“Can you blame her? You two have been apart a long time. You need to get to know each other all over again. I know you think you know Jayda, that she hasn’t changed all that much from the girl you were married to before, but if that were true, you guys wouldn’t stand a chance, right?”
Chase wasn’t sure he liked where his friend was going with this. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You can’t both be the same people if you want this to work. Last time you two were too stubborn to make the necessary sacrifices, to swallow your damn pride and admit there was nothing more important than your family.”
“Yeah, but—”
“Just hear me out. You’ve changed, haven’t you?” When Chase nodded, Ethan said, “When I first met you, you were mad at the world but determined to leave your mark on baseball. You threw yourself into the game like it was the only thing that mattered to you. But the first time I heard you talk about Cadence and Jayda, I knew that wasn’t true.”
“It’s not true.” Chase pushed his plate aside, his appetite long gone. “I could live without baseball, I think. I know I’ll have to someday, but coming this close to having them back in my life—I mean, every day—I don’t want to live without either one of them ever again.”
“Then go back and tell Jayda how you feel.”
Chase knew that was his only option, even if it was scary as hell. “Yeah, but before I do that, I need to know you’re going to be okay. I hate leaving you like this when—”
Ethan’s doorbell rang, and he raised his hand. “Hold that thought.” He jumped up and cast a quick glance in the mirror as he walked past, groaning when he saw his reflection. “God, I look worse than I feel, if that’s even possible.”
Chase sipped his orange juice as he watched Ethan open the door to a beautiful brunette.
They stared at each other for a split second before she threw her arms around him. “Bella told me what happened, hon. I’m so sorry.”
“Uh, it’s okay. I’m okay.” Ethan peeled her arms from around his neck. “In fact, I have a friend staying with me. Why don’t you come in and meet him?”
Chase stood and walked halfway to the front door so Ethan could make his introductions. “Hi,” Chase said, smiling at the stranger.
She was even prettier up close. She was at least a head shorter than Ethan and looked casual with very little makeup and her long hair pulled up in a ponytail. She was wearing a black tank top, flats, faded skinny jeans, and a long black sweater. She didn’t look like she’d put much effort into dressing to impress Ethan, unlike most of the girls who tried to get his attention.
“Uh, Chase, this is my little sister’s best friend.” Ethan cleared his throat as he tried not to look at the woman while he made the introductions. “Grace Sanchez, Chase—”
“Miller, I know.” She stepped forward, offering Chase her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m a huge fan.”
“Thank you.” Chase smiled at Ethan over her head, who was watching their exchange with a frown. “It’s a pleasure to meet you too, Grace,” he said, closing his hands around hers. Chase had never heard Ethan talk about his sister’s friends, but he got the distinct impression this one was special. “How come I’ve never met you? Ethan hasn’t offered you tickets?”
She stole a quick glance at Ethan. “Um, he wasn’t sure his fiancée would like it if I came to his games.”
So they definitely had history. Interesting.
“Well, now that she’s out of the picture, I hope to see a lot of you next season.” Even Chase, who was definitely off the market, was bowled over by her smile. He decided Ethan would have to be crazy not to let her distract him from his nasty breakup, if she offered.
“I’d like that.” She looked past him toward the kitchen. “Oh, I interrupted your breakfast. I’m so sorry. But when Bella called me to tell me what happened, I just had to stop by.” She turned to touch Ethan’s forearm. “She can’t come back ‘til early next week, and I knew your parents were still away. I hated the thought of you being here all alone—”
“Yeah, well…” Ethan stepped back, looking visibly tense. “As you can see, I’m not alone, so you don’t have to worry about me. I’m fine, Gracie.”
“Right.” Looking hurt by his dismissal, she adjusted the strap of her purse over her shoulder and backed out of the foyer. She reached for the doorknob after giving Chase a hesitant smile. “Well, it was nice meeting you, Chase. Ethan, if you need anything, you know where to find me. Bye.”
Chase expected Ethan to say something to stop her from leaving, to apologize for being a jerk maybe, but he simply let air seep through his teeth as he watched her close the door.
The silence stretched on before Chase finally asked, “What the hell was that? Who is that girl?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
Chase followed him back into the kitchen and watched him clear the dishes. It was the first domestic thing he’d seen him do in all the years he’d known him. Ethan hired housekeepers and cooks at both of his residences because he was too lazy to take care of himself.
Chase leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. “Well, that’s too bad, ‘cause I’m not leaving ‘til you tell me what the deal is. And don’t try to pass her off as your little sister’s BFF. It’s obvious there’s more between you than that.”
“We dated a long time ago, okay?” He threw the dishes on the counter with nearly enough force to break them. “I was in my second year of college. She was in her last year of high school. I ended things because baseball was starting to take over my life at that point. You know how that is. I needed to stay focused on the game if I wanted a big league contract someday.”
“So you broke up with her because of baseball?” Chase knew a lot of guys had ended serious relationships because they didn’t think they could juggle being a professional athlete and having a demanding girlfriend back home, but he found it hard to believe Ethan had taken the easy way out. He wasn’t the type.
“Yeah.”
“Why do I get the feeling there’s more to the story?”
Ethan clenched his fists as he turned to face Chase. It was obvious he was debating whether to tell him the whole story, but he finally blurted, “It didn’t take me long to realize I’d made a huge mistake. I couldn’t stop thinking about her. I was a mess. I figured I’d tell her how I felt when I went home during summer break. But I never got the chance.”
“What happened?”
“She had another boyfriend. She told me…” He took a deep breath as he narrowed his eyes. “She told me she was in love with him.”
“Sorry, E. We don’t have to—”
“That’s not all. She told me this dude wanted to marry her, that she thought he might propose at Christmas. She said if he did, she’d say yes.” He leaned back against the counter, folding his arms. “You know what that did to me?”
“I can imagine.”
“No, you can’t.” He looked at the door she’d just passed through. “It damn near killed me. This thing with Issie sucked. Sure, I loved her, but more than anything, it hurt my pride. What happened with Grace way back then hurt more than just my pride.”
He didn’t have to say it hurt his heart; Chase could tell just by hearing him talk about her. “So what happened with her and the other guy? Did she marry him or what?”
He shook his head. “No, they dated for a few years and got engaged, but it didn’t work out. She broke up with him a couple of years back.”
“And by then you were with Issie.” When Ethan nodded, Chase said, “So this is the first time you’ve both been single at the same time since you broke up?”
“Don’t even go there,” he said, looking disgusted. “You think I’m really desperate enough to be some woman’s second choice? Things didn’t work out with the guy she really wanted to marry, so she’ll give it another go with me instead? I don’t think so.”
“Weren’t you the one just telling me to forget the past
?” Chase smirked as he threw Ethan’s own words back in his face. “What else did you say? Oh yeah, that people can change. How do you know Grace hasn’t changed? Maybe she regrets what went down between you guys. It’s obvious she still cares about you or she wouldn’t have come rushing over here as soon as she found out you and Issie split.”
Ethan grabbed his head and moaned. “God, my head feels like it’s going to explode. Talking about Issie was bad enough, but I sure as hell can’t deal with the Gracie shit today. I need a shower, man. And if you were smart, you’d call the airline and get your ass on the first available flight back to Aurora. Women like Jayda don’t waste time waiting for someone who can’t make up their mind.”
Chapter Twenty
Jayda stared at her brother across the table. Since he hadn’t been tried or sentenced yet, he was in a minimum security facility, which meant she could visit him without a sheet of glass between them.
“I didn’t think you’d really come,” Dillon said, looking uneasy.
“I had to see for myself that you were all right.” She’d been thinking about him ever since her talk with Jessie. He looked better than she’d expected, except for the god-awful uniform inmates were forced to wear.
He spread his arms. “I’m doing just fine. Better than fine, actually. This is my longest stretch without drugs in a really long time. And it feels good, like my head is finally starting to clear, ya know?”
“I’m glad. That’s all I ever wanted for you, to get clean.” She’d been willing to give up just about everything to see that he got the help he needed, and in spite of the way he’d hurt her, she didn’t regret the sacrifices she’d made to help him. At the end of the day, for better or worse, he was still family.
“One day at a time,” he said, looking serious as he repeated the famous mantra. “For the first time in my life, I’m not just paying lip service to it. I mean it.”
“Good.” She felt as though it had been forever since she’d had a real conversation with her brother. She wasn’t even sure where to start.
“Dad said you went to New York to be with Chase. You guys back together?”
“You’ve talked to Dad?” she asked, trying to avoid the question. She wasn’t sure where she and Chase stood, and her brother was the last person she wanted to discuss it with.
“I’ve called him collect a couple of times, just to let him know I’m doing okay and he didn’t have anything to worry about.”
“He’s thinking about selling the business, just so you know.” She’d talked to her father about it that morning when she called to tell him she’d be late coming into work because she intended to visit Dillon.
“Good for him. He deserves to relax a little, not have to worry about anything. Selling the business will give him the money he needs to take care of himself.”
Jayda tried to swallow her bitterness as she thought about all the money Dillon had taken from their father over the years, money that could have been used to pay some of his medical bills. “I’ll always take care of Dad. I’d never let him worry about how he was going to make it.”
“Yeah, but you know how he is. He has too much pride to accept a handout.”
Unlike you, little brother. “Dad has never had to take a handout. I may have been the one busting my ass to make sure the business was profitable the last few years, but Dad’s been there every step of the way. I couldn’t have done it without him.”
“Sure, you could have. You’re hard-working, smart, and you know your stuff. You would have been just fine without the old man, and we both know it.”
She was sure he’d intended that as a compliment, but she couldn’t bear to thank him. Her emotions were still too raw for her to admit that her brother’s opinion carried any weight.
“Now that he’s selling the business, I’ll have to figure out what’s next for me.” She considered whether to tell him about the options she and Chase had been discussing before he bailed. “I’ve been thinking about a move, maybe going back to school. I’ve asked Dad to come with me, but I’m not sure he will.”
“A move?” He didn’t seem surprised. “So you and Miller are getting back together then?”
“We’re considering it.” She thought that was a safe response. “He’s changed, and so have I. Enough to make it work this time…? I guess that remains to be seen.”
“I’m sure it would make Cadence happy to see her mom and dad back together after all this time.”
She narrowed her eyes to let him know her daughter was off-limits after what he’d done. “I guess I just wanted you to know there are some changes in the works.”
He gave her a half-smile that surprised her. “Don’t you mean you wanted me to know I’d be on my own from now on? So I better not screw up, huh? ‘Cause you won’t be there to bail me out next time.”
“I can’t keep bailing you out.” She sighed. “That doesn’t mean I don’t love you. You’re my little brother. I’ll always love you. But I can’t keep putting you first, to my own determinant. I have a little girl to raise. She has to be my priority from now on.”
“And her daddy?”
“We’ll see.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Why’re you being so tight-lipped about Miller? You really don’t trust me, do you?”
“Trust is something you earn. You broke my trust. Now you have to earn it back if that’s something you decide you want to do.”
He nodded. “I get that. And I’ll prove to you that I’m ready to change, sis. I swear I will. I’m tired of living like this. I hate the guy I’ve become.”
Jayda hated him too, but she saw no point in admitting as much. “The kind of relationship we have from now on is up to you. I won’t continue to enable you. That’s not fair to you or to me. We’re both adults, and we can make whatever choices we want to, so long as we both understand there are consequences.”
“And one of the consequences of me using drugs is not having you in my life anymore, is that what you’re saying?”
She looked him in the eye to let him know she had no intention of wavering on this. She couldn’t afford to. Supporting him through his own personal hell had already cost her too much. “That’s right.”
“Fair enough. That gives me even more incentive to stay clean, doesn’t it?”
“I hope so.” She pushed her chair back before she stood. There were two other people in the visiting room and they glanced in her direction, but she ignored them as she fixated on her brother. “Good luck, Dillon. I mean that.”
“Can I call you sometime?”
“If you’re serious about getting clean, you can call me anytime. Otherwise, no.”
“Message received.” He grabbed her hand before she could leave, but the guard shot him a warning glance, and he released her. “I’m sorry for everything. Forgive me?”
“I believe you’re sorry.” Or at least she wanted to. “But forgiveness is earned, and it takes time. Fortunately, time is on our side, little brother.”
***
Chase was nervous as he waited for Jayda in her office. Her father had told him she’d gone to visit her brother in jail, so Chase had no idea what kind of mood she’d be in when she arrived. His late-night departure probably ensured it would be a lousy one.
He heard her voice outside the door. She was talking to one of the mechanics, asking if he could work late because they were slammed. He agreed, and she thanked him before turning the knob. Chase held his breath as she looked at him, shock registering on her face. Her father clearly hadn’t told her he was waiting for her.
“Hey,” he said, swallowing his fear.
Her expression was blank, not giving him any indication how she felt about seeing him. “When did you get back?” She purposely walked around him to her desk.
“About an hour ago.” He glanced at his watch. “Your dad said you went to see Dillon. How did that go?”
She shrugged before sinking into her tall swivel chair. “Okay, I guess. He seems to be doing b
etter, but only time will tell whether he’s serious about getting clean. I’ve learned the hard way not to get my hopes up.”
That felt like a dig, but since he hadn’t come here to fight, he let it go. “I’m glad you went to see him. I’m sure it gave you a chance to get some things off your chest.”
“I guess.” She fired up her computer before glancing at him. “Is that why you’re here? To get some things off your chest?”
He cleared his throat, wondering how he should respond. “I’m sorry I left the way I did. I was mad and—”
“You ran. Just like you always do.”
“That’s not fair.” He hadn’t cut and run before. She’d tossed him and his suitcase out when she found out he’d signed that contract without talking to her first. “I haven’t shirked my responsibilities as a father, have I?”
“No,” she conceded. “Cadence always knew she could count on you. I guess that’s part of the reason I never stopped loving you… because you were always the father you promised me you would be.”
He grabbed the olive branch she extended as he rounded her desk. He didn’t dare get too close until he’d gauged whether she was softening toward him. Perched on the edge of her desk, out of striking distance, he asked, “So do you hate me, or what?”
“I could never hate you.” She stared at the framed picture of Cadence on her desk. “I can be mad as hell at you, but I could never hate you. Truth is, I’ve spent more than half my life loving you.”
Her voice was soft and broken and so unlike her, it nearly broke him. “I’ve spent more than half my life loving you too.”
Her full lips stretched thin as she whispered, “If that’s true, why do we keep hurting each other?”
“That’s a good question.” When she looked at him expectantly, he said, “And I’m not sure I have an answer. Maybe never?”
“Not what I want to hear,” she grumbled.
“We’ll probably go on having fights, and every time we do it’ll hurt, but isn’t that what most couples do? Kiss and make up?”
Make Up Call (Summer Rush #3) Page 20