Last Play: Book 1 The Last Play Series (8 page)

R
oman had insisted
on going with her after they’d dropped the tube back at the inn, saying that he wanted to meet Josh. He’d followed her on a different snow mobile through Main Street, passed the hardware store and down the opposite direction from the ski resort. The road led to a small elementary school and a combined junior high and high school.

The snow had subsided substantially. Roman wondered how long it would be before the attorney would be able to get up to the inn to get the paperwork done to sell the place. He was surprised he actually didn’t want to think about it. He pushed the thought away because it made him sad.

They waited with other snowmobiles or pretty hefty four-wheel drive vehicles for the kids to get out. They didn’t have to wait long before a mass of children burst out of the building. He watched Katie wave to a child with a batman backpack and batman hat and gloves.

The boy came running quickly for the snowmobile. Roman noted that he had the shape of his mother’s face and nose, but his hair was blonde. “Mom!” He held up some piece of paper. “Look, I painted this for you today!”

First, Katie hugged him. Then she kept her arm around him and studied the picture with a serious face. “I love it!”

Pure joy lit up the boy’s face.

Katie nodded toward him and then tugged him by the hand. “I want you to meet someone.”

Nervous seemed like an understatement for how Roman felt. Butterflies pounded into his gut. Meeting the most important man in any woman’s life was a huge deal and he suddenly wondered if he was really ready for this.

Katie gestured to Roman. “Josh, meet Roman. This is Jim’s nephew. He owns the inn now. He’s been…helping me for the past two days.”

Josh scrunched up his face, like meeting Roman was some sort of scientific project. “You look like that football player.”

Roman put his hand out. “Roman Young, nice to meet you.”

Tentatively, Josh put his batman glove in Roman’s hand. “Could I get you to sign something?”

“Josh!” Katie shook her head.

Roman grinned. Young fans were the best. “Absolutely!” He released Josh’s hand.

After fist pumping the air, Josh laughed. A loud, kid kind of laugh. “Now I can say I’ve met someone famous.”

Katie gestured to the other snowmobile looking flustered. “Josh, it doesn’t matter if someone is famous or not, every person is important. Please say goodbye, and let’s go home and get you warmed up.”

The boy didn’t move, still studying Roman. “You play for the Destroyers, but you got hurt last year. Jim told me all about you.”

The center of Roman’s chest tightened for a second. He grinned. “Well, see, your mom told me all about your frogs getting out yesterday, so I guess we both know stuff about each other.”

The boy gave a silly laugh and pointed at Roman. “I watched you play on that big screen at the inn last year.”

Another surge of impossible emotion. “Well, thanks for watching.”

Katie was already on the snowmobile. “Come on, son. Let’s go.”

Josh frowned. “Mom, can we have him over for dinner?”

This took Roman completely by surprise. “Hmm, no, I couldn’t.”

Katie looked stressed. “Josh, he probably has plans tonight. Let’s do it another time.”

Josh smiled at him. “Do you have plans?”

Roman looked from Josh to Katie.

She shrugged.

He grinned. “I’ll be there.”

“
N
ed
, what do you mean, you won’t be here for another two days?” Roman ran his hand through his hair. His agent was going to have a fit.

“Roman, I’m sorry. I put my back out, and I can barely move. I’m staying at my brother’s house in Salt Lake. I was adjusted yesterday, but it might take a steroid shot to get my L4 back under control.”

Flutters went through the pit of his stomach, and he thought of spending more time with Katie. “That’s okay.”

Ned sighed. “I wish you could come here or I could use my partner to execute these documents, but your uncle’s will specifically asks for me to execute the documents to you, at the inn.”

Roman knew this. “Who is buying the Inn?”

Ned hesitated. “What do you mean?”

“I want to talk to the new owners. I have someone in mind that could take care of the place for them. She doesn’t cost much. She’s fixing up the place.”

“Are you talking about Katie?”

Roman relaxed. Good. Ned knew. “Yes, I want to make sure she’s taken care of.”

“Uhh…”

“What?”

“Truthfully, I don’t know what they have planned and I don’t think it’s smart to put that kind of stipulation in the contract. They might want to flip it or something.”

“Oh.” His mind whirled with the ramifications of that for Katie.

“I didn’t think you’d mind. You said you just wanted to get rid of it quick.”

He felt trapped. “Well…”

“You do still want to sell it, right Mr. Young?”

“Yes.” He spoke quickly, immediately thinking of what Katie said about when you answer too fast. “I mean…” Of course he wanted to sell it. What in the world would he do with an inn in Wolfe Creek?

“Mr. Young?”

Frustrated, Roman gripped the phone tighter. He had to get to Katie’s house. He didn’t want to be late. “Can I call you back, Ned?”

Ned let out another sigh. “I knew this storm was a curse. The buyer really wants this deal. Tell me now if you’re having second thoughts.”

Being forced to do something he didn’t want to do had never been Roman’s style. “I’ll call you tomorrow, Ned.”

He shook his head and looked at himself in the steam of the master bath mirror. He’d only been here for two days, and he felt different. Changed. He thought of his uncle and the last conversation he’d had with him—‘Remember, you’re good at the game, but the game of life is important too. People are important. Don’t give up on love. Don’t give up on family. It’s the only important thing there is in this life.’ Could Wolfe Creek be more? Could Katie be more?

B
ecause there was really
no place to stop and get flowers, he stopped at the gas station to get…something.

“Running into Roman Young two times, it must be my lucky day.” Behind the register he saw Tiffany, the waitress from earlier.

Feeling caught, he took a step further away from her, toward the candy aisles.

She let out a low whistle. “Wow, you clean up good.” She dropped one shoulder and gave him a seductive look.

Truthfully, Tiffany wasn’t a bad-looking girl. Pretty even, but her huntress personality did not appeal to him.

“H-hey,” he said lamely, scanning the shelves of candy, thinking about what Katie and Josh would like for a treat.

Tiffany moved out from behind the counter. “Whatcha doing?”

He picked up some bubble gum and a couple of candy bars. “Nothing much.” Swiftly, he went to the next aisle, taking donuts and popcorn off of the shelves.

She was closing in on him. “I wondered if I’d get a chance to see you again, but if there’s one thing you can count on in Wolfe Creek, it’s that you always run into people.”

“Whether you want to or not,” he whispered under his breath. He moved to the counter to pay.

She was behind him. “What was that?”

Roman took an extra step closer to the register, and she took one closer to him. The only thing between them was the junk food, and he held it out like a shield. “Um, nothing. Could I buy this stuff? I’m running late.”

Shifting her gaze to all the junk food she snorted. “Do you eat this stuff all the time?”

Heck no. “Yep.” He did not want to engage more than he had to in this conversation.

Before he knew what happened, she pulled out a phone and took a picture of him holding all the junk food. “That’s crazy!”

Now he was angry. “What are you doing?”

She snapped another picture, and he had to resist the urge to rip her phone out of her hand and throw it to the floor like he did periodically to any paparazzi that taunted him. Truly, this had been the hardest part about being famous—the cameras. He thought about the fact that he hadn’t had anyone stalking him to take his picture the past two days and how nice that had been.

“Tiffany,” he said gritting his teeth, “you need to put your phone away and let me pay for these please.”

Her face turned worried. “Okay.” She moved to go behind the counter and started ringing him up. “You know I’m not going to post those or anything. I just want to show my mama and daddy when I get home. My daddy loves the Destroyers. You’re his favorite player. He never lost faith in you, even after that horrible hit to your knee.”

This softened him.

She swiped his card and gave him a signature receipt to sign and then the real receipt. “I’m sorry. Really. I—I’ll delete those pictures right now.” She winked at him. “But, let the record show, I’ve always been team Roman, too.” She whispered, “You’re much cuter than Dumont. I don’t know what your ex-wife was thinking.”

He watched her. He took the bag of junk food and sighed. “Why don’t you delete those pictures, and I’ll do you one better.”

“What?”

He nodded. “Come here, and we’ll get a selfie together. Then you’ll have a real picture to show your parents.”

“Eek!” She ran around the counter, her phone already whipped out. “Ohmygosh!” She slammed into his side, already holding up the phone and positioning it.

He let out a soft laugh and put his arm around her, putting on his media smile.

Without warning, and without any malcontent—only complete self-interest—at the last second, Tiffany reached up and kissed his cheek before snapping the picture. “Eek!” She slipped away and giggled. “I’m sorry! I had to!”

He shook his head and went for the door. “Have a good night, Tiffany!”

F
eeling extremely
lame with a bag of junk food in his hand, he rang the doorbell of the cute little home that Katie lived in. It was a couple of streets behind Main Street. The home itself looked a little worn, but he noticed the fresh curtains and the spring wreath that hung on the front door.

Josh answered the door, swinging it back wide. He was in superman jammies, and his hair looked damp. “Hi.” He ginned up at him. “I can’t believe you came.” He said a little breathlessly.

Roman bent down and smiled back. “I can’t believe you invited me.” He copied the breathless way Josh had spoken.

Josh giggled and waved his arm to have him come in. “Come on, Mama made her famous Lasagna, and she made a strawberry spinach salad, and she even made her homemade bread after school.” Dramatically, he licked his lips and rubbed his tummy.

Following Josh, Roman’s stomach growled. Lasagna and fresh bread sounded delicious. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had fresh bread. Or that someone had made it for him. He flashed back to a memory of standing in the kitchen with his mother. He’d probably been fifteen. Before she’d gotten the news of the cancer. He had this sudden, vivid memory of her holding out mushy bread dough for him.

“Hey.” Katie stood in her apple-decorated kitchen. She wore a black turtleneck with jeans, and her hair was long and straight down her back. His breath caught for a second. She’d worn make up, and her eyes looked slightly exotic.

“H-hey.” His mouth was dry, and he didn’t know why his brain seemed to completely scatter.

She took off the apple apron that she wore and rinsed her hands, smiling at him. “I’m glad you could make it.”

For a moment, it felt like she might be slightly off kilter and maybe couldn’t catch her breath. But he didn’t have much time to think about it.

Josh tugged at the bag in his hand. “What did you bring?” He tried to peek inside.

“Josh.” Katie moved around the counter and took his shoulder. “Honey, that’s rude.”

All Roman could do was smile, delighted by the rawness of kids. He loved kids, taking every chance he’d gotten to do promo work at schools. He squatted down and held the bag open for him. “Well, since I don’t have your mom’s baking skills, this is what I came up with in a pinch.”

Josh’s eyes widened. “Holy cow! That’s a lot of junk food! Mama never lets me eat all that stuff!”

Roman and Katie locked eyes, both of them smiling at Josh’s reaction. Roman handed the bag to Katie. “Your mom can be the boss of it.” He gave her a flirtatious wink, acknowledging the inside joke.

She cocked an eyebrow, but kept a grin on her face. She put the bag on the counter. “Let’s go sit down for dinner.”

“I can’t wait for dessert. Let’s do dessert first!” Josh pleaded.

Katie gently held him by the shoulder and started moving to the candle lit table in the back of the kitchen. “No spoiling your dinner, like Roman said—for dessert.”

Josh did mini jumps. “Can we eat it for movie night, mama?” he asked, slipping into his chair. He jerked back. His eyes alight. “Wait, can Roman stay for movie night?”

Katie motioned for Roman to take a seat then she looked caught. She sat. “Josh, Roman probably doesn’t want to stay for Buzz Light Year.”

Immediately, Josh swerved to him. “Do you?”

If Josh hadn’t wanted him to stay so badly, he would have wondered—by Katie’s reaction—if he was wanted at all.

“Please!” He put his hands together in a prayer position.

Roman didn’t know what to say. He, once again, looked at Katie for acknowledgement.

She smoothed her clothes and then met his gaze. “Roman, would you like to stay for movie night?”

He nodded. “I’d love to.”

“Yay!” Josh clapped.

Katie rolled her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

The idea that she should be sorry about how much Josh wanted him there, was the furthest thing from what he was feeling. “No worries.”

Her face turned red. “It-it’s not you. I mean. Not cause you’re famous. He’s just been …” she trailed and looked down at her hands.

Suddenly, it hit him. One year. Tomorrow. The poor kid had lost his father one year ago.

“It’s my dad.” Josh’s voice was sad, and he looked down. “He died, ya know.”

The center of Roman’s chest tightened. He blinked. “I’m sorry.”

Josh looked up at him, tears in his eyes. “I know you lost your Uncle Jim. Were you two close?”

At this moment Josh did not seem like a normal seven year old. Roman reached over and put a light hand on Josh’s shoulder. “Yes. I … I wish I would have been even closer to him …” He trailed for a second. A sudden tear leaked out of him. Roman couldn’t believe he was actually losing it. Before coming to Wolfe Creek, he hadn’t cried in a long time. Even when he’d caught Sheena cheating. He had been angry, sad, depressed, but he hadn’t cried. Now he was crying at the drop of a hat. He brushed a ragged hand over his face. “My mom died a few years ago too.”

Josh’s face filled with concern. “Well, I guess both of us have parents to miss.”

Roman pulled his hand back and leaned over the table, turning to glance at Katie. She had a full stream of tears running down her cheeks. He swallowed back the rest of his emotion and smiled at this seven-year old that seemed a lot older than his age. “Yep.”

Katie sniffed and grinned at him.

Roman let out a breath, his heart pounding in his chest. “It’s okay to miss them. It’s good to miss them.”

Josh wiped his face. “Okay, let’s eat, mom.”

She bowed her head and reached for both of their hands. “Okay, let’s pray, then we’ll eat.”