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“They’re going to do their man thing and clam up.”
“Hana, you are the queen of sneaky and the queen of getting men to do what you want. I’m counting on you. The more we know the better.” Particularly if Alex didn’t have to go in and play hardball to get the info out of the players. They didn’t need any more tension than there was already going to be.
“Okay,” Hana said. She sighed, a tight, nervous sigh. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thanks. Now, I have to go. Alex is going to call me when they go see Dad.”
“They’re getting Tom to help?” Hana sounded relieved.
“That’s the plan.”
“Good. He’ll know what to do.”
Maggie hoped so. She wasn’t so sure. Tom had cut his ties and wasn’t going to appreciate being dragged back into a mess. “Yes. He will. So keep me updated and I’ll call you when I can, okay?”
Chapter Fourteen
It was several hours before Alex called and asked Maggie to meet them at Tom’s. His voice was all business, the conversation short. She told herself not to read anything into the tone. Just as she made herself ignore his distracted greeting when they pulled up in front of Tom’s house at the same time.
Veronica answered the door, her blue eyes as cool as the silver wool suit she wore, as she invited them in. Maggie let the terrible trio go first, wanting a moment to make sure she had her business face on before she joined them.
Veronica caught her arm as she moved to follow Alex and the others. “I want to talk to you.”
Maggie shook her off. “We’re kind of busy right now.”
Veronica’s lips pressed together, thin and disapproving. “Don’t pull him back into this.” She flapped a hand in the direction the men had gone.
“No one pulls Dad into anything,” Maggie said.
“He’ll do it for you,” Veronica said. “And he’ll break his heart all over again.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Letting go of the Saints has been hard on him. He doesn’t like to fail.”
“He didn’t fail,” Maggie said.
“Yes he did. In his eyes, anyway. But he’s been happier these last few weeks than I’ve seen him in a long time. He’s free. Don’t let them pull him back in. It’ll hurt him and he doesn’t need that.”
“Dad loves baseball.”
“He’s been killing himself for years with that stupid team,” Veronica hissed. “I know you don’t like me very much, Maggie, and I know in his eyes I’ll never be your mother, but I do love your father. And I want what’s best for him.”
“Isn’t he the best judge of that? You don’t like baseball, you don’t understand.”
“I understand that he’s nearly sixty-five and he’s been working seventy-hour weeks. He can’t do it forever. He needs a rest.”
Maggie’s conscience twinged. “Is he sick? He told me he was fine.”
Veronica shook her head. “He’s not sick exactly, but his last physical wasn’t the greatest thing ever. His cholesterol was sky-high. So was his blood pressure. Marcus Donahue told him to start cutting back two years ago.”
“He never told me that.”
“He wouldn’t. He does all this for you, after all. He’s always done it all for you. Wanted you to be safe. Taken care of. Because your mother isn’t here to do it.”
“Mom’s death had nothing to do with Dad.”
“I know that. But I’m not sure he does. And he loves you more than anything else, regardless.”
