Fighting Chance

by Lynn Rider

  “Brandon said he was going to be good, but I wasn’t sure I believed him. I should have known another McKnight would easily fall under the spell of Mia Hall.” He chuckles.

  “I don’t know about any spell, but I think we’ve found some common ground,” I smile.

  “I slept like shit last night. Next time you’re coming with me. Even if the entire family has to come,” he says through an exhaustive sigh and my eyes flick to where Brandon moves restlessly on the couch.

  “You better be careful of what you wish for. We were a pretty rowdy bunch last night eating junk food and dancing around like fools,” I say brightly, soaring with his use of the word family. This is my family. When my parents died, Audrey was it, but each day I felt my stronghold on that bond slowly withering away. Despite my initial apprehension about Brandon, our time together is easy, with no force of making it happen. It’s time I focus on that —the family that wants me.

  Chance chuckles softly and I get lost in the smooth sound. “I thought you had a sunrise photo shoot?” I ask, recalling the agenda.

  “I do, I’m almost to Chaos’ headquarters now, but I needed to hear your voice. I couldn’t wait until afternoon.”

  “Is everything okay? Have you heard from Michelle?” I ask, picking up worry in his tone.

  “No, nothing from Michelle. If we’re lucky we’ll never hear from her again. But Edward did call late last night. The court has appointed a visitation schedule so she can’t dispute them coming with me now. If she does, she’s in contempt of the order and it’ll work against her.”

  “That’s great news Chance! Next we’ll have them full-time.”

  “Yeah, it’s one step closer, that’s for sure,” he says, but his happiness sounds watered down.

  “So, what’s going on Chance? Is there more to that story,” I ask.

  “God, you know me so well. I’m happy about the boys, it just seems as one piece of my life is coming together, another always seems to fall apart.” A heavy sigh fills the line and my heart rate accelerates waiting for the rest. “Smith and I had it out. In fact, he’s back at the hotel and I’m alone.”

  “What happened?” I try to smooth the alarm from my voice, but there’s no hiding it now. Smith assured me again yesterday morning when he came to pick up Chance that my secret is safe and it needed to stay a secret, but it doesn’t take away the underlying feeling of deceit that is still planted in my core.

  “He’s quitting, going back to his family business.”

  “What family business?” I ask, anxiously.

  “Fuck if I know, but I know it’s not good. I’m worried about him, Mia. It’s the very thing he struggled to break free of. Before his father was killed, he’d cut all ties with him because of it and now he’s willingly walking back to it. I don’t get it.”

  “Did he explain?”

  “Just that it is his decision and his family.”

  “I understand why you’re worried, but he’s right, it is his decision, Chance. Don’t let that ruin your friendship. He may need you more than you realize.”

  A resigned sigh comes through the line. “He’s my family, Mia. And not the kind of family that planted us on the same shitty family tree. We’re the kind that chose each other and persevered through all that bullshit. That’s better than any lineage.”

  A lump forms in my throat, his words hitting close to home today. “I know Chance. Just don’t lose him over it.”

  “I’ll try to talk to him again. Speaking of family, I hate to do this to you, but I had asked Vic to be around this weekend in case you needed help with the boys. He called me this morning and told me he’s going to drop by today. I told him it was going well and not to, but I just know his old stubborn ass isn’t going to listen.”

  “Oh,” I say, trying to gulp down the leap my heart just took.

  “I’m sorry. He’s been bugging the shit out me to meet you. I should have known that he’d take my leaving town as his opportunity.”

  “It’s okay. How bad can it be?” I say distractedly, looking toward movement on the couch. Brandon pops up, his little dark mop of hair twists, peering around the room and I relish in the relief in his expression when he sees me.

  “You can’t even lock him out. He has the code to the gate, but if you leave, he goes to bed with the sun so he won’t bother you tonight and I’ll be home tomorrow.” He chuckles and I smile.

  “He’s your family, right? It has to happen sooner or later,” I say casually, still hung up on having won Brandon over.

  “God, I love you,” he breathes and I smile, knowing that’s all I need. Whether Vic likes me or not, Chance loves me. And that’s everything to me.

  “I love you, too.”

  “I’m going to show you how much I love you the minute I get back,” he says, his voice taking a deeper more seductive edge to his tone.

  “The boys are awake,” I say and laugh when I hear his groan come across the line.

  “Cock blockers,” he mumbles and I giggle harder.

  “You’re in the car heading to work anyway. What did you expect to happen?”

  “You’re right. I’m driving in now and it wouldn’t be a good idea to walk in sporting a hard on. Or worse, being caught jerking off in the parking lot.” A flush of heat rushes up my body with a visual of Chance slowly stroking his own cock. “I’ll call you later, babe,” he adds, pulling me from my thoughts.

  “Okay, have fun and be safe,” I say before disconnecting.

  I walk back to the couch, where Brandon sits. “Good morning.” He smiles sleepily and falls back over, snuggling under his blanket. “I want to do something fun today. Something Chance may kill me for, but I’m going to do it anyway,” I say, tucking my feet under me as I sit back down. His little eye peeks out of the corner of the blanket, showing his interest. “Let’s get a dog,” I say and his blanket flies through the air like a kite as he jumps off the couch without warning.

  “Get up Matt! We’re getting a dog!” He’s shaking Matthew and I can’t stop laughing at his reaction. “Get up! Mia wants to get a dog today. Let’s go!” Matthew peers over at me, his sleepy little eyes widening for a minute before Brandon starts on about getting a big tough dog.

  “Go upstairs and get ready. I’ll make us something to eat.” I offer as the boys shoot up the stairs excitedly.

  “You think Chance will kill me for bringing the boys here?” I ask Vic.

  Just as Chance warned, we were on our way out of the house when Vic drove in. Brandon still amped up on the idea of getting a dog and wanting nothing to delay our adventure, demanded he come. I’ve got to give it to Vic, because as curious as he must have been about me to just show up, he graciously waited for my silent approval before parking his truck and hopping into the front seat of the SUV.

  I thought it would be awkward, but the entire drive to the local animal shelter, he talked to the boys, while including me into the conversation as if we’d known one another for years. The boys love him as much as Chance does and it’s obvious why because I’m already in like with him.

  I give Vic a sideways glance when he doesn’t answer and I faintly hear his soft chuckle over the barking and howling of the kennel noise. “Sweetheart, I don’t think there’s anything you could do to make that boy mad.”

  “Oh, I doubt that,” I scoff, my mind briefly returning to Paul.

  “I’m being serious. When I saw that picture, I was livid and he was quick to put me in my place. Other than with the boys, I’d never seen him so protective.”

  “What picture?” He stops walking and looks over at me.

  His eyes narrow. “You don’t know?” I shake my head. “Now he’s going to kill me.” He scratches at his chin, looking away.

  “I doubt that, too,” I say, laughing off his concern and feeling bad for the genuine alarm in his expression. I don’t know what picture he’s talking about, but something tells me Vic is not the person to ask about it. “Vic, other than those two,” I nod toward where
Matt and Brandon are crouched down at the gate of the big dog kennel, their little fingers shoved through the chain link squares. “You’re the most important person in his life. He speaks very highly of you and all you’ve done for him.”

  He chuckles. “You obviously haven’t talked to him this week.”

  “His opinion isn’t going to change because of training. He warned me he’d come home angry, tired, miserably sore and sometimes even bruised, but I have yet to see that. He’s happy when he walks through that door each night. He appreciates all you do.”

  “You sure have a glass half full way of looking at things.” He smiles. “That’s exactly what Chance needs, but let me tell you, that’s not the Chance that existed just two months ago. This new Chance is because of who is waiting for him on the other side of that door each night. It has nothing to do with appreciation of what I’ve done for that boy. He shows me that in the ring by winning.”

  Dread punches me in the gut. “He’s going to win, right? He’s been watching Perez’s fights. Says he’s going to be tough.” I wonder aloud, the worry of what Chance does for a living coming into more focus with each day that he sits in front of that TV studying the man who could essentially end him.

  “Chance is tougher and his performance thus far in training is better than I’ve ever seen it, so I’m going to go as far to say as long as he has you in his corner, there’s no stopping him.” He smiles, but I’m not so easily convinced. I can’t stand the thought of him getting hurt. I turn toward the boys and see that Brandon has moved on, peering through a wire door of a small kennel. Surely the big bad dog he’d envisioned getting all the way over here isn’t in there. I walk over.

  “What’cha find?” I ask, crouching down next to him and see a black and tan, rat terrier mix looking back at us with timid eyes. He’s pushed himself to the far back wall and his tail is tucked tightly between his legs.

  “Look at how afraid it looks,” he says, his eyes never leaving the dog inside. I glance around, taking stock in where Matthew still kneels next to the big dog kennel, Vic now standing by his side.

  “There’s a lot of noise and commotion going on in here. A lot to be afraid of,” I say, sticking my fingers through the little holes in the grated gate.

  The little dogs nose twitches, his body leaning a little from the wall with curiosity before thinking better of it and pushing away. “I don’t mind the noise. It’s the quiet I’m afraid of,” Brandon says, still looking at the little dog.

  “Did you find one that you like?” The kennel attendant asks, preventing me from probing into Brandon’s comment. He steps over and bends glancing in the kennel briefly. “We call him Hercules. He’s a tough little guy. Gave the animal control officer a real workout trying to outrun him.” He chuckles softly and Brandon says his name softly as if he’s trying it out.

  I lean in, “if you want him, you don’t have to keep that name.”

  Brandon’s big brown eyes look up at me. “We could really get him? Like, if I wanted to bring him home, you’d let me?” he asks incredulously.

  I smile. “Of course Brandon. I told you we could get a dog. You and Matthew have to agree, but yes, we’re taking one home today.” His smile widens showing me the brightest one yet. With the small indention of a dimple, he reminds more of Chance in this moment than any so far. He bolts upright and practically runs toward Matthew and leads him over by the hand to show him Hercules.

  “What happened to wanting a big dog?” Matthew asks, peering into the cage at the little dog.

  “I know I said that before, but now I want him,” Brandon retorts.

  “Come look at the one I want,” Matthew says and I inwardly cringe at the dilemma. Brandon walks over to the large kennel where Matthew points at one of the large dogs and Brandon shakes his head without a second glance and races back to Hercules. I look at Vic and he shrugs with a conspirator smile. I walk over to Matthew and he’s got his fingers stuck through the chain link fencing, rubbing a small patch of fur on a big yellow lab. “He looks cool.” I kneel, scratching him through the fence.

  “It’s a her. Lucy’s three year’s old. That guy over there told me her owner died and didn’t have anyone to take her.”

  My heart grows heavy. I should have known I wasn’t strong enough to do this. I’m too big of a sap. I take a deep breath and figure Chance is already going to kill me. I may as well go big or go home. I stand, turning toward the kennel attendant.

  “We’ll take them both. Where do I sign?”

  The kennel attendant smiles victoriously, the boys jump up and down and Vic crosses his arms over his chest, chuckling under his breath.

  “Good night,” I whisper, absorbing the sight of Matthew snuggled in his bed and Lucy curled up on the floor next to him.

  “Good night,” he says, sleepily.

  I leave the door cracked as I step out and cross the hall to Brandon’s room. I smile when I see Hercules’s head pop up from the where he’s snuggled up next to Brandon.

  “Do you have parents, Mia?” Brandon asks as I turn on the small nightlight in the corner. Taking a little longer than necessary, I take a deep breath before facing him.

  “I did. My parents died in a car accident.”

  “Both of them?” he asks, sitting up in his bed, fully vested in my story.

  “Yep. They were in the car together,” I say, biting back the emotion that’s creeping its way into my thoughts. I was in that car, too.

  “My parents died, too,” he says, looking down at his comforter. I sit on the side of his bed and wait. The faraway look on his little face reminds me of the same one that haunts Chance’s face seconds before he reveals a piece of his past. “They got you-thin-eyes,” he says sadly and I feel the pinch of confusion on my face. “You know, where they give you a shot. I couldn’t sleep that night. It was really loud downstairs with music and arguing. There was a lot of arguing that night and then it got quiet—too quiet. I came downstairs and I thought they were all asleep. My mom was naked and slumped over, half on the couch, half on the floor. My dad and his friend were both leaning back on the couch, their heads looking up at the ceiling. The person who you-thin-eyes them left the needle in his arm,” he explains and understanding washes over me. Euthanize. This is why he hates the quiet and wanted to save Hercules ‘from that needle’. Panic and pain wash over me in equal measures. Chance said they overdosed, he never explained the details.

  “Do you want to talk about it?” is all I can manage around the lump in my throat.

  “I talk to Monty, my counselor, but we mostly talk about my feelings, like how I feel about them being gone. I haven’t told him about what I saw.”

  “He can help you to understand it.”

  “I understand it. Chance told me when we talked about getting a dog.” His eyes drop as his little hand reaches out, stroking across Hercules’ fur. “He said that when no one wants them, they put a shot in their leg and they go to sleep.” He shrugs. “It must work the same for people. I saw that needle in my dad’s arm.” I swallow hard, at a loss for words. “Do you miss your parents?” he adds, changing the subject before I can think of anything to say.

  I nod. “Everyday.”

  “How long ago did they die?”

  “About two and half years ago.”

  “And you still miss them?” he asks incredulously, his little thin eyebrows lifting toward his forehead. “They must have been good parents,” he adds, lying back on the bed.

  “They were.” I pull the comforter over his chest, tucking it over him and Hercules.

  “Did you love them?”

  “Of course.”

  “I don’t know if I loved my parents,” he confesses bashfully.

  “I’m sure you did in your own sort of way.”

  “I don’t miss them.”

  “Love is different for everyone,” I whisper, my heart shattering for him.

  “When I’m not with Chance, I miss him. I know I love him. I feel safe here. He’s so bi
g and strong, he won’t let anyone get us.”

  I smile, my heart filling up with love and soothing the pain. “You’re right. Chance will never let anyone hurt you,” I say confidently.

  “Do you love Chance?” His tired brown eyes find mine and I don’t have the heart to lie. Maybe I should, love isn’t something I want to discuss with an eight-year-old, but I’m hopelessly in love and just like Chance, maybe what these boys need is to see that love does exist.

  “Yes, I love Chance, very much.” The corners of his mouth tilt in a tired smile.

  “Will you lay with me? So I’m not alone.”

  “Of course,” I say, scooting Hercules over and settling next to him in the bed.

  “Mia?”

  “Yes?”

  “I’m going to miss you too when I have to go back to Michelle’s.”

  “I’m going to miss you too, Brandon,” I say, snuggling tighter with him and hiding my tears.

  41

  Chance

  “What in the fuck?” I mumble quietly, unsure of why I’m worried about waking anyone up. If the sound of that barking dog doesn’t do it, my voice sure as fuck isn’t.

  “Lucy…Lucy…sssshhh, girl,” Mia says soothingly from upstairs. I turn on the lights for the main floor and hear the distinct sound of a growl before my eyes scan the area and I stop moving.

  “Mia,” I say in warning. She needs to tell me what in the hell is going on.

  “What are you doing here?” she asks from the top of the dark staircase.

  “I live here…with you and by the sound of it, with a dog or a wild animal.” Even though I have yet to see the beast behind the bark, her giggle instantly relaxes me.

  “Let me put her back in Matthew’s room,” she says before I hear her cooing quietly about being a good girl and the distinct sound of a bedroom door closing. Heavy footfalls rumble down the stairs, Mia coming into the light as she crosses the room in two seconds, flying into my arms. “I’m so surprised to see you! I thought you’d be home tomorrow,” she says, peppering kisses all over my jaw and neck.