Second Down (First and Ten Book 2)

by Lea Hart

  “I’ll tell him that you said that. I know he respects you, so that will mean a lot to him.”

  “So how did Jack win your heart?”

  Sitting back in her chair, she thought about it. “Jack came after me and never stopped.”

  “That’s it?”

  “Pretty much. I never thought a football player was going to be a match for me, and then he changed my mind.”

  “What was wrong with a football player?” He chuckled.

  “Nothing, it’s just that I hadn’t had a lot of positive experiences with jocks. One broke my heart in high school, then a hockey player in college. I had sworn off athletes for good after that.” Straightening the blanket, she smoothed Ronnie’s hair again. “I see myself as a geeky scientist, and I never thought a guy like him would be interested in me. He sees himself as a guy with dyslexia, and why would I be interested in him? But it turns out that we are the two perfect people for each other.”

  “How does Ronnie see herself?”

  “As the smart Southern girl who doesn’t follow the rules and marches to her own drummer. The woman has a bowl of voodoo dolls on her desk, and on her walls, she has degrees from Stanford and Tulane. Both parts are as important as the other.”

  “When we were down at the horse farm, I got a glimpse of that. We went and saw a traiteur and had a nice visit. It was interesting that she took what the woman said as gospel and considered her a valued member of her family. And yet she lives her life by numbers and makes her clients live by those numbers, as well.”

  “Nobody is ever one thing. We are both very superstitious and were happy to discover that when we were sharing a room. She loves the traditions from the Cajun culture, and my mother is Cuban, so I grew up with Santeria. The two are similar in a lot of ways. They both mix Catholicism and African rituals. We tried a couple of love spells in college. They never worked, but we had fun trying to see if we could come up with one that did.”

  He laughed at the thought. “Why didn’t you just smile at a guy you were interested in? I’m sure that’s all it would have taken.”

  “Where would the fun in that be? We liked the challenge of trying to figure what worked and what didn’t. Anyway, I’m still very superstitious. I have to sit in the same row at the stadium when I watch Jack play. I feel like that way he won’t get hurt. The sounds of crashing pads still makes me a little sick to my stomach, but not enough to keep me away. Also, Ella runs stats for us, and I make sure that Jack knows who to look out for.”

  “He’s lucky to have you. It seems as though you’re his good luck charm, because he had a great season and won the award.”

  “I wish I could take credit, but we didn’t meet until the middle of the season. It was all him.”

  “I bet if I asked him, he would answer differently,” Chase responded. Glancing over at Ronnie, he squeezed her hand. “You know, she’s going to recover. It’s just going to take a while.”

  “I know. Why don’t you go home and take a shower.”

  “I can’t leave her alone. I’ll stay.”

  “Chase, you haven’t left here since the accident. You need a shower and a regular meal. I will stay with her until her parents return. You need to take care of yourself, so you can take care of Ronnie.”

  “All right, she wouldn’t want to wake up to a smelly boyfriend. I think I’ve spent too much time in locker rooms with other stinky men, so I don’t always notice.” Standing, he smoothed his hand over her face. “Honey, I’ll be back in a little bit.”

  “Don’t worry, Chase. I’m not going to leave her alone.”

  “Thanks, Ana. I’ll see you later.” He kissed her head on the way out of the room. As he walked down the corridor, he ran into Jack. “Hey, man. Your girlfriend is sitting with Ronnie. She gave me instructions to go home and get a shower and eat a meal. So that’s what I’m doing.”

  Jack took his hand and shook it. “I find it’s better to do what she says. Makes my life easier and happier.”

  “Said like a man who’s in love. Congratulations, I hear you guys are getting married soon.”

  “That’s the plan. I’m working out the details with her mom. We’re negotiating the location right now. It seems like it’s going to happen in June in Southern California.”

  “How did you get the job of planning the wedding? I always thought that was something that the bride did with her mom.”

  Rubbing his face, Jack let out a little laugh. “Ana won’t say no to her mom, so if I let her plan it, then we wouldn’t be getting married until next year in a big extravagant wedding that neither of us are particularly interested in. So I’m in charge of working it out with her mom. That way, we might actually end up with something we want.”

  “Good luck. I look forward to seeing you two tie the knot. I just had a conversation with Ana, and she thinks you two are perfect for one another.”

  Throwing his head back, he let out a laugh. “We are. I never would’ve thought that a doctor would be interested in me, but she is. So I count myself lucky and try not to give her any reasons to dump me.”

  Chase watched the people pass in the hall and thought about what Jack had said. “You know, she said the same thing about you. She couldn’t believe a guy like you would be interested in a girl like her. You both seem to feel lucky that the other fell in love.”

  “Maybe that will be our secret to success. We’ll always treat one another with that in mind and never take the other for granted,” Jack said.

  “That sounds like a winning play.” Straightening up, he pulled out his keys. “I’m going to head out and grab that shower, so I can be here when Ronnie wakes up. She seems to be the most alert in the afternoon.”

  “All right. Catch you later.” Walking toward Ronnie’s room, Jack smiled to himself. It was good to hear that Ana felt lucky, because he felt like the most fortunate man in the world. Opening the door, he looked at her sitting with Ronnie and found one more thing to love about her. The loyalty that she had for her friends was something that she would always have for him, as well.

  ********

  Driving down the street toward the house, Chase saw the skid marks that showed the path the car had taken when it hit Ronnie. The sight of those long black marks on the road made him sick to his stomach. As he waited for the gates to open up, he stared down the street and noticed the damage to the light pole where the car had finally ended its journey. He realized that he hadn’t paid much attention to what happened to the driver. Vaguely, he remembered something about the man having a heart attack, and at some point, he was going to follow up and get all of the details. Right now all that mattered was getting cleaned up, eating something, and getting back to Ronnie. Nothing mattered until she was out of the woods and well.

  He would feel a lot better when she was able to give him a hard time again. Because once that happened, he would know for sure that she was on the mend. Pulling up the drive, he noticed the workers making progress on the fence project. It was starting to come together, and he could see how much the kids would love it once it was done. Parking the car, he dragged his body out and made his way toward the door and silently thanked Ana for suggesting this. A shower and meal would probably do wonders for him, and he needed to stay strong so he could be there for Ronnie as she made her recovery.

  The door opened, and he saw Gerald standing there with his arms crossed over his chest. “It’s about time you made it home for a shower. I was thinking of going over to the hospital and dragging you back. But I see that wasn’t necessary, so go on up and get yourself cleaned up. I’ll make you something to eat when you come down.”

  Chase looked at the man who was responsible for him having a chance with Ronnie and smiled. “Thanks, Gerald.” Before walking up the stairs, he stopped and turned. “Hey, Gerald, do people always follow your instructions?”

  “Only if they know what’s good for them. And those who don’t never last long, so it doesn’t matter.”

  “That’s what I thought
,” he muttered to himself. Walking along the hall, he thought about those long black skid marks in the road and tried to feel grateful that Ronnie was doing as well as she was. Though she was in a rough spot right now, it could be a lot worse. And for that, he was thankful. Entering their room, he was overwhelmed by her scent. It washed over him, and he felt sadness along with exhaustion. Maybe a short nap would help. Lying down on the bed, he buried his face in Ronnie’s pillow and closed his eyes. Before sleep overtook him, he felt like Ronnie was there with him and telling him everything was going to be okay.

  ********

  Walking back into the hospital, Chase felt like a new man. It was amazing what a shower, a meal, and a nap could do for a man. He felt like he could take on the world, and it felt like he might have to if Ronnie’s fight with the infection didn’t go as well as he hoped.

  He spotted Ella and Clark as they were exiting the elevator. “Hi, guys, thanks for coming to see Ronnie.”

  “You can’t say that. I’ve been her friend for longer, so I should be thanking you for being a good new boyfriend,” Ella stated.

  “All right.” Turning to Clark, he shrugged his shoulders. “Have you fed her lately? She seems to be getting hangry like Ronnie does when she’s hungry.”

  Clark turned toward Ella and kissed her cheek. “I fed her. She’s just worried about Ronnie, so it comes out as irritation.”

  “You are not allowed to translate me like I’m a foreign language to a man who’s been in her life for less than six months.”

  Clark took her hand and moved her toward the front doors, completely unperturbed. “Run, while you can, and go see Ronnie. I’ll handle the wild girl here and feed her again if necessary.”

  As he made his way to the elevator, he heard Ella giving Clark a hard time. He wasn’t too worried about him, considering what he did for a living. His job entailed facing some of the meanest sons of bitches in the NFL, and he did it every week without flinching, so handling a girlfriend who was worried about her friend would be a cake-walk. At least, he thought that’s how it was supposed to work.

  As he stepped off the elevator and walked toward Ronnie’s room, he saw Mr. and Mrs. DuMond exiting her room. “How is she doing?” he asked.

  “The antibiotics seem to be working.” Mrs. DuMond responded. “Her doctor just left, and he felt encouraged by the latest tests. It’s going to take a couple of days before she’s completely out of the woods, but he gave us a positive report.”

  Sagging against the wall, he let out a breath. “Thank God.”

  Holding his wife tightly against his side, Mr. DuMond smiled at the man who would eventually be joining his family. “We’re going to head back to the house, and we’ll return in the morning.”

  Standing up straight, he put his hand out to Mr. DuMond. “I’ll be here. I’ll catch up with you all tomorrow.”

  Val moved toward the man who loved her daughter and enveloped him in a hug. “Thank you, Chase, for loving my daughter. I count myself lucky to know that she has you. I never really knew if there was a man out there who would want to take her on, and I’m glad to see that it’s you.”

  “I’m the lucky one. At least when she’s not searching for her gun.”

  Laughter erupted from Ronnie’s dad. “That’s just her way. Her mama did the same thing to me for years. I can’t tell you how many guns have gone missing over the years.”

  Smiling faintly at the couple before him, he wondered what it was going to be like when his very proper Boston family met these people. It certainly wouldn’t be boring. “I’ll go in now and see you both tomorrow.”

  Val took Papa DuMond’s hand and moved down the hall. They walked closely to one another, in sync. Chase watched them and wondered how much Ronnie was like her mom. He had a feeling that enough so that he would need to make sure that he kept her happy and not looking for a gun.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Friday

  One Week later

  Chase walked into Ronnie’s room and smiled at the picture she made sitting in her bed. She had her glasses on and a computer in her lap. “Hi, honey.”

  Glancing up, she put her finger up. “I’m almost done. Just give me a minute.” Typing quickly, she completed a transaction for one of her clients. Just because she was in the hospital didn’t mean she couldn’t work. Seeing the confirmation come through, she let out a sigh. That would be a nice seven percent increase in Jack’s portfolio. She closed down the programs and shut off her computer. She felt Chase’s hand on her leg, and she looked up into his eyes. “You sure are handsome for an old football player.” Leaning forward, she pressed her mouth against his. “You smell good, too. Did you shower before you came over?”

  Sitting next to her, he ran his hand up and down her leg. “I did take a shower. I know you like me better when I’m clean.”

  “That’s true. How are things going at home?”

  “Gerald is keeping everyone happy, and your parents seem content in their guest suite.”

  “Daddy didn’t say anything to you about where you’re sleeping…right?”

  “No. Don’t worry. He and I have an understanding.”

  “An understanding about what?” Before he could answer, the door swung open, and one of her doctors walked in. “Hello, Dr. Jenkins,” Ronnie called out.

  “Greetings, Ms. DuMond. How are you feeling today?”

  “Much better, thank you. The headaches seem to be getting better and so do the aches and pains.”

  “I have some information from the last tests we ran, and I wanted to give you an update.”

  “All right, I hope you’re bringing me good news.” Seeing the doctor’s serious face gave her a moment’s worry. “I’m ready to hear it.”

  Dr. Jenkins looked at Chase and waited. “Do you want the gentleman to hear the results from your test or should we ask him to leave for a few moments?”

  Glancing over at Chase, she shrugged. “He can stay. He’s probably going to end up being my baby daddy, so he might as well hear the update directly from you.” Watching the doctor look down and not respond right away made her heart start to beat faster. This wasn’t going to be good news.

  “About that, Ronnie…you might not be able to have children in the traditional fashion. You sustained a lot of damage to your internal organs when the car hit you. Most of the damage was repaired in surgery, but it appears like your reproductive organs might not heal in the way we hope for. It’s still early, so this is by no means my final diagnosis. But the initial tests are not encouraging.”

  Chase enveloped her in his arms and leaned his head against hers. “I’m so sorry, honey.” He felt her body tremble against his as silent tears fell down her face. “This isn’t your final conclusion, is it?”

  Giving Chase a sympathetic look, the doctor shook his head. “We will do another round of tests in three months and see if the body can heal itself. Right now, it doesn’t make sense to perform another surgery. We are going to let nature do its job, and then we can see where we’re at.” Patting her leg from the end of the bed, the doctor considered the couple. “Families are made in all different ways, so please know you can still have a family. It just might not happen in a conventional manner. I’ll be around for most of the morning, so if you have questions, have one of the nurses page me.”

  Chase stood and shook the doctor’s hand and watched him walk out of the room. Turning, he saw how badly Ronnie was taking the news. “Honey, we can still have a family.”

  Shaking her head, she said nothing as she started to cry. She wanted babies, and it seemed like it wasn’t going to be possible. She felt Chase sit down next to her and take her in his arms. Burying her face in his chest, she let out all of her anguish. Somewhere in the back of her head, she realized that she needed to let him go. How could she be in a relationship with him if she couldn’t have babies? The thought of not having him and not having babies was too much, and she cried like never before.

  Holding her against him,
he soothed her as best he could. “Let it out, honey,” he crooned in her ear. She was crying so hard that he worried if she was breathing. Staring down into her face, he saw the pain she was feeling and needed to take it away from her. “This is not the end, so I don’t want you to give up. We can adopt kids. There are lots of children who need a home, and we have a good one, so it shouldn’t be a problem.” Holding her tightly, he rubbed circles on her back and held her as the grief poured out of her. “I’m going to love you through this, so know that you have me.” It would take some time for them to work through this challenge, but that wasn’t a problem, because they had a lifetime together.

  ********

  The door opened slowly to her room, and Ana peeked her head in. Chase waved to her from the bed and slowly got up. Ronnie had just fallen asleep after an hour of crying. The nurse had come in and given her a painkiller, and it seemed to help her calm down. It was too bad that they didn’t have a painkiller for broken dreams. Because he knew that’s what was happening for Ronnie. Checking her, he made sure that she was asleep. He was satisfied so he walked with Ana out of the room. Leaning against the wall, he let out a deep breath and looked into the sad eyes of one of her best friends.

  “Give it to me straight, Chase.” Standing up, she crossed her arms over her lab coat and waited. “I’m a doctor, so there’s nothing you can say to me that I can’t understand.”

  “Maybe I should let Ronnie tell you. I’m not sure if I should?”

  “You tell me right now. If the situation were reversed, I would want Jack to tell Ella and Ronnie. We have no secrets, tell me so I can be prepared when I see her.”

  “If she gets mad at me, then I need you to repeat this conversation to her.” Standing away from the wall, he glanced around. “Let’s go grab a cup of coffee, and I will tell you what I know.”