Page 34 of Best Year Ever
“So Landon was telling me about your mom. I’m so sorry for your loss,” Grace says softly. “He wanted me to bring this, to support the event.”
She hands over a small piece of paper folded in half. I take it in my hand and unfold it.
It’s a check. From Landon. A donation to the Pink Sisters organization, the charity benefiting from today.A donation of $7,500.Oh my god.
“What?” I say, trying to find my words. “This is so generous. I can’t believe he’d do this.”
Grace smiles knowingly. “That’s Landon for you. He likes taking care of things that matter to the people in his life.”
I nod, still stunned.
“Well, it was really nice to meet you,” Grace says, putting her hand on my arm as a parting gesture. “I need to head back to study for a test tomorrow. Good luck with the rest of the event.”
And off she goes, leaving me still processing everything that just happened.
CHAPTER 12
Landon
“Yeah, man, no worries. Rawley and I will check on the house on the weekends, he’s coming in almost every Friday through Sunday. Happy to keep him busy and he’ll love the mock-field in your backyard.”
“Thanks,” Johnson replies through the receiver. “I want to stay here a little while longer to make sure everything gets settled, even if it’s going in the right direction. And I’ve been training with a local guy I’ve known forever.”
Johnson’s sister had given birth to a little boy. It was touch and go for awhile, but everyone seems okay now. Meanwhile, he’s staying in his hometown in Alabama, helping his sister and mom, and he asked me to check in on his Orlando house once a week.
“I’m here for whatever you need. No questions asked.”
After trading a little team news, we hang up.
With the momentary distraction of Johnson’s call done, I don’t have anything keeping me from wondering about how the donation went over.
And mulling over the fact that I might be stalking Rori a bit. A smidge.
Okay, in my defense, Grace is the one who brought the race tomy attention last week. When she said she was going to go, it felt like a no-brainer to send a donation with her.
Would I have done it if Rori wasn’t involved? Maybe not. But it was still the right thing to do.
My Rori-related activities extend beyond the check, though. I’ve started to follow her matches. I know she has a tournament in California coming up in a few days. I listen to women’s tennis updates while working out in my home gym.
Let’s just call me a fan.
I don’t reveal any of this to Rori, however. I’m careful to keep our texts friendly and not too frequent. No reason to push something that she doesn’t want. I promised her no distractions.
Grace texts me once she gets back to her place in nearby Winter Haven. The message is frustratingly lacking in detail.
GRACE: All set!
Okay, great, but was Rori happy? Excited? Surprised? Annoyed?
I wasn’t going to get details from Grace without admitting that I’m intrigued by Rori.
Good word for it.Intrigued.
A few hours later, I’m having a rice bowl with chicken and veggies at my kitchen counter, still going stir crazy about how the check went over.
Grover pads closer and looks at me, curious.
“I know, I know. Daddy seems stressed. It’s fine,” I say, trying to reassure him.
