I clasped the necklace around my neck. “Let’s hope so. We have a lot of work to do before we make it there.”
“You’ll make it. And as you know, I haven’t missed a game yet. Brent and I will be watching you on Sunday.” Soon she wasn’t going to be around to watch us.
A knock sounded on the door and Brent stuck his head in. “Hey, Mama, you doing okay?”
She waved him over and he sat down on the other side of her bed. “Thank you for taking care of me. I couldn’t have asked for better sons.”
We both took her hands and a tear rolled down her cheek. All my life, I was brought up to be strong, but I couldn’t keep the feelings in any longer. For the first time since I could remember, I let the tears fall. Brent didn’t say a word, nor did he look at me as we sat there staring at our mother in complete silence. She knew there was nothing she could say to make us feel better. Her death was inevitable and it was coming fast.
I wiped the tears angrily from my face and leaned over to kiss her cheek. “I love you, Mama.”
Lips trembling, she kissed me back. “I love you too. Make sure to kick straight.”
“I always do.”
Chapter 15
Bristol
Jack had texted me several times over the weekend and I could feel his pain. I wanted to hear his voice, but I didn’t want to push him. Males dealt with pain differently from females. They wanted to be the strong ones that held it together, and I could see the embarrassment in Jack’s face the other night when he broke down. There was nothing to be ashamed of in showing your feelings, but again, guys were different. For that matter, I didn’t like crying in front of others either.
Jack had been gone for three days now and it was already Sunday. I had no clue if he was coming back anytime soon or if he was going to stay until his mother passed. I’d given him a promise that I’d be here when he got back and I was going to keep it.
Pulling out my phone, I sent a text to my brother. It was something I always did on game days.
Me: Good luck today!
Ryan: Thanks, Bris. I’m going to need it.
Hopefully, everything would get squared away with his team. I hated seeing him so torn up about his teammates. They were all supposed to get along and work together. Who would have thought they’d end up acting like a bunch of girls in high school?
With Ryan gone for the weekend, I decided to treat myself to a decadent lunch. The sky was crystal clear, nothing but blue and wisps of white as I looked up. The cool breeze blew through the streets and I breathed it in. Fall was my favorite season, especially now that the leaves were finally turning colors. There was a restaurant close by that served country cooking and it was perfect for a Sunday afternoon. I’d done well enough all week with eating healthy that I could afford a day of fried food.
Before I could walk in the door to the restaurant, I heard my name from behind. “Bristol?” I turned around, and my client Jennifer Hallowell rushed up. “I thought it was you,” she said. She had her blond hair pulled high in a ponytail and was dressed in a skintight T-shirt and yoga pants.
“Hey, how are you? You working out?”
“Yep, just getting started. My fiancé lives a couple of blocks over, so when I stay with him I like to run around downtown. Want to join me?” she asked.
I glanced inside the restaurant and could just hear the fried chicken calling my name, but maybe Jennifer stopping me was a sign. “Sure, but I have to change first. If you want, you can come up with me. I live right there,” I said, pointing up at my building.
“Of course, I’d be happy to. If we talk about interior design you’re not going to charge me, are you?” she teased.
We both laughed and started down the sidewalk. “No, silly. I don’t have anyone to work out with other than my brother, so this will be a nice change.”
“Where is he today?” she asked.
She followed me inside my building and Stan, the security guard, waved as we walked past. “My brother’s the new quarterback for the Cougars. They have a game today in Florida, so he’s away.”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “Oh wow, you have a famous brother. I heard our quarterback got hurt, but I didn’t know who they had gotten to replace him.”
We rode the elevator up to my floor and I couldn’t help but smile. “Ryan Delaney is his name. He’s my half brother.”
When we got to my condo, I let her inside and she gasped. “This place is amazing. Let me guess, you decorated yourself?”
“You know it.” I laughed. “Let me hurry and change, and then I’ll be ready.”
She walked over to my windows and peered out. “No rush. I’ll just be admiring the view.” Digging in my drawers, I found a pair of yoga pants and a T-shirt. Once dressed, I joined her back in the living room. She glanced at her watch and then at me. “You do realize the Cougars start playing in an hour, right?”
I shrugged. “I don’t usually watch the games anymore. I dated a football player once and it was a huge mistake. If you follow the NFL, you might know him. His name is Mark Whitmore.”
She snorted. “Oh, I know who he is. I think every woman in this country knows as well.”
“Exactly my point. He was never satisfied with just one.” Bending down, I tied my tennis shoes and stretched. “You ready?”
“Yep, let’s go.” Once we were back outside and on the sidewalk, I let her set the pace at a soft jog. “I have to admit, you have a stronger willpower than me.”
“How so?” I asked, sucking in a breath.
“Being able to be around all those NFL players. Have you seen the guys on our team? They’re hot as hell.”
I burst out laughing. “I haven’t paid attention. Besides, I’m kind of dating someone now. He’s a designer like me, but he designs cars and motorcycles. I’ve sworn off football players.”
“Probably a smart thing,” she said. “I’d stay away from them if I were you.”
We turned the corner and my calves started to burn. “Couldn’t agree more.”
Chapter 16
Jaxon