Fast Break (Texas Titans Holiday)

by Cheryl Douglas

  “The man who put his hands on me that night wasn’t my husband. The drink had turned him into someone else, someone I didn’t even recognize anymore.”

  Kevin heard the anguish in her voice and it ripped him apart. It was obvious she’d loved this man once, they shared a child together, and as much as he’d like to pretend Bree’s life had been at a standstill without him, she’d been busy loving and living, just as he’d been.

  “Do you ever wish you’d given him a chance to get help?” Kevin asked, slipping her hand into his. “You know, before you left town?”

  “I had my reservations the first few weeks,” she admitted. “He’d call me up all hours of the day and night, crying and begging me to give him another chance. He said it would never happen again and a part of me believed him since it had never happened before. But by that time, I was already in love with the life I was building here and Ainsley was settling in nicely.”

  Kevin knew Bree wasn’t the type to give up without a fight, with the exception of their relationship, so it didn’t surprise him to hear she had reservations after she left her husband.

  “The only thing I missed about Houston was my dad.”

  “Think he’ll move here to be closer to you and Ainsley’s now that your mama’s gone?”

  “I hope so,” Bree said, her lips downturned. “He still has a lot of friends here. He and mama grew up here. He has a brother and sister and a few nieces and nephews nearby too. I hope that’ll be enough to sway him.”

  “I hope so too,” Kevin said, kissing her head.

  He knew how much it would mean to her to have her father nearby and if there was anything he could do to make her dream a reality, he would. He didn’t know how Mr. Chapman would feel about him now. Back when he’d dated Bree, he knew her parents were of the same opinion as his, they were too young to be so serious. They should go to school, get a degree, and then plan for the future.

  “Did your dad like Lyle?”

  “In the beginning he did,” Bree said, reaching for the remote to lower the flame on the gas fireplace. “But when Lyle’s father died and he started drinking more and working less, Daddy was just about done giving him the benefit of the doubt.”

  “I can see why,” Kevin said, thinking how he would feel if a man were treating his daughter the way Lyle had treated Bree. “I assume you haven’t told him about us?”

  “Uh no, not yet. But I will.”

  The hesitancy in her voice told him she was in no hurry to fill her father in on their news. “How do you think he’ll react? If I recall, he wasn’t my biggest fan.”

  “You’re wrong,” she said, kicking the blanket off. “My parents liked you, they were just worried that we were getting too serious. They thought I was gonna get pregnant, marry you, and forget all about school.” She chuckled. “Fat lot of good that degree did me. I’m back here working in my aunt’s antique shop, a job I could have gotten without that degree.”

  “Yeah, but there’s something to be said for finishing what you start,” he reminded her. “You had a dream and you made it come true. When the time comes, you can tell Ainsley about the sacrifices you made to get an education.”

  “You’re right.” She kissed him before smiling. “Are you resentful, even a little bit, that things went down the way they did?”

  He couldn’t pretend it didn’t sting every time he thought of the years they lost, but he refused to waste time being bitter and angry when he could be happy and grateful instead. “A little less every day. Honestly, I’ve never been happier. I was too young and dumb to appreciate what we had when we were kids. I get it now.”

  She skimmed his jaw with the back of her hand. “Me too.”

  “I’m worried about Ainsley,” he said, knowing they had to be upfront with each other if they expected to have the kind of relationship they both wanted. “I know she misses her daddy and I don’t want her to see me as the reason y’all ended your marriage.”

  “Ainsley likes you.” Bree gripped his hand, running her finger back and forth over his knuckles. “I know, in time, she’ll grow to love you. We just have to be patient and let her feelings evolve naturally without trying to push her before she’s ready.”

  “I won’t push,” Kevin said, thinking he would have to try to avoid doing the same where Ainsley’s mama was concerned. “I promise I’ll try to be patient and just enjoy what we have, without wasting too much time wishing for something more.” He smiled when she climbed up in his lap, straddling him as she laced her fingers through his hair.

  “Speaking of kids,” he said, grinning. “Why don’t you hang around tomorrow morning to meet mine?”

  “I’d love to meet Danny,” Bree said, kissing him. “But not after spending the night with you. I wouldn’t want to make him feel uncomfortable.”

  “Maybe the four of us could get together for dinner tomorrow night?”

  “Not this weekend.” Bree brushed her hand over his hair. “This weekend, just focus on him. Spend time with him, doing whatever he wants. Let him know that you’re there for him, that you love him and he’s still the most important person in your life, whether y’all are living together or not.”

  “Damn,” Kevin said, feeling the emotion welling in his throat. “Just when I think I couldn’t love you any more, you say something like that and make a liar out of me.”

  Chapter Twelve

  After the intimacy they’d shared last night and that morning, the last thing Kevin wanted was to watch Bree walk out the door, but she insisted on leaving before Danny arrived. And since he knew she had his son’s best interests at heart, he let her go.

  Kevin was sitting on the couch in the family room, reviewing a brief when he heard the front door followed by the sound of heavy footsteps and a slamming door.

  “Dad!”

  “In here,” Kevin called, getting up to greet him.

  Danny stopped in the doorway of the family room, his jaw dropping when he spotted the twenty foot pine tree nestled in the corner.

  Kevin had left the twinkling lights on to enhance the effect when Danny saw it for the first time. “What do you think? You like the decorations?”

  “This is crazy,” he said, turning to take in the adorned banister stretching to the second floor before admiring the garland wrapping around the mahogany mantle. “You did all this?”

  “Ah no,” Kevin said, chuckling. “Your aunt Rennie got the ball rolling on this. It was her gift to me. We have a mutual friend who does holiday decorating and Ren asked her to come over and work her magic here.” He wanted to tell his son that Bree was much more than a friend, but he knew he had to ease into it.

  “It looks like one of those department stores,” Danny said, setting his backpack down. “I remember when Mom took me to one of those swanky department stores in New York last Christmas. It looks like that.”

  Kevin knew Bree was going for more of a traditional, home-spun look, but he couldn’t disagree with his son. The décor had that elegant feel a kid might associate with a high-end department store. “Why didn’t your mama come in when she dropped you off?”

  “She didn’t drop me off,” Danny said, crossing the room. He stood back, looking at the family pictures nestled among the fresh garland on the mantle. “Victor did.”

  Kevin swallowed the urge to say something nasty about the man who was about to become his son’s step-father. “You’re getting along with him then?”

  “He’s okay,” Danny said, shrugging. “He tries to tell me what to do, but Mom can usually get him to back off. She doesn’t want us to argue.”

  Kevin was torn. Should he issue the usual speech about respecting his elders or tell his son to stand his ground? Victor wasn’t Danny’s father, he was, and he didn’t want the other man to think he could over-step. “Do you argue with him much?” Kevin asked, trying to get a feel for the dynamics in Danny’s new home.

  “Nah, I usually just hang out up in my room so I don’t have to deal with him.”

&
nbsp; Kevin hated the thought of his son hiding out up in his bedroom to avoid his mother’s new love interest. “Have you talked to your mother about this? Does she know how you feel about Victor?”

  “She’s stressed about the wedding,” Danny said, dropping into the chair across from his father with a heavy sigh. “That’s all she talks about.”

  Kevin couldn’t claim to be surprised. Trena was all about Trena, had been since the day he met her, but he wouldn’t allow her selfishness to harm his son. “You know you can stay here with me whenever you want. I can ask Agnes to pick you up from school when I can’t.”

  “I don’t know if Mom would like that,” Danny said, biting his lip. “I think she wants me there with her. At least for now.”

  “What does that mean? You think she’s going to change her mind about that?” Kevin frowned when his son failed to respond. “Kid, your mama loves you. That’s never gonna change.”

  “It might if she has more kids with this dude.” Staring at the black TV screen, Danny said, “My friend Scott’s parents divorced a few years ago and his mom re-married. She had another kid and Scott said she barely has time for him anymore. She never comes to any of his games or volunteers at the school anymore ’cause she’s too busy with the new baby.”

  Kevin knew he had to handle this carefully. He wanted to marry Bree and expand their family and he didn’t want his son to think that would have any impact on their relationship. “Baby’s require a lot of time and attention. That doesn’t mean Scott’s mom loves him any less. And even if your mom does have a baby with her new husband, that doesn’t mean she’s gonna love you any less.”

  “Think you’ll ever get married again?” Danny asked, narrowing his eyes at Kevin. “Or have more kids?”

  The moment of truth. He hadn’t expected to talk to Danny about Bree so soon, but since he’d given him an opening, he knew he had to take it. “I’ve learned to never say never, Dan. Things don’t always work out the way we expect them to. I thought I’d always be with your mama and I was perfectly content with one child.”

  “But…?”

  “Things have obviously changed.” Kevin hesitated, questioning how much he should say about his relationship with Bree. “Your mama has found someone new and…” He cleared his throat. “So have I.”

  Danny scowled, folding his arms. “So you have a new girlfriend, huh? Great, just great. Next you’re gonna be shipping me off to some boarding school so you won’t have to deal with me at all.”

  Kevin felt Danny’s claim like an arrow through the heart, mainly because he couldn’t pretend he’d always been there for his son. He worked too many hours, took too many business trips, put his career before his family for too damn long and now he had to answer for it. “That’s never gonna happen,” Kevin whispered fiercely, leaning forward to grasp Danny’s knee.

  “Whatever. Can I go to my room now?”

  “No, not until we talk about this.” Kevin took a deep breath, knowing he had to hold his temper. Danny was angry and confused, with good reason, and it was his job to make him feel more secure. “I know you’ve had to endure a lot of changes in the last little while and I’m sorry about that.”

  “Were you seeing her while you were with my mom?”

  Kevin stared at his son, slack-jawed, before finally saying, “No, of course not. Bree and I dated when I was in college. She moved to Houston after high school. I haven’t seen her in twenty years. It wasn’t until your Aunt Rennie asked her to decorate the house for me that—”

  “She did this?” Danny asked, gesturing to the tree. “I should’ve known. She’s trying to move in here, huh? She’s already taking over. Is she living here?” Looking around, Danny asked, “Is she here now? Is she gonna be spending the weekend with us? ’Cause if she is, I’m outta here.”

  Kevin never expected his son’s insolence, though he probably should have. “Bree did this because she wanted you to enjoy the holidays. She knows it’s been rough for you lately and just wanted to—”

  “Spare me,” he said, holding his hand up. “She did this ’cause she wants you. It has nothing to do with me. Another gold digger, huh, Dad?”

  “Bree is not a gold digger,” Kevin said, trying to hide his outrage. “She could care less about what I have. She’s a good person, Danny. You’ll realize that when you get to know her.”

  “I don’t want to get to know her,” he said, barrelling out of his chair. “I just want everyone to leave me alone!”

  Everything in Kevin was screaming at him to go after his son, but he knew they both needed some time to cool off before they tried to make sense of what they were feeling.

  * * *

  A couple of hours later, Kevin knocked on Danny’s bedroom door with a plate of grilled cheese and corn chips. “I thought you might be hungry.”

  He popped the ear buds out of his ears before propping himself up against the fabric headboard. “I guess I could eat.” He reached for the plate, muttering, “Thanks.”

  Kevin sat at the desk chair in the corner, watching his son shovel the food into his mouth as though he hadn’t eaten in a week. Clearly he still wasn’t ready to talk, but Kevin was. “I don’t want this to cause a rift between us. Tell me what I can do to make things better.”

  “Dump her,” he said, around a mouthful of food. “You say I’m the most important person in your life, prove it. Get rid of her.”

  “The tail doesn’t wag the dog, kid.” Kevin had zero tolerance for smart-mouthed kids, especially when it was his own.

  “What does that mean?” he asked, scowling.

  “It means that I’m the parent, not the other way around.”

  He smirked. “I should’ve known you’d say something like that. You’re just like Mom. You say I matter, that I’m the most important person in your life and you’d do anything to make me happy, but when it comes down to it, you don’t give a shit about me. You just care about your own happiness.”

  “Watch your language,” Kevin warned, knowing Danny’s foul mouth was the least of his worries right now. He wouldn’t do anything to compromise his relationship with his son, but he couldn’t risk losing Bree again. He needed her. “I’m sorry you’re hurt and I get why you’re angry, but—”

  “You don’t understand anything! Your parents never divorced. They loved you enough to stay together.”

  Kevin didn’t understand where all this hostility was coming from. The last time they’d been together, Danny seemed to be handling things reasonably well. It was like Bree acted as a trigger that set him off. “My parents didn’t stay together because they loved me,” Kevin said, feigning a calmness he didn’t feel. “They stayed together because they loved each other.”

  “Whatever,” he said, rolling his eyes as he held up the empty plate. “You did your duty and fed me. You can leave me alone now.”

  “What the hell, Dan? Where is this coming from? Why are you so angry all of a sudden?”

  “All of a sudden?” he shouted. “You think this is sudden? You would think that ’cause you’ve never been around. How the hell would you know that I’ve been miserable forever?”

  Kevin knew his son was entering a delicate age, one where troubled kids started looking for relief anywhere they could find it and that prospect scared the hell out of him. “Are you having trouble at school? Is that where this is coming from?” Danny lowered his eyes so quickly, Kevin knew he’d guessed right. “Is someone giving you a hard time?”

  “It doesn’t matter,” he said, hanging his head. “It’s not your problem. It’s mine. I don’t need you to fix things for me. I’ve been doing just fine without you all these years.”

  “I’m sorry if I haven’t been there as often as I should’ve been,” Kevin said, thinking about his brother’s warning. “I’m not going to insult you by using my work as an excuse again. There is no excuse. I screwed up big-time, but I’m asking you to forgive me and at least think about giving me a chance to make things right. Can you do that? Can y
ou give me a chance to prove to you that I can be the kind of dad you need me to be?”

  “You think this is all about you, don’t you? You think my life sucks ’cause you’re a shitty dad? That’s part of it, but that’s not the only reason.”

  There’s was so much Kevin wanted to say, but he held his tongue because he needed to hear more. He needed to understand Danny, to get inside his head if he had a prayer of making things better between them. “Tell me the reasons,” Kevin said. “Tell me why your life sucks.”

  “Did you know some kid at my school offed himself last week?” he asked, his dark eyes meeting Kevin’s.

  “How old was he?” Kevin asked, feeling the acidic taste of shame and regret filling his throat.

  Danny went to a private school that included kids from junior kindergarten through high school and Kevin knew the kid who’d took his life could be much older than his son, dealing with problems Danny hadn’t even encountered yet, but he was still terrified that his son may be trying to send him a message about his state of mind.

  “A year older than me.”

  Kevin swallowed repeatedly, trying to find his voice, but it took a long time for the words to come. “Did you know this kid?”

  “Sure,” he said, shrugging. “He was cool. Everyone liked him, teachers, other kids—no one could figure out why he’d do something like that, but I get it.”

  “You do?” Kevin felt the pain ripping through his chest as he received the warning loud and clear.

  “His parents got a divorce last year. His old man moved to Arizona with his older brother. He never saw them anymore.”

  “That must have been rough,” Kevin said, wiping his damp palms against his faded jeans.

  “His girlfriend broke up with him too. She started dating some other guy. I think he was Ridge’s football rival.”

  “They say the first cut is the deepest,” Kevin said, softly. “If he’d given himself a chance, he could have gotten over the girl. He would have found someone else.”

  “It’s not always that easy,” Danny said, bending his knees as he planted his shoes on the bed.