Dropped Gloves (Five for Fighting #5)

Home > Urban > Dropped Gloves (Five for Fighting #5) > Page 17
Dropped Gloves (Five for Fighting #5) Page 17

by Amber Lynn


  “You don’t have to say anything. I just want you to understand that I have always looked out for my family, and you are part of that family. I can’t excuse the fact that I ignored how things were. When Justin found out your father cheated, it was at a time in his life when he was changing into a man and he felt a little like the world was against him. He couldn’t handle that the man he’d always looked up to had a weakness.”

  “So he decided to take it out on me?” Lisa kept getting drawn into the conversation. She felt like the chances of her making it to work on the time were dwindling.

  Jean nodded her head once. “The news spread through your siblings, and they came looking for answers. They were too young to know the whole truth, so I told them what they needed to know. I also told them I didn’t want you to know the truth. I thought things would blow over, but I neglected to see just how hurt they were that their father wasn’t really their father.”

  There seemed to be a lot of things Jean had neglected. “Who is their father?” It was one of the two questions Lisa had come up with that she wanted answered. She didn’t think she’d know for a while, but the conversation easily led to the question.

  Lisa wasn’t sure what to expect, maybe a look of regret or something for the fact that Jean had had four kids with a man who wasn’t her husband. It was clear there was no regret in Jean’s eyes. Lisa could’ve spent time trying to decipher why that was, but decided to save it for another time.

  “We thought if it was someone related, then you kids would all look the same, and we wouldn’t have to deal with questions. I never slept with Kevin. Your father knew I wanted a big family. Things had settled down after you came to live with us and I was considering growing that family when he had his accident. Hearing the doctor say he couldn’t have any more children about killed me.”

  Jean took a deep breath before she continued. Lisa was still processing the fact that her siblings were actually her cousins. Kevin was her father’s younger brother, who had a wife and family of his own. Lisa could imagine how awkward the conversation had to be when it came to asking him whether he would be a sperm donor.

  “It was a vicious kick, and at first they weren’t sure he was going to make it. Between worrying over whether he would live and learning we couldn’t have kids, I cried for at least a week, doing my best to hide it from him. There was a part of me that thought his pain was payback for that drunken night, but I’d forgiven him because if it hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t have you.”

  Tears started welling up in Jean’s eyes as she spoke, but she kept them from overflowing. Lisa had moved on from being emotional. She’d promised Ryan she wouldn’t cry for at least a month after their wedding, and she was intent on keeping that promise.

  “You do understand how left out I felt from basically high school on, right? Look, I don’t want to get into all of that again. I really do have to leave for work, so can we just end this conversation and move on once I’m ready for that?”

  Lisa looked down to check on Pepe, completely forgetting about the dog through her shock. He was sitting patiently at her feet, waiting for directions.

  “I know I have a lot to make up for. I just don’t want you to shut me out. I’m staying at the hotel down the street until my flight tomorrow afternoon, if you feel like talking. I didn’t want to leave things back home, but I had to see you.”

  Lisa took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I probably won’t talk to you before your flight, so travel safe. I do have one more question if you feel like answering it.”

  The question was up there in the list with who fathered the rest of the kids. The answer Jean came up with would really dictate how quickly Lisa would be ready to try to work things out.

  “Anything,” Jean quickly answered.

  “Why did you stay married to him?”

  Jean talked about basically covering up the infidelity by making sure Lisa’s biological mother didn’t tell anyone, but she didn’t say why it was important to keep it a secret. Divorces probably weren’t as normal as they seemed to be for Lisa’s generation, but they weren’t unheard of.

  “Isn’t that obvious?” When Lisa didn’t answer, she continued. “I love him. I always have, and I always will. What he did was foolish, but I knew before he even told me about it how sorry he was it happened. He’s spent every day since then trying to make it up to me. Like I said earlier, if it hadn’t happened, you wouldn’t be here, so I had no choice but to forgive him long ago.”

  It was the right answer, even if Lisa wasn’t sure she understood it. The people in her family sure had a funny way of showing they loved each other.

  Lisa was quick to say goodbye after she got the answer. She had to get Pepe settled for the hour or so before Ryan would be home to play with him. More than anything, Lisa wanted to spend the day curled up on the couch talking to her husband, but she liked working and didn’t want to lose her job for not showing up.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “So,” Dylan drew out as he came to stand next to Ryan. “How dedicated are you to moving back to your place when the season is over?”

  Ryan was flipping hamburgers for a team barbecue they were having at Dylan’s place. The team was unwinding after making the playoffs. It had been a couple of years since Ryan was able to enjoy in that kind of fun, so he was living it up as much as possible.

  Something about opening his life up to Lisa had allowed others to niggle their ways in. In the weeks since they’d married, they both had changed. Ryan became a little less of a jerk and Lisa was a little less nervous. It was kind of strange that two anti-social people before coming together were somehow more social after. They weren’t throwing parties in their apartment every night, but they didn’t shy away from invites from others, and Lisa finally wasn’t dreading going to games where she was required to be around people.

  Ryan looked over his shoulder at his coach as he flipped a burger. The plans Ryan and Lisa were putting together for their lives seemed to be known to others, even though Ryan was pretty sure they hadn’t directly filled anyone else in.

  “Don’t tell me you think there’s going to be an offer.” Ryan turned back around so he could take a few burgers off the grill and put them in the done pile. He’d been at it for about thirty minutes and was ready for his shift to be over. Standing next to the grill got hot, even when the air outside was in the upper fifties.

  Ryan had never been to a barbecue where everyone who was outside was wearing more than a light jacket, but the team apparently didn’t let weather stand in their way when it came to fun. It was a different environment from his old team, but Ryan was finally getting the hang of it.

  “I’ve been picking up the distinct feeling you want to be done with playing, even if there is an offer.”

  Ryan looked over his shoulder again. He didn’t get a ton of ice time, but with the time he had, he made sure he was giving it his all. The idea that he’d made it obvious he was looking to call it quits rankled him a little.

  Dylan apparently saw that and held up his hands. “Judging by that look on your face, I can tell where your mind went. I’m not talking about how you play. I’ve just been where you are, so I know the signs. Before I was rendered incapable of playing, I’d decided it was time to hang up my skates and find out what life was like without hockey. Hey, Nels, do you think maybe you can take over Ryan’s duties for a few minutes?”

  Ryan’s eyes moved to the man Dylan called over. Nelson Palmer wasn’t on the team anymore. Like about a third of the people at the barbecue, he was a former player who was always invited to join in the teams’ fun. They were really a giant family. Ryan still felt like an outsider to that dynamic, but he was getting used to being included.

  Nels smiled as he came over, patting both Dylan and Ryan on the back. “About time you asked him. I thought we were going to get to the end of the season before you got things in place.”

  Looking between the two men with knowing smiles on their faces, Ryan was
confused. Ryan respected both men, but he was worried where the conversation was heading. There wasn’t anything really to indicate he should be worried, but something thumping in the pit of his stomach told him to tread carefully.

  “Why don’t we head into the house so we can talk in private?” Dylan held out his hand to lead Ryan that way.

  Ryan knew exactly where Lisa was in the crowd of fifty or so people, so he waved at her and pointed to the house to let her know where he’d be. She pointed to herself to ask if she needed to come, but he shook his head and smiled. He would’ve felt better if she was there with him, but figured he should hear what Dylan had to say before he brought it to her. They hadn’t made a ton of plans about their move, just coming to the agreement that nothing was holding them back.

  “I’m betting there’s six people in your house right now, and last I checked that’s probably the max that place will hold,” Ryan said, wanting to point out the fact that there really wasn’t any privacy when it came to Dylan and Casey’s house.

  “You got me there,” Dylan replied. “You have any issues talking in the shed? I would’ve suggested it first, since I haven’t seen anyone sneaking away to hide in it, but asking someone to come with you to a tool shed sometimes comes off a little creepy.”

  A partial snort escaped Ryan’s lips. He couldn’t deny he would’ve been even more reluctant to sit through whatever Dylan wanted to discuss if he’d heard they were talking in a shed.

  “As long as you don’t turn on a wood chipper, I think I’m good. Any hints on our way over?”

  The shed wasn’t that far from the house, so it’d be less than a minute before Ryan knew either way. He didn’t like going into things blind, though, and he couldn’t think of anything Dylan could have in mind. As he waited for an answer, he smiled and nodded as people waved in their direction.

  “You don’t have it already figured out?” Dylan laughed as he opened the shed door and ushered Ryan in.

  There were a few windows to let light into the space, but it wasn’t exactly clear where Ryan should step, so he waited for Dylan to flip a light switch. When Ryan could see the tools and materials around him, he was impressed with how much stuff had been packed in a tight space. The shed was about as big as the house itself, and based on the lumber he saw, it was clear they could easily expand if they wanted to.

  “I’m not a mind reader, so I honestly have no clue what to take from what you and Nels have said. He’s clearly in on some secret, and it seems to have to do with my future plans.” Ryan spun around to make sure he got a good look at the interior of the shed before he focused back on the man in the room with him.

  Dylan’s smile looked like it held a little more excitement than usual, but other than that he wasn’t giving anything away. Ryan really wished he was a mind reader, so he didn’t have to depend on people hurrying their stories along.

  “We’re putting together a hockey school and we thought maybe someone with your skill set would like to join us.” There was a slight shrug of Dylan’s shoulders that Ryan wasn’t sure how to take.

  “You think kids need to learn how to fight and spend more time in the penalty box than on the ice?” Ryan raised his left eyebrow and looked a little sideways at Dylan.

  Ryan had never been to an official hockey school, but he was under the impression they were more for learning the skilled aspects of the game, and not the ones Ryan was known for. The idea of a school did intrigue him, but it wasn’t the sort of environment he’d ever pictured himself in.

  “I think there’s a lot of things you could teach kids. Last I checked, you have some of the best balance I’ve seen from anyone on the ice. Obviously fighting won’t be a part of the game for most of the little ones, but there will be people who want to learn and I think there’s a big potential for kids in the farm teams who need to toughen up a little.”

  Ryan was sure his definition of toughen up differed from Dylan’s, but he got what he was saying. Having not decided on what his next career would be, or how soon he was looking to find something, Ryan was intrigued to hear about the option.

  “And the school will be based here?” The answer to the question seemed obvious, but Ryan liked to make sure of things.

  “That’s the plan. With the number of pro teams in this general area, I think the market is fit for what we have in mind.”

  There wasn’t a question in Ryan’s mind whether the idea made sense. He just didn’t know if he really made sense as a part of it. Lisa seemed at least mildly excited to move to their home after the season, so Ryan wasn’t sure what she’d think about sticking around.

  “You actually have time to do this with everything you already have on your plate?” Ryan wasn’t sure who was involved with the venture other than Dylan and Nels, but it seemed like the coach of the group was already a little busy between work and family life.

  “I knew when I took the coaching job that it’d probably be short term. After being settled in my family life for a few years, I thought maybe I was missing something not being on a team anymore. Turns out I wasn’t. I love being part of the team, but with Katie getting ready to start school, I know I’m not going to want to be on the road next season. Nels has been talking about this school idea for a while now, and I’m finally at a point where I’m ready for it.”

  Ryan was speechless for a second as he let that news settle in. Dylan was a player’s coach and it was hard to hear someone you knew was doing an amazing job was stepping away. Since it was Dylan’s first year in the position and they’d made it to the playoffs, Ryan had assumed there were going to be more years to follow.

  There was a lot of things that came to mind that Ryan wanted to say, but he didn’t think it was the time to dwell on aspects of Dylan’s career change.

  “And you really think I’d fit in as a teacher? I’ve never been described as a people person, and I’m pretty sure if you ask moms who have watched me play, they’d vote me least likely to be a good role model.”

  Dylan laughed and shook his head. Ryan didn’t think he’d said anything funny. The fans overall seemed to enjoy his fights, but most of the mothers he saw in the stands were trying to cover their young kids’ eyes.

  “Who you are during the game is different than who you are as a person, and people see that. I’m sure if someone counted how many pucks each player throws over the glass to kids during warm-ups, you’d be in the top three. If you would’ve been here since the beginning of the season, I’m sure you’d be number one.”

  Ryan didn’t know about that. He liked interacting with the kids, but that didn’t change the fact that most people didn’t see that part of him. He was a goon on the ice, and that’s all he thought people saw him as.

  “I don’t know, Dylan. What involvement are you really looking for from me?” That was probably the most important question he could ask. He wasn’t going to be able to make any commitments without talking to Lisa, and he assumed Dylan knew that.

  “We haven’t come up with exact labels for everyone, but basically coach, mentor and cohort in crime is what I’m looking for. We’re still in the early stages, so if you agree to come on, you can mold exactly what it is you do.”

  It was impossible to deny that it sounded like a great opportunity. Ryan had figured he’d look at getting a position in commentary or analysis of some sort, but he wasn’t looking forward to staying a part of the business in those types of roles. Some players retired and enjoyed that type of thing. Ryan didn’t think he’d be one of them, but it seemed like the easy way to stay a part of the game.

  “I don’t know what to say. Who’s already signed up?”

  The who of the matter wouldn’t change Ryan’s decision, but he was interested. He was trying to figure out what it would take to stay in the area. Their apartment was a temporary situation as far as he was concerned, so they’d need to find something a little more permanent and have a discussion about whether that meant they’d sell their house or keep it just in case.
/>   Other than the housing issue and Lisa’s opinion, there wasn’t anything specific keeping him from agreeing. Salary wasn’t a big issue. He’d invested well and could live without bringing any money in for quite a while if it came to it.

  “Obviously Nels and I are kind of the brains working on things right now, but we’ve got a handful of other guys interested. Doug Renaud has already signed up to work with goalies and there’s a good chance Klinger will join him when he retires at the end of the year. I don’t want you to think I’m only picking my buddies, but they’re the easiest to convince.”

  “You’re asking me, so I figured it wasn’t only your buddies involved.” Ryan thought the group Dylan listed needed a little more diversity in skills, but he wasn’t sure he was the right person for the job.

  The men were standing a few feet from each other, so Dylan had to take a couple steps forward to playfully punch Ryan in his left shoulder. Ryan pretended it hurt, and rubbed the spot for a second.

  “I’ve known them longer, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t included in the group. Nels was the one who thought you’d be a good fit, so I’m pretty sure that means you’ve made a good impression on him.”

  Ryan furrowed his brow, surprised to hear that. He hadn’t really spent any quality time with Nelson, so it was more than likely Dylan relaying information than Nelson making a decision from first-hand information.

  “I’m sure you already know that you aren’t going to hear a yes or no from me until I talk to my wife. It wasn’t something I thought I’d find myself doing, but I don’t think I’d be opposed to it.”

  Keeping as uncommitted as possible was Ryan’s goal, trying hard to not show he was excited. He didn’t want to influence Lisa’s opinion on the matter, but he wouldn’t hide the fact that he was interested when they talked.

  “You wouldn’t be the guy we want for the job if you didn’t think of your family first. I know you two are just starting out, but family is what we’re all about.”

 

‹ Prev