Page 4 of Broken Love (Love 2)
"That's good. Dad and Mr. Crawford were good friends and important men in my life growing up."
"I still miss Dad, and I hate that Mom moved to Palm Springs."
"The house in Laguna was too big for her, and with you and I always gone, I can see why she wanted to move. She loves it there."
"Make sure you call her on Sunday. She doesn't like when you forget."
"I know," I say. "And I will. Good to talk to you, sis."
"Can I wish you good luck in the playoffs? Or should I say break a leg like we do in my profession?"
"What did you tell me last time?"
"I wished you good luck."
"Then let's go with the other."
"Break a leg, Pike," she says.
October 24th
Cade
My whole family is in Cabo San Lucas staying at my parents' villa in Palmilla. Usually we are here earlier in the year, but with Cash and Ashlyn's wedding and honeymoon, we moved the date out.
We're camped out in the sand, soaking up the sun.
The newlyweds are snuggled up together on a chaise, and can't seem to keep their hands off each other. It makes me feel both jealous and slightly nauseous.
"Ashlyn, the wedding turned out spectacular," Mom says. "One Crawford child down, three more to go. Then we can get on to the important part--grandchildren. I'm desperate for them. All my friends already have grandbabies. This family has got some catching up to do."
"I'm pregnant, Mom," Chloe says nonchalantly as she sprays sunblock on her arms.
"You're what?!" Mom exclaims. "Tell me it's not by the pizza delivery boy!"
Chloe gives Mom a tight-lipped smile. "Guess you aren't quite that desperate yet."
"That is not funny, Chloe."
"I thought it was pretty funny," Cash says, laughing.
Chloe high-fives him. She has no desire to settle down anytime in the near future, choosing rather to work on growing her jewelry business and travel the world. She went to Paris this year for inspiration and is currently planning a trip to Tuscany.
Mom turns to Ashlyn. "So, Ashlyn, have you and Cash talked about when you're going to have children?"
"Yes, actually. We were thinking in a few years. I have two movies to do--thanks to your sons--a gorgeously newly decorated home--thanks to you and Cash--and feel like my life is finally in order. Cash and I want to travel a little and spend some time as a couple, then we'll work on a family."
"So you weren't upset we decorated one of the bedrooms as a nursery?"
"No, just the opposite. We're excited it's already done. And just think, when we do have a baby we can tell him it was decorated with love from Grandma."
"That's so sweet," Mom says, clearly delighted at the prospect of it.
Ashlyn's phone vibrates on the table next to her. She looks at it and then glances at me and frowns. Then she shows Cash.
"Work?" I ask. Ashlyn is one of my clients.
"Uh, um," she hesitates. "A friend saw a picture I posted. She's in town and wants to get together."
"Is that bad?"
"It's not," Cash answers.
"Oh. The way you looked, I just thought--"
"Nothing bad for us anymore," Cash says, taking Ashlyn's hand in his and kissing it.
And he's right, in the short time since Ashlyn met Cash, she's gone from the star I was afraid was going to burn out and fade away, to model client.
"We should all go," Mom suggests.
"I don't think we were invited, Mom."
"Not to change the subject," Carter says, changing the subject, "Vale will be here tomorrow night."
"Is she in town, too?" I ask.
"She's been doing a shoot in Costa Rica and thought she'd drop by."
"I thought she only called you at night, Carter, for the boot-tay," Cash teases.
Mom perks up. "She booty calls him?"
"I'm sure she just enjoys his company," Dad says, trying to cover for Carter, but Mom's not having it.
"That seems a little forward."
"I'm calling bullshit!" Dad laughs. "I seem to recall a certain young sorority girl who would call a strapping football player at night when she got tired of drunk frat boys hitting on her."
"Mom!" Carter laughs. "You booty-called Dad?"
"I most certainly did not," she says, but Dad raises an eyebrow in her direction. "Fine. I may have called him once after a frat party, but it wasn't for that. We were friends."
Cash, Ashlyn, and Chloe burst out laughing. "That's what Carter says about Vale!"
I can't help but laugh, too. This is why I love my family and why at my age I still go on vacation with them every year.
Later, Carter and I are drinking beers together on the pool deck. Everyone else is in the house getting dinner ready. We tried to help, but Mom shooed us out, saying there were too many cooks in the kitchen.
"More like too many cocks," Ashlyn had quipped under her breath, making Carter and I laugh.
"To family vacations," Carter says, clinking my bottle.
"So, what's the deal with Vale?"
"We hook up. It's fantastic, but it's supposed to just be fun. Nothing serious."
"But you want more than that?"
He runs his hand through his hair in frustration. "She travels a lot. Says she doesn't want to be in a serious relationship, but when we're together, it feels like it could be serious."
"How did you meet her again?"
"Super Bowl party last year. We got teamed up in a video game contest. She beat me."
"Did you let her win?"
"No, I just--she was beautiful, you know. It was hard to concentrate."
"Fell hard fast?"
"Pretty girls don't fluster me," he says. "But she sure did. She's beautiful and all, but she's cute, too."
"The girl every boy wishes they could have grown up next door to."
"I would have been spanking it every day. It would have been torture," he laughs.
"Oh, give me a break," I say, slapping him on the back. "The quarterback always gets the girl."
"I'm not the quarterback anymore. It's weird how your life changes. I thought for sure I'd be playing pro ball now. It's all I worked toward growing up."
"You used to tell us you were going to be on TV every Sunday."
"Until the injury that ended my career."
"Yeah, well, when they carted you off on a backboard, none of us were worried about your career, Carter. We were worried about your life. It was a violent collision that broke your back in three places. You're lucky you weren't paralyzed."
"I know. Life has worked out well for me, regardless. I love being a sports agent. I've done very well, so it's not that I'm complaining, really, but part of me wonders if I was if Vale would fall for me."
"If she would fall for you just because you were a professional quarterback, you shouldn't want her."
"I know." He sighs.
"Have you told her how you feel?"
"No. I don't want to mess up a good thing. Or scare her away."
"If you love her, Carter, you should tell her."
"I feel like I'm on the scout team with her."
"And you want to be the starter?"
"Yeah," he admits.
"Is she seeing other people? Are you?"
"In the last month, I haven't. I don't know about her. She's been traveling nonstop since New York Fashion Week. We talk most every day, but she could have a different guy in every country, for all I know."
"When you see her tomorrow, you should ask her."
"Maybe."
"You aren't going to, are you?"
"No, not yet. I don't want to screw things up."
"Do you ever think about getting married?" I ask him. It has been on my mind since I saw Palmer at the wedding.
"Our brother is certainly happy," he says, glancing inside at the newlyweds, who are wrapped in each other's arms, kissing.
"Cash was always a serial dater," I counter. "Unlike you."
H
e grins, recalling his glory days. "I did get a lot of tail in college."
"One of the benefits of being a star collegiate quarterback."
"Or the star catcher. Remember those shirts all the girls wore when you and Pike were playing together? My goal in life when I was in high school was to someday have stands full of girls wearing my name."
"The I got Piked shirts?"
"If I recall, many said Caught by Cade."
"Well, back then there was a lot of juggling the lineup." I laugh and take a pull of my beer.
"Seems like there's still a lot of juggling of the lineup for you. Be honest with me, do you wish you were hitting home runs with the same girl every night?"
I glance in the house. Ashlyn is now lying on the couch with her head in Cash's lap. He's stroking her hair gently as they talk. "They do look happy," I admit. And I was happy like that once, too.
"After Cash and his long-time girlfriend broke up, he was a lot like us, playing the field," Carter states. "Until he met Ashlyn."
"Exactly my point," I say. "You never know when it will hit you. He was hoping to get laid, and now look at him."
"So, you're saying there's hope for me and Vale?"
"I'm saying you never know."
"She's like a guy when it comes to sex. I'm not quite sure how to handle her. Speaking of not handling her, what are you going to do about Palmer?"
"Nothing. She's part of my past. Honestly, I was thinking about Jules. You know we've been good friends for a while now, and she's always been a great date when I need one. I think she likes me."
