The Running Series Complete Collection: 3-Book Set plus Bonus Novella (162 page)

“Someone who works in the court offices, probably an unpaid intern or minimum wage staffer, leaked confidential information about Kai to the press.”

“I hope whoever it was got paid well, because if Evan ever finds out who the mole is, he’s going to tear him a new one,” Reese sympathizes.  “Are you going to tell him?” she asks.

“Of course,” I snap.  “The minute I see him.”

“But you won’t see him until after the game,” she reminds me.

“Exactly.”

“Don’t you think you should warn him?” Reese asks.  “Suppose he finds out from someone in the locker room before the game?  Aren’t you afraid a reporter might ask him about it before the game?”

“His teammates would never say anything to upset their quarterback before the game, so I’m not worried about that,” I assure her.  “And lucky for us, reporters are allowed in NFL locker rooms after practices and games, but there's no access before games.  We should be good.”

“So now what?” Reese asks.

“It looks like I have a few phone calls to make.”

A
s I finish getting ready for the game and putting on my mascara, Reese calls from the other room,  “Jette, you’d better get in here.  You’ll want to see this.”

Reese is standing stock-still, staring at the television screen, watching one of the twenty-four hour news channels.  There’s a breaking news banner crawling along the bottom of the screen that reads:

“Shit!  Already?” I hoped I would have a little longer to prepare for the fallout.  Reese and I take a seat on the couch, our eyes glued to the television to view the coverage. 

They throw to a reporter on the scene, reporting live from the Ocean County Courthouse.

I repeat the last part of the broadcast aloud.  “The results of the test have been determined.” 

Reese looks at me and asks, “Are you ready for this, Jette?  Is Evan ready?  Things are happening really quickly now.”

“A little too quickly, if you ask me.”

“It’s not like there’s anything you can do about it.  It’s best to just ride out the wave and see where it takes you.  You can’t stop the waves from coming, but you can learn how to surf.”

“Wow – wisdom spoken like a true Jersey Girl.  You’re not even here for a year and you sound like you grew up at the Shore.”

Just as she’s about to give me what I’m sure would have been a smart-ass comeback, the doorbell rings.  Reese hurries over to peek out the window just to make sure it’s not some brazen reporters trying to get a quote for their story.  “Jette, Callie and Dean are here!” she calls as she opens the door and welcomes them in.

Callie is the big sister I always wished I had.  She tosses her things down on the couch and, without missing a beat, walks straight toward me, arms outstretched, and gives me a big bear hug.  She slowly sways back and forth with me, whispering in my ear, “I was so worried about you.”

I allow myself to be swallowed up by her embrace.  As she slowly releases me, I feel Dean’s firm hand on my back.  “Hey, kiddo, how you holdin’ up?”

“I’m okay, Dean.  I’ll be a hell of a lot better when all of this crap is behind us.”

Callie stands with her husband and assures me, “We’re here for you sweetie.  Anything you two need, just say the word.”  And I know she means it.

It’s a little over an hour’s drive to reach the stadium.  It gives us enough time to talk about everything that’s happened.  I never wanted anyone to know about David’s video, and I was willing to do absolutely anything to make sure that never happened.  Now it seems like every time I open my mouth, I’m telling someone else about my shame.

A strange thing begins to happen.  The more I bare my soul, the more love and support I seem to receive.  Callie isn’t my sister, she’s Evan’s, and I had no misconceptions about where her loyalty would lie.  Reaching out to her, confiding my deepest, darkest secrets, and expecting any form of comfort and acceptance was never on my radar. 

I guess I never really understood what it means to have a sister.  Growing up an only child, I learned early on to be self-reliant.  Friends come and go over the years, and other than Auggie, I’ve never felt secure enough with another person to completely open up and let anyone see the parts of me that frighten me the most. 

Callie understands me because she understands her brother.  She knows why I would want to shield him from this darkness, but she also knows his strengths, and she would have been able to help me to see them too.  I know that now.

It’s been my life experience that a strong woman doesn’t need a man, or anyone, for that matter, to get through life’s challenges.  Having no father or brothers, I saw little use in reaching out for protection.  Having no sisters, it never entered my mind to seek out sympathy or empathy from the one person whose insight would have actually helped.

Dr. Falkowski will have an earful during my next session.  I wonder if this is typical for only children, or if this is my own unique dysfunction.  Perhaps it’s a little of both.

Once we reach the stadium and our private parking garage, I begin to feel stronger.  I’m no longer afraid.  I don’t want to hide.  I feel a new, growing desire to step into the light and accept whatever happens next.

The suite is hopping by the time we arrive.  Shaun Marise and Carlo Rivera’s families are here, and the room is alive with excitement.  Winning a divisional round would be an incredible accomplishment.  Evan is trying to become the fifth rookie quarterback in NFL history to advance to a conference championship. He'd be the first rookie ever to play in a Super Bowl, if he makes it that far.  No one expected Evan to bring the team as far as he did, especially given the severity of his hand injuries during pre-season.

This man of mine has been underestimated professionally and personally for far too long.  I make myself a silent vow to never doubt his strength again.

Shaun’s new girlfriend Miranda is here, and this is the first time I’m meeting her.  She comes rushing up to introduce herself to me.

“Oh my God.  Juliette Fletcher.  I can’t believe I’m actually here in the same room with you.”  She fawns all over me.  “I’ve followed your story from the very beginning.  It’s so romantic.  Is Evan really as sweet as they say?  He’s so dreamy.  You’re so lucky.”

Willow, Carlo’s wife, comes to my rescue.  “Miranda, leave poor Juliette alone.  In this room, you’re not a fan and you’re not a groupie.  Just because you’ve seen her picture in the news doesn’t mean you actually know her.  If you pull out a camera and try to take a selfie with her, I’m booting you out.  Are we cool?”

She nods and backs off.  “I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean ... it’s just that this is my first time ... I promise I won’t say a word about the baby or the homicide investigation.”  She gestures the universal symbol for locking her mouth closed and throwing the key away. 

Willow and I find a quiet corner away from the others where I can vent a little.  “Jeez.  I thought I wouldn’t have to deal with that shit here.  I guess you heard too?”

“Girl, it’s pretty hard to miss.  It’s all over the news, Facebook, and Twitter.  How are you holding up?” she asks.

“I’ve been better,” I admit honestly.  “But Evan and I will be fine.  We’ll get through this together and we’ll be stronger for it.”

Callie comes over with a glass of white wine.  “Here. It’s a Riesling from the Renault Winery just down the road.  I think you’ll enjoy it.”  There’s something magical about a nice glass of wine.  My relationship with wine is long and complicated, but one thing is for sure - sipping a glass of wine with friends and family is one of life's greatest pleasures.

Despite the cold January weather, we all bundle up and find a seat on the observation deck just as the Sentinels prepare to take the field.  The Jumbotron is showing ten second clips of some of this year’s most important players. 

Among the first is wide receiver Carlo Rivera.  Willow’s entire face lights up with pride and appreciation for her husband.  The crowd hoots and hollers when they see their favorite player. 

It’s not until the final and most important member of the team is shown that the stadium erupts into deafening cheers.  There, bigger than life, is the image of Evan “Big Mac” McGuire, smiling brightly for the camera.  Momentary glimpses of some plays from the season flash by and I get all warm inside just watching him with the football in his hand, muscles tense as he brings the ball back and releases it with incredible force and precision.  Callie squeezes my hand as we watch.

The final image shows previous footage of the team taking the field.  Once the announcer welcomes everyone to the game, his voice goes quiet and music fills the stadium.  Lil Jon’s voice booms echoes off the walls, daring the audience to “Turn Down For What” as the team bursts through the tunnel. 

The cheerleaders and Sentinels’ mascot lead the team onto the field, and my eyes follow #16 as he jogs across the field and takes his place on the sidelines.  Nervous energy takes hold, and everyone in the box stands and cheers enthusiastically.

Everyone is watching with bated breath as Evan prepares to face off against his former teammates.  When the score is tied 0-0 at the end of the first quarter, it becomes clear that it’s going to be a close game, with both teams fighting for every yard.

As the clock ticks down toward half time, Evan connects with Carlo.  “Run, run, run, baby, run!” Willow screams, jumping up and down.  Carlo advances the ball twenty-six yards, putting the Sentinels in scoring position.

There are mere seconds left on the clock, and only enough time for one last play.  The ball snaps and Evan scans the field for an opening, finding Running Back Xander Parish deep in the end zone and without cover.  Evan fires a rocket right into the deft hands of his teammate, and the Sentinels score the first touchdown of the game.  Raucous applause reverberates throughout the stadium. 

“Yes!” I jump, and scream, and laugh.  “Touchdown, baby!”  I watch in pure delight as Evan jogs toward the sidelines, high-fiving and fist-bumping his teammates.  I can’t seem to stop smiling.

Special teams take the field, led by place kicker Troy Duffy.  Troy lines up to kick the extra point and the kick sails wide right. The first half ends with the Sentinels in the lead, six-zero.

It’s not until half time that I finally get to see Adam.  He comes up to collect Evan’s phone.  “Um, Jette, do you think we could talk?” he asks.

“Sure, Sparky.  What’s going on?”

“I think you know what’s going on.”  He scans the room, which is full of prying eyes and eager ears.  “Let’s head down to one of the conference rooms.”

Adam leads me through the complex of hallways and locked doors, deep in the bowels of the stadium beneath the field and crowds.  We take a seat at a conference table in one of the many offices, and Adam looks completely defeated, like someone knocked the wind right out of his sails.

I take his hand in mine and ask, “How are you holding up?”

“Not too bad,” he admits. 

“I’m sorry about the police bringing you in for questioning.  I hope it wasn’t too bad.”

“No, not really.  We were done in less than an hour.”

“Does Evan know about the press leak?”

Adam shakes his head. “No.  There were a few close calls, but so far he’s been kept out of it.  But I have to tell you, my phone’s been blowing up with requests for statements and interviews.  There’s a lot of speculation about all of it.  How do you feel about going public?”

“Well, that would depend.  When?  Where?  And with who?”

“How about tomorrow, on Night After Night with Joey Griffin?  Evan hasn’t been on in a while, and with the history they have together, it should go smoothly.”

It does make sense, and frankly, I’m surprised I haven’t thought of it before.  “But aren’t you supposed to get the paternity test results tomorrow?” I ask. 

“That’s what we have Gavin for.”  Adam takes a deep breath, trying to push down the stress that’s creeping toward the surface. 

“Okay, then.  Do they want to interview Evan or both of us?”  Evan’s done this countless times before, but I’ve never been interviewed by anyone (other than the police).

“Both of you.  There are questions out there about David and why the police are questioning you that I’d like you to clear up.  How honest are you willing to get?  Are you ready to put yourself out there?”

If someone had asked me that question yesterday, they would have gotten a very different answer.  Without doubt or hesitation, I tell him, “Bring it on.”