Undefeated

by C. D. Gill

  “That must have been really stressful for you. What else did you see in the packages?” Tommy asked.

  “Most of the time they felt really light as if they were empty. All I saw was a powder substance in bags. Someone set me and probably Coach Reinerman up, too, but I couldn’t risk saying anything. My testimony could have set him free, but then I would have been a prime suspect.” A heavy sigh accompanied Jake’s confession.

  Xander sat with his hands in his face, unable to move. All that was now video evidence. He could have been free. His life given back to him. The most stunning part was something Xander had never considered. That whoever set him up would use someone who looked like him to do it.

  The guys continued with a few more probing questions which didn’t result in much more information and they signed off with Jake looking considerably more relieved. They had some detective work to do with the numbers, places, and messages Jake handed over.

  This person had to have made a mistake somewhere and Xander planned on finding it.

  Chapter 18

  The drive to the Hawthorn Golf Club and Spa took two and half hours on back roads, cruising through the mountains with the fresh summer air whipping through Gia’s hair. Her music playlist consisted of rock and pop—anything with a driving beat to keep her adrenaline going. She passed the gate and wove her way around the long driveway that led to the spa entrance.

  She stopped to talk to the valet attendant. “I’m Gia Carter. Here to see Martin Abbott.”

  The attendant made a call behind his desk. Three minutes later, he directed her through a private side gate. Hawthorn was known in the area for maintaining and training internationally acclaimed golfers. The Olympic Training Center wasn’t far away and it worked well to have an elite course and golf instructors nearby.

  The private parking lot could accommodate over one hundred vehicles, but only contained a dozen or so. She parked and practically skipped into the training center. When the doors opened, the aromas of leather and sunscreen mixed with freshly cut grass in perfect harmony. So good it should be a candle. As far as trainers went, Abbott was the best of the best and he happened to be a family friend who had given her the rare privilege of an open-door policy.

  Gia slowed her gait to a meander as she passed bay after bay of golfers at the driving range. Hopefuls of every level trained here—eating, breathing, sleeping golf day and night. Abbott had wanted to recruit her as a kid, but Ma insisted that God had different plans for her than chasing a white ball around the green. Gia found Abbott perched against a bay divider, a pipe clutched between his teeth. She relaxed onto the bench behind him and studied the guys teeing up their drives.

  “They’re in great shape,” Gia said when Abbott plopped beside her.

  “Eh, their form is lousy and ungrateful. I spend so much time teaching them how to do it right, you think this once as a kind gesture to an old, old man, they’d have the decency to look like I taught them.”

  “If they’re ungrateful, they don’t deserve to be training with the best. The almighty Martin Abbott, trainer of hundreds of international cup winners and six consecutive Masters winners. Kids come from around the world to train with you. If they don’t know what they’ve got when they’ve got it, then they’ll know what they had when it’s gone.”

  Abbott growled as his pipe bobbed between his teeth. “You sound like a Hallmark card. I try to keep my shame to a minimum around here, so if you wouldn’t mention numbers, I’d be much obliged.”

  Gia laughed. “No one here can touch your record, Abbott. You’re a history maker. No changing that.”

  “You’re wrong, little girl. Very wrong. The greats are here all around us. They never leave. They watch. They teach. They’re the instinct that guides each drive and long putt. Without them, this place would have shut down a half century ago.”

  One of the students spliced a ball right in front of them. Abbott scowled and turned his back on them as he checked his watch.

  “It’s dinner time and these two fools are ruining my appetite. Let’s go.”

  Abbott’s stride had shortened considerably since she’d last seen him a year ago, not that he would tell her what was ailing him if she asked. He let her come hang around and sharpen her skills because he said he liked “to have someone to complain to.” And that might have been true if he actually talked about himself ever. He was a surrogate grandfather who had trained Dad for five years before Dad quit and married Ma. Abbott forgave Dad in time to go to the wedding. Abbott had known golf wasn’t Dad’s dream and Dad said Abbott’s intuition knew when it was time to let a student hang his clubs on the recreational side of the cart.

  With a flash of his badge, Abbott ushered Gia inside the dining room for free. Lifers had to have some benefits. Last year, one of the dining room staff said that Abbott ate all his meals alone. Maggie, his wife of fifty-three years, died two years earlier and left him to fight the good fight on his own. The woman was a saint to live in club staff housing for most of their married life. Maggie said she didn’t mind because they had everything provided for them and that wasn’t something she’d had as a kid. Not one single day did she take for granted.

  “How long you in town for?” Abbott grabbed a salad for his tray and one for Gia’s.

  “A couple days. Joey said my reflexes are getting slow.”

  “Uh huh.” Again, Abbott picked up a plate of lasagna for himself and one for Gia. They continued that way through the vegetables, carbs, fruit, and dessert. Gia’s tray had more food on it than she could stomach, but she’d eat it because tomorrow Abbott would work her until he saw it draining from her pores. With the garlic in the lasagna, there was a small chance he’d base quitting time on the stench radiating off her.

  They set their trays on the table and took their seats. Abbott filled her in on the changes to the program and the statistics from the rising stars. Gia made it halfway through the food and groaned. Her stomach wasn’t used to this much food.

  Abbott raised a bushy eyebrow. “Eat that. You’re going to burn it off tomorrow.”

  Gia nodded and laughed. “I’m not used to eating this much food anymore. I don’t burn it off like I used to.”

  “Weakness starts in the mind, Giovanna. Excuses and ‘I can’t’s’ stem from that.”

  Hadn’t he drilled that into her head every time she saw him? Mental discipline. That was Abbott’s solution to every problem, because to him the existence of the problem was less important than the solution to the problem.

  After dinner, Gia snagged Abbott’s card to let herself into the spa area with a sauna, a hot tub, an ice bath, and massage tables that were attended during the day.

  Alone with her thoughts.

  Despite her yoga practice, the stillness was difficult. But it was time, wasn’t it? Past time to name her fears, identify her weaknesses, forgive herself for her past and move on. Only it wasn’t so easy to dislodge the guilt and shame that had been her constant companions. Two hours disappeared into the steam and heat. She emerged in time to watch Abbott’s final lesson of the day. He must have seen promise in the two girls on the green, because he was shouting directions and mimicking their motions with his shoulders.

  Her dream as a kid didn’t include architecture, initially. It involved doing something outdoors with the green grass and blue skies. Now she was crashing and burning in real life and blaming her lack of mental discipline. Her life distanced from New Orleans had held promise of fewer complications. She’d left her family for a fresh start. Maybe life didn’t grant those to people like her.

  Abbott finished his session and locked the entrance to the outdoor practice ranges. He said nothing as they walked into the resort lobby. Gia checked in and said goodnight. Abbott nodded his goodnight with a foreboding mention of an early wake up call.

  The bed was soft and fluffy. So inviting after the stresses of the last few days. She downed a sleeping pill and dropped onto it. She covered herself with a blanket and sleep claimed her.r />
  A shrill ringing woke her up.

  “Get up and get ready for the day,” Abbott said.

  Gia groaned and checked the time. 4:30. “What are the odds that I arrived in time for conditioning days, Abbott? Did you schedule this when you saw me? I’m not that out of shape.”

  Abbott chuckled. “It’s been on the books for a month, Gia. That’ll teach you to call ahead for future visits.”

  “You love it when I pop in on you. It makes your life exciting.”

  Abbott grunted and hung up. The codger teared up every time she left and they both knew it.

  When she arrived at the indoor workout center, Abbott handed her a protein bar and a water bottle. The day started on the conditioning field—sprints, ski jumps, tire lifting, jumping rope in stations. The setup was like a scene from a weight loss competition except everyone dominated. People underestimated the fitness of golfers.

  Mid-morning layers disappeared and the toned muscles made their appearance. That afternoon, Abbott had them doing steadiness drills with tired muscles. After dinner, she let herself relax for an evening in the spa, complete with massages this time.

  *****

  The next morning, the group met in the gym. More conditioning, but today she wasn’t fighting for her breath. Today was about mental success, pushing the body to limits the mind didn’t know it could go. Today was the day to get the answers she’d come for. Shame and guilt poured from her as she jogged on the treadmill.

  Gia’d left her family when they needed her most. At the time, there wasn’t a better solution than leaving the situation completely. Looking back, she hadn’t been strong enough to stick around even though she’d thought leaving was the harder option. If she stayed in New Orleans, she would have been swept up in the mess of grief and avoiding Bronc and his abuse.

  She was a coward. When people found a place they felt they belonged, they stuck it out. Wasn’t that what Joey had done? He helped mend the broken hearts and rebuild lives.

  A whistle blew. “Switch stations.”

  Jumping off the treadmill, Gia bent over her knees gasping for air. Her past exposed, her house set on fire, her projects put on hold. Was this her chance to go home and attempt to live the life she should have three years ago? Or was it running away when she should stick it out and be tough? Timing determined whether a move was cowardly or heroic. The critics ranted and mocked, and the supporters watched with baited breath for each successive move to determine the defeat or success despite the mistakes.

  How she dealt with her current problems would silence the critics or make them yell louder. The bigger picture wasn’t obvious yet, but her next move was—to not surrender, but to take the beating and stay standing at the end. That’s what would make her a champion.

  At lunch, she ate with Abbott again. “I have to go home, Abbott.”

  Abbott nodded. “You always do. Did you find the answers you were looking for?”

  Gia’s lips lifted in a half smile. He knew her too well. “Not all of them, but my goal is to survive this. Once it ends, I’ll decide what my next step is.”

  They ate the rest of the meal in silence and then Abbott walked her back to her room. She gathered her things, walked out to her car, and popped them in her trunk. Abbott rested his hand on her shoulder.

  “Letting yourself make mistakes is how you learn and grow. Every decision you make will not always be the perfect one, so forgive yourself and be ready for life’s next twist. You are not responsible for anyone’s actions but your own. Don’t carry that burden. It will crush you.” Tears blurred her vision. Gia grabbed Abbott into a hug and kissed his leathery cheek.

  “I’m sorry I can’t stay longer.”

  “Me too,” Abbott said in a whisper. “Just don’t always be a rolling stone.”

  She wiped her eyes and dried her cheeks before shutting herself into the car. With a backward glance, she waved. Abbott saluted her, his red-rimmed eyes dry. Without hearing one word of her circumstance, he never failed to provide her with perspective.

  Gia drove home without seeing the scenery. Exiting the highway, she cut through downtown Golden and stopped to see Lucy. She ducked out of her car when Lucy bolted from the bakery. The force of her body hitting Gia’s rocked them back as Lucy wrapped her arms around Gia.

  “I thought you died. I’ve called your phone a thousand times in the past two days.” Lucy dropped her arms and punched Gia in the shoulder. “Do you understand how worried I was about you? Why do you keep doing this to me?”

  “You should have stopped by my house. The guys could have told you I left for a couple of days.” Gia strolled toward the front door. “I have issues, Luce.”

  “I know you do. What are you going to do about your house? Fireman Landon came in here the other day asking how you were doing and I had to pretend like you were fine while on the inside I was shriveling in embarrassment that my own best friend wouldn’t call me to tell me her house burned to the ground.”

  “I bet you enjoyed the news coming from Landon though.”

  Lucy grinned. “That man in uniform. Mm.”

  Gia sat down and patted the chair beside her. “I’ll tell you all about the last week.”

  The story came out in bits and chunks since Lucy had customers in and out.

  “So you’re telling me you have three hot men staying at your house right now and I’ve only met one of them,” Lucy said.

  “Yes.”

  “You’re the worst friend ever. And you can make it up to me by inviting me to dinner at your place around seven. And I’ll forgive you and accept your invitation and volunteer to bring pie and muffins. Good?”

  Gia laughed and hugged Lucy. “I’ll see you at seven.”

  The first thing Gia noticed when she pulled into her driveway was the dumpster. And the next was how stuff was flying out her window into the dumpster. She parked in the garage and went inside. Bags of chips, empty pizza boxes, and bottles littered her island counter. The blaring music led to her bedroom where two guys perched on ladders hacking at the drywall on her ceiling and one was chucking the falling pieces out her window.

  Her jaw slackened. They did this in the two days she’d been gone? The contractor had said he’d do it for thousands of dollars and they were doing it for free. Her heart swelled and, for the second time in one day, she felt like crying. Pulling her phone from her pocket, she took a picture. The camera sound clicked right as the music changed songs. All three whirled around, their tools raised.

  They were skittish. She watched them with wide-eyes and raised hands. “Hey, guys. It looks great in here.”

  Joey and Xander backed down their ladders while Tommy took a swig of water from his bottle. She admired the room as well as Xander’s sculpted arms showcased by his sleeveless shirt. She’d missed these guys. All of them. But the sight of Xander made her smile a little bigger.

  “Welcome home,” Joey said. “Thought it might be nice to have something done when you got home. All we have left is a part of the ceiling and the carpet. The rest we’ll leave for Contractor Dean.”

  “You do realize that your music was so loud, anyone could have walked in here, right?”

  Tommy snorted. “Who would do that, besides you?”

  “I don’t know. The people looking to finish what they started with the fire.” Gia propped her hands on her hips. “What all did you do while I was gone?”

  Joey and Tommy exchanged glances and Xander didn’t budge a centimeter.

  “What?” Gia edged closer to Xander. “Did you find answers?”

  Xander wiped his hands on his pants and then crossed his arms. “Some.”

  The breath hitched in Gia’s throat. She lowered her chin and moved within inches of him. When he didn’t continue, she raised her eyebrows.

  He squirmed. “Someone was using a scholarship student to do drop-off and pickups for drugs and money and then threatening his scholarships if he told. We have some data we’re following up on and hints that seem to b
e pointing to someone with authority at the school. Someone with the means to obtain blackmail information on the guys as well as be a credible source to the coaching staff if the lackeys strayed.” Xander continued with the story from Jake.

  “He could’ve saved you five years of your life by speaking up.” Gia scrunched her nose. “You’re a better man than most if you’re accepting that sitting down. You were right, though. Someone thought you were in the way.”

  Joey shook his head. “Jake proved a point that is really valuable. Once he knew the statute of limitations on prosecution was already up, he told us everything he knew. We’re closer to the truth than we were before. Now we need to find the next person involved.”

  “Joey and Tommy are going to talk to the coaching staff next to see if they can’t find a lead. Which frees me up to keep an eye on you.” Xander’s tongue darted out to moisten his lips.

  She held her breath. He was so close she could kiss him. His swallow broke her concentration, so she moved her focus to a faint freckle below his left eye. Biting the inside of her cheek, she didn’t move, refusing to run from the discomfort. This—Xander—was part of the confusion of her life. She had to deal with it at some point and preferably before someone ended hers.

  Chapter 19

  Gia’s expression toggled between panic and desire. Her proximity granted Xander a scent of her floral perfume. He inhaled silent breaths, taking in the moment. Spending two days with the guys made him especially grateful that she’d returned.

  He’d missed her.

  A lot.

  “You don’t have to watch out for me, Xander.” Gia laid her hand on his arm. “Whoever is coming after me could have killed me in my bedroom instead of setting my house on fire. Someone isn’t trying to kill me. They’re trying to scare me. They want me running back to New Orleans.”

  Xander clenched his fists and kept his arms anchored at his side. She didn’t deserve to be run out of town. He wasn’t about to leave her unguarded for her hunter to make her an easier target. “I’m not leaving you to fend for yourself. Not now. All of this has only escalated. And if they don’t get what they want, it will get worse for you.” He shook his head. “That’s not okay with me. And it certainly won’t pass your watchdog parents.”