“Don’t cry, baby. It won’t be long before we see each other again.”
“Given what happened to my ankle and the hassle with crutches, I’m not sure I’ll be up to flying again so soon.”
Hazard wasn’t daunted by the obstacle. “Then I’ll do the traveling when I can.”
“You’re not upset that I’ll miss your first playoff game?”
“As long as you watch on TV, I’m good. Getting well should be your priority. I still want Ryan Hathaway to retake X-rays and examine you, okay?”
“It’s a guarantee.”
An announcement for Hazard’s flight was made overhead, imploring passengers to board. “Guess that’s me,” he said ruefully, kissing her one more time before grabbing his bag and standing up.
“I love you, Trevor.”
“I love you, Avery.” Disregarding another, more urgent, boarding call, he swooped down and kissed her on the forehead before hugging her tight and moving away. “If I don’t go now, I won’t.”
“Go or I’ll have someone bigger than you kick your butt down the terminal,” she teased.
“Not many could fill that role.”
“Very well, guess I will,” she said, feigning as if she’d stand up.
“No! RICE that ankle as much as you can.”
With that, Hazard smoothed his hand through her hair, whispering, “Talk to you soon,” and took off toward his gate at the far end of the terminal.
Avery watched him move with a purpose that caused others to get out of his way. It was a sight to see. As big as he was, he never once came close to bowling someone over, but his skill on the football field was evident as he zigzagged and maneuvered around others.
At the last second, he turned, waved goodbye and rushed onward to hand over his boarding pass to a flight attendant and disappear through the open gate door. Avery wiped away the last of her tears, deciding to recall the best of the last week rather than dwell on her sore ankle or that he was gone.
Not long after Hazard left, the incoming flight that would take Avery to Logan International Airport was announced and would land in twenty minutes. After a brief layover for passengers to disembark, her flight would board and she’d be on her way home.
As much of a pain in the ass as her brother could be she, she’d missed him. It would be good to recuperate among family and friends. She only wished Hazard could be there too.
Removing her coat and laying it over the back of her wheelchair, she made sure one of the footrests was elevated to support her ankle and sighed. It was a relief to sit back and relax. She even dug through her carryon for her Kindle, fired it up and began reading the book she’d bought after she’d left Reno.
It felt like ages since she’d gone to that conference. So much had changed, and yet she did look forward to sharing her ideas with Ryan when she had the chance. Focusing on the e-reader, she didn’t make it through the first sentence before being interrupted.
“Ms. Grant, what a pleasant surprise,” John Redman said, causing her to jump. “What happened to your foot?”
Avery set aside her Kindle, glancing up at him. “What are you doing here?” she asked, taken aback. “I’d thought you’d left Dare days ago.”
“I did. I didn’t feel welcome in Dare and my boyfriend Billy and I went back to Reno for the rest of our vacation together. This is our flight,” he told her.
“You’re going to Logan?”
“Only as a stopover,” John said. “From there, we have to switch planes and head to Louisville.”
“Louisville, Kentucky?” she asked, just to clarify that he wasn’t going to another Louisville.
“Yes,” he admitted. “Born and raised, circumstances kept me away the last year or so. Guess it’s time to settle down. You seem upset. Would it help if I apologize for my behavior when we met?”
“Your behavior was rather odd,” she pointed out. “If that sounded offensive, I apologize. I strained my ankle last night and the anti-inflammatory has worn off.”
“I’m sorry to hear about the injury. If I said I was trying to make Billy jealous, would my awkward flirtation make sense? We’d had a terrible fight and I wanted to get back at him. It worked. He’s agreed to live with me.”
“I wish the two of you much luck in the future.” Something didn’t ring entirely true in what John said, but parts of it did.
“Thank you.” Whatever his reasons for flirting with her, it didn’t explain the heebie-jeebies she’d gotten when he stared at her and Hazard on the balcony.
It didn’t explain them now. Refusing to let him see her discomfort, Avery shrugged and gestured to her Kindle. “If you’ll excuse me, I was just getting into this book.”
“Of course, again, I apologize for my behavior. Have a nice flight home.”
John didn’t overstay his welcome this time. He walked away and took a seat beside the baseball player who’d been hiding out in Dare. The two men joined hands and started talking, totally ignoring everyone and everything else.
Avery went back to reading, but the plane arrived, distracting her from the content. A few minutes later, first-class passengers were called. Completely putting John Redman out of her mind, she handed over her boarding pass and was taken down to the gate ramp to the plane.
Before long, she was in her very plush seat, complete with a private TV, all sorts of menus, a blanket and the chance to recline. The attendant located some ice for her. She quickly applied it to her ankle and wrapped the Ace bandage around to keep the ice pack in place.
She never saw John or Billy after that. They weren’t among the first-class passengers and she was able to turn to her book and got through the first chapter before the plane pushed back from the gate. After the plane was in the air and the pilot gave the okay to turn on electronic devices like her Kindle, she removed the ice and began to read.
The flight attendant brought her a Coke and she took a dose of pain medication as prescribed and rocked back to read and listen to music on her headphones. Her book was really good, but the medication made her extremely sleepy. Thankfully, she slept through most of the flight home.
Sometime later, an attendant tapped her shoulder lightly, alerting her. “Ms. Grant, the captain has announced that we’re to land at Logan shortly. If you could adjust your seat for landing, that’d be appreciated.”
“Of course,” Avery replied, moving to sit up.
Quickly packing up her Kindle and earphones, she arranged herself for landing, popped a piece of gum into her mouth to help her ears adjust to the change in pressure and glanced out the window. The familiar sight of Boston came into view and it was good to be home.
But she missed Hazard and had to wait until the plane landed to turn on her cellphone to check for his text. Fifteen minutes later, the plane touched down and an announcement was made that passengers could turn on their phones.
Avery hit the power button on her smartphone. A text from Hazard was waiting for her. Flight was fine, landed safely, LY. Will call later.
She texted back, then decided to check her email. She surprised to find that she had a message in her inbox from Sawyer Hamilton. It would take a few minutes to taxi to the gate, so she went ahead and read the note.
Sawyer discovered that John Redman was a former minor league baseball player with a team in Kentucky. After injury, his career ended and he’d gotten involved in acting, which led to a stint of starring in really bad porn, drug addiction and DUIs.
Five years ago, Redman was caught in a sting operation and ended up serving a short jail sentence and probation after pleading guilty and becoming a witness for the prosecution of a pornography ring based out of Virginia that specialized in secretly videotaping heterosexual men having gay sex for money or by coercion.
According to court testimony, Redman had been hired by the filmmakers to find unsuspecting men at straight clubs. After plying the men with alcohol, drugs or cash, he’d take them to an apartment already rigged with secret cameras. The videos would then go live on the inter
net and anyone who paid could view the seductions as they happened.
What made the scam worse was the aftereffect, in that the men caught on tape were victimized by extortion. John Redman provided names, dates, information, addresses and off-shore accounts hiding the money they were raking in. His decision to do so kept him from serving a longer sentence.
There was a list of men involved in the production company. They were still in jail for extortion.
Redman was now free to leave Virginia, where he’d been compelled by law to remain until his sentence was served. Part of his sentence included mandatory drug and alcohol addiction counseling. His driver’s license was suspended and wouldn’t be reinstated for a while.
Hoping that John continued his path of recovery, Avery sent a reply back to Sawyer, thanking him for his assistance, then tucked the phone back into her carryon. When the plane arrived at the gate, the metallic grind of the ramp connecting with the doorway could be heard through the cabin.
Avery’s crutches had been stowed in the overhead bin and the attendant came to retrieve them for her. Most of the first-class passengers disembarked first, leaving Avery to scramble awkwardly until she established her balance on the crutches. The attendant helped with her bags, guiding the way off the plane.
No sooner than she exited, another assistant was waiting with a wheelchair. The flight attendant verified that he was there for Avery before turning her over to his care. The man took her bag and coat and pushed her up the gateway.
In the terminal, a fifty-something gentleman with motorized transport held up a sign with her name on it. “Wow,” Avery said to the flight attendant who’d wheeled her up the ramp. “I didn’t expect such service.”
“Transportation was arranged by Dr. Ryan Hathaway, who insisted that you were to elevate your ankle,” the attendant told her.
He helped her transfer her things to the vehicle that looked as if it belonged on a golf course. Admittedly, it was nice to have her ankle elevated. Between the flight and activity of the morning, her ankle was swelling and the pain medication was wearing thin.
Shortly after the driver steered them to the baggage claim area, a familiar face stood out among the crowd waiting for their luggage, Alexander. Her brother was a sight for sore eyes. As usual, he wore an impeccably cut suit with a crisp, but colorful tie for a flash of color among the dark-gray fabric and spotless shoes.
“Alexander!” she called out when he spotted her.
“Avery,” he greeted back just as loudly, striding over like he owned the airport.
A second later, Ryan was walking beside Alexander, both men causing heads to turn. He wore a classic black suit with a white shirt and a black tie.
In the matter of seconds, Alexander and Ryan wrapped her up in a gentle hug and welcomed her home. She didn’t understand why. Maybe it was the pain meds or hormones, but she couldn’t fight the relief of being with them again…or the tears.
She hadn’t realized until then that while she was with Hazard, she’d felt safe. During the flight, she’d done everything she could to forget that John Redman was on the same flight. Nothing in Sawyer’s background check suggested John was a threat to her and it was time to put him out of her mind.
John had his boyfriend and a life of his own in Kentucky. He’d served his time and it wasn’t fair to judge him harshly for mistakes he’d made due to addiction. Addiction was a disease and she truly hoped he continued getting help.
Avery had family and friends to look out for her in New England. Soon football season would be over and she’d be together with Hazard again. And thinking of Hazard caused tears to fall.
She missed him. That’s all there was to it.
“Tears, Avery?” Alexander asked gently, leaning back to watch her. “Did Hazard break your heart? I’ll kill him if he did.”
“Hold the threats,” Ryan warned. “I think she’s missing her man. Is that it, Avery?”
“Yes,” she said through her tears. “I promise, Alexander, Hazard’s done nothing wrong. And you very well know he’s a good man or you wouldn’t represent him.”
“I’ve made mistakes in choosing who I represented before. If Hazard isn’t on the level with you, I need to know.”
“Hear this loud and clear,” Avery said. “I love him. He loves me.”
Alexander watched her closely and nodded his head. She suspected a brotherly lecture was in her future. But Doc had other things in mind, namely getting her back to his practice so that he could reexamine her ankle.
With that, they helped her get off the cart and she used her crutches to hobble over to the baggage carousel. Her brother and boss remained close at hand, taking care of her carryon and assisting her into her winter coat when her big suitcase was claimed.
Outside, she was surprised to see that Phalen Maddox was driving Doc’s brand-new Escalade. He pulled up to the curb, jumped out of the driver’s seat and headed over to lend a hand.
“Hey, darlin’, welcome home,” he said in a thick Bostonian accent. “Sorry to hear about your ankle. That couldn’t have been fun on your last night of vacation.”
“I’m sore, but I’ll heal.”
“Alex has been driving us crazy with his worry for you,” Phalen said. “Go easy on him when he goes big brother on you. He will, you know.”
“Yes, I see a lecture in my future.”
“Only because he cares for you,” Phalen pointed out.
“I love him. He’s my brother, but he’s being a bit overprotective of my love life.”
Phalen smiled. He was a gorgeous man, tall, muscled and sexy. He was also married and would forever regard her as a little sister, despite the fact that they were nearly the same age.
“That’s what brothers are for. When you need us, we kick ass. When you don’t, we’ll be there to listen when you want to talk.”
“Can you remind him of that, Phalen?”
“Sure thing,” he promised.
“How’s Cassie feeling?”
“She’s great. We felt the baby kicking this morning. Was the most amazing thing to experience,” he said, sounding like the proud daddy-to-be that he was.
“Can the two of you hold the chitchat until after Avery’s off her feet?” Alexander requested.
Avery could have pointed out that she was on crutches and her bad ankle was not touching the ground, but didn’t bother. Phalen smiled again and helped her to the back of the Escalade.
Doc hopped into the back with her. Alexander sat in the front passenger seat while Phalen drove. Briefly thinking about having Phalen follow up with Sawyer on the background check of John Redman, Avery decided to let it go.
She was home. Hazard was safe in Virginia and no one could hurt him or their relationship. Everything was fine.
Except one thing occurred to her as they reached the highway. John Redman referred to her by her last name when he spoke to her at the airport.
She’d not once given him her name at all. Of course, she wasn’t as famous in Kentucky as her father and brother, but that didn’t mean someone from Kentucky wouldn’t know who she was. Still…John knowing her name was unsettling.
Looking back on their encounter at the airport, she felt certain he’d said “Grant” with a certain edge that made her think John Redman didn’t particularly like her or her family. So then why bother talking to her at all?
“Hey, darlin’, what are you thinking about back there?” Phalen asked.
“Nothing important,” she answered. “I’m tired and sore.”
“In that case, I’ll get you to Doc’s clinic ASAP and he’ll fix you up.”
“Thanks, Phalen. I missed you guys while I was away.”
Ryan began asking questions about Dare, Nevada, and the conversation in the SUV changed. When he finished tending to her ankle and she was able to think clearly, she’d talk to Alexander about John Redman.
After all, early in his career as a sports agent, Alexander represented quite a number of baseball players. If the
re was anyone who knew former players, it’d be her brother.
Chapter Twelve
Dr. Ryan Hathaway verified that Avery’s ankle was strained, not sprained, his treatment recommendations were the same, but he insisted that she wear a harder walking brace for when she was active.
Although the exam and X-rays were done, Ryan insisted that Avery recline in a very cozy exam room with her leg elevated, iced and compressed as necessary. She especially appreciated that as modern as the clinic was, he’d made certain that the atmosphere of each exam room encouraged patient comfort.
There was nothing sterile or clinical about the facility. The beige wall-to-wall carpeting was thick and warm. Music could be changed from room to room, depending upon the patient’s request. Some of the examination rooms had twin-sized beds rather than sterile-looking tables. Others had tables that were hidden away until needed.
Furniture in the waiting room consisted of plush sofas and lounge chairs. Framed portraits of New England sports heroes abounded on most of the walls, coupled with New England landmarks and scenery.
Even in the exam room where she was recuperating, the sand-colored walls were complemented with photographs of Maine coastlines and lighthouses. Medical equipment was properly stowed. The lighting was set low and soft jazz music playing overhead.
Ryan’s willingness to create a healing atmosphere over a sterile-looking doctor’s office was the reason she’d agreed to work with him. When she’d suggested ways of creating a spa environment for PT patients, he’d jumped all over it and arranged for her to attend the conference in Reno that would help them see it to fruition.
While he went about examining her ankle, she’d been able to tell him about some of the workshops she’d attended. He didn’t ask a lot of questions about Hazard. For that she was grateful. When he left the exam room a little while ago, he’d hooked her up with his iPad so she could connect with Hazard without interruption.
Currently waiting for the video screen to pop up, she was glad to see that Hazard was online. They’d texted a few times, so he’d known when to be ready.
HazardsDare Page 26
