Page 54 of Conflicted
“It happens, Coach. Don’t give up on her yet.”
They were down to eight minutes of playing time and nothing either team did seemed to change anything. They moved back and forth about forty yards in the middle of the field, with no big plays and no scores. It was almost a relief for the Falcons when the final signal came and the game was over. As the visiting team, they kept their celebrations to a minimum and were soon gone.
Nathan came back up to the field after making sure all the players, especially Lindsay, were doing okay. The bleachers had emptied, but Nathan couldn’t leave. How often did a football game turn on a missed field goal? Damn wind.
He sank on the front row and leaned his head in his hands, replaying the game, second by second. There must have been something he could have done for these kids.
“Hey, man.”
Nathan stiffened at the familiar voice.
“Are you okay?”
Resentment rushed upwards and burned his esophagus like bile. “None of your business.”
Will Tolbert came closer. “What if I want to make it my business?”
Nathan tried not to bristle at the blunt statement. “Why don’t you go back to Ruby and leave me alone?”
“Do you think Ruby and I are together? Behind your back?” Will muttered something beneath his breath. It sounded a lot like, “stupid fucker,” to Nathan and it intensified his bitterness. Yeah, I’m the stupidest son of a bitch there is.
“Well, you have what you want,” Nathan’s back straightened, and he fought the urge to rise and equalize the field, since Will towered over him, “Ruby is all yours and I’m out of the picture. She won’t even answer my calls.”
“If that’s what you think, you truly are the stupidest mother fucker there is.” Will turned on his heels and walked away.
Nathan’s mouth dropped open. Dismissed just like that? I don’t think so! He rose and called out, “Hey, Will,” the man’s shoulders stiffened, but he didn’t halt in his tracks or turn around, “I know you’re an asshole, but I never figured you for a coward.”
With small satisfaction Nathan witnessed the moment Tolbert changed his course and walked back. He kept walking until he was almost toe-to-toe with Nathan.
“You need a fight, do you?” Will unbuttoned his coat and tossed it on the bench behind Nathan–his shoulder bumped against Nathan’s arm. He could as well have tossed a gauntlet.
Nathan sidestepped and walked to the field, the hairs at the back of his neck standing on edge. Turning his back on an opponent wasn’t the wisest of moves. But—although he called Will a coward to provoke him—the man was as honorable as they came and wouldn’t stab him in the back—or had he already with Ruby? With ruthless control he stamped on his rising anger.
Nathan turned and widened his stance. He sank through his knees, loosened his pants around his upper legs with a tug on the fabric and connected eyes with Will, who followed him onto the field. Nathan twisted his face in a cocky smirk to rile up his opponent and lifted his left arm to eye level. With the palm face up he made a, “come on,” gesture with four fingers.
With a smirk Nathan wanted to slap off his face, Will stepped into the playing field. Before Nathan could take his next breath, an iron fist cannonballed against his face. He staggered back. Damn, the man can throw a punch! Tentatively, Nathan moved his jaw. Odd how the first hit always hurt the worst.
More on instinct than anything else, he blocked the next blow and countered with a one-two combination to Will’s ribs. The Detective’s grunts on impact were quite satisfactory.
“Why,” Nathan jammed his elbow to Will’s kidneys “aren’t you,” he barely dodged the fist heading for his face, “with Ruby?”
Will retaliated. “You stupid,” Will let out a grunt as he stepped back, “asshole.” He lunged forward in a flurry of fists, nailing Nathan’s ribs again. “She doesn’t want just me or you. She wants us!”
Nathan’s head jerked back. “What?” Adrenaline flooded his veins and with every beat of his heart his anger lessened, with every punch he had landed his resentment faded.
“Does a lack of hair mean there are no brains under your skull?”
Nathan scoffed at the inadequate insult. After all, he wasn’t insecure about his mental ability in the least. The humor in Will’s voice caught him off guard. A feeling of belonging and connection took hold and realization hit him harder than Will’s fists. He didn’t want to fight the brute. When have I come to care for the blond asshole?
After talking with her mother in the hospital, Ruby knew she needed to act before she wasted more valuable time with her men. That she did want them in her life, she was certain, however she was less certain how to go about getting them back together. After stewing for two days, she finally found the backbone to do something about it. Sorta – maybe. Damn, girl. Don’t be such a wuss.
The phone pressed against her ear, she waited for the other side to answer. When she heard his low comforting voice her knees shook. “Hey, Bob,” Ruby hated the trembling in her voice, “I could use your advice.”
“I’d say you need it.”
She winced at his sharp tone and stayed silent.
Bob sighed. “You know sometimes words fall from your mouth like leaves from autumn trees and other times they’re buried deeper than the roots beneath those trees and as hard to extract.” Clicking on his keyboard accompanied his pause. “How about I meet you at your parlor in about an hour and we go for a walk?”
