On the Fly Read online

  “It won’t be, I promise. I only have you for a few more weeks.” Court took a chance and reached out for her hand. Lana took it and allowed Court to pull her into another hug. “I don’t want to waste any of it.”

  “Lana,” said her mother as she entered the kitchen. Lana pulled away and Court let her go. They both looked at Maria, who had stopped short when she saw their embrace. She looked between the two of them and shook her head. “It’s about to start.”

  “Thanks, Mom,” Lana said.

  “Are you still going to try to convince me you’re just friends?” Maria asked. Court cleared her throat to try to hide her grin. Maria’s smirk didn’t look to her like disapproval. It seemed more like amusement. “You must think I’m an old fool.”

  “That went well,” Court said when Maria turned and walked back out to the living room. Lana backhanded her in the gut and Court laughed as she felt the tension between them dissipate.

  “We’d better go out there,” Lana said, handing her bowls full of chips and dips to carry to the living room. “I don’t want to miss this.”

  Eric suffered through the first two rounds of the draft without his name being chosen, and Court could see by his body language he was preparing himself for disappointment. But when his name was called as the first pick in the third round, he looked like he might pass out. Everybody was cheering and patting him on the back, but after a moment he stood and ran down the hallway.

  “What the hell?” Joey asked when they heard the bathroom door slam shut.

  “I’ll check on him,” Lana said. As she walked past Court, she grabbed her wrist to stop her. When Lana looked down at her, she shook her head. “I need to see if he’s okay.”

  “I’m sure he’s fine,” Court told her. Lana sat down next to her, and Court lowered her voice. “I’m pretty sure he doesn’t want anyone around right now.”

  “Why? That makes no sense.”

  “He’s throwing up,” Court said. She nodded when Lana looked like she didn’t believe her. “He’s been stressed out all day. Hell, he’s been stressed for weeks now. The wait’s over, so his body is finally getting rid of the ball of anxiety he’s been carrying around. Just give him a couple of minutes to compose himself, okay?”

  “You’re sure he’s okay?” Lana was still skeptical, but Court could tell she knew she was probably right. Court could tell the instant Lana realized what had just happened, and she couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh, my God, he was drafted! I’m going to lose my baby boy.”

  “I doubt you’re ever going to lose him, sis,” Joey said as he rested a hand on her shoulder. “He’s your biggest fan.”

  “But he’s only sixteen, and now he’s going to be moving away this summer.” The panic she was feeling was palpable, and Joey caught Court’s attention to motion her into the kitchen.

  “Don’t move,” Court said to Lana, and she waited for Lana to nod her agreement. She hurried after Joey. “What’s up?”

  “I’m going to take my parents home,” he told her. “Apparently, this is hitting her and Eric harder than they’d expected, so I think it would be better for Lana if she can have her breakdown alone. Well, with you…I mean…oh hell, you know what I mean.”

  “Yeah, I think I do,” Court said with a chuckle. “Thanks for understanding.”

  “I don’t, really,” he said with a shrug. “I thought they’d both be ecstatic.”

  “They are, I assure you. They just need a little time to let it all sink in.”

  “You’ll take care of them, right?” he asked.

  “I’ll do what I can,” she said, but wasn’t entirely sure what he’d meant. Surely he knew her existence in their lives was coming to an end soon. As much as Court would love to take care of them beyond the next few weeks, she knew hoping for it was futile.

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  “Can I ask something without you biting my head off?” Lana’s mother said while she was helping Lana to pack up their things.

  They were leaving in two days to return to Chicago, and Lana had been half expecting this conversation before now. The relationship with her parents had gotten infinitely better in the months she’d been there, and she’d be lying if she said there wasn’t a part of her that wanted to stick around. Who knew how long either of them had left?

  “Sure,” Lana answered hesitantly.

  “You seem to really like this Courtney.”

  “Was that a question?”

  “Stop,” her mother said with a chuckle. “I need to gather some information before I ask.”

  Lana nodded, but went on with folding her clothes and putting them in her suitcases. If she hadn’t been second-guessing her decision to go home before, Court had made it especially hard the night of the draft. She’d been so sweet with both her and Eric, talking them through every fear about his future they could possibly have had. She’d even offered to visit Chicago and be her support if she needed it when he left for training camp toward the end of the summer.

  She didn’t want to leave. No, that wasn’t entirely true. She loved living in Chicago. It was Court she didn’t want to leave. The problem was, she knew she’d end up regretting it if she decided to say the hell with her life in Chicago. And if she grew to resent Court later for her own decision, it would break both their hearts. She considered asking Court to go home with her, but knew it would only create the same dilemmas for Court.

  It was better this way. At least it was what she kept telling herself. Unfortunately, herself had yet to believe anything she had to say on the matter. Besides, she knew she could never expect Court to leave her home. She had another year left on her contract, and she lived right next door to her sister. It would be selfish of her to put that on Court.

  “Eric likes her too,” her mother said, pulling her back out of her own head.

  “Yes, he does.”

  “Have you considered staying here and making a home with her?”

  Lana stopped what she was doing and stood up straight, staring in disbelief at her mother. Where was this new acceptance coming from? It was true they’d managed to reach an understanding on Lana being a lesbian, and her mother had accepted Court being around without actually saying the words, but to actually encourage her to stay here for Court?

  “Who are you, and what did you do with my mother?” she asked before she could stop herself. Her mother waved a hand at her as if to say it was no big deal as she laughed at Lana. “No, seriously, I want to know what’s going on.”

  Lana sat on the edge of the bed and patted the mattress next to her. It took a few moments, but her mother finally sat too. She spread a T-shirt over her legs and smoothed her hands over it to try to get rid of wrinkles only she could see. Lana put a hand over hers to stop her fidgeting.

  “I like her,” her mother said with a shrug as though those three words explained everything. “You left without giving me and your father much of a chance to let it all sink in, and then you stayed away. It seemed easier to just pretend it wasn’t real. Courtney is the first woman you’ve ever let us meet. We like her.”

  Lana laughed and threw her arms around her mother’s shoulders and kissed her on the cheek. Her mother stiffened at first, not used to affection from Lana unfortunately, but she relaxed into it and Lana vowed to come visit more often. And show affection to both of her parents.

  “I like her too,” Lana admitted when she finally let go of her. “Probably more than I should.”

  “Then why are you leaving, tesoro?”

  Lana sighed. It was the same question she’d been asking herself ever since she’d agreed to start over with Court four months earlier. She’d known then she was falling for Court. There was no way she should have continued seeing her, but there was just something about Court she couldn’t resist.

  “My job,” Lana finally said, but her tone lacked the conviction she’d had before. She cleared her throat and nodded. “I love playing in the orchestra, Mom, and even if I signed on with another one closer to he
re, I’d feel like I was starting over.”

  “Okay, I won’t push,” her mother said. She went back to packing without another word.

  Lana wanted to throw something, but what would that accomplish other than scaring the hell out of her mother? She took a deep breath and stood, determined to get rid of her sour mood before Eric got home from school. It was the last day of his sophomore year, and she refused to bring him down with her.

  * * *

  Court sat on the bench in front of her locker and stared at the jersey hanging there. They’d won the league championship the night before, but she really hadn’t felt like celebrating with her teammates. Lana was leaving in two days, and there wasn’t anything she could do about it.

  “Hey,” Savannah said as she took a seat next to her.

  “Hey,” Court replied, forcing a smile.

  “You want to talk about it?”

  “What?”

  “Seriously?” Savannah chuckled and shook her head. “I’ve known you a long time, Court. I thought we were friends. You know if you need a shoulder to cry on, I’m here for you, right?”

  Court fought down the lump in her throat but didn’t trust herself to speak. Instead, she just nodded. Before she’d met Lana, she was happy with her life. At least she’d thought she was. She knew now she’d only been kidding herself. And now that Lana was really leaving, she was beyond miserable. She hadn’t talked to anyone about it, but she had a feeling if she talked to Savannah and not Gail, Gail would never forgive her.

  “I do know that,” Court said after a few moments. “And I appreciate it. I just don’t think I’m ready to cry on anyone’s shoulder yet.”

  “Okay, well, you know where to find me,” Savannah said with a shrug.

  Court sat there for a few minutes after Savannah walked away. She’d thought many times over the past couple of days about telling Lana again that she didn’t want her to go, but she knew it was pointless. Lana had made it clear she was returning to Chicago, and Court resigned herself to having to just push it aside and move on. Unfortunately, she had a feeling moving on from Lana wasn’t going to be so easy.

  “Court,” Gail said from the other side of the empty locker room. Most of the team had cleaned out their gear the night before. Court looked up and saw Gail motion for her to come into her office.

  “What’s up?” Court asked, taking a seat in front of her desk.

  Gail shut the door before taking her own seat, and Court thought she looked like she had bad news. Gail opened her mouth but then shook her head and closed it again. She met Court’s eyes and sighed.

  “What’s going on, Gail?”

  “I don’t know how to say this,” Gail said, looking pissed off as she ran a hand through her hair. “I just got off the phone with the owner.”

  “We just won the championship, so I doubt they fired you,” Court said, trying to lighten the mood. Gail looked sick when she tried to smile at her. “Did they sell the team?”

  “They signed Jen Hilton to a multi-year contract,” Gail finally said, appearing to find something fascinating on her desk. “And they’re not going to exercise their option for the extra year on yours.”

  “So they’re cutting me loose? Buying out my contract?” The thought didn’t affect Court the way she’d always feared it would. She felt a strange kind of peace she didn’t fully understand.

  “Not exactly,” Gail said. She stood and walked to the window overlooking the locker room. “You’re still required to play the final year of your contract, but I think they’re shopping your name around for a trade.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Court said, finally feeling some of the anger she’d expected. She got to her feet and paced in the small area behind the chairs. “I have a no-trade clause.”

  “Well, technically, what you have is the right to refuse any trade.” Gail faced her and took her hand. “Maybe it will end up being a better opportunity for you.”

  “Opportunity for what?” Court laughed even though there was no humor in the situation. “We just won the championship, and I’ll be thirty-six at the end of next season. It’s not like I’ll be able to go to a team to have a chance to win it all before I retire, so what fucking opportunities do you think I’ll have?”

  “Just promise me you’ll keep your mind open to it,” Gail said. Court didn’t understand where this could possibly be coming from. She tried to pull her hand out of Gail’s grasp but Gail wouldn’t let it go. “I don’t want to see your career end because of Hilton. I’d like to see you go somewhere where they might offer you another year or two.”

  “Fine.” Court agreed only to end the conversation, but she had no intention of accepting any trade they tried to make. She had enough on her mind at the moment.

  “Thank you,” Gail said with a small smile. “Not that this is any more pleasant, but when is Lana leaving?”

  “Saturday morning.”

  “You want to come for dinner tomorrow night? Lana and Eric are invited too, of course.”

  “No, her brother is having a party for them at Caruso’s,” Court said, thinking she didn’t really want to go. She didn’t want to say good-bye to them. “Why don’t you and Bill and the kids come? Pizza’s always a popular choice for them, isn’t it?”

  “No, they hate pizza,” Gail said, rolling her eyes. Court found herself laughing at the sarcastic tone. “Maybe we will. I’ll talk to Bill about it tonight and let you know.”

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  Eric wasn’t having a good time. Lana looked around at the people in the restaurant. He’d invited a few of the friends he’d made at school and on the hockey team, but he was sulking alone at a table in the corner. She started to head in his direction, but a hand on her arm stopped her before she’d gotten very far.

  “Let me?” Court asked.

  “Sure,” Lana said with a nod. She briefly covered Court’s hand before she turned to go find her brother. He was in the kitchen, of course. Where else would he be? She was surprised to find their father there with him. Their mother had made him promise to consider retirement after his heart attack, and he’d agreed. Yet here he was, making pizzas like he’d never been away from it.

  “Hey, sis,” Joey said as he cut a pepperoni pie. “Mom doesn’t know he’s in here, so don’t say anything to her.”

  “You’re kidding yourself if you really think she doesn’t know everything that goes on where the two of you are concerned,” Lana told him before giving her father a kiss on the cheek.

  “You’ve got that right,” her father said, laughing. “Sometimes I think the woman has eyes in the back of her head.”

  “Just take it easy, okay, Daddy?” she said.

  “Yes, yes,” he said, patting her arm and going right back to what he was doing.

  “Lana, come here for a minute,” Joey said, wiping his hands on his apron.

  “What? You going to put me to work?”

  “At your own party? What do you think I am?”

  “A workaholic, and you expect everyone else to be one too.”

  She joined him in the back of the kitchen, far enough away from their father so he wouldn’t be able to hear them.

  “Why are you leaving?” Joey asked.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “In case you haven’t noticed, your son isn’t too happy about going back to Chicago, and there’s a woman out there who’s crazy about you.” Joey stared at her, obviously waiting for a response, but she was failing in her attempt to come up with an answer he’d find believable. “And then there’s the pesky little problem of you being crazy about her, too.”

  “You don’t know anything about it, Joey,” she said, feeling overly defensive. “We’ve talked about this. And Court and I have talked about it too. A lot. We both knew it wasn’t going to be long-term.”

  “Yeah, you’re pretty good at giving everyone your stock answer, sis, but you don’t want to leave her, do you?” He crossed his arms and nodded, knowing
he was right, which only made her more defensive. “Why do you have to be so stubborn all the time?”

  “I take after Dad,” she said, her own exasperation matching his.

  “No shit,” he muttered.

  “Just let it go, okay? I have obligations in Chicago, and she’s got a life here.”

  She turned to walk back to the dining area, but he grabbed her by the arm to stop her.

  “What about Eric?” he asked. “Don’t you care he’d rather stay here?”

  “Eric will be going to Canada in a few months, so he won’t care where I live.”

  She pulled her arm out of his grasp and stalked away. Why wouldn’t everyone just let her live her own life? Things would have been so much simpler if she’d never come back here in the first place.

  * * *

  “What are you doing over here by yourself?” Court asked when she took a seat across the table from Eric. He had a glass of soda in front of him and he kept his attention on it while she spoke. He just shook his head in response. “Tell me what’s going on, buddy.”

  “Why can’t you come to Chicago with us?” he asked.

  Court realized in that moment even though Eric conducted himself as a young man, he was still emotionally immature. At the end of the day, he was still a kid. She hung her head slightly and rubbed her hands together as she considered how best to answer his question. She took a deep breath, realizing it was best to be honest with him.

  “I wish I could,” she said finally. “I have obligations here, Eric. I’m under contract with the Warriors.”

  “Then why can’t we just stay here? I don’t want to go back to Chicago.” He finally looked at her then, and she was afraid he was going to start crying. He looked away quickly and wiped at his face. “She’s happy here. With you. She isn’t happy there.”

  What the hell was she supposed to say? She glanced around the room, not seeing Lana anywhere. Eric’s friends were laughing about something at another table, and Maria Caruso was talking with Lori, who’d brought Court’s niece and nephew to the party. She focused on Eric again, but waited until he looked back at her before speaking again.