“I’m listening,” I countered. He wanted something. He hardly complimented me.
His green gaze roamed over my face. “You do take after me.”
I let out a small laugh. “You’re just now coming to that conclusion?” As much as I hated some of his qualities, I wouldn’t deny we were much alike. “So what do you want that you didn’t want to tell me on the phone?” If I knew my father, he wanted to see my body language when he delivered whatever news he had on his mind.
“I want you to move back home,” he said. “Arlene has your room ready.”
I popped up. “No, thank you.”
He caught my wrist. “Sit.” His tone permitted no argument.
Smart man.
If he had told me that on the phone, I would’ve hung up on him. Regardless, I obeyed. I kept my posture straight, head up, and shoulders back. I schooled as much of my ire as I could. As much as fighting with him was fun at times, I wasn’t in the mood.
“You don’t trust me to keep my end of the bargain,” I said more than asked.
He sipped his whiskey. “Frankly, I don’t. Your behavior so far has been embarrassing.”
“I beg to differ. Who do you have following me? Is she one of your conquests?”
He glanced over his shoulder at the open door. “I have my resources.”
Oh, I was certain he did. “Blond, big boobs. Ring a bell? Just so you know, she’s sleeping with Ryker.”
He continued to sip his whiskey, not giving me any indication I was getting under his skin, which gave me reason to pause. I normally could get a reaction out of him, and at the moment, I was glad he’d requested my presence. Body language told the real story if the person wasn’t good at keeping his cards close to his vest.
“She’s Ryker’s style,” he said with a grin.
I wasn’t sure what I’d been expecting as far as a reaction from him, but that grin said it all. Blondie was his spy.
“What’s her name?” I asked.
He placed his glass on the table. “I don’t keep up with who Ryker sleeps with.”
The question then was how did he know Ryker’s type? On second thought, I knew the answer. My father had security goons to find info on people.
At the moment, I had to find a way to convince Father to let me stay in the dorms, which was far more important than Ryker James.
“I’m not moving home. You didn’t want me around when I was a teenager, so don’t start now. Besides, the drive is too long with rush-hour traffic. I told you I would keep my end of the deal.”
He scrubbed a hand over his chin. “Then you won’t give me flap when I tell you to stay away from Ryker James.”
A scream was ready to break free. “Why are you worried, Dad? You just said blondes are his type. Last I checked”—I grabbed a wad of my red hair—“I’m not blond.”
He resumed drinking his whiskey. “Let’s recap then. No media attention. No sororities. And no Ryker James. Any violation, and you’ll force my hand.”
“What is your hang-up with the guy?” I dug my nails into my thighs. “And don’t tell me media attention. I know you. You’re hiding something.”
“Why can’t my reason be that I care about my daughter?”
I would love to believe him. “Since my mom died, you’ve never even told me you loved me. So, sorry if I don’t believe you care. And give the guy a break. He’s going through some hard times.” I rose. “Don’t worry, I won’t ruin your election. But I am going to go to parties. I’m going to date. So get used to that.”
He stood, pursing his lips. “Then I have your word?”
I let out a heavy sigh. “I want nothing to do with Ryker James.” My tone was convincing only because I wanted to leave, and maybe a small part of me didn’t want the hassle that came with Ryker and the women he screwed.
Father’s jaw loosened. “Good. I also need your help.”
I laughed because he never, ever needed my help. He had aides to do his dirty work.
“I’ll be in DC the week after next,” he said. “And I made a commitment to speak at Woodcreek High’s government class. I need you to take my place.”
My face twisted. “Since when do I fill in for you? Get one of your aides to do that.” It wasn’t that I was afraid to speak on the topic. I knew the government. But asking for my help wasn’t in his nature.
“Mr. Bridges is a good friend. He asked me for a favor. When I told him I had a change in my schedule at the last minute, he thought it would be a good idea to have you speak to his class.”
I knew the teacher. He’d been over for dinner on two occasions when I’d been home from boarding school during the summer. He’d been impressed with my knowledge of not only the government but my ability to speak two foreign languages. I’d spent one summer in Spain and one summer in Greece. So I’d taught myself both. In fact, a friend from boarding school and I had learned together.
“If I do this, then you owe me.” My father didn’t do anything without bartering or bargaining. Like father, like daughter.
He draped his arm around me. “Don’t give me any reason not to owe you.”
Spoken like a strict father.
5
Ryker
I kicked out my legs as I sat across the large mahogany desk that was OCD neat for a lawyer. Then again, Franklin Bumgardner had been put together since I could remember. He wore a blue Armani suit, diamond-studded cuff links on his pink-striped shirt, and a tie that had a fancy design with paisleys and polka dots.
Franklin scribbled on a legal-sized pad. “You look like shit.”
I laughed. “How do you know? You’ve been writing since I walked in.”
“I saw you, and you stink like cigars and booze.”
That was the aroma parties were made of. Nevertheless, I smelled my underarms. My deodorant was working. It had to be my breath. Haven had scoffed at how bad it stank, but I had taken the time to brush my teeth before I came.
Haven. The chick had been stuck in my brain since she’d stormed out of my house.
I’d been turning over her sassy comment about how I needed to shape up. I wasn’t ready to do anything but wallow in misery. Unless she’d experienced the death of a loved one, then she wouldn’t know what I was going through.
“Whatever. Can we get on with why I’m here?” I didn’t want to waste my Saturday sitting in a lawyer’s office.
I had no idea what I was going to do when I walked out of there, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to be all happy and shit like those people in the park outside his window who played fetch with their dogs or lounged on a blanket, eating lunch without a care in the world.
Franklin set his expensive Mont Blanc pen down and sat back in his leather chair, moving his jaw from side to side as he scrutinized me.
I hated when his black-as-night eyes screamed how disappointed he was in me, much like my old man’s had. I’d known Franklin since I was a tyke. He and my dad had been best buds in college. They’d both studied law. However, my dad hadn’t practiced even though he’d passed the bar. He’d had a vision of starting his own company with products designed for the oil industry. Texas was rife with oil refineries, so he’d thought he could make more selling a good product rather than chasing down thugs and witnesses since he’d been into criminal law.
Despite that, he’d hired Franklin to handle all the legal stuff that came with a company.
“So is partying how you mourn your family?” His scowl said I was a loser.
“Fuck you. If you must know, I’m still numb to it all. I don’t see you crying your eyes out.”
He steepled his fingers near his mouth. “I’ve got work to do.”
I popped forward and rested my elbows on my knees. “So do I.” Beer to drink. “I have football games to win.”
“You think you can throw a football?”
Hot and sticky anger made me tense. Now that my old man wasn’t giving me the third degree about football, Franklin was. While I occasionally didn’t
mind the kick in the ass every now and then, I wasn’t in the mood to hear his condescending tone.
“Leave football to me. I’ll leave the law to you. Now we can get on with things.” My head was starting to pound.
He sighed, briefly closing his eyes. Then he lowered his hands to the desk, sitting up straighter. “I’m sorry, Ryker. I’m so fucking pissed that he’s gone, that your family is gone.” His eyes filled with tears.
I inhaled deeply, hoping that all the emotions I had buried deep inside didn’t come spewing out. Because once they did, I wouldn’t be able to play football or do anything else.
I threw my head in my hands and grabbed onto my hair. Pulling every strand out seemed like something that would take away the pain in my chest.
How do people deal with this shit? Losing anyone, let alone the four people who had meant the world to me, was beyond my comprehension.
I needed a drink.
I blew out a loud, audible breath as I eyed the tray on his credenza that banked the side wall.
Fuck it.
I hopped up and practically sprinted like a damn alcoholic who needed a quick fix.
“You think that’s wise?” Franklin asked.
I uncapped the expensive single-malt scotch with one hand and flipped him off with my other. “I Ubered over here.” No way was I driving. The alcohol from the last two nights was flowing freely through me. So given the bad luck I’d had, I was treading lightly. If I lost the opportunity to play football, then I would bury myself with my family.
He sighed. “Pour me one too.”
Now we were getting somewhere. “Coming up.”
After pouring two glasses of my father’s favorite Glenlivet Scotch, I handed Franklin his and returned to my chair.
We toasted to my father, mother, sister, and brother.
Once the aged twenty-one-year scotch hit my taste buds, the tension eased even more.
Franklin’s tight features loosened after a couple of swigs. “The chancellor sent over what you need to do to atone for your accident on campus.”
I couldn’t wait to hear what the crusty old man had to dish out. I was sure he wasn’t banning me from football. The sport drew in lots of money, and without me, he might not have the draw of fans in the stadium. After all, football was a religion in the great state of Texas.
Franklin set his drink down, flipped open a folder, and scanned it. “After the funeral, you’ll be assigned to a clean-up crew with the maintenance department. You’ll do ten hours of penance, which is nothing if you ask me.”
“Like I have time to keep campus clean. He realizes I have football and away games and parties to attend, not to mention the football fundraiser.”
“You’re the big man on campus, and he can’t just let this slide. You know as well as I do if your old man was here, he would make you do much more than that. And let’s not forget, the chancellor could make your life hell. He could’ve called the local police, and then you would’ve been slapped with drunk driving. Seriously, Ryker. I’m not going to tell you not to drink. If I were in your shoes, I would probably drink myself to death. But you’ve got a future in football. Don’t fuck that up.”
I had never been a good little boy. But when it came to football, I was the perfect player. I was the one spurring my team on. I was the one who played like my life depended on it. But that was all before I lost everything. Now my world had changed. I was in shock and denial—the first stage of grief. At least that was what Lucas had told me the other day.
Well, I would be in that first stage for a long time. No matter what, I couldn’t see past the shock.
I downed the rest of the scotch. “I’m out of here.” I was done talking about how not to be a fuck-up. I had a case of beer at home with my name on it.
“When is Kari coming in?” Eagerness threaded through Franklin’s words.
I arched a brow. He’d always had a thing for my mom’s younger sister, who had never married.
“She’s flying in Monday,” I said. “She’s staying at my parents’ ranch. Are you ever going to ask her out?”
Franklin was a handsome forty-five-year-old and had been divorced for five years. He had thick black hair with streaks of silver in it, black eyes, a strong jaw, and a close-shaven beard. Sometimes my parents’ circle of friends had ribbed my dad by saying I resembled Franklin more than him. But my mom had put that teasing to rest. She’d gotten so tired of hearing everyone say, “Are you sure Ryker isn’t the mailman’s son, or even Franklin’s?” She’d actually produced my birth certificate as proof. Besides, my old man had had dark hair too. His hadn’t been as black as mine, but I’d gotten my color from my mom.
Franklin knocked back the rest of his scotch. “Long-distance relationships don’t work.”
“Wait. Are you saying you and my aunt had fun between the sheets?” I grinned. “Way to go, man.”
His jaw hardened. “None of your business. Which reminds me. Stay away from Haven Hale.”
“Come again?” I knew the Hale name. Everyone did if they lived in Texas. But surely, the Haven I’d met couldn’t possibly be related to the man I was thinking of.
Franklin took a sip of his drink. “Haven Hale, the daughter of Texas Senator Eugene Hale?”
I squeezed my eyes closed for a second. “He has a daughter?”
So that’s who she is. That’s what Lucas was trying to tell me.
“Are you living under a rock?”
“I don’t pay attention to politics. You know that. The politics I get into are on the football field.” But I did know the Texas senator and my dad had practically been enemies.
James Enterprises had violated one discharge water permit due to a piece of equipment that had failed. The company had paid the fine and had the equipment fixed, and all that had been needed was the final release from the water board to start up operations.
Unfortunately, that seal of approval had been a slow train from China. Two months of calls and visits to the water board headquarters had gone unnoticed. Franklin had been told that the water board had a backlog of cases with a short staff, which might’ve been true until Franklin found that Senator Eugene Hale had stopped all permits from being released. My dad had lost customers and tons of money, and he’d had to let employees go.
Franklin rose and poured himself more scotch. “I shouldn’t bust your balls. Not many people know about her, or if they do, they don’t bring her up. The out-of-sight and out-of-mind thing. Anyway, he hid her away. Her school years were spent in a boarding school in Michigan. I only know this because of the turmoil between your father and hers.”
I squinted at the sunlight spilling in as my mind spun like a tornado with ideas on how I could piss off the senator.
Franklin returned with the bottle of scotch and filled my glass a quarter of the way. “I see your wheels turning. Don’t bring his daughter into this fight. And let’s not forget he can ruin your football career. He’s a number-one alumni donor to the university.”
The senator might donate money, but in no way could he sway Coach on who played the game and who didn’t.
Crossing my ankles, I kicked up my feet on the edge of the desk. “He also hates me, which I don’t give a rat’s ass about. But please let me have some fun.”
Franklin leaned against the edge, swatting at my feet. “Down, boy.”
I took a gulp from my glass as I lowered my feet. “Are you talking about my feet or my dick?” Because I was thinking the latter when it came to Haven. Man, it would be so much fun to get my rocks off and piss off her old man at the same time.
“Ryker.” Franklin warned. “Leave Haven alone.” The dude was in my head. He should be. He knew me well.
I pouted as something occurred to me. “Why are you bringing up Haven, by the way?”
He loosened his tie. “Her father sent me the pic of her on your lap, and I did see her when she walked out of your place last night. Look, you don’t need the media attention. And it’s an election year, so
the media might be in her face. Besides, you’ve got a ton of shit on your plate. Don’t add more.”
That last line meant “Don’t give me more work to do.”
“Haven could be a nice plaything,” I mused.
Franklin rounded his desk. “Forget her.”
Easier said than done.
6
Haven
The Delta Sigma Pi sorority house was swarming with girls of all shapes and sizes. Their voices ranged from squeaky to low baritones on a few as well as other pitches in between. Perfumes mixed together, creating an aroma that made my eyes water. I didn’t use a fragrance other than body wash, shampoo, and my unscented sensitive-skin deodorant.
I weaved through the crowd, following Vicki as she headed to the front of the room where the podium was set up. One thing I’d learned quickly at school assemblies was never to sit in the front. It called attention to me, and I tried to stay out of the spotlight.
I tugged on Vicki’s thin blouse. “I don’t like the front.”
She frowned over her shoulder. “But we get the best view of the football team.”
“Are you forgetting that I don’t need the attention?” I’d told her about the conversation I’d had with my father. I didn’t need to stand out in the crowd. And I want nothing to do with Ryker James. I kept silently repeating that.
The minute I’d walked out of my father’s house was the minute I knew those words would eat me alive, especially since I couldn’t get the hot football god out of my darn head. Or rather I couldn’t get his penis out of my head. It was thick, large, and I would bet definitely in charge when he was in the bedroom. A lusty chill made me quiver. My darn body was going to give me away the minute I laid eyes on him.
Maybe part of me was strongly attracted to him now that my dear old dad didn’t want me anywhere near Ryker James. Rebelling was in my blood. But I had to be levelheaded. I didn’t want to move home or, worse, have my father send me away to some out-of-state university. When he and I had discussed colleges, he’d suggested any except those in the state of Texas.
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