to get ahold of one of my teammates all day and he
finally calls me back at twelve. What’s that about?”

“It’s midnight?” I
repeated. I had been enjoying our conversation and lost track of time. Not that
I had anything going on the next day.

“Yeah,” he laughed. “I
should probably get going.”

I stood up. “I’ll walk
you out.”

He picked up his sport
coat and followed me to the front door, but I was waging an internal battle.
Regret flooded my mind because I wasn’t ready for him to leave. And as much as
I wanted to see where things could go between us, I was scared. I wasn’t sure
my heart could take the public rejection if I tried and we failed. As I
unlocked the door and stepped aside, Tabor stood in front me and I had to look
up to see his face.

Mistake number one.

As soon as our eyes met,
he dipped his face down to mine and slowly leaned forward until there was
little space between us. He was giving me a chance to back away, to stop him,
but I didn’t dare move. I lifted my chin, bringing my lips closer to his, and
as Tabor’s lips grazed my own, a wave of desire coursed through my veins. It wasn’t
rushed or messy; actually, it was sort of perfect. My lips parted as he
deepened the kiss and I was lost to his touch.

His arm wrapped around
my waist and I felt tiny in his embrace. Without thought, my hand skimmed up
his arm until it was wrapped around his neck, holding him close to me.

I barely knew this man,
and yet the kiss felt familiar and perfect at the same time. He was most
definitely giving me something to think about. But before I knew it he released
me from his hold and stepped away, and I hated the space. Every part of me
wanted a redo, but as clarity began to settle, I was grateful he’d stopped when
he did.

“Sorry,” he muttered.
His eyes looked surprised by his brazen action, and I’m sure mine reflected the
same. “I wanted to do that all night.”

“It’s okay,” I said
breathlessly. “That was nice.”

“Nice?” he repeated, his
lips curving up slightly.

“Nice.” I flashed a coy
smile and as I was about to say something else, he kissed me. That time it was
as if his life depended on it, and I returned in kind.

During the impromptu
make-out session, my mind was on a loop with words like
football, fans, celebrity,
and
sexiest man
flooding it.

“Hold on,” I gasped
between kisses until he was standing across from me in the small entry. “I…I
need a minute. I need to think.”

I ran my fingers through
my hair to give me a moment and exhaled loudly as I calmed myself. Tabor was
watching me, no doubt curious what I was thinking, but I couldn’t formulate a
sentence.

“I need to think,” I
repeated, winded.

“You just said that,” he
answered with a knowing smile.

“Sorry,” I muttered. I
was embarrassed by my reaction, and when I touched my fingers to my lips, which
still burned from his touch, I knew I was in trouble.

My pulse was still
racing, and though my entire being was screaming at me to go with it, my head
had already taken over.

Time, Dani. You need to think about what you’re getting
into.

“Can I see you
tomorrow?” he asked quietly.

“Tabor,” I started, but
he interrupted.

“I have some
equipment—for your program,” he said in a rush, a playful grin fixed on
his face.

“What are you talking
about?” I asked, bemused by the change in the conversation.

“You said you were
spending your days trying to get funding for your program, and it just so
happens that my charity helps support groups like yours.”

“Are you for real?” I
asked, stunned as I walked past him and away from the door. “You’re too much,”
I snorted.

“After we talked, I made
a call and pulled some strings,” he said, looking somewhat embarrassed. “I hope
that’s okay.”

“It’s bribery,” I joked.
“Now I
have
to see you again.”

I shook my head slowly
as clarity set in. This guy, this somewhat stranger, wanted to help my kids.
He’d actually listened to me the other day when I’d told him about River’s
Kids, and then he did something?

He looked down to the
floor and took a step back. “Seeing me again was in question?” he asked
quietly. “Dani? I didn’t mean to overstep.”

“I’m sorry,” I responded
quickly. “No, that’s incredible, I’m actually just in shock, I guess. You
didn’t have to do that.”

“I know, but I wanted
to. Anyone who’s as dedicated to their students as you are deserves to catch a
break,” he said.

My nose burned and I was
fighting back the tears that were stinging my eyes. No one had ever done
something so selfless for me—for my kids. I was beyond moved, and I
showed him by reaching for his hand and squeezing it softly when the words
wouldn’t come out past the lump in my throat.

“Are you okay?” he asked
as he lowered himself to look into my eyes, and I nodded.

Tabor flashed a sweet
smile and stood to his full height as I gathered myself together. I took a deep
breath and looked up at him, hoping my gratitude showed through my smile.

“Thank you so much,
Tabor. And yes, I would very much like to see you again,” I was finally able to
say. “But—”

He exhaled. “You’re
welcome, Dani,” he answered, his voice a low rumble. “Would it be okay if I
dropped some things off at your school tomorrow?”

“I’m sure that could be
arranged.”

“What time should I pick
you up?” he asked.

“We’re going together?”

He smirked. “I need you
to show me where to put the stuff.”

I nodded. “Right. Um,
Nine?” I said timidly, as if it were a question.

“Nine it is,” he said,
rubbing his thumb over the back of my hand that he was still holding. I didn’t
want to let go. I loved the way my stomach fluttered when he touched me.

Tabor pointed at the
door and I nodded as we walked back down the small corridor together. When he
reached for the handle, he stepped closer to me, leaving little space between
us, and I breathed him in. I was so scared to look into his eyes because I
already knew from the first kiss that I wanted to spend more time with him, and
despite my words, I’d give in. But I looked up anyway and this time it was me
who initiated the kiss. But it was a simple, perfect kiss that I felt
everywhere.

“Goodnight,” I said.

He lifted his hand and
grazed the side of my face before stepping out onto the patio.

I watched as he
sauntered down the steps the same way I’d watched him come in earlier:
Confident. Sure. Sexy. He neared his car, but turned back to look at me and
raised an eyebrow.

“I think you should go
inside,” he said playfully. “You’ve got some thinking to do.”

And just like that,
Tabor was in his car and pulling out of my driveway. I hated the uncertainty
waging a battle in my head, because if he were any other guy, I would have no
doubts about pursuing something with him. But Tabor Hunter wasn’t just any guy.

He was San Diego’s hero.

D A N I

It was well
after midnight as I watched him drive away, and there was no way I was getting
sleep anytime soon. Tabor was right about one thing: I needed to do some
thinking,

I walked inside and
dialed Millie’s number without questioning it. Gracie and Trevor were the only
people who knew I had a date with Tabor, or rather JT Hunter. If Millie found
out from someone other than me, I’d never live it down. I knew it was late, but
I needed to talk to her. And truth be told, I needed her perspective on the
situation.

“Hello?” Millie answered
groggily.

“Hey, Mill, I’m sorry to
call so late. I just needed to talk to someone,” I whispered, as if I was going
to wake up her family.

“Everything okay? What
time is it?” she asked, her voice raspy.

I was the biggest jerk
on the planet. I knew sleep was a commodity for my friend, with baby Colton
around, but I was selfish and needed her.

“It’s late, I’m sorry,”
I said, wincing. “But I really need to talk to you.”

“Hold on,” she whispered
into the phone. I could hear her say something to Nick, and then there was a
rustling noise. I waited patiently, because she was doing me a solid by giving
up her sleep for me.

“What’s going on?” she
asked through a yawn.

“I went out with
tire-guy.”

“Dani, if you woke me up
to tell me it was a crappy date, I’m going to kill you,” she groaned.

“No, no, nothing like
that,” I said. “I just found some things out that I haven’t gotten to tell you
since I was at your place.”

“He’s married,” she
deadpanned.

I was quiet for a moment
and decided to rip off the Band-Aid.

“He’s JT Hunter,” I
said.

“Ha-Ha. Very funny,
goodnight, Dani. Thanks for waking me up,” she said.

“His name is Tabor
Hunter,” I almost shouted to keep her from hanging up.

“If you’re playing a
sick joke on me, I might have to hurt you,” she warned. “Wait, did you really
go out with JT Hunter?”

“I did.”

“Why didn’t you tell me
you were going out with him?” she asked, her voice slightly strained.

“I didn’t know who he
was. You know me…the guy introduced himself as Tabor, and when I was talking to
Grace about him…” I explained when she interrupted.

“
She
recognized the name,” she finished.

“Yeah,” I answered,
smiling sheepishly to myself before smacking my forehead. “I’m an idiot,
Millie.”

“Pretty much,” she
answered.

“Thanks,” I mumbled.

“Okay, so tell me all
about it,” she said in that familiar giddy tone. “I can’t believe you went out
with JT Hunter.”

“We went to Metropolis
Grill and then came back here and hung out for a while,” I said.

“Uh-huh,” she replied
suggestively. “I’m sure you
hung out
.”

“Millie! It was a first
date,” I laughed. “But he’s such a sweet guy and an amazing kisser.”

“What?” she all but
shouted before her voice was muffled by something. When she spoke again, it was
like a conspiratorial whisper. “You kissed him?”

I laughed and filled her
in on the date details, all the way down to Tabor asking to see me again.

“You’re going to see him
again. Right? The way you talk, he sounds perfect for you. So what’s the
problem?”

“He’s a professional
football player. He’s famous. He has fans.”

“So?”

“Oh Millie,” I muttered.
“You are no help. You would love nothing more than for your best friend to date
your athlete crush.”

“I resent that,” she
laughed. “Is it a bad thing to want my best friend to be happy?”

“No.”

“Look, call Vi—she
knows what it’s like to be with someone in the spotlight. Maybe she can give
you some advice.”

“Maybe you’re right.”

I was mulling it over
when she spoke again.

“Dani?”

“Yeah?”

“On a scale of one to
ten, how good of a kisser was he?”

“Millie…they haven’t
made a scale to measure his kisses on.”

“I knew it!”

“Look, I gotta go. Love
you, sorry to call so late.”

“For JT Hunter gossip,
you can call me anytime you want,” she answered. “Love you.”

I hung up the phone and
decided that sleep was the answer. Perhaps I’d figure it all out in a dream and
wake with a plan. As I headed up to my room, my phone vibrated in my hand and I
was certain it was Millie with more “help.” But it wasn’t her.

Tabor: Have you thought
about it yet?

Me: You left like thirty
minutes ago

Tabor: Okay. Then I’ll
see you tomorrow

Me: Only because you
tricked me

Tabor: But I get to see
you again. So Tabor-1 Dani-0

Me: I think it’s more
like 1-1

Tabor: I like my odds
here. Goodnight Dani

I didn’t respond to his
last text. I didn’t know how to answer. Tabor had given me something to think
about, and I was going to have to weigh out the pros and cons. But that kiss…it
made the pro list.

Without another thought,
I dialed Viola’s number. That girl kept insane hours and I knew she’d be up. Vi
and Will had married before we graduated and she had been by his side ever
since. They were the perfect couple, both creative and madly in love. I think
what I admired most about their relationship was how supportive she was of his
dream of becoming a rock star.

“Danielle! What’s up?”
Will asked when he answered Vi’s phone. I laughed when he used my full name.
Aside from my parents, he was the only person that called me Danielle, but I
didn’t mind.

“Hey Will. Is Vi there?
I need some advice.”

“She’s in the shower.
What’s up?”

“You two heading to the
bar?” I asked, trying to change the subject. Will’s band played the local bar
scene, including the one where he worked.

“In a little.”

“Can you just tell her I
called?” I asked as I prepared to hang up the call.

“Why can’t you talk to
me about whatever’s up?”

“Who said anything’s
up?”

“It’s almost one in the
morning,” he fired back. “Why else would you be calling?”

“It’s no big.”

“Why can’t you tell me?”

“Because…you’re Will,” I
answered with a laugh.

“Ah, c’mon, hit me,” he
said.

I could hear Viola somewhere
in the background and figured she was finishing up. It was only a matter of
time before the story made its way through our circle of friends and Will heard
about it anyway. I went ahead and told him all about meeting Tabor, our date,
and my current dilemma.

“So what’s the problem?
He likes you. You like him,” Will said.

Okay, sure, it made
sense in theory, but there was so much more to consider. “But he’s famous and
shit.”

“So?”

“Valid argument,” I
muttered, throwing myself onto my bed with a huff.

“I’m being serious.
You’re wondering why he likes you…plain old Danielle.”

“Thanks,” I said,
rolling my eyes.

“But he does. Maybe he
likes that he doesn’t have to be
someone
when he’s with you. Are you really just going to hide because of who he is?”

I was quiet for a moment
and then I heard him tsk.

“I always thought you
were cooler than that, Danielle.”

“If it doesn’t work out,
do you realize the level of public humiliation I’d be subjected to?”

“Damn girl, I can’t even
talk to you. Here’s Vi,” he said, handing the phone over. I heard him mutter
something about me being chickenshit, but I was too wrapped up on the cons of
dating Tabor to be irritated.

“You went out with JT
Hunter?” Viola asked without so much as a
hello
.

“Yes. And he wants to
see me again,” I told her.

“And the problem is?”

“Did you
not
hear the name—JT Hunter,” I
said sarcastically.

“Oh,” she said and I
heard her call out to Will, “You’re right babe. Total chickenshit!”

“You know me, Vi. I
don’t like attention. If I were to go out with him, I’d basically be inviting
the entire city to scrutinize my every move.”

Right then, I heard
Viola’s laugh that I knew so well. It was loud and made me smile, but I found
myself rolling my eyes.

“Get over yourself.
Trust me, they’re way more interest in him than the junior high school teacher.
If anything, you’re just going to have thousands of women jealous that he’s
with you.”

The line was quiet after
she spoke as I considered her words.

She was right…and so was
Will. Millie had already told me to go for it, but my stupid fears kept me from
giving in. It’s not like I was going to marry the guy. He wanted to get to know
me better and I felt the same. He was no different from any other man I’d
dated, and I needed to see what happened. But I also had to accept the fact
that if I was going to date Tabor, it meant the end to my privacy.

“Let me know how it
goes,” Viola said before hanging up the phone.

I knew Vi had no doubts
that I was going to give it a shot with Tabor. But I still needed to convince
myself to take a chance. I wished I had the faith in me that my friends seemed
to have.