The Storybook Groom Read online

  The Storybook Groom

  Sarah Gay

  Literary Evolution

  For the Marvin Philip Family, who graciously lent their expert knowledge for this book:

  Marvin, Sara, and their beautiful children: Kendrick, Kyla, Malakai, Amara, and Samuel : May your life continue to be filled with Storybook endings.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  About the Author

  Message From The Author

  1

  “You’ve got to be kidding me!” Ginny yelled at the white suburban that jack-knifed in front of the pick-up zone at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, restricting three cars from continuing around it—including Ginny’s candy red corvette.

  She tapped her left foot next to the brake pedal to stay her impatience. It didn’t work. If she couldn’t get to him, he’d take another car, and she had turned down three other fares to pick him up. All that effort would have been for naught if she couldn’t get to him, and she needed this guy.

  Perhaps she had been a little hasty with her decision to become an Uber driver, but it worked beautifully as a cover. It had been the only job she could think of that would mesh, and frankly benefit her other employment, but some days were brutal. And the job gave her the opportunity to interact with normal people—to feel normal.

  Ginny hit a button on her steering wheel, changing her radio station from 80s love songs to Country. Country music didn’t appeal to her, but it did to some of her clients. It would to this guy, and she strived to make her clients happy. Country did have one redeeming quality; the fiddlers. Being a violinist, Ginny had fiddled on a few occasions.

  It took forever for the family of six to pack into the Suburban in front of her and continue on their merry way. In reality, about four minutes had passed. Ginny pressed down the gas pedal and sped at a whopping fifteen miles per hour to Terminal E. Why did it seem like going over seven miles per hour on an airport road felt like you were committing a felony? She laughed at the irony.

  She pulled to a stop at the curb where a lone man stood. Next to her low sports car, he appeared eight feet tall. Yep, this was him. This was the guy she needed. She hopped out of her car and opened the trunk.

  “You’re my Uber driver?” he questioned in a sexy Southern drawl. “And you drive people around in that?”

  Okay, maybe not so sexy after that last question.

  She cocked an eyebrow. “You don’t like my car?”

  She reached to take his bag, but he pulled it back into his chest. “Seriously?” she questioned him. “What do you think I’m going to do to your bag?”

  “I’m a gentleman,” he said, offended, then placed his bag in her trunk. “And it’s not that I don’t like your ride. It’s just...” He rubbed the side of his face. “Don’t mind me; I haven’t had much sleep these past few weeks and the hits are catching up with me.”

  She reached up to close the trunk at the same moment he did. For a split second, when their fingers brushed, all her cares vanished. Years of hurt and deception floated away like dandelion fluff in the wind.

  She looked up at him—way up at him. The guy was a giant. He wasn’t just tall; he was thick in a good way. In a really good way. His shirt couldn’t hide his defined chest and arm muscles. The cotton t-shirt didn’t cling to him with the objective of displaying every hard-earned muscle, like a body-builder’s; it lightly swept over his chiseled torso, lending the impression of confidence, tempered with humility.

  When her eyes finally raised to his face and she caught his seductive smile, she knew that she’d been caught appreciating his fine physique. His clear blue eyes twinkled their satisfaction as his hand settled onto her shoulder. His touch pacified her anxiety and provided her a moment of clarity. By the way he focused on her eyes, he had felt something too, but was it the same calming sensation she had? He released her shoulder and turned before she could fully scrutinize his facial expression.

  Ginny settled back into her seat with a smile tugging at her lips as a plan came together to get him to touch her again. She slowly pulled out of the airport and advanced onto the freeway.

  With the top down, Ginny’s loose hairs circled her face in the wind. She loved how her hair blew just enough to lightly caress her checks when her convertible top was down. She caught traces of cinnamon and sugar as the sweet aroma spun with the wind.

  She couldn’t help but lick her lips. “Did you bring one of those huge cinnamon rolls back with you from Atlanta?” she questioned with eagerness.

  “Yes, ma’am.” He shot her a confused look. “How did you know I was coming from Atlanta?”

  “This is the Delta terminal. I park myself here and wait for the larger flights from Delta’s other major hubs, and, judging by your accent, I’m guessing you’re not arriving from Salt Lake City.”

  He laughed, but then caught himself and did a sideways stare as if he shouldn’t trust her. “Delta flies in from all over the world. What makes you think it was either Atlanta or Salt Lake City?”

  “It helps with the job.” She shrugged dismissively. “I’ve memorized most flights in and out of Dallas and their schedules. If I picked you up an hour from now, I would have guessed Toronto or Chile.”

  She stared ahead at the road, hoping he wouldn’t press it. She had always been good with numbers, not just good, a savant of sorts; that’s one reason why the agency had recruited her.

  “That’s some dedication. You deserve this.” He pulled a white box marked with brown swirls from his carryon bag resting in his lap and placed it on the center console between them. “I’d put it in your back seat for you, but…”

  She placed her hand over his before he could pull it away from the box. “Thanks.” Another moment of clarity and peace calmed her, bolstering her spirits and causing her bubbly nature to surface; something she hadn’t felt in years. She reluctantly removed her hand and waved it in the air, deciding she’d play along with his little game. “Who needs a back seat?”

  He tapped his finger against his chin, drawing attention to the cleft and his five o’clock shadow. She diverted her attention from the road for a few moments to study his profile. His chiseled facial features and sturdy build screamed masculinity. She found him more attractive than she cared to admit. She forced her head to turn and face forward when he pulled lip balm from his pocket and ran it across his perfect lips. She had to remind herself she was driving and to quit staring at him.

  He waved his lip balm in the air. “You’re right. Back seats are only for people with a kid, anyone with more than one friend, anyone who wants to be an Uber driver and have more than one passenger.” He let out a deep chuckle. “How did you work that one out? I thought all Uber cars had to seat at least three or four.”

  “I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you,” she said with a smile. If only he knew how true that statement was. “Okay, funny guy, maybe I like having only one passenger. It’s more like I’m a friend than a chauffeur.” She tapped her steering wheel. “Does that make me sound lonely?”

  “Not at all.” He shook his head. “Desperate would be a better word.”

  “Oh, you’re rotten,” she giggled out, pretending to slap his upper arm.

  Instead of slapping it, she held his bicep for a few seconds, allowing his tranquilizing effect to quiet her mind. This guy was witty, cute, and a soothing balm. The perfect fare. Unfortunately, that’s all he could ever be to her.

  Their eyes m
et. “Believe me, no man would ever consider you desperate.”

  “Oh really. Why would you say that?” She had never flirted with her passengers, until now. She couldn’t seem to help herself with this guy.

  “Where should I start? Your vibrant green eyes or your copper hair?”

  “Oooo copper, I like that. It’s usually referred to as orange or strawberry blonde.”

  “No way.” He lifted a section of her hair and twisted the ends in his fingers to examine it. He then lightly touched her cheek as he tucked the section behind her ear before he turned to look out his window. “Were you wanting to get into that lane?” He motioned with his head to his right.

  Ginny’s adrenaline spiked as she straightened her spine and pulled her car back into the center of her lane. She had unknowingly drifted into the lane to their right as she leaned into him while he was playing with her hair.

  This guy was dangerous, and neither of them needed that liability.

  “If we was in Atlanta right now,” he shook his head, “we’d be cursed off the road.”

  “C’mon, I only drifted for a second,” she said defensively.

  “Your speed, Darlin’. My granny drives faster than you.”

  Ginny glanced down at her speedometer. Fifty-five. The all-too-familiar heat rose up her neck and rested in her cheeks. “So, you want speed, do ya?” She allowed the mischief in her eyes to linger until he responded with the same devious expression.

  She pressed down the accelerator. Her car sped to a hundred and fifteen in less than two seconds, pushing them back into their seats. He let out a whoop as she let off the gas. Most sports cars were equipped with a regulator to control their speed, but not Ginny’s. Her baby could reach close to two hundred. She never drove that fast, but it was nice to know she could if she got in a bind.

  They exited the freeway and wound along a wooded lane in one of the poshest neighborhoods of the greater Dallas area. The entrance to his community sported a tall black iron gate controlled by a security code pad.

  He adjusted the travel bag on his lap. “Pull up to the gate and I’ll give you the code.”

  That wouldn’t do. For his own protection, she didn’t want those numbers in her head. She hit the gas, switched gears into neutral, and used her emergency break like a police officer making an emergency turn to flip around. She slowly backed up to the control panel for him to enter his code.

  “Never seen that before.” He shook his head and blinked his eyes as if he were trying to wake himself. “That may be the hottest thing I’ve ever seen a girl do.”

  He entered the code with recognizable tones, C, F sharp, A, E, D. Ginny cursed under her breath. The code was in her head now. When would these security companies learn? Blast her musical background. She slowly backed in through the open gate and flipped around once inside the gated community.

  “I’m the third house on the left, with the Grecian fountain in the front.”

  Ginny tapped her wheel at the rare sight of an opulent white fountain in the center of a Dallas yard. “Are you Greek?”

  They bumped up his red cobblestone driveway.

  “No. Greece.” He paused before clearing his throat. “My mom loved their fountains.”

  Ginny could sense there was more to that story. She felt something burn in her chest as she watched as his facial expression soften. It was a sensation she hadn’t felt in years. Coming home to her mother had a very different physical effect on her. “That’s tender.”

  “Don’t repeat that.” He ran a palm across his forehead. “That information could be dangerous to an offensive lineman like myself. We’re s’pose to be tough.”

  “You play football?” she questioned innocently.

  “You didn’t know?” He appeared slightly put out by her indifference. “I’m Torin Godfrey with the Titans.”

  “Torin the Titan.” She clicked her tongue. Now was the time to lay the act on thick. She switched to agent mode. “I like it. And you’re a professional football player?” She pumped out her chest and said it in the most sorority flirtatious way she could muster without vomiting. “My sister’s a physical therapist. She sells orthopedic braces, specifically back braces to aid in the recovery and pain of back injuries football players like you sustain and constantly battle.” She slipped her hand into her purse, pulled out a business card, and handed it to him. “If you’d like to try it out, give her a call.”

  He nodded with apparent interest as he examined the card, then placed it into his bag. Mission accomplished; she’d get her sister’s business off the ground.

  “Titans,” she continued, staring out the windshield at the massive stone fountain with white lights illuminating a woman draped in robes pouring water from her vessel into the pool she kneeled in. “Well that explains your fountain. Torin the Titan with the Triton fountain.” She blew out an exhausted breath. “That’s a tongue twister if I ever heard one.” She winked. “If anyone asks about the fountain, you can say you’re a Titan, through and through. Personally, I prefer the real story, but we aren’t always able to offer the truth. Are we?” She sighed. “Sometimes the kindest thing we can do is lie to protect ourselves and those we love.”

  “You messin’ with me? You don’t really believe that?” He paused when she didn’t respond. “Do you?” he questioned, remaining in his seat as she jumped out of her car and opened the trunk.

  With apparent reluctance, he climbed out of the car and joined her at the back. “I’m an idiot. I can’t believe I never asked you your name.” He moved both of his bags to one arm and extended his hand to her.

  “It’s Ginny,” she said, taking his hand. She held on for longer than socially acceptable, but he didn’t seem to mind. She released his hand, severing the calming connection, took in a deep breath, and closed her trunk.

  He brushed her arm. “Don’t you ever worry about the types of guys you might be required to drive around? Or where they’ll take you?”

  She didn’t like the protective look he gave her. It made her more vulnerable somehow. “No,” she said in her most naïve voice.

  “Can I have your number, Ginny?”

  “Oh, you know how Uber goes, you get whoever is closest.” She gave him a timid smile, hoping he’d buy her naïve bit.

  He might not get her number, but she had his. Eight: the number of times he had moved growing up. Four: the number of bone fractures he’d sustained. Three: the number of serious girlfriends he’d had. Six’ five”: his stature. Two hundred sixty-five: his weight. One: number of siblings. Four: number of speeding infractions. Twelve: the age when he started playing football. Two: the number of pro-football teams he’d played for before the Titans. 4.0: his GPA from MIT with a degree in Electrical Engineering he finished remotely after being drafted into the NFL his junior year.

  She knew who she drove around, and they usually served a purpose, including Torin Godfrey. But, unlike her other fares, her mission with him had been purely personal to help her sister. With less risk, she allowed herself to put down her guard. She couldn’t help it; this guy was straight out of a storybook.

  “Maybe I’ll pick you up again sometime. You’re perfect.” She caught her breath when he gave her a smile that said he knew she was into him. “You’ve been the perfect fare,” she corrected.

  She turned away before she did something really stupid, like give him her number and beg him to call. She opened her door, closed it, and sped away without looking back.

  The life of a spy didn’t include true love. That was reserved for the olden day storybooks.

  2

  Torin dropped his bags in the front entry, stumbled to his room, and sank, fully clothed, between his cool sheets. He hadn’t gotten more than three hours of sleep at any given stretch for the past two weeks. He was glad he could help his sister Kaitlyn out with her newborn baby, but his niece, the adorable bitty Anna, only slept while she was skin-to-skin, and she loved the skin on Torin’s chest. The moment her cheek met his pecs—she was o
ut cold, more like out hot. It was like having a little breathing heating pad attached to his chest.

  With her husband deployed to the Middle East and their mama in heaven, Kaitlyn had no one to help her when she had Anna last month. When she had called Torin in tears, desperate for sleep and maternal comfort, he rushed to Atlanta. Luckily, it was May and spring training hadn’t begun yet, allowing him time to travel at will. A few days before he left Atlanta, he found a full-time nanny for Kaitlyn, providing him some peace of mind. At least his sister’s immediate needs would be taken care of.

  He wished he could have stayed longer, but he had a sportsman’s expo in two days he couldn’t miss, then a benefit for his buddy in a week. The Titan boys were tight like brothers and that’s how they supported each other. They each had their own charitable organizations they believed strongly in and the players were religious in their attendance of each other’s charitable event.

  Most of the players understood what it was like to grow up without privilege. Their charities were predominately altruistic but also a necessity. They doubled as tax write-offs. When a players’ income reached into the millions, tax write-offs were a must.

  Torin drifted off to sleep with the tang of copper in the air as the bright malleable wire threaded through his hands as it left the spool, leaving behind a black sticky film on his fingertips. In his dream, the room was dark, stale, and insufferably hot. He rolled another spool of copper wire to his machine and connected it to the line. The wire felt different as it threaded through his hands, resembling silky hairs. He brought the wire to his nose and breathed in its floral scent. Ginny? Torin jumped forward and hit the red cut-off button, sending the machine to a screeching halt.