“Thank you for helping me with this luncheon. And I’m glad you’re early enough to ride over with me.”
Ryla put her arm around Jaylen. “Well, it looks like I’ll always need to bring you with me when I have to deal with your daddy. You seem to put him in a good mood instantly.”
Noel lovingly pinched Jaylen’s cheeks. “Of course my little girl puts me in a good mood.”
“I’m your good-mood charm, huh, Daddy?”
Noel liked the sound of that. He had been disgruntled about so many things in life for way too long. Now that he was putting his life back on track, he needed a good mood charm to help him remember to smile and be thankful for the little things. “Yeah, baby girl, you’re definitely my good-mood charm. I’m just hoping that our donors will throw me some good moods today.”
“We really need a boost in our fundraiser to combat some of these negative attacks that your opponent has been airing,” Ian said, looking slightly worried.
“I don’t know how many times I have to tell you to stop worrying. I got this,” Noel said as he strutted out of the office with his two special ladies by his side.
* * *
The luncheon was held at the Hilton and was five-star all the way. Ryla stood by Noel’s side as he shook hands and rubbed elbows with constituents and big-money donors who didn’t even live in Texas. As she worked the room with him, Ryla found herself reminiscing on their college days. Even back then, Noel had known that he was destined to not just be somebody, but be that somebody who looked back, and helped the next one in line.
* * *
“Basketball isn’t my only dream,” Noel had told her while dribbling the ball that was never far from him. “I want to do something big. Something that’s not only about me, but that will help other people.”
“You’re so good at basketball, I’d never imagine that you would ever want to do anything else,” Ryla had said with the stardust of love and adoration in her eyes.
“Yeah, baby.” Dribble. Shoot. Swish. As the ball bounced back to him, he said, “With this ball in my hand, people stop and take notice. But one day, they’re going to notice me for a different reason.” He came and sat next to her on the bleachers. “I want other people to have the opportunity to become successful, too. I mean, I feel that I’m destined for greatness, but what about the people who can’t dribble and shoot like I can? What about the people in my old neighborhood who can’t afford a college education?”
“What do you think you can do to help them?”
“Well, I don’t know just yet, but I think about this kind of stuff all the time, you know.”
Noel scooted closer to her and looked into her eyes, and Ryla saw how serious he was about his dreams. It made her wish that she hadn’t grown up so spoiled and sheltered.
“My brother says that God has already given us everything we need to succeed,” Noel continued. “And if that is true, then once I’m done with basketball, I’m going to find a way to help thousands of people.”
“Wow” was all she could say, because she was so amazed that a guy with the potential that Noel had would even take time out of his day to worry about those less fortunate than him. He was truly a prince among men, and he was all hers.
* * *
At least Ryla had thought Noel was all hers at that time, until she had let Cathy drive her away from the only man she’d ever loved. But that was then and this was now. She looked up as Noel stood at the podium addressing his five-hundred-dollar-a-plate listeners.
“I want to thank you all for coming here this afternoon to show your support for my candidacy. I have dreamed about the day that my life would be used to help others, and because of your generosity, that day seems ever closer.” Noel glanced at Ryla, who sat on the right side of the podium with Jaylen seated next to her.
He turned back to his constituents and said, “And I guess it’s high time that I
Ryla put her arm around Jaylen. “Well, it looks like I’ll always need to bring you with me when I have to deal with your daddy. You seem to put him in a good mood instantly.”
Noel lovingly pinched Jaylen’s cheeks. “Of course my little girl puts me in a good mood.”
“I’m your good-mood charm, huh, Daddy?”
Noel liked the sound of that. He had been disgruntled about so many things in life for way too long. Now that he was putting his life back on track, he needed a good mood charm to help him remember to smile and be thankful for the little things. “Yeah, baby girl, you’re definitely my good-mood charm. I’m just hoping that our donors will throw me some good moods today.”
“We really need a boost in our fundraiser to combat some of these negative attacks that your opponent has been airing,” Ian said, looking slightly worried.
“I don’t know how many times I have to tell you to stop worrying. I got this,” Noel said as he strutted out of the office with his two special ladies by his side.
* * *
The luncheon was held at the Hilton and was five-star all the way. Ryla stood by Noel’s side as he shook hands and rubbed elbows with constituents and big-money donors who didn’t even live in Texas. As she worked the room with him, Ryla found herself reminiscing on their college days. Even back then, Noel had known that he was destined to not just be somebody, but be that somebody who looked back, and helped the next one in line.
* * *
“Basketball isn’t my only dream,” Noel had told her while dribbling the ball that was never far from him. “I want to do something big. Something that’s not only about me, but that will help other people.”
“You’re so good at basketball, I’d never imagine that you would ever want to do anything else,” Ryla had said with the stardust of love and adoration in her eyes.
“Yeah, baby.” Dribble. Shoot. Swish. As the ball bounced back to him, he said, “With this ball in my hand, people stop and take notice. But one day, they’re going to notice me for a different reason.” He came and sat next to her on the bleachers. “I want other people to have the opportunity to become successful, too. I mean, I feel that I’m destined for greatness, but what about the people who can’t dribble and shoot like I can? What about the people in my old neighborhood who can’t afford a college education?”
“What do you think you can do to help them?”
“Well, I don’t know just yet, but I think about this kind of stuff all the time, you know.”
Noel scooted closer to her and looked into her eyes, and Ryla saw how serious he was about his dreams. It made her wish that she hadn’t grown up so spoiled and sheltered.
“My brother says that God has already given us everything we need to succeed,” Noel continued. “And if that is true, then once I’m done with basketball, I’m going to find a way to help thousands of people.”
“Wow” was all she could say, because she was so amazed that a guy with the potential that Noel had would even take time out of his day to worry about those less fortunate than him. He was truly a prince among men, and he was all hers.
* * *
At least Ryla had thought Noel was all hers at that time, until she had let Cathy drive her away from the only man she’d ever loved. But that was then and this was now. She looked up as Noel stood at the podium addressing his five-hundred-dollar-a-plate listeners.
“I want to thank you all for coming here this afternoon to show your support for my candidacy. I have dreamed about the day that my life would be used to help others, and because of your generosity, that day seems ever closer.” Noel glanced at Ryla, who sat on the right side of the podium with Jaylen seated next to her.
He turned back to his constituents and said, “And I guess it’s high time that I
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