CHAPTER NINETEEN
Candidate for sainthood.
Carter
I suck at golf right now, and it’s a game I take pride in. But my head and my heart are aching so badly that I can barely concentrate. After the sex we shared last night, I hoped we maybe could start over. But then I stupidly told her dad the truth about the proposal, and he turned right around and told her.
And I got mad all over again.
“I swear, I’m usually much better at this.” I run a hand over the back of my neck, wincing at my terrible performance.
AJ snickers. “You look nervous. Like you’re the one getting married later.”
“How in the world are you so cool right now?”
His game has been impeccable.
He shrugs, looking out over the rolling expanse of green all around us. “That’s easy. Today makes the most sense out of anything I’ve ever done in my life.”
He pulls a couple of beers from the cooler on the back of the golf cart, handing one to me. Blake and Seth are a hole behind us while Jake is in the middle of setting up a putt.
“I’ve gotta say, when you showed up here, the first thing I thought was that you were here to sign me. But you don’t seem interested.”
“What makes you feel that way?”
He shrugs. “We talked when you first got here, and you were helpful. You didn’t have that whole shark thing going on. If you know what I mean.”
I do, so I nod.
“Then, we had that conversation earlier today. I think you convinced Mr. Martin. I’m sure he feels a lot better now, if only for Lakelyn’s sake. You explained what you do, but you weren’t pushing. You weren’t trying to sell yourself.”
“I don’t push, AJ. I don’t have to. All that needs to be done is to explain what I bring to the table. I like working with smart people who understand my value.” I give him a nudge. “Besides, that’s not why I’m here.”
He still looks troubled. “It’s just that I’m worried my uncle will be insulted, which will piss my dad off. He’s only interested in me keeping more money.”
“Or, with all due respect, your uncle could put up a fuss, and a team will get so sick of dealing with someone who’s not professional that you’ll still be waiting to sign when the season has started. Seen that happen many times. Also, teams have salary caps. He can’t negotiate that much on your earnings. But honestly, it’s not what’s in the contract that concerns me. It’s what might not be.”
“Like what?”
“For instance, standard contracts don’t always contain clauses for what happens if you get hurt. What if you’re placed on injured reserve? What if they try to fire you? With cause or without. Will there be performance bonuses? Are they team or individual?” I have to chuckle in sympathy at the frown he’s wearing now.
“I’m not trying to overwhelm you. I’ve just seen situations like this play out before. And it typically isn’t good for the player. And I’m only scratching the surface. There are so many variables in each sport, even across individual teams. I’ve dealt with those things either through my own clients or I’ve heard about them through the agency I’m affiliated with. What you’re getting with a good agent is all that experience.”
I lower my voice a little, remembering our earlier conversation. “I know you said your dad believes you’re a fool to give a percentage to an agent, but here’s a question for him. How much money are you leaving on the table if you sign a contract that doesn’t cover everything? Bonuses, injury pay, all of it could be lost. Not to mention, the other situations I described earlier. Getting my clients out of trouble, dealing with fans who don’t know what boundaries mean, helping them manage their money.” I give him a smile. “Every one of my clients will tell you that I’m worth every penny.”
“As far as I’m concerned, you’re the guy I want. But it feels very complicated.”
“Then, uncomplicate it. You have to stop playing the role of a child and stand up for yourself, your wife, and your future family. It’s great to go to people you trust for advice, but ultimately, it’s your decision, and you and Lakelyn are the ones who have to live with the consequences of that decision.”
He takes a pull of his beer. “Lakelyn didn’t want this big of a wedding. I’m not complaining, and I know she wouldn’t either. The Martins have been so generous. But it’s because it’s what they wanted. Not what she did.”
“Does that bother you?” I ask.
“Yeah, it does. I want her to have everything she dreams of. Not have her dreams forced on her.”
“Then, it sounds like you’d better start being a man. If you want me to represent you, I will. But it’s your decision to make, and I won’t pressure you.”
“Vale’s lucky to have found you.” He laughs. “Or maybe I’m lucky you found Vale. Either way, glad you’re going to be part of the family.”
It’s in that moment that I realize I should not take him as a client. I pride myself on my integrity. And I’m lying to him right now. Not the best way to start off a relationship.
Why didn’t I say no to her when she showed up at my doorstep?
Probably because she was literally down on her knees.
And because I’m still in love with her.
And probably because I’m an idiot.
“What’s the holdup?” I can see Blake waiting to tee off, shouting with his hands cupped around his mouth. “Do we have to play through?”
“Man”—Jake laughs, joining us—“I feel sorry for the girl who thinks she can handle him one day. Poor girl will have to be a candidate for sainthood.”
I have to bite my tongue to stop from saying something of that effect about all the Martins, but since she showed up at my door, I don’t exactly qualify for sainthood myself.
Time you come home.
Vale
I go back to the tent in a daze and take a seat in the corner, hiding behind a plant. I need a minute. I’m still shocked over two things.
Carter was going to propose?
And my mom has my dad on a tight rope?
Am I just an idiot? Have I been wrong all this time about my parents’ relationship?
The answer to that question is answered pretty quickly when my father marches into the tent with the wedding planner.
“Sarah,” he says to my mother, “come down off that ladder, please.”
My mom puffs out her chest, clearly irritated by the whole situation.
Dad takes her hand. “I’ve taken care of everything.”
Mom looks at the wedding planner with a shrewd eye. The woman practically recoils.
“I’m sorry for the misunderstanding about the lights on the sides of the tent. I’ve spoken to the tent company—”
My father coughs.
“Well, I spoke to them after your husband did. Needless to say, they are sending a crew that will arrive in less than thirty minutes and hang the lights.”
It’s only then that my mom gets off the ladder and practically falls into my father’s arms. The relief on her face is clear. “Thank you,” she says to him and gives him a kiss. “I don’t know what I would do without you.”
My dad grins at her like he just won a medal. “Let’s hope we don’t ever have to find out.”
The wedding planner stands there awkwardly, pretending to be occupied by something written on her clipboard.
When Mom turns to her, the planner says, “Why don’t you go start getting ready with the girls? The makeup team is all set up and ready for you. If you’d like, when the tent is finished, I’ll let you know, so you can make sure everything is to your satisfaction. Again, I apologize for the error. I hope you will be able to relax and enjoy your time with your daughter from here on out.”
“Thank you. I will. And, yes, I would like to see the final product with enough time to make any necessary changes.”
She and my dad leave. The tent is empty. My sisters must have gone to the house to get ready, knowing I was going to get our father.
I realize my life is at a turning point. That this weekend is like a pivot. And I have two big decisions to make. The first is easy. I need to heal old wounds. I need to go to the house, talk to my dad, and probably apologize to my mom. Maybe explain the pressure I felt, even though I now know it was probably out of love. I mean, it would be scary as a parent for your child to announce she was moving away. That she wanted a completely different life than the one you’d envisioned for her.
And I hope that will spark them to apologize too. To tell me that they are proud of what I’ve accomplished. That they understand why I had to do what I did. And that it was the right decision for me.
But today is not the day. Not on my sister’s wedding day.
I’ll talk to them about all this tomorrow before I leave town.
Then, there’s the next issue.
Carter was going to propose?
Honestly, I can’t even deal with that right now.
It’s just too much all at once.
Because I think in order to have a future with him, I need to get a handle on my past.
I go to the house, pour myself a mimosa, which is very heavy on the champagne, and then proceed to change into one of the matching robes my sister bought everyone to wear for today. We pose for numerous getting-ready shots, and then it’s my turn to get my makeup done. It’s something I’m used to, and I can practically sleep through the process.
An hour and a half and a whole lot of girlie laughter and fun going on around me later, I’m next up in the chair to get my hair curled and pulled back into a twist.
The wedding planner comes in and gets Mom to go check on everything, and she’s happy when she returns.
“Everything looks just perfect, Lakelyn,” she says, her eyes sparkling.
And I can tell she’s thrilled to have been able to do all this for her daughter. She and Lakelyn hug tightly, and then Mom presents her with our great-grandmother’s pearl earrings to wear for the ceremony.
I’m actually tearing up, and I find myself wishing my mother and I had a better relationship.
Once I’m ready, I go upstairs and put on my dress.
I’m just down the stairs and making my way back to the dining room when my dad steps out of his study.
“Can you come in here for a moment?” he asks politely.
I take a fleeting glance toward the dining room, where I can see the girls gathered, sipping mimosas and chatting excitedly.
“Uh, sure. What’s up?” I ask with a smile.
“I think it’s time you come home.”
Oh, for goodness’ sake. Really? He has to start this now?
“You think so?”
“I do. We’d like to see more of you. We’d like to see you more settled.”
“I’m engaged,” I say. “I’m getting there, obviously.”
“And we really like Carter. But I am good at reading people. Something is off between the two of you. Or with your career. Is it something you’d like to discuss?”
I try to remain calm, but all the old hurt comes out in my voice. “My career, the one you think is stupid, is going quite well actually. I just signed a multimillion-dollar contract to be the face of a very successful designer brand.”
“Regardless, you seem unsettled. You don’t even own a home. It’s no way to live. A person needs grounding. You need a real life.”
“The last time I checked, my life is real. Very real. And I like it the way it is.”
“You have no roots,” he scoffs. “Nothing steady.”
“You don’t have the slightest idea of what I have, Dad. I travel all over the world. I have friends all over the world. I make a lot of money. I have people in my life who I care about and who care about me. I’ve never spent a holiday alone. But you dismiss it all.”
He scoffs again, “Carter is a good man. But nothing he’s said has indicated that you are willing to settle down. Even though you agreed to marry him. How is your life going to work?”
“We’ll figure it out. It’s none of your business.”
“My children, no matter how old they get or how high-horsed they get, will always be my business,” he says. “You need to be here some. With your family. You’re missing out on your nieces and nephews growing up.” He waves a hand, scowling. “You had your fun. But life isn’t about fun. It’s about hard work. About building something. You aren’t building a legacy, Vale. Once your looks fade and jobs stop coming in, what will you have?”
“How dare you,” I whisper. I’m so outraged that I can barely hold back the tears, but there is no way I’m going to let him see me cry because I’m angry. He’ll read it as a weakness. “You have never once reached out. Never offered to come out and see what I’ve built. The career I have. The life I live. Never. Don’t you dare talk to me about my life when you don’t have the first clue what it’s about.”
“I know what I need to know.”
“How?!” I shout. “How do you know? No one in this family knows, and you want to know why? Because they’re all too afraid of crossing you!”
“You could’ve come home!”
“For what? This?!” I throw my hands into the air. “I should’ve come home, so I could hear the big speech about how my place is in the home?”
His mouth opens like he’s about to throw off a comeback, but the door to the study opens.
“What’s going on?” Lakelyn says. Her eyes are wide, and her hair is in huge rollers. “I could hear you down the hall.”
I have to deliberately compose my face. “Everything’s fine. Just the same old argument.”
“Dad,” she mutters, teeth clenched, “you promised me you wouldn’t do this! Not at my wedding!”
“I’m just trying to get her to come home once in a while.” He points to me. “She needs to get off her high horse and just listen for once.”
“Just like my place is here too, right?” Lakelyn says. When she juts out her chin, she looks downright vicious. “I’m already tired of hearing that from you, so I can only imagine how sick of it Vale must be by now. What is it with you and this obsession with keeping us here? You know AJ and I will be moving around.”
“Did it ever occur to you, Dad, that your children might have dreams of their own? Just like you probably did when you were young?”
“It doesn’t really matter,” Lakelyn says. “Not today anyway. It’s my wedding day, and you are both ruining everything!”
“I’m ruining things?” Dad’s face goes red. “I’d like to remind you, young lady, of just who’s paying for this huge wedding of yours.”
“And that’s exactly the same as you wanting all of us working for you. To keep us dependent so that you can call the shots,” I yell.
“That isn’t at all what I’m about, young lady,” Dad replies, “and you would know that if you bothered to visit every once in a while.”
“Why would I come home for this? So you can remind me why my life isn’t good enough for you?”
“Enough. Both of you!” Lakelyn steps between us, her voice shaking with emotion. “Dad, I am so disappointed in you.” She turns to me. “And you promised you’d get along. I asked you both for one weekend of peace. Instead, you have turned my wedding into a disaster.”
“I’ve tried to give you everything you dreamed of for your big day,” my dad says to Lakelyn, looking stricken.
“I. Didn’t. Ask. For. A. Big. Wedding,” she says, her teeth clenched. “AJ and I wanted a small destination wedding. You and Mom wanted this. And you know what? I’m done.”
She rushes out of the room in tears, and I hear AJ out in the hall, asking her what’s wrong.
The boys must be back from golfing. Dad blusters his way out there, ready for a fight.
“I knew they would fight,” Lakelyn sobs, throwing herself into AJ’s chest. “It’s why I wanted to elope in the first place. I’m sorry, AJ, but I can’t marry you today. Not now. Not like this.”
“What are you saying?” my father demands.
“It’s over, sir,” AJ says. He stands up straight and holds my sister tightly. “Lakelyn agreed to this whole weekend because it’s what you wanted. And because you promised not to fight with Vale. Now, it’s over. The wedding is off. We’re going to elope, and you won’t get to see your daughter walk down the aisle. Because you’ve ruined what was supposed to be her special day.”
“You can’t be serious!” my father yells. “Everything is ready! The guests will be arriving soon.”