She laughed. “Charlie must have mentioned something because everyone thinks it’s my size.” She gave Charlie a low growl, but he just raised his hands.
“I don’t mind telling her,” he said with a big grin.
“Don’t you dare.” She gave him a loving push and turned back to me. “I had a serious boyfriend before Charlie. I thought he was the one. Charlie felt differently and kept pursuing me. Really, he drove me crazy. Al, the not so love of my life, wasn’t happy with Charlie’s flowers, cards, and gifts, so he tried to do Charlie one better. Frank Criswald owned the paper back then, and Al took out a full-page ad asking me to marry him. Al called me Stace. In the ad, there was a sappy love poem followed by ‘Stub, will you be my wife? I love you, Al.’”
Charlie broke in, “The idiot got his proposal wrong. How could I possibly let her marry that douche?”
“Charles Larry Woodrow you will not call my ex-boyfriend a douche. He was a nice man.”
I was laughing full out now. These two were meant for each other. “When you’re not around, I’ll ask Charlie for his side of the story. I just don’t understand how you could miss-type Stub for Stace.”
“Did I mention I worked summers for the paper?” Charlie asked with a wink.
Priceless.
Pitchers of beer waited inside the bar for The Slam. “I don’t see green shirts here yet,” I said after I sat down at a middle table with Charlie and Stub.
“We rented the bar for the night. Seattle’s team is at a different one. We don’t play them through the year, so we don’t know them too well. This is the championship and as much as rugby is a friendly sport, this is our celebration.”
No one touched the beer while we waited for the team. I ordered some fries because I hadn’t eaten since breakfast. I drank two full glasses of water too. I didn’t see myself getting out of the night without drinking. The bar was close enough to walk to my hotel, so I didn’t worry about who would drive. Charlie and Stub were staying at the same hotel as The Slam. The roar went up when Van entered with the team.
“Slam, Slam, Slam,” I yelled in my croaky voice. Joel was the last one in the bar. His grin had my heart fluttering. He didn’t see me because there were tons of people congratulating him. Van found me first and pulled me in for a big lip smack. I was laughing as I pulled away, still in his arms. I pushed him back slightly and saw Joel staring at me. There was no longer hurt in his eyes. Joel was angry. I could read it in every line of his face. His clenched jaw made his scar more pronounced. I wiggled out of Van’s embrace and headed to Joel as someone shoved a glass of beer into his hand.
Joel didn’t move. It was so loud in the bar, and my throat hurt from yelling so much. When I was about two feet away, someone accidently shoved me from behind and I was pushed against Joel’s chest. God he smelled good. Another push and Joel used his free arm to steady me.
“Please give me a chance to explain,” I whispered into Joel’s ear.
He sat his full glass down on a table and took my hand without meeting my eyes. He pulled me out the front door and over to the bus, which was parked to the side of the bar. I thought we were going inside, but he stopped me and backed me up to the side of the bus. The cool metal sank through my thin t-shirt. I shivered, but it was more because Joel’s chest was hot and pressed against my breasts. His hand came up and pulled a strand of hair from my face. I wanted to melt into his eyes and swim in his soul. I loved him so much. I started to tell him, but his lips stopped me.
He kissed me with all the desperation I felt—the longing to never leave his arms and the desire to become one person. Or at least that’s what I thought until he pulled away.
He twirled my hair between his fingers, giving it that little tug I remembered. “Tell me, Cami, did my brother fuck you last night?” His voice was hard and filled with all the anger I’d seen earlier.
Ice water was more welcome than the look in his eyes. “Joel.”
“No, just answer the question.”
“He came to my room, but…”
He placed a finger against my lips. His voice dropped to a husky whisper. “You fuck us both, but what you really want is to fuck us over. You can have him. The two of you deserve each other. Stay the fuck away from me.”
I had a death grip on his shirt. I couldn’t speak because I didn’t know what to say. He uncurled my fingers and walked away. My hands dropped to my sides. I realized a few seconds later that I was hyperventilating and feeling dizzy. I consciously slowed my breathing. There was no way Van would do this to me. Would he? I had to get away from them both. Leave them in peace and find some of my own. I thought I accepted that I would never be with Joel, but seeing him brought back all the loneliness that was my life. Now it was truly over and my nothing life came crashing down. I stumbled to my hotel and had the desk clerk call me a cab. It took five minutes to throw my things in my bag. The cab was waiting downstairs having just dropped someone at a nearby hotel. I sent Stub a short text as soon as we were on the main roadway.
Me: Sorry I couldn’t stay. Thank you for everything you and Charlie have done for me. I will never forget you.
I shut my phone off and closed my eyes. I refused to cry until I was home in my bed. I was too numb to think, and I don’t remember anything until I got to the airport. I had to wait for the redeye flight. I hid in the back corner of Starbucks until right before my plane took off. It was stupid, but I was afraid Charlie and Stub or, God forbid, Van would somehow make it past security and confront me.
Cami the runner. Not wild Cami or new Cami—wrap my tail between my legs and leave Cami. I needed vodka, so I ordered some on the plane. It didn’t go well with French fries and coffee, so I stopped at one.
By the time the plane landed, I had a splitting headache. It was four in the morning before I got home and fell into my bed too tired to think of anything but sleep. I slept until noon, took a few ibuprofens, and typed up the addition to my final article about rugby. I emailed it to Miller and knew I was finished with everything to do with sports.
Still no tears.
Chapter Thirty-One
By Monday, I was pissed off. Joel hadn’t wanted to listen to me. He wasn’t worth the shit feelings I was carrying around. Lunch with my girlfriends was out of the question. I couldn’t speak about what happened over the weekend. Van was sending me text messages left and right. I didn’t read them past the first line that showed up on my phone. Delete was my friend. Stub’s message was quick and to the point.
Stub: Just tell me which brother to kill
I didn’t reply. I couldn’t. She didn’t contact me again. I walked to a corner café on Monday and buried my face in a book. Tuesday, I wore an old uncomfortable sports bra and my loose clothes that made me look dumpy. Trett and JJ tried to get me to open up, but I politely told them I was fine.
Fine, that was me. Modest, non-sexy, fine Cami. I could live with it.
I was at my desk on Friday, finishing a piece on the need for donors at the local blood bank when I heard a noise behind me. I turned and Charlie stood at the door to my office.
Charlie.
I shook my head thinking my lack of sleep had me hallucinating.
“You’re not going to say hello?” He sat a briefcase down on the floor and held out his arms.
All the tears I’d held back came pouring out as I threw myself against him. It was worse than the night I’d cried against Van’s chest. I couldn’t speak, could barely breathe. His hands rubbed my back as he held me tight. I have no idea how much time passed before Charlie gently pulled back.
“We need to talk.” He walked over, grabbed a tissue from my desk, and waited while I blew my nose. “May I shut your door?”
I could only nod. If I said a word, I would crumple to the floor in tears. I had no control over my emotions. He pulled his briefcase farther into the room and shut the door as I pulled out a chair for him. My office was so small the only other chair was my desk one. I managed to get it around my desk before
collapsing into it. My legs were beyond shaky. I kept thinking Charlie would disappear and I’d wake up from a dream. I waited for him to tell me why he had come to see me.
“You know I’ve wanted a bi-weekly newspaper?”
This was the last thing I expected and it explained nothing. “You mentioned it.” My throat was gruff from crying, but at least my lips were no longer quivering.
“What you don’t know is that Stub and I have also dreamed of traveling and seeing the world before our old bones won’t carry us comfortably around.”
“Ooookay.” I wiped my eyes again.
“A solution was offered and it meets our goals perfectly.” Charlie gave me a soft smile. “We’ve sold the paper. We should still be involved with day-to-day operations and will hopefully expand distribution with a bi-weekly edition.”
“I don’t understand.” I had no idea what he was talking about or why he was telling me this. There was still a chance I was dreaming. Funny that this was the first one without Joel.
“I have a letter for you that might explain things a little better.” He reached for his briefcase, laid it on my desk, and opened it. He handed me a plain white legal-sized envelope. It was not sealed. I opened it and took out a single typed sheet of paper.
Cami,
I know this makes no sense at the moment, but I need you to keep an open mind. My brother loves you. Losing you is just as bad as losing him. You need to come back here and make a life for the two of you.
The Colt Sentinel is now in your name. You own it free and clear. My brother will probably be a bonehead about you working, but you need to follow your dream. This gives you every opportunity to do it. Not on as grand a scale, but our community needs you. Rugby needs you.
More than anything, I want you and my brother happy. I can’t lose you both.
Joel
This made no sense at all. I reread the short letter before looking at Charlie for clarification. “Have you read this?”
He shook his head and said, “No, but I know basically what it says.”
“Van doesn’t love me and I don’t love Van. We’re friends… or at least we were. I haven’t returned any of his text messages, so that might not even be true.”
Charlie rubbed his chin. “Well, that’s interesting.”
“Interesting? Joel’s insane. Why would he push me at his brother when it’s Joel I love?”
“Hmm, a little more than interesting now, boss.”
Horror washed over me. “Don’t you dare call me boss. I can’t own a newspaper. You can’t sell the paper. It’s in your blood, just like rugby.”
“Actually, given this opportunity changed our thinking… mine and Stub’s,” he clarified. “With you at the helm—someone we trust and much younger blood—we can work and travel. That gives us the best of both worlds. If you don’t accept this gift, you’ll need to find a buyer, and we may not like that person as much as we like you.”
“No.” I practically shouted. “No, no, no.” Fit-throwing Cami was making an appearance. “This can’t be happening.”
“It can. It is. And we need you. Like Joel said, rugby needs you. Your articles have thrown The Slam on its ear. There are investors, advertisers, and a hot fire burning under the team.”
I stopped him before he could go on. “No, they won the championship. That’s why all that is happening.”
“You’re smarter than that. I can’t believe people haven’t inundated you with emails and letters to your editor. The entire league needs to thank you.”
Well, in one way he was right. Rugby fans were coming out of the woodwork. The letters to the editor were demanding airtime on local television and more than one team to choose from representing the U.S. in the world rugby arena. Crap.
“I can’t run a paper.”
“And you think I could? I poured my life savings into The Sentinel and struggled for years with a learning curve. You have me and Stub to hold your hand and teach you everything we know. We have homelessness, crime, and domestic violence. Hell, there are activist college students that want a voice. We’re like bigger cities, just on a smaller scale. We can share responsibilities so Stub and I can travel and you can put your investigative journalist instincts to work. If you can write with the heart you showed in the rugby series, I can only imagine what you can do with what you think is really important.”
I swear the room was spinning. I heard everything he said, but “I don’t love Van” was what came out of my mouth.
“Funny you should say that. I think Joel got more wrong than a simple typo on a name. You don’t buy a newspaper for a woman you don’t love. I can absolutely swear to that.”
“Joel was tapped out money wise. The sponsors can’t have lined his pockets so much he could afford to buy your paper.”
“Hell no. Stub drives a mean bargain and he paid top dollar. Apparently he had some prime real estate that he sold.”
Hell. I knew exactly what Joel sold. Fuck. Now I wanted to cry again. Too bad my anger was getting the better of me. Joel wouldn’t even listen and now he was trying to hand me to his brother on a silver platter. After I wrung his neck, I wasn’t letting him out of a bedroom for at least a week.
“That’s the go get ’em expression I remember you having. I think you need to straighten a certain rugby player out, boss.”
I shot up out of my chair and threw myself back at Charlie. “I’m docking your pay every time you call me boss.”
We laughed and hugged until he made me get off his lap, claiming his knees were weak and they needed a break. I took Charlie to dinner, insisting that’s what bosses did. Charlie had pre-booked me on a flight to return to Colt the following day. I had nothing pending and I’d be damned if my man was going to wallow in self-pity through the weekend. I had some major ass to kick.
Before I left my office, I typed another resignation letter and emailed it to Miller. I felt bad for not hand-delivering it, but I wanted to be sure my two-week notice started as soon as possible. There would be no rescinding this resignation. I was taking a play out of Joel’s book. He was mine and I would damn well annihilate him until he knew it.
Charlie was booked into a hotel, but ended up sleeping on my couch. He refused to take the bed and since I pulled the boss card over buying dinner, I let him have his way. I also gave him moral support when he claimed his back was broken the following morning.
We arrived in Colt late in the afternoon. We met Stub for dinner. I cried again. Having her and Charlie was like having another family. They already loved Joel and my parents would too.
Now, it was time to convince Joel he loved me.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Charlie loaned me his Jeep for the ride to Joel’s home. He also gave me directions in case I got lost. I’d been there once, but it was semi-dark and I remembered lots of winding turns while sitting on the back of Van’s bike.
I found the house. There were a few lights on, so I hoped he was home. With shaking hands and legs that didn’t want to support me, I knocked on the door. Van answered wearing nothing but a low-riding pair of jeans. His chest was yummy, but not the one I most wanted to see.
Van was staring at me in shock. “Is Joel here?” I asked with more confidence than I actually felt now that match time actually arrived.
“Come in. Joel you have company,” he yelled over his shoulder before whispering to me, “Good for you.”
Joel came out of the kitchen with a dishtowel in his hand. He stopped dead in his tracks.
“I think I’ll go up to my room.” Van headed for the stairs.
Here it goes, “No, Van. You need to be here.” I walked closer to Joel, who still hadn’t moved. “Charlie showed up in my office yesterday with some news. It seems I now own a newspaper, therefore I can live here in town with the man I love and still work on my dream.” I looked at Van whose eyes had grown slightly larger. He obviously knew nothing about Joel’s grand gesture. Glancing back at Joel, I took another step closer. “The pro
blem seems to be that the man I love wants to give me to his brother.”
“Shit,” Van whispered.
Now it was Joel’s turn to look at his brother. “I know you love her. You just need to admit it to yourself.”
The look on Van’s face was one of the funniest things I’d ever seen. I think he honestly tried to hide his disgust at the type of love his brother meant. “Ah, well…” Van without a comeback was priceless. He tried again, “You have this all wrong, bro.”
Joel exploded. “I’m so sick of your shit. It’s obvious to everyone but you. I’ve never seen you go back after a woman you’ve previously slept with. I saw your phone the other day and you’ve sent her a hundred text messages.”
“Did you read them?” Just a touch of anger sounded in Van’s voice.
“Fuck no I didn’t read them, but you need to look at your actions and realize what you’re doing.”
Van walked closer to his brother. “And you need to stay the fuck away from my phone and stop thinking you owe me something because you were in the car when Mom was killed.”
Oh hell. It was like I was no longer in the room.
Joel’s face was red. “I do owe you something. I owe you everything. I should have fucking died that day. This,” he ran his finger over his scar, “is not nearly the punishment I deserve.”
“You were driving her, not the car that hit you. Stop with the pity parties and guilt. What the fuck could you have done? Yes, I would give anything to have my mother back. Anything but trade you. She wouldn’t have survived your loss and neither would I. You need to open your own eyes and realize who you love and fucking take her. Yes, I slept with her, but quite frankly, there’s nothing there.” Van looked at me and gave me an apologetic smile before attacking his brother with words once again. “Cami and I are friends. Yeah, I know that sounds ridiculous coming from me, but we established that before the championship game. And just so we’re clear, there are no extra benefits involved. She loves you and you love her, so whatever this grand gesture is… leave me the fuck out of it. Now, I’m going to my room and plugging earphones in my ears.” Van turned back to me. “You can yell and scream at this idiot all you want. If you need me to kick his ass just pound on my door. Otherwise, I won’t be leaving my room for the rest of tonight.”
Kick (Completion Series) Page 18
