Page 63 of Keeping the Single Dad
Brodie rocked back in Gabe’s fancy white leather reclining chair. The slushie hovered dangerously in his hand. My teeth gritted. “That’s great. Come on, then. Let’s go.”
Brodie leaped to his feet, and I braced myself to catch the slushie. Miraculously, he didn’t spill a drop. “Gabe has a boat. He’s going to take me on it. We’re going to be pirates for the day.”
I raised a rueful eyebrow. “Go steady on the pillaging though, won’t you? Super yachts weren’t built for that kind of thing.” I transferred my attention to Gabe. “Are the women training, today? I haven’t seen them around.”
Gabe swept a handful of football cards together and stacked them in a neat pile. “Lana was here this morning. She had a meeting with Claire.”
“Lana? Oh? Did she?” I tried to keep my voice from sounding unduly interested.
“Lana is Dad’s girlfriend,” Brodie said, matter of factly.
Blood pounded my temples. “Lana is my friend. Not a girlfriend.”
Brodie took a long, loud slurp of his slushie. His wide eyes shone with innocence. “You had all those sleepovers, and you were kissing in the kitchen. I don’t kiss my friends. Lana was supposed to look after me this morning, but she’s run off somewhere, and now we can’t find her.”
Gabe darted a glance at Brodie and pulled out a five pound note from his smart suit jacket. He passed the money to Brodie. “Why don’t you go to the vending machine at the end of the hall and get yourself a coke.”
Brodie frowned. “You already got me a slushie?”
“Well, you can have two overpriced sugary drinks. Off you go.”
I frowned. The last thing I needed today was a kid with a sugar rush. I opened my mouth to protest but Gabe’s emerald eyes gleamed with purpose. He must have had a reason to send Brodie away.
I moved to the door, so I could keep an eye on Brodie. “Fine. Make sure it’s a sugar free one.”
Brodie beamed and skipped down the corridor. Gabe reached into his jacket and pulled out his phone. He scrolled it and passed it to me.
My mind reeled as I scanned the article.Exclusive—My Love Affair with Sugar Daddy, Alex Mac. The Wild Child of Women’s Football Tells All.
My stomach knotted. Lana had sold me out? She wouldn’t, would she?
“I’m sorry about this, mate. Better coming from someone inside the club.”
Gabe was still talking, but I didn’t take any of it in. My mind was reeling. I watched Brodie at the vending machine down the hall. It didn’t matter what the papers said about me, but what about Brodie? This would affect him. How could she do that to us? Brodie’s footsteps echoed in the corridor, muted and sharp at the same time. My guts churned.
Gabe ran his tongue over his lower lip. “Look, I don’t know how well you know Lana, but she’s always been…a handful. The tabloids have hounded me my whole life. Try not to take it personally.”
How could I not take it personally? The woman I’d fallen in love with, and trusted, had sold me out? For what? What reason could she possibly have for doing this to me? To Brodie? It didn’t make any sense. I wouldn’t have believed her capable of it if I hadn’t read the article and seen with my own eyes. There were things in there that only Lana knew. How could she do that to us? My heart pounded in my throat. My face flushed with anger and humiliation. I’d been a fool. I’d been blinded by lust and my own ego. That’s what this was. I’d been dazzled by a beautiful young woman and put my own needs before my son’s.
Gabe’s emerald eyes held sympathy rather than their usual humor, but I knew what he must have been thinking.
There’s no fool like an old fool.
Brodie skipped back toward us, my stomach sank. Oh, Brodie. The poor kid would be devastated. He’d got so attached to Lana. This was my fault. I’d let it happen, knowing full well it wasn’t the best thing for him. How could I have been so selfish and so blind? I’d brought this upon us. I’d uprooted us from our old lives because I’d thought a new start would help us heal. None of this was part of the plan. I’d lost track of the game and let a goal get past me.
Somehow, I forced a smile on to my lips. “Are you ready to go, pal?”
Brodie nodded and slipped his soft hand into mine. I straightened. All that mattered was defending Brodie from the fall out. I’d let him down. I wouldn’t make that mistake again.
Chapter 38
Lana
PebblescrunchedunderfootasI traversed the beach that edged the secluded loch. Sunlight sparkled diamonds on the flat mirrored surface of the water, dazzling me. I threw a hand up to shield my eyes. Everything was so bright. Of course, I hadn’t thought to bring sunglasses. These clear warm days were so rare. An endless expanse of wild countryside unfurled around me, beautiful and rugged. The occasional bleating of sheep drifted over the hills, but it was so quiet and still, you could almost hear the clouds rolling across the sky.?Long forgotten memories hit me one after another.
Me and Mel splashing through puddles in wellies and raincoats while Mum tried to negotiate with us to carry our umbrellas. Mel spinning in a circle and laughing as I chased her.
The bright day only made my mood sourer. Even sunlight and devastating beauty couldn’t stop the grief that squeezed my chest. Everything had gone wrong. I’d betrayed Alex, and I’d run away. It’s what I’d been doing my whole life. I’d been running. Not committing myself too seriously to anything. Not getting close to anyone. The truth was, I’d been running from this feeling in my chest. Most days, I felt like I was on a moving walkway, and my legs were just carrying me along whether or not I wanted to go. Some people are a light and when they go out the entire world is darker. We’d been wading through the dark without Mum, sad and alone.
