Chapter 28

Cindy

I pace like a maniac for most of the time that he's gone. I wished he hadn't gone alone, but I know it's something he needed to do.

I'm shocked by what he told me and how this could even be happening.

I'm sure his ex didn't suddenly forget that she slept with someone else after she told him she hadn't. None of it makes sense, and it seems the perfect blend of emotional blackmail and cruelty. I know Tyler was really coming around to the idea and doing everything he could to make sure he was in the baby's life, and that she'd have a good life. He was willing to take sole custody of her! That's the most upsetting part.

Now that has been wrenched away from him too. I'm sure it can't get any worse for him right now.

Nightfall approaches and there's still no sign of him. He's been gone for hours and I'm starting to worry. He took off so fast I couldn't even talk to him before he was backing out of the driveway.

I've been navigating around his very impressive chef's kitchen after taking Henry for a long walk by the lake, but I can't clear my head. I hoped that cooking us a meal might take our mind off things. We went to the grocery store earlier and got enough supplies for the next few days.

I try calling him again after I've chopped all the vegetables for the stir-fry I'm making, and I have the rice cooking. He doesn't pick up, so I shoot another text.

Me

Ty, I'm getting worried. Please call me

When the rice is cooked, I leave the veggies for later because I'll fry them up once Tyler gets back, and I know he has to come home some time. It feels very empty in this big house without him. Henry and I curl up on the couch to watch a movie and wait for him. It's just after 8pm when I hear a car roll up into the driveway.

I jump up and make my way to the front door with Henry on my heels.

I'm shocked though when I see the car that's pulled up isn't Tyler's. Then even more surprised when Jay Jefferson jumps out of the driver's seat and runs around to the passenger side.

I walk out onto the front porch, rubbing my arms from the cold that's hitting me.

"Jay?" I call out as I run out onto the gravel part of the driveway to see him helping Tyler out of the seat. "Ty!"

"He's okay," Jay says as he helps him out of the car. "He met up with me after talking to Stacey, and he had a few drinks."

Looking at Ty now, he doesn't appear to be rolling drunk, but he certainly isn't capable of driving. I'm relieved that he had the good sense to let his friend bring him home. "He was on his way back to you, but diverted to my house. I think he needed to get it off his chest first. Then we walked to the bar on the corner."

I come to Tyler's other side, and he slings his arm around me.

"I'm sorry, baby," he mutters.

"It's okay." I shake my head. "It's been a big day."

Jay and I both help him inside. Henry is waiting at the front door for us to come in.

He's never met Jay before, so he smells him a little curiously, and then figures he's okay and totters off back to the couch.

"He obviously told you what happened?" I say as we walk slowly down the hall.

"Yeah. I can't believe that bitch. I never trusted her," Jay says.

"I can't believe it either."

"Who would do that to a guy? I mean, seriously."

"Stacey Robinson would!" Tyler croons. "She knew what she was doing all along."

I tend to agree with him there, but I don't know if we'll ever know the truth. Maybe when he's sobered up a little, we might get some answers out of him.

"I'm so sorry, Cindy," he goes on as we shuffle to the den. I don't even know if I'm helping any.

"It's okay, Ty," I say softly. I don't think going to a bar and getting hammered was probably the best idea in the world, but I guess he can't be a saint every day.

"Cindy's a good woman." He turns to Jay. "She would never lie to me like that. Even after they printed all that shit about me in the newspaper!"

"Yeah, well. I think the whole of Seattle knows about that now," Jay sighs.

We finally make it to the couch and help him down. He collapses back with a thud and lays out flat on his back. I've never seen him like this. He's always so composed and in charge, so it's quite a shock to see him completely vulnerable.

The headlines were something along the lines of "Bad Boy Tyler Peterson Skates on Thin Ice"

How original.

They totally make out that he's leading a double life, all from the photos they took within days of each other. First me and him in Miami, then him and Stacey at that cafe.

Cait called me right after it was printed and I know I need to call her back because we haven't properly been able to discuss the mom moving thing or how I'm feeling about the article.

"Did he tell you what happened?" I ask Jay as I prop a cushion under Tyler's head.

Henry jumps up on the couch as Tyler tucks him under his arm and rests back, closing his eyes.

"Yeah. The whole nine yards," Jay says, running a hand through his blonde shaggy hair.

He glances up at me. I don't know Jay all that well, but I know Tyler is pretty close to him and he seems like a pretty decent guy. I know he knew about me and Ty and how he felt about me early on. Tyler said he was sitting in the cafe with him on one occasion while he was watching the parking lot, waiting for me to get to work.

"This is a real low blow for him," Jay says. As we move over to the kitchen.

"Yes, it is. He was just coming to terms with it, too. Was she anything like this when they were together?"

"I don't think she's ever done anything as bad as this, but I know she wanted his attention all the time. She put a lot of pressure on Ty when he was away."

"Do you know how it went when he saw her today or what she said?"

"He never saw her," Jay says. "She called him and they talked over the phone. She wasn't at her friend's house after all, and he didn't know how to find her."

"Geez." I run my hand through my hair, glancing over to Tyler on the couch. He looks like he's fallen straight asleep. "This isn't good."

"Not when he's supposed to be on R and R. He told me things didn't go too well with your dad either?"

"No, not exactly. We've been lying low, to be honest, while everything died down with the article."

"Hardly flattering on Tyler's part, that's for sure."

"Luckily, we approached the team together in writing before it hit the stands. That has to mean something. I'm hoping Dad might soften the blow with administration when he comes around."

"He will. I'm sure of it, I might be biased, but I couldn't think of a better guy. I mean that," he says.

I smile as I move to the fridge. "I agree with you. It's been a big week."

"Yeah, it has."

"Thanks for bringing him home."

"No problem. I tried to stop him from throwing back the last few shots, but you know what he's like when he's determined about something."

"Only too well."

"His car is at my place, so it'll be safe."

"I'm not sure how we'll get it back here, but we'll figure it out."

"You know he has a couple of cars in the garage," Jay muses, nodding towards the front of the house.

I press my lips together. "No doubt." We haven't exactly ventured into his garage yet.

"I guess we'll figure it out in the morning. Would you like a drink? I was just about to make dinner too if you're hungry."

Jay smiles. "No thanks, Cinds. I best get back. A friend of mine is in town. I don't want to keep her waiting too long."

"Oh. No problem." I know Jay is the ultimate ladies' man and always has a new girl on his arm. I'm unsure how he flies under the radar so much, but he seems to get away with it. He has that boyish charm about him, and it's hard to ignore his blue eyes, blonde hair and the baby face. I can totally see why women would go for it. I'm sure he can talk his way in and out of absolutely anything. "Well, thanks again," I say as he glances back over to Tyler.

"You're good for him," Jay says, straightening out and I walk him to the front door.

His words surprise me. "Oh, you think so?"

"He's been different since he met you, in a good way. I think you have a really positive effect on him."

"Thank you." I smile, shyly. "He's a great guy. I really care about him."

"Well, you stuck with him even through all of this. He told me. That takes some guts, Cindy. Most girls would have run a mile."

"I guess love makes you do crazy things."

"He loves you," he says. "And in this day and age, that's pretty special to find in a short space of time. Trust me, I know." He smiles ruefully and I give him a quick hug goodbye.

"Thanks again," I holler.

"See you later."

"Goodnight, Jay."

I wave him off and step back into the house. Tyler is still in the same position, with Henry snoozing next to him. I let them be and make dinner. Maybe he'll come around later and let me know how everything went.

* * *

Tyler

I stir and immediately feel something wet on my face. I sit up a little and realize it's Henry licking me. "Hey, fella." I swipe my hand over my face, realizing I must've fallen asleep on the couch. Cindy laid a blanket over me at some point, and everything is quiet. I glance at the clock on the wall. It's just after one in the morning. She'll be well and truly in bed by now.

I make my way to my bedroom with Henry tucked under my arm. I see the outline of her body as I place Henry down on the bed.

I pull my shirt over my head and lose my sweatpants. Pulling back the duvet, I slide in behind her as she stirs.

"Ty?" she whispers as I feel Henry on top of the duvet, making himself comfortable beside Cindy.

"Shhh. Go back to sleep," I whisper. "Everything is okay."

She sighs as I snuggle my chest towards her back. I love her warmth and feeling her close. I don't know what I would have done without her through all of this.

I didn't mean to throw down those shots in close succession. In fact, I was heading home when Jay called and I was close by to his place.

I guess it wasn't the smartest thing to do. I still haven't wrapped my head around everything with Stacey. It's all still too raw and unbelievable. I don't even know what I'd say if I saw her. What is there to say?

She lied. Full stop. She can spin any shit she wants, but she should have told me she'd been with another guy first. At least then I would have not gotten too invested until I knew the truth. But she couldn't even be honest about that.

I know it's going to take some time for me to get past all of this. And hopefully I can find some energy to put into Cindy's family coming around to the fact we're together. We didn't leave her dad's place on great terms, so we need to rectify that.

I wake up with her in my arms, but we don't make love that morning. She just holds me for a long time and it feels really nice and intimate. I like that she doesn't bombard me with questions straight up. I make her coffee and toast in bed before we get ready for the day and I tell her everything that happened over the phone with Stacey. She's in just as much shock as I am.

We head out to pick up my car after that. Cindy drives my four-wheel-drive back from Jay's to my place. I follow her back in the Maserati. She's been a god-send in all of this. I don't know what I would have done without her here while this has all been going on.

"I'm going to call Dad later," she says when we're home again. Jay wasn't home, but I had my keys in my pocket from last night. "He called me yesterday, but it was late by the time I could get back to him."

We've both agreed to hibernate here for a little while longer while I get my head around everything, and Cindy has the time off work.

It reminds me I need to talk to my folks about everything, and introduce them to Cindy at the same time. They've been bugging me about meeting her, and I've been making excuses since this whole thing went down. I guess it's been kind of nice being in our own little bubble for a few days.

"I'm sorry about that," I say. "That's probably my fault."

"I don't blame you, Ty. I'm sure the shock of it all…" she shakes her head. "I can't believe any of it."

"Me either. But one thing is for sure, it does make life a little less complicated going forward. I just wish that she hadn't lied about it. I feel like an idiot."

"You're not an idiot, and it's not your fault."

"I need to make it right with your dad, too," I say.

"He'll come around," she says. "He's just protective. It'll be fine, you'll see."

And she's right about that. A few days later, after Cind has told them what happened, he invites us to have dinner with him and Angelique to clear the air. I'm surprised he even wants to do that after the less than flattering newspaper article about me. I am grateful to Caitlin for giving us the heads up before the newspaper article was published. Meeting her and Liam is something I'm looking forward to.

We all agree instead of going out to a restaurant that they come out to Mercer Island and we eat at my place instead. It's not just because it's more private, Cindy really wanted to cook for us all.

"You've done well for yourself," Coach says, looking around, when he walks in the entryway holding hands with his attractive wife. I'm pretty sure she would have put him up to this, but I'm glad either way. "Spending your money wisely, by the looks of it."

"I set my folks up for life," I tell him as the girls grab some drinks in the kitchen and Henry makes friends with Angelique. "That felt like the best achievement I've ever done."

"Cindy told me about what happened with Stacey, and for what it's worth, I'm sorry she lied about it."

I nod, running a hand through my hair. "It's been a troubling week, at best."

"Angel made me realize how much it took for you both to come to me and lay it out on the line. I know you have been getting to know each other, and there's no crime in that," he says. "I just want my daughter to be happy. She's been through a lot, and things with her mother…" he shakes his head.

"Your daughter is an amazing woman. She's stuck by me, even through all this crazy stuff. That shows her character through and through."

"She is amazing," Coach agrees. "And I may be biased because I'm her father, but I'll always want the best for her."

I swallow hard.

"The reason I got so upset was about the whole other business with your ex-girlfriend. It all came out of left field. Dating Cindy was one thing, but then revealing Stacey's pregnancy was a lot."

"I understand."

"But in saying that, I've always liked you, Tyler. You have a strong character too. You were still willing to do the right thing by Stacey, even if you weren't together anymore. So that tells me you'll do the best by Cindy as well."

I almost can't believe my ears. "Does that mean we have your blessing?"

He pats me on the back. "I guess it does. But you better look after each other." He points at me. "No more articles in the Seattle Times, for heaven's sake."

I cover my face with my hands momentarily. "Well, I didn't have much say in it the last time. But I know what you mean."

Coach gives me another one armed pat. It's as close as I think I'll get to a hug.

"And you've both made it known to the committee, so you'll have no problems there. I'll see to it."

We both look over to the women in the kitchen pouring the drinks and chatting away.

It warms my heart. I never thought it could be like this, and certainly not after last week with leaving coach's house the way we did. I guess he's had time to stew over it.

"What about her mom?" I ask quietly so the girls don't hear.

"I wouldn't worry about Adele," he sighs. "I stopped worrying about what she thought a long time ago."

"I think I'll follow that advice."

"Trust me, I've been there."

"Thanks, Coach."

"For what?" He asks gruffly, I guess I do sound like I'm getting all mushy.

"For being the no bullshit kinda guy you are. You've kept me on the straight and narrow over the years."

"Someone has to." He gives me a wink and we both laugh.

Cindy looks up at us then and smiles. And it warms my heart that finally things seem to be getting on track.

* * *

A week flew by since I found out about not becoming a father and we're going over to my parents tonight. They've been beside themselves with worry, but I've needed some space and time to get my head around things. I've been bad at getting back to anyone this week, Luke included.

I've no idea what will happen with Stacey now. She's sent me at least a dozen texts during the week, telling me she was sorry and she never meant to hurt me. How she was sure it was my kid, yadda, yadda. It's all white noise to me. And I've no intention of messaging her back or seeing her again. I am curious as to what she will do when she gives birth. It could be any day now.

A part of me will eventually adjust to the idea that it's not happening. But I'm not sure if that can ever extend to her doing what she did.

I'm sure I'll hear about it sooner or later if she decides to keep her little girl. I hope so because despite it all, I don't think she'd make a terrible mom.

The main thing I want right now is to put some space between this, so I can move forward and not worry about it anymore.

Stacey made her choices in life, and I'm making mine with the woman I love.

Cindy and I have only grown stronger through all of this, and the fact we don't have to hide anything now is a relief to the both of us.

I'm looking forward to meeting her friends when we head back to Seattle after this weekend. We've agreed to come out here on weekends as much as we can. I'm a free agent for a little while longer, at least until pre-season training starts. We have a series of pre-season exhibition games coming up soon.

I guess I can never fully escape the game, but I wouldn't want it any other way.

"We should really get ready," I say to Cindy, rolling over from the crumpled sheets we messed up on my bed this afternoon, making love and enjoying each other. I love that she's getting more and more comfortable with me when we're together like this. There's so much more I want to do and to discover with her. It's all part of the fun and I'm loving every moment.

"You're the one who thought it would be a good idea to hole up in your bedroom all afternoon!" She giggles, snuggling into my chest.

"What else are you supposed to do on a rainy afternoon except lay in bed with the woman you love?"

"You're a romantic through and through, Tyler Peterson. Did anyone ever tell you that?'

"A hot little babe that works for the Hawks told me she's the coach's daughter." The corner of my mouth pulls up in a smile.

"Is that so?"

"Sure is, and guess what?" I reach down to kiss her beautiful mouth, taking in her very essence as she looks up at me adoringly.

"What?"

"I love her."

"Are you sure about that?"

I poke her in the ribs at the same time Henry jumps up on the bed and comes right between us, snuggling up and making himself comfortable. "Yes. I'm sure that I love you, Cindy Carter, and Henry, for that matter, too."

She giggles, kissing me softly. "And we love you too."

And that right there shoots straight to my heart, igniting my soul. It's the best score I could have ever made.