by Alice Ward
“Sounds good,” I agreed with a yawn. “But maybe I should have coffee instead of hot chocolate. I ate too much and now I’m exhausted.”
“Coffee it is. Claudia bought some of those fancy flavored pod things.”
“Perfect. I’m going to change into my pajamas. I’ll join you guys in a minute.”
Uncle Walt left the room and I rolled off the bed. I rummaged through my overnight bag, changing my black slacks and red sweater for a pair of plaid flannel pajama pants and oversized sweatshirt. I pulled my hair into a ponytail and shuffled into the open kitchen and living room. I sat down on a barstool at the island while Walt brewed coffee and assembled a tray of cookies, candy, and popcorn. Claudia was stretched out in one of the recliners watching the end of the evening news.
“Looks like the snow’s going to let up for a few days,” she said as the newscaster signed off.
“That’s a relief,” Walt replied. He topped my coffee off with a splash of cream and slid it to me across the island. “I have a charter flight scheduled for Friday and I wasn’t looking forward to flying through the slush.”
I carried my mug to the sofa and Walt followed with the snack tray. As we settled in, the opening credits of the nightly tabloid talk show flashed across the television. A voiceover alerted viewers to the night’s leading story: Ethan McAlister, hot shot Stallions quarterback, had been spotted all over Portland with Dallas cheerleader Susannah Cross.
Uncle Walt scrambled for the remote and Claudia’s face flushed beet red.
“Honey, I’m so sorry,” she stammered.
I kept my face carefully neutral. “It’s okay. Let’s just watch the movie.”
Walt powered on the blue ray player then dropped the remote on the coffee table before the main menu popped up. He stood and started pacing the cream carpet floors.
“Emily, I admire your ability to stay calm right now. But I’m afraid I don’t share it. What the fuck does that kid think he’s doing? He swooped into your life, all but moved you into his house, and the moment things got tough, he bails? And then has the audacity to strut around town with some cheerleader just a few weeks later? It’s all I can do not to drive over to his house and kick his ass.”
“Walt, calm down,” Claudia said, dropping her face in her hands. “This isn’t helping anything.”
“It’s really okay,” I told them again. “Ethan and Susannah are just friends. You know how those talk shows are. They blow everything out of proportion. I’m sure that’s the case here.”
“You seem pretty confident about that,” Claudia said, lifting her head to look at me closely.
I was incredibly confident about it because it had been my idea for Ethan and Susannah to put on a show for the reporters. I thought it would keep Martha and Victor from asking too many questions about where Ethan was spending his time. I hadn’t considered that being videoed with the cheerleader wouldn’t exactly endear Ethan to my family and friends.
“Susannah is really young. Ethan wouldn’t be interested in her. But even if he is, what right do I have to say anything about it? I left him, remember?”
“You left him because he was acting like a bastard,” Uncle Walt countered. “And his behavior just keeps getting more and more reprehensible. I’m glad you ended things with him before they got too serious.”
“Ethan and I are still together,” I blurted out without thinking.
A wide, ‘I knew it’ smile spread across Claudia’s face while Walt’s mouth fell open and he stopped dead in his tracks.
“I was hoping that’s what was going on,” Claudia beamed.
“What the fuck do you mean you’re still together?” Walt demanded. When he started pacing again, I grabbed him by the arm and pulled him down onto the sofa beside me.
“For God’s sake, sit down. You’re making me nervous. Ethan stopped by about a week and a half ago with the stuff I’d left at his house. We started talking and we both owned up to the mistakes we’d made. He apologized for not immediately speaking out in my defense. And I apologized for not considering the position he was stuck in.”
“That manipulative bastard,” Walt snarled. “I can’t believe he made you feel like you had anything to apologize for.”
Claudia held up a hand. “There’s obviously more going on than meets the eye, Walt. Just let Emily talk.” She turned to me with patient eyes. “What position is Ethan in, exactly?”
I took a deep breath and explained the whole mess. I told them about Martha and the way she’d tried to intimidate me when Ethan was in the hospital. I described the ultimatum Victor had given Ethan and reminded them that the high paid football players weren’t the only people depending on the franchise to keep their roofs over their heads.
“After Ethan apologized, he wanted to stand up to his parents and leave the team on his own terms. But once I understood everything at stake, I couldn’t let him do it. So we decided not to tell anyone we’d made up, not until after the end of the season.”
“So after the last game, you’re going public again?” Claudia asked.
“After the last game or after my name is cleared, whichever comes first.”
“Victor Montez would be an absolute dumbass to release his best player in the middle of the playoffs,” Walt countered. “Ethan’s story sounds like a load of manipulative horseshit if you ask me. I think he’s pulling one over on you, sweetheart.”
“I understand why you’d believe that. But you’re wrong.” I spent the next half hour recounting some of the more terrible stories Ethan had told me about the way his stepfather did business. Victor was selfish and ruthless. If he released Ethan from his contract, it wouldn’t be the first time he’d completely tanked one of his businesses to make a personal point.
Claudia shuddered as I wrapped up a story about the time Victor fired a single mother for not answering his phone call during her son’s elementary school graduation.
“He sounds like a real piece of work. I don’t blame you for wanting to stay under his radar.”
I nodded. “Luckily, Ethan sees his parents as an example of what not to be. He really is a good guy, Walt. Our emotions were running high after I was arrested and we both could have handled the situation better.”
“I trust your judgment, Emily.” Walt’s shoulders seemed to sag in resignation. “But the more you talk about his parents, the less thrilled I am about you being anywhere near that family. I understand why you didn’t want them to know you’re still seeing each other. But why in the world would you keep it from me?”
His feelings are hurt.
“I’m sorry, Uncle Walt. I thought it would be best not to say anything to anyone. The fewer people who know the secret, the more likely it is to stay a secret. Once again, I wasn’t thinking clearly. I know you wouldn’t say anything and the last thing I meant to do was give you a reason to hate Ethan. Please don’t punish him for my mistake.”
Walt met my eyes again. “If and when he comes around again, I’ll approach the situation with an open mind. That’s the best I can do.”
“Thank you.” I gave his hand a gentle squeeze and reached for the remote.
“Wait a second,” he said, taking it from my hand. “You said that you and Ethan are staying quiet until your name is cleared or the end of the season, whichever comes first. What’s your plan after that? If the season ends and you’re still under investigation, will Ethan leave the team? Or will you just wait to see if Victor follows through with his threat?”
“I’m not sure. We’re just sort of dealing with things as they come,” I admitted. “I hope my name is cleared first. But if it’s not, I think Ethan will want to leave the team on his terms. He won’t want to wait around to see if Victor fires him.”
Walt narrowed his eyes. “So he’ll be looking for a new contract… in a new city?”
I nodded. “I know what you’re going to ask. And I’ve already told Ethan I’ll move with him if he’s signed to a new team.”
Walt frowned an
d exchanged a glance with Claudia. She smiled and gave him a slight nod before he turned back to me.
“I think it goes without saying that I don’t want you to move. Especially now, when I’m finally putting down roots. I’ll be a good sport about it, but you’ll have to promise me something.”
I raised an intrigued eyebrow. “What’s that?”
“That you’ll come home next October to be my best man,” he said, his mouth widening with a proud grin. Claudia beamed from the recliner and pulled an engagement ring from her pocket.
“We were going to wait until tomorrow to tell you,” she said to my open-mouthed expression. She laughed and slipped the ring onto her finger, then held out her hand so I could examine the brilliant round diamond.
“One of your presents under the tree is actually a best man t-shirt.” Walt’s grin couldn’t possibly get bigger. “Claudia thought it would be a cute way to break the news.”
“I’m so happy for you,” I gushed, tears falling from my eyes. I hugged Walt, then Claudia before returning to my spot on the sofa. I took my uncle’s hand and gave him a broad smile. “I’d be honored to stand beside you at the wedding. And to be honest, I’m a little relieved that you beat me down the aisle. I always worried you were an incurable bachelor.”
Walt let out an amused chuckle and squeezed my hand. A few silent moments passed and my uncle’s mood suddenly changed from joyful to reflective.
“I don’t want you to move,” he said again. “But if that’s the decision you make, I’ll support it. I know you’re a grown woman and need to live your life, wherever it may take you. I know I can be overprotective and opinionated. It’s only because when I look at you, I still see the tiny little girl who used to beg for one last story before bedtime. I feel like I missed so much of your life when you were growing up. I was looking forward to making up for that now that I’ve retired.”
“Nothing’s decided yet,” I reminded him, pressing my fingers against suddenly wet eyes. “And if Ethan and I do move, I know a guy who could fly you in for a visit.”
He laughed and relaxed his shoulders. “I know. I’m acting like a sentimental old man.”
“It’s okay. We have a lot going on, you’re allowed to be sentimental. And for the record, you have nothing to make up for. You worked hard so we could have a nice life. I always understood that. Now, if we’re going to make it through both movies, we’d better get started.”
***
I stepped out of the deep porcelain bathtub and wrapped myself in one of the hotel’s fluffy robes. It was two days after Christmas, and Ethan and I were spending some much needed time together between the holiday and Ethan’s bowl game. I hated that I had to stay behind, but there was no way around it. Keeping our relationship a secret meant we’d be on separate coasts on New Year’s Eve. I’d have no one to kiss at midnight. We’d been doing plenty of kissing to make up for it.
I padded into the empty bedroom and collapsed on the bed. Ethan entered from the other door a few moments later pushing a room service cart.
“Breakfast is served,” he said, lifting the metal dome lid off of a plate of pancakes and bacon. He poured us each a cup of coffee while I drenched my food in syrup. I cut a wide triangle through my tall stack and shoved it into my mouth with my fork.
“Hungry?” Ethan teased with an amused smile.
I nodded, my cheeks puffed out like chipmunks. I chased the food with a long sip of orange juice and smiled back at him. “Someone spent most of the night working up my appetite,” I reminded him.
Ethan grinned and cut into his Denver omelet. “I’m pretty famished myself. We need to cut this out or I’ll be too exhausted to go to practice.”
“Don’t go. Play hooky and stay here with me,” I demanded playfully. I folded a piece of bacon into my mouth and lifted a napkin from the nearby cart. The morning paper was beneath it. My stomach tensed, but Ethan immediately made me feel better.
“There’s nothing in it,” he assured me. “I googled us while you were in the bath. My only mentions were team related and there are no new stories about you at all.”
There was an exciting, romantic element to our secret rendezvous but for the most part, they just made me nervous. Part of me was convinced we’d be caught at any moment and our worst fears would become reality. Every time the news came on or I saw a paper, my heart raced with fear.
“I’ll be so glad when all of this is over,” I confessed and took a long sip of coffee, then cupped the warm mug with both hands.
“That brings up something we need to talk about. In a perfect world, where will we be when all of this is over?”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
Ethan ate another bite of his eggs before continuing. “Say you’re cleared before the end of the season and Victor can’t hold the morality clause over my head. Do you want to stay here in Portland? Or should we just assume we’re moving on no matter what happens?”
“I don’t know… if you’d have asked me a few months ago, I would have wanted to stay here. But now I’m not so sure. I’d miss my family and friends if we left. But I’d be lying if I said a fresh start didn’t sound like a great idea. What would make you happiest?”
He lifted a shoulder. “I just want to play football. I don’t care where, as long as we’re together.”
Knots formed in my stomach and I shifted nervously on the bed.
“What is it, baby?” he pressed, his voice full of concern.
I let out a long, anxious sigh. “We’re sitting here planning our future, but we’re not even sure I’ll have one. I could still go to prison, Ethan. It’s been easy to ignore that with everything slowing down for the holidays. But it’s still there, hanging over our heads. I’ve been charged with trying to kill a child. What if we can’t prove I didn’t do it? You can’t prove a negative, isn’t that what they always say?”
Ethan moved the breakfast trays and pulled me into his arms. “I won’t let that happen, Emily. I’ve already told you, if worse comes to worst, we’ll run. I know it’s impossible not to worry. But you can trust that I won’t let anything happen to you.”
I desperately wanted to believe him, but questions kept forming all around me. “What if we can’t run? What if whoever did this frames me for something else? The police could show up at my house unexpected and take me before we have a chance to leave.”
“You’re innocent, Emily,” he reminded me, his voice calm but firm. “But if the courts can’t see that the first time around, I’ll hire the best appeals attorneys in the country. And I won’t give up until you’re released. I’ll wait for you and stay faithful to you, no matter what. I love you. And no matter what happens, that will never change.”
Talking about my fears had put me in a terrible mood, and I resisted Ethan’s efforts to make me feel better.
“Even if I’m cleared of the criminal charges, the board of education could still revoke my teaching license. I’m not innocent of neglect, and they know it. The kids told them I was on the phone when Alfie collapsed.”
“You have to forgive yourself for that,” he insisted, pushing my hair back from my face. “But you’re right. You were on the phone. That’s both of our faults, and you’re the one who might have to pay for it. But your life won’t end if your license is revoked. If you couldn’t teach, what would you want to do?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. I never thought about it until this happened. I can’t picture myself doing anything but working with kids. And with this on my record, no one will hire me to do that.”
“Well, what was your favorite subject in school?”
“I liked English and history… mostly because I’ve always loved to read.”
“Perfect. You could go back to school, get your doctorate, and then you could teach at a university. You’d be able to teach what you love to people who actually want to be there… grown people who are responsible for themselves.”
I looked at him in horror. “Do you know how lo
ng it would take me to get my doctorate? And even with it, there’s no guarantee that I’ll get hired anywhere. And I don’t think I’d enjoy working with adults as much as children.”
“I’m just offering a suggestion. Our lives can be whatever we want, Emily. We can be whatever we want. If you love reading and working with kids, we’ll open a children’s bookstore. If you don’t like that idea, we’ll come up with something else. I don’t care if you suddenly decide you want to live off-grid and become a chicken farmer. If you lose your teaching license, it’ll take some time for you to figure out what comes next. But I’m in. Whatever makes you happy, consider it done.”
“A chicken farmer?” I teased and smiled, scrunching up my nose.
His eyes grew soft as he looked at me. “I was just making a point. But it’s nice to see your smile has returned.” He planted a firm kiss on my lips and then settled us against the headboard. I curled up against his chest and let out a contented sigh.
“You know, since our last fight, you’ve done a fantastic job of making sure I know you’re on my side,” I pointed out. “Thank you for that. It makes all of the uncertainties a lot easier to deal with.”
“I’m sorry I ever gave you reason to doubt that.” He kissed the top of my head and held me a little tighter. “As long as I live, I will never regret anything like I regret not speaking up for you when the reporters mobbed me outside the hospital. I will never make that mistake again. I want so badly to take you by the hand and march up and down the streets, telling everyone that I love you. And I love you so much for understanding why I can’t.”
“This is bigger than just you and me. The trickle-down effect of a disappointing playoff run or a bigger scandal just isn’t worth it. But the second that’s no longer an issue, I’m going to hold you to that little love parade you just described,” I said, my voice playful and daring.
