The Perfect Stroke (30 page)

I kiss her gently on her forehead with a laugh. “Always busting my ass. See you soon.” 

“See you soon.”

I stand beside Jansen as CC and Mom head out. The door has been closed for ten minutes before I finally shake off the feeling of contentment that thrums through my veins and I only do it then because Jansen demands my attention.

“Let’s get a move on, son.”

I nod agreement, but I’d rather follow my woman to that garage and spend the day with her.

I stare at the phone as the last amount of hope I had fades. Mack’s bank wouldn’t help at all. I kind of expected it, but I was still…
dreaming
. I was dreaming. There’s going to be no magic way out of this and there’s not one to blame but me.
Would Banger be as disappointed in me as I am in myself?

“What the hell are you doing here?” I hear growling outside my office. At first I’m afraid Ida Sue has done something, but that’s Jackson yelling. With a deep breath, I go outside, wondering what my next catastrophe is. “I asked what the fuck you were doing here?”

“Do you have a problem with this man, Claudia dear?” Ida Sue asks. I don’t turn to look at her, though. I’m busy staring into the eyes of David Riverton. He’s here, at my garage. He’s with three other men, all dressed in suits, though the other three don’t look nearly as expensive.

“What are you doing here, Mr. Riverton?” I ask, doing my best to keep my voice civil, but not entirely successful.

“I’ve brought by the company engineers.”

“And why the fuck would you do that?” Jackson growls.

“Because they want to get some early measurements in.”

“Why would they need measurements?” I ask, fear curling tight in my stomach.

“Oh. I forgot to tell you the plans I have for this place, didn’t I?”

“You can take your plans and stick them up your ass where the sun doesn’t shine. That’s what you can do with your plans. Claude isn’t about to sell this place to the likes of you,” Jackson yells, and that sick feeling in my stomach only gets worse. I know the color is gone from my face.

“Oh my, it seems you’re keeping secrets from your employees, Claudia. I take it he doesn’t know. I completely understand. Though, you might want to explain it to him soon. That way, instead of showing up here to a job he doesn’t have anymore, he can go straight to the unemployment office. Honestly, he might want to go there sooner. However, I suppose I will be hiring a few when I take over.”

“You’re going to run a garage? I have trouble seeing that,” I tell him, ignoring the way Jackson is staring at me.

“A garage? Good heavens, no! I’m going to be demolishing the garage. I’m going to be turning this place into a landfill station.”

“You’re what?”

“It seemed apt that it becomes a place for garbage, since that’s exactly what built it to begin with.” His verbal blow is delivered hard, striking me and momentarily robbing me of breath. He’s never been a father to me. The fact that he’s putting me through all this is proof enough of that. Still, it’s hard to hear the man who fathered you call you garbage.

“I think you’d better leave,” Ida Sue says, coming to my side and wrapping her arm around my shoulders as if to protect me. She can’t really, not from the cold hate that lies between me and David Riverton, but it’s good she’s here. Right now, I’m not sure I could keep standing if she wasn’t giving me support. I feel Jackson move in on my other side. He has to know I’ve fucked up, but he’s still here. I try and hold on to that.

“Oh. Gray’s mother, right? Ida Joe, Right? Perhaps you can see now just what type of woman your son has gotten himself involved with.”

“I can, and I completely approve. His choice in business partners, however, I’ll definitely need to talk with him about.”

“I have heard that your past is rather colorful. I guess your reaction shouldn’t surprise me,” Riverton replies. “Bad blood always shows. Maybe I need to find a new face of Riverton Metals before your offspring can tarnish it.”

“Why, you son of a bitch! You want to lock horns with me? Feel free. But you better be ready for what you’re inviting. I can’t–”

“Leave,” I order him, interrupting Ida Sue.

“I don’t think I want to right now,” he retorts. “I’m finding this is kind of fun.”

“Leave or I’ll have you arrested for trespassing.”

“Fuck, yeah,” Jackson grumbles.

“This place is mine. The paperwork is a mere formality.”

“You don’t have possession of it yet, and if you don’t leave, I’ll call Sheriff Tykes and press charges for trespassing,” I tell him, proud that my voice is firm. For some reason, I’m feeling stronger. I’m intent on Riverton, and for that reason, I don’t even notice that Ida Sue isn’t beside me anymore. And because I’m not watching her, I’m completely taken by surprise when she blasts Riverton with the water hose that’s hooked up.

“Ida Sue!” I yell, astonished and laughing despite being horrified. Riverton doesn’t need more reason to destroy me.

“I’m just hosing down the place, sweetie. The stench of the garbage was starting to make me sick.”

Riverton is yelling out that I’ll be sorry, but when Ida Sue aims the hose full-force right at his face, he shuts up and takes off running with his buddies. Ida Sue lets up on the trigger of the water hose nozzle. No one talks for a few minutes. I think Jackson might be too mad, I’m afraid. That leaves Ida Sue. My eyes go to her and I wish I could read her better.

“I think it’s time we talked, Claudia,” she says. 

“I do, too,” Jackson says, and the hurt in his voice almost undoes me.

“Ida Sue, I probably should talk to Jackson alone. I owe it…”

“Nonsense. We’re family now. Now, I don’t know what’s going on and I’m pretty sure my son doesn’t know. If he did and he’s still doing business with that snake in the grass, then I’m going to rip him a new asshole.”

“He doesn’t know,” I confess.

“I can only assume you have a reason for that, dear. But you, I, and Jackson here are going to talk, and for now, we’ll keep it between the three of us. We’re going to have to figure things out soon, however, because that sad waste of ball sweat will be back and I’d lay odds he’ll only get meaner,” she says. I look over at Jackson and he’s nodding his head in agreement. I take a breath and agree.

“Okay. Let’s go talk in my office, though. I think people on the street have seen enough for one day.”

As the three of us walk back into the garage, nervousness floods through me. I know they’re right. I do need to talk about this. I need to find a way to tell not only them, but Gray too. I just don’t know if I can handle feeling everyone’s disappointment on top of everything else.

Especially Gray’s.

“The trick is the follow-through. See, if you choke your hold on the driver, you’re not allowing the force to hit the ball and you’re just not going to get a long drive,” I tell CC, adjusting her hands on the club and pulling her back into my body as close as I can. 

“Is that a golf ball in your pocket back there, Crayon Man?”

“Ouch. Golf ball? Couldn’t you at least call it a putter or something? I mean, I’m just asking for a little respect here.”

“I didn’t realize you were so insecure,” she says, wiggling her ass against my dick. It doesn’t matter that I’m wearing slacks or that she has a skirt and panties on; when I get close to her and she rubs against me like that, I am instantly hard as a rock.

“Quit trying to make me spank your ass, Cooper. Now pay attention to your lesson.”

“Not that I’m not loving my lesson… and other things,” she says, pushing her ass against me, “but shouldn’t you be resting up for day two? I mean, you’re a few strokes behind the leaders. I’m not sure what all that means, but I don’t want to be the reason you’re too tired…”

“Do I feel too tired to you, Cooper?”

“You never feel too tired, but despite your other super hero attributes, you’re only human, Gray Lucas. Maybe you should sleep.”

“You could wear me out and then maybe I’ll nap.”

“We could go back to the hotel,” she suggests, turning in my arms to look at me. She’s wearing a cute little outfit complete with a short skirt, and I’ve been dying to fuck her since I first saw her in it. She’s been better the last couple of days. Ever since Ida Sue came in, actually. Those two have become thick as thieves and whatever Ida Sue has done, she’s somehow worked magic and CC seems less stressed about work. She still won’t tell me what’s going on, but she says she has it handled, and I guess that’s all I need to know. I offered to help; that’s all I can do.

“What if I told you I’m not sure I can make it back to the hotel?”

Her eyes dilate and she looks around the course nervously. There are a few people out today, but not many. I don’t know where Riverton or Cammie have gone the last couple of days, but it’s been nice not having them around. I’m regretting ever listening to Seth about getting Riverton’s sponsorship. It might have been harder to get where I am now, but I would have done it. I’ve actually been talking to my lawyer to see if he could get me out of the contracts with Riverton. I don’t know the full story with Cammie, but I know enough to know she and her father don’t respect my woman, and that is not acceptable. Not now… not ever. My need to advance caused me to overlook that for a little bit. That will not happen again. There’s nothing more important than CC to me, and that includes this tournament or any future ones. Without CC, I don’t care if I ever golf again.

“Gray, it’s broad daylight and the tournament… it’s crowded,” she whispers worriedly.

“It was earlier. Now everyone has gone home. C’mon, Cooper. Live dangerously.” 

“I’m beginning to hate it when you say that to me. It never ends well.”

“This time, it will. I make sure you’ll get a happy ending.”

She rolls her eyes at me and I can’t help laughing. But she reaches out her hand, which is a yes, and that’s all that counts. I take her hand in mine and begin leading her to the edge of the woods.

Time to show my woman how much fun a golf course can really be.

I can’t believe I’m doing this. I’ve been through a lot this last week, so maybe I’ve finally cracked under the pressure. Maybe it’s the fact that Gray makes me feel like a teen again. Back when sex was new, emotions were honest and raw, and life held more promise. Back before reality slowly chipped away at my dreams.

It’s been a rough week. Ever since the run-in with Riverton, I’ve been scrambling trying to figure things out. Ida Sue has taken control, though. She told me she had some connections in Texas with a bank and getting the loan wouldn’t be a problem. My lawyer told me that as long as I don’t give Riverton further reasons to foreclose, I have until the end of the month, according to the notice he gave me in the hotel. That gives me almost three weeks, and Ida Sue assures me it will be done way before then. I owe her so much. There’s no way I would have gotten a bank in Texas to save me if it hadn’t been for her. 

So in the meantime, I’m staying away from Cammie and her father—from everyone here at the tournament, really. I spend my time with Ida Sue and Gray’s crazy family, and Ida Sue is helping me to find ways to avoid business dinners and networking luncheons. The last press conference, I declared a migraine, but it’s getting harder and harder to make sure Gray doesn’t know something is going on—a fact Ida Sue is not totally happy with. According to her, she doesn’t want her “little boy” doing business with people like that. He’s too “innocent” to know how people work. I have to laugh. I know they say a mother’s love is blind, but there’s nothing little or innocent about Grayson Lucas.