16. Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Sixteen
Koa
I try not to take it personally, but it took every ounce of my strength to watch Evalina walk away and not run after her.
Not barge into her shop and demand that she tell me what just happened.
Unfortunately, with the press still sniffing for a story, I can’t take the chance that another scene will break out in Sparkly’s if I follow her, so I convince myself it’s okay.
She’s fine, just upset, and if I come back at closing to take her home, she might not be so upset.
At least, that’s the plan until she sends me a curt text message that Annie will be taking her home.
I toss my phone on the coffee table and ice my shoulder.
There’s nothing like taking a pitch to the shoulder because you were daydreaming about a woman who seems to hate your very essence no matter hard you work to change her mind.
I’ve got to get my mind back in the game or risk angering Quade Dawson.
The man is doing more for me and my family than any team owner needs to.
I can’t very well repay him by playing like a rookie.
I’m expecting Eleanor any minute to discuss updates on my father’s case, but if I’m honest, I can’t bring myself to care anymore.
The part of me that believed in my father’s innocence is beginning to fade with each new piece of evidence presented not only to me, but to the world.
Was my entire life a lie? Is my family everything the news says we are?
By the time Eleanor arrives, I’ve already had three arguments with myself about Evalina, my parents, and the future of my career.
I’m a mess but manage to pull it together to answer the door when she rings the bell.
Today, she’s dressed as a professional. I can’t speak to what was going through her mind when last we met, and it’s none of my business, so I go with this professional stance.
She smiles and steps inside with her briefcase, which I can’t help thinking might be her emotional support briefcase more than anything.
“Boy, have I got some interesting news for you. You’re going to want to sit down for this one.” She drops her case on the counter and follows me to the living room.
“Do I need to have Katie here for this?”
“I’d rather tell you what I know and let you handle it how you see fit. It’s big, Koa. I mean, bigger than we could have imagined.”
I take her suggestion and sit with a big bag of ice, unsure if what she is about to say is life-changing in a good way or a blow up my life even more way.
“Your father is working with the feds. This—going to jail, confiscating everything—was all a ploy to make it look like your father was the target. All along, it’s been a cover. He’s been working under cover for over two years, and the lid is about to blow off of this thing.”
Nothing that came out of Eleanor’s mouth makes a bit of sense to me. “I’m sorry, say that again but slower, like I’m five.”
“Long story short, your father is helping to get a money-laundering, human-trafficking jerk off the streets. He couldn’t tell you or prepare you for what was to come.”
“How do you know all of this?”
Eleanor puts her hands up like a solid wall. “I have my ways. Just know that you’ll need to lay low for a bit, try to stay out of the public eye by behaving yourself, and this should go down fast, furious, and without a lot of collateral damage.”
Tell that to my father’s lawyer.
“So…do nothing?”
“Exactly. Live your life like you normally would, pretend to be distant from your father, and this will end soon.”
I’m not so sure it’ll be that easy. “Don’t these people usually go after family? Friends? Should I be worried for Katie or my friends?”
Eleanor chuckles. “I think anyone who messes with your sister had better be prepared for Spencer to eat them alive, but no. Your father has made a pretty solid story that you are estranged. Not even your mother knows all the details.”
“Estranged?”
“He’s claiming you want nothing to do with him, haven’t for a long while.
” Eleanor studies my face, probably wondering if this will come as a shock.
On one hand, it does. On the other, I can see where he’d go to such lengths for his children.
Before I can say anything, Eleanor motions for me to keep quiet.
“Don’t tell me one way or another. If it’s false, I’d have to be honest if asked. ”
I blow out a long breath, still so confused.
“I can’t begin to understand any of this, but at least I can go to bed knowing my father is innocent.
” I run my hands over my short beard and try to make sense of it all.
In reality, I haven’t been what one would call close with my father in a very long time.
We grew apart, took different paths, and it’s hard to keep up with a man who lives seventy percent of his life on a yacht in faraway seas.
Still, he’s my father. I pray he makes it through this, and in the end, it might be a good idea to work on this family’s dynamic.
It’s a weighty topic needing copious prayer, so I don’t put too much thought into it while Eleanor watches me.
“Hey, I get it. Just know that the Dawson family is on it, and if there’s any reason to believe you or Katie need protection, you’ll hear it from us first. The feds are too slow in that department.
” Her confidence offers me some comfort, but I’m still on edge.
She notices, pats my arm, and exudes a little more of her confidence.
“I’ve got your back, Koa. You’re safe, I promise. ”
With that, she stands and smooths her skirt. “Now, on to other topics. Have you considered allowing Evalina to borrow one of your cars?”
“My…what? How did you…”
“I meant it when I said I know all. I think offering that might help your cause.” Her grin can’t be hidden no matter how hard she tries to bite it back.
“My cause?”
She finally chuckles. “Don’t pretend you don’t know what I mean. Offer the car. Sweep her off her feet.”
“There is literally nothing I can do to convince that woman that I’m not the devil incarnate, but thanks for the suggestion. I’ll offer, but don’t be surprised if you see woman sets baseball player’s car on fire on the local news.”
This gives her another laugh, but she goes serious again in a blink. “Even so, offer. You never know, and I promise I’m on top of this situation with your father. Rest that shoulder, try not to think about the worst, and I’ll keep in touch.”
I escort her to the door and bid her farewell, consider calling Katie, but decide the news Eleanor brought is most certainly an in-person conversation, and flop on my bed to rest instead.
It grows dark while I stare at the ceiling contemplating how I got here.
How does a rich kid go pro, then wind up the son of a man who is working for the feds to take down an illegal operation?
Actually, sounds like every Hollywood movie from my childhood.
I’m so distracted, I almost miss my phone lighting up with a message. Every cell in my body tells me to ignore it, it’s probably just another news alert about my family, but on the off chance it’s my sister, I check it anyway.
It’s not my sister.
I stare at the screen with Evalina’s message glaring at me until a second message comes through. Then another and another before I open them.
Evalina
Hi, it’s me, the woman who called you to rescue her then promptly had a panic attack in your car and ran off after being mean to you.
I wanted to apologize, and yeah, I’m sort of a coward so I’m doing it over text. Also, I’m bad at communicating with you, apparently.
So, I’m very sorry. I appreciate everything you’ve done for us.
My day sucked, and I took it out on you. Will you please forgive me?
How do I even respond to that? I can’t message her. There is no doubt that, as bad as we are at communicating verbally, I will most certainly be worse at written communication. No chance I let that happen, so I tap her number and pray she answers.
She answers with a groan. “You can’t let a girl be a chicken, can you?”
She makes me laugh and forget my family trouble without even trying. I can’t stand that she thinks I’m upset with her.
“Not a chance. I was never mad at you, by the way. Confused, yes, but not mad.”
She releases a long sigh and groans again. “I was upset about my car, then you made some offhanded comments about it being junk and I needed a better one, and I guess I let it get to me. That, and Dustin getting into a fight really made my day hard.”
“I didn’t mean to say something that—”
“No, no, please don’t apologize. You didn’t say anything wrong. I made it a big deal in my mind, when you were only trying to make conversation. You weren’t wrong either.”
“Well, that brings me to something I wanted to ask you. Would you please borrow one of my cars until you can get one? No time limit. I just want you to have a good car to drive for now. You’ve got enough to worry about for the next few weeks.”
Silence clings to the line like a weight, but I hold back. I don’t want to risk pushing her too hard.
“I appreciate the offer, but I can’t accept that.” Her voice cracks.
“You can. We’re friends, aren’t we? Isn’t that what friends do?”
“I guess, but I just can’t.” She’s barely holding it together, just like earlier today.
“Please don’t cry, Evalina. Not over the phone.”
She snickers and sniffles. “You’d rather I do it in person?”
“Yeah, actually. At least then I would be able to comfort you. I’m pretty useless over the phone.”
She’s quiet again, probably for far too long to mean anything good.
Still, I wait. I don’t know why it’s this woman.
I can’t put my finger on what drew me in at first, but all I know right now is that this sassy, feisty, strong woman is everything I’ve been missing in my life.
She’s confident but vulnerable. Works hard even when everything is against her, and admits when she’s wrong.
Evalina is, quite possibly, the most perfect person, even with her bumps and bruises and trauma.
“I should check on Dustin and make sure he’s getting ready for bed. He’s suspended, so I need to take him with me in the morning.”
“What time are you heading in? I can take you.”
“I have to be there at six, but Annie is getting us at five thirty.”
“That’s early for kiddo, isn’t it?” A plan develops in my mind, probably another one she’ll shoot down, but I can’t help it. I want to help her. I want to be there for her, support her, get her through this rough time. I want…Sakes alive, I just want her.
“There’s not much I can do about it. He’s suspended, and his sitters are college kids in class. Our neighbor is too old to watch him all day, and—”
“I’ll watch him. I’ll come to your place in the morning. If Annie can pick you up for work, then I can stay with Dustin and he can sleep. I have practice, so if you’re not opposed, he can come along and meet the guys, maybe even join in. Is that okay with you?”
Total silence. Nothing, not even deep breathing to indicate she could be angry.
“Then…when you’re done working…maybe I can pick you up and we can get dinner again like we did before? Pizza and games?”
More silence. Waiting. The absolute worst thing I’ve ever had to do in my life, which I realize is incredibly entitled, but patience has rarely been my friend.
I want her to understand that I’m not willing to walk away, not like this, not when she needs someone in her corner.
Walking away at all feels impossible, and I refuse to do it without a fight.
“I can’t ask you to do that, Koa. It’s a lot.”
“You didn’t ask. I’m offering. I’m begging you to let me spend time with Dustin.
I might not know what he got in a fight over, but I’m guessing the kid needs…
” I fade, realizing I’m about to put my foot all the way in my mouth.
I have zero right to assume anything her son might need, let alone tell her about my suspicion.
Problem is, half of the cat already escaped the bag and she’s smart enough to know my thought process.
So here I am, cat half in and half out, while she merely breathes on the other end of the connection.
I’ve either royally messed up or shocked her into silence. Naturally, I can’t help adding on to my predicament.
“I just want to help. I like Dustin and want to help his future.”
After another breath of quiet, she relents. “If you really want to, I think he’d die of happiness. I won’t need a ride home, though. I actually have a date tomorrow night.”
She. Has. A. What?
Biting my tongue, literally, is the only thing that keeps me from asking questions that are none of my business.
They aren’t. I might want them to be, but that does not change reality.
She’s free to do what she wants with whomever she wants, but I am equally as free to hate it.
Hate is such a strong word, but it is nowhere near as strong as it needs to be to fully encompass how I feel about her going out with another man. Not me. Some random man who is not me.
“Koa?”
“Yeah, sure. Okay. I can be there at five thirty. Is that good?”
“That’s fine, if you’re sure you don’t mind?”
“No, I don’t mind at all. It’ll be a fun day. You should get some rest though and think about the car. It’s an honest offer from a friend.”
“I’ll think about it,” she whispers just before a big yawn. “Thank you, Koa. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Goodnight, Evalina.” I wait for her to hang up, staring down at my phone.
She has a date. Not with me. Anger flares through me despite my best efforts.
I’m not mad at her, never, but that I made such a jerk of myself when we first met.
Perhaps if I hadn’t, then she might not be going on a date tomorrow night with a man who probably has no idea what she’s been through.
Well, I can’t know for sure whether he knows or not.
Maybe he does. He could be a great guy who cares about her and Dustin, but he’s not me.
And him not being me is the biggest disappointment of my life.
Because I’m pretty sure when I wasn’t looking, my heart took a leap of faith. Now all I can do is pray Evalina doesn’t shatter it, because she has absolutely stolen it.