Page 67 of Game On

Carly allowed herself a wistful smile before she took another sip of lemonade. “Yeah, well, I was just doing what I could to help out,” she said quietly. “He hasn’t exactly got anyone else.”

Leaning forward on the bench, Lisa took Carly’s hand. “Legally, he does. Shane is coming to get him tomorrow.”

Lisa’s bombshell nearly had Carly dumping her drink down the front of her.

“I just got off the phone with him,” her sister explained. “Apparently he wants to be involved in Troy’s life.”

Damn her sister for being so perceptive. Lisa didn’t need to pry because she’d already guessed Carly’s feelings. She knew the news would shock Carly.

It was more than shock rolling through Carly, however. It was a stinging sensation somewhere in the vicinity of her heart. Shane is going to make a real attempt at a relationship with Troy! The idea should make her ecstatic. For Troy, at least. And it did. A little. But her selfish side couldn’t help but be hurt that Shane didn’t have enough love to go around to make a go of it with Carly.

“That’s wonderful,” Carly said. And she meant it. She really did. “Remind me to be somewhere else when he breaks that news to Troy.” It was a strain to keep the pain from her voice, but her sister would pounce at any show of vulnerability. “As a matter of fact”—Carly wiped at the droplets of condensation from the glass on to her bare thigh—“I probably should head up to New York for a few days. I promised Julianne I’d come visit.”

“You can’t avoid him forever.”

“I’m not avoiding Shane or anyone else,” Carly said, swinging her legs up on the bench. “I just don’t want to be in the middle of this anymore.”

“Carly,” Lisa said, reaching across to touch her sister’s leg. “It isn’t the end of the world if you fell in love with Shane.”

Carly whirled around, swatting away a tear from her face. “Says you!” So much for hiding my vulnerability from her sister.

“Oh, honey,” Lisa said.

“Don’t you dare psychoanalyze me!” Carly sobbed, glad for the strong breeze that carried their conversation away from the kids playing, oblivious on the beach. “I know I was stupid for falling for him. I know I shouldn’t have done it. But I did it anyway.”

“Honey, you can’t always decide who you’re going to fall in love with,” Lisa said, using her soothing but annoying therapist’s voice. “Life doesn’t always work the way we want it to.”

“No? Well, at least I should have known better. I’ve made the stupid mistake twice now!”

Moving over to the bench where Carly sat, Lisa draped an arm around her shoulders. “Stop it. You’re going to make mistakes in life. Everyone does. It’s part of living. Your mom made mistakes. God knows our father made mistakes. They made one big one that I’m thankful for every day. But their mistake isn’t your fault. Your life has a purpose. I’m a walking testament to that.” Lisa reached up to wipe her sister’s eyes as her own tears streamed down her face. “But that’s not the reason I love you so much. I love you because you are my sister. The only one I’ve got. And I’ll love you whatever mistakes you make. So will Matt and the kids. Because that’s what we do.”

“You’re right, Doc,” she teased, reaching to brush her thumbs over the tears on Lisa’s cheeks. “I know I have to take risks to find that one special someone. Going into it, I knew Shane could never be that guy. And it turned out exactly like I thought it would. Fortunately, without the paparazzi feeding frenzy this time,” she said with smile. “I guess I’m just disappointed because, at times, I saw glimpses of a Shane who might be capable of more. Only I don’t think he knows he has it in him. He’s spent his whole life not counting on anyone for love and acceptance. He doesn’t know how to give it in return. And it hurts me to see him so alone.”

Lisa’s smiled with pride at her sister. “You could always give it a shot and see what happens.”

Shaking her head, Carly looked toward the shoreline where Troy and the other kids were playing football. “No, I think Shane had best concentrate all his efforts on Troy. He might not have it in him for two relationships.” She grinned. “Besides, I don’t think I could handle getting in any deeper. If it hurts this much now, I can’t imagine what the pain might be in the future. You can call me a coward, but I like to believe I’m being a realist. Besides, I’m holding out for an accountant or a podiatrist, remember?”

“Coward is not a word I would ever associate with you,” Lisa said as she took Carly’s face in her palms. “You’re the bravest woman I know.”

“Yeah, well, this brave woman is heading to New York before Shane arrives, just the same.”

The ocean breeze felt good on Shane’s face as he climbed the stairs beneath the Richardsons’ beach house to the deck above. The morning was clear and warm, promising to be the perfect summer day. Beckett hesitated at the top of the stairs, briefly contemplating exploring the interior of the house before the sounds of kids laughing caught his attention. With a bark, he bounded down the long deck leading over the dunes to the shoreline. Moments later, Shane heard the squeals of Beckett’s name as the dog found his way to the sand. He listened carefully for Troy or Carly’s voices, but he couldn’t make them out in the breeze.

“Devlin.”

Shane turned to find the coach standing in the doorway behind him. His chest bare, he wore a pair of board shorts and flip-flops, a Blaze ball cap on his head.

“Coach.” He hadn’t been looking forward to confronting Troy or Carly, but from the looks of it he should have worried a little about Matt Richardson, too.

Sliding the door closed behind him, the coach walked over to the railing and picked up a can of spray-on sunscreen from a bucket there. Letting the silence stretch, he sprayed his torso and then his long legs before turning the can on his feet.

Shane decided it was best to plunge right in. “I appreciate . . .” It was a bad decision.

“No, Devlin, I don’t think you appreciate anything,” the coach said, slamming the can back into the bucket. “You sure as hell don’t appreciate what it means to be a part of a family or to have someone depending on you. You’d better start learning what it is to appreciate folks—especially your teammates, because I don’t have room for a quarterback who’s only thinking about himself. I don’t have to respect you to have you lead my football team, but you’d better respect your teammates or you’ll be wearing a headset and holding a clipboard all season. Lisa says you’re here to make it right with Troy.” He laughed bitterly. “Well, don’t expect it to go easy with him. We didn’t tell him you were coming, but he’s figured it out now.” He gestured to the beach where Beckett had cut Troy from the herd of kids playing and the pair was heading away from the beach house. “You’re gonna have to catch him first.”

“Shit,” Shane swore as he headed along the deck toward the beach.

“And Devlin,” the coach said from where he followed closely behind him. Shane was forced to stop so he could turn and face him. He got right into Shane’s face. “While I appreciate everything you’ve done to help with Thompkins, whatever is going on with you and Carly is over. Do I make myself clear?”

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