Текст книги "Just Play"

Автор книги: Taylor Hart

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Текущая страница: 6 (всего у книги 13 страниц)

13

Reese had Maddy already tucked into her crib when they got back. Then she relayed every detail about what Maddy had done, eaten, and the faces she’d made from the time they’d left until the time she’d gone blissfully to sleep. Sam thought about the fact that her experience with Maddy was quite the contradiction to what his had been the night before.

Reese stood in the kitchen, getting them both two plates of the previously made spaghetti that Sam was no longer hungry for.

“So how was the show, sweetie?” she asked Tiffany.

“Good,” Tiffany said unenthusiastically, her eyes meeting Sam’s for a moment before going to her plate where she picked up her fork and picked at the food.

Reese frowned and looked suspiciously at Sam. “Why aren’t you two eating?”

Tiffany shrugged and pushed the food away. “This is Sam’s third dinner.”

Reese frowned and then pulled both plates away. “Obviously, neither of you are hungry. What’s going on? What was wrong with the show?”

“Nothing,” Sam said quickly.

Reese loaded the plates and then turned to him. “Did you like it?”

Cocking his head to the side, he nodded. “It was one of the best performances I’ve ever heard,” he said honestly, purposely not looking at Tiffany. He hated that everything felt weird now. He didn’t want it to be weird. He desperately wanted it to be like it was earlier. He wanted to recapture how it’d felt when he’d play the guitar with her or when they had surfed and laughed together. How it’d felt to hold her after the performance when he’d lifted her up and she was so happy.

It all felt different now, and he didn’t know why he cared so much.

After cleaning up the kitchen, Reese surprised him by giving him a hug and then told Tiffany she would wait for her out in the truck.

He wiped the counter, not looking at her.

“Sam, are you okay?”

“No.” He stopped wiping the counter and stared up at her. Her soft curls fell perfectly around her face. Her blue eyes were pensive.

“You’re going to make it Tiffany, if you’ll just reach out and take it.” Then he puffed out a laugh because he thought of her last name. “Chance…take a chance.”

Her eyes lit up, and she blinked the welling moisture away. She looked like she wanted to say something, but she just turned away from him and moved toward the door. “Thanks for coming tonight.”

14

Sam woke to the loud sound of Maddy crying. He could hear her fine through the walls, but he had the monitor on, and it blared in his ear. Jolting up in bed, he looked at the time and realized that it was four am, and this was the first time Maddy had woken. He flew down the hall to her.

When he got to the room, she was standing, supporting herself on the bars of the crib. She wore pink jammies, and her binky was on the floor. She was reaching through the crib bars for it. Her red hair was matted and her cheeks were rosy. She immediately reached up for him when he leaned in to pick her up. “Well good morning, Maddy.” He pulled her into his chest.

Wanting nothing to do with his cuddles, she kicked her legs and spit her binky, little yelps coming from her. “Num, num.”

He moved swiftly down the hall and stairs. “The hunger making you cranky?” he asked, using the singsong voice again. He went straight to the high chair as she released another wail.

He got her buckled in and then rushed to the sink and mixed up a quick bottle. “I know. I get cranky when I’m hungry too, sweetie.”

Half an hour later, Maddy had downed the bottle and was on her second jar of oatmeal.

His system of feeding Maddy was efficient. He would scoop up a bite of oatmeal for her. Then he would drop to the floor and do five pushups, and he finished by jumping up ‘burpie style.’ He figured it took her a couple of seconds to eat, and he had to get his push ups in anyway. Can’t go soft, Dumont, he thought. In all the months that he’d struggled with anxiety and depression, exercise and training had been the staples in his routine that kept him sane.

Since he was young, he’d been physical. He’d always enjoyed pushing himself. And after his mother passed and his father progressively went down the road to alcoholism, football had become his constant. By the time he was fifteen, Sam was living with his paternal grandparents.

He thought of his grandma and felt guilty for not calling her. She’d been devastated at his dad’s funeral. For him, the funeral had been somewhat of a relief. Yes, he felt bad about feeling that way. He’d burned up a lot of hours ‘delving’ into those feelings with the shrink. He’d watched his grandma, the only woman on the earth he loved fiercely, fall apart and sob hysterically as they put his dad into the ground. But the only reaction he’d had to witnessing that was anger—harsh, cold anger. He was angry at his father, and even at his grandparents for giving most of their retirement and savings to enable him. Of course he’d stuck a couple hundred grand back into their accounts to make up for it, but part of him still blamed them for enabling him so much.

He fed Maddy another bite and dropped and did his last five of fifty pushups. It helped to be physical. He pushed thoughts of the past few weeks out of his brain. He put them in the box in his brain labeled ‘look at never.’ That was right by the box of ‘feelings of abandonment and anger’ at his mother who died on him. He sucked in a cleansing breath. He couldn’t deal with that crap now. He had this beautiful little girl to take care of.

Maddy must have finally had her fill because she pushed away the next bite.

“Are you done, baby girl?” He grinned and brushed a hand through her soft hair. It was a kind of soft that he’d never felt before. Taking a clean rag out of a drawer, he wet it and wiped her clean. Then he plucked her out of the high chair, lifting her up above his head. “What should we do until your daddy gets home?”

Without warning she opened her mouth, and food fell straight at him, splattering all over his face.

“Ack.” He pulled her into him, maneuvering her to his hip and using the towel to wipe the barf splatter from his face.

Maddy giggled while she watched him.

He grinned at those chubby, ruddy cheeks. “You think that’s funny?” He didn’t even recognize his own voice. He hadn’t known it could reach that octave.

Maddy just giggled again.

He looked at her, and he was lost.

He took the rag and covered his face and then pulled it back quickly like he’d seen Tiffany do in the tub the other night. “Boo.”

At this, she giggled so hard her whole body shook.

Hearing her delight, he was hooked. They played this game for roughly ten minutes Afterwards, he got her settled in front of her toys on the floor and then quickly did a much more thorough job of using hot water and the rag to clean himself, the high chair, and the floor. He scoured the cupboards and found the necessary items for a quick protein shake.

He thought about the text from Roman last night that had said they would probably get discharged from the hospital around ten and be home by ten-thirty. Bizarre, he mused as he scrubbed everything and watched her cooing and ahhing over the toys. It was bizarre how much he could already feel himself attached to Maddy. Thoughts of Roman coming home today fluttered through him. He looked at the clock on the stove. It was barely five in the morning. He realized that he almost didn’t want Roman to come home. He wanted to stay here and take care of Maddy. But that was ridiculous. Silly. He’d never taken care of anybody before this, let alone a baby. He could barely take care of himself.

Walking over to her, he plunked himself down on the floor, picked up a toy, and made a zooming sound with it.

Mesmerized by him, she temporarily stopped flailing and cooing. Then she gave him the biggest smile.

“That’s right,” he said in his newly acquired falsetto voice. “You like that, Maddy, don’t you?” He made more zooming sounds. This process repeated over and over until he saw her bearing down and her cheeks getting red.

Then he heard a toot, and Maddy smiled again.

Despite himself, he laughed. “Yeah, that’s a girl. I guess if you eat all that oatmeal, then you need to take care of some business.”

She pushed down again and smiled.

He suspected he would have a diaper to change soon.

Then the smell hit him.

“Ahh.” He stood and picked her up. “I guess we’ll change you and get you bathed for the day.”

After bathing and lotioning and diapering, he went to the room he was staying in, and he put her in the center of the bed. Glancing at the clock, he saw it was only five-thirty. “Dang, girl, is it nap time already, or what else can we do?”

Happily, she threw her arms down to her legs. “Gaa.”

“Right.” He pointed at her and thought about the heavy-duty three-wheeled stroller he’d seen in the laundry room folded up next to the broom. “I think it’s time for a run.”

15

It astonished him how much Maddy seemed to enjoy the stroller. He’d finally figured out how to work the maniacal clips and straps. He felt like she could survive any kind of off-roading in this get up. He jogged quickly down the Young driveway and hit the highway, staying to the side and watching for any possible cars.

It was quiet. Barely six, he figured. He really didn’t mind being up at this hour. In fact, he preferred sunrises. He’d always appreciated them on his runs in Dallas, and he preferred trails to treadmills. He liked to feel like he was ‘getting somewhere’ instead of watch meaningless shows like some of the other players liked to do in the weight room.

In Dallas, he liked hitting the streets around the stadium on his conditioning days. The trainers had wanted him to stay in the facility, but he hadn’t cared. He’d needed to run to get away from his lousy playing. He might have been off his game this past year, but he’d never been off his training.

Before he realized it, he’d come to a sign that read ‘Wolfe Creek,’ and immediately, he saw another sign that read ‘The Alaskan Inn.’ Pausing in front of the Inn for a second, he realized that this was where Roman and Katie had gotten married. The media had made a big deal about how this had been the place they had met and restored together. This was the place Roman’s uncle had left him. Truly, he and Katie had been a modern day love story—akin to Prince Wales and Diana. Sam snorted. He used to be bitter about it. Now it was just funny that he was actually here.

The place looked great. The trees that led to the semi-circle driveway were large and the sharp pine smell filled the air. The log cabin style inn looked cheery with its bright red door.

“Huh,” he mused and glanced into the stroller to make sure Maddy was doing okay.

She looked up at him and grinned. Her lips were folded around a plastic ring that was attached to the front part of the little section that had clipped in front of her.

“Is this your daddy’s house?”

“Gaa.” She grinned, baring the little front teeth that were poking through her gums.

Taking off into a sprint, Sam pushed the stroller ahead of him down Main Street. It was quiet; there was no one on the road. He flew past a cemetery then a row of houses. Finally, they got to some shops, and Henry’s Hardware was on his left next to a café called Leapin’ Lizard’s. Amused, he turned up the opposite side of the street toward a ski resort.

The previously level road turned into a steep climb up the hill, and he wished he had brought some type of electrolyte drink with him. Nevertheless, he kicked it up a notch, digging into the hill by lifting his knees and keeping his chest high, like he’d seen on those YouTube videos about hill running.

The thing he didn’t anticipate was the strain that having a stroller would add to the climb. He tried focusing on the scenery and not thinking about getting to the top of the mountain. Like most of the local ski resorts, Wolfe Creek had been commercialized. There was a large resort rental area, clothing shop, and eatery to his left. He was considering heading into the large parking lot to let himself recover for a second, but then he saw Tiffany’s truck.

16

She was parked by a crooked sign pointing the way to ‘The Wolfe’s Haven Diner.’

The diner was surrounded by trees with plenty of balcony seating. Sam noticed her walking up the steps. She was wearing a simple pink dress that ended right above her knees paired with socks and white tennis shoes. Her hair was piled on top of her head in a ponytail and she was carrying the same black purse from last night. Before he could yell out her name, she disappeared inside.

Almost without thinking he found his legs were moving up the rough path. It wasn’t paved like the rest of the fancy ski resort to the side. No, this road had gravel, and Sam guessed it would be awful in the winter. She definitely needed the four-wheel drive she drove.

Stopping at the bottom of the brown steps, he picked up Maddy’s stroller and sprang up the steps. The smell of coffee greeted him at the top, and he put the stroller down on the rickety wood. As he opened the door, it ‘dinged,’ announcing his arrival.

The first thing he noticed was a bunch of old fashioned posters on the walls. The greats including Elvis, Marilyn, and James kept watch over the patrons. He heard what sounded like Elvis coming from a jukebox in the corner.

“Can I help you?”

A tall, dark man with brown eyes and a warm smile stared at him from behind the old school diner breakfast bar.

“H-hi.” Sam pushed the stroller up to the breakfast bar, grateful that he’d grabbed his wallet on the way out. “I…” He broke off, scanning for Tiffany.

“Can I offer you some water?” The man turned, picked up a small glass, and filled it with ice and some tap water.

Sam caught his breath, realizing he was breathing hard. “ Thanks.” He chugged back the water.

The man smiled down at Maddy, his eyebrows rising. “Well hello, little Maddy.”

He put the glass on the counter with a loud clunk, and grabbed a package of saltine crackers for Maddy.

The man still didn’t look at him. He reached forward, lightly touching Maddy’s hair. “I heard that another football player had come to town.”

The man’s tone was neutral, like he was talking about the weather.

“Yep.” It shouldn’t surprise him that everybody knew Maddy and knew about him being here.

The man stepped back and scoffed. “You had come to apologize to the great Roman Young,” the man said the name in an annoyed tone.

Sam narrowed his eyes, not knowing where this conversation was going.

The man grinned. “What can I say, I was always team Dumont.” His lips widened into a grin. He stretched his hand out. “I’m Lou Revel. I own this place.”

Relaxing, Sam reached for his hand. “Nice to meet you.”

Gesturing to the barstool, the man nodded. “I heard Josh is in the hospital. How is he?”

Small towns. Right. “Roman’s bringing him home this afternoon.”

The middle of Lou’s eyebrows creased. “I’m glad he’s okay.” An eyebrow went up. “Is Katie staying in Europe with Mrs. K?”

For some reason, Sam felt like this guy was a little too interested in Katie, but he shook it off. “Yep.”

Sam noticed Lou’s jaw seemed to tighten for a second before he let out a deep breath. “Well, what can I get you to eat?”

Deciding he may as well eat breakfast while he was here, he sat. “Egg white omelet with mushrooms and ham.” He saw the large orange juice machine and couldn’t stop himself. “And a large glass of OJ.” He glanced down at Maddy, who was now happily munching on a cracker. “Let’s do some pancakes for Maddy.”

Keeping the grin in place, the man turned for the hinge door that separated the kitchen and the diner. “Be right back.”

The front door dinged again, and Sam turned to see two older men sporting mustaches, wranglers, and boots slip in.

He focused on Maddy and hoped they didn’t recognize him. “Do you like that cracker?” Obviously she did because it had turned to white mush all around her lips.

“Looks like she’s adjusted to you.”

Semi-annoyed, Sam noted his heart rate jumped from just hearing her voice. He looked up at Tiffany. Her blonde hair was piled on her head, and a few wisps hung down beautifully. Her make up was simple—mascara and lip-gloss. He couldn’t stop himself from smiling. “I thought that was your truck.”

She had already grabbed a napkin, wet it, and leaned over the bar to lightly dab Maddy’s face. “How’s my girl today? Did you go for a stroller ride?” she asked it all in her high-pitched voice.

The center of his chest tightened at the sight of her lean body draped across the counter.

“Have you heard from Roman today?” She pulled back easily, dropping the napkin into the trash.

“Uh.” Focus. Focus, man. “I got a text last night that said he thought he’d be checked out about ten and then they’d head home.”

“Good.” Seemingly satisfied, Tiffany walked around the counter and went to the two men sitting a few seats down. “Jim, Henry—the usual?”

“Hey darling,” one man with a mustache that curled said as he pulled the toothpick out of his mouth. “Sounds good to me.”

The other older man nodded. “You know how we like it.”

Tiffany started to move to the kitchen swivel door. “Okay.”

“How’s your mama holding up?” asked the mustached man.

Hesitating, Tiffany turned back, and Sam noticed tension in the way her eyes creased when she smiled at the men. “Mama’s mama.” She shrugged.

A few minutes later Lou brought all the food out to Sam and Maddy, and Maddy’s appetite did not disappoint. She obviously knew these pancakes and made her ‘uh, uh’ noise to tell Sam to hurry up. After trying to juggle feeding himself and her, he gave up and decided it was easier to fill her tank before filling his own. He grinned down at her and used a wet napkin to keep the syrup from getting all over and making everything sticky.

“It looks like you’re a pro at this.” Tiffany appeared in front of him, holding a pot of coffee in one hand and smiling at Maddy. She laughed as Maddy grabbed for another piece of pancake before she was done with the one in her mouth.

Gingerly, Sam wiped Maddy’s sticky hand and quickly scooped up more pancake and held it up to Maddy’s mouth. “I think she’s trained me more than I’ve trained her.” Flicking his gaze to Tiffany, their eyes locked.

His heart flip-flopped. Nonsensical. That’s what this was. He was seriously nervous as he sat in a diner and talked to a woman. He noticed it wasn’t the kind of panicky nervous he’d been experiencing for the past year. No. This kind of nervous was akin to what he’d felt in junior high school when he’d talked to girls.

He put a few pieces of pancake onto Maddy’s little tray and then turned back to Tiffany. “So have you decided what you’re going to tell the band yet?”

The smile immediately left Tiffany’s face. She shrugged, and Sam noticed the sad look from the night before was back on her face. “I can’t do it. I just can’t leave mama right now.” Her lips went into a stern line.

Sam nodded, and he let out a low whistle. “That’s a tough one.”

She frowned. “But you don’t agree with me?”

He shrugged. “Hey, I like your mama. I do. But you can’t live your life for someone else.”

He remembered when he’d had to make that decision for himself. He still considered it the hardest thing he’d ever done. But he knew that accepting the scholarship from the University of Miami and shutting his father out of his life had been the right choice. He couldn’t have supported them both. He wouldn’t have made it with his drunk dad holding him back. He had known it then, and he still believed it now. If Sam were honest, he still felt guilty over it.

“Is it that easy?” she challenged him.

Crossing his arms, he drew in a breath. “I never said it was easy, but your mama is stronger than you think, and she’s proud of you. Plus, if you want to be the best, you have to make sacrifices along the way. You just have to face that.”

Tiffany turned around and put the coffee pot down. When she spun back, he saw daggers in her eyes. “Is that what you did, Sam? Just push to the top no matter what?”

Anger surged inside of him. It felt like she was accusing him of something. “I do what has to be done, and if that means taking a shot, I do it. You’d be a fool not to take this shot.” She should. He hated the way she let her ex-boyfriend have so much influence over her. She was good, and she should do it.

Her eyes smoldered, and she leaned closer. “Of course that’s what you do, and the consequences be damned, right? Like how you took Roman’s wife when you wanted her.”

A jolt of adrenaline pushed him to his feet. She may not have physically touched him, but he felt the sucker punch all the same. He took a deep breath, leveling her with a glare. “At least I’m not afraid to take what I want.”

Her look became even more fierce. “Not afraid to be a jerk!”

Just at that moment, Lou came out of the kitchen and saw them facing off, locking eyes, and looking ready to pounce. He put food down in front of the two old men and moved to them. “What’s going on?”

Tugging his eyes away from Tiffany, Sam looked down at his uneaten food and pulled his wallet out. He threw down a hundred dollar bill and then took the rag Lou had left to clean up Maddy, using it to wipe off all the syrup. “Thank you, Lou, but I have to go. I can see it was a mistake to come here.”