by Ann, Natalie
“Is it that bad?” she asked. She was trying to remember what they said and did there and nothing came to her mind.
“Not bad at all. Just enlightening. My mother cried.”
“What?!”
“You’ll see. By the way, I invited them to dinner tomorrow night. I hope you’re okay with it. They really want to meet you. The commercial will be airing and I’d like them here when they see it. Not only that but when you were napping, the whole idea of the clinic was going through my mind. I want to talk it over with my parents and Sarah with you here. It was your idea.”
“I think it’s great,” she said. “And I’d love to finally meet your parents.”
She was smiling and happy, but there was still this little nagging feeling that maybe she was moving too fast.
There was no way she could control her heart. It felt what it did. That didn’t mean she had to start making plans for the future with Harris though. She said she’d love to meet his parents, but that was just another step into serious for her.
Then why did she bring clothes with her for the week? Because he was used to this attention and she wasn’t. He knew how to handle it and was just helping her. That’s what she was telling herself. She had to remember they’d only known each other two months. Dating slightly less.
Sure, you could fall in love that fast, but she was realistic enough to hold back just enough.
Until Harris played the recording and she saw the two of them on TV. Then she realized she was only lying to herself. Her heart was truly lost to Harris Walker and any idiot would be able to see it watching them on TV.
* * *
Saturday night Harris helped Kaelyn get dinner ready. His parents and sister would be over soon. And after a lot of debate and going back and forth, he extended the invitation to Kaelyn’s family to stop over too. Since everyone but Christian lived in the same development it wasn’t that big of a deal.
Having both sets of family in one place for the first time was a bit stressful, but he reminded himself that he loved Kaelyn and her family loved her too. They were nervous about the relationship with him and since her face was on TV and she was the talk of the area, they were concerned about her safety.
“You’re sure this is a good idea?” she asked him. “I haven’t met your family but you met mine. It’s not going to be a problem?”
“No,” he said. “Your mother and mine will get along great. I think our fathers will too. Your brothers and my sister are the only ones I’m worried about.”
“My brothers won’t say anything with your parents around. They will behave. What is your sister going to do?”
He laughed. “My sister will be fine unless your brother opens his mouth. Then there might be problems.”
“You’re worrying over nothing. We’ll get through this. I have to admit I feel it could be too soon, but we might as well get it out of the way.”
He was glad she brought it up. “It crossed my mind.” He pulled her into his arms. “I want to assure your parents that things will settle down and if they don’t, I’ll take care of it.”
“How are you going to do that? Hire security and bodyguards?”
“Yes.”
“No,” she said back just as fast.
“If I need to, I will. I don’t see it being a problem. Getting the gates in front of the house helped. No one can get onto the property without me opening them. There are a lot of cameras too.”
“This place is almost a fortress. People are going to figure it’s your house alone for the security measures you put in place.”
“And the land next door,” he said. A fence had been put around that property once he closed on it. “It is what it is,” he said.
“Let me just finish with this salad and then we can sit and relax before the crew all arrives.”
Dinner went well. Everyone was getting along just fine. Harris couldn’t have asked for a better dinner.
The game came on, everyone was relaxing in the living room and his commercial started to play.
There were flashes on the screen of him, a quarterback whose knee was blown out two years ago, and a hockey player who had to leave due to multiple concussions.
Clips of them pitching, throwing, swinging a stick all in their prime and at the top of their game. No words were said, just words on the screen, sounds of their breathing during exertion.
More shots of each of them working out now, pushing themselves, training like they always did to just get back into life.
Then the screen flashed and the words “Life After The Game” came on to music. There he was with Coy and Brandon and a few other kids, showing them what to do, working with them. The other two men were on the screen with their new lives, one swinging a golf club, the other in a courtroom talking to a jury. They’d each made changes, each went their own way.
“Wherever you are in your life. Whatever part of the game you’re in. You’ll always need energy to continue.”
“Wow,” Kaelyn said. “You didn’t work that hard with me during physical therapy.”
He laughed, saw everyone else in the room do the same. “I felt like I was training for spring season with the way they had us going during that commercial.”
“So that’s why you’ve been working out so much?” his mother asked. “So you could look like that on TV? You’ve never been that ripped before. I’d say it was to get the ladies, but it looks to me like you got the one you wanted.”
He looked over and saw Kaelyn blush. He’d love to make a comment about how much she enjoyed his new physique, but knew that was a sure way to get her brothers riled up.
“As long as that is the only lady he has his eye on,” Evan said.
Just like he figured, Sarah jumped in, “Harris isn’t anything like people think he is. You should know that by now. Just ask your sister.”
“Evan,” Kaelyn said.
“Sarah,” Harris said.
“What?” Both Evan and Sarah said at the same time.
“Behave,” Harris said. “Both of you. I’ve already explained my feelings for Kaelyn to you all. I’ve explained that the attention on our relationship will die down. Ask my parents.”
“It’s true,” his mother said. “Hardly anyone even asks that many questions about Harris anymore. When he got hurt they wanted to know the scoop, but most people just look at us the same as they always did.”
“She’s right,” Sarah said. “People know Harris is my brother, but his name hardly ever comes up. He isn’t as important as he thinks he is.”
Harris snorted. “My point is, it will blow over fast enough. Just like the attention on Paradise Place. And speaking of that,” he said, “Kaelyn suggested something and I’ve put some thought into it. I figured I’d throw it out there for everyone and see if I can get some direction.”
Kaelyn walked over and sat next to him on the couch. “You guys are all going to love this.”
“What is it, Harris?” his mother asked.
“I think I want to open a baseball clinic for kids. I love what I’m doing here on the field a few days a week, but I should have something more structured. Something on separate grounds, with insurance, maybe even a building. The works. My mind is racing.”
“You need land,” Christian said. “Do you want an existing building or something from scratch?”
“No clue what is even in this area. I guess that’s where you guys might come in,” he said looking at Kaelyn’s family.
“Are you in a hurry for something?” Kaelyn’s father, Michael, asked.
“No. I’ll finish up the summer with these kids. If I can find some land and maybe get something going by spring that might work. I know it takes time.”
“I might know of a few places that would work,” Evan said.
“I think it’s great,” his mother said. “You’re not giving up your love of baseball, you’re just moving it in another direction.”
“I am,” he said, his fingers threading through Kaelyn’s.
“My whole life is moving in another direction.”
She smiled and laid her head on his shoulder. There was silence in the room on both sides of the family. He didn’t know why and really didn’t care.
25
Turning The Tide
Harris loved being right.
Everything died down in less than two weeks just like he’d predicted.
Kaelyn did get questioned at work on when her relationship started with him and she could safely say after he was no longer her patient. They hadn’t gone on their first official date until two days after he’d signed his discharge papers.
The only thing he was sorry about was the fact that Kaelyn went back home after the one week. Even after a few days she was talking about leaving, but he managed to convince her to stay.
Was he getting comfortable having her in the house with him? Waking up next to her and having their morning coffee together? Yeah, he was.
The house seemed even emptier than ever before, but he and Nicks were still in their routine. He worked out daily, he ran the dog in the yard, then they walked a few times a day. Twice a week he worked with the kids at the baseball field in the development too.
But school started up this week and now that was over with. Many of those kids played other sports and had started their practices last week.
So he’d spent the past week really working on his clinic proposal. He’d sent letters out to school districts and coaches, even colleges. He introduced himself, said what he was looking to do and was trying to get some feedback on what they’d like to see out of the kids that might come to his clinic.
He’d gotten a few responses back. Surveys and letters sent to a PO box. No way he was giving out his home address or phone number.
All and all, life seemed to be going well and when that happened he knew enough to look over his shoulder.
When his phone rang a few hours later he grabbed it to see his agent calling. “Rich. How have you been?” he asked. “Did you get my email outlining what I’m doing? I’ve even got a place in mind.”
“What?” Rich said. “Oh yeah, the clinic. That’s not why I’m calling.”
“Then why are you?” Not only did he want feedback from local coaches in the area, he also wanted it from his agent and recruiters. He’d like to make a name for himself here. If he was going all in, he might as well make this his career.
His new career. All those years he trained, lived, and breathed baseball, it wasn’t just about giving back. It was about turning the tide, catching another wave, and riding it to a new love.
“Janice McLeary,” Rich said. “Name ring a bell?”
“No,” he said. “Should it?”
“Great. That’s what I figured. You better think long and hard. I’m giving you a heads up. She gave us a heads up about twenty minutes ago and I’ve already reached out to your lawyer who is waiting on your call.”
This didn’t sound good. “What’s going on?”
“She claims she is carrying your child.”
“What!” he shouted loud enough that even Nicks almost fell off the couch. “I don’t even know who this woman is and she’s trying to say I got her pregnant? Give me a break.”
“She has pictures of you and her and some other players out one night. She sent them to us. The heads up is because she sold the story to a few people. It’s going to be out by tomorrow.”
“You’re kidding me. Is she trying to blackmail me to pay her off so she doesn’t?” he asked. He knew he wouldn’t be the first pro this happened to, which was why he’d been so careful in his life about everything. Why he kept notes and documents of all his moves. While he was talking, he went to his room and pulled out his notebook. He wasn’t even stupid enough to keep this on his computer. “When is she saying this happened?” he asked.
It had to have been before his accident but less than nine months ago. He hadn’t been with that many women in that time. One, maybe two. And no one named Janice.
“She says she is almost six months along. She sent pictures and a doctor’s report. She definitely isn’t lying about the pregnancy.”
“Just who the father is.”
He was frantically flipping through the pages, not that there was much in there the past six years let alone six months. Once he came back home and started to date Kaelyn, he only marked things down for a few weeks. The closer he got to her, the less he felt the need to worry and just stopped altogether and locked it up in his safe.
“I’m sure. You know this happens. You say it’s not yours, she says it is. Your lawyer is going to serve her with a paternity test and it should be over with.”
“It’s not going to be over with. She’s going to run my name through the mud.”
“Harris, you aren’t a virgin, give me a break. No one thinks that. You tell the press that you were in the same club with her that night along with a lot of other men. One of them may or may not be the father, but it’s not you. The DNA won’t lie. It’s not that big of a deal.”
But it was because he knew Kaelyn would be hurt. Her trust would be shattered. Hadn’t she and her family been nervous about him all along? His wealth? His reputation?
Now all the things he tried to convince her of that weren’t true were going to be shoved under her nose like smelling salts. Even if he was not the father—which he wasn’t—and he didn’t sleep with her—Kaelyn might not believe him.
Rich was right, the DNA wouldn’t lie, but would Kaelyn still have doubts?
“Thanks for the warning,” Harris said. “I’ll call Leo now and find out what I need to do.”
“Leo is expecting the call. And, Harris?”
“Yeah?”
“Your clinic idea is out of this world. I’m right there with you on it. I’ve got thoughts running through my head and I’ll get them down on paper and to you, but right now you need to just deal with this and put it behind you.”
“Thanks, Rich,” he said, hanging up and making the call to Leo. By the time he hung the phone up he knew there was only one thing left to do. He had to let Kaelyn know to be prepared for another storm.
* * *
Kaelyn was leaving work when her phone started to ring. She saw it was Evan calling and picked it up. Her brother didn’t normally call her. He’d send her a text if he wanted something or just stop over. “Hey, Evan.”
“I hope you’re sitting down,” Evan said.
“I just got to my car. What’s going on?” It was never a good sign when a family member asked if you were sitting down.
“I was right. I love being right but hate it now. He had us all fooled and I could just go over there and put my fist through his face.”
“Who?” she asked.
“Harris.”
She hadn’t spoken to Harris all day. He didn’t normally bother her when she was at work, but he did send her a message to see if they could do dinner tonight. “What did he do? I’m on my way over there.”
“I should let him tell you and explain, but I can’t. I just saw it pop up on my sports page. I’ll send you the link and you can read for yourself. I’m too worked up to even talk about it. We are all here for you when you’re ready.”
“You’re starting to scare me, Evan. Just tell me.”
“No. I just sent the link to your phone.”
She disconnected the call and looked at the link that popped up. She didn’t need a mirror to know her face just paled. The ringing in her ears was enough. The churning of her stomach added to it, making her place a hand over her abdomen and gently rub it.
“Harris Walker Ignoring The Mother Of His Child” was in the headlines.
How could she have been so stupid to believe what he’d been telling her? That he didn’t spend a lot of time with women. That he was more focused on his career.
But there he was sitting next to this woman in a club, then another picture of the woman pregnant on the screen.
The tears started to roll down her cheeks. As livid as she was over seeing
the headline, the pain and the fear were even worse...because she realized last week that she was pregnant too.
26
This Was Personal
Harris was watching out his front window waiting for Kaelyn to pull into the driveway. She was later than normal and he wasn’t sure if she got held up at work or not.
He was dreading this conversation, but he had to tell her before she found out herself. The papers should have already been served to Janice McLeary or would be soon enough. This would be over within a week. In his mind it was already over with because he knew he wasn’t the father. But in one week the NIPP test should be back and he could clear his name and move on.
When he finally saw her car pull through the gates, he opened the door to wait for her. He did that all the time, so today shouldn’t be any different just because he felt like he was choking.
He got one look at her pale face and red eyes. “You know,” he said.
“Yeah.” She moved past him into the house.
“How did you find out?” He didn’t think it’d hit the media yet, but he wasn’t watching either. He hadn’t really wanted to know nor did he want to read anything. That was one thing he tried not to do for years. Read anything on himself, good or bad.
If there was one way to knock your confidence up or down for no reason at all it was to read what someone else thought of you or your performance.
He didn’t need people to tell him if he did good or bad at a game. He knew it himself.
“Evan,” she said. She wasn’t putting her purse down or taking off her shoes like she did when she walked in his door every other time. Definitely not good.
He should have figured her brother would be the first one in her ear. Evan hadn’t trusted Harris from the first moment he’d seen Kaelyn’s watch sitting on the counter. Just because the past week or so they’d talked more about his clinic and Evan was helping him find a place didn’t mean anything. That was business. This was personal.