Page 17 of Unforgettable
Once the aged twenty-one-year scotch hit my taste buds, the tension eased even more.
Franklin’s tight features loosened after a couple of swigs. “The chancellor sent over what you need to do to atone for your accident on campus.”
I couldn’t wait to hear what the crusty old man had to dish out. I was sure he wasn’t banning me from football. The sport drew in lots of money, and without me, he might not have the draw of fans in the stadium. After all, football was a religion in the great state of Texas.
Franklin set his drink down, flipped open a folder, and scanned it. “After the funeral, you’ll be assigned to a clean-up crew with the maintenance department. You’ll do ten hours of penance, which is nothing if you ask me.”
“Like I have time to keep campus clean. He realizes I have football and away games and parties to attend, not to mention the football fundraiser.”
“You’re the big man on campus, and he can’t just let this slide. You know as well as I do if your old man was here, he would make you do much more than that. And let’s not forget, the chancellor could make your life hell. He could’ve called the local police, and then you would’ve been slapped with drunk driving. Seriously, Ryker. I’m not going to tell you not to drink. If I were in your shoes, I would probably drink myself to death. But you’ve got a future in football. Don’t fuck that up.”
I had never been a good little boy. But when it came to football, I was the perfect player. I was the one spurring my team on. I was the one who played like my life depended on it. But that was all before I lost everything. Now my world had changed. I was in shock and denial—the first stage of grief. At least that was what Lucas had told me the other day.
Well, I would be in that first stage for a long time. No matter what, I couldn’t see past the shock.
I downed the rest of the scotch. “I’m out of here.” I was done talking about how not to be a fuck-up. I had a case of beer at home with my name on it.
“When is Kari coming in?” Eagerness threaded through Franklin’s words.
I arched a brow. He’d always had a thing for my mom’s younger sister, who had never married.
“She’s flying in Monday,” I said. “She’s staying at my parents’ ranch. Are you ever going to ask her out?”
Franklin was a handsome forty-five-year-old and had been divorced for five years. He had thick black hair with streaks of silver in it, black eyes, a strong jaw, and a close-shaven beard. Sometimes my parents’ circle of friends had ribbed my dad by saying I resembled Franklin more than him. But my mom had put that teasing to rest. She’d gotten so tired of hearing everyone say, “Are you sure Ryker isn’t the mailman’s son, or even Franklin’s?” She’d actually produced my birth certificate as proof. Besides, my old man had had dark hair too. His hadn’t been as black as mine, but I’d gotten my color from my mom.
Franklin knocked back the rest of his scotch. “Long-distance relationships don’t work.”
“Wait. Are you saying you and my aunt had fun between the sheets?” I grinned. “Way to go, man.”
His jaw hardened. “None of your business. Which reminds me. Stay away from Haven Hale.”
“Come again?” I knew the Hale name. Everyone did if they lived in Texas. But surely, the Haven I’d met couldn’t possibly be related to the man I was thinking of.
Franklin took a sip of his drink. “Haven Hale, the daughter of Texas Senator Eugene Hale?”
I squeezed my eyes closed for a second. “He has a daughter?”
So that’s who she is. That’s what Lucas was trying to tell me.
“Are you living under a rock?”
“I don’t pay attention to politics. You know that. The politics I get into are on the football field.” But I did know the Texas senator and my dad had practically been enemies.
James Enterprises had violated one discharge water permit due to a piece of equipment that had failed. The company had paid the fine and had the equipment fixed, and all that had been needed was the final release from the water board to start up operations.
Unfortunately, that seal of approval had been a slow train from China. Two months of calls and visits to the water board headquarters had gone unnoticed. Franklin had been told that the water board had a backlog of cases with a short staff, which might’ve been true until Franklin found that Senator Eugene Hale had stopped all permits from being released. My dad had lost customers and tons of money, and he’d had to let employees go.
Franklin rose and poured himself more scotch. “I shouldn’t bust your balls. Not many people know about her, or if they do, they don’t bring her up. The out-of-sight and out-of-mind thing. Anyway, he hid her away. Her school years were spent in a boarding school in Michigan. I only know this because of the turmoil between your father and hers.”
I squinted at the sunlight spilling in as my mind spun like a tornado with ideas on how I could piss off the senator.
Franklin returned with the bottle of scotch and filled my glass a quarter of the way. “I see your wheels turning. Don’t bring his daughter into this fight. And let’s not forget he can ruin your football career. He’s a number-one alumni donor to the university.”
The senator might donate money, but in no way could he sway Coach on who played the game and who didn’t.
Crossing my ankles, I kicked up my feet on the edge of the desk. “He also hates me, which I don’t give a rat’s ass about. But please let me have some fun.”
Franklin leaned against the edge, swatting at my feet. “Down, boy.”
