Authors: Frances Stockton
“Of course,” Avery replied, moving to sit up.
Quickly packing up her Kindle and earphones, she arranged
herself for landing, popped a piece of gum into her mouth to help her ears
adjust to the change in pressure and glanced out the window. The familiar sight
of Boston came into view and it was good to be home.
But she missed Hazard and had to wait until the plane landed
to turn on her cellphone to check for his text. Fifteen minutes later, the
plane touched down and an announcement was made that passengers could turn on
their phones.
Avery hit the power button on her smartphone. A text from
Hazard was waiting for her.
Flight was fine, landed safely, LY. Will call
later.
She texted back, then decided to check her email. She
surprised to find that she had a message in her inbox from Sawyer Hamilton. It
would take a few minutes to taxi to the gate, so she went ahead and read the
note.
Sawyer discovered that John Redman was a former minor league
baseball player with a team in Kentucky. After injury, his career ended and
he’d gotten involved in acting, which led to a stint of starring in really bad
porn, drug addiction and DUIs.
Five years ago, Redman was caught in a sting operation and
ended up serving a short jail sentence and probation after pleading guilty and
becoming a witness for the prosecution of a pornography ring based out of
Virginia that specialized in secretly videotaping heterosexual men having gay
sex for money or by coercion.
According to court testimony, Redman had been hired by the
filmmakers to find unsuspecting men at straight clubs. After plying the men
with alcohol, drugs or cash, he’d take them to an apartment already rigged with
secret cameras. The videos would then go live on the internet and anyone who
paid could view the seductions as they happened.
What made the scam worse was the aftereffect, in that the
men caught on tape were victimized by extortion. John Redman provided names,
dates, information, addresses and off-shore accounts hiding the money they were
raking in. His decision to do so kept him from serving a longer sentence.
There was a list of men involved in the production company.
They were still in jail for extortion.
Redman was now free to leave Virginia, where he’d been
compelled by law to remain until his sentence was served. Part of his sentence
included mandatory drug and alcohol addiction counseling. His driver’s license
was suspended and wouldn’t be reinstated for a while.
Hoping that John continued his path of recovery, Avery sent
a reply back to Sawyer, thanking him for his assistance, then tucked the phone
back into her carryon. When the plane arrived at the gate, the metallic grind
of the ramp connecting with the doorway could be heard through the cabin.
Avery’s crutches had been stowed in the overhead bin and the
attendant came to retrieve them for her. Most of the first-class passengers
disembarked first, leaving Avery to scramble awkwardly until she established
her balance on the crutches. The attendant helped with her bags, guiding the
way off the plane.
No sooner than she exited, another assistant was waiting
with a wheelchair. The flight attendant verified that he was there for Avery
before turning her over to his care. The man took her bag and coat and pushed
her up the gateway.
In the terminal, a fifty-something gentleman with motorized
transport held up a sign with her name on it. “Wow,” Avery said to the flight
attendant who’d wheeled her up the ramp. “I didn’t expect such service.”
“Transportation was arranged by Dr. Ryan Hathaway, who
insisted that you were to elevate your ankle,” the attendant told her.
He helped her transfer her things to the vehicle that looked
as if it belonged on a golf course. Admittedly, it was nice to have her ankle
elevated. Between the flight and activity of the morning, her ankle was
swelling and the pain medication was wearing thin.
Shortly after the driver steered them to the baggage claim
area, a familiar face stood out among the crowd waiting for their luggage,
Alexander. Her brother was a sight for sore eyes. As usual, he wore an
impeccably cut suit with a crisp, but colorful tie for a flash of color among
the dark-gray fabric and spotless shoes.
“Alexander!” she called out when he spotted her.
“Avery,” he greeted back just as loudly, striding over like
he owned the airport.
A second later, Ryan was walking beside Alexander, both men
causing heads to turn. He wore a classic black suit with a white shirt and a
black tie.
In the matter of seconds, Alexander and Ryan wrapped her up
in a gentle hug and welcomed her home. She didn’t understand why. Maybe it was
the pain meds or hormones, but she couldn’t fight the relief of being with them
again…or the tears.
She hadn’t realized until then that while she was with
Hazard, she’d felt safe. During the flight, she’d done everything she could to
forget that John Redman was on the same flight. Nothing in Sawyer’s background
check suggested John was a threat to her and it was time to put him out of her
mind.
John had his boyfriend and a life of his own in Kentucky.
He’d served his time and it wasn’t fair to judge him harshly for mistakes he’d
made due to addiction. Addiction was a disease and she truly hoped he continued
getting help.
Avery had family and friends to look out for her in New
England. Soon football season would be over and she’d be together with Hazard
again. And thinking of Hazard caused tears to fall.
She missed him. That’s all there was to it.
“Tears, Avery?” Alexander asked gently, leaning back to
watch her. “Did Hazard break your heart? I’ll kill him if he did.”
“Hold the threats,” Ryan warned. “I think she’s missing her
man. Is that it, Avery?”
“Yes,” she said through her tears. “I promise, Alexander,
Hazard’s done nothing wrong. And you very well know he’s a good man or you
wouldn’t represent him.”
“I’ve made mistakes in choosing who I represented before. If
Hazard isn’t on the level with you, I need to know.”
“Hear this loud and clear,” Avery said. “I love him. He
loves me.”
Alexander watched her closely and nodded his head. She
suspected a brotherly lecture was in her future. But Doc had other things in
mind, namely getting her back to his practice so that he could reexamine her
ankle.
With that, they helped her get off the cart and she used her
crutches to hobble over to the baggage carousel. Her brother and boss remained
close at hand, taking care of her carryon and assisting her into her winter
coat when her big suitcase was claimed.
Outside, she was surprised to see that Phalen Maddox was
driving Doc’s brand-new Escalade. He pulled up to the curb, jumped out of the
driver’s seat and headed over to lend a hand.
“Hey, darlin’, welcome home,” he said in a thick Bostonian
accent. “Sorry to hear about your ankle. That couldn’t have been fun on your
last night of vacation.”
“I’m sore, but I’ll heal.”
“Alex has been driving us crazy with his worry for you,”
Phalen said. “Go easy on him when he goes big brother on you. He will, you
know.”
“Yes, I see a lecture in my future.”
“Only because he cares for you,” Phalen pointed out.
“I love him. He’s my brother, but he’s being a bit
overprotective of my love life.”
Phalen smiled. He was a gorgeous man, tall, muscled and
sexy. He was also married and would forever regard her as a little sister,
despite the fact that they were nearly the same age.
“That’s what brothers are for. When you need us, we kick
ass. When you don’t, we’ll be there to listen when you want to talk.”
“Can you remind him of that, Phalen?”
“Sure thing,” he promised.
“How’s Cassie feeling?”
“She’s great. We felt the baby kicking this morning. Was the
most amazing thing to experience,” he said, sounding like the proud daddy-to-be
that he was.
“Can the two of you hold the chitchat until after Avery’s
off her feet?” Alexander requested.
Avery could have pointed out that she was on crutches and
her bad ankle was not touching the ground, but didn’t bother. Phalen smiled
again and helped her to the back of the Escalade.
Doc hopped into the back with her. Alexander sat in the
front passenger seat while Phalen drove. Briefly thinking about having Phalen
follow up with Sawyer on the background check of John Redman, Avery decided to
let it go.
She was home. Hazard was safe in Virginia and no one could
hurt him or their relationship. Everything was fine.
Except one thing occurred to her as they reached the
highway. John Redman referred to her by her last name when he spoke to her at
the airport.
She’d not once given him her name at all. Of course, she
wasn’t as famous in Kentucky as her father and brother, but that didn’t mean
someone from Kentucky wouldn’t know who she was. Still…John knowing her name
was unsettling.
Looking back on their encounter at the airport, she felt
certain he’d said “Grant” with a certain edge that made her think John Redman
didn’t particularly like her or her family. So then why bother talking to her
at all?
“Hey, darlin’, what are you thinking about back there?”
Phalen asked.
“Nothing important,” she answered. “I’m tired and sore.”
“In that case, I’ll get you to Doc’s clinic ASAP and he’ll
fix you up.”
“Thanks, Phalen. I missed you guys while I was away.”
Ryan began asking questions about Dare, Nevada, and the
conversation in the SUV changed. When he finished tending to her ankle and she
was able to think clearly, she’d talk to Alexander about John Redman.
After all, early in his career as a sports agent, Alexander
represented quite a number of baseball players. If there was anyone who knew
former players, it’d be her brother.
Dr. Ryan Hathaway verified that Avery’s ankle was strained,
not sprained, his treatment recommendations were the same, but he insisted that
she wear a harder walking brace for when she was active.
Although the exam and X-rays were done, Ryan insisted that
Avery recline in a very cozy exam room with her leg elevated, iced and
compressed as necessary. She especially appreciated that as modern as the
clinic was, he’d made certain that the atmosphere of each exam room encouraged
patient comfort.
There was nothing sterile or clinical about the facility.
The beige wall-to-wall carpeting was thick and warm. Music could be changed
from room to room, depending upon the patient’s request. Some of the
examination rooms had twin-sized beds rather than sterile-looking tables.
Others had tables that were hidden away until needed.
Furniture in the waiting room consisted of plush sofas and
lounge chairs. Framed portraits of New England sports heroes abounded on most
of the walls, coupled with New England landmarks and scenery.
Even in the exam room where she was recuperating, the
sand-colored walls were complemented with photographs of Maine coastlines and
lighthouses. Medical equipment was properly stowed. The lighting was set low
and soft jazz music playing overhead.
Ryan’s willingness to create a healing atmosphere over a
sterile-looking doctor’s office was the reason she’d agreed to work with him.
When she’d suggested ways of creating a spa environment for PT patients, he’d
jumped all over it and arranged for her to attend the conference in Reno that
would help them see it to fruition.
While he went about examining her ankle, she’d been able to
tell him about some of the workshops she’d attended. He didn’t ask a lot of
questions about Hazard. For that she was grateful. When he left the exam room a
little while ago, he’d hooked her up with his iPad so she could connect with
Hazard without interruption.
Currently waiting for the video screen to pop up, she was
glad to see that Hazard was online. They’d texted a few times, so he’d known
when to be ready.
Seeing his face in the small window was wonderful. Yet she
wished she could touch him for real. “Hi, baby. What did Ryan say about your
ankle?”
“He confirmed what we knew, a strain,” Avery told him.
“Everything is okay with your apartment?”
“It’s the same as when I left. Anna saw me drive up and
immediately invited me in for coffee.”
“How are the twins? Bet those little girls run circles
around their daddy,” Avery said.
“They’re crawling, that’s for sure. Who knew babies could
move that fast?” There was wistfulness in Hazard’s tone that made her take
note.
“Did you play with them?”
“Sure, they’re cute. I suspect when they’re older, Kyran’s
going to have his hands full keeping the boys away.”
“No doubt he’ll enlist Phalen and my brother to help bar the
doors.”
“I’ll help too. No way am I going to allow some boy to hurt
either of those girls.”
“I think they have time, Hazard. They’re like six months old
by now. But it’s nice to know they’ve a linebacker in their corner. No one’s
going to mess with you.”
“It made me start thinking about talking to my doctor,”
Hazard admitted. “That is, if you’re interested in the outcome.”
“I’m more than interested,” she answered.
“How angry was Alex when you saw him?”
“Not as upset as I thought he’d be, but he was going easy on
me on account of my ankle.” She went on to tell him about the golf cart-like
transport Alexander and Ryan had arranged and how nice it’d been to be taken
care of by her older brother and boss.
“He left me a few messages. I returned them and am waiting
for a response now that you’re home. How was your flight?”
“Unremarkable. Did you get Sawyer’s email about John
Redman?”
Hazard nodded. “Sure did. I was surprised to read about the
time in jail and probation. Drugs can lead people down a road they never
intended to go.”
“Let’s hope he maintains the counseling. John and his
boyfriend were on my flight, Hazard.”
With that, Hazard sat up straight, the heat of his glare
reaching across the Wi-Fi connection. “What the hell?”
“Apparently, they were on their way to Louisville, Kentucky.
Logan was a stopover,” Avery explained. “I was reading and the next thing I
knew there he was, talking to me.”
Hazard glared again, harsher this time. “What did he say?”
“He apologized for his behavior when we’d met. What bothered
me the most was that he called me Ms. Grant. I never told him my first or last
name. He could have overheard me talking to Jaxon, but I don’t recall him being
near me at that point.”
“I don’t like it, Avery.”
“Maybe he recognized me because of my dad or Alexander when
we met at the Truth or Dare Club. My family is well known and I’d been on local
news shows and papers.”
“Still don’t like it. I’m going to talk to your brother, see
if he knows anything about John Redman from when he played baseball.”
“Brilliant minds think alike,” Avery said. “I was going to
do that later. Remember though, according to Sawyer’s email, John never made it
out of the minors.”
There was a knock on the door. It was harder than Doc’s.
“Avery, can I come in?” her brother requested.
“Hang on a second,” she replied. “Hazard, can we talk when I’m
home?”
“You bet. I’ll text to let you know when to be online. I
want to know what Alex thinks about Redman.”
“He’s out of our lives now,” she commented. “Maybe we should
just let it go. Considering what Sawyer found, it might be time for Redman to
establish himself in his hometown again.”
“If you don’t talk to Alex, I will.”
“Okay, point taken. I’ll talk to him. I love you.”
“Love you too, Avery. Follow Ryan’s orders, you hear?”
“I will.” She ended the video call and powered down the
iPad. “Okay, Alexander, I’m ready.”
Alexander came in looking more at ease than he’d been at the
airport, because he’d shed his perfectly fitting coat and took off his tie.
“You spoke to Ryan about the X-rays?”
“Yes. I’m relieved to know that you weren’t seriously
injured. Do you mind telling me how it happened?”
“I slipped on a snowy driveway,” she answered, going on tell
him about dinner at Jaxon Wynter’s and the various friends she’d made in Dare.
“You liked Dare,” Alexander stated.
“I loved it and the friends I gained. It’s a great town. You
should visit sometime.”
“I’ll talk to Doc and see if we can’t make a reservation.
Now tell me about Osbourne.”
“You know enough.”
“No, I don’t. How did this happen?”
“This? If you mean a relationship, I’d have to say by
accident. Neither of us intended to find love. It just happened. To be honest,
we noticed each other when you and Dad were in the hospital. All the football
players were there and he stood out to me. I’ve had a crush on him for ages.”
“And you’re okay with the fact that Hazard’s known to date a
lot of women, at the same time?”
“I know everything I need to know about him. What he did or
who he dated before me doesn’t matter. Did you know he was divorced and his
ex-wife did a number on him?”
“I knew. His ex is a bitch. I’m going to have to trust your
instincts here, Avery. Just know that if he steps out of line, he’ll answer to
me and my husband.”
“And Phalen and Kyran too?”
“That goes without saying. I had a lecture planned out, you
know that?”
“I figured as much.”
“But I can see that you’re confident when you talk about
Hazard. Whenever you spoke of Timothy, it was always with a sense of sadness
and reservation. Not once did I think you were in love with him.”
“Breaking free of Timothy and moving here after Dad
recovered opened my eyes to what I was missing in life. I went to Dare to claim
something for myself. I didn’t expect to fall in love with Hazard. I told
everyone when I moved here that men were off my radar, remember?”
Alexander came over and found a chair to sit in. “I
remember. If things are fine with Hazard, why do I get the feeling that
something’s wrong? You clearly miss your boyfriend, that’s understandable. But
you’re distracted. At the airport, you were spooked.”
“You have the right to know. The first night I was there, I
met someone who flirted with me rather awkwardly, yet there was an arrogance
about him that set my teeth on edge. I sensed John Redman’s interest was faked
and Hazard picked up on it.”
Alexander froze. The horrified look on his face set her back
in her armchair.
“Alexander?”
“Sonofabitch…John Redman…you’re sure?”
“Yes. Hazard sent him away. The next day, I caught him
staring at me while Hazard and I were on a balcony talking. He gave me the
heebie-jeebies.”
“Crazy as it sounds, I think Morgan was right when she got
one of her feelings and implored me to warn you. She called later and said she
was sure you were safe with Hazard. Did anything else happen with Redman?”
“Nothing inappropriate. Hazard talked to Chief of Police
Sawyer Hamilton, who investigated the guy. Turns out he’s from Kentucky and has
a record. But he’s served his time and is off probation.”
“Hamilton did his homework.”
“He’s former FBI,” Avery said. “Alexander, how do you know
John Redman? He was a baseball player.”
Alexander stood up, started to pace, but caught himself. “He
was my first client.”
“What? There’s something else.”
“And we were lovers, once, only once. It was a disastrous
decision on my part to even become attracted to him, but it happened. He wasn’t
ready to come out about being gay and panicked. The next day, he fired me as
his agent.”
“You’re lucky you got away from him when you did. Sawyer
sent Hazard and I an email saying John Redman served time in jail for his part
in an illegal pornography ring that extorted their victims.”
“Doesn’t surprise me,” Alexander remarked. “After we parted
ways, he blew out his knee and got involved in drugs and internet porn to
support his habit.”
“I’m so sorry, Alexander. Why didn’t you tell me about him a
long time ago? You could have shared anything with me.”
“I’d only represented him for a short time. I wasn’t about
to let a spoiled brat of a former client ruin my chances at a career that had
nothing to do with Dad’s influence. Being a sports agent was my decision, you
understand?”
“I do. You weren’t interested in politics the way Dad was. I
applaud you for your success, Alexander.”
“About five years ago, John was so desperate that he’d
contacted me in the hopes that I’d save his career.”
“Obviously you turned him down.”
“He was too caught up in drugs and self-destruction for me
to help. I did recommend addiction counseling. Tell me everything your friend
Sawyer found out about Redman, everything.”
“You can read Sawyer’s email from earlier. I have to say
that after the balcony incident, John and his boyfriend left Dare. I’m pretty
sure Sawyer suggested that they leave.”
“Promise me you didn’t give him any information about
yourself.”
“I didn’t even give him my name when I met him at the Truth
or Dare Club, but at the airport today, he called me Ms. Grant. My guess is
that he recognized me because everyone says I’m the female version of you.”
“Redman didn’t threaten you or hurt you in anyway?”
“I was with Hazard and his friends most of the time. I
didn’t see John again until I was at the airport. Believe it or not, he was
going home to Kentucky. The sentence he served was in Virginia.”
This time Alexander paced, which was unusual. “Can I read
that email?”
Avery pointed to her cellphone. “Sure.”
Helping himself to her phone, he scrolled through her emails
until he read the one Sawyer had sent to her. “I’m turning this over to Phalen
and having him get in touch with Hamilton. I don’t like knowing that Redman
spoke to you at all, much less that he made you uncomfortable.”
“We could be making a mountain out of a molehill. I’m former
US Senator Grant’s daughter. A lot of people would recognize my face,
especially if they’re from our home state.”
“You have a good sense about people. You knew something was
off with him.”
“He didn’t commit a crime. When he spoke with me earlier
today, he tried to explain his actions at the club as a means to make his
boyfriend jealous. His boyfriend’s a baseball player who’d been suspended for
steroid use.”
“Redman is a convincing liar, Avery. It wouldn’t surprise me
to discover that he was more involved with the porn company he was working for
than he led authorities to believe.”
“Maybe, but he served his sentence and is a free man. We
can’t assume anything just because someone’s a little odd.”
“I hope you’re right.” Alexander’s remark convinced Avery
that her older brother was going to follow through with bringing Phalen into
the situation.
Great, now she’d have to deal with two big brothers and a
brother-in-law who could put the fear of Jesus in just about any man if they
wanted to.
Add in the fact that Phalen would bring in Ethan because his
brother was a cop and Taran because he was a lawyer and soon enough she’d have
all three Maddoxes in her court. Not a bad place to be, come to think of it.
What pissed her off the most about John Redman wasn’t the
weird vibe she picked up on in Dare. It was the fact that after suffering abuse
at the hands of a former lover, Alexander had taken a chance on love and John
crushed it.
Thankfully, he had Ryan now. But that didn’t mean she
couldn’t see the way the brightness within her brother’s blue eyes had darkened
at the mention of John Redman.
She’d love to see the confident sports agent return, to
witness the take-charge businessman Alexander in action. She knew exactly how
to see it happen.