Chapter 14

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Ellie

I feel Yolanda's eyes boring into me as I retrieve the swag baskets for the players. She's vastly different in person than her television persona would lead a person to believe. It's hard to reconcile her being the same person.

As I bring in the last four baskets, the reporter walks over to me. "Need some help?" Even though her tone is friendly, after our last interaction I'm super cautious. "I'm good, thanks."

"I'm sorry about how I acted earlier," she says. "Zach just brings it out in me."

Yolanda is still at my side when I walk into the office and put down my final load. I turn to her and respond, "Zach said you're making everything up. He said your PR team set you up."

She shrugs nonchalantly. "In positions like ours, PR people are our dating apps. Our reps know what we want, and they facilitate our desires." The look on my face must be one of horror, because she hurries to add, "Timothee and Kylee started as a PR couple. Then there's Taylor and Travis, Kim and her second husband, Brad and Jen, and let's not forget Nick and Priyanka. Just because couples meet through their reps doesn't mean they aren't real couples."

I guess I can understand that. "But you and Zach only went out three times," I tell her. "How does that make you a couple?"

"What does the number of dates have to do with anything?" she asks. "People sleep together before they even go on one date. They run off and elope in Vegas after two. Three dates are a lifetime when you're in the public eye."

Ew . But I don't say that. Instead, I go with, "It's none of my business either way. I'm not dating Zach and I'm not interested in dating him." A tiny voice inside my head accuses, Liar.

"Then you wouldn't be opposed to helping me out?" The look in her eyes makes my blood run cold.

"I don't want to get involved," I tell her. "My life keeps me plenty busy without looking for additional drama."

"Even if I paid you?" She must sense my desperation for funds, because she clarifies, "Say, ten grand for a month of work?" She explains, "I need an ally here for when I'm back in LA."

Ten thousand dollars is an astounding amount of money. Not only would it get my mom a tricked-out motorized wheelchair, but it would also go a long way in making some long-overdue repairs to our house. Yet, there's no way I'd feel good about taking money that might do someone else harm. And I'm not convinced that isn't what Yolanda is after. As much as it hurts, I tell her, "I'm good, thanks."

She looks beyond surprised. "How about twenty thousand?"

My jaw drops open like a mounted fish. "Dollars?"

"For one month," she repeats.

I don't know whether to believe Zach or Yolanda, but I'm pretty sure I'm leaning toward Zach. No one offers twenty K for help if they have the truth on their side. "I appreciate the offer, Yolanda, but I really don't want to get involved."

Her eyes narrow like she's trying to decide if I'm for real or not. "Don't answer me yet," she says. "Let's wait a few days and see if you feel the same way. "

I don't know what she thinks will change my mind, but even if Zach is a real heel, I don't want any part of this. "I don't need to wait," I tell her. "I've made up my mind." As I turn to walk out of the office, I can't help but wonder if I've just made a world-class enemy. The thought causes the little hairs on the back of my neck to stand at attention.

After Yolanda follows me out of the office, I lock the door. Then without another word, I scurry out of the building like Ringwraiths are chasing me.

Once I'm in my car, I check the time and discover it's already past eleven. I look at my phone and don't see any texts from my mom, which causes a bit of worry. Pulling out of my parking spot, I make short work of driving the few miles home.

After sticking my key into the lock, I swing open the front door of our house only to find the living room empty. The lights are all out and my mother isn't sitting in her lift chair. "Mom?" I call out.

When there's no answer, I yell louder, "Mom! Where are you?"

I hurry down the hall to her bedroom, but she's not in her bed. Real panic overtakes me as I cross the carpet to the bathroom. That's where I find her. My mother is lying on the floor looking like a discarded rag doll. I gently touch her arm and shake her slightly, "Mom, it's Ellie. Are you okay?"

She moans before trying to turn over. "Ellie …" I'm beyond relieved to hear my name. I was terrified she was dead.

"Don't move, Mom. Just stay where you are."

"So cold," she says.

I hurry out of the room and grab a throw off her bed. Going back to the bathroom, I wrap it around her as best as I can. "What happened?" I ask.

She groans again before saying, "I'm not sure. I came in here to go to the bathroom and then when I went to sit on the toilet, I got lightheaded. I must have fallen."

"What time was that?" I ask her.

"About ten. "

"Mom, it's after eleven! You've been unconscious for over an hour. We need to get you to the hospital."

Before I can pull out my phone and call 911, I hear Zach call out, "Hello? Anyone home? I've brought the turmeric."

As annoyed as I was at him earlier, I feel nothing but relief now. "Don't move," I tell my mom. "I'll be right back." Then I run down the hall toward Zach.

"Ellie, about this morning …" he starts to say, but I cut him off.

"Forget this morning. My mom fell and I need help getting her into my car so I can take her to the hospital."

He looks alarmed. "We should call an ambulance."

I shake my head. "I can get her there faster."

"That may be, but you don't know how badly she's hurt. Why not let the professionals check her out first?"

I hate having to confess this, but I have no other choice. "The ambulance would probably charge me a thousand dollars to pick her up. We don't have that kind of money."

Instead of looking at me like I'm a monster for placing financial worries above my mom's health, he simply says. "Let me see her."

I lead him into the primary bath, and tell my mom, "This is Zach. He's Troy's brother and the man renting our cottage."

My mom seems to have more of her wits about her because she responds, "I don't normally take visitors in the bathroom." She looks him up and down before appreciatively adding, "But I can make an exception for you."

Zach laughs. "That's very nice of you, thank you."

"Her name is Elaine," I tell him.

"Elaine," Zach says, "do you hurt anywhere?"

"My head hurts," she tells him. "I think I hit it when I fell."

"How about the rest of your body?" he wants to know. "Any pain there?"

My mom gently moves her head from side to side. "No more than usual. "

Leaning down, Zach tells her, "I'm going to lift you up and move you to your bed. Is that okay?"

"Yes." I know my mom must be embarrassed to be in this position, but she also seems to know that Zach is more capable of carrying her than I am.

Sliding his arms under my mom, Zach instructs, "Put your hands around my neck."

After getting a closer look at him, she says, "You're very handsome, do you know that?" Now, I'm mortified.

"I've been told that," Zach says, "but somehow the compliment means more coming from a beautiful lady like yourself."

My mom actually giggles—giggles!—before deciding, "You're a flirt."

Zach walks across the room and lays Mom down on her bed. Then he looks into her eyes. "You've got some dilation there," he says. "I'm guessing you have a concussion."

"Are you a doctor?" Mom asks him.

"Ex-hockey player from a family of hockey players," he tells her before teasing, "We had more concussions than birthdays." Zach looks at me. "I think we can bypass the ambulance and take her to the hospital ourselves."

"You don't have to come," I assure him.

"I don't, but I'm going to. Do you have a robe you can help your mom into?"

I rush across the room and grab her pink fuzzy bath robe off the back of her closet door. I wrap it around her shoulders before saying, "Really, Zach, just help me get her into my car."

He shakes his head while leaning down to pick my mom up again. "I'm going with you, and I'm driving. That's all there is to it." I'm both relieved not to be alone and irritated by his high-handedness.

Settling into Zach's arms, my mom asks, "Are you single, Zach?"

"I am."

To my eternal horror, she replies, "Good. Ellie's single, too."