The Trouble with J.J. by Tami Hoag

Author:Tami Hoag
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: American Light Romantic Fiction, Man-woman relationships, Fiction - Romance, Romance: Modern, Football, Contemporary, Sports & Recreation, Fiction, Romance, Connecticut, Teachers, Single fathers, Football players, General, Love stories, Romance - General
ISBN: 9780553592504
Publisher: Random House, Inc.
Published: 2009-05-19T11:20:46.351000+00:00

SEVEN

IT WAS ELEVEN forty-five when the phone beside Jared’s bed rang and jolted them both awake. He reached for it and groaned a sleepy, “’Lo?”

“Jared, it’s Amy. Sorry if I woke you, but—”

“Is Alyssa all right?” he demanded, coming fully awake and sitting upright in bed. Genna sat up, too, pulling the gray sheet around her.

“No. She’s pretty upset—”

“I’ll be right there.” He was out of bed and pulling his jeans on before the receiver hit the cradle.

“Jared, what is it?” Genna asked, fear making her shiver in spite of the bedcovers. Jared’s features were grim as he yanked on his clothes.

“Alyssa’s had another nightmare,” he said, shoving his feet into his running shoes. He didn’t even look at her as he bolted from the room.

For a moment Genna sat back against the pillows. So this was why he had been reluctant to let Alyssa spend the night away from home. Another nightmare. No doubt it was related to the accident she’d been in that had killed her mother. Poor little lamb, Genna thought, aching to comfort the little girl. That was Jared’s department, though. Well, she would do what she could, she decided, slipping out of bed to dress.

Across the street Jared didn’t bother to knock on the Dennisons’ front door. He practically stormed the place, bursting in and striding into the living room to the couch where Amy sat trying to calm Alyssa. His daughter was sobbing as if her entire world had come to an end.

“Come here, baby,” Jared crooned, scooping her into his arms and holding her tight as she cried on his shoulder. “Daddy’s here, sweetheart.”

“I think she had a nightmare,” Amy said, handing Jared Alyssa’s little suitcase.

“I know,” he nodded, giving her an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, Amy.”

Amy shook her head, almost in tears herself at Alyssa’s heartwrenching sobs. She reached up and brushed the little girl’s hair back from her tear-drenched face. “It’s okay, honey. You can come back another time.”

Her words only made Jared’s daughter cry all the harder.

“I’m—not—a—big—girl,” she said between hiccups as they crossed the street.

“Sure you are, honey,” Jared whispered, his heart breaking as he held Alyssa in his arms, sobs racking her little body.

“Nooooo!” she wailed.

Genna met them at the door and followed them to Alyssa’s room, where she had turned the carousel horse lamp on and the frilly covers of the canopied bed back. She leaned against the doorframe, wanting to be near enough to help but not wanting to intrude.

Jared toed off his sneakers and sat on the bed, leaning back against the carved white headboard and stretching his legs out, Alyssa still clinging to his shoulder. He tried to comfort and quiet her with soft words and kisses as his hand stroked over the cloud of her midnight hair. He looked up once, his gaze, full of pain and helplessness, meeting Genna’s, so longing to help. Then he squeezed his eyes shut to keep his own tears at bay. He could handle two-hundred-plus-pound football players

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