Chapter 41 Grant
When Taylor got home late last night, she collapsed in my arms and sobbed. I carried her to bed and held her until she calmed down and told me about Gabby’s breast cancer scare. To say it’s devastating would be an understatement.
Finally, Taylor fell asleep and woke up this morning with puffy eyes and a mildly broken heart for her best friend.
I decided to work from home today to keep her company until she goes back to Gabby’s this afternoon with Ivory.
When I say we’re working from home, I mean we’re monitoring our emails and any urgent calls, but otherwise doing the bare minimum.
Taylor has a soft jazz playlist on the TV and is reading a book with her feet in my lap as I do a few things for Stella corporate.
My phone pings and I pick it up to see a confusing text from Mike.
MIKE
If I see you at the stadium today, I’ll be pissed.
The fuck? I own the team. What is he talking about? But then Taylor’s name pops up next, and I realize I’ve been added to a group chat against my will.
My WIFE
DADDY MIKE!
I groan and roll my head to look at Taylor where she types on her phone on the couch. Her shoulders shake trying to suppress the giggle, but her smile is full of mischief. If using that damn nickname brings her an ounce of joy after yesterday, so be it.
GABBY
Who added dad to the chat?
MILLER
Whoops, meant to add Grant.
ME
You did add me. Why am I here?
TAYLOR
WHY IS HE HERE RYAN MF MILLER?
“You do realize we’re sitting right beside each other, right?” I squeeze her foot.
She waves me off, saying, “That’s beside the point. You should not be in the group chat with my friends right now. I’m going to murder him.”
“Can you wait to murder him until after the season? Preferably until after we win the World Series?” The Troubadours’ last home series is this week, and then if all goes to plan we’ll be headed to the postseason with home field advantage.
MILLER
Byeeeeee
ME
Gabby, glad you are feeling okay. Please take the rest of the week off. We’re fine here. Take care of yourself.
MIKE
What he said.
GABBY
Fine. My nurse is pushing me to bed now.
FIELDS
Nope. Don’t want to hear about that.
I chuckle at Fields and Miller acting like Gabby is their virginal little sister. Wonder what they’d say about the deliciously vile things Taylor and I have done.
“Is there anything I can do for Gabby?” Telling her to take the week off feels like the least I could do, and I wish there were more.
“Making sure she knows that work comes second or even third on her priority list will go a long way.” Taylor smiles at me.
“She’s quite the workaholic isn’t she?”
“You have no idea,” she laughs. “But seriously, she’s been so much happier since taking on the GC role, and I think deep down she just needs to know you believe in her and don’t expect her to give up all the balance of her life in order to do the job.”
“Gabby’s one of the most competent attorneys I’ve ever worked with.
I’ll be sure to let her know that once she’s feeling better and back at work.
It probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to give the entire organization a reminder that their health and lives are more important than anything else we’re doing.
I don’t want my staff to wear themselves out just to meet the bottom line. ”
Taylor crawls across the couch, moves my computer to the table, and straddles my lap. Her fingers thread into the hair at the nape of my neck when she says, “You’re a good boss.”
I try to shake my head and protest, but she cuts me off.
“No, you’re a good boss, Grant. Your staff loves working for you.
You’re nothing like your father and how he runs Davenport.
Even the staff at this hotel rave about how great you are.
Leading with a people-first mentality is at the core of who you are and how you run your businesses, and it doesn’t go unnoticed.
I’m not telling you not to send a reminder to the company if that’s what you want to do, but what I am telling you is that they already know. ”
Running my palms over her thighs, I soak in her words. As an outsider to all my companies and not witnessing me build them first-hand, her perspective is refreshing. I know she’s not just blowing smoke up my ass or telling me what I want to hear, not that Taylor has that ability to begin with.
“Thank you.” Taking her mouth with mine, I revel in the normalcy of the moment and the assurance she gives me, hoping I do the same for her every day because she’s brilliant.
“You’re welcome.” She moves to climb off my lap but I stop her.
“Wait, there was something I wanted to talk to you about.” I rub my hands over her legs again to keep them from shaking. I’m nervous to bring up this topic, but it’s something that’s been weighing on me and now seems like the right time to have the conversation.
“Oh boy, you have your serious voice going.”
“I’ve been doing some more research on your endometriosis since you said you have a doctor’s appointment coming up. Isn’t there a risk of cancer with the disease?”
She’s quiet for a minute, eyes bouncing over my face, and then she swallows anxiously before confirming what I’d read online. “Yes, there is a higher risk of ovarian cancer and other complications as well.”
“I think you should get the hysterectomy.”
Wow, Grant, way to just blurt out the thing with zero finesse.
“What?” The word tumbles out of her mouth in a mixture of surprise and disbelief.
“Besides you being in pain all the time, I mean hell, the two months I’ve been here when you’ve had your period have been tough to watch.
If that’s what you’re dealing with every single month, it’s not worth it.
What kind of quality of life is that for you?
I hate to see you in pain like that, especially when there’s a solution.
And with Gabby’s scare, if there’s even a one percent chance that keeping your lady parts means you could have a scare like this, then absolutely not. ”
She gives a watery laugh. “Lady parts?”
“Reproductive parts sounded weird in my head. I don’t know.
I also didn’t want to reduce them to only a means to make a baby.
You’re more than that, and I don’t want you to feel like you should endure what you have on the off-chance that we’re able to get pregnant.
Unless that’s what you want. Fuck, I’m really shitting the bed on this conversation.
” I drop my head back on the couch and close my eyes.
It sounded so much better in my head, but saying it out loud, I just sound like an out-of-touch ass.
Taylor grips my shirt, urging me to look at her.
“You’re not fucking this up. I’m glad you brought it up.
To be honest, I’ve been considering it more and more since my IUD came out.
I just, I don’t know, it’s such a life changing decision.
I haven’t fully gotten my mind around exactly how much life would change and all the repercussions that come from having a hysterectomy at my age. ”
I swipe at the tears running down her cheek, framing her face in my hands. “Then I think that’s what we talk to the doctor about—get the full picture so we can make the most informed choice that’s best for you.”
“We?”
“We. We’re a team. I want to be there, to support you, to be a shoulder for you to lean on and bounce ideas off of.”
“I’d love that too. To make this decision together, as a couple.”
“Partners, in every way. I’m here for you.” I pull her into a hug, cradling her against my chest.
After a few minutes, she sits back and says, “If the hysterectomy will solve the issue, then I’d like to do that. We can take the other challenges as they come, but you’re right, this is no way to live.”
“We do what’s best for you. What makes you feel better and gets you back to normal.”
“Do you know how awesome it would be to not have to worry about tampons?! Those damn things are expensive as hell, and very fucking uncomfortable.”
I choke out a startled laugh from the unexpected comment. “We’ll add that to the pro column then.”
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“Everything? Noticing, taking an interest, caring, putting me first. All of it.”
“Watching you is my favorite pastime,” I shrug, giving her a playful grin.
“My own personal stalker,” she teases. She glances at the time and sighs. “I need to get going.”
Helping Taylor off my lap, I stand as well. “I’m going to head to the stadium and check in on the guys.”
“Really?”
“I’m in the inner circle, remember?”
“How can I forget?” She laughs at my reminder of Miller’s welcome when I attended Preston and Ivory’s wedding when Taylor threw a fit at my unannounced arrival.
Unable to resist touching her, I slide my hands around her waist until there’s no space between us. “Do they still need to hold a vote or are you okay with me being invited in now?”
Her hands wind around my neck as she hovers her lips over mine. “Keep giving me epic orgasms and you’re allowed to stay.”
“A hardship, but I think I’ll manage.” I close the distance, kissing her deeply, reluctantly letting her go so we can get out of here.
We pack up and leave the penthouse hand in hand, going our separate ways at the valet.
I watch her pull out first, then get into my car and make the short drive to the stadium.
The team should start arriving soon to get ready for the game.
Making my way through the clubhouse, I head to Mike’s office first. Sure enough, he’s inside.
“Grant, what’s got you stopping by?” He gestures for me to come in and moves the lineup he’s working on to the side.
“Wanted to come by and check in with everyone with Gabby’s news.”
“Awful, isn’t it? Ivory is pretty upset. You should’ve seen Chase and Miller last night. They were barely holding on.”
“Taylor was too. That’s why they weren’t in the lineup last night then?”
He heaves out a sigh. “Yeah, Chase missed warmups and batting practice. If I weren’t such a stickler for the rules, I wouldn’t have cared in this situation, but he had no business on that field last night.
He was a mess when he got here after dropping Gabby at home.
Miller wanted to play, but that girl’s like a sister to him and he’s already lost one sister.
He needed to sit this one out, even if he didn’t realize it at the time. ”
“Are they back in the lineup tonight?”
“Tentatively. I’ll assess once they get here then make the call.” Mike stands from behind his desk. “They should be here any minute. Want to walk with me?”
We make our way down the hall to the locker room, catching up on how the rest of the roster is doing and what the plan is for the games this week to solidify our position into the postseason and keep our rotation in shape.
“Boss man, what are you doing here? Shit, am I getting traded because I added you to the group chat?” Miller calls out when we step inside the locker room.
I roll my eyes. “Not getting traded, but I did come to check in and see if you need anything.”
“Appreciate that. She’ll be okay,” Miller says, as much for me as for himself.
“She will,” I agree as Chase walks in. He sees me standing by Miller and his steps falter.
“Grant, is everything okay?”
Shaking my head, I laugh. “Guess I need to come down here more often. Thought I was a better owner than this. Everything is fine. I just came to check on the three of you after the texts this morning.”
Chase nods. “Oh, yeah, thank you. I really appreciate that. She’s in more pain today than last night, but she seems to be okay right now. Having the girls over will help.”
“And how are you doing?” I ask.
“Fuck,” he blows out a breath and drops into the chair in front of his locker.
“I don’t know, honestly. Seeing her like this is hard.
I felt so helpless yesterday. I’m trying to stay positive for her and let her know this doesn’t change anything where we’re concerned.
I’m all in, ya know? I just can’t fix this for her and that part is hard. ”
I drag a chair over from another locker and sit down in front of him.
“Look at me, kid.” He looks up and the pain is evident on his face.
“You’re doing everything there is to do for her.
You showed up when she needed it most. You proved to her that she is your priority.
That’s all we can do. She needs to know she’s not alone and that you aren’t going anywhere.
Love her through it and you’ll come out on the other side, no matter what happens with the tests yesterday.
And if you need to sit out a couple games, that’s okay.
Coach will figure it out and your team has your back. ”
“I don’t need to sit out. I need to play. I want to play. We’re finishing this season strong and making it to the end,” he says confidently.
“Atta boy.” Miller claps him on the shoulder. “We win for Gabby.”
“Win for yourselves too. This has been a helluva season. You deserve it,” Mike says and I nod in agreement.
“Did I miss a team meeting?” Fields asks, joining our huddle.
“And where have you been?” Miller crosses his arms, glaring at Fields.
“I was helping Ivory take some stuff over to Gabs.”
“Likely excuse. You’re supposed to be the captain, first guy here. Slacking off big time.”
I share a look with Mike and he tosses a thumb over his shoulder, indicating it’s time to go. Fields and Miller toss barbs back and forth as we leave them to get ready for the day. At least some things never change.