He’d gone through with the photo shoot. Rose was a brilliant photographer. The original boring, stale artwork had been replaced with Rose’s photos—artistic, fun shots of the store’s offerings, along with photos of customers sitting around the tables, laughing and eating. Their regulars had been thrilled to be asked to participate in the photo shoot. He and Nicholas had even cajoled August into taking a few shots of the three in them in the kitchen, laughing and baking. The photos were displayed to perfection against walls that had been painted a soft, welcoming yellow.
More importantly, business was booming. Sugar Blitz was now a neighborhood hangout, where community members could grab a cupcake and catch up with friends. A new full-time manager was set to start next week.
None of that would have happened without Jada’s influence. Damn it.
Mr. Till harrumphed. “Yeah, yeah, I’m going to pay. Don’t shoot the messenger just because I’m right.” He paid, then shuffled away to his table, where a few of his chess buddies waited. He only shot one “you’re a dummy” look over his shoulder. An improvement. Usually, he got three good head shakes in.
“He is right, you know.” Nicholas came up, carrying a sheet pan of freshly baked cupcakes. August trailed him, holding another pan, nodding.
Donovan sighed, weariness pressing on his shoulders. He’d heard all this before. But what the fuck did they expect him to do about it? Jada was the one who left. She was the one who said she didn’t want to be with him. “Can we not talk about this for the millionth time?”
Nicholas and August exchanged a glance, then nodded in unison.
“Did you get your tux cleaned for the Knights in Shining Armor event?” Nicholas asked.
Thrilled at the change in topic, Donovan gave the sigh and eyeroll Nicholas undoubtedly expected. “Yes, Dad, I did.”
The Knights in Shining Armor event was a fundraiser benefiting the local Boys & Girls Club. Donovan and some of his teammates who volunteered with and donated money to the organization were being honored. Ordinarily, he’d be looking forward to the event, but lately he looked forward to nothing. At least his mother, who could always be counted on to cheer him up, was acting as his date. He’d assumed Jada would fill that role, but he’d assumed a lot of things, so …
Nicholas slapped him on the back. “Great. See you there. And try to learn what a smile is before you show up. You don’t want to scare the kids.”
* * *
Five hours later, Donovan stepped into the ballroom at the US Grant Hotel in downtown San Diego with his mother at his side. He’d done his best to pretend that all was well. She knew he and Jada were no longer seeing each other but had respected his wishes not to go into detail.
“Wow. This place is fancy,” his mom said.
It was.
Donovan had been here several times before, but he was always taken aback by the room’s sheer opulence. Multiple gold and diamond chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Elegant, extravagant flower centerpieces dotted every table. The carpet underneath their feet was sumptuous. All the attendees wore their best, fanciest gear and were ready to open their checkbooks for an excellent cause. All he had to do was smile and shake the hands of donors, promise the Knights would win the Super Bowl next season, and accept a plaque when his name was called. Any other time, that task would be easy. Even enjoyable.
Tonight, he felt like shit.
But no one cared or needed to know. His pain was his alone, to be dealt with later at some indeterminate period in time. He held out his hand. “Shall we?”
They stepped into the room and were immediately swept into a world of photos and small talk with teammates he hadn’t seen since the season ended, team employees, and eventgoers.
The room was packed to the gills. He only got brief glimpses of Nicholas and August, barely long enough to exchange nods before they were swept away. Time dragged on as a headache dogged his every step. He repeatedly reminded himself to smile.
A familiar noise cut through the general chatter filling the room. Donovan whirled. A flash of red caught his eye. He stepped around a couple chatting at a high table and stopped in his tracks. His heart leapt into his throat.
Jada. She was here. It had been her effervescent laughter that caught his attention. She was chatting with a guest and hadn’t seen him yet. He took immediate advantage to look his fill.
She wore a shimmery red floor-length gown that hugged her terrific figure, dipping in at her waist and flaring to cover her hips. Her dark hair cascaded over one shoulder in soft waves. She looked sophisticated and stunning. Her bold eye makeup drew attention to those amazing chocolate-brown eyes.