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

by Tiffani Lynn

  I cross my arms over my chest and stare out the window. The rest of the day is spent in relative quiet because I’m too busy stewing about all of this to say much.

  Once my shift is complete, I drive to my dad’s house. I need to let him know that Keegan has taken on Ricardo. I can’t imagine what he will say.

  The house is quiet tonight as I enter, and it only takes a second to understand why. My dad is sitting in his chair, reading a book, and my brother is sitting on the couch, watching something on his iPad, with his headphones on. Once the iPad is in front of him, he doesn’t notice anything else. I wave a little, to catch my dad’s attention, so I don’t startle him with my approach. His smile is gentle and warm, like always.

  “Hi, Sis. How was your day? I didn’t expect you tonight.”

  “My day was crappy. I needed to come by and talk to you before I head home. How is he doing?” I nod my head toward my brother.

  “He’s doing much better. His shoulder is still sore, but his spirits are good.” He closes his book and sets it on the little table next to him. “Have a seat and tell me what’s on your mind.”

  “Well, I don’t know how to say this, but I found out today that Keegan has decided to mentor one of the kids that was involved in Sam’s attack.”

  “I know,” he states, as if he thought I should have known before this.

  “How do you know? Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Keegan came to talk to me about it. I didn’t tell you because I knew you would fly off the handle about it.”

  “You’re damn right I did. I can’t believe you kept this from me.”

  “Listen, sweetie, I spent thirty-five years with your mother, so I know how to deal with that redheaded temper. I never throw myself into the line of fire for the hell of it. Besides, I agree with Keegan’s choice to do it.”

  “You can’t mean that,” I whisper, the betrayal tearing at my heart.

  He reaches out and puts his hand over mine. “I do. Keegan has his reasons for doing it and they are good ones. Besides, if there is a chance to keep a kid from going down the wrong path, don’t you want to be part of that?”

  “Not at the expense of Sam.”

  “Don’t be so dramatic. I took Sam to meet with Keegan and Ricardo, and he apologized. Sam accepted it and it’s going to be okay. When Sam is fully healed, he will go back to work at the gym and we will try to go back to a normal life.”

  “What are you talking about? I think this highlighted the fact that it’s not safe for Sam to wander around town willy-nilly.”

  “No, the only thing this proved is that we can’t control everything. Sam is twenty-six years old and this is the first time since elementary school that someone has come after him. It could have been anyone. You have to let it go.”

  “I can’t! It’s my job to protect him. It’s the whole reason I came home!”

  He sighs, drops the footrest on his recliner and scoots to the edge of the seat, closer to me. “I never should have let you come home. I knew you were coming home to help out, to watch over us, and I was so grief-stricken that I didn’t say no. You should be in Colorado with your friends, living your life, being happy. Sam and I are doing okay here. I was selfish and wanted you near, and now you’re paying the price by giving up everything to be here when we will be just fine.”

  “Don’t say that, Dad, I wanted to be here to help. I love Sunnyville. I had my adventure, but I didn’t mind coming home. I just feel like I failed you and Sam by letting something like this happen.” A few tears slip down my face.

  “Don’t cry. You didn’t let anyone down. You’re like your mother, a mama bear, ready to fight for her cubs at the first sign of trouble. It was one of my favorite things about her, and you, but also one of the most frightening. Did you take your fiery temper to Keegan’s doorstep?”

  My eyes lower, ashamed that I have to say yes. I nod, avoiding eye contact.

  “Oh, sweetie. You need to go back with your tail between your legs and apologize, and then ask him to explain. I guarantee once you hear what he has to say, you will understand.”

  “Explain what?”

  “I can’t give you that information. That’s for Keegan to share. You guys have been seeing each other for over a month. How do you not know more about him?” my dad asks.

  “Honestly, I don’t know. I thought I knew a lot about him.”

  “Obviously not enough. There is more to a person’s history than a background check will tell you. Also, after talking to Ricardo, I think with some fine-tuning and a lot of support, he will probably grow up to be a decent young man.”

  “You can’t be sure of that.”

  “No, I can’t be certain, but there is potential there and everyone needs a chance. This is his.”

  I lower my head and stare at my feet as a few more tears escape my eyes and drip down my face. “Dad, I can’t go back over there. Not after the way I blew up.”

  “You’ll hate yourself if you don’t. Besides, I saw the way you looked at him, and I think it’s worth it.”

  “What if he can’t forgive me?”

  “Then he’s not the man I thought he was. Now, go on and get out of here before Sam sees you and wonders why you’re crying.”

  “Thanks, Dad. I love you.” I kiss his bearded cheek and leave the way I came in.

  Seventeen

  Keegan

  “Hey, dude, why’re you always in a bad mood?” Ricardo asks.

  “I’m not. I’m just busy.”

  “You haven’t done anything but stare at that computer screen for the last two days,” he points out.

  “Go do your work. I don’t have time for this.”

  “I’m done with all the jobs you gave me. Aren’t you bored?”

  The truth is, I’m not bored. I’m hurt and I’m pissed, so I’m sitting here stewing in it. When Collins stormed out of here a couple of days ago, I realized that any hope of us working things out was gone. I should be happy about not having to deal with her explosive temper, but her soft side was so sweet, it was worth the scorching heat of her dragon. It might help if I can peel myself out of this chair and get a good workout in. “Fine,” I concede, “go get a water bottle and meet me in the gym in five minutes. Be ready to sweat.”

  He races out of the room, obviously excited that I’m finally going to work him out. Once he sees how hard I push though, I don’t think he’ll be this excited next time. I chuckle to myself as I stand up. This will be the fun part of taking him on. I get to pull out Lou’s old tactics to deal with him.

  When I’m done shutting down my computer, I turn and freeze, finding Collins standing quietly in the spot Ricardo held a minute ago. The smile I had while thinking of Lou, dies on my face. I’m not in the mood for another ass-chewing I don’t deserve.

  “You got a minute?” Her voice is soft, very unlike our last conversation, more in line with that soft spot of hers that I love so much.

  I cross my arms over my chest. “Depends on what you want. If you’re here to chew me a new ass, then the answer is no.”

  She shakes her head. “I deserve that, but I’m not here to fight. I wondered if we can talk?”

  “Right now, I’m going to work out with Ricardo.”

  “Maybe later, after the gym closes?” she tries again, sounding anxious.

  I exhale, irritated and hopeful all at once. I’ve missed her, not that nasty redheaded temper, but the rest of her, absolutely.

  “Let me see if Ricardo can hang with Grant after we close. He’s staying with me until we can find him the right foster home. I’ll text you and let you know.”

  “Okay, just so you know, I am sorry for freaking out on you. I’ll explain more when we talk, but I want you to know I do realize I was wrong.”

  Most of the tension I’ve been holding on to for days, leaves my body, and I uncross my arms and let them hang at my sides. “Okay, we’ll talk later.”

  She nods and walks out as quietly as she came in. I pick up the phon
e and text Grant. Hopefully he can hang with Ricardo and I can figure out what changed between the crazy exorcist moment a couple days ago and now.

  Two hours later, we’ve both showered at the gym and I’m dropping Ricardo off at Chief Malone’s house, where their whole family is gathered for the evening. Now I’m headed to my place. My hands twitch in nervous anticipation. What if she gets pissed at something I say again? I don’t think I can handle it if she goes off on me. I’ve learned over the years to keep my temper in check, but she’s pushed me to the limit. If she flies off the handle, I’ll have to walk out and leave her there. Maybe we should have met at a public location so she has to keep her attitude in check.

  When I pull up, she’s waiting for me outside her car and falls in step behind me to and through the front door. I set my keys on the counter. “Want something to drink?”

  “No, I’m good.” She wipes her palms on her jeans twice before chewing her lip again.

  “Have a seat.” I motion to the brown leather couch that takes up half my living room.

  She sits at one end and I sit at the other.

  “I’m sorry I flipped out on you. I had no right. All of that was more about me and my inadequacies than anything you did. I’m still not sure why you took Ricardo in, but I’d like to hear what you have to say. I know you care about Sam, so it boggles my mind why you would offer to help a kid who got him hurt so badly.”

  “I’ll tell you everything if you promise to be quiet and listen until I’m done.”

  She takes her finger and draws an X over her heart and pretends to zip her lips shut. I fight a little smile at that gesture. For the next forty-five minutes, I explain to her all about my relationship with Lou, about Grant approaching me, about meeting with her dad and about Ricardo apologizing to Sam.

  “Everyone kept telling me I needed to hear your side of the story. Does everyone know your background except me? I feel like a jerk. I should have talked less and listened more.”

  “Grant had an idea about it because of an article that was done about me after I won my first title match. I imagine Wade’s seen it too, judging by the fact that he follows the sport. Your dad only knows because I told him everything.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me about all of this sooner, when we were first getting to know each other?”

  I sigh and lay my head on the back of the couch and look up at the ceiling, a little embarrassed of my past. “Because you don’t tell a woman that you’re falling in love with—who also happens to be a cop—that you tried to hot-wire and steal a person’s car, amongst other things. I didn’t want to scare you away.”

  “You were a kid, without any guidance or support. What else were you supposed to do with your time?”

  I open my eyes and turn toward her. Is it possible she gets it? “Probably could have done a million other things with my time, but if I had, then I wouldn’t have met Lou, and that would have been a tragedy.”

  “You were right, taking Ricardo under your wing is the right thing to do. How is that going?”

  “He’s a teenager who is used to doing things without anyone telling him what to do, so it’s got its challenges. He’s a decent kid though. There is plenty of potential there.”

  She nods like she understands. “What about us?” she asks quietly as she scoots a little closer to me.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Is there potential for there to be an us, or did I ruin it?”

  She obviously has no idea how much I care for her. I wouldn’t be sitting here, discussing any of this, if I didn’t have strong feelings before she showed her fiery side. I reach out and push the few stray pieces of hair behind her ear and study her for a moment. “What do you think?” I ask, stalling as I try to decide what my response should be.

  “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want to be with you. I’ve dated some over the years, but never been in a real relationship. In fact, I never really cared to have one until you. I know I’m hard to handle at times and I’ll work on it, but I think I can make it worth your while the rest of the time.” She chews the side of her lip and I know the unknown is killing her.

  I sit up and lean in so close, I can feel her breath. “You’re not always going to agree with me and we’re probably going to fight, but if you want to be with me, you have to trust that I will never do anything to intentionally hurt you or your family.”

  “I get that now.” Her eyes flick down toward my lips, but I keep a little space between us.

  It’s hard; I want to drag her off to my bedroom like a caveman, but I need to know she understands me. “You can’t question my loyalty. It’s the thing I’m most proud of and something Lou worked hard to instill in me.”

  “You’re not always going to be right, you know,” she comes back at me, showing me her backbone again.

  “I know. It wouldn’t be any fun if I was.” I smile and her eyes flick to my dimple this time.

  “So does this mean you’re ready to make up with me?”

  “Hmmm. Let me think it over,” I reply, just to mess with her a little.

  A little growl comes from her throat as she closes the distance between us. Her kiss is fierce and claiming. It's obvious she missed me like I missed her.

  “You’re trying to torture me,” she whispers against my lips as she pulls away.

  “What do you mean?” I feign innocence.

  “That damn almost-dimple you have makes me weak in the knees.” She smiles at me and runs her thumb over it.

  I stand up and throw her over my shoulder, smacking her on the butt. “I think you have it backwards. It’s you who is torturing me. You know what these damn spandex shorts do to me. You wore them here because you know I can’t resist your ass in them.” I pop her on the butt again.

  She giggles. “I only hoped they would help my cause.”

  I carry her to my room and lay her on the bed. “You gonna keep being hard to handle?” I ask as I tug off her shoes and socks and run my hands up the insides of her thighs.

  “I don’t know, you seem to have a pretty good grip; I think you’re up for the job.” She sits forward and runs her hand over my zipper, and my eyes roll back in my head at the pressure. I crawl over top of her and settle on the bed, ready to kiss every inch of the alabaster skin that I’ve missed so much. I don’t have all night, but I have a little time before I need to pick up Ricardo, so I’m going to take it slow and enjoy her.

  Eighteen

  Collins

  One month later…

  Keegan and I are in L.A., cleaning out his house and Lou’s house so that they can go on the market. He decided that he didn’t need either place. He only plans to keep Lou’s gym in L.A., and his friend Frankie will manage it.

  We tackle Keegan’s house first, knowing that would be a piece of cake. He doesn’t keep much in the way of knickknacks or decorations. In fact, the only decorations in the whole house are pictures of him and Lou, and him and a couple of other fighter friends of his. Otherwise, the walls are bare. He already had his furniture at his apartment, so the rest is odds and ends. Once we have everything loaded into his truck, we meet Ahmod for a quick dinner.

  “Thank you for bringing this hunk-a-licious to see me!” He hugs us both and we laugh.

  “Quit flirting with my man, Ahmod,” I joke.

  “You need to share, missy. There is enough of him to go ‘round. Besides, I need to get my flirt on before you marry him. At that point, it’s just tacky.”

  My head snaps around to glare at him. “Ahmod, it’s a little early to talk about marriage. You’ll scare him away and then there won’t be any more dinners with him.”

  “Marriage doesn’t scare me,” Keegan explains as he pulls my chair out for me.

  I’m so shocked, I don’t sit right away. “It doesn’t?”

  “No, why would it?” His response is casual, but I feel like a bomb has been dropped between us.

  “Ohhh, this is getting good,” Ahmod chimes in as he snaps his finger
s to get the server’s attention and plops into his chair. When she turns around, he orders, “I need a Long Island ice tea stat. The lovebirds are about to give me a show!”

  She looks over to us, and Keegan and I both order an iced water. She heads for the bar and Ahmod rests his chin on his hand with a smile on his face, waiting for this to continue.

  “Ahmod, there is no show to watch,” I inform him.

  He just grins at me.

  Keegan sits back in his chair and looks between me and Ahmod. “Are you really that surprised that I’ve thought about marriage?”

  “Um, yeah.” I say, adding as much sarcasm as I can muster. “But we don’t have to talk about it now.”

  “Why not? You’re just going to call him later and tell him everything.” He grins at me with that damn almost-dimple.

  Ahmod nods and shrugs, and I sigh.

  Then Keegan runs his finger along my cheek and sweeps a lock of stray hair back behind my ear. “When you love someone, you think of things like that. We may not be ready to pull the trigger on that quite yet, but I hope that’s where we’re headed.”

  “Keegan,” I breathe, my eyes welling up. “You love me?”

  He leans in close and I swear everyone else in the room disappears. It’s him and me in the room. “Yeah, little ginger, I love you. I thought you knew.”

  I shake my head and a stray tear runs down my cheek. I would say that this seems too soon, but I was already starting to feel this before the big blowout about Sam. I lift my head and run my thumb over his almost-dimple. “I love you, too,” I whisper, and then I kiss him. I’m brought back to reality almost immediately when Ahmod starts clapping. I pull away and smile at Keegan, and wait as he wipes the couple of stray tears out of my eyes. “Okay, show’s over,” I snap at Ahmod.

  “I knew a visit from you wasn’t going to be uneventful,” he counters and winks at me.