by Jen Talty
Tee Time
A Family Affair Sports Novella
Jen Talty
Copyright © 2020 by Jen Talty
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Contents
Tee Time
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
About the Author
Also by Jen Talty
Praise for Jen Talty
"Deadly Secrets is the best of romance and suspense in one hot read!" NYT Bestselling Author Jennifer Probst
"A charming setting and a steamy couple heat up the pages in an suspenseful story I couldn't put down!" NY Times and USA today Bestselling Author Donna Grant
"Jen Talty's books will grab your attention and pull you into a world of relatable characters, strong personalities, humor, and believable storylines. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll rush to get the next book she releases!" Natalie Ann USA Today Bestselling Author
"I positively loved In Two Weeks, and highly recommend it. The writing is wonderful, the story is fantastic, and the characters will keep you coming back for more. I can't wait to get my hands on future installments of the NYS Troopers series." Long and Short Reviews
"In Two Weeks hooks the reader from page one. This is a fast paced story where the development of the romance grabs you emotionally and the suspense keeps you sitting on the edge of your chair. Great characters, great writing, and a believable plot that can be a warning to all of us." Desiree Holt, USA Today Bestseller
"Dark Water delivers an engaging portrait of wounded hearts as the memorable characters take you on a healing journey of love. A mysterious death brings danger and intrigue into the drama, while sultry passions brew into a believable plot that melts the reader's heart. Jen Talty pens an entertaining romance that grips the heart as the colorful and dangerous story unfolds into a chilling ending." Night Owl Reviews
"This is not the typical love story, nor is it the typical mystery. The characters are well rounded and interesting." You Gotta Read Reviews
"Murder in Paradise Bay is a fast-paced romantic thriller with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing until the end. You won't want to miss this one..." USA Today bestselling author Janice Maynard
Tee Time
A Family Affair Sports Novella
USA Today Bestseller
JEN TALTY
For my husband.
1
The sun was hours from rising, but Jack Hollister needed to see the house that his longtime friend had lived in. The house Jack lived in after his father died. The same house he’d been asked to never return to five years ago when he’d made one of the biggest mistakes of his life.
He shut down the lights, turned off the engine, and let the old rusty pickup slow to a stop down the road in the middle of nowhere South Texas. The house was set back and partially hidden behind large trees. Rudy Wade had always enjoyed his privacy along with his own private driving range and putting green in his backyard. Jack had spent much of his younger years training in that backyard.
He got out of his vehicle and leaned against the door, running his hand across his new short haircut. He was a little surprised he didn’t miss his long hair or beard. He actually felt relieved to be rid of the mask he hid behind, but scared to death of who he once was, and wondered who the hell he was now. He’d lost his wife; it didn’t matter that they hadn’t loved each other because they nearly destroyed each other during their short marriage. He’d ruined his career. But it was losing the respect of Rudy and his daughter, Courtney, that had pushed Jack over the edge.
An image of Courtney and him playing golf flashed in his mind. She’d been his best friend, and if he were being totally honest, she was on her way to becoming a lot more until his world turned upside down.
The front porch light flickered. That was his cue to leave. He knew today would be the day, but he didn’t want to see them here, at the house. No. He needed to be on common ground. A place where Jack at least felt as though he still had a leg to stand on, even if he hadn’t played a serious round of golf in years.
That said, Groveland Country Club might not let him even set foot in the clubhouse, much less play a round considering his behavior the last time he’d dared set foot on the property.
He took his time, taking the back roads, letting his mind fill with memories of his youth. His father had raised him to be humble and to never take anything for granted. Somewhere from the time he’d graduated high school and the first time he’d won his first big tournament, he’d turned into an arrogant asshole and not the kind of man his father would have been proud of.
Something he needed to change.
The sun peeked out over the horizon, lightening the dark sky. Jack’s pulse increased as he parked his rusty piece of shit in the back corner of the parking lot. He used to try to stand out by having the latest sports car, not by having the biggest eyesore.
The grounds crew continued to mill about as a few more cars rolled in, parking closer to the clubhouse. Every person that got out of their car glanced for an uncomfortable amount of time in Jack’s direction. He couldn’t blame them. An orange rusted Ford F-150 didn’t fit in amongst all the Porsches, BMWs, Audis, and Land Rovers, even though it was Texas.
A white Infinity rolled to a stop in the circle in front of the bag drop, a little too close to his truck. He watched Rudy get out of his SUV. Rudy’s hair had thinned a little more, and what was left had turned whiter. He’d put on a few pounds, but he still looked fit for a man pushing sixty.
Jack clutched his heart as Courtney slid out of the passenger side of the car, kissing her father’s cheek. Her blond hair bounced a few inches above her shoulders. It was shorter than he’d remembered, but he liked the straight clean lines of the cut. She waved and smiled at her father as she slid into the driver’s seat and turned the vehicle in his direction.
“Oh, shit!” He hit his head on the steering wheel as he ducked when she drove by. He really didn’t want to be seen just yet. At least not by her. He needed to deal with Rudy first because if he said no, then it would only be Jack’s pride that got crushed.
Not his heart.
He rubbed his forehead, then glanced at his watch. The pro shop didn’t open until seven. He had another twenty minutes to figure out what the hell he was going to say to Rudy. He took a deep breath and pulled out a picture from the glove box.
“I miss you.” He gently caressed the side of the picture. “And you.” He raked his hand across his head as he stared at the two men, his father and Rudy, best friends since elementary school.
He placed the picture in his wallet and watched a few golfers pull in. He chuckled as two men looked over some new putter. The only thing Jack kept from his past was his clubs. Golfers were notorious for being a little superstitious about their equipment, and that was one of the few things that Jack absolutely held on to from that part of his life.
When he was sure the pro shop would be empty, he stepped out of his truck, squared his shoulders, and took one step at a time toward the door. He made himself take slow deep breaths as he swung the heavy wood door open. His pulse raced, and the acid in his stomach gave new meaning to painful reflux. He wanted to turn around and run when he made eye contact with Rudy, but Jack reminded himself
that he was his father’s son and that his father would want him to at least be man enough to come back and apologize.
“Can I help…” Rudy’s pupils widened as he glanced up from whatever he was working on behind the pro shop register. “Jack?” he asked. “Is that you?”
“It’s me.” Jack swallowed, fighting the tears burning the corners of his eyes. “It’s good to see you, Rudy.”
“I can’t say the same. What the hell do you want?” Rudy’s eyes darkened, and he dropped his gaze to the papers in front of him.
“I’d like to talk.” Jack inched forward like a scared boy about to get scolded.
“I’ve got nothing to say to you.”
“I have some things I’d like to get off my chest, and I’d like to start with a long overdue apology.”
Rudy cleared his throat, not looking up. “Okay.”
“Could you at least look at me?” Jack stood on the other side of the counter, trying keep his body from trembling.
Rudy narrowed his stare and with anger flaring from his dark-brown eyes, he said, “You’ve apologized, now leave.”
“Is this how you greeted Courtney when she came home?” Jack wanted to take the words back, along with the attitude they were laced with, the moment they left his mouth.
Rudy’s chest puffed up and down like an angry bull. “Courtney’s my daughter. She’s always welcome in my home. You are not.”
“She wasn’t welcome when she ran off and married Tom when she was only eighteen, against your wishes.” Jack knew he’d just crossed the line and returned to his self-sabotaging ways. But if Rudy wasn’t going to help him, then Jack might as well go back to his boat in Florida and live out his days fishing.
“That does it!” Rudy slammed his fist down on the counter. “Either you leave now, or I call the cops. Wouldn’t that make a great headline? We know how much you love the negative coverage.”
Jack took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Rudy. I didn’t mean that.”
“Save it for someone who gives a shit.”
“Well, we both know that no one does.”
“And whose fault is that?” Rudy’s voice softened a bit, but his expression remained hard.
“Mine,” Jack said softly. “I know I hurt you.”
“Hurt isn’t the right word.” Rudy glared at him. “What do you want?”
“I want your forgiveness,” Jack said.
“Your apology is accepted. I do wish you well, but what you did, I won’t soon forget, so don’t expect to waltz into town and have us be friends. I don’t think I can do that.”
Might as well just blurt it out. “I want to golf again.”
“So do it.” Rudy shrugged.
“I need your help.” Jack felt the blood pump unevenly through his veins as Rudy stood there, staring at him intently.
“What is it that you think I can do for you?” Rudy dropped his pencil, and he looked like he might be slightly intrigued. Or maybe amused.
Or maybe he was looking for the right moment to toss Jack out on his ass.
“I want you to be my coach again.”
A golfer came into the pro shop. Abruptly, Jack turned and pretended to look at some shirts. He didn’t want to be recognized until he got Rudy to agree to help him. Rudy still cared. Jack felt it, and given the right words, Rudy would help him. He had to.
A firm squeeze on the shoulder made Jack jump.
“Relax, boy,” Rudy said.
Jack turned and looked into the caring eyes of the man who helped raise him. “I’m really sorry, about everything. The way I behaved on the tour. With you. How I left when I got married. I’m sorry about everything. I was wrong.”
“It takes a big man to admit that,” Rudy said. “I really appreciate you coming here, even after all these years to tell me that. It does mean a lot to me. But I can’t teach you. You know the game, and you have the contacts. You can do it without me.” Rudy dropped his hand and strolled back to the counter.
“I’m a has-been at thirty-one, and I don’t want to go back with a bang. I want to do it right. Slowly, quietly, and with dignity.”
That caught a hearty laugh from Rudy. “Like the way you went out?”
Jack opened his mouth to defend his actions, but there were no words to explain his drug-induced outburst.
“Sorry, son. But you certainly gave new meaning to rebel without a cause when you tossed your driver at Tom at the Masters, practically knocking him out.” A playful smile broadened Rudy’s face.
“I don’t care that I was higher than a kite. He deserved it,” Jack muttered.
“Oh, I bet he did, considering what he did to my daughter.” Silence followed for a few minutes, each man studying the other. “I can’t help you,” Rudy finally said, looking Jack in the eye. “I’m sorry. I’m not the coach for you.”
“I guess I can understand that.” Jack picked up a hat and tried it on. “I don’t think I have it in me to do it alone, though. If you won’t help me, there is no comeback in my future.”
“That’s too bad. You have some of the rawest talent I’ve ever seen,” Rudy said. “You want to buy the hat?”
“Sure.” Jack reached in his pocket and pulled out two twenties. He really shouldn’t, funds were more than tight, but his pride made him do it. He took the change and headed toward the door. He gripped the handle before turning around and making a beeline for the counter. “You like to make small wagers on the golf course. Let’s make a bet.”
“Excuse me?”
“Play one round with me, scratch. I win, you teach. You win—”
“I won’t play you.”
“Come on.” Jack smiled. “Whatever your handicap is trending, you can add a stroke, and that’s being more than generous because I haven’t played a full round since I left, unless you include miniature golf.”
That caught a laugh from Rudy. “Still a no. You’d crush me. But you beat Courtney and I’ll teach you. But if you lose, you walk.”
Jack blinked. “Huh? You want me to play scratch golf with your daughter?”
Rudy nodded. “And, she gets three strokes.” Rudy smiled like his old self, and Jack had to grip the coat rack as he thought about the last time he played Courtney.
He lost.
And he hadn’t given her any strokes at all.
“You want me to do what!” Courtney Wade stared at her father with wide eyes. She wiggled her finger in her ear. She couldn’t have heard him correctly.
“It’s one round of golf,” her father said.
“With Jack Hollister, a man we both swore if we never saw again it would be too soon. Why the hell would I play golf with him?”
“Um. I’m in the room,” Jack said.
She blew out a big puff of air and continued to ignore the man she’d been trying desperately to forget for the last five years. “I’m not speaking to you, nor will I ever.” She shook out her hands. “I won’t do it, Dad.”
“You’ll do it because I asked you to,” her father said with a stern tone as if she were still a teenager.
Well, she was a grown-ass adult, with a kid of her own. Just because she was living with her father while she got her life back on track didn’t mean he got to tell her what to do.
“Are you crazy, Dad! Like hell I’ll play him. Now if you want to smack him over the head with my driver, like he did to my ex-husband, that I might be able to do.” Courtney stared Jack down, daring him to justify his actions. No matter how much he despised her ex-husband, there was no way Jack could come up with a valid reason for knocking a man unconscious.
“My days of clubbing people are over,” Jack said. “And I’m surprised you’re not jumping at the chance to play me again.”
She tossed her head back and laughed. “Are you forgetting I beat you by two strokes?”
“Nope. I’m not.” He inched a little too close for comfort. “But I was also under the influence back then. I haven’t touched cocaine in a year. You’d be playing me completely drug free.
Hell, I haven’t even had a drink yet, but if I win, I’ll buy us drinks before dinner.”
“And if you do happen to beat Courtney, you will do things my way, all the way, or no deal,” Rudy said.
She stood between the two men, glaring at both of them. “This is the most insane thing I’ve ever heard.”
Her father gave her a sideways glance. The one he used to get her to do stuff all the time. “Dad. I won’t play him.” She waved her hand at the redhead standing so close she could feel the heat coming off his skin. The last time she’d seen Jack, he’d made her feel like she wasn’t even a whole person. “He’s an arrogant jerk who lies, steals, and cheats, and I don’t want him around us or our golf course. This won’t be good for business. The second the media catches wind of this, they will be all over us like pigs in shit. We don’t need that crap. Not again. Not because of that jerk-off.”
“Hello! I’m in the room,” Jack said with a chuckle. He’d missed Courtney’s fiery personality.
“No one cares,” she said behind a clenched jaw, keeping her eyes on her father. Her insides were shaking like a volcano about to erupt.
“Nice to see you too.” He leaned in front of her and smiled.
Frustrated, she pushed him aside. “Your charm doesn’t work on me.” Then she turned her attention back to her father. “How dare you offer a match for me. And with him.” She turned to see him smiling at her. Jerk! Why the hell did he come back? She’d started to get her life back to where she wanted. The last thing she needed was a sexy, tall, muscular, red-haired wrecking ball crashing in.