“I can do that, Dad,” Gavin said.
“I think she can handle it. Just clear out the gutters. We’ll be fine.”
Gavin looked at Mick, who frowned, but they finished up the gutter, and by the time Gavin climbed down the ladder and went in search of his dad, he was in the living room with a glass of water, his feet propped up on the ottoman. Elizabeth was in one of the chairs next to him.
Damn, she looked good in her cream-colored suit with a pale blue silk blouse underneath. Her heels showed off her killer legs, and he wanted to eat her up from top to bottom. He suddenly wanted to be alone with her, to talk to her, to get past this distance between them, to figure out what had gone wrong. But he just . . . couldn’t. There were things she just didn’t understand.
She looked up at him and offered up a smile, but it wasn’t the kind of smile he wanted to see from her. She was holding back, just like he was. “Your dad is doing so well. He walked all the way down to the corner and back.”
His father grinned. “Going to be kicking your ass in a game of hoops in no time, especially with that horrible diet of chicken, turkey, and fish your mother is making me eat.”
Gavin smiled. “It’s good for you, Dad.”
“Yeah, whatever. I miss French fries.”
“You’ll get over it,” Gavin said. “And you’ll lose that beer belly.”
“I miss beer, too.”
“You’ll get over that, too,” Mick said. “I did.”
“Get those gutters done?”
“Yup,” Gavin said. “All cleaned out.”
“Good. Mick, how about you and I go rustle up a turkey sandwich? I’m hungry.”
“Whatever you want, Dad.”
His father got up and followed Mick into the kitchen. Gavin took a seat on the sofa across from where Liz sat.
“He looks good,” she said.
“Yeah, he does.”
“He’s been home for a week and a half, Gavin. Your father is progressing remarkably well.”
“Yes, he is.”
“It’s time for you to get back to the game. You’ve missed enough.”
His smile died and he stood. “Don’t tell me what to do.”
She stood, too. “I’m your agent. It’s my job to tell you what to do. You don’t want to miss too much baseball. Your team is counting on you. You’re paid to play, in case you’ve forgotten.”
“I haven’t forgotten anything. The Rivers said I could take as much time as I needed to. Why are you pushing this?”
“I’m pushing because you don’t need to be here anymore. Mick and Tara are here to watch over your father and help out your mom. Jenna is taking care of the bar. Your father’s health is good. Half of your games are local, and you can check up on your dad when you’re here for home games. Your delay tactics are only hurting your career.”
“I’m not ready yet.”
“You’re not the one who had a heart attack and surgery, Gavin. It’s time for you to get back on the field.”
“And I’ll let you and the team know when I’m ready to get back on the field. Today isn’t the day.”
“Why are you being so stubborn about this?”
“Why are you being so insistent about it?”
“I’ll tell you why. Because she’s manipulating you for her own gain.”
Gavin shifted his focus to Mick, who leaned against the doorway to the living room.
Elizabeth did, too. “You stay the hell out of it. This is none of your business.”
Mick’s lips curled into a sneer. “When it affects my brother, it becomes my business. And I won’t let you do to him what you did to me.”
“Butt out, Mick. This doesn’t concern you. Gavin is my client, and I’m trying to get him to see that he needs to get back to work.”
“Oh, right. Like your only concern is Gavin. Please. I know you too well, Liz. I know you’re scared to death that you’re going to lose another moneymaker, that if he doesn’t get back to the game the Rivers might not pick up his next option, might not pay him so much money next time.”
She whirled on Mick. “You know what? That’s exactly right. And you know who that’s going to hurt? It’s going to hurt Gavin. And you know what else? If you’d pull your head out of your ass and stop thinking of yourself for one goddamn minute, you’d see that your brother is miserable and has been, that every time Stallings gets up to bat it kills him, that he wants to be on that field so bad it physically hurts him. But no, you’re so happy that he’s battling me that you can’t see past your own anger and spite to what’s best for Gavin. You only want to continue to get back at me, and by doing so you’re sabotaging your brother’s career when what you should be doing is kicking his ass right out of this house and encouraging him to get back in the game where he belongs. I’m ashamed of you, Mick. I thought you loved your brother.”
She turned to Gavin. “Look, I don’t know what your hang-up is about all this, but I love you and only want what’s best for you.”