Finding Carson Lee (Oh Captan, My Captain #3)

by Lindsay Paige

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Kinley

  I sit in the lobby of the hospital trying not to let the tears fall from everything I saw in the last several hours. Mike told me that Carson comes up here all the time to visit the kids, and one day, Gracie told him that they were boyfriend-girlfriend. Mike said Carson never corrected her, and from that moment on, they’ve remained close.

  I think about the first YouTube video I researched when I was looking up Carson Lee. He knocked a guy almost unconscious when he slammed him into the players’ bench, and now, that same guy was just coloring in a princess book with a four year old.

  Wow. I never thought I would have seen that before. Ever.

  “Hey.” Carson comes up to me. “I was looking for you.”

  I smile up at him, but the lump of all my emotions are still choking me.

  “You okay, sweetheart?”

  I clear my throat. “You never realize how precious life is until you see a sick child.” I blink away my tears.

  “I know.” He reaches for my hand and helps me stand. “I’m hungry, want to go grab a bite?”

  I nod, and we head out to his SUV. It’s a quiet ride to the Mexican resturant, and I can’t help but think of that sweet little girl. After he parks in the lot, he pulls off his jersey, slipping his shirt back on. When we walk in, Carson asks to be seated in the backroom. He pulls my chair out, and I sit down.

  “I know this isn’t the ideal first date,” he jokes.

  “It’s not what I pictured with you, that’s true, but I will say it’s the best first date I’ve ever had.” I smile at him. It’s the truth too. I saw the real Carson Lee today. “So, why didn’t you tell me you were already in a committed relationship?”

  “I didn’t know you that well yet.” He chuckles.

  I laugh at his comment. “She’s a beautiful little girl, but why didn’t you tell me where we were going? Or about her?”

  “It was better as sort of a surprise, wasn’t it?” He shrugs off his answer.

  “It was. I guess the hockey league doesn’t know their bad-boy is a great guy?”

  “If they knew, it wouldn’t really work for my image. Plus, it’s not really their business anyway.”

  The waiter comes back and takes our orders, and Carson reaches for my hand. I slide mine into his.

  “If you don’t mind me asking, why Gracie? Why was she the one out of all the kids that stole your heart?” I look at him. “I have never seen your eyes shine like that until she hugged you.”

  Carson looks away from me, and I’m not sure if he’ll answer me, but he does. “She may be young, but she knows her hockey. She’s obsessed with it and could tell you the stats of almost anyone in the league. Watching the game makes her feel better and like you said, I’m the ‘bad-boy.’ But not to Gracie. She’s sweet and loves everyone she meets. How could it not be Gracie?”

  “Mike told me that she said you two were boyfriend-girlfriend. I think it’s very cute. It’s nice to see the different side of you too.” I look at his tattoos and figure I might as well ask. “So, the Gracie on your arm is her?”

  He nods. “I got it shortly after she claimed me as her boyfriend. I knew she was important to me and deserved a place there too.”

  “Do you have anymore secrets?” I bite down on my lip, wagging my eyebrows.

  “You’ll have to be patient and stick around to find out.”

  “I bet you’re lying. I bet you a homemade apple pie that I already know all your secrets.” I wink at him.

  “I still have one or two up my sleeve. Might want to go ahead and start baking that pie, sweetheart.”

  “Well.” I need to change the topic before I decide to rip off his clothes right here and fuck him on the table. “Thanks to the little stunt you pulled the other day, my mother has been nagging me about the details of our relationship. So, you’re being forced to join in these festivities and go to dinner with us next week before camp starts. And don’t argue, you’re going.”

  “Hmm. Looks like I should have thought that one through, huh?”

  He laughs, and I know he’s joking because he knew exactly what he was doing when he took my phone from me. “I’ll go as long as you come to the party I’m throwing before camp.”

  “Party? Like half naked girl party? Sure, love too.” I roll my eyes. Great, the famous Carson Lee parties that I’ve heard about. Naked chicks, beer kegs as the far as the eye can see, and sex in every available spot. Sounds like a dream.

  “It’s not a half naked girl party. It’s surprisingly more family-oriented. There will only be half naked people if they want to get into the pool.”

  “Well, considering how you threw me in with clothes on, I won’t take all of that to heart. Nonetheless, you’ve opened a can of worms with my mother, and I can’t get it to close. I’m surprised she hasn’t come to your house yet for you to try on wedding tuxedos.”

  “Wedding tuxedos? To be sure, she doesn’t think you’ll marry the first guy you’ve told her about in a while, especially when that guy is me.”

  “She actually likes you. Apparently, you’ve made a good impression on her. Although I don’t know why?” I continue to tease him.

  “I may have turned up the charm a bit too much for her. It’s better that she does like me than not, I’m assuming?”

  “Well, obviously, I would prefer that my parents like the guy I’m dating. But I think you can’t turn off the charm, can you?”

  “Do you not remember meeting me for the first time? My charm isn’t always on.”

  “And you’re still a pain in my ass.” I smile.

  The conversation dies down when our food comes, mainly because we both are so hungry. Carson asks if I’m coming back to his place, and I would love to but the work is beginning to pile up.

  “Be there Saturday for sure, okay?”

  I nod unsure of what secret he’ll reveal to me next.

  ~

  My boss is over overjoyed with the campaign and now the press is buzzing about our fall line. Fashion week kicks off in September, and even though it’s still the middle of July, it doesn’t leave much time.

  I haven’t seen Carson since he dropped me off two days ago. I can’t seem to unbury myself from the emails, photos, layouts, and clothes that are piling up around me. However, I promised I could take a small break, and that I would come to the house today.

  I pull up to his driveway and punch in the code for the gate to open, noticing several black SUVs in the driveway. I park near the garage door and notice yellow rope leading to the back. I’m not sure what to think, but I follow it, and it leads right to the hockey rink.

  My first thought is, he wants to have sex in the hockey rink. Albeit, a first for me, but it might be cold overall. When I open the door, the echoing sounds overtake me. There are about twenty kids on the ice, various ages, and there is Carson in the middle of it all, laughing and joking with them.

  What the hell is this?

  I see two older ladies sitting on the bench and I walk over to them, while trying to get Carson’s attention and have him explain this to me.

  “Are you Kinley?” the darker hair lady asks.

  “Yes,” I confirm confused on what’s going on.

  “I’m Opal. I’m the director of the group home. It’s great to finally meet you. Carson said you would be by today.”

  Group home?

  “I’m Shelby. I’m her assistant.” The darker blonde sticks out her hand and I shake it.

  “It’s nice to meet you both.” I still have no idea what’s going on.

  “Carson didn’t tell you that we were coming today?” Opal asks.

  “Um, no, he didn’t.”

  “He’s something else.” She laughs. “Carson donates time and money to our home. We take care of all these kids. They’re foster kids.”

  “All these kids don’t have parents.” I look at all the smiling faces, including Carson’s.

  “The state took away most of them
because of one reason or another. Some have been in the system since they were born and haven’t been adopted yet,” Opal continues to explain to me.

  Carson finally spots me and skates over. “Hello, sweetheart.”

  I smile at him.

  A couple of boys, around seven or so, start yelling for him. He winks at me and goes off to play. The ladies and I make small talk, but all I keep doing is watch Carson. He’s like a big kid on the ice, and it makes me smile. It isn’t too long before Opal stands and yells that it’s time to go. All the kids’ faces turn sad, and it’s almost heartbreaking.

  “Hey, Kinley.” Carson skates back over to me. “Will you hand out those duffle bags? Blue for boys, pink for girls.”

  I nod, looking over my shoulder and seeing them all piled up by the door. I head over, and after each kid changes back into their shoes and heads for the door, I give them each a bag. While everyone else is heading out to the SUVs, Opal and Carson talk quietly together for a moment. I should leave them alone, but at this point, I’m nosy as hell to see what they’re saying.

  I walk up behind Carson and hear him telling Opal to take the check. He says it a couple of times before Opal gives in, and I see her remove the check from his hand.

  “You’re a good boy, Carson.” She pats his cheek and gives him a hug.

  When he turns, he realizes that I’m standing here. He gives me a small smile and all three of us walk out. A couple of the older kids are driving the SUVs. Shelby is in one and Opal jumps into the last one. All the kids are yelling and waving out the windows at Carson. He smiles, waving back.

  “Is this another secret?”

  “Yep. That hockey rink blocking your view doesn’t seem so bad now, does it?”

  “No, it doesn’t, Carson.” We watch the last vehicle pull away. “They seem like a bunch of great kids. How did you meet Opal and Shelby?”

  “Oh, it’s a long boring story. Want to head to the house?”

  I know he’s trying to change the subject. “I’m sure it’s not that boring. Tell me, please.”

  He pauses, pushing his hand through his hair. “I’ve known them for a long time, that’s all.”

  “Is that how they knew who I was?”

  “Yeah, I told them you were coming.”

  “Alright.” I loop my arms around his. “Ready for me to cook you some dinner?”

  “If you want to cook, then absolutely.” We head into the house.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Carson

  My summer is dwindling down with camp fast approaching, but before it can officially be over, I have to have dinner with Kinley’s parents. I’m not sure what to expect, especially since I dumbly told her mother I was her boyfriend. Although, I guess that is what I really am, her boyfriend, which is an entirely different can of worms. It also has me wondering what her father will think about it since our little golfing trip.

  Guess I’ll find out tonight. Kinley picks me up from my house and we drive over to her parents.

  “How are you feeling about this?” I ask, not feeling so great myself.

  “Just fine. Why? Are you worried?” She glances over at me before focusing back on the road.

  “No.”

  The ride doesn’t last long and soon she’s parking the car. It’s practically a habit now that I reach for her hand when we meet around the front. Kinley leads the way up the porch steps and into the house.

  “Mama,” she calls out. “We’re here.”

  “Come on into the kitchen,” Mrs. Wright hollers back. She smiles when we appear in the kitchen, putting down her spoon to walk over and hug us both. “It’s so nice to see you again, Carson.”

  “Nice to see you as well.” I smile.

  We turn to see Mr. Wright sitting at the dining table already. As Mrs. Wright goes back to the stove, Kinley drags me over to him. I can’t tell what he’s thinking, but he stands and hugs Kinley when she says, “Hey, Daddy.” Then he shakes my hand, telling me, “Hello.” I take a seat at the table as Kinley helps her mom bring the food over to the table.

  “Carson, I hope that you’re hungry. I made a big meal to celebrate.”

  “Yes, ma’am, I am, but to celebrate what?” I tentatively ask.

  “This joyous relationship between you and our sweet Kinley,” she states as if it’s obvious.

  “Told you, wedding bells,” Kinley leans over, whispering in my ear as she places a pot down.

  I gulp because I was really hoping she was mostly kidding. “Oh, right,” I mumble before speaking up so Mrs. Wright can hear me. “I guess Kinley and I are worth celebrating.”

  They sit down and Kinley quickly says softly, “Bet you wished you didn’t jerk that phone away from me now, don’t you?”

  “More than you can imagine,” I reply back.

  “Don’t go overboard, Ruby,” Mr. Wright begins as we start scooping food onto our plates. “They’ve just started dating. You don’t need to celebrate too much yet.”

  “Yes, Mama, please listen to Dad.” Kinley nods in agreement.

  Mrs. Wright sighs loudly. “I guess I can’t express my elation at all in this house. Fine then. We’ll sit here and eat this food that doesn’t mean anything.”

  “You’re so dramatic, dear.” Mr. Wright laughs.

  I clear my throat, desperately wanting to change the subject. “Are you the one that taught Kinley how to cook, Mrs. Wright?”

  “Oh no, it wasn’t me.” She shakes her head. “It was my mother that taught her. Kinley would never listen to me, but she would always listen to my mom.”

  “Your mother taught her well then. I’m sure your cooking will be just as delicious. Has Kinley always been so stubborn?” I ask.

  Mr. and Mrs. Wright both say, “Yes.”

  “Let’s not beat around the bush here, shall we?” Kinley mumbles.

  “Kinley has always been hardheaded. She gets it from Perry.” Mrs. Wright gives a pointed look at her husband.

  He returns it with an even look of his own. “I do recall knowing a certain woman who is very difficult to persuade and still doesn’t half listen to anyone else.”

  “Ha! Well, it’s not me.”

  Unthinking, the words spew from my mouth. “Are all families like this?” Forks stop moving and all eyes are on me. I quickly correct myself. “I mean, is everyone in your family like this?”

  “Families who care about each other are just like this,” Mr. Wright answers with a serious look.

  I nod. “Right. I was just wondering. About your family,” I add to clarify.

  Mrs. Wright looks a little confused. “Carson, doesn’t your family have little tiffs every once in a while?”

  “Not as often as you might think, actually.” God, can we please change the subject?

  My saving grace ends up being Mr. Wright. “Are you ready for the season to start?”

  “Yes, I am. It’ll feel good to get back to work and start playing and traveling again, to get back into my routine.”

  “I hear that Ashton Campbell in Utah is going to be hard to beat,” he says.

  “No harder than the rest of them. I’m just hoping for us to have a better season. And maybe get Kinley interested in hockey enough to use the correct terms, at least. Otherwise, I’m not sure how long this will last,” I joke.

  Kinley rolls her eyes and slightly shakes her head at me.

  “She better know the terms if she might be working with more players. What did you end up deciding, Kinley?” Mr. Wright asks her.

  “Working with more players?” I look at Kinley for an explanation. What is he talking about? What decision?

  “Um, yeah,” she starts shaky. “I was going to tell you the other day. My boss gave me a choice between the hockey campaigns or football, and I picked hockey.” She clears her throat and shrugs like it’s no big deal.

  But it’s a big fucking deal.

  With worry, Mrs. Wright asks, “Does that mean more traveling and long hours?”

  She nods. “Yes, M
ama, it does.”

  “Wait a second.” We need to backtrack here because I’m not understanding this at all. “What do you mean you picked hockey? What happened to football? That’s all you talked about.” She was close to falling apart with the pressure she felt from wanting the football promotion so badly. And she just gave it up?

  “It was. And while it would have been a promotion, it was still a lesser position than if I chose hockey. I wouldn’t be able to lead campaigns like I do now. Plus, I’m working on signing more players soon, so I wanted to see it all through. I was going to tell you,” she adds like that’s the most important part of this discussion, but it’s not.

  “Oh, I see.” I nod, even though I don’t see it. “That makes sense then, I guess.”

  Mr. Wright smiles at his daughter. “Well, I’m proud of you, Kinley. Your hard work and determination has paid off, and I think that’s what we should be celebrating tonight.”

  “Yeah, to Kinley’s success,” I add, but the bad feeling just keeps growing.

  The rest of dinner goes smoothly, but I can’t stop thinking about this turn of events as we drive back to my house, so Kinley can drop me off. Things have been quiet until she breaks the silence.

  “That wasn’t so bad, huh?”

  “Guess not,” I answer simply.

  “Okay,” she trails. “Are you mad that I didn’t tell you about the promotion? Because I was going to, but then we went and met Gracie, and I sort of forgot until tonight. I was going to tell you.”

  “I’m not mad, Kinley. Mostly confused still, but if you’re satisfied, then that’s good.” It doesn’t feel good though.

  “Well, I might need your help teaching me more hockey because I still don’t know the difference with offsides and icing,” she says trying to lighten my mood.

  “Okay. We’ll have to go over some games at some point then.”

  “Oh, will it be classics of the great Carson Lee?”

  “Is there any other way?” I smile as we pull into my driveway. Before she can make a move to get out, I clear my throat and tell her, “I have an early start in the morning, so I’m heading to bed early. I’ll see you at the party?”