Playing the Game (The Renegades) (Volume 3) (26 page)

Paige obliged. “Oh Gram,” she said, snuggling into
the old lady’s warm body. Gram gave the best hugs, and tonight
Paige really needed one.

Gram wrapped her loving arms around Paige. “Honey,
this boy seems like something special if he’s willing to go to all
this trouble just to get your attention. He’s wooing you, and boys
today just don’t seem to do that anymore.”

“
Tell me about it,” Rylee
complained.

“
Oh Rylee, your prince will show up
eventually.” Gram smiled. “Just make sure you keep your eye open so
you don’t miss him,” she added with a wink.

Rylee sat down on the couch beside them. “Paige,
she’s right. Guys don’t do things like this these days. I can’t
tell you the last time I saw a flower. I think you should enjoy
it.”

“
Rylee, you know that I
can’t.”

“
Why not?” Gram asked, but it
sounded more like a demand.

Even if she could be certain of his sincerity, there
was still her work situation which made a relationship with Tyler
impossible. As much as her heart ached to let him go, she had no
choice. “I work with him, and it wouldn’t be professional. Plus,
I’m still new and I don’t want to screw up this opportunity.”

“
Do you want to miss the
opportunity with this young man?”

She took a deep breath in. “Gram, I told you I
can’t.”

“
Can’t or won’t?” Gram sat back and
folded her hands on her lap. Her silver hair framed her face and
her blue eyes twinkled. “Honey, when I met Pap I didn’t think he
was the boy for me. We were from opposite sides of town. His family
had a car, while our family couldn’t afford one and took the street
car everywhere. He was handsome, but I knew we could never be
anything but friends; it wasn’t in the cards for us. You see, our
families were so different. His wanted him to marry a girl from
their part of town. They didn’t think I was good enough for him.
And my parents thought he would just end up hurting me and leaving
me for someone more his class.”

Paige gazed her, rapt in the story as Gram continued.
“We were what you would call poor. But every day he would see me
eating lunch outside the building where I worked. He would approach
me, present me with a single rose, and ask if he could sit with me.
I was shy, but I would agree. I couldn’t say no to him; he was so
handsome with his dark hair and blue eyes.”

Her eyes glistened as she talked about Pap. “Well,
we’d sit together every day while I ate my lunch. Then one day I
had just finished my sandwich when he got down on one knee and
asked me to marry him.” She took a sharp breath and looked down at
her engagement ring as her eyes began to fill with tears.

“
How romantic!” Rylee
squealed.

“
It was, very, and I was wrapped up
in the whirlwind of it all. But I knew his parents would not be
happy, and I tried to return the ring a few days later, telling him
we would never work, that we were too different. But Pap was quite
stubborn and refused to take the ring back. If I had listened to my
head and not my heart, I would’ve missed out on the greatest love I
ever knew, and I wouldn’t have you girls here with me today.” She
flashed a watery grin. “I wouldn’t change any of it. He was the
most wonderful thing that ever happened to me.” Her voice trailed
off as she looked to the floor.

“
Oh Gram. That’s a beautiful story,
and I’m so glad you found Pap, too.” Rylee gently patted her hand.
“But I do understand Paige’s dilemma. Her job is very important to
her. She’s worked very hard to get where she is, and we’re all so
proud of her. I can respect her not wanting to ruin it
all.”

Gram silently nodded. She might have been agreeing,
but the look on her face said she didn’t.

“
But,” Rylee added, “you could be
missing out on something special here. I mean, look around. He’s
gone above and beyond already, and I know you listen to that mix
tape, CD, whatever, that he made you. I mean, yeah, it’s kind of
cheesy, but at the same time, super retro-romantic.”

“
That’s the problem. It is
romantic, and that’s why I’m so confused.” Her head was spinning
and she was tired of everyone bugging her about it. “You realize
who you’re talking about, right? You’re the one who said he had bad
habits.” Rylee opened her mouth to speak, but Paige went on. “And
have you seen the social media messes that I have to clean up? He
used women without even batting an eye.
That
is not
romantic.”

“
I know he did all that, but I also
know there’s one woman in particular that he’s treating
differently. If she would get her head out of her ass, she just
might see that.”

“
Now girls, no fighting. Rylee,
Paige is just being cautious. Paige, dear, while I respect your
actions, just be absolutely sure that you aren’t missing out on
something that could change your life. Real love only comes along
once.”

Gram was probably right, but even though Ty seemed to
have changed, how could Paige trust that he wasn’t going to go back
to the drinking and women? Could she take the chance that he was
going to completely give up his wild life for her? Why would he?
What made her so special?

“
Gram, how did you know that Pap
was the one for you? How did you know that no matter what anyone
said, things were going to work out?”

“
Honey, life gives no promises.
Nothing is ever set in stone. You have to take chances and believe
everything will work out for the best. But, after he started to
court me, he never looked at another girl. I thought that was
something big, that I was enough for him.”

“
Aw, and then you knew he was for
you!” Rylee cooed.

“
Well, not exactly. Remember I said
you need to take chances? Well, he wooed me with his charm, and I
accepted his proposal. Then the war happened. Pap was drafted and
had to ship out. I was devastated, but I knew if we were truly
meant to be that he would come back to me. We wrote almost daily,
and after a year, he did come back to me.” Gram smiled at the
memory. “Pap told me that during that year away, he never looked at
another gal. That just closing his eyes and seeing a memory of me
was enough.”

Wow, Pap was a real romantic
. Paige felt
warmth fill her eyes. She really missed him.

She thought about the night in the bar when Tyler
turned those girls away. Did he do that because of her?

CHAPTER 31

“Holy hell, dude.” Patrick shook his head. “I cannot
believe that she didn’t go apeshit on you for hitting on Paige.
That’s not the Mel we all know and love.”

“
You and me both, man. I was
waiting for the screaming, maybe a suspension or something, but she
just sat there grinning. I had no choice but to tell her. If Paige
doesn’t see my dedication in that, I don’t know if she ever
will.”

“
I think that was your best move,”
Kris said.

“
I agree. Girls like it when you
take charge. At least now she’ll see you don’t have to sneak around
anymore,” Sam added.

“
Apparently so did Mel.” Tyler
shook his head, still shocked that confessing went so easily. “She
even gave me Paige’s cell phone number. Now I just need a reason to
call her.”

“
Why don’t you ask her out for
coffee?” Kris offered.

“
That’s not a bad idea. Very public
and laid back.” Tyler sat back against his locker and looked around
at the few faces staring back at him. “Guys, what do you think
about Lafleur’s idea? Coffee?” Tyler was never unsure of himself.
But Paige made him second guess everything, and he kind of liked
this feeling of being held accountable for his actions.

“
Listen to you guys. You sound like
a bunch of girls. If you want Paige, just grab her and make her
yours,” Matt said.

“
Wow, Matt, that’s romantic. I bet
Lindsey feels like the luckiest girl in the world.” Kris grinned as
he playfully shoved Matt.

“
I don’t think Lindsey has any
complaints.” Standing beside the bench, Matt put one foot up and
made a smacking motion with his hand.

“
Oh hell, no one wants to see
that.” Kris averted his eyes.

“
Yeah, no offense Matt, but I don’t
think I’ll be taking any romance advice from you.” Tyler
said.

“
Romance advice?” Dom walked out
from the showers with bare feet and wearing a pair of shorts. He
looked in the mirror and shoved all of his hair into a knit beanie
cap. “Who needs romance advice?”

“
Oh no, keep walking young man. We
don’t need our women mesmerized by all your sexy tattoos.” Matt
laughed.

“
Don’t forget my charm, they love
that too.” Dom smirked.

“
Well, charming tattoo boy, keep it
moving.” Matt threw a balled up towel at Dom as he retreated to his
locker.

“
So, coffee huh? I guess I could
give that a try.”

“
Ty, any word from the doctors on
how long they think you’ll to be out?” Kaden appeared from the
showers wearing jeans, shirt and shoes.

“
Dude, how do you come out of the
showers fully dressed?” Sam asked, shaking his head.

“
At least I don’t walk into the
locker room buck fucking naked before checking to see if Mel or
Paige are around.” Kaden teased.

“
You never answered the question,”
Ty said.

“
And I don’t plan to. So? Timetable
for your return, Captain?”

Tyler shook his head and shrugged. “I don’t know.
Most of the side effects are gone. I feel pretty good. Just this
damn dull headache won’t go away.”

“
You could just lie. They don’t
have to know you have that headache,” Matt suggested.

“
I could.” Why didn’t he just lie?
At least he would get to play and wouldn’t be stuck watching. There
were only a few games left before the playoffs, and they had to win
or they weren’t going to make it in. At the very least, if they
didn’t get to the post-season he wanted them to do it together, as
a team, not with him in the press box.

“
Ty…” Kris shook his head, his brow
furrowed and his expression serious with disapproval.

“
Don’t worry, Kris. I’m not going
to lie to the doctors. The game isn’t until tonight. I doubt I’ll
be playing, but there is a very good chance I’ll get to play
tomorrow night.”

“
Hope so bud.” Kris slapped him on
the shoulder before grabbing his gear to leave.

“
If I don’t see you later, good
luck with Paige, and I’m crossing my fingers you’ll be out there
tomorrow night,” Patrick said as he followed Kris.

“
Yeah, we really need to win that
game.” Dom spoke from the corner of the room.

“
You guys will do fine without me
tonight.”

He waited until the locker room was empty, then
picked up his cell phone, pulled up his contacts, and scrolled
until he saw Paige’s name. Without giving it much thought he hit
the call button and listened to it ring.

Her voice hit his ears, causing an immediate hard-on.
“Hello?”

CHAPTER 32

“Hello?” Paige asked again. The number calling her
cell phone wasn’t familiar to her and seeing how no one was
answering back, it was probably some kind of prank call.

Finally the person on the other end spoke. “Paige,
it’s Tyler.”

“
Tyler? How’d you get my number?”
How in the hell did he get my cell phone number?

“
I got it from Melanie.”

Paige dropped her head in her hands, but not before
the flowers caught her eye. She was working at home for the rest of
the afternoon and for some reason she’d decided to do it amongst
all of his gifts instead of in the kitchen or her bedroom.

“
Can I help you with something,
Tyler?” Please be a call about a promotional thing, please, oh
please.

“
I hope so. Paige, I wondered if
you would like to meet me for coffee?”

She pulled the phone away from her ear for a moment.
Coffee
?

“
I’ll be in the owner’s suite
tonight for the game, but I thought after we could meet for coffee?
Maybe in the coffee shop downstairs?”

Paige looked at her phone again. He was asking her
out over the phone. This couldn’t happen.

“
Paige?”

She had the phone in her hand and tried to hit the
‘end call’ button, but every time she did her screen went black.
Hang up you stupid thing!

“
Paige? You still there? What do
you think?”

Her heart was racing. “Tyler, you can’t just call me
like this.”

“
Sure I can. That’s typically how
one person asks another person out.”

Hang up! Hang up!
She pulled the phone away
from her ear and saw that the buttons had reappeared on the screen.
She tried once more to end the call, but the screen went blank yet
again.

“
I’m hanging up on you,” she called
down to the phone.

She was still able to hear him talking. “No you
aren’t. You’re still there and I’d like to take you for coffee, so
I’ll see you tonight.”

No! Why won’t this phone hang up?

“
Later, Paige.”

Now the screen decided to work and said ‘call ended’.
“Oh my God! Are you kidding me? You stupid phone!” She threw it
down on the couch.