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.”“You’ve got a lot more talents than just those.”“I’m a ball player, Gracie! That’s what I’ve always been.That’s who I am.”“Right now you’re an actor.What about your film career?”“It’s all right.I wouldn’t even mind making another movie sometime, but no matter how much I try to convince myself otherwise, I know my heart isn’t in it.It seems like play instead of work.And I keep thinking there’s nothing more pathetic in this world than a washed-up jock trying to be a movie star because he can’t do anything else.”“I met you after your career was over, so I don’t think of you as a jock, washed-up or otherwise.And it’s hard to think of you as a movie star.To be honest, I’ve always regarded you more as a businessman than anything else.You obviously have a talent for making money, and you seem to enjoy doing it.”“I do enjoy it, but there’s no honor in it for me.Maybe some people can be happy making money just for the sake of keeping score, but I’m not one of them.Life’s got to be about something more than buying bigger toys.I own too many things as it is.I don’t need another house, I don’t want another plane, and buying a few cars here and there doesn’t do much more than eat up my petty cash.”Under other circumstances, his indignation might have made her smile, but he was too troubled for her to be amused.She thought of the times she’d walked into his office and seen him talking on the phone with his boots propped up on the desk and his Stetson pushed to the back of his head as he discussed the wisdom of investing in a new bond issue or buying pork bellies on the commodities market.She rose from the floor and walked over to stand beside him.“The fact is, Bobby Tom, you love making money, and there are lots of honorable things you could do with it other than buy bigger toys, as you put it.I know how much you care about children.Instead of letting women threaten you with paternity suits, why don’t you do something more far-reaching for kids without fathers.Set up scholarship funds or day-care centers; open some food pantries.Or how about upgrading the medical equipment in the pediatric wing of the county hospital you like to visit? There’s a whole world of need out there, and you’re in a unique position to help.Football’s given you a lot.Maybe it’s pay-back time.”He stared at her, not saying a word.“I’ve had an idea.I don’t know how you’ll feel about it, but.Why don’t you think about setting up a charitable foundation? You could make money for the foundation instead of yourself?” When he didn’t respond, she continued.“I’m talking about running it as a full-time job, not a rich man’s toy, using your talent for something that will make a difference in people’s lives.”“That’s crazy.”“Just think about it.”“I already have, and it’s crazy, the craziest thing you’ve ever come up with.I’m not some stuffed shirt do-gooder.If I tried to do something like that, people’d laugh so hard they’d be rolling on the floor.” He was so taken aback, he was practically sputtering, and she couldn’t help but smile.“I don’t think people would be surprised at all.It’s completely in character for you.” She turned her attention back to unpacking the trophies.She’d planted the seeds, but the rest was up to him.He sat down on the side of the bed and watched her work for several minutes.When he finally spoke, it was obvious by the glitter in his eyes that he had something other than talking about the future on his mind.“I swear, Gracie, you’ve aggravated me so much you almost took my mind off how cute your bottom looks in those jeans.” He removed his cowboy hat and patted the mattress.“Come here, sweetheart.”“I don’t know if I like that look on your face.” In truth, she liked it very much.Being alone with him in the small room made her realize how long it had been since they’d made love.“I promise you’ll like it a lot.If you knew how much time I used to spend in this very bedroom dreaming about gettin’ a girl naked in here, you wouldn’t even think of denying me.”“Did you ever?” She moved over to stand in front of him.He caught the backs of her thighs and drew her between his splayed knees.“Get one naked?” He opened the snap at the top of her jeans and leaned forward to nibble at her belly button.“ ’Fraid not.Mom kept a pretty strict eye out.” His lips moved lower, along with the slide on her zipper.“When I was in ninth grade, I almost got a mutual friend of ours up here, but I guess mothers have some kind of built-in radar about that sort of thing because next thing I knew, Suzy was popping up with a plate of Oreos.”“So you were restricted to backseats and parking by the river.” She was beginning to sound breathless.“That was pretty much it.” He reached up under the hem of her patchwork print blouse and cupped her breasts through her bra.Her breathing grew more labored as he rubbed his thumbs over her nipples, playing with the silk and her flesh until’ she could feel herself melting.“Uhmm,” he whispered.“You smell like peaches again.”Before long they were both undressed and making such sweet love on that narrow bed that all thoughts of the future evaporated.When it was over and Gracie lay boneless and spent on top of him, with his hand curled around her bottom, she finally opened her eyes far enough to see the satisfied smile on his face.“It took me a lot of years to get a female naked in here, but it was worth every minute of the wait.”She nuzzled his neck and felt the soft abrasion of his beard against her temple.“Am I better than Terry Jo?”His voice was husky as he rolled to the side and cupped her breast.“Terry Jo was just a child, sweetheart.You’re a woman full grown.There’s no comparison.”She heard a sound from below, and her head shot up as she realized the bedroom door was open.A sense of foreboding shot through her.“You locked the front door when you came back in, didn’t you?”“I don’t think so [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]