Page 24 of Keeping the Single Dad
My gaze found Lana again. I couldn’t help but watch her whether or not I wanted to. This woman was no good for me. When she’d stood in front of me half naked, it had taken every ounce of self-restraint not to touch her. She was divine. The last thing I needed was an evening in her company when I couldn’t stop craving her.
“I’m out, pal. Sorry. Daddy duties.”
I left before the end of the training session to see if I could catch Sean alone for a moment. The guy was an arsehole, but he was my captain. The team had to get along. If I’d learnt one thing over the years, it was that it was better to address a problem head on and try to find a way through it. I’d do what it took to smooth things over.
The locker room was empty. I rounded the corner to the showers. Sean sat on a bench with a towel around his middle. His arm was crossed over his body at an odd angle. It took me a moment to notice the small syringe in his hand. A fine needle pierced his skin as he injected himself.
His eyes locked with mine and his face twisted with anger. “What the fuck are you doing creeping around?”
?Glass glinted in the bright locker room lights as he swiped a couple of little bottles and shoved them into a green bag. He zipped the bag and crossed to his locker to stash it. “Vitamin injections. I’m trying to boost my energy levels. You should try it.”
I held perfectly still. It could have been vitamins or it could have been something else. Either way, I didn’t want to make it my business. Shit. Why did I have to choose this moment to come walk in here?
“Vitamins, huh?”
He nodded. “I have a doctor who prescribes them. I can give you his name or…”??
“It’s fine. I wanted to clear the air. Do you want to talk about what just happened?”
With his broad back to me, he rummaged in his locker. “It’s no big deal. We’re fine.” He tightened the towel around his middle and raked a trembling hand over his ashen face. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of his temple.?
“Is everything okay, pal? Do you need to sit down?”
He swiped his hand across his forehead. “No. I’m fine. I don’t want any beef, either. We’re fine. I’ve just had a stressful morning. They’ve printed a load of bollocks about me in the news. It’s messed with my head. We’re good. I’m sorry about all that out there.”
I nodded. I hadn’t expected him to apologize. Maybe he wasn’t that bad after all.
He peered in the mirror attached to the inside of his locker, studying himself with an indefinable expression. “Are you going to fuck off now and let me have a shower in peace?”
I held my hands up. “Of course. I’ll leave you to it.”
Chapter 12
Lana
Theburnttoastandcigarette stench of Dad’s house filled my nose. I’d spent all afternoon scrubbing the walls with disinfectant, but a vile odor still clung to the wallpaper. Dad sat at the kitchen table. His red dressing gown draped loosely around his bare shoulders and round belly. A cigarette dangled in his yellowed fingers. At least he was wearing boxers under that robe. I had to be thankful for small mercies.
I plucked the cigarette from Dad’s fingers. “None of that.”
His head shot up. “I can’t drink, and I can’t smoke now, either?”
“You need to get ready. Kickoff is in an hour.”
I ran the cigarette under running water and threw it in the bin.
Mel breezed into the kitchen. She dusted her hands together and surveyed the freshly scrubbed surfaces. “I’m making dinner. Vegan casserole.”
Dad’s mouth dropped open. “Vegan? Now, I know you’re both trying to upset me.”
Mel’s lip twitched. It was the closest she’d come to a laugh in a long time. She had always enjoyed inflicting pain on people. Controlling Dad was about as much fun as she was going to get.
I cleared my throat. “Are you sure you don’t want to come to the match with us, Mel?”
My sister raised a perfectly arched brow. “You want me to come and watch a football match with you?”
“Why not? You work at a football club. Aren’t you curious to see the guys on the pitch?”
She wrinkled her slim nose. “A load of men running around chasing a ball in a stadium full of hooligans ranting and fighting? I can’t think of anything worse.”
