Showdown (Gridiron Book 2)

by Lea Hart

  Clark leaned over and grinned. “Do I get to go on this trip to Walmart?”

  “No, it’s a girl’s trip.” Turning, she frowned. “You don’t even like Walmart.”

  “I’m willing to give it another chance. Just because I got mobbed the last time we went doesn’t mean that it will happen again. I can go in my disguise, and maybe no one will recognize me.”

  “Maybe another time, dear.” She patted his leg and turned back to her food. “We’re going to spend a lot of time in the beauty care aisles, and you would just be bored.”

  “Okay, I’ll just wait for the next one,” he responded before taking another helping of chicken.

  Chase leaned in front of the girls and grinned. “You can come and work out with Scott and me, so you can get a look at the kid you’re going to be protecting next season.”

  “All right. Maybe we can meet the girls later for dinner or something.”

  “We’ll see. It depends on how Ronnie feels.” Putting his hand on her leg, he leaned over and kissed her head.

  “Sounds good,” Clark replied.

  Gerald spoke up at the end of the table. “Save room for chocolate cake because Chase went out and got us one that’s delicious.” Seeing Ronnie’s smile falter, he knew she was waiting for everyone to leave, so she could fall apart. His girl was on the edge, and she wouldn’t fall over it until she could do it privately.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  Ella took the Slurpee out of Ronnie’s hand and let her bend down to look at the blue nail polish on the bottom shelf. “If you decide to lose your shit here in Walmart, then I think it’s important to know that a lot of great women before you have done it, too.”

  Ronnie glanced up from her crouched position and gave her friend a skeptical glare. “I would like to you define both ‘great women’ and ‘lose your shit’ as it relates to our visit to Walmart.”

  “Fine,” Ella replied as she sat down. “When I say great, what I mean is women who have faced challenges and come out on the other side. Some have made the local news and others thankfully not.” Glancing at her friend, she smiled. “To define ‘lose your shit’ may take me a while longer, so be patient.”

  “I’m ready,” Ronnie replied as she leaned against the shelf.

  “I had an aunt that lost it when shopping for cupcake tins at the Walmart near our home and people to this day talk about it. I don’t think Aunt Cecilia meant almost to burn the place down when she discovered they didn’t have the twelve-tin for cupcakes, but that’s what happened. Apparently, all that was in stock were those tiny ones that only make six at a time, and it was her last straw. In her defense, I understand her frustration because I’ve never known a person only to make six cupcakes. If you’re going to go to all of the trouble of mixing everything up, then you’re going to make at least twelve and probably twenty-four.

  “Anyway, she lost her shit at Walmart, and the fire that started wasn’t completely her fault. You can’t really hold a person responsible for what happens when you mix certain cleaning products with a box of matches. Just because Aunt Cecilia talks with her hands doesn’t mean that she meant to set a blaze in aisle seven.”

  “Where is she now?”

  “She’s still in town and owns a well-respected cleaning service. As a side note, the lying, cheating rat bastard of an ex-husband that started the whole thing hasn’t been seen since he left town with the girl from the local bakery. And I say, good riddance.” Picking up a bottle of white nail polish, she rolled it around in her hands. “My point, and I do have one, is that you may have lost the opportunity to have what you desired most in the world in the way you thought it would happen, so if you want to scream, cry, or roll around on the floor, it might be a good idea to start. Because that bright, fake smile you keep plastering on your face is scaring the shit out of me.”

  The air left Ronnie’s lungs as one of the people she trusted most in the world finally spoke the truth. Everyone had treated her with kid gloves over the last couple of weeks, and it was driving her crazy.

  It made her feel like she had to prove them wrong and show them how well she was dealing with the accident. Ella didn’t give a rat’s ass about any of that. She just cared how she was feeling.

  Falling back on her legs, she plopped herself down in front of the nail polish and contemplated letting all of the grief and sadness out. It felt like it was choking her some days, and she was tired of it. Looking up through wet eyes, she studied Ella. “If I start to cry, it may not stop for a long time. So, if I do and can’t get myself together, then I need you to start working on a good story about this because if I’m going to become infamous, I’d like it to be worth it.”

  “Understood. Maybe we should forget the beauty aisle and move on over to the alcohol. I think they only sell wine and beer. But if you’re not picky, then neither am I.”

  “At this point, I really don’t care, but my butt is getting sore from sitting on the ground. So, let’s find ourselves a place with nice chairs. We’re old enough to have earned the right to get shit-faced in comfort. I know it doesn’t have the same possibility for great stories, but that’s okay because I feel like I’m going to have a lot more opportunities after today.”

  Standing, Ella held out her hand. “Let’s pay for the nail polish and get out of here.”

  “Why do we care about this blue nail polish anyway?”

  “Because if I mix the blue that you have in your hand with the white that I have, I may be able to come up with the perfect shade of blue to match Clark’s uniform.”

  Raising herself up off the ground, Ronnie handed Ella the bottle of nail polish. “It was only months ago that you wouldn’t wear his jersey, and now you’re trying to get a color to match his uniform.”

  “I know, and it’s embarrassing. Trust me; I’m completely aware of the change that’s occurred since Christmas and can’t even defend my actions.” They moved toward the checkout line, and Ella’s shoulders slumped. “Something is going on with him, and I can’t figure it out. Maybe he’s going to break it off with me.”

  Ronnie stopped and stared at her friend. “Why? What has he done?” Ready to go into mama-bear mode and rip Clark’s head off if necessary, she let out a breath.

  “He always asks where I’m going and what I’m doing and who I’m seeing. Then he invites himself along. I feel like he’s worried about me finding out about his secret life and needs to make sure that I don’t.” Moving her hair off her shoulder, she let out a sigh. “That’s my current working theory. I had a couple of others, but I think this one is the most realistic.”

  Ronnie let out a snort as they stood in the checkout line. “That’s the worst theory in the world and doesn’t even make sense. I think Clark is worried about you finding someone else and that’s why he’s stuck to you like glue.” Pulling a pack of gum, a lip gloss, and some batteries off the shelf, she added them to the pile. “He’s worried that you’re running around wild and free.”

  “I didn’t run around wild and free when I was single so why would I start now?” she asked before adding a chocolate bar and some goldfish to the pile next to the register. “He’s a professional athlete with a ton of money and long blond hair. The only person who’s running wild and free is him. I know what I look like and have no illusions. I also know that I favor the crazy gene in my family along with unruly hair. So, there’s no way that he’s worried about me finding someone else. I’m smarter than the average bear, and I couldn’t sell that theory to anyone, even if I offered them money.”

  “Suit yourself. I think he’s feeling insecure and that’s why he wanted to come with us today.”

  “The man has never had an insecure moment in his entire life. He came out of the womb looking like that.” Glancing at the display, she pulled off a pair of small nail scissors. “Do you ever wonder where all the nail scissors in the world go? I do because whenever I need a pair, I can never find them.”

  “I always thought that was true about nail fi
les. I think I’ve bought a hundred nail files, and if you go to my house, you won’t find one.”

  “I think they come over to my house and are having a party. I have at least fifty in my bathroom,” Ella replied. Leaning over, she picked up a packet of three and set them next to the scissors. “Now you have three. I’ll let you know when they end up in my bathroom.”

  Opening her purse, Ronnie pulled out her wallet. “Thanks for bringing me to Walmart today.”

  “Anytime. If we can’t find a good bar around here, then we can come back here and sit in the booze aisle. The dream of making history in Walmart isn’t dead yet.”

  “I think this is going to take me more than a week to get over, so I feel the possibilities are endless.”

  “True.”

  The cashier started ringing them up, and they leaned into one another as their purchases were placed in a bag. “Thanks, Ella Bella. You may have saved my life.”

  “Anytime, Ronnie. That’s what we do for one another. I just want you to promise if you decide to lose your shit that you invite me along.”

  “Of course. Also, we’ll call Ana because we’re going to need someone to drive the get-away-car.”

  “And that, my friend, is why you are such a success. Your ability to plan.”

  The cashier gave them a bored look. “That will be twenty-two dollars and eighty-eight cents.”

  Ronnie handed her a credit card. “I don’t remember nail polish being so expensive.”

  “Walmart isn’t for sissies anymore. I came in here with Clark once, and he spent five hundred dollars. On what, I don’t know.”

  “I better not let Chase come in here. Lord knows what he’d find to buy.” Ronnie signed her name and smiled at the cashier. “Let’s find a bar and then call one of the guys to pick us up. I haven’t had pain meds in a couple of days, so I feel like I could use a couple of drinks.”

  Pulling out her phone, Ella searched for a suitable place nearby. “There’s a bar across the street. They’re famous for their wings and have a happy hour that just started.”

  “Perfect,” Ronnie replied. She grabbed her bag from the woman and linked arms with Ella, and for the first time since the car hit her, she was feeling better.

  There was still a well of grief and sadness, but it didn’t seem like she had to keep it inside anymore. So, she took a deep breath and let it out and knew whatever happened was going to be okay.

  Or not.

  Either way was fine with her.

  ***

  “How does a trip to Walmart end with us picking the girls up from a bar with the name Lamplighter?” Chase asked as he and Clark walked toward the dive where the girls were, according to Ella, getting shit-faced. A couple of guys were standing in front of the bar smoking cigarettes, and he blew out a breath. “Great crowd.”

  Clark nodded to the men as they walked past them and entered the dark bar and Chase hoped they didn’t end up in a confrontation before they got the girls out of there. Standing at the entrance, he let his eyes adjust before moving further inside.

  “I hear Ella’s laugh,” Clark said as he looked around.

  “There,” Chase replied as he spotted Ella and Ronnie sitting at a corner table. They had a big plate of wings in front of them as well as a couple of empty glasses. Several men were sitting with them and looked like they’d been there for a while.

  “This is not going to end well,” Clark muttered.

  “Shit, who do we have on speed dial to bail us out of jail?” Chase asked as they walked toward the girls.

  “Jack is around, so we can call him. I want you to use all of your famous charm to separate the women from those guys. Act like the football legend you are and distract them while I get the girls to the car.”

  “Sounds good, man.” Rolling his shoulders, he called out a big hello as they stepped up to the table and put his arm around Ronnie. “Hi, honey, are you having fun?” When her eyes flew up to his, he knew she had a nasty hangover in her future.

  “Chase, you made it,” she replied as she waved her hands around, nearly knocking over some of the glasses and falling off her stool.

  Pulling her against his side, he shook his head. “Steady there.”

  “Everyone, this is Chase and that over there is Clark. Y’all probably recognize them if you follow football.”

  Chase waved and then looked over at Clark. “Nice to meet you.”

  “Chase is my boyfriend,” she announced to no one in particular. “We were going to make some beautiful babies together, but now it seems it won’t happen.”

  Turning, he watched the wave of grief engulf Ronnie as she collapsed into a sea of tears.

  Picking her up, he held her tightly. “We’re absolutely going to have them.”

  Crying loudly, she shook her head. “I don’t think alcohol and grief mix so good, Chase.”

  “Probably not, honey.” Turning toward the door, he watched the men scatter and then nodded to Clark. “Talk to you later.”

  Ella stood up and almost fell over. “Thanks for coming.”

  Clark wrapped his arm around her and held her against his side. “You ready to leave?”

  “Seems I am since our new friends left when the crying started.”

  Clark opened his wallet and pulled out a bunch of cash to cover their bill. “Let’s go home, honey. I have a feeling that you’re not going to feel very good once the last drink hits you.”

  “I think you may be right.” She held his hand and walked out unsteadily. “It seemed like such a good idea at the time.”

  “It always does,” he replied. “So, are you going to tell me why y’all wanted to tie one on at three in the afternoon in the middle of the week?”

  “I’ve been worried about Ronnie acting like everything was okay. I said the thing that everyone’s been thinking and told her it was okay to lose her shit in the middle of Walmart.”

  “Did you tell her the Aunt Cecilia story?”

  “I did. I had a bunch of other ones, but we never got that far. Sometimes, it pays to come from a family with a lot of colorful characters because you never run short of stories.”

  “Do you think she’s going to start to deal with what happened?”

  “I do. And if she tries to ignore it, then I’m going to drag her back to Walmart and start all over again.”

  “Why, does the store have magic healing powers?”

  “It doesn’t. We could go to the Dollar Store or Target; the theory would be the same. Sometimes it’s easier to talk about something difficult if you’re walking around looking at useless crap. It’s like when I was a teenager, and my mom would drive me somewhere, and I’d spill the beans because I wasn’t looking at her. I could pretend like it was no big deal because we weren’t sitting face to face at the kitchen table with her acting like the Gestapo asking a thousand questions.”

  “What kind of beans did you spill?”

  “Nothing that interesting. But at the time, I thought I was confessing deep, dark secrets that would shock her. The most scandalous it ever got was when I told her that I wasn’t going to straighten my hair anymore and was going to California for school.”

  “I knew you were wild.”

  “Not having hair worthy of a pageant, was my last act of rebellion against my upbringing. If I’ve calculated correctly, and we know I have, I’ve added an extra five years of free time to my life by letting my wild curls go.”

  “I have some ideas about what we can do with that free time when you’re ready.”

  “Really? I didn’t know you were interested in spending that much time with me,” she replied as she glanced down at her feet. “Are you going to break up with me, Clark?”

  “What the hell are you talking about? We are practically living together, and I’ve been following you around since the end of the season. Haven’t you noticed that I go everywhere with you?”

  “I have, and my theory is that you need to keep me close so that I don’t discover the truth about yo
ur real life. I had a couple of others, but that’s the one that seems most plausible.”

  “You have lost your mind. I thought we had years and years before you were going to take up the family tradition, but I can see I was wrong. You sure are dumb for being so smart and I may check all of those degrees you have to make sure they’re not fake.”

  “So, is that a no?”

  “Yes, Ella. That’s a no to your crazy theory. I happen to be following you around because I don’t need someone to think they have a chance. I see how men look at you, and you don’t even notice, so someone could seduce you before you even realized what was happening. No offense, but your powers of observation suck.”

  “None of what you said is true. If anyone is looking my way, then they’re just trying to figure out why you’re hanging out with me. Do you know how difficult it is to have a boyfriend that is prettier than you?”

  “Baby, I’m not prettier. My face is busted up from all of the time I’ve spent plowing myself into other men, and you know a linebacker is never known for his good looks.”

  “You are handsome and have it all with your long blond hair and amazing body.”

  Leaning down, he gave her a kiss. “You just described yourself, and that’s the way I see you.”

  “Have you had your eyes checked recently?”

  “Oh, baby, I can see perfectly.”

  Leaning her head against his chest, she let out a breath. “That’s so sweet. Can you find me a bathroom? Because I think I’m going to throw up.”

  Laughter spilled out of him as he guided her back inside to the bathroom. “I’ll get you a soda.”

  “Thanks, Clark. You’re a good man and an excellent boyfriend.”

  He watched her walk into the bathroom and knew his title was going to change soon and couldn’t wait until she called him her husband.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  Ronnie walked into the kitchen in search of coffee and spotted Scott sitting at the kitchen table. “What the hell are you doing in my kitchen? Clients are not allowed in my house.”