“Are you crazy?”
I looked down and saw April peering up at me the base of the ladder, twenty feet below.
“It’s starting to rain,” she said. “You could slip and fall off that ladder. You shouldn’t be out here on your own.”
I couldn’t help smiling. Having someone worry about me was a new feeling, and I didn’t actually mind it.
“I’ll just hold the ladder for you,” she said, wrapping her hands around each side.
I appreciated her concern but, at my size, there was no way she would be able to keep me upright if I started to fall. I climbed down and stepped onto the damp grass.
“I’m done with that gutter anyway,” I said. “What are you up to? You busy?”
She shook her head. “I’m waiting for the towels to finish drying so I can fold them and put them away.”
“Can I tell you something?” I pulled the soggy gloves from my hands and stuck them in the pockets of my canvas work coat.
“Of course.”
“Being in love is kinda . . . terrifying at times. Fighting is less scary than this.”
She furrowed her brow with concern. “You find me scary?”
“No. I just have lots of fears that I’ll screw this up. I screwed up once, you know. You’ve given me another chance, but I worry about losing you again.”
“I have fears, too,” she said softly. Her curls were damp from the light rainfall, and she’d never looked more beautiful.
“Maybe we should take a break and go get some coffee and pie at Gene’s and talk about this stuff,” I said.
“Talking would be good.”
“April, you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” I wrapped my arms around her and held her close.
“I feel the same way about you.” She grinned up at me. “That’s why I don’t want you falling off a ladder.”
“You’re cute when you’re worried.”
“You’re good at deflecting issues with compliments.”
I kept my arm around her waist as we headed for the door to the house. She was my match in every way. She thrilled me, challenged me, excited me and called me on my bullshit.
A woman I wanted to fuck senseless, take home to my family and talk to over pie and coffee on a rainy Saturday afternoon was most definitely a keeper.
THE NEW GIRLS AT Grieves House, Sharon and Madison, both looked around with disbelief as I showed them around their new home.
“Did you just say there’s a ballroom upstairs?” Madison asked.
“Yes. It’s beautiful. There are a lot of stairs to get up there, so hold onto the railing when you go up to see it.”
Both girls had been staying at a homeless shelter in St. Louis when Ivy had found them and offered them a place here. Sharon was too thin for a girl who was six months pregnant. I hoped we could make a difference for them and their babies here at Grieves House.
My phone dinged with a text and I pulled it out of my pocket and looked at the screen.
Mason: Have to go to Boston. Will call u tonight.
I tried not to look as crestfallen as I felt. He was going to Bellator. The place he went to escape feelings he didn’t want to deal with. Just when I thought our relationship was as right for him as it was for me, he was running away.
“Um, sorry,” I said, putting my phone back in my pocket. “I’ll take you to see your rooms now.”
Sharon clutched a backpack containing all her worldly belongings. Madison had left a tattered suitcase downstairs. I knew both girls were embarrassed about their poverty, but I could tell they both felt relief at being somewhere safe and clean and welcoming. They were both good girls who’d had some crummy breaks.
I put Mason out of my mind. I planned to spend the rest of the day helping them settle in and getting acquainted with them. We would be seeing a lot of one another over the next few months. We were making pizzas tonight and Taylor and Jess would be here to meet Sharon and Madison. I knew they’d be only too happy to welcome them, as well.
As we walked upstairs to the bedroom area my mind couldn’t help but wander to Mason. As much as I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, I was pissed that he hadn’t even had the guts to tell me his plans in person. That hurt almost as much as the fact that he’d left. We had a lot to talk about tonight.
I RUBBED MY FOREHEAD as I listened to Steve, numb from the shock of the news he’d just delivered.
In addition to being one of the Original Seven at Bellator, Steve was also a corporate attorney. He’d called the six of us to the club to tell us we were being sued. My stunned silence was due more to the reason for the suit than the suit itself.
“He was just . . . paralyzed instantly?” Carter asked. “During a fight here?”
“The paralysis was determined at the hospital, but it was a result of injuries sustained here. Just a really bad hit delivered in exactly the wrong spot to his neck.”
“Shit,” I said, slumping in my seat. “I never imagined anything like this happening.”
“I know,” Steve said. “Me either. And the suit names Club Bellator, LLC and all of us individually. That’s why I called you guys here.”
“But it won’t be public, will it?” Carter asked, his forehead creased with concern.
“Unfortunately, I got a call from a reporter this morning,” Steve said.
“Motherfuck.” Carter hit the table with his fist. “We’ve got the waivers, though. And NDAs. That was all to protect our privacy and our liability.”
“It’s his family who’s suing us,” Steve explained. “And, honestly, I don’t think they’ll win. I talked to a friend who handles big civil suits and he agreed. Our waivers are comprehensive. Accidental death or injury, for any reason, on club property are part of the waiver that everyone signs.”
I shook my head. “Yeah, but . . . I never actually thought something like this would ever happen. It’s a fucking nightmare.”
“What are our options? We have to keep this from becoming public,” Carter said.
Carter was a state senator who was probably in a panic about his involvement in Bellator. If news like this got out his political career would be on the line. My worries weren’t for my career, but for the inevitability of my family finding out about Bellator.
“Yeah, obviously none of this is what we wanted,” I conceded. “But here we are. And the decent thing to do is shut the club down and help this guy’s family out.”
“We have to hire an attorney,” Steve said. “I can take care of that.” He looked around the table at all of us. “None of you better say a fucking word to the media. No matter what. If we decide to settle, admitting fault is gonna make that impossible.”
“I’m fucked,” Carter said, pulling his hair between his fingers.
“You’re not the only one,” I said.
He scoffed and gave me a dirty look. “You’re fuckin’ rich, man. You own your own business. This isn’t gonna hurt you at all.”
“We’re all fuckin’ rich,” I shot back. “Or we wouldn’t have had a hundred grand apiece to start this place.”
“I’m not rich like you are. I can’t just write a big check to make this go away.”
“It’s not going to go away. At least not anytime soon,” Steve said. “Understand that. I expect to see this all over social media and in the papers tomorrow.”
“But you didn’t make any comment, did you?” Carter asked.
“We don’t have to comment on anything for people to jump on this. Social media has a life of its own and we can’t control that. ”
“Can’t you do something?” Carter was clearly really worried and it was showing. “Get the lawsuit dropped on grounds that it has no merit?”
Steve shook his head. “Not until it’s further along. I imagine we’ll seek a dismissal and settle if we don’t get it.”
He looked around at all of us again. “So we’re closing the club doors for now. Hit me up with any questions. We’ll do a conference call when I get
an attorney hired. I’ll draw from the club bank account for a retainer.”
We all nodded and got up to go, everyone else looking as numb as I felt. I left the club and walked until I found a quiet spot to sit and call April.
“Hey,” she said, sounding distant.
“Hey. Sorry I had to leave so suddenly. It was an emergency.”
“What’s wrong?”
I sighed deeply. “A fighter got really messed up at the club. He’s paralyzed. We’re being sued by his family.”
“Oh my god, Mason . . . that’s awful. I’m so sorry I don’t know what to say.”
“Yeah. I feel like shit over it. I never dreamed something like this would happen. It was a hit that, unfortunately, was one in a million.”
“This is devastating news.”
“I’m more concerned about his family than anything. But, about this lawsuit . . . it’s gonna hit the news very soon.”
“So your names will come out? As the owners of the club?”
I rubbed my forehead, hating the thought of my family finding out. “Yeah. I can’t tell you how sorry I am.”
“This was a horrible accident, no one meant for this to happen.”
“That may be true, but what is also true is that I’m a founder of a club that exists just to host fights.”
April’s voice was soft but strong on the other end of the line. “I don’t really understand it myself, but the fact of the matter is that fighting’s been around for centuries, Mason. This was a horrible accident that none of you foresaw.”
“Other people might not see it that way. My parents sure won’t. I don’t want you to take any shit over this.”
“Don’t worry about me.”
“I wish you were here,” I said, wondering where in the house she was sitting right now. Her voice was grounding and reassuring, but I wished I could see and touch her.
“Me too.”
“I’m gonna go to the airport and catch the first flight home. I want to talk to my parents and my brothers before they hear it from someone else.”
She hesitated before speaking. “I thought you went to the club to fight to get away from the feelings of . . . us.”
“Never, April. The feelings of us are all that’s keeping me together right now.”
“I’ll wait up for you,” she said softly. “I love you.”
“Love you, too. I’ll be home soon.”
THE ENTIRE LOCKHART FAMILY was in the kitchen of Grieves House. We’d sent the kids upstairs to the ballroom and Austin’s wife Hannah was with them to keep an eye on things. None of us wanted the kids to hear any of this. Fortunately, Alyssa had taken the girls out for breakfast so there was no one else, apart from us, in the house at the moment.
When Mason had gotten in late last night I thought he was overreacting when he said his family would erupt when they heard the news. But, no, he’d been spot on.
“A fight club?” his father demanded. “I’ve never even heard of such a thing. What in the world possessed you to—”
“And why didn’t you even tell us?” his mother cut in. “Why did I have to find out from Beth Nelson reading about it in the paper at five this morning and then calling to ask me about it?”
“I didn’t—”
“How long has this been going on?” Kyle asked, his sweaty clothes indicating he’d come here straight from the gym.
Mason opened his mouth to answer, but his mom was faster than he was.
“And do you live here?” She waved a hand around the kitchen. “Another thing you failed to mention. We just found out you were dating April and now you’ve moved in? Imagine our shock when we called Reed because we couldn’t find you and he told us you were here.”
Mason shot Reed a look. “Thanks, man.”
“They were worried sick,” Reed said irritably. “I wasn’t gonna lie.”
“If only all our sons would do us that courtesy,” Mason’s dad Henry muttered.
I met Ivy’s eyes and she gave me an encouraging half smile.
“Alright,” Mason said, putting his arms out in a gesture of calm. “Enough. I can’t answer any of these questions until you all stop talking.”
Silence fell. His mother Grace folded her arms and arched her brows.
“Don’t interrupt me,” Mason said, an edge in his tone. “Just let me finish and then you can ask any questions you want.”
He recounted his partnership with his six friends when they started the club nine years ago, explaining that it was mostly just dirty boxing. I was glad he left out the part about Bruno and his fighting in college. Bellator was enough of a shock for his family to digest today.
“I never lied about it,” he said. “I just didn’t mention it. I didn’t think you’d find it befitting of the Lockhart name that I had invested in this place and spent my time there. When you guys asked about any of my injuries I always said I’d gotten them fighting, which was true.”
“You could’ve told me,” Kyle said softly. “I wouldn’t have judged you.”
“I know that.” Mason looked around at his brothers. “It just didn’t feel right to tell you guys and leave Mom and Dad out.”
“I would have . . .” His mother paused and considered. “Well, I’d have tried to understand.”
“I know, Mom.”
Mason and I stood with our backs to the kitchen counter, and he edged closer to me.
“You kept this from everyone?” Grace asked, disbelief still etched on her face.
“I told April just a few weeks ago.”
Everyone looked at me. I felt awkward and it was hard to meet their inquiring glances. I looked at Mason, hoping he’d save me.
“I got back from Boston late last night and I planned to talk to all of you this morning,” he said. “I just found out about this yesterday. I flew to Boston to meet with the guys about it. It didn’t seem worth waking all of you up in the middle of the night.”
“It’s a complete shock,” Henry said, “that you’d be involved in fighting at a place so rough that someone was paralyzed.”
“It can happen, though, Dad,” Kyle said. “It’s rare but these kinds of accidents do happen. Just one hard hit delivered the wrong way, or in a bad place . . .”
“The club was about fair fights,” Mason said. “We never expected anything like this to come about. And we’ll deal with the lawsuit. We’ve closed the club. I’m sorry you guys had to find out this way, I really am.”
Kyle walked over and clapped him on the shoulder. “I’m sorry about what happened. We’re all good, man. Just remember next time that we’re here, okay?”
Mason nodded and looked down.
“You know, I thought the club was the one place I could take off the mask of propriety and just be me, but I was wrong. This is the place . . . with you guys.” He looked at me and smiled. “And I guess I do live here. We’ve never had a formal conversation about it, but I never seem to want to leave.”
“Does that mean you’ll mow the grass this summer?” Reed asked.
Mason grinned at his brother. “Yeah, I’ll mow.”
Grace gave me a sheepish look. “April, I’m sorry. I’m crazy about you and thrilled about you and Mason. If I made it seem otherwise, that wasn’t my intent.”
She walked over and gave me a hug.
“You’re fine,” I said. “I’m crazy about all of you, too.”
She stepped back and looked at Mason. “I’m just glad Mason has someone he feels he can trust.”
“Mom.” He rolled his eyes and wrapped his arms around her in a hug. “You know I trust you. From now on, I’ll share every detail of my life. You wanna know what me and April did last night?”
“Oh, my God.” I flushed and covered my cheeks.
“I was talking about going dancing,” he said in a teasing tone. “What were you thinking of?”
“I hate you right now.”
“You love me,” he said, kissing my forehead and pulling me against him. “And I love you, to
o.”
The room fell silent, all eyes on us. Apparently Mason being in love was a pretty big deal.
As I looked around the room I felt a strong sense of belonging. At Grieves House and in the middle of a Lockhart family discussion. But most of all, in Mason’s arms.
MISS DEE DEE AND I watched from our chairs on the sidelines of her studio as Mason demonstrated how to elbow an assailant in the ribs. He called a student up and she stood in front of him, trying the move by driving her elbow into the padded vest Mason wore.
“Why not the balls?” Miss Dee Dee asked me. “Seems like the more painful choice.”
“I think balls are next week,” I said.
Mason had channeled his thirst for fighting in a new direction, teaching a weekly self-defense class at Miss Dee Dee’s Dance Depot. I’d taken part in the first few classes, but this week I just wanted to sit with Miss Dee Dee and catch up.
“Did I tell you my good news?” she asked, her eyes lighting up.
“No, what is it?”
“My niece is coming to stay with me for a couple months.”
“That’s great,” I said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “You’ll have a great time.”
She nodded. “She’ll be here for July and August. And also in July, Alex is coming for a visit.”
“Alex?” I gave her an excited look. “You mean dancer Alex?”
She gave a throaty chuckle. “Former dancer, like me. I told him I’m nothing like the girl he once knew, but he said he’s nothing like the boy I once knew.”
Tears welled in my eyes. “That’s amazing. After all these years, you guys are reconnecting. I’m so happy for you.”
“Who knows?” she said, shrugging. “We thought it might be worth seeing if there’s still something there. He swears my big, broken-down body isn’t an issue for him.”
“He’d be so lucky to have you.”
“And what about you and this one?” she said, pointing her cane toward Mason. He saw the gesture and winked at us. “When will you be walking down the aisle?”
In Deep Page 18