Page 107 of A Scoring Chance

“Thanks, you two,” I whisper into my quiet hospital room, a calmness I haven’t felt in a long time settling over me.

Do I know for a fact that Dad and Imani sent Cooper to me? Of course not, but I have a feeling Cooper’s dad may have had a hand in it, as well. I can picture those three sitting up in heaven looking down at us, a bag of popcorn between the three of them as they try everything they can to force us to meet, getting frustrated that the two of us have spent years missing each other before that chance meeting.

“You’re welcome. Although I have no idea what we did.” Beau comes into the room, carrying a familiar picnic basket, and drops it onto the small table with two chairs by the window. “We figured you’d be hungry, and hospital food is fucking disgusting.”

“Amen to that,” Alise responds, leaning around an obscenely gigantic bouquet of wildflowers in a bright green vase. “From an admirer.”

“I don’t want them.” I glance down at Cooper still sleeping peacefully beside me. The tips of my fingers trace his eyebrows and the curve of his face, committing each one to memory.

“Oh, you definitely want these.” Beau grabs the card hidden in the flowers and reads it aloud. “Get well soon. Henry Ryan.”

“Please explain to me why the owner of the Portland Timberwolves is sending me flowers?”

“Cooper,” they respond in unison as Beau flips open the picnic basket and pulls out three large Styrofoam containers. “Once I got Cooper all patched up, he called Remy and told him everything. Remy must have called Henry. Hence the flowers.”

“I still can’t believe that Henry Ryan is Annamarie’s biological dad.”

“Me either. I’m just thankful crazy doesn’t run in the family.” Alise giggles.

“I went and grabbed lunch from Ollie’s restaurant. Nothing as fancy as what Cooper had at your first picnic, just some burgers and fries.”

My stomach rumbles loudly at the mention of food. “I’m starving.”

“We can tell.” Beau chuckles, handing me one box and a few napkins. His eyes flick down to his brother.

“How are you holding up?” I ask, not knowing what else to say.

I can’t imagine what it must have been like to find his brother in the bathroom, covered in glass and blood. He must have been terrified, and then to learn that Cooper did that to himself.

Silent tears stream down his cheeks as he clears his throat, his eyes not once moving from his brother’s face. “I’ve been better, that's for sure. Did he tell you everything? Even about Dad?”

“He did.”

“To think he had so much pain festering inside him that he did this to himself. I should’ve known. I should’ve noticed how tormented he was every day. I don’t know how I missed this.” Beau reaches to brush a stray hair from his brother's face but pulls his hand back at the last minute, clenching his hands in fists at his side.

“You can’t beat yourself up, Beau. You didn’t see it because he didn’t want anyone to. He suffered alone because he thought he was protecting all of you.”

“Stupid fucking idiot.” He chuckles darkly before his eyes lock with me. “Thank you for taking care of him, Ramona.”

“No need to thank me. I love him. It's kind of in the job description.” I wink at him before he turns to grab his own foodand takes a seat at the table. “Now, which one of you is going to tell me the plan for dealing with Crazy.”

“Neither. You need to rest.” Cooper’s sleep-laden voice fills the room as he sits up.

“Good afternoon, Sleeping Beauty,” Beau teases his brother, grabbing the last to-go box and holding it out to his brother. “Hungry?”

“Starving,” he answers, pushing out of the bed and grabbing the box, but he doesn’t pull away. The two brothers remain locked in a silent conversation for a few moments before Beau nods his head and lets go.

“What was that about?” Alise’s head swivels back and forth between the two of them.

“Just a conversation between two brothers.” Cooper takes a seat on the bed next to me before flipping the lid open and taking a huge bite of his burger.

Alise fills me in on everything that has happened since I was injured. Ms. Melanie is with Darius, Ma, and Auntie Peggy at Beau’s apartment. Stanley called Ma when the ambulance came to let her know what happened. That man needs a raise; he definitely went above and beyond today.

I tried many times to get any information from Cooper and Beau about how we’re going to handle things with the press and Annamarie, but I haven’t gotten more than a few words out of him about it.

“You’re holding a press conference tomorrow before the game?” I ask, popping the last bite of my burger into my mouth.

“Yes. It will be early enough in the day that I shouldn’t have a problem making it back to Redwood Falls for our game. “

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