Chapter 13
THIRTEEN
EVAN
While I scrambled eggs with cheese and fried bacon in a pan, I monitored Ronan.
I had no insight into what we’d face when his father came to see him, but it sure as hell didn’t sound like a friendly visit, and Ronan had mentioned something about meth when he’d first told me about him.
Something inside me wanted to protect Ronan.
He always seemed so tough when he was onstage and commanding an audience.
But here in his house, he was a different man.
A vulnerable man. If this discussion went badly, I’d be here to help him pick up the pieces.
“Do you want toast with your protein?” I’d seen a loaf of bread in the pantry. He must order all his groceries. I couldn’t see Ronan Vale, frontman of Vanta Crown, hanging out at the local Safeway with a cart. I snickered softly.
“Sure. I have strawberry jam in the pantry.” He rose from the couch along with Bean, and they both padded toward me. “I make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch sometimes.” He stopped behind me.
“You do?” Twisting, I kissed his cheek. God, it was easy to be with him, to show him affection. Who would have thought?
“Yep.” He pulled the bread and jam from the pantry and set it on the counter in front of a toaster. “Here, I’ll help.” After opening the bag of bread, he slipped two slices into the toaster.
“Thanks.” I laid cooked bacon onto a plate lined with paper towels. “Do you let Bean eat bacon? The dog I had as a kid loved it.” An ache ghosted through my chest. Our family dog, Chester, had been an adorable mutt.
“No, I don’t feed him people food at all. Like I’ve said, I don’t want him begging.” He padded around the kitchen, grabbing plates from an upper cabinet and silverware from the drawer. “It looks good.” He peeked over my shoulder at the eggs.
“Yeah, I can cook some things.” I grabbed one plate he’d taken down and scooped eggs onto it while the toast popped up. “Let’s eat.”
After filling the plates with food and bringing the butter, jam, and juice to the table, we dropped into chairs. I wanted more details regarding his father, but didn’t know where to start.
He poured orange juice into a glass and slid it toward me. “I suppose you eat like this every morning.”
“Sort of. It’s usually hard-boiled eggs, yogurt, and maybe some avocado toast. I eat a lot of protein but need to stick to healthier fats.” I dug into my eggs. “Ronan, what is your dad like?” Hell, I just blurted it out.
He pursed his lips and shifted in his chair. “I remember little of him growing up. He left my mom before I was four.”
“Did he…” He’d said his mother picked abusive men. I clenched my hand beside my plate. “Did he abuse you or your mother?”
Staring at his plate, he poked at his eggs.
“Not that I know of. Like I said, I can’t remember.
He’d call me occasionally when I was younger, and one time he brought me to the zoo.
” He set his fork on his plate and hung his head.
“It had been a nice day. He promised me we’d do more of it, but then never called again.
” His gaze cut to mine. “And then he showed up at my gig in Seattle, clearly strung out on drugs.”
“Oh.” I nodded. This was so foreign to me.
I couldn’t fathom a father behaving that way.
Colton’s family had been messed up, but it hadn’t started until his mother received her breast cancer diagnosis.
I’d known no one who’d experienced parental abandonment or drug issues like this.
“Hey, I’ll drop it.” I squeezed his forearm.
This was clearly upsetting him, and I wanted him to eat.
“Okay.” He plucked his fork from his plate and scooped eggs into his mouth.
Two and a half hours had passed with no word from Ronan’s father. The anxiety in his demeanor was palpable.
“Hey, what do you say we have a bourbon on the patio?” If the guy never appeared, then we could enjoy the rest of our day. The weather would turn hot as hell soon enough. I scratched Bean’s ears while he sat next to me on the sofa.
“I don’t know.” Biting his thumbnail, he paced in front of the couch. “Given my mood, one could lead to wanting ten.” He flashed a thin-lipped grin at me. “I want to be completely sober when he gets here.” He glanced toward the front door. “Hell, if he gets here.”
“Why don’t you call him and see where he is?” He’d turned down this idea earlier, but it was time. I stood and strode to him, stopping him in his tracks. “Ronan, just call him.”
The doorbell chimed, and Bean hopped off the couch and ran to the door.
“Shit, that’s probably him.” He squeezed my hand and jogged to the door.
Following him, I stopped behind him. “Breathe.” I gripped his shoulders for a beat and let go. Damn, he was tense.
He swung the door open and gaped.
Bean plopped down beside Ronan, twisting his head.
A man stood on the front porch with thinning brown hair and blue eyes. He shared Ronan’s jawline and cheekbone structure, so it was clear he could be his father. He wore a grey polo and jeans, just like any middle-aged man.
“Ronan? You look good.” As his eyes glistened, he stretched out his hand.
Ronan’s throat dipped with a hard swallow, and he stared at his hand. “Uh, yeah, you too.”
I stepped around Ronan and shook the man’s hand. “Hello, Mr. uh, Vale? I’m Evan Crosby. I’m a good friend of Ronan’s.”
His father’s gaze swung to me, and his brow twitched. “Evan Crosby? The hockey player?”
I blinked a few times. Was he a hockey fan? “Um, yes.” I’d had a lot of press after the last couple of playoff games. I freed his hand and stepped back, pushing Ronan toward him.
“His last name isn’t Vale.” Ronan snuck a glance at me. “That was my mother’s last name. His last name is Johnson.”
“Oh, okay.” With my gut clenching, I said, “Won’t you come in?” What had happened to Ronan? Was he just tongue-tied?
“Yes, thank you.” Jeff sidestepped past Ronan and strode into the house, with Bean following him in. “Damn, what a home you have, Ronan.”
As I turned around, I shut the door, and then it hit me.
Fuck, I was wearing a team shirt. With a smirk, I glanced at my chest, the Coyotes emblem resting over my heart.
It was the only shirt I’d brought to wear today.
I probably would have told Jeff I played hockey anyway, depending on how the visit went.
“Thanks, Jeff. What do you want?” Ronan stiffened his back and crossed his arms on his chest. “You insisted on meeting in person. Well, we’re in person.”
Bean returned to Ronan and sat at his feet.
Okay, I could understand Ronan’s reluctance to be hospitable given their history, but this could offer him second chance at a relationship with his father. I strolled past Ronan and held my hand toward the sofa. “Please, Jeff, have a seat.”
“Thank you, Evan.” With a smug grin at me, Jeff dropped onto the end of the couch. “Do you have any water? I’m thirsty after the drive.”
I peered at Ronan. He wouldn’t deny him, would he?
“Sure, Jeff.” With a huff, Ronan strode to the refrigerator, grabbed three waters, and then handed them out. “What do you want?” He sipped his water and then crossed his arms again, glaring at his father.
“Come on, Ronan. Please sit down and talk with me.” He glanced at me as if asking for help.
“Ronan, let’s sit.” I grabbed two chairs from his dining table and set them to face the couch. It was obvious Ronan wouldn’t want to sit anywhere near Jeff. I could play mediator maybe.
Ronan dropped into a chair while I did the same.
“When did you start hanging around hockey players?” Jeff gave us a weak grin.
“It’s none of your business.” Ronan lifted his chin. “You came for a reason. Tell me what it is.”
Jeff’s gaze fell to the floor and then returned to Ronan.
“Look, I know I was a shit father, but I’ve changed.
I went into rehab and got clean.” He twisted his water bottle in his lap.
“I’d just gotten out when your mother died.
I wanted to reconcile back then, but you were touring Europe and refused to talk to me. ”
“And I still don’t want to talk to you.” Ronan clenched his jaw, but his gaze softened. “Why now, Jeff? Why did you call me out of the blue?”
Jeff’s eyes widened, and he rocked once. “Because I was in town and I heard you lived here now.” He dipped his head and came back. “I want to mend things between us before…” He puffed out a breath. “Hell, before it’s too late.”
Ronan’s shoulders grew slack. “What do you mean, too late?”
With a peek at me, Jeff said, “Son, I have cancer, and I don’t know how much time I have left.
A year, maybe two if I can take part in a beneficial drug trial.
” His eyes grew glassy, and his forehead wrinkled.
“It’s made me take a hard look at my life.
You’re my only son and I hardly even know you. I want to know you.”
Ronan sniffled and wiped his nose. “What, uh, what type of cancer do you have?”
“Liver cancer.” Jeff sighed.
I stared at Jeff with my heart wrenching. Holy fuck, if this was hard for me to hear, how hard was it for Ronan? I placed my hand on his lower back and whispered, “Are you okay?”
With a nod at me, Ronan said, “How do I know this is real?” He stood. “How do I know you won’t take me to the fucking zoo and then disappear?” His breath hitched.
“Jesus, Ronan.” I couldn’t believe someone would lie about something so serious. I rose and stepped to him. I wanted to comfort him, but then what would his father think? “Hey, do you need a minute?” This would be overwhelming for anyone.
Ronan’s wet gaze swung to mine. “I, I do. Thanks.” After setting the water bottle on the chair, he strode toward the hallway and then stopped and patted his thigh. “Come on, Bean.”
Bean trotted behind Ronan as he strode toward his bedroom.
Fuck, now I was stuck with Jeff? Brushing my palm across the back of my head, I faced him. “Uh, he might not be feeling well. I don’t know.” Now I was making excuses? Why?