After All These Years (One Pass Away #2)

by Mary J. Williams

  “Tell me you’ll be okay?”

  Sean had followed her into the corridor. He looked as wiped out as she felt.

  “This has been coming for a long time. It never occurred to me it would come to a head in such a dramatic manner.” Unable to stand it a moment longer, Riley rushed into Sean’s arms. “Thank God you’re all right.”

  “My hero.”

  “Are you laughing?” Riley couldn’t believe her ears.

  “It’s either laugh or cry. It isn’t manly to cry.” Tipping her chin, Sean looked into her eyes. “I’m standing, Riley. We both are. Do you know what that means?”

  “Tell me. I need some good news.”

  His lips brushing hers, Sean whispered the answer.

  “We won.”

  IT TOOK TWO days to track down her father.

  Not that he was hiding. Exactly. The Caribbean island retreat wasn’t a secret to anyone. Access was by boat or helicopter, making it difficult for the average person to get there, however, Riley was not your average person. She had the resources to travel any place in the world with little or no notice.

  Riley stepped onto the dock, rolling her head from side to side, trying to loosen the knots. They weren’t the result of long hours on a private jet or the luxury yacht ride from the main island. The knots had formed two days ago when she heard the recording of her father plotting to remove Sean from football—permanently. She hadn’t relaxed, or slept, since.

  Riley hoped today’s meeting would go a long way toward righting her current state of perpetual anxiety.

  “He knows we’re here.” Ross Morrisey nodded toward the security camera mounted above the dock.

  “He knew before we arrived. This isn’t about him hiding. It’s another one of his games.”

  Calling Ross Morrisey had been Riley’s first move after she left Knights’ headquarters. As the senior member of the board and her friend, it made sense to let him know what was going on.

  Ross agreed to her plan. Keeping as many details as possible out of the press was goal number one. The statement needed to be straightforward and convoluted, all at the same time.

  After years of exemplary service, Gerald Preston is stepping down as president of the Knights, effective immediately. The Knights’ organization is pleased to announce that long-time minority owner Ross Morrisey has agreed to step into the job. Everyone expects it to be a seamless transition.

  Blah, blah, blah.

  Riley approved the message. It was up to the PR department to field calls and sell the message. Her job was to make what was going on behind the scenes stay there. If her father wanted to draw out the drama, so be it. No matter where this meeting occurred, the end result would be the same.

  “Running to his little hidey-hole is immature beyond words.” Ross wiped the perspiration from his forehead. He was an active, fit man. However, the quick transition from cold, rainy Seattle to the eighty-plus weather was a shock to his system.

  “Why aren’t you sweating?” Ross looked closely at Riley’s face. “Dry as a bone.”

  It was hard to sweat when your insides were coated with ice. Riley wondered if she would ever be warm again. Then she saw her father lounging on his ocean view veranda—a tropical drink in one hand, a cigar in the other—and the heat that had eluded her for two days shot through her veins.

  It appeared the bastard didn’t have a care in the world. In all likelihood, he didn’t. To feel anything approaching guilt or remorse, you needed a conscience—something her father never had, and never would.

  “Welcome to paradise. You’ve had a long flight. Sit. Have a drink.”

  “Are you fucking kidding me?” Mouth agape, Ross looked at Gerald, then at Riley. “He’s crazy. Right?”

  “No.”

  It was all part of the game. This time, Riley wasn’t playing.

  “Sign the papers.” She dropped the document onto her father’s lap.

  “Hello to you, too.” Gerald took a puff from his cigar. His crisp white shirt and perfectly pressed linen slacks looked as cool and unruffled as he did.

  Riley didn’t blink.

  “What? No moral outrage? No recriminations? I’m disappointed, Riley.”

  “Sign the papers.”

  “Don’t you want to know why I did it?”

  “I do.” Ross took a bottle of water from the umbrella-covered drink station, chugging the contents.

  “I already know.”

  “You do?”

  Gerald and Ross asked the question simultaneously. Ross incredulous. Gerald skeptical.

  “Daddy issues.”

  Riley had the satisfaction of seeing her father’s cool slip. That little tick in the corner of his eye made the trip worth every mile.

  “You can’t be serious?” Ross paused in the middle of opening another water. “That’s—”

  “Sad and pathetic?” Riley watched Gerald’s grip on his cigar tighten. “I agree.”

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  The cigar snapped. Riley didn’t think he noticed.

  “Grandpa didn’t love you enough. He loved me too much. That has been the basis of our relationship since day one.”

  “Sounds like someone is quoting her shrink.”

  “I didn’t need to lie on a couch to figure that one out.”

  “Good for you.” Gerald picked up the document. “Should I have my lawyer look these over?”

  “I would.”

  That was all it took. Without glancing at the contents, Gerald picked up a pen and signed away his rights to the Seattle Knights. God, Riley thought with amazement. Her father, for all his intelligence and business acumen, was woefully predictable.

  “Are we done?” Gerald held out the papers.

  “Yes. I believe we are.”

  “HERE’S TO TEN and two. Let’s celebrate tonight. Tomorrow it’s back to reality.”

  Sean raised his bottle to Gaige’s toast. As Harry predicted, Miami hadn’t rolled over. The game had been a hard fought affair, but the good guys had come out on top. The team had put aside the drama of the last few days—banding together. On and off the field.

  The Rob Cotter issue wasn’t discussed. Sean wasn’t certain if his teammates bought that the guy was cut—end of story. If there were any questions, no one asked them.

  Instead of heading off in different directions as they usually did after a long flight home, most of the guys gathered at The Extra Point. Some played pool. Some sat around and rehashed the game. It was all about supporting each other—through thick and thin.

  “I’m proud of you.” Gaige clicked his beer bottle against Sean’s. “You played a hell of a game. It couldn’t have been easy with all that’s on your mind.”

  “Between the lines, brother. Sometimes I think that game time is the only sane place left on Earth.”

  “Sad but true.” Gaige leaned back in his chair. “Have you heard from Riley?”

  “Three texts and a quick call before she left town.”

  For all intents and purposes, Riley had been incommunicado since Wednesday afternoon. She explained what she needed to do. He understood that it was difficult and she didn’t have time to be in constant contact. That didn’t stop him from worrying. This mess had hit her hard. Harder than anyone realized.

  The world saw a strong, confident woman. And that’s exactly what she was. She was also human. Sean wished he was with her to lend some moral support. He wished she would call him and let him know she was all right.

  “She’s due back tonight.”

  “How do you know that?” Sean demanded. And why the hell didn’t he?

  “She wanted to know where you were.” Gaige showed him the text.

  “Why not contact me directly?”

  “Ask her yourself.”

  Sean’s head whipped around. Riley stood at the door looking fresh as the proverbial daisy. She wore a red leather jacket and jeans. Casual. Elegant. Just like Riley.

  Eyes fixed on the most
beautiful sight in the world, Sean weaved his way through the crowd.

  “You look tired.”

  Riley smiled. “So do you.”

  “I’m beat.”

  “Me, too.”

  Sean wrapped his arms around Riley’s waist and lifted her off the ground.

  “Hey, Sol.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Open the door.”

  With a sigh, Riley rested her head on Sean’s shoulder. No one said a word or tried to stop them. The team simply smiled and watched as he carried her out of the bar.

  SEAN’S BEDROOM WAS blissfully quiet. His steady breathing was the only sound. He had fallen asleep moments after making love to her. And that’s what he’d done. Made love. Riley had felt it in the way he slowly undressed her. His gentle touches and lingering kisses. Sean made her feel cherished. She knew he loved her. As much as she loved him.

  It made leaving him the hardest thing she would ever do. She had made the decision before she met with her father. She wasn’t good for him. Because of her, he almost lost his career. The thought of Sean, crippled for life, was all the extra push Riley needed. This relationship was poison for him.

  Desperately, she wanted to hold on. Loving him meant she had to let him go.

  Riley slipped from the bed. She felt around for her clothing Shirt. Jeans. Boots. She couldn’t find her panties. Sean turned but didn’t wake up. Afraid to wait any longer, she tiptoed from the room.

  A note wasn’t the smoothest way to end it. But Riley didn’t care. It was her way. She set the folded paper where she knew Sean would find it. Entering the elevator, she waited for the doors to close. Then, alone, unable to hold back any longer, she sank to the floor and cried.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  A FUCKING NOTE!

  Sean didn’t linger in the shower. He was pissed. Not angry. He reserved the right to that emotion after he found Riley and received a reasonable explanation. Not that there was one. He loved her. He knew damn well she loved him. The rest didn’t matter.

  Sean blindly gathered something to wear, his wet hair leaving damp spots on the t-shirt as he pulled it over his head. This was about her father. And her mother. The be all and end all examples of parental dysfunction. With the love of her grandfather and a whole lot of strength, Riley managed to become a woman to be admired. When he found her, he planned on reminding her of that. After he kissed the breath out of her. And possibly added a swat or two on her ass.

  When we see each other, it will be as if it, we, never happened.

  It happened, all right. Every second. Every minute. Every hour. Every day of the past eight years. As far as Sean was concerned, all of it counted. From the moment they met. Through Riley’s crush. Through his wild ways. It led to now. He wasn’t letting her throw it away.

  First, he had to figure out where she was. Grabbing his phone, Sean began dialing.

  “Hello?” Claire’s greeting was slurred.

  “It’s six fucking thirty. Tell Sean to stick whatever it is up his ass and fuck off.” Logan’s words were clear as a bell.

  “You said it for me, love of my life.”

  Sean didn’t have time for Claire and Logan’s routine. “Where is Riley?”

  “You mean you lost her again. Bad form, Sean.”

  “This isn’t a joke.”

  “Okay. What did you do?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Right.”

  “This time, I swear, it wasn’t me.”

  “I’m taking your word for it. But if I find out differently…”

  “You can kick my ass.”

  “Last time I saw her, the two of you were leaving the bar.”

  “I need to call Gaige.”

  “Sean.” Claire stopped him before he could hang up. “Let me know when you find her.”

  “I will.”

  Sean grabbed his jacket. If he had to, he would check every coffee shop in the city. Riley was bound to hit one of them. Unless she left town. Shit. Last time she ran, she told Gaige. Hoping she stayed true to form, Sean hit the elevator button and Gaige’s number at the same time.

  “Early,” Gaige growled.

  “So I’ve been told.”

  “Fuck off.”

  “I’ve heard that one, too. I’m looking for Riley.”

  “As in, I have no idea where she is? Because I don’t like the sound of that.”

  The elevator door opened. There, looking small and utterly defeated, sat Riley.

  “Sean? Is Riley okay?”

  “False alarm.”

  Sean tossed the phone on the table. Taking two long steps, he bent down and picked Riley up.

  “You’re cold as ice.”

  “I’m an idiot.” Riley hiccuped. “I couldn’t do it, Sean. I meant to leave. I really did.”

  “But you didn’t.” Sean headed to the bedroom. Carefully, he set Riley onto the bed, removed her shoes then his, and joined her under the covers. “That makes you anything but an idiot.”

  “I love you.”

  “Again. Not an idiot.” Sean tucked Riley close, his arm pillowing her head. “You’ve been crying.” He kissed each tearstained cheek. “Did it make you feel better?”

  “No. Maybe.” Riley snuggled closer to his warm body. “I was filled with righteous good intentions when I got on the elevator. They lasted about ten seconds.”

  “How long were you in there?”

  “I have no idea.”

  “Riley?”

  “Yes?”

  “I love you.”

  If she had a single tear left, Riley would have shed them. Instead, she looked at Sean and asked, “Why?”

  “Why not?”

  “I have two very good reasons.”

  “Here’s the thing. You have a crazy family.”

  “To put it mildly.”

  “My family is just as crazy, but in a good way.”

  “How crazy? And how good?”

  “I’ll give you the perfect example.” Sean reached around her to open the end table drawer. “Last week when I was speaking with my mother, I told her how good things were going between us.”

  “Okay.”

  “The next day this arrived.”

  Sean held up a ring. A diamond ring.

  “That’s…”

  “The woman sent me my grandmother’s engagement ring. For you. After I mentioned you two, maybe three times. Crazy, right?”

  “Yes. And incredibly sweet.”

  “I thought so too.” Without asking, Sean slipped it on her finger. “Look at that. A perfect fit. It isn’t very big.”

  “It’s perfect.” Riley sighed. So much for trying to get away. Sean was stuck with her now. “I want to get married right after the season.”

  “Good. This engagement has gone on long enough.”

  “What? A whole two minutes?”

  “Eight years, Riley. Eight unbelievable years.”

  EPILOGUE

  SEAN WAS RIGHT. His family was crazy. In the best possible way.

  His mother decided she couldn’t wait another day to meet Riley.

  Sean tried to talk her out of coming, but there was no stopping Susan McBride. Her baby was engaged. And since Sean couldn’t leave Seattle, they would come to him.

  “I’m sorry. If I’d known she would do this, I would have waited to tell them.”

  Riley was at the airport, a slightly anxious greeting party of one. The practice was running late so he couldn’t make it.

  “It will be fine.” She told him, hoping Sean couldn’t hear her nerves through the phone. “I love that your mother is excited. I’m letting mine read about it online.”

  “That works for me.”

  Corrine Preston was currently wintering in Hawaii. Gerald was still in the Caribbean. They would return to Seattle. It was inevitable. However, Riley didn’t care. For years, the only thing they had in common was the Knights. Without that, she couldn’t envision a single scenario that would compel her to have anything to do with eithe
r of them. And she was fine with that. More than fine. She was ecstatic.

  She had Sean. Riley glanced at her ring finger and grinned.

  Sean. Their friends. The Knights. And his big, crazy family.After all these years. After thinking it would never happen. Riley had it all. And she was never letting it go.

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  MORE BOOKS BY MARY J. WILLIAMS

  Harper Falls Series

  If I Loved You

  If Tomorrow Never Comes

  If You Only Knew

  If I Had You (Christmas in Harper Falls)

  Hollywood Legends Series

  Dreaming With a Broken Heart

  Dreaming With My Eyes Wide Open

  Dreaming Of Your Love (Coming in May)

  Dreaming Again (Coming in July)

  Dreaming of a White Christmas (Coming in December)

  One Pass Away

  After The Rain

  After The Fire (Coming in June)