CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
PAIGE
I’d had almost two weeks of bliss. I went to the garage in the morning, helped the mechanics on jobs so they could focus on the ’64 Camaro. We were searching for parts so in between oil changes and fluid re-fillings and car cleanings, I was spending most of the time searching vendors and vintage junkyards for all original pieces.
So far, it was slow going, but we were committed.
After the workday was done, I was able to go home and spend the rest of the evening with my dad. I spent a handful of nights with Beaux, but the others I stayed at home with my dad and his nurse, Melanie.
With my dad recovering nicely, his pain lessening by the day, he was awake for longer periods. After he went to bed at night, I was finally able to relax for the first time since moving home.
I needed it. Twice I fell asleep on the couch at nine o’clock and didn’t wake up until six when my alarm went off. Once, I’d poured a glass of wine and fell asleep before I ever took a sip. I hadn’t realized how run down I’d become until I was given the time to do nothing.
I poured my appreciation into my time with Beaux. We did dinner on Wednesday. I went over there later on Thursday after dad was in bed, and Friday and Saturday we didn’t see each other.
Now, Melanie and I were helping my dad into his wheelchair and guiding him to the suite Kolby had provided, all with the assistance of two security guards courtesy of Beaux.
My mouth had dropped when we’d parked in the underground parking garage connected to the stadium and John and Ryan had introduced themselves to us. They’d said Beaux had requested them to escort us for the day, courtesy of stadium security.
That wasn’t my first clue being with Beaux was life-changing in more than one way, but it was one of the most jolting.
Being with Beaux required security?
We were taken to a private elevator to the floor of our suite and then another life-changing realization hit me as we stepped into the suite.
It was a suite the size of Rhode Island.
My breath stalled as soon as we entered. The stadium had recently undergone massive renovations and the suites had definitely been included.
We’d arrived early to ensure plenty of time to get my dad settled and Kolby’s mom, Charlayne, and his daughter, Mya were nowhere in sight.
“Holy cannoli,” Melanie whispered, her eyes wide open and awed as we entered.
“Now this is what I’m talking about!” Dad exclaimed. “My kind of way to watch the game.”
I was more than impressed. I was floored. Black leather chairs. Three tall bar-height tables. There was a small kitchen area where a waiter, someone at our beck and call for drinks and food, stood waiting dressed in all black with a white towel tossed over his shoulder.
“Good afternoon,” he said. “Name’s Shane. Anything you need today, let me know.”
“I need a good slap to the face of reality,” Melanie said.
I snickered. In the two weeks since she’d been at our place, I’d found out Melanie wasn’t just a really great and patient nurse, she was hilarious and sweet. I didn’t possibly think there were really people in the world as gentle and kind and good as her.
She also came from one of the most normal sounding families I’d ever heard of. She had a sister and a brother, parents who were married for forty-nine years. They still got together once a week for family dinners.
When I stayed home on Friday, Melanie and I opened a bottle of wine and had an impromptu girl’s night in.
It was the exact kind of night I missed from living in Charlotte and one I’d desperately needed.
“I’ll slap you,” I offered Melanie.
She giggled and settled my dad right behind the top row of chairs. “This okay?” she asked, locking the wheel and getting Dad’s attention.
“Perfect. Thanks, Melanie.”
She patted his hand and came to my side. I was standing back, surveying the field but it only took moments for me to recognize Beaux out on the field as the team warmed up.
It helped he was the one throwing the ball and I knew his number. Even without that, it would have been easy to spot him. Besides being one of the tallest guys out there, I’d spent the last week memorizing his body, running my hands over every accentuated muscle.
“Careful,” Melanie whispered, “I think you might be drooling.”
I shook my head. “I can’t help it.”
She clapped her hands together and nudged me with her hip. “Which one do I get?”
Apparently Melanie was just as taken with the idea of dating a Rough Rider as I was starting to be.
“Don’t know,” I murmured. “I don’t know who’s single besides Kolby.”
A door opened behind us and the sweetest little voice I’d ever heard cried out, “Yook, Namma! Dere people here!”
Melanie and I both turned as Mya skipped into the room. She was wearing a teal skirt and white shirt with the Rough Rider’s logo on it. On her back, which I saw as she twirled and danced straight up to us, was Kolby’s name and number.
“Hi,” I said, crouching down her level. “You must be Mya.”
“I yam,” she almost shouted. “Who are you?”
“I’m a friend of Beaux’s. Your dad said we could watch the games this year with you. Is that okay?”
I looked from her to a beautiful African American woman who had entered behind her and arched a brow in question for her as well.
“Kolby said what he’d done,” she said. Her smile was friendly as she approached. “I’m Charlayne, Kolby’s mom, but everyone calls me Char.”
“It’s nice to meet you, I’m Paige, and this is my dad, Sam, and his nurse and our friend Melanie.”
We made the introductions all while Mya bounced to each of us, shouting more hellos and then she skipped off to where Shane stood.
“Chocowate milk, pease, Mister Shane!”
“Already have it ready,” he said. He grinned at her, I was certain all of us were. Mya was a sweet little bundle of energy. It was no wonder why Kolby said she’d enjoy the game with more people around here.
“That girl is either hopped up on sugar while she’s here or bored to tears. It’s nice to have some company,” Char said, getting my attention from Mya who was slurping chocolate milk out of a straw and handing it back to Shane requesting more. “I’d tell her no more, but it’s pretty much the only time Kolby allows her to have sweets.”
“Strict dad?”
“Ha! Doting dad, but he’s got a sweet tooth unlike I’ve ever seen in a grown man. During the season he refuses to allow anything unhealthy into his body. When it comes to sweets, he has the self-control of a mosquito.”
I laughed at the image of Kolby Jones not having self-control. “I suppose it’s done him well, he’s looking great this year. Thanks for letting us join you guys, too. It was really nice of the guys to do this for my dad.”
“Child,” she said and set her hand on my arm. “All of us go through hard times. Trust me, I seen ‘em all, lived through most of ‘em. And when times are harder, ain’t nothing better than people at your back to hold you up. Sounds to me like you got that now if you didn’t before.”
A lump lodged in my throat at her poignant but blunt words. “Right.”
“Now I don’t know about you, but along with Kolby’s ban on sugar, he’s also banned alcohol. This here’s one of the few times I can imbibe in some wine and not get scolded by my grown son. You want something with me?”
“I’d love some. Melanie?” I asked, turning to her, but she was already at the bar. Elbows propped on it, she was leaning over it, talking to Shane.
Oh Lord.
“Great,” I muttered. “All I need is her flirting with the bartender.”
“Shit,” Charlayne said. “If I were thirty years younger, I’d be doing the same thing. That man is fine.”
I kissed my dad on the cheek and took his request for some water, all while he grumbled about not being able to have a beer due to his meds. Charlayne and I met up with Melanie still hitting on Shane, flipping her pretty platinum hair over her shoulder and making it known a drink wasn’t all that was on her request list.
Then we settled in for the game, talking and cheering and laughing, all while my dad fought to stay awake. I felt bad for him, was worried we were overdoing it, but when he nodded off shortly after halftime began, I forced myself to stop.
Melanie knew what he could handle, and he didn’t seem bothered by our noise, mostly Mya’s as she entertained us all game long with her cheers and dances.
And since the Rough Riders pulled out a win over the Saints twenty-four to eight, we all left in high spirits.
We parted ways at the elevator with John escorting Melanie and Dad back to the car. I followed Char and Mya along with Ryan down to the player’s tunnel beneath the stadium so I could go home with Beaux.