Apparently, Hugh had a very addictive personality and that translated to hookers and booze and his 25% was not even close to my 25%. That even split of the dependent account, ended up making him a pretty penny by fucking over his wife.
Of course, I could have fought it, but then the whole world would have known the real secrets behind our divorce. He threatened to spill it all. On top of that, having all that media attention wouldn’t be good for my case. The one thing in this life I truly wanted. Being in the public eye with all that negativity could ruin it all, for both of us.
Life seemed to like to fuck with me. I look down at the x rated pictures on the desk in front of me. Exhibit A. I drop my head into my hands on Andrew's desk and plop down in the chair.
“What do we do? I already liquidated the money I got from SG Sports and invested it into my new company.”
Andrew nods.
“I know and so does he. He's goin’ after Double Play,” he says exhaling.
“He's not,” I say through gritted teeth.
Andrew nods and I get to my feet.
“How can he do that? We aren't even married anymore!”
“But you used the funds from the dependent clause from the divorce settlement, right?”
“It was my funds! I was the only one puttin’ money into that fuckin’ account!”
“I know but-”
“Andrew, you need to fix this! How can we fix this?”
“Can you prove that's Hugh?” he asks, pointing to the pictures. “A beauty mark, some significant mark that will prove it's him? He's claiming fraud, we misrepresented facts, that's how he got this reopened. If we could prove it's him, this will get dismissed.”
I look down at the picture and shake my head. Of course there aren't any pictures of his face or his right side, showcasing a long scar from his pec to his hip that he got when he was younger climbing a fence.
He knew what he was doing, that asshole.
“We can nab him, Savannah. Five years ago at the strip club. He cheated and there's proof. I know he'll leak--”
“No!” I say loudly.
My face heats with the thought of the whole world knowing the reason for this big mess. My heart breaking a little, as I steady my emotions. I can’t do that to us, to him. He needs me as much as I need him.
“Just...what does he want?” I ask, defeated.
“Savannah, you don't have to do this. We can fight him. There was no way you could have known what the future would have held. It won’t affect your case, they should be two separate things- ”
“But he can make it look like I did. He can make it look like I knew, that I trapped him. He can slander my name everywhere and my company will be a joke! Everything I’ve worked for the past two years would have been for nothing and he’ll be stuck there Andrew! He needs me.”
I ball my fists and nausea creeps up at me, thinking about giving Hugh my hard-earned money again. Thinking about losing him, our chance for happiness together as a family. A life he can live without worry anymore. A life with unconditional love that a child deserves. We both deserve that, don’t we?
“Can you buy us some time?” I ask.
“Yeah I can. Think about it,” he says letting out a breath.
I nod and walk out of the office, defeated, but determined. You are stronger than you seem Savannah, one foot in front of the other.
Chapter 3
Jackson
I walk into Double Play offices with Lacey a week later and smile. Savannah has crawled into my head all week, not that she’s left and I can't wait to see her. I have some groveling to do, but I'm determined to win her back over.
Lacey has been talking about working all week. Granted, she's been glued to my hip 24/7 because her expulsion was just lifted, but Savannah and her company has been the hot topic, at least twice a day. The anger I always saw in her eyes has slowly dissipated, leaving an excitement that I haven't seen in her for years.
“I'm so nervous,” Lacey says, as I follow her down the hall towards Savannah's office door.
She smoothes her flowery yellow dress and I smile. I took her shopping last weekend for some professional looking clothes and she looks so grown up. I can't get over how fast time really does fly. I squeeze her shoulder for reassurance.
“You'll be fine. She'll teach you everything before she throws you out there.”
We stop outside Savannah's door because we hear yelling. I push Lacey behind me to try and hear if it's a client, and if she might need some saving.
“That's bullshit and you know it Sav! He can't do that. Let me pay for a better lawyer.”
“Gabriel, I can pay for my own lawyer and Andrew ain't the problem! He's a great lawyer. Hugh is just a...monster. This is my mess and I'll clean it up.”
Her tone is defeated, and it makes me want to pull her into a hug, at the same time I want to smash the face of the person making her feel this way. Between Lacey and her problems at school and now this, my reactions are concerning me. I've never been one to jump to anger. Then again, I've never cared about a woman like I care for Savannah.
Back in her Lonestar groupie days, we spent a lot of time together and became great friends. She was always Gabriel's twin sister though, and me and the guys always knew to keep our distance. That didn't stop us from devouring each other that one night and didn't mean that I didn't think about her all the damn time. Doesn't mean I don't now, either.
“You're my baby sister and I'm not lettin’ you pay that asshat another penny!”
“By a minute and a half, dammit, stop bringin’ that up! This is my decision, Gabriel. I won't let him ruin my reputation and my case all in one shot!”
“If you get on top of it and put the story out first--”
“I'm not doin’ that. I don't need my whole life and lack of it out there for public scrutiny. No matter what I say, he'll spin it around. I ain't doin’ this ‘he said, she said’ crap. It'll be over after this and if I can do that without putting myself in jeopardy of losing him, then I will!”
“You won’t lose him Sav, one has nothing to do with the other! And who's to say that Hugh won't want more money with the more success Double Play has?”
“It doesn’t matter Gabriel, negative press is bad for the case. Hugh won't want more, we'll come up with some agreement.”
“Look how well those agreements worked out for you!”
There's silence and I'm not sure if that's my cue to knock. What case was she talking about and who was she scared to lose? I never even asked her if she was seeing someone at the wedding. Shit! Maybe that’s why she’s been ignoring my texts. All this time I have been thinking of picking up where we left off and she could very well be seeing someone. I feel terrible eavesdropping, so I knock quietly.
Gabriel opens the door and gives me a small smile and motions for me to step inside.
“Hey Jackson, how's it goin’?” he asks slapping me on the back.
“Good man. Lacey, this is my buddy Gabriel, Savannah's twin brother.”
“You don’t look like twins,” Lacey says, looking between the pair.
“Fraternal, thank God,” Savannah says, winking.
Gabriel huffs and walks out the door but not before pinning Savannah with a stare. She gives one back and shakes her head slightly.
“Lace, why don't you go on over and introduce yourself to Charlotte for a second,” I say, putting a hand on her shoulder.
She nods, walking out and I move to Savannah. I pull her to me for a hug and expect her to rip me a new one, but she melts into my body like a liferaft.
“You okay?” I ask, my lips gracing the top of her head.
“You don't know how good this feels,” she admits, her voice soft and defeated.
I break the hug and look down at her.
“Listen, I'm sorry about how I acted at the weddin’. I know the phone is such a half assed effort but I’ve been so busy with everything and I’m a prick, I know. I should have apologized last week face
to face, but with Lacey and everything at school, I got side tracked.”
“I got all your texts and calls and truthfully, I didn’t know what to say. It was incredibly half assed and you hurt me Jackson. After our friendship, after everything, you just...I mean I get it, with Lacey and baseball. I know where I stand in your lineup Jackson. I was never the top of anyone’s lineup.”
“Hey, some of the greatest players batted third. Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays…”
“Really?”
“I’m kiddin’ Savvy. You deserve to be the top of the lineup, I’m sorry I made you feel like you don’t.”
“Honestly it’s fine., it’s whatever.”
She tries to pull away from me but I grab her arms and steady her in front of me.
“It’s not whatever. Every text was true. I haven’t stopped thinking about you, I am a crap friend, a shitty guy, you are ingrained in my brain, your smell is still on my skin, I do still taste your kiss. I do also deserve a swift kick in the balls and will stand perfectly still if you wanna deliver that punishment,” I say, taking a step back bracing my hands behind my back.
She laughs and rolls her eyes and pulls me back towards her by the belt of my jeans.
“Jackson Turner, you're a clown. Don’t you think I’ve hit you in the balls enough for a lifetime?”
I laugh remembering how we met all those years ago. Savannah was in the stands at one of our practices watching her brother. I hit a line drive to the stands and she ducked just at the last second. She grabbed the ball from the stands as I ran over to her.
“Watch where ya swingin’ that thing, ya could have taken my head off,” she yelled.
“I’m workin’ on controllin’ it, give me a break, princess. I’m a rookie.”
“Yeah, well keep workin’ on it,” she yelled.
I was so wrapped up in how beautiful she was, that I didn’t notice when she threw the ball back to me and I saw it too late. The baseball barreled right towards me and nailed me right in the balls. I remember keeling over in pain and her soft hand on my shoulder, apologizing over and over again.
“I didn’t mean to do that, I swear. I’m so sorry.”
I just laughed and told her she owed me one and I would cash it in at a later date. Three years of incredible friendship later, I definitely cashed it in. That kiss…
“Where’d ya go Goner?”
Her voice breaks me out of the memory and I look down at her, squeezing her in a tight hug.
“Sorry, was thinkin’ about somethin’. For real though, I'm sorry about the weddin’. I don’t like to have relationships because I don’t think it’s good for Lacey, but that's not the case with you. She's been so excited for this opportunity all week.”
“Oh yeah? Good, I'm happy to have her.”
I break the hug and tilt up her chin to look at me. I rub my thumb down her cheek and rest it on her lower lip, locking our eyes together.
“I'm serious Savvy.”
“About what?” she whispers.
“Go out with me tonight.”
She lets out a breath and looks down.
“I've got a lot of crap on my plate that I'm dealin’ with at the moment. You don't wanna date me, Jackson,” she says while walking away.
“Hey, that's for me to decide and I wanna. Are you seein’ someone? Is that it? Dump him,” I say confidently.
She laughs and shakes her head.
“I’m not seein’ anyone. Haven’t since the divorce.”
“So, then what is it?”
“I can't offer you things Jackson. I...I come with a lot of baggage.”
“Listen...just one date, let's see how it goes. The weddin’ hardly counts. I didn't get to ravish you like you deserve to be ravished,” I say, walking closer to her.
“Yeah, you're right, you didn't. I ain't that easy Mr. Goner, despite the weddin’. I don’t like to be made a fool,” she says putting her hands on her hips.
“Princess, I’m sorry. Please?”
I see her eyes close and a small smirk spreads across her face at my nickname for her. As quick as it came, it’s gone the next instant.
“Nope. Now leave so we can get to work.”
She walks towards her door and stands there, waiting for me to leave. I'm stunned to my spot for a second and her giggle breaks me out of my trance.
“Mr. Goner ain't used to bein’ turned down, huh?”
I stalk over to her and she jumps when our chests connect.
“I ain't ready to give up on you yet Savannah Gavinwood,” I whisper.
She closes her eyes and I silently leave her office. She wants to play hardball, I'm the king of hardball.
***
I glance at the clock on my dashboard for the hundredth time and hop out as soon as I see it turn from 4:59 to 5:00. I race inside with the donut box from Savannah's favorite place in town. I remember her talking on and on about it back in the day and had to see for myself if it was worth all the bragging.
As soon as I tried their cinnamon bun explosion, I bought a dozen and now here I am, practically begging Savannah to go out with me. I never did this shit. She's got me crazy, and her turning me down makes me want her even more. Like that damn cinnamon bun explosion, I had one taste, then I had to have the whole damn thing.
I walk down the hall to Savannah's office and hear silence. I knock once and hear her yell for me to come in and I slowly open the door. I brace myself for her beauty to knock me on my ass and it doesn't disappoint. I'm standing in the doorway like a fucking idiot with my mouth hanging open. Savannah is in a tight black lace dress and her hair is let down around her bare shoulders.
“You weren't wearing that this mornin’,” I rasp out.
“I have an event tonight. I have to go straight from here. What's that?” she asks motioning to the box in my hands.
“For you. Stopped by that shop you were always talkin’ about. Pretty damn good donuts.”
I move closer to her and put the box down on her desk. We're standing inches away from each other and I want to just reach out and touch her, kiss her, hell fuck her, right here in that goddamned dress.
“You bought me a box of donuts?” she asks smiling.
“Hey, I can always take it back,” I say reaching for the box.
“Don't you dare,” she says grabbing my wrist.
I laugh and take my hand off the box, closing the distance between us again.
“Go out with me Savvy. One date.”
“Oh my God! You cannot try and get into my pants again by using my favorite donut shop! That's not playin’ fair,” she huffs, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Pants...dress, I ain't picky,” I smirk running one of my fingers along the hem of her dress.
She sucks in a breath and her eyes close.
“What's it gonna be princess?”
“Jackson…” she whines.
“Just give in Savvy. What are you so afraid of?”
“I...just...not right now, Jax. I'm gonna be late. I gotta go,” she says quickly pushing past me.
I run a frustrated hand through my hair and watch the sway of her hips as she walks away from me in that god damned dress.
Chapter 4
Jackson
I grab my glove off one of the benches and make my way to the smallest kid in the crowd of campers. The boy looks about four or five, but his clothes could fit a teenager. I get a small dose of dejavu looking at him. I could spot hand-me-downs from a mile away. I notice he’s wearing a brand new pair of Nike’s though, and they look to be his size. Strange. I look up to his face and immediately recognize that lost look and I instantly feel a connection with him. It gets better buddy, I can promise you that.
Jogging over to him, I put a hand on his shoulder and he looks up.
“Wanna throw bud?” I ask the little boy
His eyes widen, and he nods but then looks down at his hands and his expression changes. I immediately notice why and pat his head.
“W
anna jog out there to right field? I'll be there in a sec.”
I watch him run out excitedly and make my way over to the dugout. I stopped at the store before coming today and bought a bunch of equipment. I’m sure the orphanage takes care of them as well as they can, but I’m also sure that baseball equipment is a luxury for most. It was for me when I was in the system.
I search through the pile and come across a glove that looks right for him. I turn back around and see Savannah standing in the entrance to the dugout. She's in tight leggings and a dri-fit tank top and my mouth feels like sandpaper.
Going, Going, Goner (Double Play Series Book 2) Page 4