Read Hope for Him (Hope Series Book #2) for Free Online Page A

Pa?"
    His face dropped below the frame and he popped back up and giggled.
    "Are you playing peek-a-boo?"
    He giggled, dropped, and popped back up.
    "I see you."
    He giggled so hard that when he dropped this time, he fell on the ground. I could hear his sweet little laugh, and I said a quick prayer.
    Please God, no matter what happens, please don't let him lose his joy.
    I feared only God would have the power to prevent the Griffins and their money from ruining my son.
    I hung up and got ready to meet Kayla in the lobby. When I arrived, she stood in the middle of the lobby peering up at a tall guy with the same red hair. I figured they were siblings until he leaned over and kissed her on the lips.
    She didn't notice me until I stood in front of them. She stepped away from him, and her pale skin blushed a deep red.
    "Oh. Hey. Carrington, this is Jamie. My boyfriend."
    "Hi, Jamie." I shook his hand, and he leaned over and kissed it. It was way over the top but so cute.
    Kayla beamed with pride.
    "Do you mind if Jamie joins us for dinner?"
    "Not like I would say no to his face." Both their faces dropped. "I'm kidding. No, of course, I don't mind."
    "Oh. Okay, cool."
    We headed outside to Andrew, who waited next to the limo.
    I sat in the back; Kayla and Jamie sat on the bench. They held hands and batted their long red eyelashes at each other.
    Jamie caught me staring and winked at me.
    "Babe, I think we’re making Carrington uncomfortable."
    "No, it's fine."
    "Sorry. Jamie came down to visit before he has to get back to school."
    "Where do you go to school?"
    "The New School of Social Research in New York."
    "That's where we met," Kayla said. "I went to NYU my freshman year and would be there still if I hadn't fallen in love."
    "You can't blame me for you getting kicked out of school."
    "Yes, I can, and I will. If I hadn't met you, I would have gone to class instead of spending all my time with you."
    "So, how did I manage to maintain my GPA and still fall in love with you?"
    "Easy. I love you enough to allow you to succeed."
    "Oh, Babe."
    Her logic made no sense, and if I had any doubt before, I was convinced now that she was a little nuts, but a pang of jealousy hit my heart. They were adorable together, and it made me miss Jackson.
    #
    J ackson Latre Mitchell
    Carrington called when she returned from Orlando. The Griffins laid it on strong. She seemed cautious but optimistic. Leave it to my girl to not be bought so easy.
    I needed to stop that. She wasn't my girl.
    California distracted me and didn't allow me to obsess over the mess that was my love life. I worked my ass off from six am to six pm and collapsed in bed exhausted each night. I had weird dreams some nights, but most nights I slept sound. Every morning, I called Tiffany and every couple of days I called Carrington, the first out of obligation and the second out of need. I couldn't determine why I held on to Tiffany. Something about her made me not ready to give her up. I was punishing myself; I couldn't have the one I wanted, so I took what I thought I deserved.
    How fucked is that?
    I had spent a few days at home before I headed to New Orleans.
    After much convincing, Tiffany persuaded me to allow her to come for a couple of days. She said she had to talk to me about something and wanted to do it before heading back to campus in the fall.
    I couldn't imagine what she had on her mind. I didn't stress about it. The Manning Academy invited me to come work with the kids. It was an amazing honor, and I got to hang out with NFL quarterback legends like Peyton and Eli. I had attended the passing academy when I was in high school, so it was cool to return and pass on what I learned.
    When I arrived, I found Tiffany sitting by herself in the lounge off to the side of the lobby. Her yellow sundress fit her body and the contrast with her pale skin made her look older. I figured she would be happy to see me, but her eyes were bloodshot and puffy. She rubbed under her eyes and