“I’m sorry about your ring, sweetie. But I told you everything was going to be okay, and it is.”
What the hell was happening here? I just lost my job, lost the man I loved, for what? “Is this another one of Dad’s famous ‘one more big payout’ schemes?” I asked.
“No. He’s not gambling. He hasn’t for months.” She looked at me and patted my hand. “He’s been in treatment, doing really well. His debt has been wiped clean by Rhett. He just has to agree to go to New York and help coach the team.”
My mouth dropped. Rhett paid the million dollars for my dad? Why? I knew they were friends long ago, but I didn’t realize they were that close. And coaching for the Beasts?
“I think it will be good for him to be back on the field, even if he isn’t playing. He’s missed that environment. I believe that’s what caused the gambling problem in the first place. He was bored, restless.” My mother looked so peaceful, so happy. It was hard for me to be angry, but I was.
She was right about Dad and baseball. Without it, he was a mess, he’d proven that. But, why the Beasts?
“Where would you live?” I asked, realizing I meant to say we. Where would we live?
“New York, of course,” she said without hesitation.
I didn’t want to live in New York. Not if I would have to see Todd, and if Dad worked for the team, I’d have to see him. Lana had humiliated me in front of Rhett, the entire team, I couldn’t face them again. No way.
“So I could stay in the condo here in Georgia?” I asked.
She laughed softly. “That will be sold and Rhett will find us a place there.”
“If Rhett’s finding you a place there, why can’t you just keep the condo, at least long enough for me to get back on my feet?” I pleaded.
“I’m pretty sure Rhett said he was selling the place. That’s not really up to us,” she said.
I pushed until I found out that Rhett had purchased the condo and leased it to my parents for a dollar a month. Jesus, so I got my job out of pity, charity, what? No wonder Lana hated me. She knew I was a spoiled little brat who was still living in her daddy’s shadow. I hadn’t realized it, but she must’ve.
It was a relief to pull into the parking lot of their four-story condo building. “Hey, Kit-Kat,” Dad greeted me at the door.
His hands were bandaged, casts on every finger, except the middle one on the right hand. Tears welled up in my eyes at the sight of him. “I’m sorry I was so hateful, Daddy,” I cried, throwing myself into his arms.
“You had every right to be, Kit-Kat,” he whispered in my ear.
“I’m sorry I caused you so much trouble,” he said, tears already streaming down his face.
It was the first time I’d seen my dad cry. It was humbling.
“I’m sure you’re probably tired. You have a room already made up for you,” he said, releasing me from his hug. It was strange not to feel his fingers touching my back, but instead, cold, hard, nubby casts.
“Will you be able to use them again?” I asked, eyeing his disfigured hands.
“Oh, hell yeah. You can’t stop the Spaceman that easily,” he boasted.
My mother dragged my suitcases down the narrow hall, banging them along the way until she disappeared into the door on the right. I guessed my room.
“Why don’t you get settled in and get some rest, then we’ll talk,” Bobby smiled and winked after he spoke.
I gave my dad a quick kiss on the cheek and walked down the hallway to the room my mom had disappeared into. “Thank you for letting me stay here,” I said as Mom turned to me.
“Where else would you stay?” she asked sweetly.
“I’m just grateful.”
Her smile was warm and her eyes soft as she opened her arms for me to slide in between. I was relieved that the danger was behind us, but I still feared what beasts were in our future. “I can’t go back to New York,” I blurted out, pulling from my mother’s warm embrace.
She stared at me for a moment without speaking. Her eyes remained soft and kind, and her smile welcoming and warm. “Everything will be okay,” she repeated her mantra.
That was easy for her to say. She wasn’t the one who’d made a fool of herself. She wasn’t the one who had a woman who hated her trying to ruin her reputation at this very moment.
“Get some rest. You’ll see. Everything will be just fine,” she insisted.
A soft kiss on the cheek, a small squeeze of my arm, and she left me alone in my new room. It was plain, with white walls, one square window that overlooked the tennis courts, and beige carpet. Blah.
I picked up my suitcase, placing it carefully on the small twin bed. The frame looked cheap and rickety. I was afraid the weight of my suitcase would cause it to crumble to the ground. I wasn’t sure I felt safe sleeping on such a flimsy bed.
“I forgot to give you clean towels,” Janice said, walking back into my room.
“So, if Rhett is so generous, why didn’t he get you guys a better place?” I asked, unable to control my curiosity any longer.
“He did. There were several places he tried to buy. Your dad wanted this one.”
That surprised me. “Why?”
“He planned on paying Rhett back, every dime. He knew that his royalty checks were dwindling fast, and if he picked up a regular job, this was all he could afford.”
My heart swelled in my chest at my dad’s pride. The place suddenly looked much better to me. The walls weren’t so plain, and the carpet not so bad. Hell, even the tennis courts looked good now.
“Rhett told him he didn’t want him to pay him back, but you know Bobby can’t accept anything for free,” she said with a fond smile.
“But he took the million dollars,” I probed.
“Only because he was worried about you being involved. He wouldn’t have if it was just for him. That’s why he agreed to the coaching gig in New York. It’s a quicker way to pay Rhett back.”
Now there was no way I could be angry about the coaching job or the move. If he could swallow his pride for me, I certainly could swallow mine for him.
The doorbell rang, pulling my mother’s attention toward my door. “I better get that. Your dad can’t turn the knob,” she said, playfully mocking his actions with her own hands.
She rushed out of my room. I heard the front door open, and a male voice that even though faint, I found familiar. “Kat, there’s someone here to see you,” my mother said, peeking into my room.
My heart pounded as Todd stepped into my doorway, still wearing his uniform from practice. I was in shock, my heart actually stopped for a second, and I thought I’d pass out.
This couldn't be real. He wasn't really here. I must've still been asleep on the plane between that large man and young kid. “I tried to call you,” he finally spoke.
“You’re really here?” I asked softly, still not sure.
He moved closer as Mom disappeared, a quick wink and smile offered as she left. His hand touched my arm, and my head immediately tilted toward it. “You’re really here,” I gasped.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
He lifted a finger to stroke my cheek. “I couldn’t let you leave.”
I nuzzled my face in his palm, absorbing his warmth. “I didn’t have much of a choice.”