What was she doing here? This wasn’t an official team event, though many of his teammates and team officials were here, so she couldn’t be here at the command of Mrs. T.
His mother moved into his line of sight, blocking his view of Jada. He took a step to the right, but it was already too late. She was gone, swallowed up by the crowd.
Damn it. Should he go after her? And say what? She’d dumped him, after all. More than likely, she was here as a donor like almost everyone else here. She wasn’t here for him.
At the sound of a clearing throat, he dropped his gaze to his mother, who was watching him with entirely too much interest. He’d successfully dodged any and all questions about Jada. Looked like his good luck was about to run out.
“You know, I can tell you’re hurting. You’ve looked miserable the entire night. I’ve been pretty patient, respecting your privacy, but I’m your mother, so that comes to an end now.” She laid a hand on his sleeve. “Let’s go somewhere quieter to talk.”
He followed her to a corner, away from the chatter and the orchestra providing the musical backdrop. His mother didn’t waste any time.
“Donny, what’s going on? Why are you here with me instead of Jada?”
Donovan pushed the answer past a tight throat. “We’re no longer seeing each other. You know that.”
His mother nodded. “Yes, I do. The question is why.” When he remained silent, she sighed. “Can I let you in on a little secret?” She looked around, presumably to make sure no one could hear them. “I knew you and Jada weren’t really dating the day I stopped by the shop.” She held up a hand as shock swept through him. “Now, I know you and your sisters think I don’t know how to keep a secret, but I do. I was married to your father, after all. I know you really well, and I could tell things were a little off between the two of you, but I could also tell you really wanted it to be true, and I wanted you to figure it all out. Obviously, you did, but then you screwed it up.”
Donovan worked his jaw side to side, the emotions still so raw and jagged. “I was prepared to tell her I had fallen in love with her, but she ended things before I could.”
“And you let her go.”
Donovan scraped his hand against the back of his neck, frustration tearing him apart. “What else was I supposed to do?”
“Not let your father continue to rule your life.”
He staggered back at that sucker punch to gut. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
His mother was resolute. “It means that I know he still calls you for money, and that you respond. I talk to people from the old neighborhood all the time. They let me know what foolishness your father is up to so I can protect my kids as much as possible.” She sighed. “Your father hurt you, he hurt all of us, and I’ll forever be upset with myself that I didn’t get us out sooner.”
He’d heard enough. “You did the best you could. You’re a terrific mother. Never doubt that.”
She patted his arm. “Thank you, my favorite son, but it’s true that your parents influence you, for good or for bad. The lesson you learned was to concentrate on eradicating any surprises and upheaval from your life. If you could be financially stable, then life would be smooth sailing.”
Donovan kept quiet, unable to deny her claims.
“Then Jada came along. She shook you and your world up and you fell hard. But then she hit you with the biggest surprise of all by ending things and you retreated. Yes, your sisters told me what happened.”
Donovan sighed. He couldn’t be mad at his siblings for spilling the beans. He should have known. They were too close-knit for secrets.
“What was I supposed to do? I can’t make her be with me.” Anguish still ate at him, still dogged his heels at every turn. He wasn’t sure when it wouldn’t. If it ever would.
“No, you can’t, because Jada is her own woman. But I also know this is the first time you’ve been in the same room with her in three months. Are you really prepared to leave it at that?”
No, he wasn’t. Not by a long shot. It was time to stop living in the past and fight for his future with everything he had in him.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Theoretically, Jada was having a good time. Tonight was proof that following her dreams was paying off. As she’d told Grams, she’d used the connections she’d gained by working at Sugar Blitz to secure several small event-planning gigs. That had led to more events, which led to her being here tonight. A client recommended her services to the event organizer, Sydney, when Sydney’s assistant had to go on bed rest for the last two months of her pregnancy. As far as Jada was concerned, any experience was good experience, and she’d readily accepted the new gig.