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Fuck, fuck, fuck. I had moved back home to get away from Chad, dead certain he would never willingly come back here. He’d hated small-town life, how everyone was all up in his business. He’d clung to a career in baseball as his ticket out of town, and once he was drafted, he never looked back. Even his mother having a stroke hadn’t been enough to get him to return; he’d sent flowers. I had to believe he would leave Red Rock as soon as he could.

I took one last long swallow from my glass and shoved myself up from the table. “It doesn’t matter. He hates this town. I’m sure he’ll find a way out somehow, and I refuse to let his problems take up any more of my energy. Since you haven’t checked into your hotel yet, why don’t I show you your room, and you can get unpacked?”

I led Carter upstairs and showed him his room and the adjoining bath, then left him to move his things in while I went to tell Ethan. I didn’t think Ethan would mind, but he deserved to know it now.

I knocked on his door and waited for him to answer. I tried to respect his privacy, and he had never given me a reason not to trust him.

“Come in.”

He was seated at his desk, his laptop open, noise-cancelling headphones over his ears. Even from here, I could see his organic chemistry notes open on the screen. Ethan was a good student but had to study hard to achieve grades even close to his older sister. Academics came easier to Brooke. “Hey. I wanted to run something past you.”

Ethan slipped off his headphones and swivelled his chair around to face me, his expression curious. “What’s up?”

“We talked earlier about renting out the room up here, because we never completed the one in the basement.”

When we had first refinished the house, we had started building a small suite in the basement, but never got further than adding a bathroom, and roughing in walls for a bedroom. It had a concrete floor, half the drywall was still leaning against the wall, and it was damp and unfit for more than storage. Which was why when I’d decided we could use a little extra cash flow, I’d had to offer up the guest room upstairs.

“Did you find someone? Did Wally connect you with a player? I forgot to remind him today, I was too excited to work on my swing with Carter,” Ethan said sheepishly.

“It is a player, but Wally didn’t send him. I asked Carter if he needed a place to stay. He said yes. Are you okay with that?” I leaned against his doorframe, waiting to see if I was right about Ethan thinking this was a good solution.

“Carter? Why wouldn’t I be okay with him moving in? He’s great, and we’ve had him stay with us before. Maybe I can challenge him to a rematch at Mario Kart.” Ethan grinned.

“Maybe. He’ll be spending a lot of time with the team, though.” Now that the first half of the conversation had gone so well, I had to tackle the more unpleasant topic: Chad. I wiped my palms against my pants, then pushed myself to tell him.

“There is something else you need to know. Your father is in town. I wanted you to know, before you heard it from anyone else. He wanted to move into the room, but I told him I’d already rented it out.” I glossed over the real sequence of events. Ethan didn’t need those details.

“Dad’s here?” Ethan wrinkled his nose, visibly confused. “That doesn’t make sense. He should be with the Texas broadcast crew.”

I nodded. “I know. He told me he’s here to help your grandpa run the tractor dealership. I’m guessing he’ll reach out to you soon.” I could only hope Chad would. Ethan’s relationship with him was already rocky. If Chad didn’t make any effort now that he was in Red Rock, I had no doubt Ethan would follow in his sister’s footsteps and cut Chad out of his life.

“Yeah, maybe. It doesn’t matter if he doesn’t. It’s not like he’s super dependable.” Ethan was trying hard to sound nonchalant, unaffected by Chad’s neglect. It hurt to hear the undercurrent of pain in his voice.

“I am glad Carter is moving in, though. It’s nicer than having a complete stranger here.” Ethan put his headphones back on and returned to his notes.

I closed his door, relieved that he didn’t seem upset about Carter.

Chapter 6

Carter

The room Jane had given me was spacious and comfortable, with an en suite bathroom that included a walk-in shower similar to the one in my condo back in Seattle. It was far nicer than any hotel would have been, and if my being here helped her out a little? It was a win for both of us.

The only negative was the possibility she might find out about my part in the end of her marriage to Chad. If Chad told her I’d sent that reporter up to his room . . . it sucked that Jane had been caught in the cross fire of Chad’s mess, and that I had any part in it. Even though I hadn’t intended to harm her, in the end, she’d been publicly humiliated. The last thing I wanted was to hurt her all over again, and maybe lose her friendship. I’d regret that more than anything.

I lifted my bags onto the bed and began unpacking. It had been two years since I’d had to live out of a suitcase for six months of the year, and I was out of practice.

When I’d received the news from Vancouver that they were willing to offer me a one-year minor league contract after I’d sent them some rehab training videos, I’d had three days to get everything organized and get myself to Red Rock. Getting from the rehab facility I’d been using in Florida to Alberta, with a stop in Seattle to organize my life, had been a whirlwind.

Fliers games started in a week, and home field practice started tomorrow. I was at the beginning of a long season and couldn’t get distracted by personal drama. The sooner Chad left town and I found my own place, the better. My sole direction had to be on improving my play and proving to management that I had what it took to return to the big leagues. Otherwise, why was I here?

Why was I here? The promise I’d made at my mother’s gravesite ate at me. It was why I wasn’t satisfied with what I had accomplished, or ready to admit that my injuries meant I should hang up my cleats and retire for good.

It wasn’t the money—I had plenty of that.

Considering the severity of my injuries, I should be happy that I had the mobility I did have. My doctors considered me a medical miracle. With all the damage, the pins and plates they’d patched me back together with, I shouldn’t be able to compete at an elite level, but I refused to stay down.

My drive to compete wouldn’t quit, so neither would I. I wanted a World Championship ring. It was the last promise I’d made to my mom, and until I placed that ring on her headstone, I wouldn’t give up. The Fliers were providing me with the opportunity. I had to make the most of it.