With a quiet goodbye, I open the door, and a wave of floral sweetness hits me. Flowers in every shade of pink, yellow, and orange spill across his broad torso. When I count eight bouquets, I try to smile at the lucky number, but my lips wobble.
“Eight for good luck?” I ask, the strength fading from my voice.
Cade’s jaw tightens at the wavering sound, but he follows me into the house and to the kitchen without a word. Before I can put the flowers in water, he engulfs me in the hug I’ve needed since the moment I stormed out of Trevor’s office.
It all comes rushing back to me. Trevor’s hatred. My decision.
“I’m so sorry, baby,” he whispers. “I’m so sorry.”
After somehow managing to hold it together, his words and security shatter my composure. So I finally break and sob into his chest.
Chapter Forty-One
“Want to tell mewhy you’re not on this plane, Owens?”
There’s a roughness to Rio’s morning voice that reminds me of fingernails across a chalkboard. Dawson and Marcus have been calling nonstop since I didn’t show up at the terminal half an hour ago. It’s easy to dodge their calls, but Rio isn’t a man you can, or should, ignore.
Dropping onto the uncomfortable glass seat, I chuckle. “Well, good morning to you too, Rio.”
His growl is menacing. “Nope. I’m not in the mood to play around. We’re leaving for California in thirty minutes, and your lanky ass isn’t in a seat. Where are you, Cade?”
I start to respond, but the receptionist cuts me off. “Mr. McAllen will be with you soon.”
Smiling at the man, I turn back to my conversation. “I’m at Permian.”
There’s a pause. “Is Shay sick?”
“No.”
“Then what’s going on? You never miss travel. You’d play through a hurricane if they let you. Is it something with your hip? Isla can—”
“My hip is fine. I swear.” The dice in my pocket rattle as I readjust. “Shay quit. There was messed-up stuff happening with her boss.”
His tone softens. “Messed up how?”
Sexism. Gross misogyny. There’s a laundry list of disgusting things Shay was forced to deal with at work because of her terrible supervisor.
“Discrimination,” is all I can get out. I still can’t wrap my head around what Shay overheard. “A lot of it, Rio. So fucking much.”
It has been one week since Shay left Permian behind, and I’ve hardly been around because of baseball. It’s my job, and we’re both aware how busy the season is, but I need to be in North Carolina with her.
“Damn.” He exhales. “I’m sorry, Cade. I didn’t know.”
Nobody did. She doesn’t regret her decision to quit, which I’m happy about, but she misses her clients. This morning, as I left her house to meet my team at the terminal, I watched her face crumple when she remembered she had nowhere to go. Still in her pajamas, she donned a brave face to kiss me goodbye. But I heard the way her breath caught the moment the door closed behind me.
It was then that I realized I had to do something.
“I’m not getting on the plane, and I’m not going to California. You can fine me, Rio. I don’t care—”
“Good. I’m glad you don’t care. If you ask me,notmissing a series after something like this would’ve been more surprising. It’s nice seeing you make room for things in your life outside of baseball. Although, I was looking forward to showing Cali how much you’ve grown.”
My heart doesn’t ache like it should at the prospect of missing tonight’s game against my old franchise, the California Hornets. Four months ago, playing against the team that traded me away would have been the most important thing in my life, but as I sit here in this waiting room, I know there’s nowhere I’d rather be right now.
“Send the team my love,” I say quietly.
Rio chuckles. “I will. Give them hell, and we will too.”
I’m blasted with sunshine as I hang up, warmed by Winston’s smile. It’s as welcoming as it was the day I signed my contract a few months ago.
