TWENTY
ELIZABETH HAD BEEN
GLUED TO GAVIN’S SIDE FOR THE past two weeks. She’d told him there
was nothing so pressing with her work that it couldn’t be
rescheduled or handled by phone and laptop.
The Rivers
understood his dilemma with his father and had pulled someone up
from the minor leagues to take his place at first base. There was
no way Gavin was going to leave his father’s side right
now.
The surgery went
fine, thank God. Seeing his father after had just about done him
in. Hooked up to oxygen and IVs and beeping machines, his formerly
robust, rock of a father had been reduced to something Gavin hadn’t
wanted to admit.
His father was
human. Vulnerable. He could die. Mortality wasn’t something Gavin
ever wanted to think about, especially where his parents were
concerned. It wasn’t time yet. It wouldn’t be time for a while. A
long while.
He spent every
second he could at the hospital, helping his mother out until she
told him he was becoming annoying, which was okay because he knew
how stressed she was. Between him, Mick, Tara, and Jenna, they made
sure she was never alone. One of them always stood by her. His dad
slept a lot after the surgery, or at least he tried to. When he
wasn’t sleeping, he was either being poked and prodded by the
nursing staff or hauled off somewhere for some test.
How the hell were
patients supposed to recover in the hospital when the staff never
let them sleep?
They’d dragged his
dad’s ass out of bed the day after surgery, something that
surprised the hell out of Gavin. He and Mick even questioned the
nursing staff about it, and Mick went on the hunt for the cardiac
surgeon, certain the nurses were out of their goddamned minds. But
the staff assured them the sooner they got his dad out of the bed
and walking around, the quicker he would recover.
Four days post
surgery, his father was walking up and down the halls, no longer
connected to tubes or IVs, and eating solid food again, something
his dad was damned happy about. He’d been anxious to go home. The
doctor had said maybe the next day if he continued to be a pain in
the ass and a medical miracle, and performed as well as he had
been. His dad said he’d run around the damn nurse’s station if
that’s what it took to get him discharged.
That made Gavin
smile. His dad cranky and impatient? Yeah, that sounded normal to
him.
True to his word,
his father had walked the entire floor. They’d discharged him the
next day.
Maybe his mother
could get some sleep at home.
They’d been home for
three days, all of them going in and out all day long. Jenna, Tara,
and Elizabeth had made a grocery store run the day they’d brought
his dad home so Mom wouldn’t have to worry about having food in the
house. Since Dad wouldn’t be able to take the stairs for a while,
they’d set up the downstairs guest room as their master bedroom for
the time being, something Dad hated but he’d just have to deal
with. At least he was home, and he was happy about
that.
Not that Mom was
going to let him prop his feet up in his favorite chair and veg.
She had him up twice a day for walks around the house and in the
backyard, the best he could do the first week. She was like a drill
sergeant. She had his schedule mapped out and knew what to feed
him, knew what his exercise schedule was down to the hour and
minute of the day, knew what pills he was supposed to take and when
his doctors’ appointments were. And she at least allowed her kids
to help.
Jenna had gone back
to manning the bar since they’d enlisted aunts, uncles, and cousins
to take over while they were standing vigil at the hospital. The
bar didn’t run itself, though, and Jenna was itching to get back to
work.
Gavin, not so
much.
Gavin sat in the
living room with his dad, Mick, and Elizabeth. Tara had taken Mom
to the grocery store to pick up a few things.
They were watching a
baseball game. A Rivers game to be exact. It was a doubleheader
against San Francisco.
“The first baseman
they brought up from the minors is pretty good.”
Gavin acknowledged
his father’s comment, trying not to pay attention to the hotshot
twenty-one-year-old scooping up the grounder and dashing to first
base for the out.
“He’s
decent.”
Elizabeth squeezed
his shoulder. She sat on the edge of the chair with
him.
“Might be time for
you to get back to work before they replace you with someone
younger.”
Gavin laughed. “I’m
hardly out to pasture at twenty-nine, Dad. I’ve got a lock-solid
contract. The kid there is a temp. They’ll shoot him back to the
minors as soon as I come back.”
His dad reached for
his glass of water. “I’m doing fine here, kid. You need to get back
to work.”
“I’ll get back to
work soon enough. No hurry, Dad. And don’t worry about my job. It’s
secure. I have a great agent, here.” He patted Lizzie’s hand and
stared up at her. She gave him a half smile.
“What? You think I
should go back to work, too?”
“I think your father
is doing well. It’s off season for Mick. He can be here to watch
over your father.”
“Yeah, Elizabeth
doesn’t want to lose another meal ticket.”
Elizabeth tensed but
didn’t say anything.
Gavin’s gaze shot to
Mick. “You can stay out of this conversation.”
Mick shrugged. “I’m
in the room. Hard to stay out of it.”
“Mick. Butt out,”
their dad said, then turned his attention back to Gavin. “But
Elizabeth’s right. I’m right. You need to be playing
ball.”
“I’ll get back to
it, Dad.”
“When?”
“Soon.”
The Rivers were up
to bat. The kid—Chris Stallings—hit a line drive past the shortstop
and got on base. Gavin tried not to wince.
“He can hit, too.
He’s been hitting the ball since he came up.”
“Because pitchers
haven’t seen his stuff. Once they do, they’ll strike him out. He’s
just lucky right now.”
Mick
snorted.
Fortunately, Tara
and his mom got back. Elizabeth left to help them with groceries,
and Gavin sank deeper in the chair as Stallings made a couple of
diving catches and then hit a home run in the eighth inning to take
the Rivers up two runs over San Francisco.
Shit.
Not that Gavin
wanted the kid to suck. His team needed to win. But did Stallings
have to be so damn good? Gavin wanted his team to win on some of
the other players’ shoulders.
“Come on. Time for
your walk,” his mother said to his dad after the game.
“It’s a
doubleheader.”
“You’ll be back
before the second game.” She looked at Gavin and Mick. “Girls are
starting dinner. You two can fire up the grill.”
“Yes,
ma’am.”
He and Mick took the
chicken outside. Gavin grabbed a beer, Mick a soda.
“So do you agree
with Dad? Should I head back?”
Mick flipped the
chicken, then closed the grill lid. “I think you should do whatever
the hell you want to do.”
“If it were football
season, what would you do?”
Mick lifted his gaze
to Gavin’s. “It’s not football season.”
“That’s not an
answer.”
“It’s your career,
man. We’ve got it covered here, but I understand where you’re
coming from. I probably wouldn’t want to leave right now, either.
That was some scary shit that went down with Dad.”
Gavin nodded. “I’m
afraid if I leave, something will happen and I won’t be
here.”
“Can’t stay forever,
though. In sports your name and your presence is
everything.”
“I’ll know when the
time is right.”
“Yeah, you
will.”
AFTER DINNER,
ELIZABETH HELPED WITH THE DISHES, then went looking for Gavin. She
found him out back cleaning the grill.
“Chicken was
good.”
He smiled at her.
“Yeah, it was.”
“Your mother is
awesome the way she’s taken control over everything. How she
handles it all . . .”
“She holds up well.
She’s got him home, and he’s going to be fine.”
She sat on one of
the patio chairs. “Yes, he’s going to be fine. Which means you need
to get back to work.”
He paused, stared at
the grill. “Not yet.”
“Gavin, you need to
work.”
“I’m not ready yet,
Lizzie. A few more days, just to make sure he’s okay.”
“You’re not really
doing anything here, Gavin, other than driving yourself crazy. Your
dad is on the mend. Mick is here to help out your mom. Jenna has
the bar under control. Tara is local, too. Your dad has plenty of
help.”
His gaze shot to
hers. “I said I’m not ready yet.”
“What are you so
afraid of?”
“The question is,
Elizabeth, what are you so afraid of? That Gavin will be replaced,
and you’ll lose more money?”
She turned her gaze
on Mick, who pushed the screen door open and stepped out
back.
She knew this
conversation should have waited until they were back at Gavin’s
house. But he’d been so tense lately, and watching that game today
had nearly done him in.
He needed to get
back to work. Not for her. God, not for her.
For
himself.
“Mick, please. Let
me have a minute with Gavin.”
“Why? So you can
needle him about how important it is that he play for the Rivers?
God, Elizabeth, don’t you ever let up? Is the job always number one
to you?”
She stood, wiped her
hands down the sides of her Capris. “It’s not like that. I was
just—”
“I know what you
were just. You were just going to convince Gavin that time is
money. Play is money. Image is everything, and if he doesn’t get
out on the field, he’s losing image points. Possible contract
renegotiation position. I know how you think.”
She shook her head.
“No, you don’t. If you’d just let me—”
“Can’t you just for
one second think about someone else besides yourself and your
career and what’s important to you? What about Gavin, my mother, my
father? What about what’s important to them? Did you once stop to
think that maybe my mom needs Gavin here for emotional
support?”
“I did. I
thought—”
“No, you didn’t
think at all about that. All you thought about was getting Gavin
back on the ball field, so millions of people could see him play.
God forbid he’s not out there front and center, on television, in
the media. I know the game, Liz. I know your game. And this time
I’m not going to let you use Gavin to play it.”
Her gaze shot to
Gavin, who hadn’t said a word.
Didn’t he know?
Didn’t he understand what she was trying to do?
He didn’t. He
believed every word Mick said. He thought it was about the money,
the PR, the face time. Not about what was best for Gavin the
person, what was best for him inside.
Tears pricked her
eyes, and she’d be damned if she’d cry in front of
them.
“I’m
sorry.”
She brushed past
Mick and opened the screen door, past Tara and Gavin’s
mom.
“Elizabeth. What’s
wrong?”
“I’m sorry. I have
to go.”
Tears blinded her as
she grabbed her purse and fled to the front door. She pulled it
open and ran to her car, peeled out of the driveway and hit the
street. She hoped like hell Gavin wouldn’t come after
her.
He wouldn’t. She
already knew he wouldn’t.
Gavin had believed
Mick. Mick’s words had sunk in, had made sense to him. Otherwise,
he’d have spoken up, would have said something, would have stopped
Mick from saying those awful things.
But he
hadn’t.
Deep down Gavin
believed Elizabeth was just as bad as Mick thought she
was.
She should have seen
it, should have known.
At least now she
did.
It was
over.
GAVIN WAS SUCH AN
ASSHOLE. HE’D STOOD THERE AND listened to Mick make those
accusations against Elizabeth and hadn’t said a goddamned
word.
So fucking typical,
wasn’t it? Mick, the big brother, who always knew what was best,
right?
Only maybe this time
he was right.
Gavin wasn’t ready
to go back to the game yet. Mom needed him. So did Dad. And
Elizabeth was probably anxious about Gavin missing so many games.
She had his professional interests in mind, not his personal
ones.
Didn’t
she?
Mick had just stood
there and stared at him after Elizabeth ran inside, then said, “You
know I’m right about this. Open your eyes and see her for who she
really is before she hurts you.”
Then he’d gone
inside, leaving Gavin alone out there with his
thoughts.
All his
thoughts.
Only he wasn’t sure
which thoughts were the right ones.
“Gavin, what
happened?”
His mother stepped
outside, a dish towel in her hand.
Gavin bent his head
over the grill and scrubbed. “Nothing.”
“Elizabeth ran out
of here, and I’m pretty sure she was crying. That doesn’t seem like
nothing.”
He shrugged. “I’ll
handle it.”
“Did Michael say
something to her?”
“Probably nothing
that wasn’t the truth.”
She took a seat on
the chair. “Expand on that.”
“She wanted me to go
back to the game.”
“And?”
“Mick accused her of
selfish interests. That she’s only concerned I’ll be
replaced.”
“And you said what
to that?”
He lifted his gaze
to his mother. “I said nothing.”
“So basically you
allowed your brother to insult the woman you love, and you didn’t
say a word.”
He frowned. “I don’t
love her.”
“Is that
right?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re sure about
that? Because from what I’ve seen of the two of you together, it
seems to me you do love her.”
“Don’t tell me how I
feel, Mom. We’ve had some fun together. That’s all it
is.”
His mom tilted her
head and gave him her trademark bullshit look. “You’re so good at
denying how you feel.”
He didn’t
respond.
“But she’s also your
agent. It’s her job to look out for your career.”
“True.”
“And her doing so
means she should be lambasted by your brother just because he
carries a grudge?”
“That’s his issue to
deal with.”
“And you let him
continue to do so, with a woman you’ve been seeing and should at
least care enough about to defend. I raised you better than that,
Gavin.”
He inhaled, let it
out, closed the grill, and jammed his fingers through his hair. “I
don’t know. This is all so complicated. It wasn’t supposed to be
complicated.”
He sat in the chair
next to hers. She smiled at him and took his hand. “Relationships
are always complicated, Gavin.”
“It’s not what I set
out to have with Lizzie. It was just supposed to be something
fun.”
“Have you been
having fun with her?”
“Yes.”
“So what
happened?”
“No clue. I guess
somewhere along the way something happened.”
“Something like . .
. love?”
He’d never wanted
that to enter the picture. Not with Elizabeth. But maybe it had,
and he just hadn’t realized it. He sure as hell didn’t want to talk
about it with his mother. “I don’t know, Mom. Honestly, I don’t
know. I feel something for her. I don’t know what it
is.”
“Maybe it’s time you
stop running away from it and figure it out.”
“I don’t know if I
want to. Elizabeth isn’t easy.”
She laughed.
“Neither, my sweet boy, are you.”
THE SECOND GAME WAS
WELL UNDER WAY BY THE TIME Gavin joined his dad in the living
room.
They sat in silence
and watched for a while. Mick and Tara had gone home, and Jenna was
at the bar.
The Rivers were
behind one run in the seventh inning. The middle of the order was
up to bat.
“Your replacement is
two for three so far in this game. Stole a base in the third, and
drove in a run in the fifth.”
“That’s good. Let’s
hope we can win.”
More silence while
one player hit a grounder to third for the first out, and the
second batter popped out to right field.
Stallings was up
next. Gavin leaned forward to study the kid. Decent batting stance;
wasn’t afraid of the pitcher’s curveball or his fastball. Wasn’t
fooled easily as he took two balls and one strike. When a pitch
came sailing over the plate, he launched it over the left field
fence for a home run.
Shit. The kid was
good.
“Too bad there
wasn’t anyone on base,” his dad said.
“Yeah. Too
bad.”
Gavin leaned
back.
“Saw Elizabeth
hightailing it out of here earlier. You piss her off?”
“No. Mick
did.”
“About?”
“Don’t worry about
it, Dad. You just need to rest.”
His dad leaned
forward. “Stop treating me like an invalid. I never had high blood
pressure so it’s not like I’m going to explode over
here.”
Gavin glanced over
to his mother, who was sitting in her chair sewing something by
hand. She didn’t look concerned or give him a warning look. In
fact, she didn’t look up at all.
“Well?”
“Elizabeth suggested
I get back to the game. Mick accused her of trying to manipulate me
for her own personal gain.”
His dad snorted.
“Your brother isn’t thinking clearly where Elizabeth is concerned,
and it’s damn time he got over it already. And didn’t I tell you
the same thing? That kid is looking like a hotshot at first base.
I’ll bet he makes a damn site less than you do, too.”
Gavin sank into the
chair and didn’t say anything. The Rivers were out as the next
batter swung on a good pitch.
“So what did you say
while Mick was reading the riot act to Elizabeth?”
“Nothing.”
“You’re dating her,
and you didn’t defend her?”
Gavin felt like he
was eight years old again. Getting a lecture from his dad had never
felt good then, and it didn’t now. “No.”
“Because you think
she’s manipulating you, that she only cares about your career and
not you?”
“I don’t know what
to think.”
“And here I thought
I raised smart boys. Right now I’m thinking you’re both dumber than
dirt.”
Right now that’s
about how Gavin felt.