Fast Break (Texas Titans Holiday)

by Cheryl Douglas

  “You’re right, little miss,” Bree said, laughing as she ruffled her daughter’s hair.

  Mr. and Mrs. Foster came to greet them, exchanging pleasantries with Bree’s father, who they’d met several times when she and Kevin were dating. “We’ve got a game on in the other room, Joe,” John Foster said, hooking a thumb over his shoulder. “You’re welcome to come too, Lyle.”

  Bree couldn’t help but wonder whether Kevin was watching the game too. She’d seen his car parked out front, so she knew he was there. But of course he would be. This was his family and it was Christmas. Where else would he be?

  “Don’t mind if I do,” Joe said, slapping John on the back as they made their way into the family room. “Damn knee’s giving me all kinds of grief. I’m tellin’ ya…”

  Bree tuned her father’s voice out as she offered Mrs. Foster a brittle smile. Zach had already led Ainsley to Monica and the two girls could be heard squealing with delight.

  “I’m glad you could come, Bree.”

  “Thank you, ma’am,” Bree said, smoothing a hand over her sweater.

  She’d agonized over what to wear. She didn’t want to be over-dressed or under-dressed or look like she was trying to entice Kevin by trying too hard to impress him. In the end, she’d settled on black leggings, a tapered gray sweater with hand-made infinity scarf and over-the-knee black boots.

  “Please call me Lenora,” Mrs. Foster said, taking her hand. “You’re not seventeen anymore, honey. Heck, you’re a mama yourself now. In case I haven’t told you, your little girl is lovely.”

  “Thank you.” Bree wasn’t sure what to expect when she encountered Lenora. Although they’d had a nice talk at Kevin’s, she feared the woman may hold her responsible for their most recent falling out. Apparently Kevin had shouldered the blame when he relayed the story to his parents, for which she was grateful.

  “What can I do to help, Ren?” Bree asked, hoping her friend would be able to keep her busy in the kitchen so she wouldn’t have to face Kevin until dinner. At least with an audience he wouldn’t be able to say something that might prompt her to burst into tears; yes, she felt that unstable.

  “If you and Lenora could set the table while I bring some more appetizers into the family room, that would be great,” Rennie said. “Everything is stacked on the table. Just holler if you need anything.”

  Bree followed Kevin’s mother into the formal dining room as she searched her mind for something to talk about that didn’t involve Lenora’s oldest son.

  “It’s nice that Lyle was able to be here to spend the holiday with Ainsley,” Lenora said, reaching for a stack of red cotton napkins. “It must be difficult for kids, that first Christmas without one of their parents.”

  Bree couldn’t tell if Lenora was trying to upset her, but she decided to give the older woman the benefit of the doubt. “We’ve done our best to make it special for her. Lyle and I took her to get her picture taken with Santa and went out for hot chocolate afterward. I think she enjoyed that.”

  “Hmm, I’m sure she did,” Lenora said, her mouth twisting in disapproval. “I hope you don’t mind me asking this, but are you planning to get back together with him, Bree?”

  “Lyle?” She frowned. “No, of course not. Why would you ask me that?”

  “I just…” She sighed before sinking into the chair at the end of the table. “I worry about Kevin. If you get back together with your husband, I fear that might send him right over the edge.”

  “Kevin was the one who ended things this time,” Bree said, trying to keep her voice even. “I would have been happy to wait until he worked things out with Danny, but he didn’t want that.” Well, he may have alluded to it, but Bree sensed he was just saying what he felt he should so she wouldn’t leave his office in tears.

  “I know, dear. He told me what happened.” Lenora gestured to the chair next to her, waiting for Bree to take it before she said, “The thing you need to understand about Kevin is that he feels deeply. He puts on this mask for the rest of the world, pretends he’s this hard-nosed lawyer whose only job is to present the facts, but there’s so much more to him than that.”

  “I know,” Bree said, folding and refolding the same napkin.

  “Do you?” Lenora shook her head. “When he falls in love, it’s head over heels. When he feels guilty, he bears the weight of the world on his shoulders. That’s just it. He loves you and Danny both so much, but he’s torn. He doesn’t feel he was the father he should have been when Danny was growing up, and now he blames himself for all of his son’s problems.”

  “I’m sure he did the best he could,” Bree said, feeling the need to jump to his defense. “There are only so many hours in a day and I’m sure he felt he was doing what he had to do to provide for his family.”

  “Exactly.” Lenora smiled, patting Bree’s hand. “That’s why I think you’re good for him. You understand him in a way Trena never did.”

  Bree didn’t like the comparison between herself and Kevin’s ex-wife, but she remained quiet, allowing Lenora to continue.

  “He loves you, Bree. I know that with everything in me. Please don’t give up on him.”

  Bree was stunned. She’d never expected either of Kevin’s parents to plead with her to give their son another chance. It seems they’d finally come full circle and it only took two decades and a river or tears. “I haven’t given up on him, but I suspect he’s given up on us. I haven’t heard from him since he explained to me about Danny. Don’t you think he would have reached out to me if he wanted things to be…. better between us?”

  “He’s feeling a little lost right now,” Lenora said. “Not sure which direction to take, but I just know that if you give him a little time, he’ll find his way back to you.”

  Bree prayed Lenora was right. She just hoped he figured it out sooner rather than later. She missed him.

  * * *

  Kevin was left alone with Lyle and he knew it was by design. The other men had made their way to Zach’s wine room to select a few bottles for dinner, and since Lyle was a recovering alcoholic and Kevin could care less what they drank, they’d both stayed behind, pretending to watch the game while ignoring the elephant in the room.

  “How long do you plan to stay?” Kevin asked, finally.

  Lyle chuckled. “I bet you’re hopin’ it won’t be too long.”

  “Smart bet.”

  “You’re supposed to be so smart, bein’ a hotshot lawyer and all, but from where I sit, you gotta be the stupidest son of a bitch on the planet.”

  If not for the fact they were in his brother’s house with kids under the same roof, Kevin would have lunged at him. “Bein’ it’s Christmas and all, I’m gonna give a chance to explain before I knock that smug smile off your face.”

  “She’s in love with you. Anyone can see that.” Lyle took a sip of his soft drink before he said, “If I’m bein’ honest, I’d have to say I’ve always known how she felt about you.”

  Kevin didn’t want to hear this, not now, not today, when he was feeling so raw.

  “I’d give my right arm if she’d look at me that way again.”

  “You screwed up,” Kevin said, refusing to feel a modicum of sympathy for a man he’d despised long before he laid eyes on him. “What the hell were you thinking, puttin’ your hands on her like that?”

  “You ever made a mistake?” Lyle asked, giving him a long, hard look. “Probably not. Well, I’ve made more than my fair share. The kind of mistakes that make a man wonder if he’s a waste of a life.”

  Kevin’s gaze fell on the TV screen instead of looking at Lyle. He didn’t want to like him, couldn’t allow himself to relate to his story in any way.

  “I’ve disappointed everyone who’s ever loved me, man. My parents, my siblings, my friends, my little girl, Bree.” He sighed. “I wish like hell I could hit the reset button and start my life all over again, but I can’t. All I can do is get through today without taking a drink.”

  Kevin set his beer
bottle down on the table so it was out of Lyle’s line of sight. “It must be hard on days like this, huh? When everyone else is drinking?”

  “Not really.” His lips twitched when they heard Ainsley giggling uproariously. “And that little lady is the reason why. I know it’s too late to make things right with her mama. Bree and I have talked it to death, she don’t love me no more. I can’t change that. But I can still do right by my little girl.” He set his drink down, clasping his hands between his knees. “That’s the thing about kids, ain’t it? They’re a lot more forgiving than the rest of us.”

  Kevin hoped that was true. If not, things with Danny were liable to get a whole lot worse before they got better. “I guess.”

  “They don’t come with an instruction manual,” Lyle said, smirking. “It’s no wonder so many kids are screwed up. It’s ’cause their parents are so messed up.”

  “Yeah,” Kevin said, thinking most people would assume he had it all together, but they’d be wrong. Dead wrong. “It’s not easy raising kids these days.”

  “You think it was any easier when we were kids?” Lyle asked, crossing his ankle over his bent knee. “I don’t. Our parents tried protecting us the same way we try to protect our kids.”

  “Hmmm.” Kevin thought of his own father and all the mistakes he’d made trying to do what he thought was best for his sons.

  “Bree told me why y’all broke up back in that day. You must’ve hated your old man when you found out what he did, huh?”

  “No, not really,” Kevin said, thinking about it. “I was mad as hell, still am, sort of, but I knew he was just trying to do what he thought was right.”

  “That’s good that you’re not holdin’ a grudge,” Lyle said. “I lost my old man a while back in the worst way, and I miss him every day. You only get one father and no matter how much bad blood there is between y’all, it’s days like this when you’ll miss him most.”

  Kevin leaned forward, thinking it might be time for him to make peace with his father. If he wanted Danny to forgive him, the least he could do was extend the same courtesy to his father. Strange, it had taken this man to make him realize it.

  * * *

  Bree was alone in the kitchen making her homemade cranberry sauce when she felt someone in the room with her. She stopped stirring when a familiar pair of dark eyes locked with hers. “You must be Danny.”

  “Yeah.” He shoved his hands into the pocket of his baggy jeans before leaning against the wall. “You’re Bree, right?”

  “I am.” She didn’t know what to say or why he was here, so she decided to let him take the lead.

  “This is weird, huh?” he said, crossing his arms.

  “What’s that?” she asked, deciding she’d make him spell it out. She didn’t blame the kid for anything that happened. She and Kevin had created this situation.

  “I… uh… just wanted to talk to you about my dad.” He lowered his head, making Bree want to reach out and hug him.

  “Okay.” She set the bowl aside before wiping her hands on a towel and turning to face him. “What about him?”

  “He’s been… uh… pretty bummed since you guys broke up.”

  “Is that right?” Bree knew how hard it must be for Danny to reach out to her and she didn’t want to make it any harder for him, but she wondered if he may have sought her out to warn her to stay away from his dad. “Well, he’s not the only one.”

  “That guy in there,” Danny said, hooking a thumb over his shoulder. “He’s your husband?”

  “We’re getting a divorce,” Bree said, clearing her throat. “Why?”

  “I just wanted to make sure you’re not hookin’ up with him again.”

  Wow. This kid didn’t mince words. “Would it matter to you if I were?” she asked, giving him a pointed look. He wasn’t the only one who could play hard ball.

  “Not to me, but I think it’d matter to my dad.”

  “Why?”

  “’Cause I’m pretty sure he loves you.” He uncrossed his arms, looking awkward as a lock of longer hair fell over his forehead. “He didn’t say that or anything, but I can kinda tell.”

  “Hmm, interesting.” Bree remembered what it felt like to be Danny’s age. Not quite a kid or a young adult, just somewhere in between in no-man’s land. Parents didn’t understand and friends turned into enemies in the blink of an eye. No wonder the poor kid was confused.

  “I’m staying with him now,” Danny said, biting his lip.

  “Really?” Bree asked, sensing he wanted to open up to her. “How’s that working out?”

  “I like living with him better than living with my mom.” He blushed, dipping his head. “Not that there’s anything wrong with my mom, but she’s busy with her new man and doesn’t really have time for me anymore.”

  “I’m sure you’re just as important to her as your ever were, Danny,” Bree said, feeling her heart break for the kid.

  “Besides, that’s my home.” He shrugged. “Bein’ there makes it seem like things haven’t changed quite so much, ya know?”

  “I can understand that.”

  “So, uh, you think my dad would mind if I stayed there with him permanently?”

  Bree thought it was odd Danny was talking to her about this instead of his father, but she didn’t want to shut him down. She wanted to keep talking, to learn more about him and hopefully find some common ground. “I’m sure your dad would love to have you, but you would have to work that out with your parents, honey.”

  He tipped his head, twisting his lips as though he was trying to figure out a complex problem. “Would you mind if I was hangin’ around all the time, you know, if you and my dad got together?”

  “Of course not,” Bree said, shocked by his question. “Danny, that’s your home and Kevin is your father. No way would I try to come between you two.”

  Danny sighed heavily before sinking into a chair at the table. “I kind of thought you might say that. After I saw you with the kids today…” He shrugged. “I don’t know, you seem pretty good with kids.”

  “I love kids,” Bree said quietly. She wanted to tell him that she could love him too, given the chance, but she didn’t want to over-step.

  “Then you’d wanna have a baby with my dad if you guys got married?” he asked, looking wary.

  This conversation was skirting uncomfortable territory, but she could tell it was important to him, so she tried to be honest and direct. “We’ve talked about it. I’d love to have another baby. I think he would too. But how would you feel about that?”

  “I don’t know,” he said, tapping his knuckles against the wood table. “It’d be weird at first, but it might not be that bad.”

  Bree knew it was way too soon to be having this conversation, especially since Kevin had been careful to avoid her all afternoon. “Everything new takes some getting used to.”

  “I wanted my dad to break up with you ’cause I didn’t think you’d want me around.” He said the words in a rush, almost as though he’d been holding them in too long. “I wanted to move back into my old house with him, but I thought you’d try to talk him out of it.”

  Bree slid off her stool, joining him at the table. “Why would you think that?” she asked, gently, wanting him to know she harboured no ill will toward him.

  “I don’t know.” He shrugged. “I get the feeling my mom’s new husband doesn’t want me around. I figured you’d feel the same way.”

  Bree covered his hand with hers, waiting until he met her eyes before she said, “Don’t think for a second your dad could love a woman who wasn’t willing to accept you. You guys are a package deal, just like me and Ainsley.”

  “She’s a cute kid,” Danny said, giving her a lop-sided grin. “I thought it would suck having a bratty little step-sister, but it might not be so bad.”

  “Ainsley’s always wanted a little sister, but I bet she’d be just as happy with a big brother.” Bree chastised herself for letting her imagination run away with her and taking Dan
ny along for the ride.

  “Yeah, it might be cool.” He reached for a peanut butter cookie from a platter in the middle of the table. After biting into it, his eyes widened. “Did you make these?”

  “Yes.” She smiled. “You like them?”

  “They’re amazing.” He shoveled the rest of the cookie into his mouth before adding, “My mother doesn’t cook. Doesn’t bake either. That’s why we had Agnes.”

  “Not everyone likes to cook,” Bree said, trying to walk the line of propriety.

  “But you do?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  It seemed he had a lot more than cookies on his mind when he said, “It’s tough to buy a Christmas present for my old man.”

  Bree was surprised by the abrupt change in conversation but decided to let him take her wherever he needed to go. “I’m sure it is.”

  “I bought him a tie.” He rolled his eyes. “He didn’t need another tie.”

  Laughing, she said, “I’m sure he appreciated it nonetheless.”

  “Yeah, but not as much as he appreciated seeing you today. That’s why I asked my Aunt Rennie to call you, ’cause I didn’t want to ruin my dad’s holiday and I knew he’d go on bein’ miserable if you weren’t here.”

  Swallowing the lump in her throat, Bree asked, “You asked your aunt to call me?”

  He shrugged, looking embarrassed. “I’m pretty sure she would’ve called you anyway, but I asked her if maybe she could get you to come over for coffee or dessert or something. I figured if you and my dad were in the same room, you’d have to talk.”

  Apparently Kevin didn’t agree, since he’d barely said two words to her, but she appreciated Danny’s effort nonetheless. “That was really sweet of you,” she said, squeezing his hand. “Thank you for wanting to include me.”

  He frowned. “Yeah, but it’s not workin’ out the way I thought it would. My dad’s still not steppin’ up, is he?”

  Bree couldn’t help but think that may be because he’d decided they were better off as friends. “You can’t force these things, Danny.”

  “But you’d be willing to talk to him?” he asked, sounding hopeful.