Page 98 of Roughing the Player
“Kids from his high school intern there during the summer. It would be a great opportunity for me. Lots of their graduates go on to MIT.” Her dream school. No wonder she’s beyond excited about the prospect of attending that STEM school.
But no way is she going to school in Charleston. “Honey, we can talk about it when you come home for your birthday.”
“Uh, about that, Mom. I think I’ll stay down here for the rest of the summer.”
I’m breathing in and out so fast I’m going to need a paper bag. “Sweetheart—”
She doesn’t wait to hear what I’m about to say. “You can fly down so we can celebrate. All three of us. It’s not like Charleston is on the dark side of the moon.”
The three of us. What’s going on? Is this a ruse? “Kaylee, is this your way of getting your father and me back together?”
“No.” A pause. “Maybe. But I really do want to go to school here. I’m not lying about that.”
I take a deep breath, let it out. “Kaylee.”
“You like him, Mom,” she rushes on. “I know you do. And he’s totally miserable. When he’s home, he mopes around the house, watching that cooking show you like.”
“The Great Bake Off?”
“Yeah. He blabbed about it on one of those interview shows. Like he knows anything about baking. Come to think of it, maybe that’s why some of those women drop by to borrow some sugar.”
That’s not the kind of sugar those women want.
“Mom, I really want you to come down.”
Her pleading breaks my heart. She thinks all she has to do is get Brock and me in the same house. And then magically, things will go back to the way they were. But that’s not going to happen. I can’t go back to Brock, not when he believes I sold my body for money. And she can’t attend that tech school, not when it would require me to move to Charleston. And living with her father is out of the question. Sooner or later, he’d go back to his old ways, and his daughter would be in the way. So her heart’s bound to be broken. Although hers would mend, I have doubts about mine.
But she’s right about one thing. I need to fly to Charleston so I can handle what’s happening down there. And to bring her back. No way am I leaving that city without my daughter. “Okay, honey, I will.”
“Yeahhhh! I love you, Mom.”
“Love you too, honey. Where’s your father?” He can’t possibly be there; he would have answered the door.
“He’s at the Wolves’ stadium doing some kind of training.” A tinge of worry creeps into her voice. “Are you calling him?”
“Sweetheart, I can’t drop in on him out of the blue. He has to okay my visit before I head down.” Although I suppose, I could always stay in a motel.
“Okay, but don’t tell him about my wanting to stay here. I haven’t talked about that with him yet.”
“I won’t.” My conversation with Brock’s going to take a different tack.
It takes eight rings before he picks up.
“Ellie?” He sounds out of breath. Probably doing weight training or running on a treadmill.
“Yes.” My imagination runs wild as I picture Brock’s hard body, glistening with sweat, muscles bulging out. I can almost see him. I can almost smell him. God, Ellie. Get a grip.
“Anything wrong?”
“No. Everything’s fine. Have you checked in on your daughter?”
“Yep. Called her about an hour ago.” He sounds so proud of himself. Too bad I’m about to burst his bubble.
“Did you know she’s been going next door to your neighbor’s house?”
“Sure do. She asked my permission.”
“And you let her?” Is he insane? “That boy is in high school.”
