Better than the first time…

Ryla Evans is no stranger to tough choices. After growing up watching her mother bounce from one unfaithful man to the next, she’s always been determined not to repeat the same mistakes. So when she catches her college-athlete boyfriend cheating on her, all her dreams of love and fidelity are crushed. Saying goodbye to the relationship is Ryla’s only option. She resolves never to see Noel again, nor tell him how he has irrevocably changed her future.…

Following a career-ending injury, former NBA star Noel Carter has worked hard to reconstruct his life. With an eye on a congressional seat, he knows he needs a wife to complete his image. What better choice than the passionate woman who has entered his life once again? Noel has never forgotten Ryla, but she has changed in the past seven years, and she is hiding a little secret that comes with some major consequences. Will their reawakened desire be able to heal past betrayals and broken promises and give them a chance at a bright tomorrow?

“Daddy, look, the butterflies got me!” Jaylen called out as several butterflies nestled on her head.

“Not as long as your daddy is here.” Noel stood in a Captain America stance and sang, “Daddy to the rescue.” He made as if he was diving toward Jaylen. Then with care he freed her hair of all the butterflies.

Jaylen and Ryla giggled at his antics. Then as Noel turned toward Ryla, butterflies dancing in her hair also, he leaned into Jaylen and said, “Captain Daddy has to save Mommy now.” She looked so beautiful that he just had to touch her.

“What? I don’t have any butterflies on me,” Ryla said.

Noel kept walking toward her. Ryla had gotten most of the butterflies off, but one still hung on, giving him an excuse to run his hand through her hair. “Stand still,” he said as he slowly pulled his hands through her hair, took the butterfly out and showed it to Ryla. “See, Captain Daddy can save you, too,” he told her with hunger in his eyes. When she didn’t move away from him, but rather tilted her head back, staring at him, he lost himself in her penetrating brown eyes. Noel prayed that she wanted to be kissed, because he couldn’t help but lower his head and devour her mouth.

VANESSA MILLER

is a bestselling author, playwright and motivational speaker. She started writing as a child, spending countless hours either reading or writing poetry, short stories, stage plays and novels. Vanessa’s creative endeavors took on new meaning in 1994 when she became a Christian. Since then, her writing has been centered on themes of redemption, often focusing on characters facing multidimensional struggles.

Vanessa’s novels have received rave reviews, with several appearing on Essence magazine’s bestseller list. Miller’s work has received numerous awards, including Best Christian Fiction Mahogany Award and a Red Rose Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction. Miller graduated from Capital University with a degree in organizational communication. She is an ordained minister in her church, explaining, “God has called me to minister to readers and to help them rediscover their place with the Lord.”

She is currently working on a She Who Finds a Husband trilogy.

Better for Us

Vanessa Miller

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Dear Reader,

Better for Us is the second book in the For Your Love series. It is about love and betrayal. Sometimes love just isn’t enough, not when two people are dealing with issues that are too deep to allow love to blossom.

Noel Carter, former NBA star, had truly been in love with Ryla Evans, but she betrayed him, and Noel is not about to be a fool for Ryla’s love ever again.

If Ryla could go back in time and take back the awful thing she did to Noel, she’d do it in a heartbeat. The only problem with that is she would just do the same thing all over again. Because issues that she had never dealt with from her childhood, years before she ever met Noel, caused her to destroy their love.

But now that Noel is back in her life, Ryla is prepared to do whatever she has to in order to turn back the hands of time.

I hope you enjoy Noel and Ryla’s story!

Happy reading,

Vanessa

For everyone who has loved, lost and found the courage to love again.

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

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 1

If Ryla Evans had known that by the day’s end she would be running to her car and fleeing the scene, she would have worn flats rather than her skinny-heeled Jimmy Choos. Hobbling as she got into her car with one skinny heel in hand, she mumbled repeatedly, “Jimmy Choos are not for running,” as her other heel just barely hung on. Ryla then quickly sat down, removed her other shoe and tearfully threw them both on the passenger side.

Fashionable, chic and stylish were words normally associated with Ryla Evans. She freely admitted that she loved shopping for clothes, shoes and purses. But she was a single mother, and had just left her corporate position to run her event-planning business full-time, so Ryla rarely bought anything that wasn’t on sale. Her stilettos had been her one extravagance. But Noel Carter had ruined that enjoyment, just as he’d ruined her hopes and dreams almost eight years ago.

Tonight he’d had the audacity to strut his tall, dark and too-gorgeous self into the banquet hall as if the party was all about him. Ryla had been smiling as she handed a business card to a potential client, when she noticed the commotion going on over by the bar. The guy was a top-notch Houston attorney, just like tonight’s guest of honor, and he didn’t look like the kind of man who spent his time worrying about how much things cost...her favorite kind of client. Nearby, her ex-man and former NBA superstar Noel Carter was holding court, slapping hands, grinning and taking numbers as if he was still a wonder worker on the basketball court. Even though Noel’s short-lived NBA career had ended three years ago, he was still sniffing on fresh air. She wasn’t surprised. The lead dog in the pack always got the fresh air.

Stepping away from her potential client, Ryla made her way to the kitchen on the other side of the large banquet hall to speak with the chef. “How’s everything going, Chef Michael?”

“Everything is superb, Ryla. Now what are you doing in my kitchen? You know I don’t like lookie-loos in my kitchen.”

Don Michael was too temperamental when it came to his kitchen. That was the one thing about him that got on her last nerve. But her clients always had extremely satisfied expressions upon their faces once they savored Don Michael’s hors d’oeuvres. And with six out of ten of her clients asking for the chef’s recipes, Ryla lived with his temperaments. “I was just checking to see if you needed my help with anything?”

“What? You don’t have enough to do so you need to scrounge for work in the kitchen.” His hand motions shooed her away. “Go, see to your guests up front and let me attend to my kitchen.”

Ryla wanted to object. After all, she was the event planner, she had hired Don Michael and if she wanted to hide out in his kitchen, he couldn’t do one thing about it. But Chef Michael was known not only for his exquisite hors d’oeuvres. He had walked off numerous jobs screaming bloody murder for the smallest of infractions. And his contract allowed him to keep two-thirds of the negotiated price whether he acted like a fool or not. So, Ryla wasn’t going to mess with him. “All right, I’ll just go on back out and check on my client.”

With her head lowered, Ryla walked back toward the party wondering how in the world she could slip out without being noticed by Mr. Alpha Dog himself. But all that pondering came to an end as she crashed into an immovable force. Ryla stepped back. “I’m so s-sorry,” she stammered as she stared into the deep, sultry brown eyes of Noel Carter.

“No need to apologize. I was looking for you.”

“Uh, looking for me... Wh-why?” she asked, although Ryla knew exactly why Noel was looking for her. It was the same reason she had been trying to avoid him.

“I’ve been trying to find you ever since I saw you at that wedding reception last month.”

Ryla had been thrilled when her best friend, Danetta Harris, and her longtime business partner, Marshall Windham, finally came to terms with their feelings for one another and got married. What she hadn’t been so thrilled about was the fact Noel, an ex that she hadn’t seen since college and hadn’t bothered to tell about her pregnancy before breaking things off, had attended the reception with Marshall’s cousin.

Jaylen had been with Ryla at the reception, and when Ryla locked eyes with Noel, she could tell that he was doing mathematical equations in his head, putting two and two together. So, she’d snuck Jaylen out of the reception and driven home as fast as she could. It wasn’t that she never planned to see Noel again. Since leaving him the day she’d found him lip-locked with man-stealing Cathy O’Dell, Ryla knew that she would have to tell him about Jaylen one day. But with each passing year, the news became harder and harder to deliver.

“Can we have a seat for a moment? I need to speak with you about something.” Noel tried to guide Ryla over to a pair of chairs in a dark little corner of the room.

“Sure, Noel, but give me a minute. I need to check with Jonathan to see if he needs anything,” Ryla said softly, in an attempt to keep her cool. She then walked back toward the front of the room where the party was in full gear. Jonathan Conrad was celebrating becoming a partner in his law firm. And if the drinks and well wishes that had been floating around the room were any indication, his friends were delighted for him. They may have been more delighted that the drinks were on Jonathan, but Ryla wouldn’t tell her client that.

Tapping Jonathan on the shoulder, Ryla put on a happy face as she said, “Things seem to be going well.”

“Oh, Ryla, there you are. My buddy Noel was looking for you a moment ago.”

“I saw him,” she answered and then got right back to business. “I just wanted to see if you needed anything.”

Jonathan glanced around. “Nope, everything’s moving smoothly. You weren’t kidding about knowing how to throw a good party.”

“It’s my specialty.” She looked over her shoulder to where Noel stood waiting for her to return. She then glanced at her watch as she turned back to Jonathan. “Look, if you don’t need anything else, why don’t I just get on out of here. I’ll send a cleanup crew in about an hour and they’ll clear everything out.”

“That’ll work. And hey, make sure you send a dozen or more of your business cards to my office. I’ll hook you up with some more business.”

“Thanks, Jonathan.” Ryla backed away from her client, keeping an eye on Noel. She stood by the bar for a moment, pretending to be checking in with the bartender. The moment Noel took his eyes off her, Ryla quickly made her way to the side door. Once in the clear, she ran as if her life depended upon it.

* * *

Not so fast, Noel thought as he watched Ryla make her escape. She had played this running game on him last month, when he’d seen her and that little girl at the reception. But Noel wasn’t about to let her get away tonight without providing some answers. He took his keys out his pocket and followed her out of the side door. Noel glanced around the parking lot, but didn’t see Ryla anywhere. Standing next to his midnight-black Cadillac Escalade, he surveyed his surroundings. Then suddenly he saw a little red BMW pulling out of the parking lot as if the devil himself was after it.

Without pause, Noel swiftly jumped in his car and pursued the BMW. It looked like a car Ryla would drive...cute and compact. He kept a distance far enough behind to not alert her to the fact that he was in hot pursuit. Aside from the previous month, he hadn’t seen Ryla Evans in almost eight years. Parts of him thought he should turn around and stop chasing after the only woman who’d ever managed to get close enough to break his heart. But he couldn’t let her out of his sight now. Not when she had some explaining to do. Who was the little girl that had been with Ryla last month? And why had she called Ryla Mama?

He’d always wondered why Ryla had dropped out of college and dropped him as if he’d meant nothing to her. They’d made promises of love to each other and had promised to spend the rest of their lives together. All he’d asked Ryla to do was to wait until he graduated college and began his NBA career.

Late into the night, they had lain in each other’s arms planning their lives together. Noel thought that Ryla had been happy with him. Noel had been happy...meeting Ryla had changed him. He had decided early on that he wasn’t going to settle down with one woman until he was about thirty. He would then find a woman to marry who could give him a few kids. That very thought brought him back to the little girl he’d seen with Ryla. Had she been the reason Ryla’d left him?

He didn’t have much time to ponder this, as Ryla pulled up to a brown-and-white duplex and jumped out of the car, carrying her shoes in her hand. “What in the world?” Noel said as he watched a barefooted Ryla make her way to the front door of one of the duplex houses, while stumbling on a few rocks as if she’d spent her night drinking rather than hosting a celebratory party.

Smiling to himself, Noel got out of his car and followed Ryla’s path. As he passed by her BMW, he caught a glimpse of the rust, dents and dings and realized that the car had to be at least a decade old. He lifted his hand to knock on her front door, and it swung open. She now had on a pair of pink tennis shoes with sparkly shoestrings, but was still holding one of the shoes she had worn tonight in her hand.

Her eyes popped out of her head as she was obviously shocked to see him standing there on her porch. She lifted the shoe in her hand and screamed at him, “You ruined my Jimmy Choos.”

“What are you talking about?” Noel was totally caught off guard by Ryla screaming at him, when he was the one who had to act like a stalker to get a moment with her.

“Get out of my way. I think I have some superglue in my glove compartment.” She shoved by him and stomped down her two-step porch.

Noel walked into the small duplex, sat down on the couch and got comfortable as if his name was on the deed. After fumbling around in her glove compartment, Ryla came back into the house, mumbling about hard-earned money.

“Are you all right?” Noel asked as he watched her struggle with the tube of superglue.

“Do I look all right?”

Noel stood, took the superglue out of her hands and opened it. He handed it back to her and then sat down again. “Why on earth do you keep superglue in your car?”

“I don’t have the newest model car, if you haven’t noticed.” She shrugged. “Sometimes I have to glue things back in place.”

“Why are you out buying Jimmy Choos if you can’t afford to get a new car?”

“Hey, I saved for months to get these shoes. And I choose not to get a new car, because I’m putting the money into my new business...if it’s any of your business.” Ryla sat down and began to glue her shoe back together, as she asked, “And anyway, do you know that it’s against the law to stalk a person.”

“If I’m a stalker, then you must be crazy, because you left your front door wide open so I could walk in.”

“Why did you follow me home? Isn’t it obvious that I don’t want to talk to you?”

Noel leaned back against the cushion of the couch. “Oh, it was obvious. But I’ve been trying to find you ever since I saw you at that wedding last month, because I definitely want to talk to you.”

“Why don’t you just talk to your little girlfriend? The two of you seemed to be having a good time.”

“Marla is not my girlfriend, as you put it. She and I are friends and I simply escorted her to her cousin’s wedding. But that has nothing to do with what I need to speak with you about,” Noel said pointedly.

Ryla kept her head down, continuing to press the heel to the base of the shoe.

He could tell that she was trying to avoid eye contact with him. That was all right with Noel, because as long as she wasn’t looking at him, he was able to stare at her. And Noel liked what he saw...aside from the shoulder-length hair, Ryla hadn’t changed in the past eight years. She was still beauty queen fine to him. He wanted to go to her, put his arms around her and remind her of their sweet yesterdays. But he wasn’t here for that. “You don’t want to know why I’ve been trying to find you?”

Ryla lifted her head. But she still didn’t make eye contact. “I’m sure you’re going to tell me.”

“First I’d like for you to tell me something.”

“What?” she asked, with suspicion lacing her words.

“Where’s the little girl I saw you with last month?”

She placed her shoe and the glue on the coffee table as she nervously fidgeted with her hands, trying to remove the excess glue and stall for as long as possible. When she noticed that Noel seemed perfectly comfortable sitting on her couch waiting for an answer, she said, “She’s not here.”

“Where is she?”

“Why do you want to know?”

Getting irritated by their unproductive conversation, Noel shifted in his seat. “Since that question is too hard for you, let me ask another.”

She nodded, giving him the go-ahead.

“Did you leave me when we were in college because you were pregnant with another man’s baby?”

Chapter 2

No, he didn’t just accuse her of cheating on him. “Come again?” she said with hands on hips.

He stood up and walked over to her. “You might need to get your ears checked, since you seem to be having a lot of trouble hearing me tonight.”

Ryla’s eyes traveled the distance as she gazed up at Noel. He was almost seven feet. When they were dating, Ryla was thankful for Noel’s height, because at five-nine she’d dated a few guys who were shorter than her, and had always felt a little awkward. Today, rather than being a comfort to her, his height was more imposing than it had ever been.

She stood up, trying to get on equal footing with him, but even that made her feel a bit ridiculous since Noel was a full foot taller than her. “There’s nothing wrong with my hearing—I just don’t appreciate being called a cheater.”

“Well, what am I supposed to think, Ryla?” Giving her a questioning glare, he asked, “Did you adopt that little girl I saw you with?”

With her arms folded she said, “No.”

He clenched his fists as he turned away from her. Exhaling a burst of hot air, he whirled back around. “Why didn’t you just tell me that you had a new man? Why’d you have to sneak out of my life like that without letting me know what was going on?”

Ryla rolled her eyes. She wished Noel wasn’t so tall, because she really wanted to box his ears. How dare he assume that she was the kind of woman who would sleep with multiple partners. She wasn’t the cheater—he was. “I see you’re still a big dumb jock.”

“Oh, I was never a big dumb anything.” Then as he gave her a sinister grin he added, “Except when it came to you.”

Ryla stomped her foot like a two-year-old and rolled her eyes. “She’s yours, Noel. I’m not a cheater like some people I know!”

Noel looked around the room as if the little girl would suddenly materialize so he could verify Ryla’s statement. “Did I hear you right?” His voice thundered as he turned back to Ryla.

Recognizing the fury in his voice, Ryla stepped back. She hadn’t intended to just throw it out there like that. But Noel had made her mad when he accused her of cheating on him. She lifted her hands. “Noel, there’s no sense getting all mad. Sit down and let’s discuss this like two reasonable adults,” she said, attempting to take control of the current situation.

He looked at her as if she was a known crackhead asking him for some spare change. “Oh, now you want to be reasonable. Well, I need to speak with my attorney first, and then I’ll let you know just how reasonable I’m going to be.” He moved away from her and headed toward the door.

But Ryla knew that an angry Noel could be a formidable opponent. She had once witnessed him losing badly to a team that was much better than his on the court. But during the third quarter, two of the players started taunting him and Noel got mad. Nothing but net was happening after that. The game might have sent Noel and his teammates to the locker room hanging their heads in shame, but because Noel refused to lose, that game ended up making him a star.

Ryla grabbed his arm as she implored him to stay. “Please, Noel, don’t leave like this. She’ll be home tomorrow. Why don’t you just come back over in the afternoon and I’ll introduce you.”

He shook her off his arm. “Do you even hear how you sound? You’ll introduce me to my own child.... What kind of sense does that make, Ryla?”

She held up her hands in surrender. “Okay, you’re right. I admit that this doesn’t make much sense at all. But Noel, it’s all we have. Now, I’m sorry that all of this is being thrown at you at once, but we don’t need to get lawyers involved.”

Noel laughed. But it wasn’t a ha-ha kind of laugh. “You have kept a child from me for seven, eight... How old is she?”

“Seven. She’ll be eight in July.”

He shook his head. “You’ve kept a child from me for almost eight years and you’ve run from me each time I’ve seen you, but you expect me to trust you?”

“If you can’t trust me, who can you trust?” Ryla deadpanned, as she did whenever she was backed into a corner with no escape. But as usual, the jokes didn’t work for her.

“I’d rather trust a DNA test and my lawyer, if you don’t mind?”

With a lifted brow, Ryla asked, “What do you need a DNA test for? Can’t you count? I just told you that her birthday is in July, so that should tell you that I got pregnant in October, during the fall.”

“How do I know that you didn’t get pregnant during Thanksgiving or Christmas break when you were home with your mom and her many boyfriends?”

Ryla jumped as if she’d been slapped. Noel had always been a daunting opponent, but she’d never known him to be outright mean. She’d heard all the reports about his gambling, drinking and womanizing during his NBA superstar days. Maybe all of that superstardom had gone to his head and turned him into someone she didn’t know anymore. “Okay, if you want a DNA test, then we’ll do that. But can we please just work this out between the two of us?”

“There’s no longer just the two of us. We now have a daughter and I don’t even know her name.” Another laugh escaped his lips as he shook his head.

“It’s Jaylen.”

He swung back around and glared at Ryla. “You actually gave her my middle name and couldn’t even pick up a phone to tell me about her?”

“Turn the page already,” she said, and then slapped her hand across her mouth as she realized she was doing her deadpan thing, which never worked with Noel. She was just so nervous, even though she’d had seven years to prepare for this moment. She could have never been prepared for the challenge.

Ryla knew of a woman who tried to keep her children away from her ex-husband once they divorced. The judge didn’t like what she was doing. So he awarded the cheating ex-husband full custody of the kids. Ryla in no way wanted lawyers and judges involved in this situation. She took her hands away from her mouth and pleaded. “I’m so sorry for saying that. But please listen to me. Jaylen wants to meet you. She’s been asking me about her father for nearly a year now. But how do you think she will feel if she knows that her parents are fighting over her?”

Noel backed down a bit. “So you’re saying that you won’t run again?”

She nodded.

“And I can see Jaylen tomorrow?”

She crossed her heart and lifted a hand as if she was preparing to lay it on a stack of Bibles. “You have my word.”

“And when can we get the DNA test done?” Noel asked, sounding all business.

Ryla’s hands went back to her hips. “Are you really going to put Jaylen through something like that?”

“Hold on. Let’s get something straight. I’m not putting Jaylen through anything.” He pointed at Ryla. “You have put her through seven years of not knowing who her father is—”

“She knows who you are. I’ve shown her pictures of you countless times. She keeps a photo of me and you on her nightstand.”

Noel grabbed his head and massaged his temples. When he looked at Ryla again, he said, “I don’t know what made you do something like this, but I’m telling you now, if Jaylen is my child, I’ll never forgive you for this.” With that, he stormed out of her house.

* * *

Ryla plopped down on her couch, angry and spoiling for a fight herself. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized that she had already lost this fight. And it hadn’t even begun yet. Noel had all the cards in his hand. He was rich and could afford the best lawyer that money and celebrity could buy. She, on the other hand, was a struggling entrepreneur with nothing but debt and a growing client list.

She had, however, just thrown a wonderful party for Jonathan Conrad, who was now a partner in one of Houston’s top-notch law firms. He just might be willing to assist her with a pro bono attorney. Before she could begin to smile about her prospects, Ryla remembered that Jonathan was Noel’s frat brother and would probably have more allegiance to his frat than to a business associate. Nevertheless she got on the phone and called the cleanup crew to ensure that they would take extra care with his cleanup. It never hurt to put the best foot forward. Because for all she knew, Noel and Jonathan might not be all that close anymore.

After hanging up with the cleanup crew, she dialed her best friend, Danetta Windham. Danetta was still a newlywed. Ryla figured that calling her at ten at night was surely going to annoy Marshall. But she couldn’t worry about that right now. She needed help.

The phone rang four times before a giggling Danetta picked up. “Hey, Ryla, what’s up?”

When she heard her friend’s voice, it was as if a dam broke and tears began flowing down her lovely face. “I—I’m sorry to bother you so late, Danetta.”

The laughter left Danetta’s voice. “Are you all right, Ryla? It sounds like you’re crying.”

“Noel wants to get an attorney and he wants a DNA test.”

“Whoa, hold up. Are you talking about Jaylen’s father?”

“Y-yes.”

“When did all of this happen? The last I knew, you still hadn’t spoken to him.”

Wiping tears from her face, Ryla said, “All of that changed tonight. I ran into him at the party I was hosting for one of his frat brothers. And then he followed me home.”

“You invited him back to your house after the event?”

Ryla frowned into the phone as if her friend wasn’t keeping up, and she needed to be moving much faster than this. “No, of course I didn’t. I tried to run from him again, but he followed me and then forced his way into my house. And now he’s threatening me with lawyers and a DNA test. I still can’t believe he wants a DNA test. Can you believe that?” Ryla was speaking fast, but not fast enough not to notice that Danetta hadn’t responded to her question.

“Danetta, did you hear me?”

“Which part, hon. I’m trying to wrap my mind around all of what you’ve been telling me,” Danetta said.

“About the DNA test. He claims that I could have gotten pregnant when I went home for Thanksgiving or Christmas break.”

“Well, Ryla, you did expect this, didn’t you?”

“No, I didn’t expect this. Noel Jaylen Carter is the only man I have been with like that, and for him to suggest that I just casually sleep around is appalling.”

Trying to sound reasonable, Danetta said, “If I was in his shoes, and had just been told that I have a daughter after no communication with the mother for seven years, I’d ask for a DNA test, because you just never know.”

“Well, I know. And he is out of his mind if he thinks that I’m going to consent to having my daughter’s mouth swabbed just so he can be convinced of something that should be obvious.”

“I’m trying not to roll my eyes at you Ryla.”

This conversation was confusing Ryla. Danetta was supposed to be on her side. “Huh? Why do you want to roll your eyes at me and not at Noel? He’s the one being unreasonable.”

“Ryla, you kept his child from him for seven years.”

Now Ryla rolled her eyes. “Why does everybody keep harping on that?” Ryla understood that what she had done to Noel was wrong and a very big deal. But her snarky defense mechanism kept showing up, even when she knew there was no place for being snarky in this conversation.

“Okay, so, I can tell that you’re not going to listen to a word I have to say because you’re already getting defensive,” Danetta said, and then added, “But if anything is going to get through to you tonight, let it be this.... You owe that man an apology, and you need to do whatever you have to in order to make things right so that Jaylen can have both her mother and father in her life from this point on.”

Ryla took in a deep breath and then slowly exhaled. “I hear you. And I’m sorry about trying to be funny at a time like this. I know this isn’t an easy situation for any of us.”

“Ryla, girl, what are you going to do?”

Danetta sounded concerned, and Ryla appreciated that. “I guess I’m going to go along to get along, like you suggested. But if he tries to bring lawyers into this so he can steal my kid away from me, I’m going to need help finding an attorney. Do you know of anyone that might be able to help me?”

“If I don’t, I’m sure Marshall does. Hopefully, it won’t come to that, but if it does you know that we’ve got your back.”

“Thanks, girl. I hope I don’t have to call in this favor, but it’s good to know that I can get an attorney if I need to.” Ryla was a bit calmer by the time she and Danetta hung up.

Jaylen was spending the night at her mom’s, so she didn’t have to leave the house again tonight. Exhausted, Ryla threw her pajamas on without even thinking about showering first. She jumped in the bed, and before fear could overtake her mind about Noel meeting his daughter for the first time, she imagined the smile that would surely be on Jaylen’s face tomorrow and then calmly drifted off to sleep.

Chapter 3

“I need a drink,” Noel told his brother, Donald, as they sat in his library. Donald pastored a church in Houston, and whenever Noel was in the city he bunked with him.

Donald leaned back in his chair and studied his younger brother. When he spoke, his words were measured. “How does a man of purpose sabotage his own future?”

Noel shook a finger at him. “Not now, Donald. Please save the philosophy for a man who hasn’t just been told that he has a seven-year-old daughter that he knows nothing about.”

Shaking his head, Donald said, “I remember meeting Ryla when the two of you were an item in college. She seemed like a very nice young lady.”

“Yeah, well, looks can be deceiving. But I guess I was just too blinded by her beauty to notice the deception that lurked beneath.” Noel pulled himself out of his seat and stood in front of the window, looking out at the other houses that surrounded his brother’s spacious home. Just as his brother’s home was filled with a wife and three kids, Noel imagined that children ran the halls of most of the rest of the suburban homes out here also.

And for the first time in his adult life, Noel realized that although his house was larger than many in this suburb, his brother and the neighbors around him had homes with families residing within. Every time Noel entered his own house, the echo of emptiness welcomed him.

He turned back to his brother, weariness showing in his eyes. “What am I going to do, Donald? How can I go back there tomorrow and meet a child that I’m not really sure belongs to me?”

“But I thought you told me that you and Ryla were in a monogamous relationship?”

Noel jabbed a finger at his chest. “I was monogamous.... I thought Ryla was, too. But we both know that I’ve been wrong before.”

“What do you feel in your heart? Do you think Jaylen is yours?”

Noel’s eyes closed with the weight of what he was going through. “I still can’t believe that Ryla gave Jaylen my middle name but never said a word to me about this baby.” He shook his head as he flopped back into his chair. He thought about the years he spent drinking, gambling and womanizing. He’d ruined his reputation so badly that he’d almost lost his way. “Things in my life could have been so different if I had known that I had a child.”

“I realize that this is difficult for you. It would be difficult for any man to discover that the woman he loved and practically idealized has done something like this to him. But, my brother, you’ve got to keep the faith.”

Noel knew that his brother spoke the truth and everything he said was for his own good. Several years ago, Donald had found him passed out in a bar where the patrons had not only taken pictures of his inebriated state, but had posted them online. By the next morning, CNN, MSNBC and every other news station had documented his fall from grace. They focused the world’s attention on the fact that the great Noel Carter’s knee injury had occurred during negotiations for his second three-year deal. The first contract had earned him five million a year, and this contract was about to double that, but then the knee injury happened, rendering the contract null and void. The newscasters had speculated that the voided contract had sent Noel on a drinking binge.

Only Noel and Donald knew that Noel’s wounds went deeper than a voided contract. By the time that contract had been voided, Noel had already made enough money from his last basketball contract and endorsement deals to keep him living in luxury for a very long time. And Noel had business interests that would earn him more money in years to come. So, the loss of a simple contract didn’t bother him much. Not being able to play the game he loved, and not having the woman he loved by his side was what had bothered him the most.

Since his basketball days, he’d invested in the stock market and a few urban renewal projects. Some stocks lost money, but the majority of his investments were making money. His urban renewal projects provided him with a community focus and reminded Noel of his desire to do more for his people. So, he’d put his hat in the race for the House of Representatives. They were acting like clowns right now with John Boehner as their leader, but Noel was still convinced that he could get in there and do some good. His campaign manager had warned him that the race would be an uphill battle because of all the drinking and womanizing he’d done in the past, but Noel had assured Ian that he was on solid ground. Now Noel wondered how many votes Ian would predict that he’d lose because of an illegitimate child.

“Do you want to pray, Noel?” Donald finally asked.

“I’m not sure what I want right now, Donald. I just know that I’m starting to feel that same hurt that drove me to the bottle in the first place.”

* * *

“Mommy, Mommy, do I smell French toast?” Jaylen asked as she ran into the kitchen with her grandmother trailing behind.

Jaylen’s favorite breakfast was French toast, and considering the news that Ryla had to deliver this morning, she figured that she’d better step her game up from the Cap’n Crunch, cereal she let Jaylen eat on Saturday morning. “And check it out,” Ryla boasted. “I got you some strawberry syrup, powdered sugar and whipped cream.”

Jaylen jumped for joy. “Just like we put on the waffles. Is this a special day or something?”

Okay, maybe she went a bit overboard, but it wasn’t every day that a little girl met her father for the first time. Noel had been so angry last night that he hadn’t told her what time he would be back today. But she wasn’t concerned about that, because if she knew nothing else, she knew that Noel Carter would be ringing her doorbell at his earliest convenience today. “It’s not a special day, honey. But let’s hurry up and eat, because there is something I’d like to talk to you about.” Ryla turned and looked at her mom with imploring eyes. “Do you think you can hang out with us for a little while this morning?”

Juanita Evans-Berkley gave her daughter a big Texas smile as she sat her Coach purse down on the counter. “Are you kidding? For French toast with strawberry syrup, I’ll hang out with y’all all day.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Ryla said, grateful that she would have a shoulder to lean on today. “Well, ladies, help me set the table so we can eat.”

Ryla went to the refrigerator and took out the apple juice and orange juice, while Juanita took the plates out of the cabinet. Jaylen grabbed the napkins and forks. As Ryla put three glasses on the table her hand was shaking a bit.

Juanita glanced at Ryla. “Is everything okay?”

Ryla poured apple juice for Jaylen and then picked up the orange juice to pour herself and her mother a glass. “Sure, everything’s okay,” she said. But then the doorbell rang and Ryla almost dropped the juice. She gripped the orange juice bottle with a firmer hand and poured the juice in the glasses. She then put both juices back in the refrigerator and started chewing on her index finger.

“What’s wrong?” her mother asked.

“Nothing’s wrong,” Ryla hurriedly said. “Why do you think something’s wrong?”

“Well, for one thing, you’re chewing on your finger. You only do that when you’re trying to figure out how to get out of something. The doorbell has rung twice so far, but you haven’t yet moved an inch to answer it.”

Ryla took her finger out of her mouth and stepped away from the stove. “Can you fix Jaylen’s plate while I go and see who’s at the door?”

“Sure thing, hon,” her mother said with a lifted brow.

Ryla took baby steps all the way to the front door. She fully expected Noel to show up again today, but not at ten in the morning. She had hoped he would at least give her until noon to break the news to their daughter. But as she looked out the peephole at the double-fudge fine black man standing on her porch, her suspicions were confirmed. She had to take a moment to study his face before opening the door. From his short fade to the well-manicured goatee, to his Hershey’s Kiss chocolate skin, everything on Noel was perfection.

Well, everything but the scowl on his face as he pushed the buzzer several times in a row. Ryla swung the door open. “My goodness, do you really need to wake the neighborhood?”

“I’ve been standing here for five minutes. And I know it doesn’t take that long to get to the front door in your house.”

Was that supposed to be some sort of crack about the size of her house? She put her hand on her hip and protested, “I was busy. And you did come over here without calling first.”

“Do I have your number?” Noel rhetorically asked.

Noel’s voice was rising, so Ryla stepped out on the porch and closed the door behind her. “You might want to keep it down a bit.”

With nostrils flaring, Noel said, “I didn’t come over here to play games with you, Ryla. Is Jaylen home this morning or not?”

Nodding, she said, “She and my mother just arrived. But I haven’t had time to tell her about you yet.”

“When do you suppose you’ll get around to that?” he asked, in a sarcasm-infused tone.

“She’s eating breakfast right now. I was going to tell her as soon as she finished.” She tried to shoo him off the porch. “So, can you just come back in about an hour or two?”

Noel’s feet were firmly planted. “I’m not leaving until I meet Jaylen, so I hope you’ve fixed enough breakfast for me.”

“Why do you have to be such a bully? Can’t you understand that I need to break this to Jaylen gently?” Ryla knew that denying Jaylen the access to her father was wrong, even though her reason for doing so was to save her daughter from heartache later down the line. Ryla needed to clean up her own mess. She needed to make sure she didn’t do any further harm to her daughter.

“I thought you said that she’s been asking to meet me for a year now.” He looked at her as if they were having a “duh” moment. “The simplest thing to do would be for both of us to go in there, sit down with Jaylen and tell her how you kept her from me all these years.”

Ryla’s mouth fell open. “You wouldn’t dare do something like that.”

“You don’t think so...? Watch me.” Noel stepped away from Ryla and put his hand on the doorknob.

Ryla grabbed his arm. “Okay, okay, you win.”

He turned back around. “And what exactly have I won, Ryla?”

“You don’t have to leave. I’ll go inside and talk to Jaylen right now, just go back to your car for a minute.”

With a raised eyebrow he asked, “How long?”

“Give me ten minutes.” As he got ready to step off the porch, Ryla grabbed his arm again. “You won’t say anything bad about me to Jaylen, will you?”

“That depends,” Noel said with a devilish grin. “Have you been saying anything bad about me in all these years that you’ve had her to yourself?”

Shaking her head at the notion, Ryla said, “That’s ridiculous, Noel. I’ve never said a bad word about you to Jaylen!”

“Oh, you haven’t said anything bad about me to Jaylen, so just who have you been running me down to?”

Before Ryla could think of a way to avoid telling Noel that she had indeed been talking about him to her two closest friends, Danetta and Surry, the front door opened. Ryla swung around and, as if in slow motion, she watched Jaylen look up at Noel and make the connection.

Ryla panicked. “Go back in the house for a minute, Jaylen. Mommy is talking to someone right now,” Ryla said breathlessly.

But Jaylen swung open the screen door and jumped into Noel’s arms and kissed his face. “Daddy! I’m so glad you came. I’ve been waiting my whole life to meet you.” She kissed him again as she said, “Now I know why Mommy fixed my favorite breakfast. This is a special day.”

Chapter 4

Noel had experienced a lot of things in his thirty years on earth. He’d been a superstar on the basketball court since grade school, graduated college with honors, was a first-round draft pick, had earned a championship ring his second year in the NBA and had become a millionaire several times over. But he’d never experienced anything like the joy he was now feeling as Jaylen hugged and kissed him. He gave her a tight never-want-to-let-you-go kind of hug. And then Noel put her down and stepped back. He had to be mindful that the DNA test had yet to be done, and as far as he knew, Jaylen could belong to another man. It could’ve been Ryla’s sick, twisted mind that decided it would be a good thing to give another man’s child his middle name. Not knowing what else to do, Noel stuck his hand out and said, “Hi, I’m Noel Carter.”

Jaylen giggled as she shook her father’s hand. “Silly. I know who you are.”

That’s right, Noel reminded himself, Ryla did tell him that Jaylen kept an old photo of him and Ryla on her nightstand. “I wasn’t sure that you would recognize me from an old photo. I have aged a bit since then,” Noel said in a deeper, older man’s tone.

Jaylen laughed again as she told him, “I saw you on the TV, too. You look the same.”

Noel turned to Ryla for clarification on this. Had Jaylen been watching one of his old basketball games? Had Ryla taped his games and watched them as a way of having him around her...why hadn’t she just picked up the phone and called him?

“Jaylen and my mom went to Dallas for the weekend and she saw one of your ads for Congress. Congratulations, by the way. I guess you finally found a way to help your community.” Ryla was biting her finger again.

“Yeah, I’m finally pulling it all together,” he told her as he racked his brain, trying to remember when he’d shared this particular dream with Ryla.

The front door opened again, and with that same big Texas grin, Juanita Evans said, “Well, hello, Noel. It’s about time you showed up around here.” She opened the door wide. “Y’all might as well get off the porch and come on in the house. We can all sit down and catch up over breakfast.”

Jaylen grabbed Noel’s hand and began pulling him toward the door. “Come on, Daddy, we’ve got the bestest breakfast ever this morning.”

“French toast,” Juanita said.

Noel rubbed his stomach. “It’s one of my favorite breakfast meals also. So, I’ll gladly join you.”

Jaylen stopped walking and looked up at Noel in awe. “We have a favorite thing together?”

Noel smiled. Jaylen was speaking in seven-year-old language, but he knew exactly what she meant. “Yes, little one, you and I like the same kind of breakfast.”

Noel followed Juanita and Jaylen in the house, and the smile left his face as he glanced back at Ryla. The look he gave her simply said, you’ve got some explaining to do.

* * *

Sitting at the breakfast table stuffing her face with more starch than she had put in her body in over a week, Ryla noticed that she was not receiving the you’ve-got-some-explaining-to-do looks from just Noel, but from her mother also. The beautiful and sophisticated Juanita had never fathomed that a woman would walk away from a man who could provide for her in ways she couldn’t provide for herself. But Ryla was looking for more than a checkbook kind of man. She wanted love, respect and faithfulness. Noel had proven himself to be unfaithful, so Ryla had had no choice but to leave him or end up like her mother.

After breakfast, Jaylen turned to Noel and said, “Wanna see my room?”

Noel Stood. “Sure thing. Lead the way.”

Jaylen stepped back as she looked up at her father. “Whoa. You know, you’re a lot taller than I expected. I hope I’m not going to be so tall.”

“I don’t think you have anything to worry about. My mom and my sister are both about five-seven.”

“Good,” was all Jaylen said before turning to march off to her room. Noel followed close behind, smiling but also appearing to be suppressing a giggle.

When they were alone in the kitchen, Juanita turned to Ryla and said in an accusatory manner, “Well, he certainly doesn’t look like a man who wants nothing to do with his child.”

Ryla picked up the plates off the table and took them over to the sink.

“Don’t try to ignore me, Ryla Evans, because I can tell you right now that I am fighting mad.”

Ryla turned around and leaned against the sink. She had asked her mother to stay for breakfast because she wanted to tell her and Jaylen about Noel coming for a visit, and then she had intended to explain the lie she’d told her mother when she’d come home pregnant with no husband. “I know I owe you an explanation.”

Juanita’s hands went to her hips in outrage. “I want to know what you did and I want to know it right now.”

“Okay, Mom, calm down.”

Running a hand through her honey-blond bob, Juanita said, “I’m confused, Ryla. I really don’t understand what is going on, so please enlighten me.”

Ryla lifted a hand, trying to bring her mother’s volume down a notch. “I know I told you that Noel wanted nothing to do with Jaylen...but the truth is that I—I never told him that I was pregnant.”

Juanita shook her head in disbelief. “Ryla, now, why would you do something like that to Jaylen?”

“I wasn’t trying to do anything to Jaylen but protect her from heartache,” Ryla said, trying to defend her actions.

“What are you talking about? How could not allowing your child to have a relationship with her father protect her from heartache?” Juanita’s voice was just above a whisper now.

“Well, for one thing, she wouldn’t have to go through what I went through.”

“Your father was with you throughout your adolescent years, Ryla. You were a daddy’s girl and loved every minute of it.”

Ryla sat back down at the kitchen table. “Yeah, but when he left you, he left me, too. He started a whole new family and just forgot all about me.” She looked her mom square in the face as she declared, “I’ve never gotten over how he treated me. And I could never put Jaylen through that.”

Juanita walked over to her daughter, putting an arm around her, and said, “Not every man is like your father, sweetheart. Jaylen has missed the opportunity of having a father in her life for all these years, so please don’t stand in their way any longer. You fear things that may never happen.”

But Ryla knew that her fears were founded by facts. Because she’d already seen how unfaithful Noel could be with her own eyes, and she didn’t know if she could ever get over that. “Okay, Mom, I’ll try.”

However, before she could fix her mind around working out a solution so that Noel could be just as much a part of Jaylen’s life as she was, he came back into the kitchen and asked to speak with her in private. Ryla got up from her seat and followed Noel outside to his Escalade.

Once they were by the side of the truck, Noel turned to her and said with pride in his voice, “She’s a pretty amazing kid.”

Thinking this was their time to share, Ryla perked up and said, “And she’s smart, too, Noel. Her teachers are constantly telling me how quickly she learns and moves on to the next subject with ease and understanding.”

“My mother used to tell me that the teachers said I was so smart that they couldn’t keep up with me when I was in elementary school.” Then his eyes clouded over with sadness as he said, “I’ve missed a lot of her life.”

“I know,” Ryla admitted. And then as if she had thought of something that would help him look on the bright side, she said, “But, Noel, you were running around living the single life and doing all sorts of crazy things the first five years of Jaylen’s life—you wouldn’t have had time for her anyway.”

Anger replaced sadness as he ripped into her. “Don’t tell me what I didn’t have time for. You never gave me the chance. And maybe I wouldn’t have gotten myself in so much trouble if I had known that I had a daughter to take care of. Did you ever think about that?”

“I know you’re not trying to blame me for all the womanizing and drinking you did while in the NBA?”

“I see that you know how to read the tabloids. It’s a shame that you couldn’t figure out how to pick up a phone and use it.”

“I didn’t have your number,” she protested.

“You had my mom’s home number, and you knew her address. So, you have no excuse for what you did—you’re just selfish.” He shook his head. “I had no idea that you could be so heartless.”

“Heartless!” she exploded. “That’s rich, coming from a cheat.”

His eyebrows furrowed as he questioned her. “What are you talking about? I never needed to cheat.... I won or lost all of my games fair and square.”

“I’m not talking about basketball,” Ryla said with a roll of her eyes. “Everything doesn’t start and end with a basketball.”

“Then what are you talking about?”

Ryla hugged her arms around her chest and changed the subject. “I’m not going to even go there with you. All we need to talk about is Jaylen and that’s it.”

“Whatever.” Noel was frustrated and knew he needed to get out of there before he said some things he’d end up regretting. “So, when can we schedule the DNA test?”

Ryla uncrossed her arms as she swung around to face off with Noel. “You just met Jaylen. Can you honestly tell me that you don’t see the resemblance between the two of you?”

He nodded. “She has my complexion, my nose and my eyes, but the rest is all you.” He waved a hand in the air as he said, “Don’t get me wrong. After spending time with Jaylen, I do believe that she’s mine, but you’ve already wronged me once on this. So, I’m going to make sure that I’m not being put in a trick bag by you.” He then repeated for emphasis, “So, what date is convenient for you to do the DNA test?”

Chapter 5

Two Weeks Later

“Are you happy now?” Ryla asked Noel as they held the results of the DNA test in their hands. Noel was indeed the father and although it took two weeks to confirm that fact, Noel had traveled to Houston both weekends and spent time with Jaylen.

“Actually, no, I’m not happy,” Noel responded.

Ryla’s jaw hung low, as she thought Noel was saying that he wasn’t happy to be Jaylen’s father.

He continued, “I’ve only been able to spend a couple of weekends with my seven-year-old daughter and now I have a campaign to focus on, so I can’t keep coming to Houston on the weekends.”

Since he wasn’t all that polite to her when he came for his weekend visits, Ryla really couldn’t say that she’d miss him that much. But still she said, “That’s too bad, Noel. But I’m sure Jaylen will understand as long as you let her know what’s going on.”

The smirk on Noel’s face couldn’t be disguised as he said, “Actually, it’s too bad for you. Because since today is Jaylen’s last day of school and she is now officially on summer break, I intend to spend as many days as possible with my daughter this summer.”

“What are you saying, Noel? You just told me that you’ll need to be in Dallas, so I don’t see how you’ll be able to spend the summer with Jaylen.”

He held up his paternity test, so Ryla could get a real good look at the 99.99999 percentage points that proclaimed him as Jaylen’s father. “This little paper, and the fact that you kept my child from me for years, ensures that Jaylen will be able to spend the summer with me.”

From his comment, Ryla figured that Noel was thinking about taking her to court, so she said, “I thought we agreed to leave lawyers out of this?”

“Woman, you must think I’m a fool,” he said as he towered over her. “Why shouldn’t I get my lawyer involved when I’m dealing with someone like you?”

Ryla started chewing her fingers as she tried to come up with something that would get Noel to see reason. He had accused her of trying to put him in a trick bag, but now she realized that he had put her in one. Noel had wanted that DNA test so he’d have proof that he was Jaylen’s father. Then no one could deny him his rights, and she had fallen in line and gave him all the ammunition he needed to fight her in court. “Noel, can you just tell me what you want? Maybe we can work this out without involving outside parties.”

“You just know that you’re in the wrong. That’s why you don’t want to involve anyone else.”

She held up a hand, trying to halt his incoming tirade. “I understand why you would see it that way.”

“Ha.” He laughed. “Me and the entire world would be able to see how wrong you are.”

“Okay,” she said calmly. She didn’t want to argue with Noel. She wanted to try to work with him, so he could get out of his angry, win-at-all-cost mode. Ryla knew that an angry Noel was also a determined Noel. And when Noel set his mind to something, he would be dead set on finishing it. “I understand that you’re upset, Noel. But can you please tell me what you want so we can work something out?”

“I want Jaylen in Dallas with me for the summer.”

She got in negotiation mode. “Why don’t we start with a weekend or even a week? I could bring her up and then you could bring her back to me. Or I could even come back and get her if your schedule is too busy.”

“No.”

She backed up, stared at him for a moment. “What do you mean, no? I’m trying to work with you. So, you need to work with me also.”

“No,” he said again. “You’ve had Jaylen for seven years, and I want her for the entire summer. That’s the beginning and end of my negotiation.”

When she didn’t readily respond, he said, “What’s your answer?”

“Dang, even your opponents on the court were able to at least dribble before they took a shot. Just hold on, I’m thinking.”

Noel took out his cell phone.

“Who are you calling?” Ryla asked as he unlocked his phone and searched through his contacts.

“I’m looking for my attorney’s number. If you and I can’t settle this, then I’m going to pursue other options.”

“Okay, okay,” Ryla said. “She can come with you for the summer. I just have one stipulation.”

“And that is?” Noel asked while putting his phone away.

“I have to come with her.”

“Oh, heck no. I am not about to spend my summer with you,” Noel raged.

“I could think of better things to do than spend my summer with a grouch, too. For one thing, I have a new business to get off the ground. But we need to think about Jaylen, Noel. She needs her mother. And you’re going to be busy with the campaign, so you won’t be able to watch out for her all the time. You’ll need me there, as well.”

Relenting, because he knew she was right, Noel said, “Okay, you can come, but I have a stipulation myself.”

“What’s that?”

“Stay out of the way.”

With that, Noel entered his SUV and backed out of the driveway, leaving her with no doubt that fun had just been canceled for the summer. Noel wanted nothing to do with her. Even though she had been the one to leave, Ryla had not been able to purge Noel from her heart and mind. She was still in love with the man. Ryla ached every time she saw him. She only wished she could go back in time and change what had happened.... She would have stayed and fought for their love. But to accomplish that she would actually have to send that time machine back in time to when her father divorced her mother for his twenty-one-year-old girlfriend. Or go back to when her mother’s new boyfriend tried to make a move on her, or when her mother went through divorce number two, because, big surprise, the mongrel cheated on her.

After what she watched her mom go through, Ryla swore she would never let a man cheat on her. Every one of her friends had warned her about dating Noel. They said that a big-time alpha dog like Noel Carter would never be anything but a player. But Ryla didn’t want to believe them. Noel loved her and she loved him. Then she caught him kissing Cathy O’Dell after the play-off game. That happened to be the same day that Ryla had planned to tell Noel about the baby. But then she had visions of Noel walking out on her and her baby, refusing to have anything to do with his own child, just as her father had done. She then dropped out of college and ran from Noel and every man who would surely be another heartache. But now Noel was back, and her heart was aching for him in ways it hadn’t in seven long years.

Ryla went into the garage to grab her and Jaylen’s suitcases. She would need to start packing.

After bringing their luggage into the house, she sat down on her sofa and called her mother. Every bit of Ryla’s event-planning skills had been garnered from Juanita Evans-Berkley. The woman had style and grace and decorating skills that were second to none. Her mother had also just taken an early retirement from the publicity coordinator position she’d held with the government for twenty years. Juanita had big plans of traveling around the world and finding husband number three, but Ryla needed to put those plans on hold for a little while. “Hey, Mama,” she said when Juanita picked up the phone.

“Hey, yourself. What are you and my wonderful granddaughter doing today?”

Ryla sighed. “It looks like we’re going to be packing.”

“Oh, really, where are you going?”

“Noel now has the DNA evidence to prove that he’s Jaylen’s father, and he has informed me that he simply can’t live without his daughter being in Dallas with him this summer.”

“Oh, I’m so thankful that he wants to spend time with Jaylen,” Juanita excitedly said.

Ryla knew her mother was thinking about how Ryla’s own father basically discarded her when he began his new life with his teenage bride. And at that moment, she had to admit that it felt good to know that Noel wanted to include his child in his life no matter how busy he was. “I’m glad you’re happy about this, Mom, because I’m going to need your help.”

“Tell me what you need. I’m all ears.”

Ryla hesitated for a moment, but just a moment. She needed to be in Dallas with her child, so she needed help from her mom. “I know you wanted to travel this summer, but I was hoping that you would stay around for a little while and help me with my new business so I can go to Dallas with Jaylen.”

Juanita was silent.

“Come on, Mom, I need your help.” Ryla was prepared to go to her mother’s house and get down on her hands and knees and beg if she had to.

“Well, I did have plans for this summer,” Juanita began.

Ryla rolled her eyes, but held her tongue.

“But I don’t want you to be without Jaylen for the summer, so I can help you out for a month or two.”

“Thanks, Mom, I really appreciate this.”

As she hung up with her mother, Ryla felt better about the situation. She would get everything in order and be prepared when Noel came back for Jaylen. The last thing Ryla wanted was for Noel to think she was jerking him around again. Ryla knew that judges frowned on parents who tried to keep the children away from the other parent. If she pushed Noel, he could end up with sole custody of Jaylen, with her begging for visitation. And that just couldn’t happen.

* * *

Although Noel thought he came up with the perfect solution for spending time with his daughter, the idea wasn’t going over so well at his campaign headquarters.

“Are you insane?” Ian Walters, Noel’s longtime friend and campaign manager, asked after Noel told him what was going on.

“Why does the fact that I want to be with my daughter while I’m campaigning sound like such a bad idea?” Noel demanded as he sat behind his desk with his leg propped on the table.

“Do you realize how much bad press I have already had to deflect from this campaign?”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Noel waved away the problem. “I’ve heard it all before. The bad boy turned politician is the way they like to paint me. But I’m not just some former bad boy. I care about this community and I want to make a difference. I’m not doing this for fame or fortune—I clearly already have both of those.”

With a frustrated sigh, Ian tried again. “I know that your reasons for running for office are honorable. But Dan Bridges believes that he is honorable also, and he thinks he has just as much right to claim that empty seat as you do. Dan Bridges is a family man with no skeletons in his closet that I’ve been able to find. But you have just pulled out a closet full, and now you want to bring her on the campaign trail.” He lifted his hands in surrender. “I’m telling you, my friend, this is suicide.”

Noel took his feet down from the top of his desk. Then he stretched and leaned back in his chair as he studied Ian a moment. They had been friends since high school, so Noel was willing to give him a pass this one time. But he wasn’t about to let anyone speak negatively about his daughter. She was a part of him; he’d been denied access to her for too long as it was. He had no plans of waiting until the campaign was over to build a relationship with the most important girl in the world to him. “I’m going to say this once and once only, Ian. I will not be denied my daughter. I would rather lose this election than spend another day without her. Is that understood?”

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