Make Up Call (Summer Rush #3)

by Cheryl Douglas

  “Yeah, and what are you worth now? A hundred million, maybe more?” he sneered.

  “Let me tell you something,” Chase said, curling his hands around the chair. “I’ve worked my ass off for every dollar I ever made.”

  “If you can call that work,” he said, rolling his eyes. “A bunch of grown men playing some stupid game. What I did, what Jay does, now that’s real work.”

  Chase wouldn’t argue about whether he made an obscene amount of money to play the sport he loved because he happened to agree he did. People like Jayda, who worked their butts off every day, deserved to be better compensated. But Chase didn’t make the rules; he’d just learned to live by them.

  “Did you ever ask her how she feels about her work?” He hadn’t intended to mention Jayda’s work. He knew it was none of his business, but after the talk they’d had that morning, he couldn’t let it go. “Or do you even care whether she’s happy? As long as she’s able to take care of you, keep your son in rehab, is that all that matters?”

  “Who the hell are you to come in here and tell me how to run my family?”

  “That’s just it. Your daughter’s a grown woman. You don’t have the right to run her life anymore. But you’re still trying to manipulate her, aren’t you? You want her to believe that she has to stay here and take care of you, that you can’t survive without her.”

  He paled before swallowing. “Why? Where would she go? She’s not… you two aren’t thinking about getting back together, are you?”

  “What if we were?” Chase knew the odds of that happening were slim to none, but he didn’t mind making the old guy sweat after the hell he’d put him through by trying to take away the two people who mattered most to him.

  “You can’t do that!” Bill slammed a hand on the table, looking much less feeble than he had just a few minutes before. “Jayda belongs here. So does Cadence. You can’t take them away from me. If you do, I’ll have nothing left!”

  With one son living halfway across the country and the other out of it half the time, Chase couldn’t contest his logic. Cadence and Jayda represented a lifeline for him, and Chase knew, deep down, Bill loved them in his own twisted way.

  “You claim to love your daughter, and I actually believe you. So from one father to another, do you know how hard it’s been for me to live without my little girl all these years?” Before Bill could respond, Chase said, “You love Cadence so much? Why would you want her to be apart from her daddy?”

  Bill’s gaze landed on his Velcro shoes as he shook his head slowly. “That’s not my fault. Just because you and Jayda couldn’t make your marriage work, don’t go blamin’ that on me.”

  “I’m not blaming it all on you, but you could have encouraged her to come with me. You could have told her that you’d be fine here on your own, with the help of a caregiver and someone to manage the garage for you. If you’d told her to put her family first—”

  “I’m her family,” he said, stabbing a thumb at his bony chest. “Ever since her mama died, me and her brothers have been the only family’s she’s got.”

  “That’s not true,” Chase said quietly. “Cadence is her family. I was her family. We were trying to build a life together, make a family of our own. That’s what scared you, isn’t it? The thought of losing her?”

  Bill stared at an abandoned water bottle on the table, biting his lip as his eyes filled with tears. “I can’t lose her. What would I do without her?”

  Chase sat down across from him, curling his hand into a fist on the tabletop. “You can’t ask her to live her life for you. We both know that’s not fair. She’s running your garage. Taking care of you like it’s her job. Hell, she’s still taking care of her adult brother because you make her feel as though he’s somehow her responsibility. You know that’s not right, Bill.”

  Maybe time had softened the old man or maybe it had softened Chase, but he could suddenly see a father’s genuine fear in Bill’s eyes, something Chase had never seen in all the years he’d known him.

  “I never asked her to take care of me,” he said, looking at the oak floor. “You think I like being dependent on someone else? Believe me, I don’t. I hate that I need her. But this damn disease—”

  “Sucks, I imagine.” Chase couldn’t imagine how it felt to be betrayed by your own body, especially since his had always been at the mercy of his mind, doing whatever it was told, including making plays that made him look super-human.

  “Yeah, it does.”

  “Listen, I agree with you that Jay should have gotten a hell of a lot more in the divorce settlement. So how ‘bout I step up and make her life and yours a little easier now?” He wasn’t offering for Bill; he was doing it for Jayda, to make her life better and give her options.

  “What are you talking about?”

  He shrugged. “There are some great assisted living centers in the city.”

  “I’m not goin’ into no goddamn old-aged home. A place like that’d kill me in no time.”

  “Okay, how about I hire someone to help you? She could do some cleaning, laundry, cook your meals, run errands for you, that kind of thing.”

  “Why would you do that?” he asked, narrowing his eyes. “You don’t even like me.”

  Chase chuckled. “You’re my daughter’s grandfather. She loves you. That’s reason enough for me to want to help you, isn’t it?”

  “She’s a great kid,” he said, his eyes softening. “I can’t believe Dillon did this. I’m so ashamed of him.”

  Chase couldn’t imagine being ashamed of his own kid, maybe because Cadence had only ever made him proud. “It’s not your fault, you know. The way your son turned out. Everyone knows you did the best you could.”

  “Danny and Jayda tell me I’ve enabled him.” He shrugged. “Hell, maybe I have. He was practically a baby when his mama died, and I guess I worried about what that would do to him.”

  Chase wanted to remind him that Jayda was only a couple of years older than her brother and Bill didn’t seem to worry about the effect her mother’s death had had on her. But he knew reopening old wounds wouldn’t help heal the current ones. “But he’s a grown man now, Bill. The choices he’s making are his. He has to own them.”

  Looking miserable, he said, “He’s going to go to jail for this, isn’t he? Taking Cadence?”

  “I think he should. He needs to learn his lesson the hard way. Rehab hasn’t helped him get clean. Maybe jail will.”

  “I don’t know,” he said, rubbing trembling hands over his face. “I don’t know what to think anymore. I hate to think of my boy in a place like that, with those animals, but maybe you’re right. Maybe it’d be the best thing for him. Lord knows I haven’t been able to get through to him.”

  “Dad, I—” Jayda stood in the door of her father’s apartment, looking back and forth between them. “Chase, what are you doing here? I thought you were going to the airport?”

  “I told you I had a couple of stops to make first.” He gestured to Bill. “This was one of them.”

  She glanced at her father, looking uneasy. “Is, uh, everything okay?”

  “Yeah, it’s fine,” Chase said, standing. “I was just leaving.”

  “I have to get back out there,” Bill said, struggling to stand while Jayda clearly fought the urge to help him. “Sorry I couldn’t help you, Chase.”

  “It’s okay. We’ll find her.” He set a hand on Bill’s shoulder. “Think about my offer, okay? Stands, whenever you’re ready.”

  “Thanks.” He looked at Jayda. “I’ll think about it.”

  Jayda waited until her father left, then she closed the door behind him before turning to Chase. “What was that about?”

  “I offered to hire someone to help him.” He cleared his throat, diverting his gaze to the window. “It’s no big deal.”

  “You hate him,” she said, stepping closer to him. “So why would you do that? It doesn’t make sense.”

  The way he felt about his ex-wife didn’t make sense t
o him either, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t anxious to explore it. “He’s my daughter’s grandfather. Isn’t that reason enough?”

  She took another step closer, so they were standing toe to toe. Tipping her head back to look him in the eye, she said, “You’re not doing this for him. You’re not even doing it for Cadence. You’re doing it for me, aren’t you?”

  Since he’d promised himself a long time ago that he’d never lie to Jayda, he forced himself to look her in the eye when he asked, “What if I am doing it for you?”

  “But… why?”

  How could she be so smart, yet so clueless when it came to his feelings for her? “Because you’re working too hard. It’s time for you to take some time to figure out what makes you, Jayda Miller, happy.” His mouth tipped up.

  “What?” she asked, frowning. “What’s so funny?”

  “Nothing’s funny. I just haven’t said that in a while—Jayda Miller. You still wear my last name well.”

  “Is that so?” she asked, her arched brow disappearing behind her side-swept bangs.

  “Yeah, it is.” Standing so close to her, remembering how incredible she’d tasted last night, made it impossible to resist her. His hands curled around her hips before he lowered his head to whisper in her ear, “Now would be a real good time to tell me to take my hands off you.”

  Hooking her thumbs through his belt loops, she whispered back, “What if I don’t want you to take your hands off me?”

  “Jay…” He closed his eyes, inhaling the sweet scent of her shampoo. “This is probably a bad idea.”

  “Probably.”

  “So what are we doing?”

  She looked up, her expression soft, her voice tentative when she said, “I tried hating you. But I ended up hating myself.”

  “Don’t do that.” He would rather she hate him than herself. “Things happen, baby. Sometimes we feel like we have no control.” At least he felt that way. “My free agency, those bitter fights…” At the time, it had seemed their arguments were never-ending, but in hindsight, he realized their fights were brief but destructive.

  “And I told you I wasn’t coming with you.” She rested her hands on his chest. “I don’t think I ever planned to say that. Before I knew it, the words were out and I knew with the way you looked at me, there was no taking them back.”

  He couldn’t remember ever being more hurt or scared than he was when he heard his wife and best friend tell him he’d not only signed a contract but sealed their fate as a family.

  “Losing you and Cadence was the hardest thing I’ve ever gone through.” He still got choked up thinking about those final days, watching her pack their lives, their memories, into boxes while they prepared to sell the home they’d shared. “You were the one thing in this crazy world that kept me grounded. You know that, don’t you?”

  She rested her forehead against his chest before asking, “Why are we saying things now we should have said then?”

  “Then we were hurt and angry and confused. Five years is a long time. Buys you a lot of perspective.”

  “I feel like I cheated you and Cadence. She’s grown up without seeing her daddy every day and night. And I can only imagine how hard that’s been for you. If I’d tried harder, swallowed my pride, faced my fears—”

  He silenced her the only way he knew how—with a lingering kiss. “Don’t blame yourself for that. Even if we’d stayed married, I still wouldn’t see her every day. That’s just the nature of my job.” He swiped the pad of his thumb over her full lower lip. “It takes me away from the people I love.”

  He could tell she was holding her breath, wondering what he might say or do next. Chase forced himself to step back, knowing anything he said to her now would be premature. They were still two scared parents desperate to get their daughter back. They were vulnerable, functioning on adrenaline and too little sleep. Naturally they’d seek comfort in each other’s arms. But how would she feel about him once Cadence was home, safe and sound?

  “I should go. I have one more stop to make before I go to the airport.”

  She nodded. “I’ll call you as soon as I hear something from Dillon or Cadence.”

  “I don’t want to go. I want to stay here until he brings her home. I want to hug her and kiss her and tell her I love her.”

  She smiled. “How ‘bout we fly out and see you just as soon as I get her back?”

  Chase was stunned she would even offer. When Cadence was a baby and he’d asked Jay to bring her to an important game, she’d always declined, claiming she didn’t like traveling with an infant. “Seriously? You’d do that?”

  “If you want us there.”

  “I do, more than anything.”

  “Okay, then we’ll be there.” She reached for his hands. “It won’t be long. I have to believe that. He’ll bring her home soon. Right?”

  Knowing she needed his reassurance, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead. “I know she’ll be with us soon, sweetheart.”

  ***

  Chase was usually able to get around town without a lot of fuss, but Cadence’s disappearance, coupled with their World Series appearance, meant everyone wanted a piece of him. By the time he finally made it to the police station, he knew he’d be late for his flight.

  “Hey,” Jessie said, looking up from behind the front counter, where he was standing alongside a woman in uniform. “What’re you doing here?”

  “I was hoping you’d have a minute to talk?”

  “Look, there’s nothing new to report on Cadence. Throwing more money at it, getting more manpower won’t change anything. We’re doing the best we can. You just have to let us do our job and stay the hell out of it.”

  Chase had come here because he wanted to talk to the man he’d once considered his closest friend, not the cop. “Please. Just give me a few minutes?”

  “Fine,” Jessie said, pointing at an open door, his name stamped on the frosted glass, at the end of the hall. “You can wait in my office. I’ll be there in a minute.”

  Chase headed back to the office and closed the door. After taking a seat, he began scrolling through the hundreds of messages on his phone. None could be as important as the conversation he was about to have.

  Jessie came in, sighing as he slammed the door and claimed the seat behind his desk. “Sorry about that. It’s been a madhouse around here since we got the call about Cadence. Everyone wants to help.”

  The police station wasn’t the only place crawling with people wanting to help. Jayda had told him the reason she’d gone into the shop was because she’d been fielding calls and visitors at her house all morning. That was the one thing Chase missed about living in a small town—feeling like he was part of a community. His teammates were his family, but they hadn’t known him since he was just a kid, like these people had.

  “What about a ground search?” Chase asked. “Isn’t that the usual protocol in a missing child case?”

  Jessie laced his hands and leaned forward. “We’ve both known Dillon all of his life. I’ll be the first to admit he’s a dumbass, but you don’t really think he’d hurt her, do you?”

  “No, I don’t.” In spite of all of his faults, Dillon had always loved his niece, and she him. “Jayda thinks I should head home, play in the next game. She thinks if you’re right and someone wants to keep me out the game, they’ll back down and return Cadence when they see their plan failed. What do you think? Is that the right move?”

  He rubbed his forehead, looking frustrated. “I still can’t believe he didn’t take the bait when you offered him money. I thought for sure he would.”

  “I got the feeling he was tempted though. The fact that he didn’t makes me think you might be right about him not working alone.”

  “Yeah, and if that’s the case, maybe getting you back in the game would be the best thing for Cadence.”

  Though Chase still wasn’t thrilled about leaving, there was nothing he wouldn’t do for his daughter. “Okay, I’ll guess I�
��ll head out then.”

  Jessie nodded before standing. “We’ll keep you posted. I honestly believe he’ll bring her back when he realizes whatever stupid scheme he’s cooked up isn’t going to pan out the way he wants it to.”

  “Jess…”

  “Yeah?”

  “Why do you hate me so much?”

  He sank back in his seat, looking Chase squarely in the eye. “I don’t hate you.”

  “Could’ve fooled me.”

  “You had it all. Why couldn’t that have been enough for you?”

  Though Chase understood the question, he said, “Excuse me?”

  “You had the most amazing woman, a beautiful baby, a pro contract…” He shook his head, sighing. “Yet you wanted more. More money. More praise. A shot at a World Series ring. You always wanted more… without taking the time to appreciate what you had.”

  Chase swallowed, feeling the agony of a truth he wished he could deny settle over him. “You don’t think I know that? You don’t think I know this shot at the big prize cost me too much?”

  “Then why didn’t you stay? You could have stuck it out here, told them the money didn’t matter to you as much as being close to your family. You know they wanted you to stay. Having a player like you on their roster—”

  “I was stupid, okay?” Chase loved his teammates and he was proud of the team they’d built, the shot they were getting, but he’d trade it all for one more chance to be a husband and hands-on dad. “Is that what you want to hear?”

  “I’m in love with her.”

  Chase closed his eyes, trying to come to terms with the fact that the man he’d once considered his best friend had just admitted to being in love with his ex-wife… a woman he still had very strong feelings for.

  “I know she only thinks of me as a friend,” Jessie continued. “But that doesn’t change the way I feel about her.”

  “I don’t even know what to say to that.” He didn’t have the right to be mad. He and Jayda had been divorced a long time. He hadn’t kept in touch with Jessie after he left town. There was no logical reason for him to feel betrayed, yet he did.