Sammy was down for the count for five days, thanks to that nasty virus. Even after that, it took her another week to feel like herself again. Gracie, on the other hand, bounced back after three days and was back in school by Monday.
Sammy had set up a tour of the Stevens School with Mike. She’d also arranged for Gracie to be tested by the expert the principal had recommended.
The private school tour was a hit. Sammy and Mike were impressed by what they saw and heard. If Sammy decided to enroll Gracie there, she’d be challenged at the right level for her.
The school, which catered to students from kindergarten through eighth grade, had more resources than a typical public school. They offered advanced classes that students could take when they were ready.
The classes were smaller, and the students wore uniforms, which Sammy was a fan of. After shaking hands with the admissions officer, they headed out for lunch to talk over what they’d seen.
“I’m really impressed, Mike. I think Gracie could thrive here. What do you think?”
“I couldn’t agree more. She’s a bright kid, and if she tests as well as they think she will, this could be a great opportunity for her.
“No arguments.”
“Thank you, Mike. That means a lot. Are you sure the $17,000 per year tuition isn’t too steep?”
“I’d pay double for her to go there.”
She knew what his answer would be, but hearing it out loud was reassuring. They wrapped up lunch, enjoying the chance to catch up.
She filled him in on the changes at the ranch, how Derek was building another large barn for more boarding, and a smaller facility for therapy sessions and equestrian lessons.
“So, when do you think Gracie might be ready for her own horse?” Mike asked, a mischievous glint in his eye.
“No, you can’t buy her a horse. She’s five! She can keep riding Matilda with me. You do so much already. You don’t need to buy her a horse too.”
“I know I don’t need to, but I want to,” he replied, his dimples deepening with his smirk.
She looked at him, and her heart gave a little twinge. When he smiled like that, he was the spitting image of Jake.
She shook her head, saying they’d talk about it later. She wanted to squeeze in a run before picking up Gracie. So she kissed his cheek, promised to keep him updated on the testing, and left the restaurant.
Once home, she changed, plugged in her headphones, started her playlist, and headed out. She hadn’t been able to run since she fell ill, which was almost two-and-a-half weeks ago.
Being out of commission for so long meant she had a mountain of work to catch up on at the ranch. She also had to do the books for her sister-in-law’s bakery. Finally, she was caught up and it felt good to get out and run.
As she set off, she found herself reminiscing about her middle school and high school running days, and how good she was at it. She’d even earned a partial scholarship to the same college where Jake played ball.
Her grades secured her an academic scholarship to cover the rest of the costs. She majored in accounting and finance, even though she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do with her life.
Especially since she and Jake had been talking about getting married for years, and with his potential professional career, she didn’t think she’d need to worry too much about a job.
As she started her run, Sammy felt a twinge in her left knee, but it soon faded. She remembered when she’d blown out her knee at the national championship race during her sophomore year of college. It was a crushing blow.
The pain was excruciating, and the recovery was long and grueling. She had to take online classes from home while she did rehab. It was a tough semester.
She never ran for the school again, and her knee couldn’t handle runs longer than six miles, but she still got out a few times a week to stay fit.
Today, she decided to take a shorter route since it had been a while. This way was only about five miles, round trip.
The weather was perfect, and her playlist was on point. She felt content.
She sang along to her music as she waited at a crosswalk, stretching while she waited for the light to change and the cars to pass.
PT was proving to be a challenge.
The doctor had given Jake a steroid shot to help with the pain and rehab. The pain subsided, but his progress was still stalled, and his frustration was mounting.
Dr. Mayfed ordered another MRI and discovered scar tissue building up in the healing area. He performed a quick scope procedure to remove it. But he warned Jake that if it formed again, it could mean the end of his career.
If the scar tissue kept forming every time they removed it, it would limit his mobility on the field. He wouldn’t be able to make the moves he was known for.
Jake tried to distract himself from his injury. He spent his time exploring the town with Kevin.
He’d never been much of a drinker, but in the past few weeks, he’d made some poor choices and ended up at two different women’s apartments, with no memory of how he got there.
He was spiraling, and the team’s coach called him in for a talk.
“Jake, what the hell are you doing? This isn’t like you,” Coach McGill barked at him.
“I know, but this knee thing has thrown me. I’m not healing right and I’m worried my career is over.”
“I don’t want to see you in the papers again. You need to get away from all this and focus on PT. Have you thought about going home? Like back to Colorado for a while?”
He hadn’t been back home since that day, the day he didn’t like to think about. He’d been a coward that day, and he wasn’t proud of running away. Plus, the last time he’d seen and spoken to his dad hadn’t gone well.
They hadn’t had a real conversation in four and a half years. He was ashamed of himself, of how he’d let himself get sucked into the professional athlete lifestyle and forgotten what was important: family.
“I don’t know… You know things aren’t great with my dad…” he replied, shifting uncomfortably.
“Maybe it’s high time you sorted things out. There’s no better time than now, and you need to start thinking about what’s next.
“If your career is done, what’s your next move? Coaching? TV? You’ve got a law degree, put it to good use. But you need to figure it out. No more drunken escapades, Jake. You’re better than that!
“Head to the medical center and get some meds to prevent anything you might have picked up.”
Jake stood up, shook Coach Joe McGill’s hand, and thanked him. Coach McGill was a good man who expected a lot from his players.
Jake left and went to see the team doctor. He awkwardly explained his drunken night out, assuring the doctor that he had used protection. The doctor patted him on the back and told him what he was going to do.
Jake didn’t think he had been exposed to anything, but a shot in the butt wouldn’t hurt.
He went home, collapsed on his couch, and looked around. He liked his condo but missed having open space.
That was the great thing about his hometown in Colorado; the city was close, but there was plenty of open land. He missed horseback riding. He never thought he’d say that, but he did.
He sat there and pulled out his phone. He was scrolling through old pictures and sighed. He looked at the photos of the beautiful redhead who was with him. Just seeing her again made his heart ache.
But he knew that he had broken her heart and didn’t know how to mend it.
He was scrolling through the pictures again and didn’t hear Kevin come in, so he jumped when Kevin was suddenly behind him.
“Oh…uh…I didn’t hear you come in. What’s up, man?”
“Don’t dodge the question, who is she?” Kevin asked more insistently.
“She was—is the love of my life, and I broke her heart when I left home,” Jake confessed.
“Okay, I’ve known you for years, and this is the first I’ve heard or seen of this love of your life! Seriously? Spill it, dude. Name?”
“Samantha, or as we all call her, Sammy…”
“How did you break her heart?”
Jake sighed and got up. He went to the kitchen, grabbed two bottles of water, and tossed one to Kevin, who had settled into the armchair. Jake sat back down on the couch, took a big gulp from the bottle, and began his story.
“We grew up in the same town but went to different schools until high school. I knew her family; they owned a huge horse ranch and facility on the outskirts of town. Her dad died in a car accident when she was twelve.
“I met her our freshman year in high school. I was on the football team, and she was on the cross-country team. Man, she could run and looked amazing doing it.
“One day, we were practicing, and the team ran by. There was this redhead leading the pack, wearing these tiny shorts, her hair in a ponytail.
“I was so distracted watching her that I got hit in the helmet with the ball. My coach chewed me out that day, but it was totally worth it.
“I found out who she was, and the next day, I tracked her down. We were inseparable after that—all through high school and college.
“She was there for me when my mom died my sophomore year in high school, and I was there for her when she blew out her knee running and had to have surgery in college.” Jake took another drink and continued his story.
“We planned to elope in Vegas, then fly to New York for the draft, and come back for graduation. I was at the airport waiting for her.
“I’m usually late, as you know, but not this time. I went to the bathroom while I was waiting for her. When I came back, I saw her sitting there waiting for me by the check-in counter so we could get our boarding passes.
“I stopped at the corner and just stared at her as she sat there on her phone, smiling. I don’t really know what happened, but I just panicked.
“I thought that I wasn’t good enough for her and that I wouldn’t make a good husband. And then kids! I knew she wanted kids, several of them, but I didn’t know if I’d be a good father.
“She idolizes her father, and my dad is a great man, and I didn’t know if I could live up to that. So, I hid in a bar until our flight would have left. I went back and saw her just getting up to leave.
“She stood tall and straight as she picked up her purse and walked out. She didn’t cry there, but I know her. She would wait until she was alone to cry. She doesn’t like to cry in public.
“I watched her walk away…the only woman I will ever love. I watched her walk away with a broken heart.”
