“Don’t you dare hang up on me. We have to talk.” He was deadly serious.
“No, we don’t. Go back to your old life, it’s what you wanted.”
“I told you I was an egotistical asshole, you think I want to go back there?”
“You always sounded so mad about it.”
“I was labelled a rapist. I don’t know any innocent man that wouldn’t be mad about it. I couldn’t give a shit about the rest.”
“Sorry.” She sounded limp and lost
“Where are you, Dani. I want to see you.”
“Cooper,” She whined, “I don’t want to see you.”
“Why?”
Her pause was too long and Cooper repeated softly, “Where are you?”
Ten minutes later she could see him walking toward her. He must have been at her parents to get here so quickly and she felt strange that her family could have heard the conversation. She moved to meet him, keeping her head down, her eyes wandering to him. He was in sweatpants and a thick black jacket, his head covered in the same woolly team hat as Dani. Cooper looked big and tough enough to cope with all her baggage and that was the most terrifying part of all.
Scared of what he would say, Dani found a sheltered bench seat out of the bitter wind and sat down. It was beginning to rain now and they were alone on the riverbank. Cooper sat silently beside her, hands in his pockets, staring out at the water. The seat was damp and cold but Dani didn’t care, certain they wouldn’t be here for long. Cooper would ease his conscience about having sex with her then wanting to move on. It’s not you it’s me. She knew the line. Steeling herself for the rejection she didn’t look at him, firmly concluding she would be okay and that her life would return to what it had been prior to meeting Cooper Graves. Boring and directionless. A bitter tear slid down her cheek and she quickly wiped at it with her brother’s sweatshirt, turning her head away so Cooper didn’t see. This was embarrassing enough without her howling over him.
Finally he spoke, uncertainty tingeing his words. “Dani, this is tough. Tell me to drop dead, I’ll understand after everything, but please forgive me.”
“I can’t even imagine the past few years. I’m happy for you, that it’s all over.” Unable to meet his gaze she added, “There’s nothing to forgive. I just hope we can stay friends. I hate you thinking I’m a bitch and my father would make your life miserable.” She sounded so mature it made her sick.
Cooper shook his head as if to clear it. “And you say rugby players are stupid. Dani, I want you . . . us . . . I want us to be together. I’m going nuts not seeing you, I’m bored and don’t know what I’m doing with myself.”
“Oh.” Dani cleverly replied.
He wrapped a big arm around her shoulders on a long-suffering sigh and Dani closed her eyes, leaning into him. He was so warm and she was freezing.
He held her tightly to his side, whispering, “My mojo misses you.”
“Please don’t say this is about sex. You could get that anytime you wanted from half the population of this country.”
“But I don’t want anyone else.”
Dani looked at him longingly, realizing she had something to tell Cooper before he never got rid of her.
“I want to tell you about me. My story was never played out in the public but it affected me in the worst way.”
“Is this the reason you hate rugby even with your nutty rugby family?”
“I suppose. It's what I’m considering changing.”
He pulled her closer to kiss the side of her hat. Dani tucked her legs into her chest and took a deep breath before beginning.
“When I was in my last year at high school, this was long before Dad got the England job, my boyfriend, Paul and I were both playing rugby. He was good, and I was playing for a club while trying to get a girl’s league going, annoying the shit out of every school by asking why they didn’t have any female programs. I was getting some traction and hoped to set up a tournament when I got to university. I was so determined. So excited. Women’s rugby is such an untapped market. You know how those talk hosts and old boys say no one watches so why waste money and screen time. I feel the opposite. If women’s rugby was televised everyone would see it as a faster, smarter form of the game we all love. And I’ve met plenty of women who need to be physical and aggressive too. It’s not just fun for men.”
“Those poor fucking schools.” Cooper joked and Dani poked him in the ribs.
“Anyway, Paul was really good. He stayed on at high school longer to get into a development squad touring Japan.” She looked at Cooper, “He had been told since junior rugby that he had England potential stamped all over him. Anyway, he got a contract to join the Richmond development squad and dropped all remaining high school matches. Our school was doing well and people put pressure on him to play, saying if we lost it would be his fault.
“Even I demanded he play so I didn’t get grief. So, he did. Early on he took a high tackle but carried on playing even though he was clearly in pain, only much later complaining of a headache. Nobody was concerned, the doctor diagnosed mild concussion and everyone forgot about it. It’s not rugby unless it’s hard, right? During the week he had more headaches but was determined to get on the field for his first Richmond match. I certainly never thought to stop him.
“He took another high tackle in the first ten minutes, went down fast and didn’t get up. He was carried off on a stretcher. I remember being pissed since the coach of the other team knew he had a head knock and his team still went for him. His parents didn’t want me in the ambulance and by the time I got to the hospital they were freaking out. I remember sneaking past everyone, finding him all alone and scared. He tried to smile and it was so sad I started crying.”
Dani started crying again now, Cooper remained firm around her shoulders but she didn’t dare look at him, just gazed at the river remembering her teenage distress.
“What happened to him?” Cooper quietly asked. He understood the perils of such a physical game, the hard knocks, the fractures, the breaks, the snapping tendons and blown muscles. He worked hard on the scrum trying to keep everyone safe.
“Paul was paralyzed and didn’t want to see me anymore for my own good. He would never walk again, would never get out of a chair, would need someone to wipe his ass for the rest of his life, to feed him, to put him to bed and get him out again. He was like a baby in the body of a big nineteen-year-old who had lived an exciting and physical life. Friends told me that the doctors were hopeful he’d get some feeling back. I hear he worked hard to move his arms so he could hang himself when he was left alone in his parent’s bathroom. All because he couldn’t play a fucking game anymore.
“That’s why I hate rugby, Cooper, because I told him to play that first game, because that animal knew he was injured and targeted him anyway, because nobody asked why his headaches didn’t go away, and because he didn’t want me when he needed me more than ever. All because of that fucking game.”
Dani pressed close to Cooper, he held her head to his chest while she cried, heart wracking sobs that she didn’t think she was capable of anymore. He remained silent, a tense presence, one of the few people who would understand. Like Cooper, Dani had seen or heard of spinal injuries, it was a constant threat in the scrum, the reason the rules were changed with regularity, trying to keep the players safe as huge men pushed against each other, sometimes with up to three and a half tons of pressure. But scrums collapsed, players tackled too high or got taken out in the air and people got hurt. The repercussions went much further than the player, they had families and friends that had to pick them up and carry on. Or in cases like Paul’s, bury him.
“Before he died he sent me a message saying he didn’t want me at the funeral, didn’t want me to cry for him. So I didn’t go and I didn’t cry for a long time. Then at university I lost it. My poor parents thought I was on drugs. I never told them how I felt because he asked me not to. And how can I blame him? He was only a kid.”
“So were you.” Cooper said and Dani realized it was raining much harder as she relived the past from this bench, freezing and wet, together yet alone on the banks of a river that was unwelcoming and angry, just like this old memory.
She realized Cooper was upset too and felt relief. Finally she had put it into words that someone else understood, or maybe she had found the one who would get it.
“I’m sorry you lost him, Dani.”
“Thank you.” She again broke into tears of frustration and resentment. “I hated everyone, especially myself. Stacey saved me since she hated sports.” Dani studied the water, “Doesn’t explain why she married a sports reporter but I suppose we all like people we shouldn’t at some point.”
He chuckled at her barb, asking, “Did you get help?”
“Eventually.” She sighed, “I guess I’m relapsing.”
“Life’s just moving on and Paul’s making sure you don’t forget him.”
Dani stared at Cooper in surprise. “Do you really think that?”
He shrugged, “Sure, why not? You need to talk about this stuff, it doesn’t go away and hiding it just makes it fester. You’ll have to deal with this, talk about it for the rest of your life. Perhaps someday it won’t hurt so much.”
She stared at him for a moment. “Thank you for hearing me out.”
“You have to tell me everything, Dani. It’s important there’s nothing lurking between us. We’re never going to feel good about some of the things in our pasts and that’s okay so long as we trust each other.” He gave her a questioning look and she nodded before he moved the conversation on. “Can you tell me your big plans that everyone will hate? Because if I hate them too we’ll have a problem.” He lifted her chin and peered at her, deep and serious as rain dripped from his nose, “I’m not letting you go, Dani Maxwell. Your brother can try to kick my ass again and your crotchety father can try to fire me again but we both deserve this.”
“I know. I’ll tell you the rest soon.” She leaned forward to taste the rain on his lips and suddenly it didn’t feel so cold.
Cooper hauled her to stand. “Your car or mine?”
“I’ll get my car and meet you at your place.” Dani then unzipped his jacket, slipping her arms inside and wrapping them around his warm waist, not wanting to leave him and shivering so hard her teeth clacked. Cooper was used to the cold but still winced at her touch. He wrapped his jacket around her tighter, hugging her.
“Race you.” He said after a long minute, then bolted in the direction of his car.
Dani watched him, feeling the wind keenly after his warmth. There was also a deep sense of calm. Her life path had found her just when she needed him the most. She thought about walking, just to prove she didn’t need to compete, then her instinct kicked in and she ran for her car, hating the thought of losing.
◆◆◆
Birgetta didn’t feel the wind and rain through her open car window. As usual she was dressed inappropriately for the time of day and weather, a designer suit that only this morning had felt so important. Now her world was ruined and she watched with fury as the couple sat out in the rain, clinging to each other, kissing like their lives were only beginning while Birgetta’s had just ended.
And it was all their fault.
She had a gun and was prepared to use it if she would stop shaking enough to aim. She had never shot a gun before and had no idea what she was doing.
Birgetta had turned up to that fucking press conference expecting Michelle to fix everything. The smug bitch had always been reassuring that if everything went to shit she would set Birgetta free. Instead Michelle had thrown her to the wolves. After the conference, Birgetta tried to confront Michelle, to let her know her time was up and she wanted that evidence back fast. She had waited in her car and as expected Michelle had eventually followed. Instead of being calming she had leaned in, slipped a handgun from her sleeve into Birgetta’s lap, small packages of pills and powders raining throughout the car. Michelle had dumped her stash and was making her final move. Like usual she was too gutless to do it herself.
“You have two choices here. Get rid of my husband or get rid of yourself.”
“But what about the photos and that video? You promised to give them back if I did what you wanted. I’ve been waiting so long. I’ve done so many horrible things.” Birgetta was desperate, out of control.
Laughing, cold and evil, Michelle had said, “It’s all going to depend on what you do next.” She had nodded to the gun. “Or I’ll be first to accuse you of doping me to get what you wanted. Everyone hates you anyway.”
Then Michelle had walked away, an extra sway to her hips for the watching media, the photographers following. Birgetta stared down at the gun, wondering what it would feel like when the bullet pierced her brain? What would the police find? Could she angle it so it didn’t destroy her face? Thoughts crisscrossed her mind. Should she kill Michelle instead? Her daughter’s career would be over unless she got those fucking photos and that disgusting video.
A security car cruised through the parking building and in a panic Birgetta stuffed the gun between her thighs and drove, almost shooting the cashier at the gate in her haste to escape.
She didn’t want Michelle’s job so instead drove nowhere. She stopped a few times to gather food, wanting to gorge herself to bursting, all those years of careful dieting worth nothing. What did it matter now?
She passed the river, noticing two people. Lunatics in this weather. She spotted Cooper’s car all alone. That was a crazy couple, they didn’t care about the rain because being together was more important than being wet and cold.
She parked and continued eating, waiting. This was perfect, a way to rid herself of all her problems. Cooper Graves and Dani Maxwell, what the hell, she’d get Michelle too. She smiled thinking of Marcus Gold. He had to go. After what his shitty article had done to Birgetta’s life, his was forfeit. That pretty wife too.
Birgetta contemplated a walk along the deserted river, to hurry this along when the lovers moved, clinging together, half undressing each other and kissing without a care in the world. How dare they be happy when Birgetta was ruined? She hated them.
If Cooper had of just stayed down, kept his mouth shut, believed the old lies about him. If his bitch hadn’t of poked and prodded at the past, included Marcus fucking Gold, Birgetta would have gotten what she needed and returned home to her daughter. What did one lie matter to Cooper? He had survived, had moved on, there were no long-term effects for him from that stupid rape story.
Now they had to pay.
She let the passenger window down and aimed but Cooper suddenly bolted toward his car, Birgetta squeezed the trigger in surprise but nothing happened.
Hissing, she gaped at the gun. Was there a safety switch? She fiddled with what might be a switch then returned her aim to Cooper. Dani Maxwell was racing in the opposite direction. What were they doing?
Taking a deep breath she decided Cooper had to go first, then his bitch. She lined the big man up and tensed her trigger finger, the sound lost to the rain.
Chapter Nineteen
Dani was still panting when she got to Cooper’s place. He was nowhere to be seen and after knocking she waited, smiling through her shivering as she peered along the road. Had she beaten him? Perhaps he went the wrong way. She would rub this in his face, she had won fair and square.
Suddenly the door flew wide and Cooper hauled her inside by the waist. “What took you so long?” He was dripping but not panting which didn’t mean much. The guy would still be competitive against current players on the field.
As he closed the door, he asked, “Talk or get naked?” He might have been asking if she would like tea or coffee.
Pondering it for half a second, Dani said, “Definitely naked.”
“Great choice.” He led her to the bathroom, flicking the shower on before tugging at her clothes. Dani reached for him and this time Cooper accepted her touch without any hesitation. The wet clothes stuck an
noyingly and they eventually pulled apart to drag away sopping pants and socks, watching each other with grins of delight that they were together.
As soon as they were both naked Cooper hauled her into the shower, blasting it hot enough to sting Dani’s freezing skin. He took his time, holding her until her shivers subsided and her skin lost its frightful blue hue. Dani clung to him, stunned after her certainty that it was over between them. Cooper clearly had other ideas and Dani was in awe after all he had been through, especially after she had dumped her own world of hurt on him. Her father had been right, he was a tough bastard and she hoped his parents were proud of the man they had raised.
She traced a line up his strong back, sighing. Cooper felt so good to touch.
He was more demanding and soon snapped the shower off and helped Dani out. Not speaking, wrapping her in a towel and pushing her to his bedroom.
Pointing at the bed, he said, “Sex in a bed. Novel.”
She laughed, “Only for us.”
“We’ll get dry first.” He said, rummaging in drawers for something that might fit her, tossing her a pair of thermal running pants and a sweatshirt.
Dani eyed the clothes. “I’d prefer if we got more wet.” Cooper’s gaze snapped to her and his eyes darkened as a grin split his handsome face.
“Whatever you want.”
“What a gentleman.”
That grin became wicked. “Gentle isn’t what I’m thinking. Dani, I’ve got something I really want to do to you that I don’t think I could have done before.”
“You can now?” She let the towel drop from her body, comfortable under his scrutiny when she could see exactly what she was doing to him.
“Oh, yeah. I can do whatever I want now.”
“Why?”
“Because I’d never hurt you.” He paused, “You know that too, right?”
“I always knew that.”
“Good, I want to show you how things can hurt very nice.”
“Sounds fun.” Dani gulped, wondering what she had gotten herself into. Then Cooper wrenched his towel away and Dani didn’t think much for hours.
Rules of her Game: A Contemporary Sports Romance Page 21
