Just the other day, Ian had caught Ronnie watching cheer stunt videos in an effort to ensure the kids were doing the stunts correctly, and Ronnie had thought the gig was up then. He’d been able to convince Ian he was actually searching for something else and just not having any luck. Ian was a little easier to manipulate than Seth so Ronnie had managed to play it down and Ian had let it drop. Grown men did not coach cheerleading, especially when they didn’t even have a kid of their own on the squad. To most people it would just seem…weird.
The wrestlers on the team seemed to understand where he was coming from. They had suggested he videotape the practices in the unlikely event anyone had an issue with the coed team or their unconventional coach. Ronnie had threatened to make them jog to the state line if anyone posted the videos online, and so far so good. If Ian or Seth found out, Ronnie would never live it down. Pompoms and megaphones would be consistent gifts for him for the rest of his life.
Keeping his growing feelings for Kayla a secret from Addie was also proving difficult. God help him, he followed after Kayla like a dog in heat. He couldn’t seem to help it. The woman was a sex kitten made to please a man, and he couldn’t get enough of her. She didn’t help matters much, constantly teasing and enticing him. After their first night together, he’d spent nearly the entire weekend with her and he had been hooked on her ever since.
The first time with her had sealed the deal—she was the only woman he wanted. She enjoyed being with him, too, if her responsive body was any indicator. But where he was ready to dive right in and take things to the next level, she was much more hesitant about the whole situation.
A small part of him was concerned she might never want to take things any further. Kayla’s reluctance made him wonder what would happen if she found out about him coaching Addie’s cheer squad. Would she see that as him trying to push her further than she was willing to go?
And Addie wasn’t helping matters. She got more than her looks from her mother; she got her brains, as well. The girl was watching the two of them like a hawk. If he were truly an honorable man, he would warn Kayla, but he feared she would call off the whole thing if she suspected Addie knew something was going on with them. He respected Kayla’s opinion about not wanting to tell Addie right now, but this sneaking around was killing him.
He had gone into this—whatever this was—agreeing to give over the control of when, where and how often to Kayla. Unfortunately for him, Kayla wanted to play it safe, so he only got alone time with her when Addie spent the night with a friend. The girl was obviously curious about whatever she suspected about her mother and him, and Addie hadn’t spent the night with a friend in nearly two weeks. Ronnie was wound so tight from wanting Kayla he was likely to snap—and to hell with secrets.
His cell phone rang as he pulled out of the driveway after dropping off Addie after practice and instructing her about dinner. Fishing the phone out of his pocket, he noticed Kayla’s name on the display.
“I need a big favor. Can you run by the nursing home and check on my mom? I have a meeting with my new boss in about half an hour!” Kayla said excitedly.
“Yep, I’ll go over and check on your mama. Congratulations on the new job. They made you an offer, huh?”
“Yes! My new hours will be from 9 to 5 with an hour lunch and I am getting a higher salary! So less hours at work and more pay! I’m going over at six to work out the rest of the details, which is usually when I leave to visit mom. So, if you would check on her for me tonight I would greatly appreciate it,” she said in fast-forward excited-Kayla mode.
“Excited enough to let me take you out for a celebration after your meeting is over?” he asked.
“I wish I could, but I need to get home for Addie,” she said.
“Well, how about this weekend after Addie’s competition? We could all go somewhere for dinner. What do you say?” he asked.
“Um, yeah, that should be okay. She’ll be so excited from the competition she’ll be oblivious to anything else,” Kaya replied.
That hurt a little bit.
He was kind of hoping that Addie would catch on and say something so this charade of hiding his feelings for Kayla could end. Addie was a good kid, and if he promised not to hurt her mother, he felt Addie would be reasonable about the whole thing, teenager or not. Kayla was more nervous about Addie’s reaction to the idea than he was, but he had said it was her call, so he waited. Patience.
He knew they hadn’t spent much time together—not quite three months under his belt of knowing them both and only a little more than a month of being involved with Kayla—but he wanted Kayla with every fiber of his being. Every weeknight he made them dinner and then left—unless Addie invited him to stay. He liked those nights the best, even though a couple of times Addie had nearly ratted him out to Kayla about coaching her cheer team.
Listening to Kayla and Addie talk about their day, and talking about his own with them, reminded him of when he was younger and at home. He understood family just as well as he understood guns. That was the reason he’d enlisted—to ensure every family had a chance at what he’d grown up with. He wanted that for Kayla and Addie, too—and he preferred being included in their family circle.
“I’m going to hold you to that. I want to show you how proud I am,” he said.
“Okay,” she said in that breathless way of hers that always brought his mind back to the first weekend he’d been with her.
That weekend had been like a little slice of heaven. Making love to Kayla almost nonstop should have satisfied him. Instead, that weekend was a memory that haunted him, especially when he was alone in his apartment. The other times he’d been with her since that weekend had been hurried and just not as fulfilling.
He’d caught Kayla in the laundry room after the Friday-night football game that following weekend, while Addie was in the shower. By then they had both been nearly frantic with need for each other and it had been over way too quickly with no time for seconds…or thirds.
The weekend after that, Addie had spent the night with another girl on the team to work on some of the moves for their competition routine. He’d been able to stay overnight, but he’d had to wait for Kayla to get back from dropping off Addie and then he’d had to leave early the next morning before Addie came home. His and Kayla’s time together had been good. He’d enjoyed every minute of it. But it had also seemed to be over too soon.
Then after not being alone with her for more than a week, he’d stopped by her office last Tuesday to bring her some lunch. He’d locked her office door and took her up against the wall. He’d been like an addict needing a fix.
The office encounter had been pretty hot. The harder she tried not to make noise, the more he pushed her to cry out. He still had a bite mark on his shoulder from her last-ditch effort not to make it known to her coworkers how much she was enjoying her lunch break. He couldn’t look at the small bruise on his shoulder without being instantly aroused by the memory.
This weekend wasn’t looking very promising either. Saturday was the tri-county competition. He and Addie had agreed that she would ask Ronnie for his moral support and invite him to her competition in front of Kayla, to give him a reason for being there. The competition day was all about Addie and the team, though, and he doubted the day would end with him in Kayla’s arms.
After hanging up the phone, he headed to the nursing home. The camera had significantly eased Kayla’s worries so he had suggested she leave it in place for now. Kayla logged in several times a day from her office to check on her mother’s welfare and hadn’t seen anything to indicate her mother was being abused in any way. In fact, one evening Kayla had called him late—when Addie was already in bed—and cried. Her mother had tried to strike one of the nurses and had to be sedated.
Kayla had a lot going on in her life and he did what he could to help. Recently, though, it felt like he couldn’t do everything he wanted to do for Kayla—because he couldn’t be there. He felt like Kayla’s dirty littl
e secret. Some men might be fine with being a woman’s booty call, proud even, but he really liked Kayla and wanted to be there for her as a boyfriend, not just as a lover.
As he entered Mary’s room, the older woman sat on the small sofa staring out the window. As he approached, she turned to him and said, “Can I help you?”
He stopped. Most days she didn’t speak at all, either because she was unable to figure out who she was or who other people were. The nurses said that over time she might even lose the ability to speak. Alzheimer’s was a disabling disease he wouldn’t wish on his worst enemy. It didn’t just destroy the patient, but was a living grief for the family, as well. They lost a little more of their loved one every day.
“I’m Sergeant First Class Ronald Brown, ma’am. I’m friends with your daughter, Kayla. She sent me over to check and see if you need anything.”
“A girl after my own heart. Her dad was a military man, too. Air force. He was something to see in that uniform,” Mary said with a smile. “Did she tell you that?”
“No, ma’am, she hasn’t mentioned it before. I’ll have to ask her about it the next time I see her,” he replied, sitting down next to her on the small sofa.
“Are you two dating? If I’m being nosy just say so.” Mary smiled again.
Unsure about what to say since this was the most lucid he’d ever seen Mary, he decided honesty was the best policy. “I’d like to be her boyfriend, but I’m not sure she’s ready for that.”
Mary laughed and nodded her head. “That sounds like my Kayla. Never know if she’s coming or going. She’s like a whirlwind, out of control but amazing. Just be patient with her. Any man willing to visit her mother in the old folks’ home deserves a chance. She’ll see that eventually, and then you better brace yourself for when that whirlwind blows your way.
“I think she always thought she let me down when Addie came along, but to be honest I couldn’t be prouder of her if she’d done things the ‘right’ way from the start. So when she does give you that chance, you jump on it. Storm the beach and don’t quit until she’s yours.”
Mary reached over and patted his hand. After a few minutes he said, “Is there anything I can bring you?”
She looked back at him with tears glistening in her eyes, “I’d like to see my little Addie. I can’t say how or when but I know Kayla visits…and I know that Addie doesn’t.”
The cheerleading team had been practicing in any locale they could because they needed as much practice as they could get before the competition. There wasn’t any reason they couldn’t practice here, for Mary. They might not be able to do the stunts but they could do the cheer and the dance moves. The more he thought about it, the better it sounded. What good was winning a competition if you didn’t use that talent for a higher purpose, such as entertaining old people?
“I’ll see what I can do,” he replied, patting her frail hand in return.
He sat with Mary for a while longer. When he noticed that she was dozing off he went in search of the nurse to help Mary get ready for bed. He also asked permission for the kids to do their routine for some of the residents, especially for Mary. Several of the boys on the team could drive so they should be able to squeeze sixteen kids into four vehicles. They set up a time for the following day—two days before competition. In his eyes, this was more important than fitting in an extra practice.
He called Addie on his way home and told her to tell the team that they had a field trip the following day after school, an opportunity to see if they were really ready to compete. Perhaps it was wrong not to tell her his plan, but it didn’t feel right to explain over the phone. After hanging up, he texted Kayla and asked her to call him after her meeting, and then he headed over to see Buck.
Pulling into the driveway at Rusty’s house, something hit him. Sergeant Buck was about Mary’s age, if not older, in dog years. Maybe, like Mary, he had moments of clarity. Maybe he realized that he was no longer in the service and wondered about his purpose now. It would explain why the old dog enjoyed going to cheerleading practice. Training was familiar, even if the kids were training for cheer competition rather than war.
When they’d watched some of the videos, Chase had even pointed out that it looked like Buck was doing his own version of their routine. He would sit sometimes, stand sometimes, and turn in circles and even bark. The boys swore there was a sequence to it but Ronnie hadn’t paid any attention to them. He’d just chalked it up to the imaginings of teenagers.
But now? Maybe they were right. And maybe there was something he could do for Buck with that information. He’d have to think it over.
He visited with Rusty and Buck for a little while but headed out the door when Kayla called. He listened to her talk about her new position and all the benefits that her new company offered. Not only would she be spending less time in the office, but she’d also have the ability to work from home when necessary. Eventually, her whirlwind of excitement dissipated a little and she asked, “How was my mom?”
“She was great. She was actually pretty coherent today and talked to me a little bit while I was there. She even made sense. The nurse said she took a shower without being coaxed into it and even ate a little better than she normally does,” he replied.
“That’s so great,” Kayla said. “This has been a great day for me, for my mother and hopefully for Addie, too. How was your day?”
“It was good. The only thing that would make it better was if I could kiss you good-night,” he said.
“Just a kiss? That’s all you want?” she teased.
“I didn’t say where I wanted to kiss you,” he said. After a moment of silence, he continued, “Make sure you want to know the answer before you ask a question like that, beautiful.”
“Thanks for today, Ronnie. I’ll let you have that kiss the next time I get you alone. I might even kiss you back…but I won’t say where either.” She laughed.
He smiled all the way back to the apartment. At least he was the one she called on a good day…a really good day. He would work on being happy with that instead of begrudging the times he couldn’t be with her.
* * *
The following day, he and the boys loaded the practice mats into the back of his truck and then they all piled into the various vehicles. Addie, Kaitlyn and Chase rode with him. When they’d settled in for the ride, Kaitlyn asked the question he knew he couldn’t avoid.
“Where are we headed, Sergeant Brown?”
“We are going to the nursing home where Addie’s grandmother lives. She asked me yesterday to bring Addie for a visit and I thought we could multitask. I called your principal and he gave me a paper for the staff at the nursing home to sign. The time you spend practicing for the residents at the home today will count toward your community service hours required for graduation,” he said.
“That isn’t very nice, Ronnie,” Addie said with a frown. “She doesn’t even know who I am anymore, so it is doubtful she asked for me to visit. Don’t lie.”
“I am telling you, with God as my witness, she asked me to bring you to visit her. I got the impression that somehow she knows when you’re there and when you’re not. I know that sounds completely jacked, but it’s true. I think she knows and I think she misses you. So you can do your routine for her today,” he said.
“I don’t want to do this, Ronnie. It’s hard to see her when she won’t remember I’m there. You may think otherwise, but she won’t. Don’t make me go. I’ll be too worked up to do the routine anyways,” Addie said.
“Don’t you think you’re going to be a nervous wreck on Saturday? Consider this anxiety practice for the competition. As for your grandmother not remembering you were there, does it really matter? Take the time to do this for her, whether she knows what is going on or not. Trust me. Someday you’ll thank me for making you do this,” he said with finality.
Addie sat back against the seat with an angry look on her face and crossed her arms.
Chase bumped her with his shoul
der and said, “It won’t be so bad. Old people rule. They’ve seen and done all kinds of cool shit. My neighbor is old but he’s awesome.”
“My grandmother has Alzheimer’s disease. She doesn’t remember anything, including the fact that she has a daughter and a granddaughter, let alone what cool things she may or may not have done in the past,” Addie said sarcastically. “She won’t remember that I was there, who I am, anything I might have said to her…nothing.”
“Well, maybe that’s a good thing. You can say whatever you want,” Kaitlyn offered.
“That’s the problem. She won’t remember,” Addie replied softly.
“She remembered that your grandfather was in the air force and that he was handsome in his uniform. Sometimes things have a bigger impact than you give them credit for,” Ronnie said.
The rest of the trip was fairly quiet. After a while, Addie seemed to relax a bit and she lost a little of her angry vibe. They unloaded the practice mats and set them up in a large room where several old people sat around tables at the far end watching with interest. Pulling out Ian’s portable stereo that Ronnie had borrowed, which contained a CD player and the CD he’d ordered off the internet, he plugged it in while the kids began stretching and warming up.
When they took their positions and he pressed play, the looks on their faces were worth the three hundred bucks he’d spent on the custom CD. Their team was announced and their mascot was mentioned overtop the tracks they had worked with during practices. His sisters were good for something other than butting into his personal life.
“Where did you get that?” Kaitlyn and Addie said almost in unison.
“Addie’s grandmother Mary paid a pretty penny for this CD and I went online and ordered it, so now you kids have two days to match the routine up to it. It should fit pretty well already, may just need a little work here and there,” he said.
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