she waved back before heading in his direction.
“Here we go,” she muttered under her breath, when they climbed the bleachers to the fifth row where her father waited for them.
Jed took her elbow and guided her up the bleachers. “It’ll be fine.”
The sound of his low, sexy voice sent a shiver rippling down her spine. She struggled to ignore that little sensation of pleasure and concentrated instead on not falling on her face.
Griffen stiffened when her father stood. He kissed her cheek in greeting, then looked pointedly at Jed. She chanced a look over her shoulder. Jed’s expression was blank, unreadable, and she’d have given anything to know what he was thinking.
“Dad, this is Jed Maitland.”
Jed extended his hand toward her father. “Dr. Hart,” he said, his deep voice strong and confident.
Griffen held her breath as she waited for her father to make the next move. She should have called him and warned him Jed was coming to the game. But she’d figured Austin would’ve told him, so she hadn’t bothered and realized her mistake too late. This couldn’t be easy for her father.
Thomas grasped Jed’s hand. “Jed. Glad you could make it. Austin’s been talking about nothing else all day.”
Griffen expelled the breath she’d been holding and sat. “Austin stays with Dad on Saturdays while I’m at the store,” she said, mortified to discover her voice was as unsteady as the rest of her. Her heart pounded, and she chastised herself for being ridiculous.
She really needed to pull herself together. This had nothing to do with Jed meeting her dad, and she knew it. Thomas Hart was not the type of man to cause a scene in public. It wasn’t like he and Jed would scrap it out right there in the middle of the gym.
No, she was a wreck because Jed had kissed her and, for the space of those few moments, she’d lost every ounce of common sense she possessed. There’d been nothing pragmatic about her response to Jed’s kiss. Her body had come wholly and vibrantly alive and it scared the hell out of her.
For Pete’s sake, get a grip .
Feeling more than silly, she took several deep, slow breaths in hopes of regaining her composure. Parents and students filtered into the gym and she nodded to those she knew, ignoring their curious glances as they spotted Jed beside her. Brian Packard, Austin’s buddy’s dad, approached them and sat beside her father. With nothing more than a nod to her and Jed, Brian began talking to her father about the upcoming tournament the following weekend.
Griffen cast a glance at Jed. He sat with his arms braced on his knees, his attention on the court. Would he be proud of her son? Would he congratulate him on a game well played, or would he only point out the mistakes as Ross had done the few times he’d bothered to come to any of Austin’s games?
The referee blew the whistle and she turned her attention to the court as the teams took their places. Austin, as center, stood in the middle of the circle with the opposing team’s center while the referee held the ball over their heads. The ref tossed the ball high and Austin leapt for it, pushing the ball toward the home team’s basket.
Jed didn’t move, his jean clad thigh pressing against her as he watched the game. While Austin charged agilely up and down the court, Jed said nothing, but his leg tensed against hers every time Austin attempted a basket. By the time the buzzer sounded the end of the first half, the Hart Stallions held a ten point lead.
As the boys filed off the court to their respective locker rooms for a half time break, Jed straightened and looked at her. The smile on his face and the pride shining in his eyes warmed her heart.
“He’s good,” he said with enthusiasm.
Never once in all the years she’d been married to Ross had he expressed pride in Austin’s accomplishments. He’d never commented on Austin’s natural athletic ability, and he’d never beamed like
“Here we go,” she muttered under her breath, when they climbed the bleachers to the fifth row where her father waited for them.
Jed took her elbow and guided her up the bleachers. “It’ll be fine.”
The sound of his low, sexy voice sent a shiver rippling down her spine. She struggled to ignore that little sensation of pleasure and concentrated instead on not falling on her face.
Griffen stiffened when her father stood. He kissed her cheek in greeting, then looked pointedly at Jed. She chanced a look over her shoulder. Jed’s expression was blank, unreadable, and she’d have given anything to know what he was thinking.
“Dad, this is Jed Maitland.”
Jed extended his hand toward her father. “Dr. Hart,” he said, his deep voice strong and confident.
Griffen held her breath as she waited for her father to make the next move. She should have called him and warned him Jed was coming to the game. But she’d figured Austin would’ve told him, so she hadn’t bothered and realized her mistake too late. This couldn’t be easy for her father.
Thomas grasped Jed’s hand. “Jed. Glad you could make it. Austin’s been talking about nothing else all day.”
Griffen expelled the breath she’d been holding and sat. “Austin stays with Dad on Saturdays while I’m at the store,” she said, mortified to discover her voice was as unsteady as the rest of her. Her heart pounded, and she chastised herself for being ridiculous.
She really needed to pull herself together. This had nothing to do with Jed meeting her dad, and she knew it. Thomas Hart was not the type of man to cause a scene in public. It wasn’t like he and Jed would scrap it out right there in the middle of the gym.
No, she was a wreck because Jed had kissed her and, for the space of those few moments, she’d lost every ounce of common sense she possessed. There’d been nothing pragmatic about her response to Jed’s kiss. Her body had come wholly and vibrantly alive and it scared the hell out of her.
For Pete’s sake, get a grip .
Feeling more than silly, she took several deep, slow breaths in hopes of regaining her composure. Parents and students filtered into the gym and she nodded to those she knew, ignoring their curious glances as they spotted Jed beside her. Brian Packard, Austin’s buddy’s dad, approached them and sat beside her father. With nothing more than a nod to her and Jed, Brian began talking to her father about the upcoming tournament the following weekend.
Griffen cast a glance at Jed. He sat with his arms braced on his knees, his attention on the court. Would he be proud of her son? Would he congratulate him on a game well played, or would he only point out the mistakes as Ross had done the few times he’d bothered to come to any of Austin’s games?
The referee blew the whistle and she turned her attention to the court as the teams took their places. Austin, as center, stood in the middle of the circle with the opposing team’s center while the referee held the ball over their heads. The ref tossed the ball high and Austin leapt for it, pushing the ball toward the home team’s basket.
Jed didn’t move, his jean clad thigh pressing against her as he watched the game. While Austin charged agilely up and down the court, Jed said nothing, but his leg tensed against hers every time Austin attempted a basket. By the time the buzzer sounded the end of the first half, the Hart Stallions held a ten point lead.
As the boys filed off the court to their respective locker rooms for a half time break, Jed straightened and looked at her. The smile on his face and the pride shining in his eyes warmed her heart.
“He’s good,” he said with enthusiasm.
Never once in all the years she’d been married to Ross had he expressed pride in Austin’s accomplishments. He’d never commented on Austin’s natural athletic ability, and he’d never beamed like
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