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"Any comments, and I'll give you a black eye to go with that jaw."
"I got what I came for." He fluttered the check in the air, then turned around and left my office. My pulse was hammering in my eardrums. I was clenching my fists. I had to calm down, because I was attending a team practice and didn't want the players to see me like this. I descended to the team's training grounds, still feeling very much on edge. I was the first to arrive, but Jace stormed in seconds later.
"That Jeff jackass was here."
"Came to see me. Got rid of him."
"What did he want? I swear to God, if he doesn't leave Lori alone...." He sputtered. I hadn't ever seen Jace lose his cool. He was the most levelheaded on the team, which was why he had great potential for captain. When one of his teammates became hotheaded, I could count on Jace to calm him down before a referee had to step in.
"I took care of it. He won't be bothering Lori again."
He glanced at my hand. "Lori said you punched him the other day."
"Yeah."
After a pause, Jace extended his hand, shaking mine. "Welcome to the family."
When the coach and the rest of the team filtered in, I went to sit on the sidelines, in my usual spot. I barely managed to pay attention to the coach’s strategic indications. I replayed the meeting in my mind. Damn it, I should have called a lawyer first, have papers drawn up so I’d have it in writing that Jeff Finn would never bother Lori and Milo again. I was usually good at analyzing situations from all angles. But upstairs, I’d acted on impulse.
My thoughts remained on Lori and Milo during the entire practice.
I hoped I did the right thing to protect the woman I loved and the boy I'd come to think of as my own son.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Lori
Milo came down with a cold the following week, but he was in top shape by the time his spring break started the week after. Unfortunately, Graham caught the bug, and he still had it on Saturday. The club's dinner party was tonight, but I wasn't sure he was in any shape to attend. I took an Uber to his house early in the afternoon. If he wasn't feeling well enough to attend, then I'd just take care of him. My schedule was clear anyway. Milo's spring break had begun, and he'd gone with Marlene, her husband, and their eight-year-old son to Orlando. They wouldn't be back until Thursday. It was the first time I'd be apart from my boy for so many days, but he'd insisted on going, and I didn't want to be a hog.
I found Graham tucked in his bed, curled on one side, hugging a pillow half asleep. I crouched next to him. It was the third day of sickness, and he seemed much healthier.
"How are you feeling?" I whispered.
"Like I died three days ago and now I'm coming back to life."
I pressed my lips together. Men. You'd think he had leprosy.
"I'm sorry you caught the bug."
"How come you haven't?"
"I'm a mom. I have enough antibodies for two lifetimes. I'm going to the kitchen to make you some tea."
While I was busying myself around his kitchen, I heard a faint buzzing from his living room. His phone was ringing, the word Nana appearing on the screen. I ran upstairs with it, but Graham had fallen asleep.
When I returned to the kitchen, it buzzed again. I decided to answer.
"Hi, Na— Ms. Scott." I'd nearly called her Nana. "This is Lori. We haven't met, but—"
"Lori Connor? Graham's Lori?"
"Yes. He's down with a cold, and he's asleep right now."
"Can you tell him to call me back?"
"Of course."
"Thank you. You know, when he was a kid, I used to make a concoction for him when he had a cold."
