Game On

by Cheryl Douglas

  “I know that.”

  “You do?”

  Josh smiled. “You may think Evan is more like your old man than you are, but before Luc fell for your mama, he had quite a reputation with the ladies. A lot like you, in fact.”

  “Really?” Ryan couldn’t imagine his father as a womanizer. He’d never met two people more devoted to each other than his parents. It gave him hope that maybe he and Brianna could find what his parents had.

  “People probably would have said there was no way Luc could’ve settled down with just one woman, but Marisa believed in him, and I think that made him believe in himself.”

  Ryan smiled. His father had always been a ruthless business man. It was amusing to think that he was the one drawing strength from his wife. “I’ll have to ask him about that sometime.”

  “You do that.” Josh looked him in the eye. “But I wanna hear more about you and my baby girl.”

  Ryan swallowed his discomfort. He knew this wasn’t going to be easy. Josh had three sons he loved, but he’d always had a special place in his heart for his only daughter. “I started realizin’ I had feelings for her a while back.”

  “Did you tell her?”

  “Not really.” He started peeling the label off his beer bottle. “I wanted to, but I was afraid.”

  “Afraid of what?”

  “I never wanna lose what we have, Josh. She’s my best friend.”

  “That’s how it was for me and Lexi in the beginnin’ too. It was a hell of a risk, but for us, it paid off in the end.”

  “I’m hopin’ it’ll pay off for me and Bri, too.” He set the beer bottle down on the table and leaned forward. “But I wanna know we have your blessin’.” When he didn’t react, Ryan continued. “You and Lexi are family to me, and I’d never wanna do anything to disrespect you. That’s why I came here tonight, before Bri and I even thought about takin’ our relationship to the next level.”

  “Bri’s dated a few guys over the years, as you well know. She’s even brought a couple of them home to meet her mama and me.”

  “I know.”

  “But I never felt they were right for her. I couldn’t explain why, call it father’s intuition.”

  Ryan held his breath. He’d never been one to try and please others, or rely on other people’s approval to make him happy, but he knew if Josh and Lexi weren’t willing to accept him as a part of their daughter’s love life, it would crush him.

  “I’ve known there was somethin’ between you and Bri for a long time now. Hell, I probably realized it before you did.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yeah, I’ve told Lexi so many times, ‘That boy’s in love with her. He just doesn’t realize it yet.’”

  Ryan dipped his head and smiled. At least this wasn’t coming as a total surprise to Josh. “What did Lexi say to that?”

  “She said she thought you two would be perfect together.”

  “She really said that?”

  Josh laughed. “Yeah, she did. And I have to admit, I agreed with her. Brianna has a tendency to take herself and life a little too seriously sometimes.” He held his hand up. “Don’t get me wrong. We’re damn proud of her, makin’ it through law school, at the top of her class no less… but sometimes she forgets she needs to take a little break to have fun now and then. Life’s too short to work hard all the time.”

  “It’s funny, my old man would probably say that Bri’s a good influence on me. She’s always encouragin’ me to take things more seriously.”

  “And your dad would be right. Life’s a balancin’ act, kid. You find just the right mix to equalize the scale and you got a happy life.”

  Ryan smiled. “I think Brianna’s definitely the great equalizer for me, Josh.”

  He grinned as he offered Ryan his hand. “I really hope so, son.” He nodded toward the TV. “Now what’s say we keep our mouths shut for a while and watch the game?”

  Ryan laughed and kicked his feet up on the coffee table as he settled into the couch and turned his attention toward the screen. “Sounds like a plan.”

  ***

  Evan poked his head in to Ryan’s office. “Trey needs to see us in the boardroom. Now.”

  “That’s weird,” Ryan said, getting to his feet. “He doesn’t usually stop by. Did he say what it was about?”

  “No. Apparently, he called to make sure we were here. Said he needed to talk to both of us about this.” Evan ran his hand over his head and released an unsteady breath. “I really don’t need this today. It’s already been a hell of a week.”

  “What makes you think this’ll make things worse?” Ryan asked, slapping him on the back as they walked down the hall toward the boardroom. “It could be a good thing.”

  “The way my life’s been goin’ lately, I’ve come to expect the worst.”

  Ryan rolled his eyes and shoved his brother down the hall ahead of him. “Quit your whinin’ or I may actually start to feel sorry for you. You know I don’t do empathy.”

  Trey stood up when they entered the room. He came around the table and shook their hands, pulling each of them in to a back-slapping hug. “Thanks for makin’ time for me, guys. I know how busy you are.”

  “I am.” Evan hooked a finger toward Ryan. “This guy, not so much.”

  “Sit down and shut up,” Ryan said, smiling at Trey behind Evan’s back. He didn’t mind being the butt of his brother’s jokes so long as it meant he was feeling marginally better.

  Trey chuckled. “Some things never change. Y’all still fight like you did when you were kids.”

  “Yeah, but now we can retreat to our own corners instead of tryin’ to kill each other,” Ryan said, taking the swivel chair at the head of the table. “Saves a hell of a lot on medical expenses.”

  Evan tossed a pencil at him, hitting him squarely in the chest. “You know I never sent you to the hospital, not that I wouldn’t have liked to a time or two.”

  Trey laughed and held his hands up, forming the universal time out symbol. “All right, let’s get down to business.”

  Evan placed his leather case and tablet on the table and claimed the seat next to Trey. “I gotta admit, I was kind of surprised to hear from you. I thought we were meetin’ next month to talk about the new album.”

  “That’s just it, son,” Trey said, placing his hand on Evan’s shoulder. “There isn’t gonna be another album for me.”

  Ryan watched the play of emotions cross his brother’s face: shock, anger, disbelief, and finally denial. Poor Evan. He was right; he did not need this right now.

  “You can’t be serious,” Evan said, shaking his head. “Trey, man, you can’t do this to me. Not now.”

  Trey sighed as he pushed his chair back from the table and propped his cowboy boot on his bent knee. “Boys, I’ve been playin’ this game a long time. Been chasin’ the dream even longer.”

  “Chasin’ the dream, hell, you’ve been livin’ the dream,” Evan said. “And that’s due in no small part to Titan.”

  “I know that,” Trey said, tipping his black cowboy hat back on his head. “I’ve had a hell of a run, and I owe your old man a lot.”

  “Is that what this is about?” Ryan asked. “Is it because Dad isn’t runnin’ the show anymore? You don’t think we’re up to the challenge?”

  “No! Hell, no.” Trey laced his hands over his flat stomach. “You guys have been doin’ a hell of a job since Luc left. I know he’s proud of you and so am I.” He looked from Evan to Ryan and said, “You guys are more than my nephews, you’re like my own sons, you gotta know that. No one, aside from maybe your parents, wants to see you succeed more than I do. And I know you will, with or without me.”

  “Come on, Trey,” Evan said, his voice trembling. “You know you’re still the biggest artist we have. If you leave-”

  “I’m not leavin’, I’m retirin’. There’s a big difference, kid.”

  Evan propped his elbows on the long oval table and dropped his head into his hands. “This can’t
be happenin’.”

  Ryan had seen his brother negotiate multi-million dollar deals without breaking a sweat, but this was personal. Trey was family. He was not only their uncle, he was someone they’d always looked up to, and they both knew Titan Records wouldn’t be the same without him.

  “We hate like hell to see you go,” Ryan said, confident he was speaking for his brother. “But we understand you’ve been at this a long time. You want a little time to enjoy your success with your family. No one can fault you for that.”

  “I’m still gonna be writin’ music,” Trey said, looking at Evan. “Your artists will have first right of refusal before I shop it around to anyone else.”

  “I guess that’s somethin’,” Evan said, clenching his fist on the tabletop. “You’re tellin’ me there’s nothin’ I can do or say to change your mind?” He looked Trey in the eye. “If this is about money, let’s talk terms.”

  Trey threw his head back and laughed. “Kid, I’ve already made more money than my grandson will ever be able to spend in his lifetime. That’s not what this is about.” His smile slipped when he said, “Sierra’s had to sacrifice a hell of a lot for the sake of my career. I owe her.”

  “She asked you to retire?” Evan asked, frowning. “I find that hard to believe. Aunt Sierra’s always been so supportive.”

  “No, she’d never ask me to give up my music. This is all me. It was my decision.”

  “Does Dad know about this?” Ryan asked.

  “Yeah,” Trey said, shaking his head. “I told him what my plans were at Christmas.”

  “And he didn’t think to tell us?” Evan asked, his lips pinching in anger. “He thought he’d just let us be blindsided-”

  Trey held his hand up. “Don’t blame him. I told him that I wanted to be the one to tell you boys. I wanted y’all to understand that this has nothin’ to do with you. Hell, if I had the stamina, I’d be happy to spend another ten years doin’ my dog and pony show with you guys.” He grinned. “But this is a young man’s game. You’ve got so many great artists comin’ up. It’s time for me to step aside and let them take the spotlight. They’ve earned it.”

  “There’s always gonna be a place for you at Titan,” Evan said. “I hope you know that. Just because we’re changin’ things up a bit, that doesn’t mean we ever wanted to force you out.”

  “I never felt you were tryin’ to do that,” Trey said, smiling. “Like I said, this was my call. The time is now. I wanna go out on top, while my fans still have great memories of my music. I see too many musicians try and stick it out way past their prime and it’s just sad to watch the natural decline in their voices. I don’t want that to be me. I don’t want my fans to remember me that way. My last show was great, maybe one of the best of my career. I want that to be the way they remember me.”

  “We’re losin’ one of the best in you,” Evan said, getting to his feet. “I don’t know how the hell we’ll ever replace you.”

  “Don’t sell yourself short,” Trey said, hugging him. “You’ve got a plan for this company and there’s not a doubt in my mind that you boys are on the right path.” He turned to Ryan and pulled him into a hug. “Stay the course. Don’t doubt yourself, and don’t ever feel as though you’re livin’ in your old man’s shadow. You’re not.” Trey stepped back to look at both men. “Your father was only one man. Yeah, he was great at what he did, but together you guys can take this company to heights he never even dreamed of. Trust me, that’s what he was countin’ on. If he didn’t believe that was possible, he would never have put you in charge.”

  Chapter Nine

  Ryan stood on his parents’ doorstep, his hand clenching the ornate knob. He needed to talk to them about Trey leaving, Evan’s state of mind… his feelings for Brianna. He couldn’t risk his father hearing about their relationship from Josh. Not that what they had could be defined as a relationship yet. Like he told Josh, he intended to take it slow with Brianna. They had the rest of their lives to be together and he didn’t intend to screw that up by rushing her into something she wasn’t ready for.

  “Hello,” he called, stepping into the foyer.

  “I’m down here, Ry,” Luc called. “In the study.”

  Ryan crossed the limestone tiles down the expansive hallway leading to Luc’s private study. He’d always joked that this house was the museum that housed his father’s enormous ego. It may have been Luc’s style, but it definitely wasn’t his. In fact, his luxury townhome didn’t feel like home anymore either. Maybe it was time to think about making a change, hopefully one that would include Brianna.

  “I’ll be with you in a minute,” Luc said, holding his hand up.

  “What’re you doin’?” Ryan asked, slapping his father on the back as he looked over his shoulder at the numbers on the computer screen.

  Luc took his designer glasses off and closed the laptop before turning his chair to face his son. “I’m just messin’ around. I’ve been tryin’ my hand at day tradin’. I gotta admit, it’s quite a rush.”

  Ryan laughed as he sat down in one of the wing back chairs across from his father’s desk. “Just don’t go losin’ my inheritance now. I know you’re gettin’ old and senile. You might tack a couple of extras zeros on and some guys name Vino and Duillo will show up on your doorstep to rough you up.” Ryan grinned when his father chuckled. “Don’t expect me to protect you. I don’t want anyone messin’ up this pretty face.”

  “You should’ve thought of that when you got suspended for fightin’ in the ninth, eleventh, and…” He snapped his fingers.

  “Don’t strain your brain. That’s not what I came here to talk to you about.” He shifted, trying to find a comfortable position in the chair. “God, I hate these chairs.”

  Luc smiled. “I know. Why do you think I keep them?”

  Ryan raised an eyebrow. “You keep them just to piss me off? You’ve got to get a hobby if that’s the kind of stuff that amuses you these days.”

  Luc looked at his watch and pointed to the mini-bar behind Ryan. “Why don’t you pour us a drink? Can you stick around for dinner?”

  Ryan got up to pour the drinks. He had a feeling he may need it just to get through this conversation. “That depends. What’re you havin’?”

  “What do you care? It’s free food, isn’t it?”

  “That’s true. All right, count me in.” He reached for the crystal decanter containing his father’s favorite fifteen year-old scotch and poured a generous amount into each glass. Setting one on Luc’s desk, he said, “I take it Mom’s not around?”

  “No, she just went to the grocery store. We’re gonna throw some steaks on the grill for dinner.”

  “Good. There are some things I wanna talk to you about before she gets back.”

  Luc kicked his cowboy boots up on the polished mahogany desktop and leaned back in his chair, bringing the glass to his lips. “I’m listenin’.”

  “You knew Trey was retirin’. Why the hell didn’t you tell us so we could’ve prepared ourselves? With everything Ev’s been goin’ through lately, this news hit him hard.”

  “Trey told me as a friend. I have nothin’ to do with Titan anymore, remember?”

  “Yeah, but we’re your sons,” Ryan said, setting his glass down on Luc’s desk. “Shouldn’t that count for somethin’?”

  Luc looked at him a long time before he responded. “It’s not my job to try and make things easier for you boys. Nobody was around to pave the way for me when I was buildin’ that company.”

  Ryan sighed. “Are we back to that again?”

  “Listen,” Luc said, pointing at him. “I handed a successful company over to you and your brother. What you choose to do with it is up to you.”

  “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  “You and Evan told me a while back that you needed me to step aside so you could run the company the way you wanted to. I agreed. You can’t have it both ways, kid.”

  “So you didn’t tell us about Trey because you want
ed to watch us stumble? That’s real nice, Dad.”

  Luc laughed. “Son, I can guarantee you’re gonna fall flat on your ass more than once, but you guys are smart enough to pick yourselves up and keep movin’ forward.”

  “I know you think Evan is, but…” It hurt to acknowledge the truth. Their father had always thought Evan was smarter and more capable than Ryan. Ryan often used humor and sarcasm to mask the sting, and he’d often rebelled, to try and prove to his father that his low opinion of him didn’t matter. But it did, more than he was willing to admit.

  “You always frustrated the hell out of me,” Luc said, leaning forward and clasping his hands on the desk in front of him. “Guys like me and your brother always have to work our asses off to be half as good as you are without even tryin’.”

  “What’re you talkin’ about?” Ryan had never heard his father acknowledge that he was good at anything.

  “Everything came easy to you. School, sports, girls, and you took it all for granted. You were lazy, and I hated that. I always tried to push you to be better because I saw so much potential in you.”

  “Gee thanks. What’re you sayin’? I turned out to be a big disappointment?”

  Luc shook his head. “No, I’m not sayin’ that at all.” He glanced at a framed family picture on his desk. “You were nothin’ like me, and I hated that.”

  “Thank God for small favors,” Ryan muttered, smiling when his father scowled at him.

  “See, that’s another thing,” Luc said, pointing at him. “Why do you do that?”

  Ryan shifted in his seat again, not because he was physically uncomfortable this time. He knew his father intended to put him on the spot and demand answers he couldn’t give. “Do what?”

  “Why do you deflect that way? Why is everything a big joke to you?”

  “Not everything’s a joke, but you can’t take life so seriously all the time. If I did that, I’d end up like Evan: alone and miserable.”