by Alice Ward
My mouth hung open. I didn’t know what to say. I wasn’t going to deny anything. It was too late for that.
“Lana did leak the story,” he said, pushing her iPad across the table.
There were images of checks, written to Bobby Delaney, from Rhett’s account. A deed to a condo was in Rhett’s name, with a lease agreement for Bobby at one dollar a month. I scrolled through documents, emails, all with personal information about Bobby’s addiction, including checks written to several rehab facilities.
“You’ve been helping him?” I asked.
“Yes. And I suppose Lana helped herself to my desk while I watched the beginning of practice.”
“Why would she want to hurt Spaceman?” I asked, confused by her motive.
“I believe there was some jealousy involved. That may have been my fault. I did bring Katrina on without consulting her, and I put her in a position that may have been out of her league. Lana is a smart woman, but a vindictive one. She knew something wasn’t right, so she was determined to prove it, no matter what it was.”
I listened to him talk about the relationship he’d developed with Bobby over the years. He’d offered Bobby a coaching position on the team if he promised to get help, and he was even continuing to pay for that. When he found out Katrina had a journalism degree, he checked out her work.
“Yes. Hiring her started as a helping hand to Bobby and his family, but once I saw what she was capable of, it was all on her own merit.”
“She’s turned off her phone and deleted all her accounts. She could be in real trouble,” I said, leaning in to talk softer in the empty room.
I explained what happened the night before, and why I was in her room. Rhett leaned back in his chair, his eyes drifting toward the ceiling as I told him about Bobby’s enormous debt, and the week he had to pay it.
“I’ll take care of everything. Including making sure Katrina is safe,” he promised. “So you really care for her, don’t you?”
My eyes itched as tears struggled to surface. I pushed them back, swallowing hard to clear my throat before answering. “I love her.”
“Then what are you doing here?” he asked. “Go to her.”
“What about practice?”
He laughed. “We’re almost done here anyway. You’re not gonna be worth a shit if you don’t go after her, tell her how you feel,” he stated.
“Thank you,” I said, scooting my chair out from the table. I reached out, shook his hand, and took off to my room to pack. Even if she didn’t want me, I had to tell her how I truly felt.
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT
Katrina
I scrolled through my phone, erasing all traces of my existence online as I waited for my plane to start boarding. The airport was small, only offering a cart with apple juice, water, and a few snacks. I doubted the growling in my stomach was from hunger anyway. More likely stress.
“Now boarding to New York,” the woman called over a loud speaker from her small podium. There were three other people at the gate, all seated within ten feet of the woman. She continued to speak through her microphone regardless of the need.
I grabbed my carry-on bag and boarded the plane. I was relieved to find a couple dozen more people on the plane as I took my seat. I hated flying, and for some reason, the thought of only having a few other passengers scared the living shit out of me.
The plane was small, much smaller than the ones I’d been on before. My seat was in the back, all the way in the back. I could smell the cleanser from the bathroom at my seat. This was as far away from first class as you could get. I wondered if Lana had done that intentionally. I laughed, sure she did. The bitch.
A small elderly lady was seated next to me, her lap filled with balls of yarn. I stared at the colorful strings, smiling when she caught me looking. “Can you believe they wouldn’t let me bring my knitting needle?” she asked.
Yes. Yes, I could believe that.
The fasten seatbelt sign came on, and the flight attendant instructed us on the safety features of the plane. I tried to tune out their speech so I wouldn’t have to think about emergency exits, oxygen bags, and inflatables in case of a crash into the ocean. Damn, I wished Todd was here to hold my hand.
My eyes closed as the plane took off, and they didn’t open again until I could feel the plane level out. The woman beside me was smiling like a loon with her lipstick smeared on and around her lips. “You scared of flying, dear?” she asked.
I nodded, and then quickly closed my eyes again to pretend to sleep. The one thing I hated more than flying was talking about my fear of flying while in the air.
When I got off the plane in New York, the environment felt as though the earth had shifted. No more casual, relaxed mood surrounding me. Instead, stress, a rushed feeling, and a high-tension mood floated about. Gathering my bags was like trying to fight my way into a Black Friday sale where the most popular toy of the season was offered at half the price. By the time I made it to the curb, I was exhausted.
Yellow cabs, limos, and shuttle buses lined the passenger pickup area. I wasn’t sure what to do. I’d never done it completely on my own before. I had very little cash and only one credit card to my name. Everything I’d saved while working was needed to go toward my dad’s debt, so I opted for the shuttle, where I shared a ride with forty other passengers and had fifteen stops every few miles. It was the cheapest option, and I had to face reality. I wasn’t rich anymore. I didn’t even have an income anymore. I was one step away from a homeless shelter.
I packed my belongings quickly, leaving behind what wouldn’t fit in my second suitcase. I sent a quick text to my mom, letting her know when I’d be arriving. Again, she promised to pick me up and hung up with another, “Everything is going to be okay.” I wondered if my dad would be with her, or if he’d even want to face me.
I sucked it up and called a cab after arranging my flight back to Georgia. The extra thirty dollars wasn’t going to make a big difference in my budget after the four hundred for the one-way ticket. I noticed a missed call from Todd before I turned my phone back off. Lana had probably made me look like a real fool by now, and I wasn’t in the mood to hear about it. The driver stuffed my bags into the trunk of the cab, and I slid into the backseat.
I turned to look out of the back window as we pulled off, watching what I was leaving behind. My freedom, my independence, my chance at happiness. A cab pulled up, taking our spot from in front of the condos, and I could’ve sworn Todd got out of the backseat. The traffic, the fog, and the fact that my heart was still aching for him must’ve been affecting my eyes.
“Everything okay?” the driver asked.
I turned back around in my seat, leaving the image of what I thought I'd seen behind. “Yes,” I sighed, slouching into the worn leather seat.
My phone was still in my hand but turned off. I stared at the black screen, wondering if I should turn it back on, just in case. Quit being silly, Katrina. Todd’s in Florida, probably relieved to be rid of you.
Back in the airport I’d just left, I fought my way through the line at the ticket kiosk, and then through security. The plane was packed, my seat between a large man who was sweating bullets, and a young boy who had been separated from his family.
I squeezed into my seat, closed my eyes, and followed the same ritual as before to get through my short flight. At least I wasn’t in the back this time.
As the plane took off, I imagined Todd holding my hand, whispering that everything was okay. My mind spiraled with thoughts of our adventures, and how far he’d been able to push me past my limits. I could smell his cologne with my eyes shut, and even taste his delicious lips.
“We’re arriving in Atlanta on time,” the pilot came over the speaker, pulling me out of my daydream.
The large man was staring at me, a wild smile on his face. I suddenly felt flush. I was scared I’d fallen asleep and talked, or worse, moaned. The young kid beside me wore his headphones while playing with his handheld video ga
me, so if I did, at least I didn’t break any laws.
Mom stood at the baggage claim, her getup just as extravagant as always. “You look awful,” she said as she gripped my face in her hands.
“Thanks,” I snarled playfully. “Where’s Dad?”
“He’s at home, resting.”
Yeah right. I knew he would have been there, even with broken fingers and legs any other time. He was a proud man, and knowing he’d put me in danger made him want to hide from me. He was going to have to face me soon enough. Hell, that condo of theirs was so small, he had nowhere to hide.
I grabbed my bags and handed one to my mother to carry. She looked confused as she fussed with the handle, trying to release it to pull behind her. She’d never had to carry her own bags before. It was actually quite amusing to watch.
“You’re gonna have to learn to do this kind of stuff, ya know,” I teased.
Janice Delaney rolled her big blue eyes as she finally pulled the handle from the suitcase. A smile widened on her face, filled with pride at her small accomplishment. “I used to do this all the time,” she reminded me. Oh yes, the days of Janice Delaney when she didn’t have money. When was that? Uh, never. Her parents were well-off, even though they didn’t have money like Spaceman, they had enough to pamper their beautiful daughter.
A black Lincoln was parked in front of the airport, and as we walked out, the driver gripped the bag my mother carried. I stopped and watched as he placed it in the trunk, and then came for the one I rolled behind me.
“What is this?” I asked, pissed that she was spending so frivolously while all our lives were being threatened.
“You didn’t expect me to drive myself, did you?” she asked, oblivious to why I was even mad.
“You can’t, I mean, we can’t afford this,” I snapped. “I took a shuttle, rode on an airplane by the bathroom, and even left personal stuff behind to save on additional baggage fees.”
“It's fine,” she said sweetly, sliding into the backseat.
The driver continued to hold the door for me while I absorbed my mother’s delusion. Wow. Some things never change.
I slid in next to her, still glaring in her direction with disgust. “Everything’s going to be okay,” she said.
“How can you be so calm?”
“Because we have everything under control.”
“We? Control? What are you talking about? There are crazy men out there, ones who broke Dad’s fingers, then kidnapped and threatened to rape me,” I spewed my anger without concern that the overpriced driver would hear.
“They won’t be bothering any of us again,” she said proudly.
“How is that possible? He owes them a million dollars. No, subtract the sixty grand for my ring,” I sneered.
“I’m sorry about your ring, sweetie. But I told you everything was going to be okay, and it is.”
What the hell was happening here? I just lost my job, lost the man I loved, for what? “Is this another one of Dad’s famous ‘one more big payout’ schemes?” I asked.
“No. He’s not gambling. He hasn’t for months.” She looked at me and patted my hand. “He’s been in treatment, doing really well. His debt has been wiped clean by Rhett. He just has to agree to go to New York and help coach the team.”
My mouth dropped. Rhett paid the million dollars for my dad? Why? I knew they were friends long ago, but I didn’t realize they were that close. And coaching for the Beasts?
“I think it will be good for him to be back on the field, even if he isn’t playing. He’s missed that environment. I believe that’s what caused the gambling problem in the first place. He was bored, restless.” My mother looked so peaceful, so happy. It was hard for me to be angry, but I was.
She was right about Dad and baseball. Without it, he was a mess, he’d proven that. But, why the Beasts?
“Where would you live?” I asked, realizing I meant to say we. Where would we live?
“New York, of course,” she said without hesitation.
I didn’t want to live in New York. Not if I would have to see Todd, and if Dad worked for the team, I’d have to see him. Lana had humiliated me in front of Rhett, the entire team, I couldn’t face them again. No way.
“So I could stay in the condo here in Georgia?” I asked.
She laughed softly. “That will be sold and Rhett will find us a place there.”
“If Rhett’s finding you a place there, why can’t you just keep the condo, at least long enough for me to get back on my feet?” I pleaded.
“I’m pretty sure Rhett said he was selling the place. That’s not really up to us,” she said.
I pushed until I found out that Rhett had purchased the condo and leased it to my parents for a dollar a month. Jesus, so I got my job out of pity, charity, what? No wonder Lana hated me. She knew I was a spoiled little brat who was still living in her daddy’s shadow. I hadn’t realized it, but she must’ve.
It was a relief to pull into the parking lot of their four-story condo building. “Hey, Kit-Kat,” Dad greeted me at the door.
His hands were bandaged, casts on every finger, except the middle one on the right hand. Tears welled up in my eyes at the sight of him. “I’m sorry I was so hateful, Daddy,” I cried, throwing myself into his arms.
“You had every right to be, Kit-Kat,” he whispered in my ear.
“I’m sorry I caused you so much trouble,” he said, tears already streaming down his face.
It was the first time I’d seen my dad cry. It was humbling.
“I’m sure you’re probably tired. You have a room already made up for you,” he said, releasing me from his hug. It was strange not to feel his fingers touching my back, but instead, cold, hard, nubby casts.
“Will you be able to use them again?” I asked, eyeing his disfigured hands.
“Oh, hell yeah. You can’t stop the Spaceman that easily,” he boasted.
My mother dragged my suitcases down the narrow hall, banging them along the way until she disappeared into the door on the right. I guessed my room.
“Why don’t you get settled in and get some rest, then we’ll talk,” Bobby smiled and winked after he spoke.
I gave my dad a quick kiss on the cheek and walked down the hallway to the room my mom had disappeared into. “Thank you for letting me stay here,” I said as Mom turned to me.
“Where else would you stay?” she asked sweetly.
“I’m just grateful.”
Her smile was warm and her eyes soft as she opened her arms for me to slide in between. I was relieved that the danger was behind us, but I still feared what beasts were in our future. “I can’t go back to New York,” I blurted out, pulling from my mother’s warm embrace.
She stared at me for a moment without speaking. Her eyes remained soft and kind, and her smile welcoming and warm. “Everything will be okay,” she repeated her mantra.
That was easy for her to say. She wasn’t the one who’d made a fool of herself. She wasn’t the one who had a woman who hated her trying to ruin her reputation at this very moment.
“Get some rest. You’ll see. Everything will be just fine,” she insisted.
A soft kiss on the cheek, a small squeeze of my arm, and she left me alone in my new room. It was plain, with white walls, one square window that overlooked the tennis courts, and beige carpet. Blah.
I picked up my suitcase, placing it carefully on the small twin bed. The frame looked cheap and rickety. I was afraid the weight of my suitcase would cause it to crumble to the ground. I wasn’t sure I felt safe sleeping on such a flimsy bed.
“I forgot to give you clean towels,” Janice said, walking back into my room.
“So, if Rhett is so generous, why didn’t he get you guys a better place?” I asked, unable to control my curiosity any longer.
“He did. There were several places he tried to buy. Your dad wanted this one.”
That surprised me. “Why?”
“He planned on paying Rhett back, every dime. He k
new that his royalty checks were dwindling fast, and if he picked up a regular job, this was all he could afford.”
My heart swelled in my chest at my dad’s pride. The place suddenly looked much better to me. The walls weren’t so plain, and the carpet not so bad. Hell, even the tennis courts looked good now.
“Rhett told him he didn’t want him to pay him back, but you know Bobby can’t accept anything for free,” she said with a fond smile.
“But he took the million dollars,” I probed.
“Only because he was worried about you being involved. He wouldn’t have if it was just for him. That’s why he agreed to the coaching gig in New York. It’s a quicker way to pay Rhett back.”
Now there was no way I could be angry about the coaching job or the move. If he could swallow his pride for me, I certainly could swallow mine for him.
The doorbell rang, pulling my mother’s attention toward my door. “I better get that. Your dad can’t turn the knob,” she said, playfully mocking his actions with her own hands.
She rushed out of my room. I heard the front door open, and a male voice that even though faint, I found familiar. “Kat, there’s someone here to see you,” my mother said, peeking into my room.
My heart pounded as Todd stepped into my doorway, still wearing his uniform from practice. I was in shock, my heart actually stopped for a second, and I thought I’d pass out.
This couldn't be real. He wasn't really here. I must've still been asleep on the plane between that large man and young kid. “I tried to call you,” he finally spoke.
“You’re really here?” I asked softly, still not sure.
He moved closer as Mom disappeared, a quick wink and smile offered as she left. His hand touched my arm, and my head immediately tilted toward it. “You’re really here,” I gasped.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
He lifted a finger to stroke my cheek. “I couldn’t let you leave.”
I nuzzled my face in his palm, absorbing his warmth. “I didn’t have much of a choice.”
“You could’ve called me.”
“And said what?” I whispered.
