“I know you didn’t ask for my opinion, but I’m old, so I’m going to give it to you anyways.” He leveled Blaise with the kind of look that used to make him squirm. “Go see them with that attitude, and you’ll only make matters worse. Show a little compassion. Try to see things from their side.”
“What are you talking about?” Charlie knew his parents, especially his father, had been a big part of Blaise’s anger and hostility.
“I know you have a big heart. Just try to show them a little kindness.”
“Kindness?” Blaise didn’t know why that tasted so acerbic. Maybe because his father hadn’t shown him any love or understanding. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“You’re a strong man, and I don’t just mean physically. I’m talking mentally. You have a strong will, an unbreakable spirit, something your father never had.”
“How many times did you tell me that you sleep in the bed you make, Charlie?”
“That’s true, but sometimes you sleep in the bed your parents built.”
“What?” Blaise asked, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to hear the answer.
“Shortly after you and your brother came to the program, I asked to meet with your father. I wanted to tell him that I thought you had real potential as a boxer and wanted to work with you, introduce you to some people I knew who might be able to help with your career.”
“Why didn’t you tell me that?” Blaise was surprised his father had cared enough to come to the center. As far as he knew, he’d never attended a single parent-teacher meeting.
“You were just a kid,” Charlie said. “You had enough going on. Later, I guess I didn’t mention it because you were so focused on your career. I didn’t think you were ready to deal with your issues with your parents. It might have taken your attention from where it belonged when you stepped into the ring.”
“And you’re telling me now because…?”
“You’re obviously going to see them for a reason. I have to assume you’re looking for something. Answers, closure, I don’t know. It’s your business. I just want you to have all the facts before you see them.”
Blaise said, “I don’t see how you could have any insight after just one meeting—”
“Sometimes it’s easier to talk to a stranger, especially someone you can relate to.”
Blaise sneered, cursing softly under his breath. “You and my old man are just about as different as two men can be. If he made you believe y’all have anything in common, he was lying.”
“You may not know as much about either of us as you think.” Charlie leaned back, folding his arms over his chest as he stared at Blaise. “We grew up in a different time, son. The belt, the back of the hand, even a closed fist, they were all accepted forms of punishment.”
“Charlie, you don’t have to talk about this,” Blaise said, feeling uncomfortable. “I know—”
Holding up his hand, Charlie said, “Your father thought he was doing right by you because he never put his hands on you. He thought he was a better father than his old man had been.”
Blaise knew very little about his paternal grandparents, who had died before he was born. His father never talked about them, and now he understood the reason.
“He didn’t know that sometimes words hurt even more than fists.” Charlie sighed. “I tried to tell him that you were a good kid just looking for his love and approval, but you can’t change a man in a day. I think it’s not that your father didn’t want to change, but he didn’t know how.”
Blaise knew firsthand how difficult changing could be, even with support and resources. “Maybe he still wants to change?” He hoped so. He didn’t want his father to go to his grave with so much bitterness and resentment between them.
“Could be. Only one way to find out.”
Chapter Twenty
Instead of calling Colleen to pick him up, he’d walked the two miles to his parents’ place. It had given him time to think about what Charlie had said and plan what he wanted to say when he saw his parents for the first time in three years. Sitting in the little house he’d bought for them, surrounded by the things his blood and sweat had paid for, Blaise didn’t feel any of the resentment he usually felt when he thought about supporting his parents for years. He felt pride that he’d been able to make a difference in their lives.
“Can I get you something to drink?” his mother asked, wringing her hands. “Um, I think we have some lemonade or tea, maybe. I doubt you’re much of a tea drinker, though. I meant to get to the market yesterday, but the day kind of got away from me.”
His mother had never been the cookie-baking, teetotaling type, but seeing how nervous she was and how much she obviously wanted to please him, Blaise was touched by her consideration. “It’s okay, Mama. I’m fine. Just sit down. I came to visit. I want to hear what you’ve all been up to.”
His parents shared a look, as though they were trying to concoct a spur-of-the moment story to hide the fact that they spent most of their days at the casino or bingo hall, spending their pensions and the monthly allowance Blaise sent.
“Um, we haven’t been doing much,” his dad said, shrugging. “You know, watching a bit of TV, doing a bit of gardening, reading, that kind of thing.”
The only reading material Blaise spotted was People magazine, and the grass looked as though it needed to be cut. “Hmm.”
“We hear you’ve got another fight lined up,” his mother said, frowning. “I thought the doctor said you had to retire ‘cause of all those concussions?”
“He did, but—”
“That seems like one hell of a chance to take then,” his father said, his face reddening. “Are you sure you want to do that?”
“It’s not a question of whether I want to or not. I have to.” Blaise looked his father in the eye. “It’s a matter of pride, integrity. You used to tell me that if I wanted to be somebody, I couldn’t let anybody keep me down.” He hadn’t said it in a supportive vein, but Blaise had still received the message loud and clear.
“I know what I said, but I’ve been known to be wrong before.”
That was the first time Blaise had ever heard his father admit he was wrong about anything. Maybe he had changed. “You weren’t wrong about this. I should have won that last fight against Morin. I would have if he hadn’t…” Blaise hadn’t gone public with his claims because he wanted to settle the score like a man. Since he couldn’t trust his parents to keep the secret, he said, “Landed that last blow. I know I’m better than I was in that last fight. I want a chance to prove it.”
His mother sighed heavily. “Well, you’re a grown man. I guess there’s nothing we can do or say to stop you if you’re determined to go through with this.”
Blaise offered her a thin smile. “Thanks for caring.”
“Of course we care,” she said softly. “You’re our son. We love you.”
He couldn’t recall ever hearing those words from either of his parents. Before seeing Charlie, he may have told them they had a funny way of showing their love, but he bit his tongue and reminded himself that everyone had a story, and he didn’t know theirs. “Rowan said he’d talked to you.”
His father smiled. “I’m so glad you boys reconnected. You need each other.”
A few months ago, Blaise would have denied needing anyone. Meeting Kiara had proved him wrong. “He’s doing well. In fact, I offered him a job managing my gym. He’s going to be getting his amateur license and fighting in a few charity matches.”
His mother winced, raising her hand to her chest. “Oh, boxing is so violent. Look at what happened to you. I don’t want to see that happen to Rowan.”
“Rowan’s a grown man,” Blaise said gently. “He’ll make his own decisions. The most important thing is he’s found the strength to fight his demons. If he can do that, he can take on any challenge.”
“I suppose you’re right,” his mother said, shaking her head. “You know more about it than we do.”
“I’ll make sur
e he’s prepared, that he has the proper training.” Looking at his parents, he added, “I’ll take good care of him. You don’t have to worry.”
“You always did.” His father’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he diverted his eyes. “He was lucky to have you.”
Praise was usually in short supply in his parents’ house. Maybe time and distance had softened their approach. “I like to think we make our own luck.”
“I guess we do.” He pressed his lips together in a light grimace. “I reckon that’s why we’ve always been so unlucky.”
Blaise knew that was his father’s way of accepting some responsibility for their strained relationship, so he decided to take a step too. “Maybe you guys would like to come to the fight? I could fly you out.”
His mother’s eyes lit up. “Really? That would be exciting. We’ve never been to one of your fights, and I’ve always wanted…” Her voice trailed off as though she’d caught herself saying more than she’d intended. “Um, that would be nice. Thank you for asking.”
Blaise stood. “Well, I should be getting back to the hotel.”
“Are you sure you wouldn’t like to stay for dinner?” his father asked. “You just got here.”
His parents weren’t the type to entertain and used to make do with frozen dinners in front of the TV, so he doubted they were prepared for company. “No, thanks. I think I’m going to try to bump my flight up to tomorrow morning. I’m anxious to get back to…” He hadn’t intended to tell his parents about Kiara, but their curious expressions made him want to open up. “To see my girlfriend.”
“You have a girlfriend? Is it serious?” His mother smiled.
“I’d like to think so. Maybe you’ll meet her at the match.”
“Oh, we’d love that.”
His parents walked him to the door, and he shook his father’s hand and kissed his mother’s cheek.
“It was so nice to see you,” she said, her eyes filling with tears as she touched his cheek. “If it’s not too much to ask—I mean, if you’re not too busy—maybe we could keep in touch a little more often?”
For the first time, Blaise felt as though they actually wanted to be a part of his life. “Sure, I’d like that.”
***
Kiara stopped in her tracks when she walked into the Jefferson Hotel and found Blaise sitting at the bar, chatting up a gorgeous redhead. He’d called yesterday to tell her that he’d arrived safely and let her know where he was staying. She’d intended to surprise him and hopefully get a chance to meet Charlie and his parents, but she’d never expected... this. Storming through the lobby like a woman on a mission, she tapped his shoulder while clicking her high heel on the hardwood floor.
“Hey, I’m—” His shock registered before his handsome face split into a wide grin as he slid off his chair. “Baby, what are you doing here?” He hugged her so hard she lost her breath.
“I came to surprise you.” Glaring at his companion, she said, “Turns out I’m the one surprised.”
He laughed until she scowled at him. “Uh, Kiara, this is my friend, Colleen.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you,” Colleen said, smiling as she offered Kiara her hand. “Blaise is overstating our relationship. I’m just a cabbie who’s been driving him around since he got here. It was the end of my shift.” She pointed at the large screen overhead. “There was a fight on tonight, and Blaise asked if I wanted to come in and watch it with him.”
Hmm, sounds innocent enough. Kiara felt guilty for assuming the worst. “Nice to meet you, Colleen.”
“Now that you’re here to keep him company, I’ll be shovin’ off.” She shouldered her purse. “Just give me a call if you need a lift to the airport in the morning, Blaise. I start at seven. Oh, and thanks for the autograph. My little brother’s gonna love it.”
“My pleasure.” Blaise gave her a brief kiss on the cheek. “I meant what I said about giving him my e-mail. I’d be happy to chat with him about his strategy.”
“Thanks, I’ll do that.” She grinned. “Y’all have a good night.”
Kiara felt uneasy as she claimed the stool Colleen had vacated. “I’m sorry I jumped to conclusions about Colleen.” She wanted to tell him it was a bad habit, a holdover from the days when she had dated athletes who didn’t know the meaning of the word fidelity, but she figured he would be insulted by her explanation.
“No biggie.” He shrugged as he slid onto the stool beside her and nuzzled her neck before nibbling her ear. “You can be damn sure if I walked into a hotel bar and found you sitting with a good-looking guy, I’d have questions.”
Kiara smiled, giving him a one-armed hug and a kiss on the cheek. Her past boyfriends would have made her feel as though she was the crazy one, the neurotic one, but Blaise seemed to understand her need for validation sometimes, and that only made her love him more. She curled her arm around his bicep. “Colleen said you planned to leave tomorrow. Does that mean things with your parents didn’t go well? Or did you decide not to see them?”
“Actually, I saw them today, Charlie too, so I had no reason to stay here any longer” He kissed her slowly and thoroughly. “I couldn’t wait to get back to you. That’s why I decided to head out tomorrow instead of the day after.”
Leaning her head on his shoulder, she released a contented sigh. “I wasn’t sure you’d feel that way after the way we left things. I’m sorry for the way I reacted when you suggested—”
He pressed a fingertip against her lips. “No need to apologize. When the time’s right, we’ll both know. Until then, we’ll just enjoy what we have.”
Kiara appreciated his magnanimous perspective, but she’d hoped he’d want to discuss it again. She was starting to feel as though she might have been premature in shutting him down. She loved him and wanted to spend her life with him. She was more certain of that with every day that passed. On the flight, she’d been considering possibilities. A long engagement, perhaps?
“Let’s grab a drink, then we’ll head up to my room.”
“I like the sound of that,” she said, matching his smile. His light, playful mood told her things had gone well with his parents, but she didn’t want to ask until he was ready to talk about it.
He ordered her a glass of her favorite chardonnay and a beer for himself before directing her to a booth for a little more privacy.
“What shall we drink to?” she asked, raising her glass.
“You being here.” He touched his glass to hers. “It means a lot to me.”
“I missed you. I couldn’t wait to see you.” She’d always been careful about such proclamations in the past, but with Blaise, they slipped off her tongue effortlessly.
“I missed you too, sweetheart.” Passing her a menu, he said, “We can order a bite if you’re hungry?”
“I ate on the plane,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “A wrap I could have lived without, but it did the job.”
He chuckled. “I guess I shouldn’t tell you Colleen took me for the best burger in the city then, huh?”
She raised an eyebrow as she crossed her arms. “Should I be jealous?”
He gave her a sidelong look as though he was trying to determine whether she was serious. “Of the burger or Colleen?”
Sharing an innocent drink over a game with his cabbie was one thing, but he’d gone out for dinner with her? “You tell me.”
“Uh, there’s no way you should be jealous of Colleen.”
“So she didn’t hit on you?” Kiara took a sip of wine.
“I didn’t say that.”
Now she was really curious. “Then what are you saying?” When he didn’t respond, she said, “You’d better start talking, Thomas.”
“She kind of propositioned me before I told her about you.”
“How long did it take you to tell her about me?” Kiara wasn’t naïve. Blaise was a rich, gorgeous, semi-famous former athlete. Of course women would hit on him, but it was important for her to know how he would react when they did.
He
smirked. “I told her on the ride from the airport.”
“Oh.” Feeling marginally better, she glanced at him. “And since then, it’s been…?”
“Like she’s my little sister.”
“Good.”
“You believe me?”
“Yes.”
He kissed her hand. “Thank you. I need to know that you trust me.”
“I do.” Letting her gaze travel over his face, she was struck by how handsome he was. Yet that had so little bearing on his appeal. He was considerate. He’d proven that when he rushed her to the hospital to sit by her best friend’s bedside. He was compassionate. He’d shown that when he accepted Rowan back into his life. He was understanding. When he could have turned Marla away, he took her in. He was everything she’d ever wanted, and more.
“What are you thinking?” he asked, smiling. “You’re looking at me like you’re trying to figure me out.”
She beamed. “I think I’ve already got you figured out. It took me a while, mainly because I’m not very good at letting my guard down, but you make me feel safe.”
His eyes shone with appreciation. “I love that.”
“I love you,” she mouthed, making him smile. “So tell me about your visits with Charlie and your parents. I’m dying to hear what happened. I promised myself I wouldn’t pry, that I’d wait until you were ready to talk about it, but—”
“Girl, don’t you know by now there’s nothing you can’t ask me? Where you’re concerned, I’m an open book.”
Aww. He had a way of melting her heart with the simplest statement.
“Charlie’s great. It was so good to see him again, and the center…” He took a sip of his beer. His ruddy cheeks told her he’d been about to say something, but that he’d thought better of it.
“Come on now,” she said, squeezing his hand. “Open book, remember?”
Lifting a shoulder, he said, “It’s no big deal, really. I donated some money to the center last year. It was nice to see it all fixed up and know that I had a small part in it.”
Knowing how modest he was, Kiara suspected he’d had a big part in it. “How much did you donate?”
Going For It (Texas Titans #7) Page 21