Head Over Heels (3 page)

“Why are you calling me so late? Shouldn’t you be out on a date or something?” He had to get his mind to stop imagining more with this tenacious woman.

“When I’m your agent, my personal life goes out the window. I’ll put my full time, effort, and focus on you.” She spoke sincerely, not like a politician, but like a true businesswoman.

“I could be very demanding.” He chewed on his lower lip to keep from laughing. “I could ask you to stock every locker room with green M&Ms. Would you do that for me?”

“No.”

Thane blinked. “What happened to you putting your time, effort, and focus on me?”

“No candy while you train.”

The slight lilt in her voice had him imagining her smiling at her cheeky statement. He fantasized about her look. How old was she? Was she tall or short? Was she attracted to him beyond being a baseball player?

“If you would like to meet, I can schedule some time,” Kari said.

“Why don’t you give up?” Thane looked at his reflection in the mirror one last time. “This was cute and funny at first. Now you’re just wasting your time. No matter how many times you call, I’m not going to change my mind. Why don’t you stop?”

After a slight pause, Kari answered, “Why haven’t you blocked my calls already?”

He stared at his reflection for a bit, stunned by the question. Why
hadn’t
he blocked her, or even changed his number? In a twisted way, had he come to enjoy these conversations? Did he like hearing from Kari Meyers on a regular basis? He had no idea about this woman’s identity or her appearance. He’d never met her.

“Enjoy your evening.” He disconnected the call.

A small part of him did want to block her number. Then again, that wouldn’t stop her from using other phones to reach him. Damn. Was he so desperate for companionship since his breakup over a year ago that this strange exchange qualified as a relationship?

He glanced down at the pricey timepiece on his wrist.
Shit. Ten minutes late.

Thane stuffed his wallet into his jacket pocket and started to slide his phone into pants pocket. At that moment, it rang and vibrated in his hand. When he saw the name on the screen, he knew he couldn’t ignore it.

“Mom. How are you?” He smiled every time he talked to the only person who stood by his side and believed in him.

Elizabeth let out a long exhale. “My baby. Are you eating right?”

Her words came out slower than her normal Southern drawl. At only ten minutes after eight, it seemed early for her to be in bed. He knew the reason for her exhaustion.

“I’m fine. Eating all of my vegetables and being a good boy.” He plucked a piece of lint from his jacket.

His mother didn’t need to know that he hadn’t eaten that day. No need to worry her, especially with her being all the way in Virginia. She couldn’t see him right now in Florida.

“That’s my son.” She coughed. “Big plans tonight?”

An uncomfortable tickle crept up the back of Thane’s neck. “Interview with a writer from some sports magazine. My agent thought it would be a good idea to help soften my image. I think those were his words.”

“Don’t do that issue where they have all the athletes in there naked. I don’t want you showing what God gave you in some magazine.”

He laughed. “What? You don’t think I have a good enough body for it?”

A pause lingered before he heard a beeping sound through the phone and another one of her long breaths.

“Mom, are you back in the hospital?” Thane sat on the king-sized bed.

As he scanned his room, it didn’t escape his attention that here he sat in the lap of luxury while rough hospital sheets surrounded his mother’s body. He didn’t deserve this, and neither did Queen Elizabeth.

Elizabeth’s voice hitched before she spoke again. “Don’t worry about me. Darling, I want you to do something.”

“Anything. You know that.” He pressed his fist against the bed as he listened to her. His hand sank into the plush, tan comforter.

“Work hard. Don’t ever give them half of your effort.” Her voice trailed down to a whisper by her last words.

“Of course. Always. I give one hundred and ten percent at every practice. I wish you were well enough to come out to spring training. I think you would love it here in Florida.”

She coughed again. The wheezing that followed worried him.

“Mom?”

She continued. “You need to find yourself a good woman.”

Thane rolled his eyes. “I have. There are really good women all around me.”

“I’m not talking about you jumping into bed with every woman you meet. Don’t think I don’t know what you’ve been doing. Be…kind.”

He stood when she hesitated. “Do you need to call a doctor? You’re not sounding—”

“And make up with your brothers.” She coughed again. “I apologize for interrupting you.”

“No, it’s okay.” He rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. “I don’t have a problem with them. I’ve just been busy.”

“Don’t lie to me, son. Gunnar and Gideon love you. The family is growing. You need to reconnect with them.” Her breath caught.

“Which hospital are you at?” Thane paced.

He knew he should have gone home, despite his brothers being there. He didn’t want to see them, but he always had time for his mother.

“I told you not to worry about me.”

Thane could almost see her smiling as she spoke. His stately African-American mother, who never treated him or his brothers differently despite them being white, had managed the impossible. She had started and operated three successful businesses and raised three adopted boys as her own. Damn it. He should have gone back to his childhood home.

“You are my best girl.” He smiled. “I can be on a plane and back to Virginia tonight.”

“No.” The word came out so strong. “You are about to train. Baseball is your career. I’m so proud of you. I would love to see you win a World Series.”

“You and me both.” He cleared his throat when it became scratchy. “Fine. My next break, I’ll come home to visit.”

“Sounds. Good.”

The spacing of her words heightened his concern. He balled his hand into a fist. “I love you, Mom. I love you so much. You know that, right?”

“Always. Never a doubt. You are my baby.” Elizabeth made a kissing sound over the phone. “Love your family.
All
of them. I mean it.”

“Sure.” For this one request, he would have to tell her what she wanted to hear. Even though he would rather beat himself senseless with a baseball bat than talk to his pigheaded brothers.

“Family. Is. All. You. Have.” She coughed again. “I love you.”

“Love you, Mom.” He covered his mouth, afraid to say more than that.

“Go. Be…strong.” Elizabeth disconnected the call.

Thane stared at his phone. He brought up Gunnar’s number. His finger hovered over the screen, only a hair away from pressing
send
to contact his oldest brother about their mother. She hadn’t sounded like her normal self.

He stopped and canceled the call. Elizabeth told him not to worry. She promised to come see him when she felt better. She never lied to him in the past.

The niggling voice in his head told him not to discount his feelings this time. He called Gideon’s number first. After three rings, someone answered.

“Hello?”

Thane blinked when he heard a female voice. He looked at the screen to see if he had dialed the right number.

“I’m looking for Gideon Wells.” He didn’t say more in case he had called an old girlfriend by mistake.

Girlfriend. More like play thing. His mother would be disappointed if she knew how he’d been treating some women lately. Since none of them had complained afterward, especially when gifted with something from a robin’s-egg-blue-colored box, courtesy of Tiffany’s, he saw his behavior as a victimless crime of passion.

“This is his brother Thane, right?” she asked in a whisper.

“Who’s this?” He wouldn’t be confirming her claim until he found out the identity of this woman.

“I’m Janelle Gold. I’m Gideon’s girlfriend, I mean, fiancée.”

Thane couldn’t move, couldn’t say anything. Gideon had gotten engaged and hadn’t told him? Gideon hadn’t even shared with him that he’d been thinking of getting married.

Thane couldn’t blame his brother for cutting him out of his major plans. Thane had practically ignored him each time Gideon called. He squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath.

“Congratulations on the engagement.” Thane meant the sentiment even though he felt his own heart shattering.

Janelle gasped. “I shouldn’t have told you that until I found out for sure if you’re Gideon’s brother. Are you? He’ll be so disappointed if this gets leaked to the press.”

Thane smiled at her naïveté. Yes, she would be perfect for his middle brother. “I’m Thane. I was hoping to talk to him. Is he around?”

“Sleeping. The surgery took a lot out of him. Since your mom had to go back to the hospital, he’s been a wreck.”

Thane had almost forgotten about the surgery. Gideon had called him shortly after the Super Bowl and before the procedure on his knee, but Thane hadn’t talked to his brother since to see how he’d fared.

He heard a door closing through the phone.

“Is there something I can tell Gideon when he wakes up? Or do you need him right now?” She exhaled. “I would hate to wake him.”

“No. Let him sleep. I’ll catch up with him later.” Thane ran his hand over his head.

Janelle’s voice lightened. “Gunnar went to the hospital with Eboni. You can get him.”

So Gunnar had gotten back with his old high school sweetheart. Good. Thane remembered Eboni from when the two of them had dated. He recalled that she had been the one with the wild orange hair who would give Thane candy when she visited. Now he realized she used the candy to keep him quiet whenever she and Gunnar went out after Gunnar’s curfew. Everyone had secrets.

Thane really didn’t want to talk to Gunnar, especially about Elizabeth. To fake his true feelings, Thane smiled. “Thanks. You get some rest yourself. Nice talking to you.”

“Same here. I hope I get to meet you soon.”

Thane disconnected the call and took a moment to think. Even though he wanted to ditch the idea of calling Gunnar, he remembered his mother’s cough and her gasping breath.

He pushed the number to reach Gunnar. After one ring, his oldest brother answered.

“You’ve got some fucking nerve.” Gunnar sounded like he spoke through gritted teeth.

“Hey, bro. What a welcome. You kiss your mother with that mouth?” As usual, sarcasm would help him deal with Gunnar.

If he knew Gunnar, his hulking brother probably looked like a charging bull, complete with red eyes and drool dripping from his mouth. Smoke probably billowed out from his ears.

“Don’t you dare bring Mom into this. I’m about to go up to see her now.”

Thane heard a ding like in an elevator and a canned voice announcing the floor and direction of the ride.

“Good. I wanted to tell you—”

Gunnar cut him off. “Don’t tell me anything. For months, I’ve been trying to reach you, and you’ve ignored me and my messages. Mom had a triple fucking bypass. Gid had surgery.”

“And you were shot. I know.” Thane didn’t mean for the statement to sound dismissive, but he didn’t call to get a lecture.

“Glad you care.” Gunnar released a long, low grumble. “You know all this and you can’t bother to bring your ass back home to see any of us. Don’t you give a shit about your family?”

“Yeah, I do. That’s why I’m calling.” Thane clenched his teeth. “But you know what? You know it all. I’m sure you’ll handle everything and be the big hero as always and I’ll be the screw-up. I’ve got to go.”

Gunnar snickered. “Of course. Fucking a model this time? Or is it a groupie?”

Thane walked out of his room. “Give Mom my best. Tell her I love her.”

“Whatever. Do it yourself, you spoiled brat. No matter what you do or how low you stoop, you will always be Mom’s baby. It still amazes me that it’s her heart that’s killing her since she has such a big one. Have a great evening.” Gunnar disconnected the call.

Thane slid the thin phone into his jacket pocket. He hated going down to his interview with everything weighing on his mind. Even as he entered the elevator, a nagging voice in his head begged him to follow up with someone about his mother. Gunnar had been heading up to see her. He told himself that as usual, his brother would make sure Elizabeth had everything she needed. He would keep her safe.

Thane didn’t want to do this interview. He’d been pushed to do it by his overbearing agent, who’d managed to get him the most lucrative deal in Major League Baseball history.

When the elevator doors opened to the lobby level, he saw a very frustrated woman glancing at her watch and pacing. Thane at least owed the journalist an explanation. The closer he got to her, the more he noticed something odd. Her marching step had an irregular pattern. She kept looking down at her feet as though unsure of her footing. At peculiar moments, she would giggle and cover half her face and mouth with her hand.

As soon as she headed for the door, he went after her. She stumbled back and nearly fell to the floor before she caught herself.

“I’m late. I know.” He stood in her path to stop her.

“Yes, you are, Mr. Wells.” The feisty blonde glared at him as she crossed her arms over her chest. “I’ve heard stories about you. I hoped you wouldn’t dismiss me like other women in your past.”

Damn. He had that kind of reputation? He couldn’t catch a break today. He took a deep breath and caught the scent of alcohol in the air. Not unusual for a journalist to imbibe once in a while, sometimes during the interview. This one looked like she couldn’t hold her liquor.

He held up his hands in surrender. “I’m not that man, Ms. Toplee.” He shook his head. “However, I do have to apologize. I need to catch a plane and go home for a family emergency. My mother isn’t doing well.”

The journalist’s face softened. “Your mother? I heard about Gunnar and Gideon. Are they going to be okay?”

“I could explain more, but I really do have to go. I apologize for making you wait and skipping out on you.” He shook her hand and bowed his head. “Please call my manager to reschedule.” He started toward the elevator.