I watch as the boy hits the ball. It doesn't go very far but the old man still pats him on the back and smiles in an encouraging way. Albert used to do the same thing to me.
I miss Albert. I wish he was still here.
"What should I do, Albert?" I ask as if he were sitting next to me. "I feel like everything I worked for is falling apart. And now Taylor's dad is trying to take her from me. I can't lose her, Albert. And I can't lose golf. I can't lose the two things in my life that make me the happiest." I gaze up at the sky. "I could really use your advice right now."
"Hey, there." The voice sounds distant but I look over and see it's coming from just a few feet away, from an older man wearing a maintenance uniform.
Assuming he's going to yell at me for sitting here, I stand up. "Sorry, I was just leaving."
"It's fine. I do the same thing myself sometimes. Look out at the grass. Take it all in. It's peaceful."
"Yeah. It is."
"You're that kid, right?"
"What kid? I'm not sure what you mean."
"The kid who won the tournament a few weeks ago. And you're on those commercials. The ones for that store. What's it called?"
"WaveField." I smile and hold out my hand. "Luke Sydel."
He shakes my hand. "Good to meet you, Luke. I'm Pat. I do maintenance around here. I'm supposed to be retired but I got bored sitting around all day. I've always liked golf so this is the perfect job for me."
"It's a nice course," I say as I look out at it.
"So what brings you here today? Girl trouble?"
I laugh. "You could tell something's wrong?"
He shrugs. "That's usually the story when I find people out here sitting on the grass." He sits down and motions me to do the same. When I do, he says, "So is that it? A girl?"
"Kind of. It's part of it."
"Do you love her?"
"More than anything."
"But she doesn't love you back?"
"She does, but her dad doesn't approve of us being together."
He nods. "Is she an adult?"
"Yeah, she's 19."
"And you treat her well?"
"As well as I know how. I'd do anything for her."
"Then it doesn't really matter what her father thinks."
"It's more complicated than that."
I go on to tell him the story, explaining how Albert died and how I ended up living with Taylor's family and how I'm broke and how my dad is trying to blackmail me for money.
"Lou's been great to me," I say. "And then I went behind his back and dated his daughter. So I can't really be mad at him for kicking me out. He did what he said he'd do."
"It won't last. He'll get over it."
"He won't. Lou is stubborn. When he says he's going to do something, he does it and doesn't look back. Some people say that's why he was such a great golfer. He'd make a decision and move forward. He didn't dwell on his mistakes. He only looked forward, not back."
"Are we talking about Lou Tuckerman?"
"Yeah. Sorry, I thought I mentioned that. Taylor is his daughter. She plays golf at college. Cal, his son, used to play pro but—"
"He choked. Couldn't handle the pressure."
"Yeah, which is too bad because he really is a good golfer."
"Well, shit, I didn't know we were talking about Lou this whole time."
"Yeah. Why? Does it make a difference?"
"Sure it does. I used to cut Lou's hair when I was a barber. His dad's too."
"Really?" I smile. "When did you see him last?"
"Oh, it's been years, at least ten, maybe more. But what I remember about Lou is that he's a big softy, especially when it comes to his little girl. He'd do anything to make her happy."
"Maybe in the past but not now. He doesn't want me anywhere near her. He doesn't even want me talking to her."
"But you didn't listen to him, right?"
"I couldn't. I love her. I can't let her go, no matter what her dad says."
"Then what are you so down about? You still got your girl."
"But I may lose my golf career. My dad's going to ruin it. And even if he didn't, I don't have the money to keep playing and paying for my coach."
"Money has a way of showing up when you need it. I wouldn't worry about that. As for your father, maybe you just need to talk to him."
I laugh. "Trust me, that wouldn't work. He doesn't listen."
"Or maybe you don't."
"What do you mean?"
He leans back on his hands. "Fathers want you to look up to them. To be proud of them. They want you to be them."
"I don't want to be anything like my dad and he knows it. Yet he keeps pushing me to follow in his footsteps."
"And when you didn't he felt like you thought he wasn't good enough. Like you were putting him down."
"That's not what I was doing. I just didn't want that lifestyle. I didn't want to work in a shipyard the rest of my life."
"Which to him means you think what he does is stupid. A waste of a life."
"I've never once said that to him."
"It doesn't matter. It's what he thinks, and so he wants to prove you wrong. He wants to prove he's smarter than you. That he knows better than you."
"By blackmailing me to give him money?" I shake my head. "I'm not doing it. I'm not giving him money. I don't even have any to give him."
"I didn't say to give him money. But maybe try talking to him. Tell him you know he works hard and you appreciate what he's done for you but you're choosing a different path. Sometimes just a simple conversation is all it takes to make things better."
"It would never work. He wouldn't even listen to me. The only way to get his attention is with money."
"I'm just saying to try it. Couldn't hurt, could it?"
I don't answer. This guy doesn't know my dad like I do. He doesn't understand what I'm dealing with.
"As for Lou, I wouldn't be so quick to assume he's made up his mind about you and his daughter. Lou may be stubborn but stubborn people can change their minds." He stands up. "I need to get back to work. Feel free to stay here until close." He winks at me. "I won't tell anyone."
I lay back on the grass and close my eyes. It was nice of the old guy to let me stay here but his advice wasn't very helpful. Why was he even telling me all that stuff?
Something hits my head and I open my eyes and see a golf ball next to me.
"Sorry!" a kid says as she runs up to me. She's about ten and looks like Taylor when she was that age, with blond pigtails and a big smile.
"It's okay." I hand her the ball.
"Did she hurt you?" a man asks, walking up behind her. I assume it's her dad.
"No, I'm fine. Don't worry about it."
"I'm really sorry." She reaches in her pocket and pulls something out. "You can have this one. I have a bunch. My dad gives me these when I'm sad."
She hands me a yellow golf ball with a smiley face on it. I turn it around and see an 'A' on the other side.
"Her name's Allison," her dad says. "That's what the A is for." He takes her hand. "C'mon, honey. We need to get going."
"Bye!" She waves as they walk away.
I look at the yellow ball with the A on it. No freaking way that's a coincidence. This was totally Albert's doing.
Holding the ball up to the sky I say, "Real funny, Albert. Did you send the old guy over here too to give me advice? And when I didn't listen you knocked me in the head with the ball?"
Maybe that really is what happened. I asked Albert for help and he gave it to me. I just don't think the advice I got will help.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Luke
It's been two days since I moved out. Cal couldn't find me a place to crash so I've been living out of my car. Taylor assumed I got a hotel room so I just let her think that. I have the money for a hotel but I don't want to spend it, knowing I need that money for other stuff, like food and my phone bill and golf.
I haven't golfed for three days now. I hav
en't even picked up a club. I've just been sitting here at the golf course, the one I came to the other day, staring out at the grass and thinking. I've been mostly thinking about Taylor because I haven't seen her since I left. Her dad's been keeping her busy from morning to night, probably to keep her away from me.
"Want some lunch?" Pat asks as he walks over to me.
I'm really glad I met him. He's been a real lifesaver. Letting me hang out here all day. Letting me use the locker room to shower. Bringing me food.
"Thanks," I say, taking the sandwich from him. "How much do I owe you?"
"Nothing. The snack shop was just going to toss it. They made it yesterday."
I think he's lying. The sandwich looks like it was just made. He keeps doing this; bringing me food and not letting me pay.
"You can't keep doing this, Pat." I peel the plastic wrap off the sandwich. It looks like turkey today. Yesterday was ham and cheese.
"Do what? Help a guy out? It's just a few sandwiches. It's not like I gave you a car. And when you make it big on the pro tour you can pay me back. Sound like a deal?"
"Sure." I smile. "What do I owe you so far?"
"Just declare yourself a pro, get on the tour, and win a tournament, and then we'll talk."
"I've got a few steps to go before that happens."
"Then get your butt off the grass and do it. What are you waiting for?"
"I don't know if it's possible anymore."
"Playing golf? Of course it is. You're one of the best golfers out there right now."
"And the poorest. I don't even have a place to live. I need to get a job."
"Just giving up, huh?" He nods. "Just like your old man expects you to." He walks off. "Enjoy your lunch."
It takes a moment for his words to sink in. Like your old man expects you to. He's saying my dad expects me to fail. It's true, he does. And right now I'm proving him right. Shit.
"I can't keep doing this, Albert," I say, looking up at the sky. "I need to find a way out of this."
I get my phone out and start searching for lawyers. I don't need Lou to do that for me. I can do it myself. And I don't need Cal to find me a place to live. I can do that myself too. So why haven't I done it?
Clicking on the first lawyer that pops up in my search, I go to her website and find her number.
"Calling Taylor?" a voice asks. I look up and see Lou beside me.
"Lou." I scramble to stand up. "I mean, Mr. Tuckerman. What are you doing here?"
"Let's just say I was offered a free haircut by an old friend."
Pat. He must've called Lou and told him I was here.
"Can we talk?" Lou asks.
"Um, yeah. Sure. But we should go inside. There's no place to sit out here."
"I don't mind the grass." He drops to his knees, then falls awkwardly back on his hands as he tries to sit. "I'm not in good enough shape for this anymore."
"Let's go inside. You'll be more comfortable."
"I'd rather be here looking out at the course. It always relaxes me."
"Me too." I sit beside him, wondering why he showed up here.
We both keep our eyes straight ahead, gazing out at the course.
"So how have you been, Luke?"
"Honestly? Not that great."
"I know you're struggling but I can't let you back in the house. I'm not ready to. I'm still getting used to the idea of you being with Taylor. And I'm still angry that you lied to me."
I nod. "I know."
Is that why he came here? To tell me he's still angry? If so, he could've saved a trip. He's already made it clear how angry he is about me dating his daughter.
"I'll find a new place to live," I say. "I never expected you to let me stay at the house again."
"Maybe one of Cal's friends needs a roommate. I'll talk to him. You can't keep staying in hotels. That'll eat up your money fast."
"I'm not—" I decide not to tell him. If I do, he'll tell Taylor and she'll worry.
I feel Lou looking at me. "You're not staying at a hotel, are you? You're living out of your car."
I keep my eyes straight ahead. "Lots of people do. It's not a big deal."
He's quiet, then says, "So about this thing with your father. I talked to some people and you don't need to worry. You and Albert did nothing to violate your amateur status."
I turn to him. "Are you sure?"
"As long as what you told me is true." He rubs his chin. "You worked for him, correct? He didn't just give you money?"
"I did chores around the house. Mowed the lawn. Ran errands for him. He used to joke that I was his caretaker, like it was a job."
"Sounds like it was. If anyone asks, you need to tell them that."
"So we could use that if my dad tries to say Albert supported me financially?"
"Correct, but you may be on the line for paying taxes on your earnings. We'll have to look into that."
"I'll pay whatever taxes I owe. I just want this to go away."
"Has your dad threatened you again?"
"No. I haven't heard from him. I'm guessing he's trying to dig up whatever he can to blackmail me."
"I doubt he'll find anything to use against you. What about Albert's will? Did you talk to the lawyer?"
"Not yet." I pause. "I was thinking of maybe going to see my dad. Seeing if we could work something out where he'll stop coming after me for money."
"When you say 'work something out' what do you mean?"
"Talk to him. See if we can stop fighting and just go on with our lives."
"Haven't you already tried that?"
"Yeah, but I haven't said some stuff that I probably should've said before. I got some advice that may or may not help but I figure I might as well try."
"So you're going back to San Diego?"
"Just for a few days."
"I think that'd be good." He stands up, so I do as well. "I should be going. I just wanted to give you an update on what I'd found out in case your father had contacted you, but maybe the whole thing will go away."
"I doubt it, but I might as well try the easy route before getting lawyers involved."
He takes out his wallet. "You need to get a hotel for tonight."
"Lou, no. I'm not taking your money. You've already done enough for me. Pat said I could crash at his place tonight so maybe I'll do that. And in the morning I'm leaving for San Diego."
He puts his wallet away. "Good luck. Let me know how it goes."
"Thanks, Lou. For everything you've done for me."
"You're welcome." He starts to walk off.
"Wait." I catch up to him. "I know I probably shouldn't ask this but I'm going to anyway because, well...I'm just going to ask."
"What is it?"
"Is there any way you'd let Taylor go with me to San Diego? I'd rather not go there alone. I'm already nervous about talking to my dad and then I'll need to stop over at Albert's house, which I haven't been in since I left. It's going to be hard to see it without—"
"Yes," Lou says. "If she agrees to it, then yes. She can go with you."
I stare at him, thinking he must be kidding but he seems completely serious.
"Thank you, Mr. Tuckerman," I say before he changes his mind. "I promise I'll keep her safe and get her whatever she needs. And I'll make sure she checks in with you and—"
"Luke." He sets his hand on my shoulder. "Calm down. I'm not going to yell at you for dating my daughter. We've had a lot of talks back at the house since you've been gone and apparently I'm the only one who had a problem with you being with Taylor. I'm still not totally on board with it given that I see you as a son but my wife assures me I'll eventually come around," he smiles, "meaning I have no choice but to come around or Barb will give me hell. But in all seriousness, you do need to regain my trust. I don't like being lied to, especially when it involves my family."
"I know, and I'm sorry it happened that way. I wish we could've just told you the truth. Looking back, I would've lived in my car this whole time i
f it meant I could be with Taylor without having to lie about it. I love your daughter, Mr. Tuckerman, more than anything else."
"If that's true, you might actually be my son someday, so stop calling me Mr. Tuckerman." He chuckles. "It's Lou."
"Got it."
"Goodbye, Luke. See you when you get back." He walks off.
I get out my phone and call Taylor. When she picks up, I say, "You want to go on a road trip?"
"What are you talking about?"
"I want you to go to San Diego with me. I'm going there to talk to my dad and check on Albert's house and maybe talk to that lawyer in person since he isn't calling me back."
"Um, I'd love to but there's no way my dad would let me."
"I've already talked to him. He said it's okay."
"You talked to my dad? When?"
"Just now. He came to see me. We talked about stuff and I asked him if you could go with me to San Diego. He said you could if you agreed to it. So will you go with me?"
"Of course I will! My dad really doesn't care if I go?"
"He's fine with it. I think your mom might've had something to do with that."
"I told you my mom loves you. So what else did you say to my dad?"
"I told him I love you more than anything. That's probably not what he wanted to hear but I wanted him to know how much you mean to me. The past few days all I've done is think about stuff and I realized that golfing, winning tournaments, the money—none of it matters without you. You're all that matters, Taylor. Without you, it's all meaningless."
"Luke, that's so sweet."
"It's true. Now go pack a bag. We're leaving in the morning. Six o'clock."
"For how long?"
"Just a few days, unless you want to make it into a vacation. We could drive up the coast, find a place to stay."
"Yes, let's do it! I'd love that!"
"I would too. So pack a little more. We'll make it a week."
"I love you, Luke."
"I love you too. I'll see you in the morning."
***
The next day we drive to San Diego. Having Taylor with me makes this so much better. I'm actually relaxed and don't even care what happens with my dad. I'm sure he'll tell me to leave, but when he does I'll have Taylor beside me and just having her there will make me feel like everything will be okay.
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