Chapter 38
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
BLAKE
“Ha! I win!” Levi jumps to his feet and does a victory dance, his smile growing bigger when he spots me. “Dad, Sav is so bad at UNO.”
My brow quirks up as I join the two of them in the living room. “Is she?”
Levi nods. “This is my third win.”
I turn my gaze to Savannah, an amused smile playing on my lips.
“I’m just warming up. I’m going to win a game,” she huffs, grabbing the cards, and mutters, “Eventually.”
“Of course.” Chuckling, I stand behind her and place a kiss to the side of her neck. Her eyes fall shut for a second as she fights a shudder going through her body. She’s always so freaking responsive to me. “Are you sure you’re okay doing this? I can stay home.”
Savannah overheard me talking to Aaron and insisted I should go and meet him for drinks while she was home with the kids. And while I knew she was more than capable of doing it, I didn’t want her to think she had to do it.
Savannah’s face turns serious for a moment, but she quickly schools her features and forces out a smile. “We’re fine. Go.”
She wasn’t fine. Yes, she’s become more like herself lately, but there were still these moments where she’d get a distant look on her face as if she was expecting something bad to happen.
“I hate leaving you now that we’re so close to the due date.” I rest my hand on top of her stomach, just in time to feel a strong kick against my palm. “Hello to you too, little one.”
I let my palm slip under the hem of her shirt and rub at the hard swell of her stomach; those blue eyes darken as they meet mine over her shoulder. “I promise to call you if I go into labor.”
“It’s not funny. I plan to be there.” I press my mouth against hers. “Every.” Kiss. “Single.” Kiss. “Second.” Kiss. “Of.” Kiss. “It.” Kiss.
Savannah lets out a shaky breath. Her cheeks are flushed, pupils dilated. And I’m seriously considering ditching Aaron so I can stay home and have my way with Savannah.
“Dad, go!” Levi grabs my hand and pulls me away. “Sav promised to play with me tonight.”
Savannah chuckles softly, biting the inside of her cheek. I give her a warning look as I glance down at my son. “You stealing my girl, buddy?”
Levi puffs out his chest. “Yes. Sav’s my girl tonight.” He pushes me toward the door. “Go.”
I shake my head, amused by his response. “Okay, you two have fun then.” I glance at Savannah. “And call me if you need me.”
“We’ll be fine.”
I’m still chuckling as I slide into my truck and drive to The Hut. The local bar is relatively full, although it’s the middle of the week. I scan the dimly lit space until I spot Aaron and Miguel sitting in one of the booths, their heads huddled together as they talk. I glance at the bartender and point at the guys, signaling for another round of whatever they’re having before I join them.
“Both Fernandez boys? To what do I owe this pleasure?” I slide into the open seat next to Aaron.
“Becky threatened she’ll kick his ass if he didn’t get out of the house, so I felt it was in everybody’s best interest for him to come with me.”
Miguel’s scowl grows darker at his brother’s words, not that I can blame him. “Tough loss, man.”
“Yeah, it sucks,” Miguel mutters, taking a pull from his beer.
If he was drinking this close to the end of the season, I knew things were bad. Miguel followed the meal and workout regimen the Lonestars staff provided us to a T.
“You guys still have a chance of winning the conference.”
Did the loss suck? Sure, it did. I’ve had my fair share of losses, and some hurt more than others, but you couldn’t allow yourself to wallow in self-pity. Instead, you had to focus on figuring out where things had gone wrong and find a way to fix them. No great team got to the top without a loss here or there.
“Maybe.” His eyes meet mine. “That last tackle in the fourth? Bryan got a concussion. He’s out for the time being. And Mike’s still not at one hundred percent after his injury from last season.”
“Shit. That sucks.”
Bryan was the starting QB. If he was out so close to the playoffs, the team was screwed, especially considering Lonestars traded their backup quarterback just recently and had to rely on the kid that was straight out of college to take the lead.
“It does, and then there is the whole thing with Higgins.”
Something about the way he says it has me pausing. “What with Higgins?”
Higgins has been Lonestars defensive coach for as long as I’ve been there. Even longer. He was cunning and took no bullshit, which was part of the reason why he was considered one of the best in the league.
“He’s been off this whole season. He’s there, but he isn’t there, ya know? And just the other day, I heard a rumor from some of the ladies in the admin office.” Miguel’s expression darkens even more, if possible. “Cancer.”
“Shit.” I run my fingers through my hair thinking back at the interaction I had with the man a few weeks ago when I was in Austin. I’d noticed that he lost some weight, and the circles under his eyes were darker, but I wrote it off as the stress that comes with the job. There is always a lot on the line, especially if you’re trying to win a back-to-back championship, and everybody wants to see you fail. “I guess some things make more sense now.”
“What?”
“They offered me a job.”
Miguel’s mouth falls open in surprise. However, before either of them can say anything, the server stops by our table with the drinks.
“They want you to play again?” Aaron asks the moment the server is gone.
“No.” I grab my beer, running my thumb over the label. “They offered me a coaching position.”
“No shit.” Miguel’s eyes widen. “They want you to take Coach Higgins’ place?”
“They didn’t specify. I assumed they meant the assistant position, but now…” I take a pull from the bottle, letting the cool liquid slide down my throat. “Even if I wanted the job, it would be stupid of them to put me as the main defense coach.”
“Why the hell do you think that?”
“Because I don’t have the experience?” I point out the obvious. “Coach Higgins has been doing this for the past twenty years. I haven’t coached a day in my life.”
“That’s bullshit,” Miguel bites out. “You know what’s the first thing they told me when I got to Austin? Stick to Walker. He knows his shit, and if you need anything or help practicing, he’s your guy. And they weren’t wrong. I wouldn’t have been half as good of a player if you didn’t help me with the transition that first year. Hell, even now, some days when the coach is showing us new plays, the first thing I do is turn around so I can ask you what you think. And I’m not the only one.”
Miguel’s words leave me speechless for a moment. I always had a good relationship with my teammates. When you work together as much as we do, you become somewhat of a family. I still talked to some of them, even some guys from my previous teams, but this…
“You left a legacy, Walker. I’m sure guys would be ecstatic to have you back as a coach.”
“I…” I open my mouth, unsure of what to say.
I love football, I really do, but I love my family more. The whole point of retiring and moving to Bluebonnet was so I could spend more time with my kids. To take this job would defeat the purpose of this whole move. It would mean long hours, going back on the road for half the year. It would mean time away from my boys, from my newborn baby, from Savannah…
“Does Savannah know?” Aaron asks quietly as if he can read my mind.
I blink, the room coming into focus. “No.”
The flash of blonde over Miguel’s shoulder draws my attention as the person in the booth next to ours gets to their feet.
My muscles tense as recognition sets in. “Fucking hell.”
Savannah’s mother spots me. Her light blue eyes hold nothing of the warmth her daughter expresses. No, they’re empty, her pupils dilated, and her cheeks pink from drinking. The corner of her mouth lifts in a smirk, the calculating expression on her face sending a shiver of unease running down my spine.
Why the hell is she still here?
My fingers clench by my side. I never wanted to punish a woman more than I do her for hurting Savannah the way she did, and it took everything in me not to do exactly that.
I guess it was too much to expect her to disappear into the hole she crawled out of.
“What?”
“Savannah’s mother is here.”
“Seriously?” Miguel looks over his shoulder.
“When did she come back?”
“A few days ago,” I mutter, glancing up, but the woman was gone.
Dammit.
“How is Savannah doing now that she’s back?” Aaron asks, drawing my attention. “Somebody saw them having a fight on Main Street the other day.”
The muscle in my jaw twitches in irritation. “She says she’s fine, but I can see the whole thing has hit her hard. And her mother isn’t making it easier on anybody, especially not Savannah.”
Miguel curses. “Did she at least say what she wants?”
“Money,” I grind my teeth, my brows pulling together as I remember the interaction with the woman.
“Okay, so just pay her off and be done with it.”
Aaron snorts. “As if it’s going to be that easy.”
“That’s why I refused to pay her when she asked. If I give in once, there is no guarantee that she won’t come back and ask for more, and I can’t have that. I want her out of our lives, and I want her out for good.” I run my fingers through my hair. “Savannah doesn’t need any more stress than she’s already dealing with. I don’t want her near Sav, or any of the kids for that matter.” I glance toward the door, that uneasy feeling spreading inside my gut. She was sitting right behind us. Did she hear what we were talking about? “I think I’ll go. I don’t like this one bit. Savannah is home alone with the boys, and now that I know her mother is still here, I wouldn’t put it past her to cause some trouble.”
“You think she’d do something?” A dark scowl flashes on Aaron’s face. “To Savannah? Or the kids?”
“Physically? No.” I push to my feet, pull out my wallet, and toss a few bills on the table. “Then again, words are her weapon of choice.”
The sound of glass shattering draws our attention.
“I told you to gimme a-another drink, Mick,” the guy slurs loudly, his fist connecting with the bar.
He’s a younger guy, probably around Miguel’s age, but the dark beard covering his jaw makes him look way older. His slacks and dress shirt are wrinkled after a day of work, eyes bloodshot, and his hair a mess. He’s obviously been here for a while.
“And I told you that you’re done for tonight, O’Neil. Go back home before I call your old man to let him know you’re shit-faced, and he needs to come and pick you up.”
“F-f-fuck y-y-you,” he mutters, jumping to his feet. The sudden movement makes the chair fall back with a loud thud . “I’m not shift-f-faced.”
The guy sways on his heels, grabbing the bar at the very last second to steady himself. “You’ll call nofbody. I’m a paying c-customer, Mmmick, and I wanna my d-d-drink.”
Not drunk, my ass. “You know the guy?”
“Unfortunately,” Miguel mutters. “We played ball in high school together.”
The bartender just shakes his head, not fazed in the least. I guess working here, he’s had to deal with his fair share of drunks.
“You’re done, John. And if you don’t want this to be the last time you step foot in my bar, you’ll leave now.”
The guy glares at the bartender, anger flashing in his eyes. “Wh-wh-whateverrr…”
He starts to turn around, but Mick grabs his hand. “Keys.”
I can see legit fumes coming out of John’s ears.
“You know the rules. Hand me the keys. You’re not driving when you’re drunk.”
“S-Screw y-you, Mick,” he spits but puts the keys into his hand before spinning on his heels and running into Miguel.
He looks up and blinks a few times before recognition flashes on his face. “F-F-Fernandez, fancy seeing you h-here.”
“John.” Miguel nods, steadying the man before he takes a step back. “You good?”
“Peachy,” he bites out, his eyes narrowing. “What are you d-doing here? Sh-shouldn’t you be out in Austin playing in the b-big leagues?”
There is bitterness in his tone that’s hard to miss.
“I am. I’m just home for a few days before I have to go back.”
“Home for a few d-days,” the guy scoffs. “Only you’d get a chance to be on the roster and decide to commute. If I w-were you, I wouldn’t get so co-o-ozy in your spot, Fernandez. The NFL is a b-bitch.”
Miguel ignores his silent jab. “You going home? We can give you a ride.”
“I’m f-f-fine.” He turns to the bartender, shooting him an annoyed glare. “I’m going to find somewhere else to drink since Mick is being a p-p-prick.” He shakes his head, chuckling at his own joke before stumbling toward the door.
We stay behind, Miguel’s attention on John’s retreating back before turning his gaze to the guy behind the bar. “He like this often?”
The bartender grunts his agreement, a scowl etched between his brows. “More often lately than before. He just talked to his agent, and the guy dropped him. Said no team wanted him, not even on the practice squad.”
Miguel and I exchange a silent look. We were both aware of how the NFL worked. Even when you were on an active roster, there were no guarantees. The team could cut you at any moment. Nobody was safe. Not really.
“I just hope he gets his shit in order. I really don’t want to call his old man, but I’ll do it if I have to. Somebody needs to put this boy straight before he gets himself or somebody else into an accident.”
Aaron goes still at the mention of the accident, his jaw tightening, and the guy notices it.
“Oh, I’m so sorry, Aaron, I didn’t?—”
“It’s fine,” he cuts him off and glances at Miguel. “I’ll wait for you in the truck.”
With a nod in my direction, he goes for the door. Mick curses softly. “I wasn’t thinking straight.”
“Don’t stress about it. Aaron is…” Miguel shakes his head. “He changed after Cheryl’s accident.”
“Such a tragedy.” Mick tsks.
“It was,” Miguel agrees, his attention shifts to the door. “I’m going to check in on him. I’ll see you later.”
The older man grunts and nods.
Saying our goodbyes together, we make our way to the parking lot, my gaze going to Aaron’s dark form sitting in his truck, fingers curled around the steering wheel. “Will he be okay?”
“I hope so.” Miguel runs his fingers through his hair. “He hasn’t been the same after the accident, and since the anniversary was just the other day, he’s even more wound up than usual.” He turns to me and pats me on the back. “I’ll see you soon?”
“Sure thing.” I start walking toward my truck when Miguel calls after me.
“And think about what we talked about.”
Shaking my head, I pull open my door, and slide into my car, Miguel’s words still ringing in my head all the way back home.
The light is still on in the living room when I enter, the TV softly playing in the background. I follow the sound, peeking into the room, only to come to a stop when I see Savannah and Levi sleeping together on the couch, my son’s head resting on her lap, not a care in the world.
The corner of my mouth lifts as I quietly enter the room and pull away the blanket so I can pick him up. It won’t be too long now that he would be too big for me to carry, but I wanted to cherish these last moments I had.
“Wha—” Savannah croaks. She blinks a few times, a smile forming on her mouth as her gaze fixes on me. “Blake.”
She pushes upright, and I can see her flinch slightly.
I move closer, taking her in from head to toe. “You okay?”
“Fine. Just uncomfortable. Your baby is sitting on my bladder.”
I let out a soft chuckle. “I love how it’s always my baby when they’re doing something bad like it’s my fault.”
“Of course it is.” Savannah smiles sleepily. “You were the one who got me pregnant. When did you get home?”
“Just now.” I glance down at Levi. “How was everything?”
“Good. I don’t even remember when we crashed.”
“Can’t say I’m surprised.” Leaning down, I press my mouth against the top of her head. “Let’s put you to bed, Blondie.”
“Did you guys have fun?” Savannah asks as she walks past me and toward the stairs.
“Yeah, it was okay.” Clara Parker’s smirk pops into my mind, but I push it back, focusing on the woman in front of me. She didn’t need to know her mother was still around. It would only upset her more than necessary.
“Just okay?”
“Yeah, there was this one guy who made a scene at the bar? Miguel knows him. John something.”
“John O’Neil?”
“Yeah, I think that’s the one.”
“That’s Rose’s husband.” I look at her blankly, so she explains, “Kyle’s parents?”
“Oh, right.”
“He got drunk?”
“Yes. Apparently, his agent gave him the boot.” I tilt my head to the side. “I’ll put Levi to bed.”
Savannah nods, and I slip into the dark room, gently lying Levi down. He murmurs something in his sleep but doesn’t wake up as I tuck him in.
Savannah’s just exiting the bathroom when I get to the bedroom. “Did you have fun with Aaron?”
“It was okay.” I grab the back of my shirt, pulling it off. “Miguel was there, too.”
“He’s back?”
“Yeah.” Sliding my jeans off, I walk toward the bed and slip in next to Savannah. “He’ll have to go back to Austin soon, but for now, he’s here.”
“I don’t know how Becky can do that,” Savannah hums pensively as I wrap my arms around her, pulling her to my chest.
“What?”
“The long distance. Not having Miguel around, while having an infant at home, all while running a business. She’s handling it like a queen. It’s just…”
The conversation I had with the guys earlier comes to the front of my mind.
Miguel’s parting words.
Savannah snuggles closer to me, her voice soft. “I’m just glad it’s not me. Does that make me selfish?”
And now I feel like a complete asshole; here she was opening up to me, something I wanted from the very beginning, while I’ve been keeping this from her.
“No.” I brush her hair back to find her fast asleep. “Of course not.”