19. Aiden
Imanage to hide my smile when Anna stands up to Patricia, but I can’t help myself from what I do next. The words Anna says do me in, and I lean down, pressing my lips to hers. I’m pleased when she doesn’t flinch from my touch like she had earlier.
Anna smiles and places her right hand on my chest, just over the spot where my heart is beating rapidly. “Baby, I’m going to head outside and help your parents. Do I need to send Penny back in?”
“That won’t be necessary, Savannah,” Patricia says with a hint of derision. “However, I would like to speak with Aiden privately, if you don’t mind. Maybe this time without the interruption?”
“It’s Anna. And if you want to speak privately to Aiden, that’s up to him.” Anna lightly kisses the spot just below my ear and winks before sashaying out of the room to give us the privacy Patricia asked for.
“There is no way you got engaged after knowing a woman for four days, Aiden. I’ve known you for years, and that’s not your style. Plus, Penny would have mentioned it with the rest of her scathing commentary.”
I do my best not to laugh. Penny spoke her mind during the quick visit, and Patricia didn’t like what she heard. It started when Patricia had asked Penny to call her “Mom,” and my daughter adamantly refused. Then Penny quoted something she had read and said, “Anyone could be a Mother, but it takes someone special to be a Mom.” If that wasn’t harsh enough, Penny continued her rant by telling Patricia that she was nothing more than a stranger and no one special to her. It went downhill from there as Penny released all the hurt she had bottled up over the past five years.
“I haven’t told Penny yet because the change in Anna and my relationship is new, but she already loves Anna. We haven’t told anyone, but we plan on announcing it at the barbecue when the players and their families arrive. I knew from the moment I met Anna that she was someone special and that I didn’t want to let her go,” I tell Patricia, hoping that would be the end of it.
“You can’t know a woman after four days, Aiden. It’s going to bite you in the rear.”
“It might. It might not. I’ve read stories of couples getting married less than 24 hours after meeting and living happily together for the rest of their lives. I’ve also known couples that wait ten years before getting married and divorce after six months. Time is irrelevant when you plan to spend a lifetime getting to know the person,” I say with conviction.
My mom interrupts us to inform me that guests will be arriving soon, which is a verbal nudge for me to wrap things up. “I think it’s time for you to go, Patricia.”
“You promised me an hour, and it’s been half that. I want to spend time with Penny.” Her argument is a feeble attempt to regain a life she left long ago, and I refuse to cater to her whims any further.
“Then you probably shouldn’t have wasted the opportunity to be with Penny by trying to convince me to give you another chance. If Penny agrees to see you again, I’ll let you know. Until then, I would appreciate it if you kept your distance.”
“You can’t keep me from my daughter, Aiden. I have rights!”
I walk to the front door and open it, prompting her to leave. “Rights that you gave up five years ago, Patricia. Rights you gave up without a fight in exchange for a year of my salary. I have to wonder, did you ever really love me, or was it my bank account? You say that Anna is after me for my money, but she hasn’t asked for a thing.”
She grabs her purse off the coffee table and stomps toward me. “Expect to be hearing from my lawyer, Aiden!”
Swank is walking up the steps at the same time that Patricia stumbles down them. “Leaving so soon, Cruella?” he asks her.
“Shut it, Swank!” she shouts, fumbling with the keys to her car. I watch as she peels out of the driveway and then has to slam on her brakes because the front gates don’t open fast enough.
Swank pushes past me. “Looks like I missed all the fun. Ooh! Is that your dad’s brisket I smell?”
We walk together to the back patio, where my dad is smoking the meat. “You’re early, Swank, and the food won’t be ready until one o’clock. That’s when everyone is expected to arrive.”
“I came early because I need to talk to you. I’m sure you watched the game last night.”
I grab two beers out of the cooler and hand him one. “I did.”
“Then you know why you can’t retire. We need you, Aiden. We’re lost without you.” He sounds so dejected, tugging at my heart, but not hard enough to change my mind.
“Is it the team that’s lost without me, Swank, or you? We’ve played together almost all of our lives, except for the two years you signed with the Rockets before I did.”
“And those two years were a disaster! Did you know I would have been traded if it weren’t for your dad and his epic negotiation skills? I have one more season on my contract, and I need to make it count if I stand any chance of continuing my career. Can’t you retire after next season, Aiden? It’s only a year.”
I take a sip of my beverage and shake my head, “No. I’ve made my decision. You’re one of the best right-wingers in the league, Swank. If you can get your attitude in check and lead the players instead of screaming at them, you’ll have no problem getting a new contract. You’re an exceptional player.”
“You can’t leave me hanging, Bro!”
“I can’t leave my daughter hanging, either. I don’t want to work six days a week and be gone for half of that. I want to be home and watch her grow up.”
Swank mutters, “Says the billionaire without a care in the world.”
“That’s not fair, Swank. I made good investments and didn’t spend frivolously. You can’t blame me because you didn’t do the same.”
“Fine. At least you can’t say that I didn’t try.” He scans the expansive backyard, and his eyes light up when they land on Anna, Penny, and Jessie playing. “Who is that little hottie?”
“You better be referring to Jessie. She would be one of Penny’s new bodyguards.”
Swank throws his empty beer bottle in the recycle bin and strides toward the ladies like a man on a mission. I follow slowly, but only because I need to have a private conversation with Anna and explain myself.
I don’t know what Swank says to Jessie, but I’m sure it is very “Swanklike” based on what happens next. Swank reaches out to touch Jessie’s face, which is the wrong thing to do. Jessie uses his forward momentum to grab his arm and pull, using her free hand to reach under his shoulder. She turns her body so that her back is flush with his, placing her right foot behind his. Squatting down, she flips Swank over her shoulder, causing his back to hit the ground hard.
I can’t contain my laughter when I stare down at him and watch him blink away the stars. “That’ll teach you, Swank. Look, but don’t touch.”
I half expect him to be upset about being bested by a woman, and a tiny one at that, but he smiles, “I think I’ve just met the woman of my dreams.”
Jessie helps him up, “Or your worst nightmare,” she teases.
Penny stands in utter awe at what she just witnessed. “That was amazing, Jessie! Can you teach me how to do that, please, with a cherry on top?”
Jessie sneaks a peek in my direction, silently asking for permission. “Penny loves to learn. If you’re willing to teach her, it’s okay by me. Self-defense is a useful skill to have.”
Jessie gives Swank the side-eye before saying loud enough for everyone to hear, “I’d be happy to, if only so Penny can defend herself against egotistical men with cheesy pickup lines.”
We’re all chuckling when, all of a sudden, Anna stops and swipes at the back of her neck. Jessie notices and asks her what’s wrong.
“I feel like I’m being watched. The hairs on my neck are raised like I’ve been electrocuted.” Anna’s eyes roam over everyone present, which right now is the party planning staff, my parents, and all of the security personnel. She zeros in on a staff member and squints to make out the details. “Her. The one with short, red hair.”
Jessie doesn’t hesitate and taps her ear. She starts murmuring, and I can barely hear her describe the woman in question. Before I know it, Jerry is on the move while Roger circles around the house in the opposite direction. Scott enters the house while Jeremy and Jack spread out to cover the open areas.
“Stay here with Penny,” Jessie says to me, but the request is really meant for Anna. Swank is confused when Jessie takes off running after her partners.
“What’s going on?” Swank asks.
I don’t know, so I shrug. Anna leans in and whispers, “It’s your stalker fan.” It takes me a second to comprehend that Anna is referring to my encounter yesterday at the arena. Although she hadn’t seen the woman in person, she did see her picture in the paper.
“Are you sure?” I whisper back.
All of a sudden, there is screaming coming from the side of the house, and a moment later, Jerry is walking toward us with a woman slung over his shoulder, beating on his back.
“Let me down!” she screams. “I’ve done nothing wrong!”
“We’ll find out soon enough, won’t we?” Jerry asks, depositing her on the ground a few feet away from us. Jerry stands behind the woman while Roger moves in front of me. Anna instinctually gets into a fighting stance and pushes Penny behind her.
In a total Scooby-Doo moment, Jerry pulls the red-haired wig from her head to reveal the brown hair I remember. The woman is wearing green-frame glasses, which, combined with the wig, hid her identity well enough for her to sneak in unnoticed.
“Who are you, and why are you here?” I ask.
“My name is Amy Smith, and like I told you yesterday, I’m your biggest fan, Aiden. I’m here because I love you. I’d take such good care of you and be a great mom to Penny if only you would give me a chance to prove it.”
I look over my shoulder at Anna, “Please get Penny out of here.” Anna keeps her body between Penny and the woman, slowly circling the threat while maintaining a safe distance.
My daughter, not understanding the potential danger she’s in, pokes her head around Anna and stokes the fires. “You’ll never be my mom, whoever you are! My dad is going to marry Anna!”
I palm my face in frustration, especially when Swank’s eyes zero in on the emerald ring on Anna’s left hand. He doubles over in laughter, although there is nothing funny about this situation.
“It looks like Amy isn’t the only certifiable one here today. Are you crazy, Man?”
“Can we talk about this later, Swank? I’ve got bigger issues to deal with at the moment.”
Swank waves his hand dismissively, “Whatever. I’ll let you handle this mess while I grab another beer.”
As Swank storms off like a petulant child, Roger pulls out his phone and snaps a picture of Amy. “I’ll know exactly who she is in five minutes, Mr. Shaw. The picture sent last night to Shining Knight was too grainy to ascertain her identity, and the season tickets she possesses were purchased through a scalper using cash. But now that we have a clear image, it shouldn’t take long.”
Jerry mumbles something, and then Scott moves from his position to talk to another employee. The man is standing at the tent, watching us instead of doing his job. Scott starts talking to the guy a minute later, followed by Jerry tapping me on the shoulder. “The man says that her name is Amy Smith, and he paid her cash under the table to work this job. He said she stopped by this morning looking for work, and he hired her on the spot when another employee failed to show up. He’s never seen her before today.”
Amy’s eyes darken, “I’ve done nothing wrong, Aiden. There’s no crime against working, being your fan, or falling in love with you.”
I ask Roger, “Is what she says true? Is there nothing we can do? She knows my daughter’s nickname, which I only use around family.”
He purses his lips, “It’s not uncommon for the name Penny to be used in lieu of Penelope. It’s likely that she wanted to use a name that implies familiarity with your family. Amy is correct in that she hasn’t committed any crimes, but you can file a restraining order against her and have her banned from attending any games. If she violates the restraining order or attempts to harm you in any way, then she can be arrested.”
Roger’s phone beeps, and he takes a moment to read whatever information was sent. “Her name is Amy Potslawski, not Amy Smith. She’s 23 and has no criminal record. She was institutionalized for a year when she was 17 for Disassociative Identity Disorder and was prescribed antipsychotics to prevent relapses. She lost her job last year at Pa’ Shaw Marketing and, along with it, all her medical benefits. My best guess is that she couldn’t afford the medication once she was unemployed.”
My knees nearly buckle when Roger says that last part. “That’s my dad’s company.”
Amy stares me down, “I wrote you countless letters, but you never bothered to respond.”