With the regular camp starting in four weeks, Carson’s practice time had been cut in half to avoid injury. He reported to the strength and conditioning coaches more than anyone now, and he had some extra time to review film footage and finalize his playbook. Once he finished for the day, he decided to make a quick trip to Fairhope to prepare for the upcoming weekend. Sadie needed to feel safe and comfortable, to learn how to love her hometown again.
Carson parked in the Liberty Insurance parking lot and knocked on the back door of the office where most of the employees entered/exited the building. He’d known the secret knock since college: bang on it three times, pause, then knock twice again. A few seconds later, Gretchen Black, one of the agents, opened the door and smiled.
“Is your mother expecting you, Carson?”
“Nice to see you, Gretchen. She’s not expecting me. Am I allowed to come in, even if it’s a surprise visit?”
She swatted at his arm and waved him inside, then closed and locked the door. “Give an old woman a hug.”
Carson gave her a toothy grin and dragged the older woman into his arms, giving her a good squeeze. “Where’s Mom?”
“Grabbing a cup of coffee in the break room, I think.”
“Mind if I wander around some?”
“Go ahead, I have a conference call in ten minutes. Good luck with the opening game.” Gretchen walked down the hallway.
He turned right and found his mother in the break room sitting at a table with her back to the door, her face buried in a newspaper. Standing quietly for several minutes, he admired the woman who had taught him to believe in himself, to keep his word no matter how insignificant the promise he’d made might be, and to always tell the truth. Sometimes he faltered as a kid, not living up to her high standards, but she’d always forgive and say it was never too late to start over.
“Mama?” He stepped into the room.
Betty Savage turned around immediately, her bifocals perched low on her nose, her blond hair tied up in a tight bun, her bright, blue eyes focused on her only son. “Carson? Is everything okay?”
“Of course, Mama.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Had some business in Fairhope and thought I’d stop by.”
“Business? With who?”
“I believe it’s time to pay my rent.”
Her eyebrows hitched up. “In the middle of the month? And don’t you usually use auto pay through the bank?”
Carson claimed the seat across from his mother. No matter how old he got, he always felt like a little boy whenever he sat at a table with his mom. “Can’t hide anything from you, can I?”
Betty removed her reading glasses, tucking them in her blazer pocket. “How’s Sadie? How are you?”
Carson couldn’t stop the smile—whenever he thought about his girl, how far they’d come in such a short period of time, the happiness came gushing out of him. “We’re good, Mama. Really good, actually.”
She studied him for several seconds. “I want to believe you, Carson, really I do. But this is the first time you’ve popped in unannounced. And if you’re anything, Carson, you’re a creature of habit.”
He couldn’t deny it. “Sadie agreed to spend the weekend in Fairhope with me.”
Betty folded her hands on the table. “Things are getting serious, then?”
“It’s like we’ve never been apart.”
“Then why do you look so concerned?”
“Did you know anything about the hellish harassment Sadie suffered after she broke up with me?” Carson had been obsessed with the issue ever since he saw Jason at the farm. It needed to be taken care of before the regular season got under way, before he was expected to travel, leaving Sadie alone and vulnerable.
His mother took a sip of coffee and sighed. “Why are you asking about it now?”
“It came up in a conversation we had last week.”
“How rude of me,” she said suddenly. “Can I get you something to drink? Coffee? Bottled water? A soda?”
“Mom?”
“Yes?”
“You’re avoiding the question. Why?” He reached for her hand. “I’m okay—just want some answers.”
She stared at the floor for a second before she looked at him again. “Yes, I knew about her problem. The chief came to see me a few days after Sadie left town.”
Carson understood why. He’d raised hell about the breakup, made a fool of himself all over town. In fact, he probably should have gotten a couple DUIs, but the Fairhope PD protected him. “The chief blew her off, you know.”
“An unfortunate thing.”
“She’s still devastated, afraid to come to Fairhope.”
“Really?”
Carson sighed and nodded. Then he told her about running into Jason and Janice Millar, how they treated her, and the post the little asshole, Jason, had made on Facebook.
“Some people never change,” Betty said. “He always resented you for dating Sadie. And hated Sadie even more for rejecting him.”
“He better stay away from her.”
“Don’t get into trouble, Carson. Better to leave this alone.”
“I’ll try, Mama. What about dinner with Sadie?”
“She’s always welcome, Carson. I just want you to make sure she’s ready for all of this attention. Lord knows the excitement you’re going to stir up getting seen together again after all these years. I don’t want her to get overwhelmed and run away again.”
“She promised she wouldn’t.”
“I’m sure she meant it when she said it, but…”
“She did.”
Betty caressed his cheek. “I’d very much like to see the two of you build a life together.”
“I’d marry her tomorrow if I thought she’d say yes.”
Tears filled Betty’s eyes and she sniffled. “Stop getting me all worked up.”
“Sorry, Mama.”
“Don’t be,” she said.
“One last favor,” he said as he stood up.
“Hmmm?”
“Would you mind if someone wanted to interview you and the girls?”
“About what?”
“Me,” he said mischievously.
Betty rolled her eyes. “Hasn’t everyone had enough of Carson Savage yet?”
“Have you?”
“Of course not.”
“That’s all that matters, then.”
She joined him near the doorway and gave Carson a big hug. “I’ll do the interview if it helps. Stop by the house and say hello to the girls before you head back to Mobile, okay?”
“I will. Love you, Mama.”
“I love you, Carson.”
The next stop was Barbi’s flower shop. He parked out front and walked in, the bell over the door ringing. Only a couple of customers were inside, so Carson explored the shelves, looking for something Sadie might like. He picked out a crystal vase, thinking a couple dozen white roses would look beautiful in it. If she’d let him, he’d send fresh flowers to her every day. She deserved it.
After the last customer left, Carson made his way to the counter, where Barbi was busy arranging some fresh-cut flowers. He placed the vase on the counter. “Be with you in a sec,” she said, not looking up to see who he was.
“Is that any way to treat an old friend?”
She immediately set the flowers aside and glanced his direction. “Holy shit,” she said, wiping her hands on the green apron covering her blouse and jeans. “Wait…” She paused, her smile fading. “Is your mother well? The girls? Sadie?”
Why did everyone assume his sudden appearance meant something bad? Maybe he should make more of an effort to spend time in Fairhope. “Everyone is just fine.”
She held her hand to her chest in relief. “Thank God. It’s great to see you!” She rushed around the counter and hugged him tight, then backed up so she could see him better. “So, you and Sadie…”
“Yup.”
“That’s all you can say?” She smiled.
“She’s so damn beautiful.”
“That’s a start.”
“Intelligent. Funny. Sweet.”
“Scared shitless,” Barbi added.
“That, too,” Carson agreed.
“And you’re here to get some advice?”
Carson smirked. “If I followed your advice on relationships, I’d have a dozen ex-wives.”
Barbi chuckled. “Hey. Don’t blame me. I haven’t found Mr. Right yet.”
“Pretty sure you don’t want to.”
“Variety is the spice of life.”
“And here I thought you were just a cynic.”
Barbi slapped his arm and chuckled. “Come on, I’ll close the shop for a bit. We can chat.”
She walked to the entrance, turned the hanging sign over to closed, then locked the door. “Want a drink?”
“Do you still keep some of that strawberry lemonade in the fridge?”
“Always. Have a seat at the table over there, be right back.”
The shop was divided into two sides, the actual floral area and the space where Barbi held crafting classes. He sat down, looking at the numerous pictures hanging on the walls—some watercolors of southern Alabama landscapes, local farms, and the beach. The floor had obviously just been retiled, and the walls freshly painted a mint green. Matching curtains covered the two picture windows at the front of the classroom, and there was a leather sofa and matching chair along the far wall by the bathroom.
Carson had known Barbi since kindergarten and had grown up hanging out with her older brother, Cory. It had been a coincidence that she happened to be Sadie’s best friend. But now he was grateful for that fact, hopeful she’d be able to talk some sense into Jason.
She returned with two plastic tumblers brimming with ice and lemonade and set them both on the table, sitting next to him. “All right, superstar, tell me everything.”
Carson ran a finger around the edge of his cup, contemplating how to approach the subject—gently or aggressively. Barbi was a no-nonsense kind of girl. “She means everything to me.”
“I know.”
“What happened after we graduated…”
“Stop, Carson. You don’t owe me an explanation. You were young. She was confused.”
“I fucked up.”
Barbi nodded. “You’re here now.”
“I am,” he agreed wholeheartedly. “It’s just,” he hesitated, overcome with emotions he couldn’t harness. “No matter how close we seem to get, I can’t completely trust the fact that she’s going to stay in one place.”
Barbi sipped her drink. “She’s been trying to work through her fears.”
“She has?”
“Yes. Before she came to Mobile, we were at a retreat where she was supposed to complete a workshop about trusting people and herself more.”
“How’d it go?”
“Zip lining and Sadie Reynolds don’t mix well.”
“Zip lining? Christ, she’s afraid to climb a tree.”
“Right? But she tried it, even made it halfway across the river before she screamed and made the attendant shit his pants.”
Carson couldn’t suppress his deep-bellied laughter. Imagining his girl clipped to a wire over a river, racing for the other side, seemed impossible. “Did she finish the workshop?”
“God, no. Dropped her cell phone in the water while zip lining and then retreated to her hotel room to watch movies. I had to reschedule because she refused to finish the workshop and instead took the job and came here.”
“She loves her job.”
“That might be stretching it a bit. She relies on the job to keep her sane. Not saying she doesn’t appreciate the money or opportunities it’s afforded her. But ever since she moved to South Carolina, she’s been lonely. Not depressed. Just quieter, more reserved.”
“She’s been away from everyone and everything she knows.”
“Yeah.”
“Until now.”
Barbi leaned forward, resting her arms on the table. “What are you trying to say?”
“I want her to stay.”
“So do I.”
“She wouldn’t have to work.”
“Carson,” Barbi chastised gently. “That’s one of the reasons you lost her before. She doesn’t want to be kept. Sadie is very independent and extremely talented at what she does.”
“I know. You should see how quickly she’s taken control of the team.”
“I know all about it. She’s more determined than ever to succeed.”
He tasted the lemonade, chewing on a piece of fresh strawberry. “This is good.”
“Wins best lemonade at the state fair every year.”
“How’s Cory?”
“Married with three kids—loves Oklahoma.”
“Send my best wishes.”
Barbi’s lips curved into an understanding smile. “You’re not here to catch up, Carson. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to have you in my store. And if I had half a brain, I’d make a couple calls and get the ladies down here to make a fuss over you. But I know something is weighing heavy on your conscience. I’ll help if I can.”
Carson appreciated her candor and looked her directly in the eyes and told her about Jason. “And since Sadie agreed to spend the weekend in Fairhope, I don’t want any distractions. And Jason is a big one right now.”
“The bastard is still doing it? After all these years? Shit. He harassed her all the time, called her, and even left her some pretty threatening notes. I’m so happy she’s coming home, even if it’s just for a weekend. I don’t want him to ruin it.”
“He sent notes?” Why in the hell hadn’t anyone clued him in back then?
Barbi jumped up from her chair. “Does it really matter anymore? There were fifty assholes like Jason who treated Sadie like crap because she broke up with you. We need to put all the bad memories behind us and focus on welcoming Sadie home. The only way she’s ever going to be comfortable here is to see that we all love and miss her.”
Carson took a deep, calming breath, trying to purge some of the rage over the way Sadie had been treated from his mind and body. “You’re right, Barbi. I’ll focus on Sadie if you can let Jason know the next time he tries to contact Sadie or posts something about her, I’ll hunt him down myself.”
“With pleasure,” she said.
“Thanks, I need to go.” He kissed her forehead. “Dinner Saturday night?” he asked as he approached the door.
“Where?”
“The old hangout. We’re having a small get-together. Invite Erika, too. Okay?”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Barbi said. “As for you, take care of my girl or I’ll hunt you down!”
Carson laughed and left the flower shop, excited at the chance to bring his girl back to Fairhope.