27: Dropping the Gloves Read online

  “Uh, no.” I shook my head. “Sorry. What was that?”

  Before he could repeat his words though, I saw Marlo step out onto the sand and Leeds’s words were once again lost on me.

  Because not only did Winksi walk over to her with my daughter hanging on him, but because he stood far too close to Marlo. I watched as she told him something, then in the way she did when she was sad or uncertain, watched as Marlo folded her lips in as she listened to him. As badly as I wanted to go over there and figure out what the hell was going on, I knew I didn’t have the right.

  I left.

  I left because I saw a pretty bridesmaid at my captain’s wedding.

  I left because I started to wonder what I was missing out on, by only being with one woman.

  Nothing.

  I’d been missing out on nothing.

  Not a road to go down, Byrd.

  I understood that Marlo wanted to keep me at arm’s length after the divorce, and I got that she couldn’t just pick up and leave for a few months out of the year so she could bring Rori to me.

  But I was fucking tired of shouldering all the blame.

  I gritted my molars and forced a deep breath, but couldn’t tear my eyes off the two—the three—of them.

  Didn’t they look like a cozy bunch?

  Then when Marlo wrapped her arms around Winski’s sides…

  Fuck if I didn’t see red.

  I forced myself to stay seated in my chair.

  Winski swept Rori from his back and to the ground, where Marlo bent to wrap her in a tight hug. Rori was quickly giggling and I watched as Marlo reluctantly let our daughter go.

  Rori ran off to the Prescott and Leeds’ boys, and Marlo pulled herself back to stand.

  It was really fucking weird, watching Marlo and Rori from this angle.

  I was watching my family from the outside, looking in.

  “You’re not fucking paying attention,” Leeds said, smacking my shoulder again.

  “Sorry.” The word came out croaked and I knew without a doubt that Leeds was going to track where my gaze had been.

  His voice dropped. “Have you seen her before today?”

  “Marlo?” I looked over at him. “Yeah. Once. Few minutes.” I rubbed my hand over my square jaw line, the roughness of my beard shadow sounding in my ears.

  Leeds nodded a few times and took a pull from the long neck bottle in his hand. Then he chuckled and shook his head. “Good luck.”

  “For?”

  He leaned forward to put his bottle on the ground at his feet. “You and Marlo have history. And a kid. Two things you’ve managed to run away from,” he said, not cutting any punches. “You’re not going to be able to run anymore.”

  “I wasn’t running.”

  “When’s the last time you saw your kid?”

  “I didn’t want her on a plane by herself.”

  “Funny thing, planes. They go in more than one direction.”

  I shifted in my chair to face Leeds better. “Marlo—”

  “That’s an excuse and you know it. Look.” He wiped his hands on his pants. “I grew up with a dad who didn’t want me around. The way you got traded? That was shady shit. And then to not put in a bigger effort to see your kid? Man, you made mistakes. And now you’re back and maybe no one else has told you, but all the Marlo and you shit? It may not affect the camaraderie in the locker room but you better believe that here, in groups like right now? You’re the outsider. Not Marlo.”

  I wanted to say something to hold my ground, but I also knew that Leeds was one-hundred-percent correct. I couldn’t fault him for sticking up for her.

  Being traded back to San Diego had the silver-lining of being near Rori.

  Right now though, that silver lining was pretty dull and gray.

  Leeds was right.

  I couldn’t keep running.

  I was going to have to man up and figure things out.

  …Before this whole thing did start to affect the locker room.

  Chapter Three

  Marlo

  “She was complaining of a stomachache. Probably too many cupcakes,” Trevor said as he carried a sleeping Rori into the house, a little after six-thirty.

  “Thank you for bringing her back.”

  “Not a problem, Lo.” Trevor’s voice was gravely and soft as he brought Rori past me and toward her bedroom.

  Our house was little, but cozy. Rori and I didn’t need anything bigger than what the small beach cottage provided. The steps between the open living room and the hall with two bedrooms was scarce. Fifteen feet at most. I could stand by the door and watch Trevor drop my daughter off in her room.

  Doing just that—for the moment, anyhow—I took Trevor in.

  He lost his hat sometime in the hour since I left the party, and the ends of his hair were starting to curl from the spring humidity.

  I often wished I was attracted to him.

  Trevor was a good guy.

  The best guy.

  The very type of guy a girl would want to fall for.

  But with our history—with Jordan—it wasn’t wise.

  Sighing, I quietly closed the front door and followed Trevor into Rori’s room, remaining quiet as I watched him deposit my little girl in her bed.

  I’d wash her up in the morning. She was likely out for the night, and a little sand never hurt anyone.

  After we stepped out of the room and he closed her door softly, I led him toward the kitchen. “Want a drink?”

  “Nah. I’ve got a date.”

  I grinned over my shoulder at him. “You do?” There was probably a bit too much excitement in my voice.

  His chuckle was short and his lips curled to the left. “Yeah. I do.”

  I pulled a stool out at the counter and sat, facing him. “Tell me! How’d you meet her? Is it the first date? Please. Let me live vicariously through you.”

  Moving toward the table, he just smiled and shook his head. After pulling table chair out and straddling the back, he said, “Yes, first date.”

  I lifted my brows, waiting.

  When he didn’t elaborate, I huffed good-naturedly. “Well? How’d you meet her! Help a sister out.”

  Trevor shifted in his chair, and I could see as he pushed his tongue into his cheek.

  “Oh, shady business.” I laughed. “Let’s see, where could you have met her? Christian dating site? Not dirty, no, but you’re not exactly quiet about being an atheist. Hmm. ComiCon? I think your closet geek may have come out.”

  He just chuckled, shaking his head. “Nope, and nope.”

  “Well?”

  There was another moment of silence before he sighed heavily. “Jonny’s sister-in-law.”

  I frowned. “Sydney only has brothers.”

  Trevor’s response was a dead-on stare.

  No words.

  And I realized…

  “Oh, no, Trevor.” I pulled the words long. The confusion led to giggles though. “Oh, my God, Trev! I didn’t know Jenna had a sister.”

  “She’s not as self-centered as Jenna,” was his response and I could hear in his tone, he was trying to make her out to be better than I was imagining.

  Jenna Prescott was…something else.

  She rarely went to games and when she did, she didn’t sit with the other significant others. When it came to public appearances, she only was on Jonny’s arm when it would do something for her status.

  Or, would put her on a magazine somewhere.

  “Well, good luck?” I couldn’t stop the smile on my face though. “I mean, it’s just a first date.”

  “I’ll give you a play-by-play tomorrow over bonbons, while you paint your nails.” His own grin was big on his face.

  “Don’t be an ass,” I teased.

  “Never.”

  We talked a little bit longer about the barbeque, and as badly as I wanted to ask if Jordan interacted with Rori at all, I didn’t.

  Nor did Trevor offer the information.

  Eventual
ly, he had to get going to get ready for his date. I grinned at the thought. Jenna Prescott’s sister. I was definitely going to grill him tomorrow.

  Trevor stood from his chair, returning it to the table before he walked to me. After pressing a kiss to my forehead, he said, “Talk to you later, kid. Oh, and let me know how Rori feels in the morning.”

  My smile was soft, watching as Trevor moved through the open kitchen and into the living room. “Will do. Oh!” I sat up in my seat and spoke louder, “Don’t forget to keep your teeth in!”

  “Third date material, Lo.” He turned and walked backward. “Morning after stuff.”

  Still in my seat, I grinned, truly happy for him—even if his choice was slightly questionable. “Good luck.”

  Rori woke up only a few hours later, vomiting.

  She and I sat in the bathroom for nearly an hour before my momma’s heart couldn’t take it anymore.

  “How’s your tummy?” I asked, cradling her little body into my chest. Her hair was sticky with sweat and I could feel her soaking my night shirt. Still, I kept her close, raking my fingers through her blonde hair.

  “Hurts.” Her voice was small and tired.

  “Do you think we can lay down again? Try to get some sleep?”

  Rori shook her head against my chest, drawing her knees up to her own chest. I shifted her bottom on my leg, rearranging her so she sat more comfortably—for me. Her tiny butt always managed to find the most painful of places.

  I fought a yawn and continued to comb through her hair. She’d already thrown up everything from the barbeque, so I doubted she’d throw up again.

  But I also didn’t want to jostle her too much if she was still hurting.

  It was a little while longer that I knew something wasn’t right. Her soft tears turned into full sobs. “Rori girl, I think maybe we should go to the doctor.”

  Usually said as a joke, something to lighten the moment when she’d stub a toe or give herself a papercut, she almost always said no.

  This time though, was different.

  With tears wracking through her tiny body, my mini-me whispered, “Yes, please.”

  The ER almost sent us home after a number of tests and images came back negative, but after another vomiting episode, they decided to keep Rori overnight for observation. It was nearly three in the morning by the time we were settled into a room and the doctors and nurses were finished with us.

  No more exams for the night.

  All forms and visiting lists filled out.

  A promise to not be bothered until seven-thirty with morning rounds and vitals.

  Rori finally fell asleep about thirty minutes before but I was having a hard time finding sleep myself.

  I hated sending texts in the middle of the night, but after remembering we’d made breakfast plans with Sydney and the boys, I sent Sydney a quick message cancelling. Then, I left another message for Trevor, just to keep him updated.

  It wasn’t often that the pang of loneliness—the ache of being alone in the world—hit me, but it did just then.

  For all intents and purposes, I had two people in my corner.

  In my life.

  Sure, the team banded around me but now that Jordan was back…

  I settled against the cot, pulling the scratchy blue hospital blanket to my shoulders as I thought of him.

  Today—yesterday, rather—I only caught glimpses of him. He looked the same, maybe a little older.

  Five years wasn’t that long in the grand scheme of things, but I would have felt a better if he looked rough and ragged from being a hockey player who talked with his fists. Maybe lost a tooth or two.

  I tried to imagine what life would have been like these last five years if he had stayed.

  I couldn’t.

  When we were kids, life was fun. It was exciting.

  When we got married, life was fun. It was exciting.

  Right away, we knew we wanted a family. Within three months, married life that started out fun and exciting, turned stressful. By the time Jordan left…

  I adjusted my head so I could see Rori.

  I thought she’d been the turning point for us. The excitement was back.

  I found out the hard way I was the only one who thought that.

  So, no, I couldn’t imagine life with Jordan these last few years. By the time he’d left, he was different. We were different.

  With thoughts of Jordan lingering in my mind, I closed my eyes and tried to find sleep.

  Chapter Four

  Marlo

  “Momma.”

  Rori’s sad groan pulled me from the little sleep I managed.

  I rubbed at my eyes with my palms as I unraveled myself from the sheet. “What’s up, Rori girl?”

  “My tummy hurts.” Her voice was broken and filled with tears.

  I walked over to the bed and lowered the rail to sit, reaching for her hand. “Are you hungry?” Maybe they were hunger pains now.

  She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. Not knowing what else to do, I reached for the call light on the remote paddle. Just as I hit it though, there was a knock on the door and it opened on the other side of the closed curtain.

  “Oh, we were just calling you,” I said to the unknown visitor, moving to stand to hit the cancel button.

  “Not a nurse,” a familiar gravelly voice said before my finger could connect.

  “Trevor.” Rori’s voice was usually filled with such happiness when she saw him. It wasn’t this time.

  I sat back down and looked over my shoulder as the curtain moved, and both Trevor and Sydney came in.

  “You guys,” I said, shaking my head. “God, what time is it? You don’t have to be here.”

  Sydney moved to sit beside me, hugging my shoulders into her. “Of course, we did.”

  “And it’s seven,” Trevor added, as he lowered the rail on the other side of the bed. Rori scrambled to try and get into his lap. “That’s some tummy ache, butterfly.”

  I frowned at Sydney. “Visiting hours don’t start until eight.”

  “Trevor may have used his athlete card.”

  He winked over at me while Rori cuddled into his side. "The team’s due an appearance anyway.”

  “Have you called Jordan?” Sydney asked.

  Truthfully, I hadn’t even thought of it. I opened my mouth to say so, when the intercom sounded. “May I help you?”

  “My daughter is complaining of her stomach hurting again,” I spoke to the wall.

  “I’ll send your nurse in.”

  There was a squeak as the secretary hung up her end and I couldn’t stop the wince from crossing my face.

  “Did they do a scan of her appendix? Brody had his taken out last year and had been in pretty bad pain,” Sydney offered.

  “They did. It didn’t appear to be appendicitis but they wanted to keep her overnight just in case it was. They said occasionally it could be missed. And no, I didn’t call Jordan. I didn’t…” I shrugged. “Honestly? I didn’t think to.”

  Rori had been admitted for RSV—a potentially serious respiratory virus—shortly after he and I divorced but he couldn’t make the time to fly back. My calls went unanswered, the voicemails not returned.

  Then when she broke her arm last year, I called and left another message. She received a teddy bear a month later.

  So, no. I didn’t think to call him last night.

  With a heavy sigh, I looked back over my shoulder at my baby girl. “I’ll call him,” I said, turning to Sydney once again. “Where are the kids?” I tried changing the subject.

  “I dropped the three oldest with my friend, Mia, and Caleb’s got Brooks. I was going to bring him, but Cael said he wanted baby time.”

  I smiled even though my chest ached. God, I wished I’d had that.

  A man who was as excited about having kids as I had been. Caleb doted on their babies.

  “You shouldn’t have come, Syd. I’ll have to make Mia something as thanks.” I’d only met her a
handful of times, but everyone liked cookies.

  Sydney pushed my shoulder. “Mia has three kids. She was up. It was fine. But if you feel like making anything for anyone, I could go for some of your caramel stuffed chocolate cookies.”

  Just like that, Sydney Prescott had me laughing lightly, even though I was cracking inside. I did the only thing I could. I reached out and pulled my friend in for a hug. “Thank you.”

  Her reply was soft, but she knew what I was thanking her for.

  “Always.”

  Jordan

  I was pissed.

  I arrived to optional skate this morning, only to hear from Caleb that Rori was in the hospital. He’d arrived to practice late because he had to drop the baby off with Sydney.

  Then the real fucking kicker was when I got there, they were already rolling Rori into surgery.

  Surgery!

  And Marlo didn’t think it was worth giving me a call.

  Hell, not even a text.

  “Are you fucking kidding me right now?” Probably not the best set of words to introduce myself with, and thank God, the surgery waiting room was empty at that very moment, but I was livid.

  Top it all off with Winski sitting too close to Marlo, and red was too light of a shade to explain what I was seeing.

  I thought back to yesterday, and not just Winski with Marlo, but Winski with Rori.

  All the puzzle pieces started fitting together.

  Sydney, Winski, and Marlo all looked up at my voice, but it was Sydney who stood. “Jordan.” Her hand was over a tiny head at her chest, and for a moment, I cringed at my outburst. I should have remembered the baby would be in here with them.

  I held my finger up toward Sydney but turned my gaze to Marlo. “Seriously, Marlo? You couldn’t tell me our daughter was going in for surgery?”

  She sat up a little straighter and looked me dead in the eye. “I called you. This morning.”

  “You didn’t call me.” I stood my ground, my molars aching at how hard I clenched them. How dare she lie in front of Sydney and Winski? Trying to make me out to be the bad person in this case.