Page 89 of Scoring Zone
My phone rings on my chest, and I jerk awake in the recliner. I fumble to answer it in the muted light of early morning.
“Tinny?” I rasp.
“Mr. Ward?” Mr. Dimon asks, and I pull the lever on the recliner, sitting up with a gasping grunt. “Are you drunk?”
“Uh, no? Maybe?” I slap my face to get my brain cells working. “How can I help you, sir?”
“I want my trainer back,” he says bluntly. There’s a pause, and I should speak, but I don’t know what he’s saying. “Did you speak to your lawyer?”
“Umm.” I search my phone and see two missed calls. “She called, but I was asleep.”
“Ah, let me be the one to give you the good news that the criminal charges against you have been dropped. You’re free to come back to work.”
I shut my eyes, daring to hope. “What about the civil case?”
“Based on the evidence, it shouldn’t be a problem. Will you be in today?”
“I’m, uh, I’m in Canada, and there’s a snowstorm.” There’s a blanket of white with no distinction of the roads. “I’ll be back as soon as possible. Thank you.”
Since it’s early, I text Austin to call me when he wakes up. My phone rings immediately.
“I’m so sorry, I pushed you away when I should’ve pulled you closer. I love you. Please forgive me,” I rush all the words out.
“You’re coming home.” The certainty in his voice brings me to my knees.
“Yes, but there’s that inconvenient snowstorm still standing in my way. I spent last night trying to get any flight out here but there’s nothing,” I ramble.
“We’ll figure out a way.” I hear the smile in his voice.
“Oh, the criminal charges were dropped.” Getting home to fix things with Austin is crucial, and everything else can wait.
“Wait. Did you say the charges were dropped? Why aren’t you happy?”
“Because I’m coming home for you, not my job.” I punch my thigh at my stupidity at not leaving yesterday.
“Sunshine, if you say you love me and you’re coming home, I believe you. I’m texting you a quote since you’re not here for sticky notes.” My phone beeps, and I readYou have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love, I love, I love you. Pride and Prejudice.
“I don’t deserve you.”
He switches to a video call, and he’s breathtaking. His short hair is sticking up, and he looks like he hasn’t slept, but he’s the reason my heart beats.
I let out a slow breath. “I love you so much it hurts.”
“Same. How can I help you get home?”
“You got any pull with Mother Nature?” I might have to rent a car instead of waiting for a plane.
The storm swept through Canada and then barreled down the East Coast, knocking out power and closing airports.
“Our game is postponed,” Austin says, staring at me through the phone from our bed.
“It’s the damn apocalypse. Maybe I’ll find a polar bear to ride down on.” I refresh the airline page, then shut my laptop. “The airlines are all grounded, but of course rich people can use their private jets.” I snort at the hypocrisy. “If the airports don’t clear flights in the next few hours, I’ll drive back.”
Austin’s face scrunches up and brightens, not matching his words. “Ugh. Team business. I gotta go. I’ll call you back.” He blows me a kiss and hangs up the phone.
In the past, his needing to get off the phone for team business would’ve brought on a strong bout of otherness. Now I’m secure enough to tell my destructive inner voice to go kick rocks.
The plow clears the road, and I snow-blow the driveway so I can leave quickly when the time comes. I dwell on the fact that I didn’t solve anything by coming here, and now I can’t go home.
