Mind Pucked (Chicago Blue Jays #1)

Epilogue

JACKSON

I sit at my laptop responding to comments about the boxing match I suggested. To my surprise and Amelia’s, Wayne has accepted the challenge. I feel Amelia stiffen beside me as she leans over and reads the comments, and she puts her hand on my shoulder.

“Jackson, you don’t have to do this. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone,” she says, concern lacing her tone, and I know she’s worried about me getting hurt.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t concerned about it, but I shake my head and swallow the fear. I’m not going to let it get to me. I’m going to do this, to show Wayne I’m not to be messed with and neither is my family. I can tell Amelia doesn’t like the idea and I’m not sure what to do to ease her worry.

“Jackson, your talent is hockey, not boxing. You need to let the boxers handle the boxing ring and you keep to the ice.” She wraps her arms around my neck from behind.

I chuckle softly at her words. I know she has a point, but it’s never too late to learn something new. I know I have to do this, or Wayne will never stop running his mouth. I can’t keep getting thrown out of games just because he can’t keep his mouth shut and likes to throw insults.

“Baby, I’ll be okay, I promise. I’ve already hired a trainer, and he’s one of the best. Wayne isn’t going to win. I’m going to make sure of it, don’t worry about a thing. He’s going to embarrass himself in front of a lot of people, millions if it’s televised.”

I feel her sigh against my back and my hands reach up to pat her wrists that are around my neck.

“I still don’t like it,” she says softly in my ear. “Even with the best trainers, something can always go wrong.”

“I know, baby, but like I said—he’s most likely going to embarrass himself, and I want that. It might knock him down a peg or two.”

“I don’t know about that, Jackson. You checked him pretty good at the game and it didn’t do anything. He’s been running his mouth online ever since. What makes you think boxing with him is going to do anything different?”

I sigh and turn around to face her. She’s got a point, but I can’t back out now. I suggested it, so I have to go through with it no matter what happens. I start to panic that she might disagree with the idea so much that she walks away. I don’t think I could handle it if that happens. Being apart from her almost killed me the first time—I don’t want to go through that again.

“You’re not going to walk away from me, are you?” I ask her softly.

She looks at me as if I’ve got two heads.

“What? Why would you think such a thing?” She grabs my face in both of her hands. “Jackson, do you really think I’d do that to you?”

“I know you don’t agree with this whole boxing match thing, and I’m scared you’ll walk away from me because of it. A lot of women would,” I say softly, letting myself be vulnerable with her.

It isn’t easy for me to open up and bare my thoughts, and the way she looks at me tells me she understands that. My heart thuds in my chest as she wraps her arms around me and steps between my legs.

“I’m not going to leave because of a boxing match, Jackson. I may not agree with it, but I know you’re going to do what you think is necessary, and I’ve come to terms with it.” She leans in and presses a soft kiss to my lips.

I let out a hum of appreciation and wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her closer to me and tilting my head to deepen the kiss. I’m not sure how I got so lucky to find a woman like her, but I’m glad she’s in my life. I know I need to tell her that more often, especially after what we’ve been through.

“I’m so lucky you walked into my life, Amelia. I don’t know what I’d do without you,” I whisper softly against her lips.

She pulls back and our eyes meet. Hers are filled with tears, and for a moment I think I’ve done something wrong, but then she smiles.

“I’m glad we found each other too. I know it didn’t start out with the best of intentions, but I’m so lucky to have you and Hayden in my life,” she says as a tear slips down her cheek.

I wipe the tear away and kiss her softly, pulling back to look into her eyes again. My heart is pounding in my chest as I realize just how much I really love her. Her voice brings me back from my thoughts, and I look down at her as she speaks.

“Preston is back in town.”

“How’d that happen?” I ask her.

Preston isn’t my favorite topic, but since he’s her brother, I let her talk about him. I’ll never keep her away from him now that she knows he’s still alive. A wave of jealousy sweeps through me at the thought of him being alive. Why couldn’t Lyla have lived too? Why did she have to die? How did he survive? These are questions I know I’ll never get the answers to, but they still burn in my mind.

“Since my father isn’t his father, he’s been cut from the family. My father wants absolutely nothing to do with him, but he agreed to leave Preston alone, so it’s safe for him to come back to town,” she tells me.

“He doesn’t want anything to do with Preston just because they don’t share DNA? That’s incredibly fucked up. How does Preston feel about it? How are you feeling about it?” I ask her softly, running my hands up and down her back in a soothing motion.

“It doesn’t seem to bother Preston. I think it bothers me more than him. He and Dad weren’t very close anyway. I think Dad always knew somehow, even when he didn’t know for sure.” Sadness laces her voice.

I can tell how much it bothers her, and truthfully it bothers me too. I can’t imagine a father turning his back on the child he raised, no matter what the DNA says. I can’t imagine turning my back on Hayden if I ever found out she isn’t mine, but I know that won’t ever happen.

“I have to admit that I’m on Preston’s side with this. It’s really fucked up that your dad is acting that way,” I say as I hold her close to me.

I can’t imagine how she must be feeling about it. I hope she’ll open up and talk about it if she feels like she needs to, but I don’t want to push her to talk about it if she isn’t ready.

She pulls back to look at me. “Can we have dinner with Preston tonight?”

“Dinner?” I say, and I know there’s a skeptical look on my face.

Dinner with Preston isn’t something I really want to do, but I know it will make Amelia happy. I don’t know how I’ll react to seeing him again, especially knowing that Lyla’s death is on him, in a way. My body stiffens in her arms, and she steps back from me.

“What’s wrong? I know you and Preston were always competitive, but I thought you were kind of friends, despite the competition?” she asks me with a confused look on her face.

How do I tell her that I blame him for my wife’s death? How do I tell her that I’m not sure I’m going to be able to look him in the face without wanting to break his nose? For the past two years, I’ve thought about what I would say or do if I ever got to see him again, but I always thought that wouldn’t be possible. I thought that he died right along with her, even though there was no body to be found. Now, I’m faced with the challenge of being in the same room with him and not ripping his throat out, because I’m dating his sister.

“We weren’t exactly friends, but we were civil with each other. It’s just…part of me feels like he’s responsible for the death of my wife, and I don’t know how I’ll react if I see him. I just don’t want you to get mad at me if being around him is something I can’t handle very well,” I tell her softly.

“I get why you would feel that way, but I can tell you he had nothing to do with it. It was all my father.” She takes my hand and squeezes it, trying to reassure me.

“Okay, I’ll go to dinner. I’ll do my best to be civil, but if he starts anything, I can’t promise I won’t retaliate,” I warn her.

She squeals in delight and runs off to get ready. I sigh when an hour later I find myself face-to-face with Preston at a small Italian place downtown.

“Preston, glad to see you’re not dead. At least one of us gets to keep our loved one,” I say, a bit harsher than I mean to.

Amelia elbows me under the table and I grunt. I look at Preston and see that his eyes are full of pain, and I suddenly feel guilty for what I just said.

“I’m sorry, Jackson. I really am. I didn’t know what was going to happen. If I could change it, I would,” he says softly as he looks down at his food.

“Hey, man, I know. I’m sorry too—I shouldn’t have said that. Truce?”

Preston smiles wide, and nods his head in acceptance. We continue eating and when we’re done, we’re mobbed by a swarm of paparazzi. Camera flashes and shouts of questions toward Preston overwhelm me. I curse under my breath as I realize that someone from the restaurant must’ve tipped them off. Preston and I surround Amelia and run for the car. I get in the driver’s seat and take off, and catch Preston’s gaze in the rearview mirror. Who knows? It might be nice having Preston in my corner—having another person around to protect Amelia whenever I can’t.

I reach across to the passenger seat to take the hand of the woman I love, and she smiles at me. We’ve come so far, and I’ve never been more excited to see what the future holds.

The End