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Sailor
His confession catches me by surprise even though I suspected the truth in it when Winona told me about the article. Logan doesn’t behave like an injured ballplayer. He doesn’t reminisce about his good ol’ days and talk about how he would do anything to get back to the sport. Physically, he appears to be in perfect shape. Trust me, I have inspected every inch of his body. I have watched the way he moves, felt the way he moves. If he’s in pain from a career-ending injury, he does a damn good job of hiding it.
“So, your knee injury was all a lie?”
He shakes his head. “I did have knee surgery. But I could’ve returned to the team. When I was out recovering, I realized the toll my career was taking on my family. On Campbell. Jo was a complete mess, drinking and partying every night of the week. Campbell hadn’t turned in school assignments in weeks, and my schedule kept me from being as active in his life as I wanted to be. I didn’t have a clue how shitty of a mom she was being. I got Campbell back on track, got Jo squared away in rehab, and filed for divorce.”
“And you left the NFL.”
“I saw the opportunity to leave and be a father to my son. It wasn’t an easy decision. I was at the peak of my career and under contract. Jo was already attracting some negative attention, and while I can handle that, Campbell didn’t deserve to be subjected to it. The media can be vicious.”
“I don’t understand. The media ? everyone ? believes the injury forced you into early retirement.”
“My surgeon understood my desire to leave without a scandal. And he needed some renovations to his hospital.”
“He blackmailed you?”
Logan laughs. “No, I made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. We both got what we wanted. I made an anonymous generous donation to his hospital, and he declared that I was unfit to return to the sport.”
“Do you miss it?”
He reaches out his hand to me again, and this time, I take it. “Yes, but Campbell deserves the same type of childhood I had. The same opportunities.”
“And you’ve never thought about returning? Figuring out a way to have both?”
Logan shakes his head. “I just don’t see how that’s possible.”
His response tells me that if it were, he would’ve found a way. That leaving the NFL may have been one of those decisions he’ll always regret. One of those that he’ll wonder about for the rest of his life. But with a wife that was putting herself before their child, what choice did he have?
“What happens when Jolene gets out of rehab?”
“She’ll get supervised visitation with Campbell until she can prove she’s stable. That’s what she agreed to in our divorce papers.”
He answered without me having to ask. They are divorced. Done. Any doubt or worry I had about the two of them is gone. I may have to deal with her if I’m going to be with Logan, but their relationship is over.
“One more thing,” I say.
“Yeah?”
But instead of asking him about Hannah and whether he donated that money because of her, I get up and go sit in his lap. He wraps his arms around my waist and kisses my shoulder.
“Thanks for telling me the truth.”
“Always,” he whispers. “And, Sailor?”
“Yes?”
“She was your sister. That’s why.”
