Contender: An Everyday Heroes World Book (The Everyday Heroes World)

by Tiffani Lynn

  “I’m hungry, Sam. This better be your best batch of spaghetti ever.”

  “It is all the time. You know this. It’s why you come every week.”

  I laugh because he’s wrong. It’s not the best spaghetti ever. It’s edible, but the reason I come is because it is the best company ever. My dad and my brother are awesome and I love seeing the world through their eyes. They both have a slightly different take on it than the rest of us, in their own ways. My dad has always been thoughtful and detailed. Sam is usually optimistic and filled with interesting observations.

  “You’re right. Now that I’m back from Colorado, I can’t live without your spaghetti on Wednesday nights.” We grin at each other for a few seconds until he goes back to stirring the sauce.

  Once we’re all seated and filling our plates, conversation flows as usual.

  “Did you do anything after our lunch today, Sam?” I ask, knowing that he came right home, because he always does.

  “I went to the new gym.”

  My head shoots up and my eyes lock with my dad’s. We’re both shocked. Sam is the most regimented person I know. I can almost set a watch to the rhythm of his life. I try not to let him hear the shock in my voice. “Oh, really? What’s it like?” My dad’s fork lowers to his plate as he sits and waits for a response.

  “It’s a boxing gym! I met the owner and he let me look around and he said I could come back and hit one of those things the guys hit. He said it’s called a bag.”

  My eyes narrow. “Dad, do you know who owns the new gym?” All I need is some dude messing with my brother. Some people get off on teasing and tormenting people with disabilities, like Sam. Luckily, most people around here are cool with him. There are only a few we’ve had to protect him from over the years.

  “I heard it’s someone from L.A.”

  “Yeah! He’s Keegan Ranger.”

  “Who is that?” I ask, now more suspicious.

  “A boxer,” Sam states matter-of-factly.

  “I never knew you watched boxing.”

  “I don’t, but he told me his name, so I looked it up on the computer when I got home. They call him The Punisher.” He smiles at the name.

  “I don’t think you should be hanging out with some guy called The Punisher, who we don’t even know.”

  “Why? He’s really nice and he’s going to let me punch a bag sometime.”

  “Because we don’t know what kind of person he is and—”

  “I know what kind of person he is. He’s a boxing guy and he’s nice to me.” His voice has risen and it’s obvious that my brother, with the usually sunny temperament, is getting ticked off.

  “You don’t know him. You just met—”

  “Yes I do! His name is Keegan Ranger and—”

  My father cuts my brother off as he begins to shout. “Hey, hey, hey. Calm down. Sis is just looking out for you. She’s a police officer and it’s her job to look out for everyone, and you’re her brother, so she will look out for you the most.”

  He huffs and slouches in his chair, with his arms crossed over his chest and his bottom lip out, getting ready for a rare tantrum.

  “How about if Sis and I go meet him. Maybe he will show us around his gym too? Then we won’t be worried.”

  That does the trick. Sam’s arms drop to his sides and his face lights up. “Yes! Let’s go now!”

  Wait, what? Sam is not spontaneous. Everything must have a plan and a specified time. He must really like this guy.

  “How about we go tomorrow. If he’s been setting up his gym, he’s probably having dinner now and then going to bed. What if we go there tomorrow after Sis gets off work?”

  Sam sits and thinks about it for a few seconds before finally agreeing. “Okay, tomorrow after Sis gets off of work.” His smile is back, along with his cheerful disposition.

  Once my shift is over the next day, I meet my dad and Sam in front of the red brick building that holds the new boxing gym. I was hoping to change out of my uniform, but Sam was too excited to wait for me to do that.

  The door is propped open and deep male voices can be heard over top of the 1980’s rock and roll blaring from the speakers inside. Sam leads the way, I follow him, and my dad brings up the rear. He crashes into my backside when my body locks up at the sight of the three shirtless men on the other side of the room. One is on a ladder while the other two below him are helping to hang a big, long punching bag. Guys at the police academy were fit, the athletes when I was in college were in good shape and sometimes cut with nice muscles. None of them looked like this trio of muscled men. Holy mother of God.

  “Sis!” my dad urges as he presses a hand into my back to get me moving again, probably because Sam is almost to the group of men by now.

  “Hi, guys! Want some help?” Sam asks as he approaches. We try to let Sam do everything he thinks he can because, more often than not, he is capable of doing things we don’t expect, but I think this really is out of his league.

  The guy on the ladder, not the biggest and not the smallest, but certainly the best-looking, smiles at Sam and doesn’t even hesitate.

  “Hey, Sam! You got here just in time. Can you hold the ladder steady so it doesn’t wobble while I’m up here?”

  “Sure!” Excitement accompanies his response and he moves right over to the ladder, bracing his hands in the way wrong spot. I wait for the man to say something condescending, but am pleasantly surprised when he redirects him. “Hey, bud, can you come around to this side and put your hands there and there?” he asks as he points. The other two men remain quiet, holding the bag in an obviously uncomfortable position.

  “Perfect! I’m so glad you showed up when you did,” the man says as he goes back to what he was doing. The three men exchange a few words as they work to hang the bag. Once it’s done, the two men come over to where my dad and I are standing, and the one from the ladder walks over with Sam.

  Sam speaks first, “This is Sis and Dad. They wanted to meet you.”

  My dad reaches across the space and shakes with all the guys. Frankie is the largest of the three men, Brown, who is actually snow-white, is the smallest (but not small at all), and then there is Keegan Ranger, the mid-sized hottie from the ladder. Keegan’s not at all what I expected. I can’t draw my eyes away from him and I’m sure I look like a lovesick fool when my dad elbows me in the side, knocking me from my reverie. “I’m Fred, and this is my daughter, Collins. Sam said he met you yesterday, so we thought we’d come by and welcome you to the neighborhood.”

  A knowing look passes over Keegan’s face and I realize he understands why we came here today. The funny thing is, he doesn’t look irritated by it; in fact, the little smirk he’s trying to hide tells me he finds it amusing. “Well, I’m glad you came in. It’s good to meet you both. We have a few more things to set up and then it will be as good as it’s going to get for a little bit. Brown and Frankie came to help me open, but will be headed back to L.A. this week.

  Before Keegan can say another word, Sam pipes in. “If you need more help, I’m a good helper.”

  “When these two guys leave me, I’m going to need help. Do you work now?” he asks Sam.

  “No,” I answer quickly, trying to cut him off. My shoulders tense and I swallow hard, praying he will get the hint and drop the subject quickly. Everyone around here knows not to talk about Sam’s job unless he brings it up, because he worked with my mom. That’s a taboo topic at our house because anything having to do with my mom makes Sam cry or shut down completely. He’s usually pretty easygoing, but not when it comes to her. She was not only a very good mother, but she was also his best friend and employer. They had a good thing going, and working together made them both immensely happy.

  “I had a job with my mom and she died so I don’t have a job anymore.”

  Keegan’s eyes flick to mine quickly and little lines form on his forehead as his expression changes, and I swear he understands. “I’m sorry about your mom, pal. I’m sure she loved havin
g you work with her. What did you and your mom do?”

  “We sold houses. I filed papers and swept the floors.” He beams with pride and I can’t help but smile at him.

  “That’s important work. I don’t think I have anything that exciting. The kind of position I need to fill does have some sweeping, also some laundry and greeting customers. I think you would be excellent at those tasks, but I want you to go home and think about it and discuss it with your dad and sister. If you don’t want the job, no hard feelings. We can still be friends. But if you think it sounds like work you want to do, please let me know before these guys leave at the end of the week. You are the kind of guy I could use around this place.”

  Sam’s face lights up instantly and I release the breath I’ve been holding since my mom was mentioned. Now I’m fluctuating between wanting to kiss Keegan and run a full-fledged background check on him. No one is this good to be true.

  “I want to do it, but you don’t have to pay me,” Sam replies, and my dad and I exchange a knowing look. That’s how people like Sam get taken advantage of, and the tension I lost a second ago when he offered Sam a job, slips back into my muscles. My need to take over the conversation is almost overwhelming.

  “No way, pal. If you work here, you get paid. I only have a couple of volunteer positions and I won’t fill them for a little while longer. What did your mom pay you?”

  My dad and I stand there, still and silent, trying to let Sam handle this but undoubtedly wanting to jump in and negotiate this for him. I clench my teeth.

  “Mom paid me twelve dollars an hour. But you don’t have to pay me that much.” I open my mouth to stop him from saying more, but my dad grabs my arm to quiet me.

  “Well, I think I should start you at the same amount for the first couple of months and if you like the job and work hard, we can talk about a raise. What do you think?”

  Is this guy really offering my Down’s syndrome brother that much money? Something doesn’t seem right about this. All of this has been too easy.

  Sam nods his head excitedly, like a dashboard Chihuahua bobblehead, and most of the tension slips out of me. I think it’s time to do a background check on this guy, to be certain Sam is in decent hands.

  “You want to start on Monday at eight in the morning?”

  Sam turns around and flashes us a giddy smile. “I always worked with Mom at eight in the morning! I can do it.”

  And just like that, Keegan has won both my dad and Sam over. However, I still feel like this is too good to be true and I plan to keep a very close eye on things. This is the whole reason I moved home… to take care of Sam.

  Three

  Keegan

  Sam comes through the door with the biggest smile, just as he has every weekday for the last two weeks. Hiring him was the best thing I’ve done since I moved to this town. I don’t know how he manages it, but he’s here at eight o’clock on the dot every day. It’s hard not to feel at least some happiness when he’s around. He’s just that kind of guy. There is always a smile on his face, he’s enthusiastic about every task I give him and he hums constantly.

  Now that I’ve been open a few weeks, I get why Fred and Collins came to meet me when Sam and I became friends. Not only is Sam extremely trusting, but I’m learning that not everyone sees Sam’s amazing qualities like I do. I heard some chatter about him in the locker room at the end of last week and it pissed me off. If I hear it again, they’re going to know why I’m called The Punisher. I couldn’t identify who said it, but once I figure it out, I’ll kick the guy out on his ass. I don’t put up with that shit. Lou taught me well about loving and appreciating a good soul and Sam has the best soul, even better than Lou, and that’s saying something.

  “Morning, Sam!” I return his greeting. After he clocks in, he approaches for our handshake. Apparently, that’s his thing. He has one with every friend he has and each one is different. Sam leaves the office and heads to the laundry room to start working, and my phone rings. It’s the lawyer’s office.

  “Hello?”

  “Keegan, it’s Frances. I just wanted you to know that I’ve emailed over the final paperwork and our business will be complete. Please sign the attached papers and email or fax them back at your earliest convenience.”

  “Thank you for everything, Frances. How’re things with you?”

  “All is well here. Work seems to be busier than usual and the grandkids are keeping me on my toes. How’s Sunnyville?”

  “It’s nice. The people are friendly. A lot of tourists but enough local traffic to keep the gym growing. We already have twenty-five members and I’m looking at starting a boxing league, so that should draw in more people. I have some help but will need to hire more if Brown decides not to move here. Right now, it’s perfect.”

  “Well, I’m glad to hear it. Keep in touch, Keegan, even if it’s not for law purposes. You and Lou have been my favorite clients for years.”

  I smile a little, thinking of Lou. “Same here, Frances. Thank you for everything.”

  We hang up and I’m left feeling a little low. I miss Lou more now than I have in a couple of weeks, probably because I was so busy getting everything going that I didn’t stop to think too hard about him. I’ve always been good at compartmentalizing things and that certainly applies to dealing with Lou’s death. If I don’t think about it, the hurt doesn’t overwhelm me, but the minute my brain starts going, my gut feels like it’s full of lead. Instead of going out into the gym and working out or doing one of the hundred other projects I need to do around here, I start on payroll for the week, effectively hiding in my office.

  At ten till twelve, Sam knocks on the door and I yell for him to come in.

  “It’s time for my lunch.”

  I nod at him because I know he lunches from twelve to one every day, no matter what, and on Wednesdays, he goes to lunch with Collins—that sexy sister of his—who I’m certain hates me, but I can’t figure out why. If looks could kill, I would’ve been dead the day she and her father came to check me out. Her father was friendly like Sam, only a little quieter, but his sister was ready to lock me up and throw away the key. It was kind of a turn-on, to be honest though.

  Most of the time, beautiful women are throwing themselves at me. I don’t know if it’s the professional athlete thing, the fame thing or the money thing, but I usually have to peel them off and run to get away. That fiery redhead could’ve cared less about any of those things. Her concern was how I was going to treat Sam, and even after I proved that I was going to do right by him, she was still standoffish and skeptical. I almost laughed at the look on her face when I told Sam I’d start him at what his mom was paying him. I knew she thought I was going to lowball him. She has one of those faces that’s easy to read.

  “Are you okay today, Keegan? You look sad.” The way he pronounces my name makes my lips turn up a little. Like it’s two names instead of one. Kee. Gan.

  “Yeah, I’m okay, pal.”

  “Do you want to have lunch with me and Collins and Wade? You could be part of our Wednesday lunch crew.”

  “I don’t want to interrupt your lunch with your sister.”

  “Wednesday is my day. I see her two times.” He holds up two fingers to reiterate his point. “Her friend comes every week. I can bring mine.”

  I lean back in my chair and lace my fingers together behind my neck as I contemplate his request. It’s been a boring week and a dose of Collins’ attitude might do the trick to bring me out of my reflective mood. “I think I’ll take you up on that, Sam. Thank you.”

  Sam acts as my tour guide as we walk toward the diner. He’s chattering nonstop about each building as we go, telling me the history of the town and who owns what store. It’s kind of interesting, but more than anything I like Sam’s company. You know what to expect with him. He’s a says what he means and means what he says kind of guy. Not many people are like that anymore. Lou was that kind of man. Sometimes, what he had to say wasn’t something I wanted to hear, bu
t he never lied. I always respected him for that.

  When we finally walk through the door of the diner, we’re both laughing at a story about a horse that got loose and ran through town when he was little. My eyes locate Collins before I register anything else about the place. The smile she has for Sam dies on her lips when she realizes I’ve joined him. The man with Collins, probably her boyfriend, is also in uniform and is staring at me with a curious expression. I haven’t met him yet. I’ve only heard Sam refer to him a few times, but now, suddenly, I’m curious about him too. He’s tall, judging by the way his broad shoulders rise high above the back of the booth. Short dark hair, dark eyes and a dark complexion consistent with Hispanic or Middle Eastern lineage. Women would certainly find him good-looking and it would make sense for Collins to be with someone who looks like him. They say opposites attract.

  Sam exchanges their handshakes and slides into the booth, next to Collins, leaving me the seat next to Wade. Instead of waiting for me to sit next to him, he rises from the bench and reaches out to shake my hand. “I’m Kevin Wade, but everyone just calls me Wade.”

  I take his hand and give it a firm shake. “Keegan Ranger. Nice to meet you.”

  “I knew who you were as soon as I saw you. I watched your fight against The Mauler in Vegas two years ago. Great fight! It was my first one live. Usually I watch with friends on someone’s television. Nothing beats that live though.”

  “Agreed, live fights are so much better. That particular match was one of the better ones, despite getting my bell rung by that dude in the second round.”

  “That was a killer hit. I was afraid you were going down, but you took it and then came back to make him pay. It was incredible!”

  He scoots into the booth and I move in next to him. Collins is staring at us like she’d rather put tape over our mouths than listen to us talk anymore. I can’t help but chuckle a little.

  “I invited Keegan to eat with us,” Sam notifies them.