The only thing he didn’t have yet was a Super Bowl ring, and it just figured he’d get hurt during a year where they might have a chance to go. He’d vowed recently that if he won the ring, he’d retire and go out on top. The last thing he wanted to do was limp away from his career a battered, forgotten player.
Ever since Ryan had come into his life, he’d been trying to find a way to have the last few years of football along with the people he loved—he just hadn’t quite figured the second part out yet. Why couldn’t Jo see he was trying? That some people just have to put everything they have into their job? Doing anything halfway didn’t cut it. She’d done the same with her café. Hadn’t found time to date so she could concentrate on her business.
And she was wrong about him. He had changed from that dumb kid with a big ego just out of college. He’d learned from Bryce. He’d do anything to protect a child of his now. Why couldn’t she give him credit for that?
The elevator chimed, signaling Heather’s return. He probably needed to talk to her about what happened now that he had his temper under control. She was just a kid. He hadn’t gone into much of the details about Linda with Heather, so he probably needed to apologize for yelling at her. And he especially didn’t need her telling her father, one of the assistant coaches, that he’d lost his temper with his kid.
He’d only taken Heather in because her father had never liked him, always advocating for some of the younger guys on the team taking part of his playtime, but the head coach, thankfully, ignored Heather’s father, Rick. He’d offered his condo up to Heather, hoping it might make his relationship with Rick easier. That maybe Rick would be grateful for the safe place for Heather to live while attending school. He’d had no intention of ever living here with her, but then his father had died, and he’d been hurt. Now he had Ryan to care for. She wasn’t the best nanny sometimes, but it had worked for the short term.
Chad hefted himself out of the chair and walked toward the den, but she wasn’t there. Next he checked the living room and then the kitchen before he headed down the hallway to the guest bedroom. He tried to avoid that part of the house for propriety’s sake, but this couldn’t wait. Just as he lifted his hand to knock, Heather’s raised voice rang out from the other side of the closed door, “Dad, seriously? Chill. Chad thinks his ex-wife posted the video. He has no clue it was us. And the kid thing will be fine. Who cares if she gave me some jewelry for helping her get Ryan back? No one can blame me for taking orders from the kid’s mother. Or for accepting some of her cast-off jewelry. It’s fine.”
Chad’s heart pounded in his ears so hard, it was difficult to hear Heather when after a short pause she said, “Yes, he’s flying to San Diego tomorrow.” And another short pause before she added, “I erased it all from his computer in the study. But if anyone with some skills looked, they’d figure out it all came from his Mac. No way they can trace it to me. I gotta go. Say hi to Mom.”
Chad was afraid he’d strangle Heather, so he walked to the kitchen to get a drink of water while he processed what he’d just heard.
Seems Heather’s dad had a part in the filming, and she’d used his Mac to get the texts that were tied in with his iPhone. Chad had given Heather the password recently when she’d asked to use his Mac for a school presentation because the graphics were better on his computer than her PC.
Heather had said something about jewelry that Linda had given her too. Was that payment for providing an easy way to get Ryan out without a scene, so Linda could keep Ryan away until she got her money? And was that akin to a kidnapping for ransom plan?
Chad dug out his phone and texted his lawyer. Linda had better watch her back. He could play just as dirty as her, if that was what it took to get his son back.
Next he sent a text to Heather. “I know you sent the workout video and helped Linda kidnap Ryan. Gather your things and get the hell out of my house!”
If Rick had the nerve to talk to him about it in the morning, he’d threaten to tell the head coach. Rick would surely lose his job for doing that to one of their own. Guys stuck together on a team.
But getting rid of Heather wouldn’t get his son back. Or Jo.
After driving around aimlessly for hours, trying to work out how to get over Chad, what to do about her café, and her relationship with Shelby, Jo ended up in her parents’ driveway. She pulled up under the large portico and killed the engine. The car sputtered and protested and then finally shut down. She needed to get herself a new car, but now that she’d transferred the money back to Chad, she couldn’t afford one.