by Robyn M Ryan
“Indescribable. How did you know to look for that? It’s majestic.”
“Not sure. Maybe on vacation one summer. My dad likes to fish. He may have taught me to look for that flash.”
Lauren sighed as she reached for her glass of water. “Felt a lot like waiting for the new year—much more beautiful and special. I could watch this every day…only with you.”
“Maybe after the season, we can rent a cottage at the beach. End every day with a perfect sunset.”
Lauren couldn’t hold her smile. “Mr. Martin, you have such a romantic side. I never would have guessed after watching you check players against the boards. My guy has two very different natures.”
“Only two? You’re crushing me, squirt.”
“I can add a few more, Marty—I’ll tell you later when it’s just you and me.” She saw the hint of a smug smile as his eyes changed to dark chocolate. “Right now, I’m enjoying your romantic side.”
#
After dinner, they enjoyed a leisurely moonlit walk along the white sand beach. “Can you imagine living directly on a beach? Step outside and have all this?” Lauren danced a few feet in front of Dave, spinning in a three-hundred- and sixty-degree circle with her arms extended. “Smell the air, hear the waves, watch the birds…” She grabbed his arm and pressed against his side. “And sunsets every day.” Lauren’s green eyes sparkled in the moonlight, and her mood proved infectious.
“That could go on my bucket list, squirt. If we build a house to withstand double or triple the code for hurricanes.”
“I hadn’t thought about that.” Dave closed his arm around Lauren as she shivered. “You’d never try to ride out a hurricane, would you?”
He shrugged. “Depends how large and how strong the storm’s projected… Mandatory evacuations—hit the road—where to go in Florida may prove challenging.”
“Kelly told Caryn Disney World’s the best place to go. They have all those back-up generators and stuff. Caryn and Andrew were joking about buying a condo inside the park. I don’t know if they actually did.”
“What about that storm several years ago? Remember when all the water got sucked out of the Bay?”
“Kinda. Kelly said they have had no problems out by the neighborhood. Wonder if they lived here during that storm.” Lauren intertwined her fingers with his. “At least it’s not hurricane season now.”
“You sure about that?” Dave couldn’t resist teasing her. Lauren stopped, and he saw the green eyes laser focus on his.
“April? I’m pretty sure hurricane season doesn’t start this early.” She started to continue, but the buzzing of her cell phone interrupted her thoughts. She slipped it from her clutch purse and glanced at the screen. Trevor. “I should take this, Marty, do you mind?”
“No, go ahead.” He nodded toward some wooden benches at the top of the beach. He watched Lauren swipe the phone and speak to her brother-in-law. She wandered toward the bench, and Dave hung back, giving her privacy. He hoped the situation with Cassie resolved peacefully, no matter the ruling on the emergency injunction. Lauren’s self-imposed guilt’s off the chart already. Wish she’d understand none of this falls on her, no matter the family dynamics.
He watched as Lauren ended the call, then held the phone where she could see the screen and pressed it. Calling her sister? Cassie? He took a few steps toward her as Lauren turned and leaned an elbow against the back of the bench. He couldn’t hear the conversation but noted the signs of growing agitation. Her voice rose, and she shook her head in disagreement with whomever she’d called. After she ended the call, she looked at the screen for a long time before setting the phone on the bench beside her. She brushed the hair away from her face, her shoulders shaking. Although she hid her face, Dave guessed she struggled to contain her emotions, and he fought an urge to sweep her into his arms and erase her problems.
Instead, he approached slowly and then sat on the bench beside her, slipping her phone into his pocket. He gently touched her shoulder, and Lauren turned toward him and pressed her face against his chest. She gripped him but didn’t speak.
After holding her close for several minutes, Dave pressed his lips against the top of her head. “The call about Cassie?”
He felt her nod against his chest. “The hearing sounds like a disaster. Trevor said he and Amanda got into a verbal battle outside the courtroom, continued during the hearing, and now the judge has ordered a caseworker to visit each home and report in a week. Until then nothing changes.”
“Cassie in court with them?”
“She didn’t handle things well at all. She told the judge she doesn’t want to live with either Amanda or Trevor now. Hence, the home visits.” She pulled away until she could meet his eyes. “Everything’s spiraled out of control.”
“Could she live here for a while?” Dave brushed the hair away from her cheek and tucked it behind an ear.
“I offered. Amanda told me ‘absolutely not’—plus she has Cassie’s passport locked up.” Lauren managed a smile. “My family’s so screwed up—you might want to run the other way.”
“Not a chance.” He punctuated the words with a soft kiss. “If you visited Vancouver, would that help?”
“Right now?” Lauren shrugged. “Probably make everything worse. They need to get through the home visits before I add any additional stress to the situation.”
“You do know she’s welcome here, any time?”
She nodded as she pressed her hand against his cheek. “I do know that. That’s so incredibly generous to offer. That’s one reason I lo…” She bit her lip before completing the word. “Why I know you’re a good man…My man.” She flashed a small smile as she stumbled through the statement, avoiding his eyes.
Dave pretended not to notice and tipped her chin until her eyes reluctantly met his. “My girl, with the biggest heart and the most generous spirit. I know it hurts when people you love reject your help, babe. Things will work out eventually.”
“I can pray you’re correct.” Lauren slipped her arms around his neck and kissed him. “I don’t want this to spoil our date. I love your secret plans.”
“And more to come,” he promised.
#
Lauren stuffed the conversations with Trevor and Amanda into their compartment, determined not to let their insanity ruin this incredible evening with her Marty. Get a grip, Gentry. You almost used the L-word. Want to scare him off? She squeezed his hand as they walked back toward the restaurant, then pointed to the sky when she saw a shooting star. “Did you see that?”
“The meteor?”
“A shooting star,” Lauren insisted. “Did you make a wish?”
“Maybe.”
She glanced at his face—he gave nothing away. “I always do…though it’s been a long time since I’ve seen one.” She rested her head against his shoulder. “Another perfect memory for tonight. You do plan the best surprises, Mr. Martin.”
29
LAUREN TREASURED EACH day with Dave, but she continued to worry that her ghosts from Vancouver would destroy any hope of a permanent commitment. If he knew the Lauren I discarded when I left Vancouver…I’m so not the person he thinks he knows. After the things I did in secondary school, I shouldn’t feel threatened by any of those puck bunnies. After all, I wasn’t any different when I thought I knew the way to attract a guy. You know how well that worked for you, Gentry.
Lauren realized her dreams took them far beyond their current relationship status, but she had fallen hard for her Marty. Their exclusive relationship no longer frightened her. She worried they’d both end up hurt if—when—he discovered the truth. She didn’t think she was in love, but Lauren couldn’t deny the happiness she experienced each morning from the minute they awakened. Or how much she missed him when the team traveled to road games. A piece of her heart went with Dave each day they were apart.
Was it love? How would she know? She’d never felt the emotion that he could awaken with a mere touch, a simple wink, a soft kiss, a
few words. Sexually, they were beyond compatible, combustible when together. That chemistry had existed since the first time they’d met. What she felt now was different and more than a bit frightening. What bothered Lauren the most? The fear she’d sabotage their relationship because she didn’t deserve Dave.
When several days passed without hearing from either Trevor or Amanda about the home visits, Lauren’s thoughts raced through every scenario. They had placed Cassie in a foster family…Amanda kept custody and continued to control Cassie’s life…Cassie lived with Trevor’s family, but could not contact her…Cassie no longer wished to keep a relationship with her. The stakes were high, and after all, Lauren was not actually a member of their family.
Amanda’s my sister, but she’s made it clear she wants nothing to do with me. Did she accept me as long as I agreed to her every suggestion? I so wanted her to love me. I did everything I could to please her. Tried to help around the house after Cassie was born…in my clumsy, limited way. Seven-year-olds didn’t always put things where they belong, and more than once, “helpful” became synonymous with…broken dishes, dropped garbage bags, spilled formula, nuked sandwiches in the microwave. Through it all, though, neither Amanda nor Trevor ever showed a sign of disapproval or anger. Lauren’s memories of her time with her parents dimmed until she saw Trevor and Amanda as her parents and baby Cassie as her sister. Never thought that would change.
She sighed as she pushed the thoughts aside and logged into Cam’s Instagram account. A long trail of pictures and comments awaited her approval. She knew he included some just to annoy her, and those were easy to delete. With other posts, she explained why she had not approved a photo or a video post. The majority represented his personality well—those continued to his feed. He made a habit of including a candid picture of Dave each day—sometimes in the hotel lobby, on the team bus, or interacting with fans before and after games. That boy tries to annoy me by slipping in photos of Marty near beautiful women at team celebrations. Especially photos of Marsha hovering just a little too close to my man. She saved these to a special “puck bunny” folder and couldn’t stop herself from dissecting them later…was Dave ever with the same woman twice?
She downloaded some of her favorite candid photos to add to her main photo library. Cam would probably stop taking these pictures if he knew that. Brat. He really is a pesky little brother. To his credit, Cam learned what was acceptable and what to keep private.
She walked over to Caryn’s home after checking in on her clients for the day. This close to the playoffs, most were cutting back on Twitter, Instagram, and other platforms. Once the playoffs began, they paused all accounts. Those whose teams had not made the playoffs generally took time off to regroup. A few weeks later, their agents would send vacation photos and a schedule of planned summer activities.
When she entered the house, Lauren found Caryn in the kitchen with Jenna and Daniel strapped into their infant bouncer seats. Jenna eagerly opened her mouth for the cereal Caryn offered. Daniel’s hands flayed angrily as he waited his turn.
“Need some help?”
Caryn handed Lauren a baby spoon. “Mr. Daniel’s in a me-first mood today.”
“Well, we can fix that, can’t we, Danny?” Lauren grinned as she offered a tiny spoonful of cereal. Daniel’s mouth opened in anticipation, then swallowed some and made bubbles with the rest. Lauren grabbed the nearby diaper to wipe his mouth. “You’re so silly.”
“That’s his new trick. Thinks it’s hilarious. Watch out—I’m usually wearing rice cereal by the time he’s full.”
Lauren indicated the T-shirt she wore. “No great problem. One perk of working at home.” She updated Caryn on her clients and Cam’s latest attempts to annoy her. “It’s like he knows I don’t like Marsha and goes out of his way to include pictures of her trying to get close to my guy.”
Caryn choked back a laugh. “So immature. We’ll turn the tables on him one of these days. But overall you think he’s improving?”
Lauren offered Daniel another spoon of cereal that he eagerly swallowed. “Cam’s learning his boundaries…Just thinks he’s clever trying to get me to react.”
“Still not a fan of Marsha?”
“Nope. I feel bad for Angela. I bet most of the work is falling on her.” This time Daniel sprayed a mouthful of cereal at Lauren’s face, then laughed. “You think you’re too cute, Mr. Daniel.” Lauren wiped the cereal from her eyes and face. “You’re adorable anyway.”
“Go wash up and grab a clean shirt,” Caryn urged.
Lauren licked some of the cereal from her lips. “I wouldn’t eat this either, little man.” She set the spoon down and looked at Caryn as she stood. “Now, which one of you taught him this trick?”
“Neither.” Caryn struggled to swallow a giggle. “I’m asking Drew’s mom next time I talk with her. Danny thinks he’s funny.”
Lauren splashed water on her face and ran her fingers through her hair to remove cereal particles. She wiped her face with a paper towel, then returned to her seat.
“You have cereal in your eyebrows.”
Lauren laughed, then handed Caryn her cell phone. “Take a picture of my failed attempt to feed your son.”
“I’ve looked much worse.”
“I want to send it to Marty. Give him a laugh.” Lauren moved so that she and Daniel were together, and she held up the spoon and the tiny jar of cereal.
Caryn giggled when she saw the photo. “You’re nuts, but this is darling. I’ll make sure Dave doesn’t post it.”
“He wouldn’t with Danny in the photo. Me alone, of course, he would!”
After the twins settled down for their afternoon nap, Lauren joined Caryn pool side, enjoying the perfect spring day. “Why did I ever stay in St. Louis after you and Andrew moved here?”
Caryn softly laughed as she caught Lauren’s eyes. “You’ll never admit it, but you did not want to leave St. Louis as long as Dave Martin lived there nine months of the year.”
Lauren rolled her eyes in a quiet denial. “I can count on two hands the times we spoke after you and Andrew left. I had no reason to stay because of Marty.”
“Look at you two now.”
Lauren shrugged. “We’re enjoying life as it comes. I’m not expecting forever, Caryn.”
“And Dave?”
“I doubt he’s thinking beyond this season.” She saw the skeptical expression cross her friend’s face. “We’re not like you and Andrew. You were soulmates from the day you met.”
“Not quite. Anyway, when’s Cassie’s graduation? Have you made your reservations?”
“Near the end of May. I haven’t made reservations because I haven’t received an invitation.” Lauren’s gaze fell on the water sparkling under the sunlight. “I haven’t spoken to anyone since before the court-mandated home visits. I’m in the dark—obviously, I’m not included in their family any longer.”
“Lauren, you don’t believe that?”
“What else should I think? Even Trevor didn’t call back after the initial court appearance. Amanda made her opinion crystal clear.”
“Do you need an invitation to attend?”
“Yes. When I graduated, the school allotted students four tickets, and you had to pre-purchase tickets to the graduation dinner. It’s not like I could just show up.”
“Have you asked Amanda about it?”
Lauren shook her head as she continued to stare at the water. “I’m hoping I’ll hear something from her. I can’t call her and ask—what if she says I’m not welcome?”
“That’s ridiculous, Lauren! This is your family.”
Lauren glanced at Caryn. “Technically, no. Amanda and Trevor were my guardians, but never adopted me. I don’t share their last name and they have zero responsibility for me now. Maybe I’ve just been fooling myself thinking I was part of their family.” She laughed without humor. “I keep telling you how dysfunctional—how screwed up—my family is.”
“Why don’t you email Amanda instead o
f assuming you’re not invited? You know, things might be hectic for all of them.”
“Sure. Why not? I’ll think about it.” Lauren changed the subject. “So beautiful in Tampa today. Out in Calgary and Winnipeg, not so great, unless you like snow. Why don’t we grab some sun and send some selfies to Andrew and Marty?”
“You enjoy tormenting Dave?”
“You bet! If I must see Cam’s daily portfolio of candid ‘Dave Martin surrounded by beautiful women,’ it won’t hurt to remind him what he’s missing back in Tampa.”
30
LAUREN PROCRASTINATED SEVERAL days before dropping a simple email to her sister. She acted as if nothing had happened and perhaps Amanda would reply in the same manner. Maybe she’s embarrassed by the whole situation and has hesitated to contact me? Just like I’ve felt sorry for myself and too stubborn to make the first move. She hoped Caryn was correct that she had assumed problems where none existed.
She crafted an upbeat email inquiring about graduation plans. She included an update on her current work contracts and included the cereal disaster photo to lighten the tone. Lauren reread it at least ten times before she pressed send, her heart in her throat as she feared the response. She purposely set her iPad aside and logged into her work computer, opening only the business email account.
By the time Lauren logged out of the business email, the sun had set, and she scrambled to get herself and the home ready for Dave’s return later in the evening. He disliked airline food, so she knew he’d be hungry. Caryn had shared a recipe for chicken salad, which proved super-easy to fix—even for a not-so-great cook. After sampling it—something this easy should not taste so good—she placed the bowl in the refrigerator to chill, along with a bottle of white wine and the beer she’d picked up from the store.
