Chapter 13

Crystal was beside herself. Four of the pledges had almost been sexually assaulted on her watch. If not for David, it might have been much worse. After talking to her, he’d contacted some of his football teammates and Lars. They’d shown up and helped her get her girls out of trouble.

The police had shown up because of a ‘tip’ on the live stream. Eight Sigma Upsilons were arrested, but Crystal got word they were all out on the street that next morning. It must have taken someone with pull to get them released on a Sunday.

The girls were all okay after sleeping off the effects of the drugs. The police confiscated the punch, which looked like where it’d been put.

Monday morning, she planned to start doing everything in her power to get Sigma Upsilon removed from campus.

Coby was sound asleep when David got up. He got ready for the day and finally had to wake his son up.

“Get up. Let’s go get breakfast.”

“Sleep,” Coby moaned.

“I hear you, but Duke gets your breakfast if you don’t get up.”

Coby looked at David to ask if his dad really would feed his breakfast to the dog. David gave his son a raised eyebrow look that got the boy’s butt out of bed.

They walked into the main house and found Peggy, Ashley, and Scarlet eating breakfast.

“Look at this. The accomplices.”

“Guilty as charged,” Scarlet said. “We’re just thankful you got to deal with this one.”

Coby giggled when she tickled David’s underage boozehound.

“I don’t think I had my first beer until I was fifteen,” Ashley said, stirring the pot.

“They say kids these days are starting younger at everything,” Peggy said, joining in.

It looked like the moms were treating the daycare boozefest as a nonevent, so he went downstairs to get the rest of the munchkins up. Little Carol was a morning person, but the boys weren’t. She was happy her dad was there so she had someone to talk to. He learned all about a lost puppy. It was from a book that the daycare was reading to the kids at story time.

His parents took advantage of everyone being at home and went out to eat. David knew his dad hadn’t thought this through; David had no doubt his mom would take his dad to church.

Peggy and Ashley took the kids down to the playroom while he and Scarlet cleaned up. It gave them a chance to catch up.

“Kent and I are officially going out.”

Kent Crain was the senior manager of Dawson Management. It was now part of Holistic Wealth Management, but David still thought of it by the old name.

“Is that allowed?” he asked.

Kent was technically her boss.

“We had to disclose it to HR, and they approved it.”

In some ways, they were moving backward. In David’s management class, his professor brought in an employee handbook from the 1950s. Men were required to wear suits, ties, and hats to work, and women had to ask their boss’s permission to get pregnant or married. Now you had to go to HR to get the okay to date.

“I hope he’s treating you well,” David said.

Scarlet smiled.

“I know I can count on you to look out for me. Sometimes I forget you’re still a kid in college.”

Somehow, that was supposed to be a compliment, so he just took her words in the spirit they were intended.

“Mom told me it looks like everyone’s going to go to your parents’ place for Christmas,” David said.

“It’ll be the first time I’ve seen them since they came up that Thanksgiving before your state championship football game. My dad wants to show off his hunting and fishing camp.”

“What about that guy you were going to marry? Whatever happened to him?”

“Clay? Last I heard, he was still living with his parents,” Scarlet said. “I shudder when I think about moving into a trailer with my mother-in-law watching my every move.”

“Sort of like your baby daddy’s momma living in the big house,” David teased.

“Carol is nothing like Clay’s mother, trust me.”

David’s mom treated the three girls better than she did him. She’d, in effect, adopted them as the daughters she’d never had. He used to say Tami earned that distinction, but grandbabies trumped even Tami.

“I’m looking forward to spending time with your family. I’ve never actually been to a hunting camp,” David said.

“Dad tells me they’ve got a whole new flock of turkeys, quail, and pheasant ready for this fall. He’s also stocked the lakes with catfish, trout, and bass. I used to love to go camping with my dad; we’d go crappie fishing with cane poles and bobbers. Mom says he loves running the camp.

“They plan to block out a couple of weeks just for family,” Scarlet said. “Are Greg and his crew coming?”

“I don’t know, but I’ll ask. It would be nice to have everybody there. I’m assuming Ashley and her family will be there as well.”

“They may not be the type that enjoys the outdoors. But I’m sure they’ll be there for Christmas Day at least, if for no other reason than to see their grandkids,” Scarlet said.

They’d finished cleaning up, so the two of them went downstairs. They found the kids working on an art project, and Scarlet went to help supervise. With Scarlet and Peggy having them in hand, Ashley asked him to step outside with her for a minute.

When they were alone, she said, “I’m thinking about playing poker full-time. If I do, it’ll mean I have to leave the boys here while I travel.”

“Have you talked to my mom about this?” David asked.

“Yes, I did. She said it was fine as long as you agreed. I would need to give her and Rob power of attorney to handle anything that might come up. It would be like the agreement you have with them for Coby.”

“How long would it last?” David asked.

“Until I come back or you finish college. Then you’d take over their care full-time.”

“When would you start this?”

“In two weeks. I’m booked for a tournament in London.”

“Will you be back for Christmas at Scarlet’s parents’ place?”

“I’m planning on it. My parents will be there because they want to see Dawson and Allen,” Ashley said.

“If you ever need anything...”

“I’ll call,” Ashley promised.

After she left, David had a revelation. As he got older, relationships changed. Scarlet and Ashley had now graduated from college and had kids. They had their own lives to live, and while he was still a part of theirs, he wasn’t involved nearly as much.

At first, it made him a little sad, but this wasn’t high school anymore. They were now looking for stability in their day-to-day. It was no longer like it had been when they were in their sorority and just out for a good time. They wanted adult relationships, the kind that someday could turn into something permanent.

The one he missed the most was Peggy. They’d dated, and when her family turned their back on her, she’d become a part of his family. Now she’d met a guy, and they were serious, leaving no time for her and David. He was sure that, eventually, he’d see less and less of all three girls as they had other stuff going on in their lives.

But that was part of growing up and becoming an adult; it was only natural.

It made him aware that he should treasure the time they did have together. They would always be close because they had children to think of. He had to remember that he needed to be a good friend to them and wish them the best, even if it made him a little sad.

David was directed to his favorite coffee place. Doreen was busy handing out free drinks to everyone when he walked in.

“Welcome, sugar. Your tea will be ready in a minute.”

David smiled and nodded, then went to find the director. Abigail and Moira huddled at a back table, going over the storyboard.

“Any changes I need to be aware of?” David asked.

Moira handed him a couple of sheets of paper.

“We had a rewrite,” Abigail said. “The back room has been turned into a dressing and makeup area. Go get ready, and we’ll film the scene.”

As David walked back to the counter, he spotted some students he recognized from his film classes mixed in with the older paid crew. Doreen had left his tea on the counter and was busy serving others. He picked it up and went to the back, where he found Professor Blum talking to several students.

“I understand you have ‘ideas,’ but today is about doing what you’re told and watching. After they’re done filming, the director has agreed to spend some time with us as part of their agreement with the university.”

“Sorry to interrupt, but I have to change,” David said.

“Don’t mind us,” Colleen said.

“Yeah, no,” David responded and herded them out.

They’d given him military desert-camouflage fatigues to wear and a matching duffle. David suspected that wasn’t the gear people in the army wore when returning home, but it wasn’t his show. His character, Mick, was supposed to be returning from a war zone and surprising his ex, Nikki, played by Callie Mays-Leary.

The hair and makeup people came in and gave him a short haircut. When he was done, Moira took him out the back door.

“We haven’t told Callie who won the role of Mick. When you walk in, we want to catch her by surprise. Abigail hopes it’ll mimic what would happen if this were real.”

“So, we should ad-lib and get naked?” David teased.

“That’s later,” Moira said, playing along.

They’d set it up so David’s partner in the scene was less than five feet away from the door. She was facing the table, reading a book, when he walked in. He looked at the menu and then glanced over at her, seeing her in profile. David did a double-take, and his whole face lit up because his costar was smoking hot.

She looked like something out of a magazine. She wore a long gray shirt that scarcely touched her thighs. Her long blond hair, slightly tousled, fell softly over her ample breasts, which were barely visible through the fabric. He couldn’t help but let his gaze drop to her thin legs—they looked so soft that David longed to just reach out and stroke them.

“Nikki?” David’s deep baritone voice asked.

She turned in her seat, and shock showed across her face.

“But— How— Do— Why?” she babbled.

“I just got my release. I’ve been traveling all night to get home and wanted a coffee before I came to call on you,” Mick, David’s character, said.

“Ever the gentleman.”

“It’s getting harder by the minute.”

A surprisingly honest grin greeted his awkward words.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Mick said, acting embarrassed.

“It’s so good to see you, too,” Nikki said as she stood and gave him a hug.

David found his hands wanted to run up her thighs, and ... he shook himself.

“I should leave.”

“Why? You just got here,” Nikki complained.

“If I don’t, I’ll want to take you home with me,” Mick said, grabbing his duffle and leaving Nikki longing after him.

“Cut!” Abigail called out.

David came back inside.

“Playback. I want to make sure we got it.”

Abigail confirmed the scene, and David was done for the day.

David went and got his Monday-morning MRI. He’d sent Tami a message asking who he should contact about a second opinion, and she’d suggested Dr. Harlan Ohara, a specialist in sports-related concussion injuries. David arranged to have his files and recent scans emailed to Dr. Ohara’s office so he could take a quick look.

Monday afternoon, he called David.

“First off, let me make my disclaimer. I have not personally examined you—”

“No, I get it. I just want to know if it looks like I’m okay or if they’re rushing me back prematurely,” David said, interrupting.

“If I was worried, I would insist that I see you,” Dr. Ohara said.

“That makes me feel better. I do have another question. In high school, I bought a cutting-edge football helmet. Since then, they’ve beta-tested it, and their website says they’ve improved the design. Can I send over a link for this new one?”

“I have ten minutes,” Dr. Ohara said, so David messaged him the two links.

He called David back after a half hour.

“If what they claim on their website is true, I have no doubt that it is the better option. I would be so bold as to say that if you’d been wearing your helmet from high school, you might not have received your concussion,” Dr. Ohara said.