Forward Passes (Seattle Lumberjacks) (21 page)

Chapter 23

Block in the Back

Tyler stood in the pouring rain, not moving until Lavender’s taxi turned the corner and disappeared. Riddled with guilt for not going with her when she needed him most, he walked back into the hotel lobby and shook the rain off his tux.

He’d rather follow Lavender, maybe cajole her into another round of in-flight sex, which would make both of them forget their problems, at least temporarily.

Maybe he’d leave as soon as he went back inside to grab his trophy. The press would crucify him if he left it on the table. They use it as one more piece of evidence regarding his lack of dedication, or they’d claim he drank too much to remember he’d gotten an award. Lavender was right about him staying. They’d be all over his ass for skipping out early.

At least camp was over, for now. He could crawl back to the relative obscurity of the islands and lick his wounds. It’d been another shitty day at mini-camp. He’d paced the sidelines and watched as his backup, Sam Pollard, took all the reps. The fact that he felt inclined to pace was somewhat encouraging. At least, he cared enough to be frustrated, definitely a step in the right direction.

Murphy did everything except stand on his head to make sure Pollard looked good. Under Murphy’s influence, the defense missed easy tackles and let receivers beat them. Judging by the quizzical look on HughJack’s face, he’d noticed their lack of effort, too. Instead of ranting on the sidelines, he observed it all, as if biding his time. Hell if Tyler knew for what, but HughJack did everything for a reason.

Tyler’s uncharacteristic ineptitude and lack of desire for the game troubled Tyler more than being benched. Two plus months on the island hadn’t glued those broken pieces back together. Somehow, he’d hoped mile-high sex with Lavender might help cure his woes, even perform a miracle. Instead, once the incredible high wore off, he found himself mired in doubt as the situation between them grew more complicated.

Lavender added one more complex piece to his confusing life.

Oddly enough, Tyler didn’t enjoy his return to the city as much as expected. Several times during the evening, he’d checked his watch, doing a mental countdown until the limo picked them up to take them to the floatplane. He’d spent the first half of the evening, imagining getting Lavender out of her little black dress, pushing down those the thin shoulder straps and lifting up that tight little skirt to nothing underneath. Maybe a repeat of the night before. His greedy cock had signaled its approval of that plan. Then Brian Gerloch’s appearance ruined what should’ve been a perfect night for them. The hypocrisy of the man cut deep, as Tyler witnessed firsthand the damage her father’s indifference did to Vinnie.

A feeling of protectiveness overwhelmed Tyler. He wanted to do battle for Lavender and make this man pay for the emotional wounds he’d inflicted on her because of his own selfishness.

Hell,
he didn’t blame the guy for avoiding that controlling bitch Doris
, but he did blame him for deserting his daughter. She deserved better of her father. Coach preached family and commitment, but he sure as hell didn’t live it. That didn’t work for Tyler.

Brian Gerloch wasn’t the man Tyler thought he was. Did anyone in this world measure up with the exception of his father? Tyler frowned. His dad was unapproachable when it came to hero material and much more deserving than a man like Gerloch. Fuck, Coach was even less of a hero than Tyler was.

Except Lavender considers me a hero
. The thought warmed his heart and gave him hope.

Slipping back into the ballroom, he made a beeline for the bar and ordered a double whiskey.

A few seconds later, Derek grabbed his arm and whipped him around. “What the hell was that all about? Coach Gerloch has a daughter? He’s Lavender’s father?”

Rachel flanked Derek, her hand on her husband’s arm and her green eyes filled with concern.

“I guess you could call him that. He donated the sperm, but not much else.” Tyler threw back his drink and grabbed another off a waiter’s tray. He scanned the crowd, ready to pull a disappearing act if Gerloch headed his way. He hated hiding, but it beat planting a fist in the man’s face and ending up on the evening news.

Derek shook his head, in denial like Tyler had been earlier. “No fucking way.”

“Oh, yeah. Big fu—flipping way. She hates him and so does her family. He abandoned her and right after her mother died. Really messed her up.” Of course, Doris contributed big-time to the overall picture, but right now he could only deal with one of
Lavender’s dysfunctional family members
at a time.

“Wow, I never pegged him as the kind to shirk his responsibilities.”

“He didn’t just shirk them; he acted as if they never existed.”

“Well, brace yourself. He’s coming our way again, and he looks none too happy.”

His escape cut off, Tyler leaned nonchalantly against a wall and pretended he hadn’t a care in the world. His chickenshit cousin and his wife slipped away, leaving the two men to settle their own differences.

“Who shoved a football up your ass?” Coach kept his voice low, not wanting to be heard in the crowded room. He sipped a glass of wine; his other hand shoved in his pocket. By all outside appearances, their conversation was nothing out of the ordinary. Yet, tension crackled between the two of them like two Pro-Bowl linemen facing off on fourth and inches.

“It appears you did.” Tyler fisted his hands and crammed them against his sides in an attempt to keep from beating the shit out of a man he once respected. He squared up to his coach, legs slightly apart, body tense with anger. He fought the urge to wipe the arrogant expression from the asshole’s face. “I’ve got better things to do than waste time with you.”

“Harris. If you’re one thing, you’re straightforward. Quit beating around the proverbial bush and say what you fucking want to say. You’ve never been one to hold back.”

“I inherited Twin Cedars. You familiar with it?”

Momentary surprise flickered in eyes. He hadn’t known. “Of course, I am. I wondered what happened to that place. I guess it stayed in your family.”

“Sure as hell did. Your daughter is my neighbor. I’ve heard all about you—the side you keep hidden.”

The man’s face fell, a look of profound grief sunk his features into his face. Tyler almost felt sorry for him. “I’m betting you’ve met my ex-wife’s mother, too.” Coach’s shoulders slumped. In less than two seconds he became a shell of the man he once was.

“I’ve had the
pleasure
.”

Coach rubbed the back of his neck and stared out the window at the Seattle nightscape. A muscle twitched in his jaw. “Fuck. Is nothing sacred? She destroyed my relationship with my family, my closest friends, pretty much everyone but my son. Even he was under her spell for a while. Now she’s trapping my former players in her web.”

“You deserted your daughter when she needed you most.” Tyler refused to be swayed. The man was full of bullshit.

“I did, but not because I didn’t care. By the tone of your voice, we have nothing further to talk about, you’ve convicted me without hearing both sides.”

“What the fuck am I supposed to do?” Tyler’s head pounded as his confusion battled with self-righteous anger.

“Form your own opinions once you have all the facts.”

“You were my mentor, the guy I wanted to be someday. You held me up when my dad died unexpectedly. You filled in for him, kept me sane.” Tyler’s voice cracked. He backed up a step, no longer feeling combative, just betrayed and puzzled.

“Ty, I can’t begin to explain all this. You’d never believe me if I did.”

“I don’t know who to believe.”

“It’s not a matter of believing, it’s a matter of judgment. You need to weigh your experiences with me against what you’ve been told. You need to decide based on what you know about me as a person.” Coach raised his eyes to meet Tyler’s. “Listen, let’s talk somewhere alone. Meet me in the bar in ten minutes?”

Tyler hesitated then nodded. He had to hear the story from his coach.

A few minutes later, Tyler hunched over his beer and waited for Coach to join him. The hotel bar was dark and private. Only a few people sat at tables scattered around the room. No one paid him any attention. That should have bothered him. It would have a few months ago, but Tyler found the privacy oddly comforting.

He didn’t wait long. He’d only taken a few swigs of beer when Coach slid into the seat across from his.

“I heard about your Uncle Artie. I’m sorry. He was a great guy and a big supporter of the athletic program at WSU. So Twin Cedars is yours now? It’s a beautiful place.”

His coach’s knowledge of Twin Cedars threw Tyler off his game. He couldn’t come up with a response.

“So tell me how well you know my girl. You’re not dating her, are you?” Coach raised one eyebrow and leaned forward, staring Tyler down, as if the man had a right to ask about his daughter.

“Worried?” Tyler shot back, knowing his reputation made him any father’s worst nightmare.

“Wouldn’t you be if you were a father?”

“Damn, I’d never let my daughter near anyone like me.” Tyler chuckled and the ice between them cracked a little.

“Yeah. Are you going to be charged with a DUI?”

“Hell no. I wasn’t drunk, and before you ask, no, I wasn’t fu—frigging in rehab either. Drugs and alcohol are not on my extensive list of vices.”

“Good to hear.” Gerloch sighed, as he folded and unfolded the bar napkin. “I hoped—prayed, actually—if I ever ran into Vinnie she’d hear me out. Maybe agree to give me a second chance.” His expression softened, grew tender. “She looks good. She’s happy with you.”

Tyler said nothing, but guilt gnawed at his gut. What made him any better than her dad? He’d desert her, too, once he returned to his life on the mainland. He wasn’t any good at real relationships because the last true fairy tale couple died with his father.

“I’m betting you’ve gotten an earful about me from Vinnie and her grandmother, too.”

“Good guess.”

“Not a guess. The woman hates the air I breathe.”

“That’s an accurate statement.”

“She never liked me when I was married to her daughter, made my life hell with all her interfering. She despised me once I got a divorce. So you’ve heard her stories, which explains it all.”

“Don’t you want to defend yourself?” Tyler popped a pretzel in his mouth and chewed. Despite it being stale and tasting like crap, he stuffed his mouth full of a few more.

“I gave up on that long ago. The woman is a master manipulator. Doesn’t matter what I say, people believe her. She even turned my own family against me. I’ve heard all sorts of crap she’s spread about me, and there’s plenty I’m guessing I haven’t heard.”

“Then hit me with your side of the story.” Tyler slouched in his seat and propped his feet on a nearby chair.

“Do you think it’s a coincidence my daughter just happens to live next door to your family legacy?” Coach fidgeted with his coaster. Tyler couldn’t recall ever seeing Coach fidgeting. Pacing the sidelines with pent-up energy, yeah, but fidgeting? Never.

“More like family albatross. But yeah, it did occur to me how strange fate is.”

“Not fate exactly unless fate’s name is Art.” Coach tore a piece of the corner of the cardboard coaster then ripped it into even smaller pieces. Fidgeting, again.

Tyler sat up, dropped his feet to the floor. He signaled for another beer and leaned his elbows on the table. “You knew Uncle Art?”

“I was born and raised on that island on the very property next door to Twin Cedars. I graduated from high school on the island. My family’s old homestead burnt down years ago though. I was a high school football standout, your grandfather and uncle helped me get a scholarship. When my pro career didn’t pan out, I coached a high school on the mainland. By then your grandfather had died.”

“I never knew my grandfather. He was at odds with my dad so we never met.” Regret seeped into Tyler’s voice, and he fought to keep his tone neutral. This was not about him.

“I know. That’s tragic.” Coach now bent and re-bent what was left of the coaster.

Tyler pushed his own coaster across the table to Gerloch. “This from a man who abandoned his daughter?”

“That’s tragic, too.” Coach rubbed his face with his hands and sighed. “Artie played a large role in my career. He and your grandfather were big Cougar fans and convinced the current coach at WSU to give me a chance. I took the assistant coaching job a few years before you went there. I worked my way up to head coach by the time you attended.” Now all four corners of the coaster were torn. A little pile of coaster guts littered the table. Coach reached for Tyler’s coaster.

“I didn’t know about that connection.”

“Artie didn’t want you to know. He never missed one of your home games. Flew over those mountains from the San Juans for every game.”

“Why didn’t he contact me? My dad died before my freshman year. I was pretty messed up. I could’ve used someone.” Tyler tried to make sense of his family dynamics and come to terms with the situation. Maybe his family did have a chink in their perfect armor.

“I tried to convince him, but he was funny like that. He pushed me to recruit you. Not that I wouldn’t have anyway. Every college coach in the nation was salivating at the chance to sign you.” Coach attacked the second coaster, murdering it with his bare hands.