SHOOTOUT SAVE (The Renegades Series Book 6)

by Melody Heck Gatto

  Cancer. Kaden was still silent at her words. Unable to form a coherent thought, he understood why she thought maybe they got disconnected. He was able to croak out, “No Mom, I’m still here.”

  “Honey, don’t worry about me. The doctors here are going to work up a treatment plan for me, and we’ll go from there. Everything will be just fine.”

  Kaden was from Toronto, and his family still lived there. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust the docs back home. But he also knew that there were some top notch doctors here in Pittsburgh. “Mom, nothing against the Canadian health system, but I think you should come down here to Pittsburgh.”

  “Nonsense honey, I get fine medical care up here.”

  He wasn’t going to let her argue about this. She was his mom, and he needed to take care of her. It was his job. “No, Mom. I’m sending you and Kassie plane tickets.” His little sister Kassie was three years younger than him, and had lived at home with their Mom since their dad had passed. She was in college, but taking online courses, so traveling to Pittsburgh with their mom would be no problem.

  “Kaden, no. I won’t fly.”

  He’d forgotten that his mom didn’t like to fly. She’d never explained her fear of airplanes; they just all knew it existed. But there was no way his mom was going through this alone. “Sorry, I forgot. Tell Kassie I’m sending you guys money for the drive down. You can stay with me, and I’ll get you set up with a doctor here, and—”

  “Honey, we’re not staying with you. You have a girlfriend, and you do have a life. You don’t need your old mom in your way. We can stay in a hotel or something. I refuse to be a bother.”

  She wasn’t making this easy; she never did. His mom didn’t care about flashy things, and he was sure that any cheap motel would do as far as she was concerned. If he left plans up to her, who knows where they would end up? But she had learned not to argue with him over gifts long ago. She was his mom. Money was no object when it came to family. “Fine. Reservations will be waiting for you when you get here. I will text Kassie all the info.”

  Her sigh came through loud and clear. “You’re not going to take no for an answer, are you, son?”

  “What do you think? I love you, Mom. Travel safe.”

  “I love you too, dear. I guess we’ll see you soon.”

  She was right about one thing; I do have a lot going on. He stared at the pregnancy books on the table. Should I tell Mom about the baby right away? The books all said it was a good idea wait to tell people until the first trimester was over. I’m not sure how far along Alison is, but I don’t think it can wait that long. What if… what if something happens to Mom before that?

  He couldn’t think like that. His mom was going to be okay; she had to be.

  Logging on to his favorite travel site, he booked and paid for a suite at a nice local hotel. It was close to the hospital where he was going to make sure she was seen, and easy enough for him to get to from here and from the arena. Kaden forwarded all the info to Kassie and transferred money for the trip and expenses. It wouldn’t be an easy drive, sitting in the car for about six hours instead of only an hour by plane, but it was what his Mom preferred.

  It was too late now to call for a doctor’s appointment; that would have to wait until first thing in the morning. Better yet… Kaden emailed his friend and team doctor, Rob, with the hope he would be able to help him out.

  * * * *

  Kaden woke to the sound of his phone ringing. Sitting up, he realized that he’d fallen asleep on the couch with a pregnancy book open in his lap, and his laptop opened beside him. A yawn crept up on him. Exhaustion made his body ache. It was obvious that he hadn’t slept well at all.

  Realizing he’d missed a call, he grabbed his phone to see that there was a voicemail from his sister Kassie. They were already on the road and would call when they were close to Pittsburgh.

  I should let Alison know that I’ll probably be tied up, at least until Mom gets settled in and we get her an appointment.

  While he was still processing what he was going to text her, since everything he’d said lately came out wrong, his laptop sounded with an email notification. It was from Rob. He’d set Kaden’s mom up with a consult appointment the next morning.

  Kaden quickly texted Kassie, and then dialed Coach Walker’s number. “Coach, hi. It’s Kaden.”

  “O’Conner. What can I help you with?”

  “Sorry to bother you, especially on a morning off. I’m having some family issues. My mom is coming into town to see a specialist.” His throat tightened as he spoke, and the words became harder to understand. “The doctors back home diagnosed her with thyroid cancer. I want her to get a second opinion. Her appointment is tomorrow morning. I know we have morning skate, but I needed to see if I could go be with my mom. I’ll be there in time for the game.”

  “Kaden, you and Dom are two of the hardest working goalies I’ve had the pleasure of coaching so far. I know you wouldn’t miss practice for something that wasn’t important, so that’s fine with me. Keep me posted about it, okay?”

  “Will do, Coach. I’ll see you at game time.”

  Looking at his watch, Kaden noted that he had a few hours until his family would be here. After taking a shower and a much needed shave, he cooked himself breakfast and did some more reading. Exhaustion took over, resulting in a cat nap, but his phone ringing woke him up. It was Kassie, letting him know they were at the hotel. Did I really sleep that long?

  He needed to go see his mom. Just to verify with his own two eyes that she was okay. Whatever the doctor said tomorrow, they would deal with together. He wanted Ali at his side, and as a shoulder to cry on. But for as much stress as he was under not knowing what lay ahead with his mom, he knew Alison didn’t need to be that stressed also. He needed to protect her and their baby. That was his job.

  Kaden went to the hotel and knocked on his mom’s door. Before she opened it, he could hear Kassie’s voice. “Mom, it’s Kaden.”

  “Hello, dear.” His mom looked perfect as she opened the door. No hair was out of place, a soft smile sat on her face, and her blouse looked freshly pressed.

  He didn’t know what he expected to see, but was glad he didn’t see it. “Hi, Mom.” Tears formed in his eyes as he instinctively wrapped his arms around her. Even towering over her as tall as he was, he felt like a little boy again in her presence. He’d do anything to make her okay.

  “Kaden, dear, there’s no reason to be upset.” She rubbed his back like when he was young.

  As always, she is right. “Sorry, Mom.” The stress of everything was already getting to him. He ushered her into the room and shut the door behind them. His mom looked good, just tired. Maybe he was looking too hard for things that weren’t really there, given the news she’d recently dropped on him. “Hey, Kass.” He hugged his little sister and kissed her on the cheek. “You guys have a good trip in?”

  “It was wonderful,” his mom said.

  “Mom thinks it was wonderful, sure. She was sleeping for a better part of it. But, yeah, it was an okay drive,” Kassie said.

  “Well…” Kaden looked at his watch. “I’m hungry, and I’d like to take you both out to dinner.”

  “On one condition, big bro. You have to tell us all about your girlfriend.” Kassie sang the word ‘girlfriend’ and even though she was not a child, she made a weird kissy face like a kid would.

  “Yes, Kaden. We want to know more about Alison before we meet her,” their mom added.

  Of course they wanted to know about Alison. Question was, how much was he going to tell them, not even being sure himself where they stood?

  * * * *

  “Kaden.” His mom reached across the table, covered his hand with hers, and squeezed. “I can’t thank you enough for all that you’re doing for me.” Her eyes held back unshed tears. She seemed wearier than he was used to, and he was unsure if it was her age or the disease, but it made him feel relieved that she was here. If it were up to him, they would be here all
the time.

  “You don’t need to thank me, Mom. It’s my job to take care of you. Kassie, too. Dad would’ve expected me to.”

  Thinking about his dad now, with all that was going on with his mom and everything with Ali, Kaden was choked up and missing him. Dad, I could sure use your advice on things right about now. I really wish you were here.

  “He would be very proud of you, Kaden. You are such a good man. Changing the subject a bit… I thought Ali might be joining us?”

  Cathy O’Conner backed away from the topic of Ali as the waiter served them their food. But Kaden knew better than to think that was the end. As soon as the waiter left, his mom was back at the subject again. “So, what we were talking about? Oh yeah, where’s Alison?”

  “She’s busy. Don’t worry, Mom, you’ll get to meet her soon. Right now I just need to know that you’re okay.”

  “Oh honey, you worry too much. I’m going to be just fine.”

  But the whole situation still made him uneasy. He wasn’t able to hear the big C-word without getting sick to his stomach. Things had progressed so fast with his dad, that he hadn’t had much time to digest his illness. In only a few months he was gone. The thought of losing her, too, terrified him.

  “So, are you hiding Alison from us?” Kassie asked, with a humorous look on her face. She was paying more attention to him than her dinner.

  Taking a deep breath in, Kaden still had no idea how to approach this. Maybe I’ll hold off on the details until later. “C’mon Kass, you should know better than that. Ali’s just busy. She’s got a lot on her plate.” More than they could ever imagine.

  “So doesn’t she eat?” His mom was nothing if not persistent. “Even busy girls have to eat. She could’ve joined us for dinner, Kaden. Give me your phone, I’ll call her.”

  Kaden sunk the knife into his steak and began to cut. The very second his mom suggested that, his hand jolted, causing a terrible screeching sound from the plate, and a piece of steak went flying onto the floor. “Shit… Oh… I mean, soon. I’ll invite her soon. She works a lot.” His excuses were becoming repetitive.

  “If she’s a skating instructor, she must skate better than you. So we can assume that you didn’t sweep her off her feet with your skating ability?” Kassie teased.

  He raised an eyebrow at his sister. He was a goalie; he didn’t need to out-skate anyone. Being able to stop the puck was the only skill he needed, and he was damn good at it.

  “Oh Kassie,” their mom snickered. Quickly her attention was back on Kaden. “Don’t you want us to meet her, dear?”

  “Of course I do. I really think you’ll like her. She’s incredibly sweet and very smart.” Every word he said about Ali made him miss her more. “I know that I keep saying this, but she’s just very busy right now, so I’ll have to get back to you about that.” It’s true that she was busy. Busy avoiding him. He would have to get to the bottom of that soon.

  It’s not that he didn’t want his mom and sister to meet her. He really did. She was beautiful, and she was his. He wanted to show her off to the world. But after how poorly he handled her baby announcement to him, he didn’t see her jumping at the idea to meet his family just yet. There was also still that little matter of her not answering his question about her intentions about the pregnancy. Every piece of him hoped she was planning on having their baby.

  “You’ve got a lot on your plate at the moment too, Mom.” Then there was that.

  “You’re right. I need to concentrate on being healthy. And as soon as I get the all clear, then I’ll expect to meet her.” She ate some of her meal before pressing on.

  Looking up at his mom, Kaden paused while he watched her. He was always so busy with hockey, and recently with Ali, that he hadn’t left a lot of time for his mom. That had to change. Especially now. “Mom, are you really okay?”

  “Oh, honey.” She sighed as her silverware clinked against the plate. “I’m really okay. More tired than usual, and I don’t expect that to ever change. Things like that just happen as you get older. But I’m okay. You have an amazing career, and from the sounds of it, a great girl. You need to concentrate on you. If you spend all your time worrying about me, you’re going to miss out on all the fun of life. You’re still young, and living life is important, too. I keep trying to tell your sister the same thing. You two are more alike than you know.”

  He didn’t want to hear this right now, but she wasn’t wrong. As soon as the doctor gave his mom the all-clear, he’d plan for Ali to meet them.

  Dropping them off at their hotel was hard. Kaden wanted to go in and sit and visit with his mom. Every bit of him was filled with a need to protect her, to help her get better, to watch over her. But she insisted he let her rest. Alone. The exhaustion was evident in her eyes, so he didn’t argue.

  All the talking at dinner about Ali got him thinking about the baby. After his mom convinced him to go home for the evening, his mind was still racing. Without giving it much thought, he didn’t drive straight home, but made a detour.

  His mom had talked about not missing out on life. One thing about his present stood out in his mind. Baby. Stopping in at the local baby store, he wandered around. Each baby item he picked up made his excitement grow. Blankets, sleepers, onesies, rattles, pacifiers… The things were all so small. It was all so real.

  Checking his phone, he found there was nothing from his sister. He knew they were okay. His mom was probably resting, but he couldn’t help but want to check in, just to be sure.

  Kaden: Just checking in. What are you two up to?

  Kassie: Bro, we’re fine. Will you stop worrying? Mom is watching television and I was reading. Do you really have nothing else better to do but worry about us? Maybe you need a puppy.

  Kaden: HaHa.

  Kassie: Goodnight Kaden. BTW, Mom says she’s resting and fine. And she can’t rest if you keep texting, so she’ll talk to you tomorrow. And she loves you too.

  That meant he had to quit worrying about them and do something fun. He could read between the lines. Especially after their talk tonight. Little did they know what he was having fun doing.

  Crib mobiles caught his attention. One was hockey themed, with pucks and sticks. Tossing one in his cart, he continued to look around. Finding himself in the furniture department, he looked around at the cribs and rocking chairs. He should have a crib at his place… His place should be their place.

  His brain was now filled with thoughts of moving them into his loft, and he was even more excited about baby shopping. Picking up a tiny baby hat, he noticed a snuggly little jacket. It was so small and so soft. I never realized babies were so tiny. There were little shoes—a pair of baby hiking boots caught his eye. Probably too big for a newborn.

  He was drawn to the boy clothes, just feeling more comfortable there. But not knowing if they would have a girl or a boy, he tried to stay in the neutral sections. Greens and yellows seemed to be for either.

  Out of the corner of his eye, he kept seeing pink things. I can’t say that they aren’t cute. What if it’s a girl? What do I even know about baby girls? Will I even know what to do with her? This is where it would be nice to be able to talk to Dad. He raised a daughter. All I know is hockey.

  After Sam and Trina had little Willow, there was a definite change to Sam’s character. He was more upbeat and positive, if that were possible for sunny surfer boy. More than that, he always had a proud look about him. For the first time in his life, Kaden had that same feeling. It would be hard to keep this secret, feeling the way he did.

  The only thing that would’ve made this shopping trip better, would’ve been doing it with Alison. But he still hadn’t been able to talk to her, and she hadn’t answered his last text.

  He shook off the niggling thought that Alison had been deliberately ignoring his calls and texts, reminding himself that she was busy with helping Hailee, and she probably still wasn’t feeling great, either.

  It killed him to not be there to take care of her if she wasn
’t feeling well, but apparently that’s what she wanted. He didn’t want to be the cause of her feeling worse, and besides, he’d read that stress could harm the baby. If his staying away from Alison for now was best for the baby, he wasn’t going to argue.

  He wouldn’t allow her not seeing him to go on forever, though. They’d get together soon and talk about her moving in, and at least this way, he’d be able to surprise her with everything he’d bought. And there was so much to choose from…

  Nursery lamps, rockers, pillow-like things that hung on the walls. Fighting the urge to purchase one of everything, he thought better once he found the department with the necessities. Bibs, bath items, diaper cream, pacifiers… They even have something to keep the baby in position while it sleeps. Kaden filled his cart with these supplies, in addition to the blankets and sleepers he found. It was an odd feeling, but was as if he couldn’t stop himself from looking at baby things.

  Thinking about this baby was the one thing that could keep his mind off of his mom and her illness. His priorities were changing for the better, and it was because of Ali. This new set of responsibilities on his shoulders was just what he needed in his life.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Alison

  Alison looked at her phone for the millionth time this morning. She hadn’t heard from Kaden in two days. For Kaden, that was a long time. She normally got a “good morning doll” or something flirty about missing her. But, nothing. Her being cold to him could have been a reason for the uncharacteristic silence. She wasn’t being very nice.

  Her gut told her it was more than that. What if he didn’t want her to keep the baby, and that’s why he hadn’t contacted her? She didn’t want to think he’d want her to get rid of it, but it was the only thing that made sense to her. He was young and not the marrying kind, apparently. Why would he want a kid holding him back? Alison’s stomach turned at the thought.