Love of the Game - The Complete Collection (Box Set)

by Shayne McClendon

  The other adults coughed bad words into their hands and he repeated firmly, “Not a word of truth, Lexie. Just ignore them.”

  Bailey shook her head. “Already a nickname and not an hour old.”

  “Speaking of which, she’s a Christmas baby!” Peter grinned. “You look just like your mommy when she was born.” Her father crooned softly to his new granddaughter as he practically snatched her from Hart’s arms. “We’re going to have so much fun, you and me. Just wait.”

  He hadn’t held her long before Regina glared him into submission. She sat in the chair beside Harley’s bed and openly cried as she took Alexis. “Look at you! My god, you did so great, honey.” She winked over the baby. “You’re welcome for good birthing hips, by the way.”

  “Seriously, thanks for that, Mom.”

  Bailey peered over Regina’s shoulder. “She doesn’t look like an alien. I’m so glad I don’t have to lie when I say that’s a beautiful baby, Harley. You know ugly babies freak me out because I’m the only one who ever seems to notice.”

  “You’re a mess, Bailey. Do you want to hold her?” Her friend’s eyes telegraphed pure terror. “You’ll be awesome at this aunt thing. Don’t be a baby.”

  “You remember your words if I damage the goods.”

  “Hey.” Bailey looked up and met Harley’s eyes. “Her value can only go up if you hold her. You’re one of the very best people on the whole planet. Take your niece.”

  Nodding, tears flowing freely, she lifted Alexis inch by inch from Regina’s arms and smiled. “You really are just so damn pretty.” She took a seat along the wall. “I’m your Aunt Bailey. I’m going to spoil you absolutely rotten…and you’re going to love every minute.”

  Glancing at her brother, she watched his eyes fill with warmth and affection he usually tried to hide. He tilted his head and smiled watching her best friend hold the new baby.

  Suddenly shaking himself, he blanked his expression. “I’m going to ask when they plan to move you to your own room. Be right back.”

  “Thanks, Hart.”

  Pausing, he bent over her bed. Sliding his hands under her back, he gave her a big hug and whispered at her ear, “You’re going to be a fantastic mom. I’m really proud of you.”

  It was nearing dawn when an orderly pushed Harley into her private room in the maternity ward. She begged them all to go home and get some sleep.

  “I’ll be fine. Rest for a few hours and I’ll do the same. We’ll be here.”

  Finally, they listened and after twenty more minutes of kisses and hugs, she found herself alone with her daughter for the first time.

  A nurse came to show her how to breastfeed and it went well. It was an incredibly close moment and the little burp that followed made her laugh.

  Cradling her in the curve of her shoulder, she stared at the little girl she hadn’t planned on but didn’t regret even a little bit.

  “Alexis, I’m your mommy. I’m going to take very good care of you. I named you Alexis Becka in honor of two men I love very much. One day, you’ll meet your dad and I hope you love him every bit as much as I do.”

  Smoothing a fingertip over the softest cheek she’d ever touched, she kissed the silken forehead.

  “I can’t have either of them around right now but…one day, maybe. In the meantime, we’re going to have a wonderful life together. I love you so much and I’m glad you’re here with me. I don’t feel as alone now.”

  When she started to drift to sleep, a nurse came to return Alexis to the nursery.

  Through the window, she looked at the stars over North Carolina. “Wherever you are, Beck, thank you for my beautiful daughter. I hope one day you get to meet her. For now, I have to stop thinking about you – either of you – all the time. I have to focus on being a mom.”

  She drifted to sleep and for the first time in months, she didn’t dream of the men she loved.

  Chapter Six

  Six years later…

  Harley landed her dream job. The one she really wanted as the rookie architectural designer for the best firm in Raleigh.

  With her grades and the significant portfolio of work she’d done over the years for her parents, she went after the job aggressively. It would take two more years to complete her masters but she wasn’t worried.

  She planned to be firmly entrenched in the company by then.

  During the interview, the human resources manager didn’t even try to hide how impressed she was. She received authorization to offer Harley top scale for a new graduate and called to offer her the job just hours after her interview.

  She called her parents in the car and they screamed in happiness. Blushing at the other patrons in the coffee house, she turned down the sound on her cell. She stared through the plate glass window at the downtown street beyond.

  “You did it! I fucking knew you’d do it!” her father shouted.

  Regina’s smile could be heard in her voice. “We are so proud of you. When do you start?”

  “Three weeks. They want me to train with their top architect and he’s on vacation.”

  “Please come down with the baby before you have to go to work. Who knows when you’ll have time off again?”

  “Mom…”

  “Harley. It’s been long enough. You need to come home. This is your home, you grew up here, and you have just as much right to remember the good things you experienced here. You know summer is our busiest time of the year and we haven’t seen you since Christmas.”

  “Honey, imagine taking Alexis to all the places you loved when you were little and playing in the pool together. Your mom redecorated your old playroom so she has a room of her own.”

  “Promise you’ll think about it.”

  Harley knew she was being a coward and it wasn’t the person she was. “Alright. I’ll drive down this weekend.” She cleared her throat. “Is…Hart coming home to visit?”

  “He’s home now and he’s alone, Harley. Should I ask if…”

  “No! No, don’t say anything. It’s ridiculous. I’ll pick Lexie up from pre-K and get right on the road. We won’t get in until late.”

  Actual clapping came from the other end of the line. “We are going to take care of everything. Would you rather fly down? We can get you tickets.”

  “I’ll drive. It will give me time to think.”

  “We are so proud of you, Harley. Your life is going exactly as you planned.”

  A few minutes later, she hung up. She sat for a while, people watching. Summer was when Hart and his friends spent the most time in their hometown. Could she really face the two men she hadn’t seen in five years?

  Hell yes, she could.

  It hadn’t been easy but Harley had done exactly what she’d set out to do.

  She stayed home with Lexie until she was six weeks old. After their doctors pronounced them both in excellent condition at follow up appointments, she went back to class and got her ass in the gym. She found a daycare not far from their apartment that passed her meticulous inspection.

  It was in her sophomore year when she hit her stride.

  The meat of her degree kept her academically interested while she busted her ass to lose every ounce of baby weight and regain her strength and speed.

  She was in the best shape of her life. Her stats during tryouts blew the Tar Heel coaches away and she’d been a starter since her second game with the team.

  Bailey and Regina planned visits to stay with Lexie based on the team’s away schedule. Harley called babysitters she trusted on nights she had late practice or games.

  Her parents paid the daycare bills as well as her rent and utilities. She requested a list each month of what they paid on her behalf. They were too good to her but she’d have never managed so well without them.

  Harley planned to repay every dime, including the money Regina pretended to know nothing about happened to magically appeared in her bank account every time she stayed with them.

  Standing, she threw away her trash and wa
lked out to her trusty VW bug. She let the car cool down and called Bailey from the shade to tell her the news.

  “You got it because you are one badass bitch, my friend!”

  Harley laughed. “I’m heading down to Mom and Dad’s this weekend.” She gave the news nonchalantly. “You gonna be around in the next few weeks?”

  Her best friend took the news far more calmly than she thought she would. “I will be now. We’ll talk more when I see you. My flight’s about to leave but call me tonight, okay?”

  “Of course! I love you and travel safe.”

  The drive to the pretty plaza where Alexis attended pre-K didn’t take long. She loved coming to get her before rush hour because the parking lot was virtually empty.

  North Carolina was having a record-breaking summer. She left the windows cracked so it wouldn’t be so sweltering when she came back with Lexie.

  The inside of the building was cool and she slid her sunglasses on top of her head. The routine was a familiar one and she waved to the receptionist after she signed the sheet and scanned her badge. The door buzzed to let her know she could enter.

  Lexie spotted her the second she stepped into the large space set up in learning quadrants.

  “Mommy!”

  Her daughter came running, bouncing brown curls and bright hazel eyes, her year-round tan the envy of her babysitters. Harley scooped her up and planted kisses all over her face.

  “Did you have a good day?”

  “The best day ever, Mommy. We got to visit with Miss Laura from the petting zoo. She brought a little monkey and it was the cutest thing you ever saw!”

  Harley waved at the teachers who grinned knowingly. Lexie was…exuberant. A pink backpack and matching lunchbox sat zipped up and ready in her cubby. Slinging them over her shoulder, she carried Lexie to the car.

  The absolute light of her life chatted non-stop across the parking lot and waved to another parent walking inside to pick up their child.

  She turned on the car to get the air conditioner running then buckled Lexie in securely. She liked to sit diagonally behind her mother so she could watch her face in the mirror. Harley often made funny faces for no reason to amuse her.

  Not that the habit hadn’t earned her a few odd looks over the years.

  Giving her extra kisses, she said, “We’re driving down to Florida this weekend. Would you like that?”

  “To see Gramma and Pop-Pop?” Harley nodded. “Will my Hart be there?”

  “I think so.”

  “I can’t wait! We have to pack!”

  This child always makes me laugh.

  “Two more days, baby. Then we’ll go.”

  One more kiss and she stepped back to close the rear passenger door. Lexie was waving crazily in the backseat as she walked around the front of the car. It looked like she was singing.

  Harley never saw the delivery truck hurtling through the parking lot behind her. She didn’t realize the driver was slumped over the wheel. The instant it slammed into her from behind and bounced her head off the hood, she blacked out. She was unaware that it dragged her a short distance before leaving her broken and bleeding on the asphalt.

  Her five-year-old daughter, screaming in the backseat of her car, saw the whole thing.

  Chapter Seven

  Six weeks later…

  It was bright, loud, and she fucking hurt everywhere.

  “Harley…? Open your eyes and look at me.”

  She tried but they felt like they weighed a hundred pounds each.

  “Open your eyes. You can do it, Harley.”

  She put every ounce of strength and focus into the task. A tiny crack appeared and she realized she was in some sort of hospital room.

  “There you are.”

  She saw a flash of her mother’s face before darkness sucked her back down.

  Harley’s eyes opened slowly and she thought it might be night outside. Light coming from somewhere told her she was definitely in a hospital room.

  Nothing made sense and it made her afraid.

  How was it night already?

  What happened?

  Where was…?

  “Lexie? Where’s my daughter? Lexie!”

  Her voice went from a rough croak to a raw scream of panic in an instant. Harley powered out of her fog and fought whatever was holding her down.

  Her mother’s face appeared. “Honey…stop moving. Lexie is fine. She’s with Bailey. You’re going to hurt yourself.”

  She screamed and screamed. Suddenly her mother was gone and nurses on either side held her down. The pain was unbelievable.

  Nothing mattered but finding her daughter.

  Then Regina was there with Lexie in her arms. Both of them were crying hard. Her daughter reached for her.

  “Harley…see? Lexie’s okay. She’s right here. It’s okay…you’re going to be okay, Harley.”

  The sudden release of tension took every ounce of strength she had and darkness hit her like a train. Physically, she was in agony unlike anything she’d ever felt in her life. Mentally, she was confused. Emotionally, she exhaled in relief that her daughter was safe.

  Harley murmured, “I love you.” She wouldn’t remember.

  The nurses worked to reattach the leads their patient pulled loose, as well as the IV she’d ripped from the back of her hand.

  Regina held a hysterical Lexie as Bailey trembled and sobbed quietly at her side. “It’s okay, Lexie. Mommy is going to be okay. Ssh, there now, baby.”

  “No worries, Mrs. Jamison. She’ll come out of it more over the next day or two. We called the doctor and he’ll be here soon.”

  Regina collapsed in the chair beside her daughter’s bed with her granddaughter in her arms. The little girl had been through so much the past weeks. All she wanted was her mother.

  “Here, Lexie. Let’s hold Mommy’s hand.” She carefully slid Lexie’s fingers under Harley’s. “We’ll be so gentle so she can rest and get better.”

  The effect on Alexis was immediate. She sniffed hard and rubbed her face on her shirtsleeve. “Mommy.”

  Reaching up, her small hand petted the curls that remained on Harley’s head below the bandages. Much of it had been shaved away during emergency surgery.

  Bailey straightened the blankets around Harley on the other side of the bed and Regina wondered how much longer the young woman could push herself before she had a complete breakdown. She didn’t remember the last time she slept in a bed.

  Night after night, she stayed at the hospital and took short naps in the reclining chair in Harley’s room. First in the ICU, now in the long-term recovery wing where they moved her daughter once she was considered stable. She showered here and kept luggage in the corner.

  She insisted she was more use at the hospital; that she would keep them posted while they cared for Lexie.

  Regina thought back to the call she’d received from Lexie’s daycare weeks ago. Harley listed all of them as next-of-kin on her daughter’s paperwork.

  “Mrs. Jamison, this is Mary Hoffman from Lexie’s daycare. Lexie is fine. It’s Harley. She was hit a little while ago.”

  “Hit? I don’t understand.”

  “A delivery truck ran her over in the parking lot, ma’am. The man driving had a heart attack and died behind the wheel. Harley was airlifted to the trauma hospital on the other side of Raleigh.”

  “I’m coming.” She was already moving for the closet where she and Peter kept a bag packed in case of emergency. “Where’s Lexie?”

  “She’s here with me. I own the daycare, ma’am. I’ll bring her to the hospital to meet you but she is beside herself. The poor little baby saw the whole thing from the backseat of the car. She doesn’t have a scratch but the front of the Harley’s Bug is destroyed. Please come soon.”

  “I’ll be there. Keep my granddaughter safe.” She hung up and called Peter, Hart, and Bailey.

  By the time she skidded to a stop in front of the company’s latest building project, Peter had already charter
ed a plane. Bailey was leaving on the next flight out of LA and Hart chartered a private jet out of Phoenix.

  They arrived at the hospital within hours but Harley was still in surgery.

  All of them were together when the doctor came out to say the next few days would be critical. “Miss Jamison is stable for now. She lost a lot of blood from the break in her leg that punctured her artery. We removed shards of bone from her brain and the swelling is substantial. At this point, I do feel the prognosis is favorable. She’s young and her body is strong.”

  A nurse allowed them to go in for a few moments. Regina’s first sight of her daughter made her knees give out. Peter caught her before she hit the floor.

  Hart completely broke down and Bailey looked like she would grind her teeth to dust.

  Her husband of twenty-five years kept his jaw clenched tight. His eyes filled with tears and he was unable to speak but he wasn’t one to lose control when his family needed him. He did his sobbing when he thought Regina was asleep.

  Harley was hit from behind. The back of her head hit the hood of the delivery truck and the front hit the pavement. Her skull and several vertebrae in her neck were fractured. They did not believe she was paralyzed but until she regained consciousness, they wouldn’t know for sure.

  Her daughter’s cheek and nose were shattered and would have to be rebuilt. She had a fractured pelvis, a broken hip, shattered knee, three broken ribs, a broken collarbone, and so much bruising and swelling it was two weeks before her own family could recognize her. Most of the serious damage was on the left side of her body.

  The truck hit her, rolled over her, and kept going another ten feet until it was stopped by a row of parked cars. She’d been dragged along under it.

  A representative from the delivery company came to the hospital on the second day. He authorized payment of her medical expenses, now and in the future. He also handed Regina a cashier’s check for one million dollars. She doubted it was going to be enough. That would depend on the condition Harley was in when she was finally released from the hospital.