“When I saw Emma, everything came flooding back. I decided I wanted to try and find her. The love of my life. I hired a private investigator. I didn’t have much to go on, but I did have Emma’s picture and one from a photo booth from all those years ago.” He reaches into his wallet and pulls out a small strip that contains two images. “She has the other two,” he says, handing them to me.
My mouth drops open. “Oh my God. She looks just like her.” I study the image that’s worn from, my guess, years of carrying it in his wallet.
“I found her, Landon.” I look up to see him watching me closely. “I found my Caroline.”
It takes me a minute to register what he’s saying and then it clicks. “Holy shit, Emma’s mom?”
He nods. “Yes. Caroline Deaton.” He says her name with so much reverence even I can feel what she means to him. “I can only assume Bridgett has found my file and put two and two together. I didn’t try to hide it. Our marriage is one of friendship. Why do you think we’ve never had any kids?”
“You’ve been married for what? Twenty years?”
“Twenty-five.”
“And you’ve been… celibate all that time?”
“No, but I had a vasectomy which pissed her off.”
“Holy shit. So she wants Emma gone thinking that if she’s around, her mom will be too and that you’ll divorce her?”
“Yes. She signed a prenup, so she’ll be well taken care of. But I’m afraid there’s more.”
“What’s that?”
“Landon, I have reason to believe that Emma… that she’s my daughter.”
I sit on the couch, my legs not able to hold me up any longer.
“The timeline fits.”
“Fuck. I get it. It all makes sense to me now.” I close my eyes and take a deep breath. “Is it safe to say I’m not getting traded?”
“No. You’re not.”
Relief washes over me, but there is still one issue that I need to take care of. “She gave me until midnight tonight.”
He nods. I watch as he pulls out his phone and tries to call her. “Voice mail,” he mumbles before sending her a text.
“I have to warn Emma.”
“Wait.” There’s panic in his voice. “I don’t want them finding out like this. I don’t know if I’m her father, but I want to be, and this isn’t how I want that to go down.”
“Fine. But I’m still warning her.” Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I call Emma.
“Hey, Lucky, I was just thinking about you.”
“Yeah?” I ask, my heart slowing just from the sound of her voice.
“Yes. I bought some pillows for your living room today to liven this place up a little.” She laughs. “I hope you don’t mind. If you don’t like them, I can take them to my place.”
“No, baby. I don’t mind. Do whatever you want. As long as you’re there, that’s all that I care about.”
“Aw.” I hear Caroline in the background.
“I should have told you that I have you on speaker.”
“I don’t care who knows how much I love you, Em. Your mom included. I’m glad the two of you are enjoying your time together. Listen, there’s something going on. I don’t want you to worry, but a crazy fan is starting rumors of a trade and who knows what else. It’s not true.”
“O-kay,” she says slowly.
“I’ll explain everything when I get home. I just wanted to give you a heads-up in case the media gets a hold of this. Also, would it be possible for you and your mom to just stay at my place for the rest of the weekend? I don’t know where this chick is and I’d feel better knowing that you’re safe.”
“Yeah, I mean we were supposed to go to Aubrey’s to watch the game with her and CJ.”
“Have them come to my place. In fact, you can all just stay there. The building has excellent security.”
“Landon, are we in danger?” I can hear the worry in her voice.
“No, you’re not in danger, but I would feel better knowing you’re at my place, safe away from the crazy fans.”
“Okay. You sure there’s nothing for us to worry about?”
“I’m positive. You think I’d let you be there on your own if there was? I just wanted to give you warning. Oh, and ask your mom if she can stay a few extra days. I have some things I would like to talk to both of you about.” I catch Joseph’s eye as I say this and he looks like he’s holding his breath, afraid to breathe.
“I can do that,” Caroline chimes in. “I’ll call the office and let them know I’m taking a few days of vacation.”
“Thank you. I’ll see you girls late tomorrow night.”
“Love you, Landon.”
“Love you too, Em.”
“She’s there? Caroline is in Hermosa Beach?” Joseph sounds half excited and half panicked.
“Yeah, I flew her in to spend the weekend with Em. I hate leaving her for away games.”
“The team flies out Monday morning,” Coach Neil speaks up.
“Don’t care. I’m flying home to my girl. Fine me, bench me, I don’t care.”
“You have a family emergency,” he says with authority.
“However you want to spin it, you can. I’m on the first flight back to Hermosa Beach as soon as the game’s over.”
“Tom, hi, Joseph Stamper,” Joseph says, his phone to his ear. “I need you to contact my wife. Remind her of the terms of her prenup and let her know that I’ll be filing for divorce. Oh, and while you’re at it, let her know that anything she says in regard to any of my players and their families will be prosecuted in court. Thanks, Tom.” He hangs up and exhales loudly. “If I know Bridgett, that will stop her and if not—” He shrugs. “—I’ll take care of it.”
“You flying back with me?” I ask him.
“You’re damn right I am.” He makes another call to charter a plane for the two of us.
I thought I would come into
