Fighting for More

Mike swung the door open to find his son standing on the porch. He was taken aback, frozen in place as he stared at him.

“Jake?” he murmured.

“Hey Dad.”

They both lingered in the doorway until Jake finally broke the silence. “Mind if I come in? The drive was a bit tiring…”

Mike snapped back to reality and let out a chuckle. “Of course, son. Come on in!”

He stepped aside to let Jake in, closing the door behind him before pulling him into a warm embrace. Jake was taken aback by his dad’s reaction, but he returned the hug nonetheless.

The sight was something to behold: two men, both towering over six feet tall and strikingly handsome, locked in a heartfelt hug.

Both were impressively built, with broad shoulders and arms, slim waists, long legs, near-black hair, bright blue eyes, and dimpled smiles.

Jake heard a sniffle from his dad, and when they pulled away, he noticed the tears welling up in his dad’s eyes.

“I can’t believe you’re here. What brings you? Is everything alright?” Mike stammered.

“I hope it’s okay that I showed up. It was a last-minute decision. The short version is that my knee isn’t healing as it should, and I needed some time away to think. If my career is over, I need to figure out what’s next.

“Also, I missed my dad… I know I haven’t been the son you and Mom raised me to be, but I’m here to apologize and make things right…”

Mike studied his son’s face, seeing the regret and pain etched there. He and his wife always knew when Jake was genuinely sorry; he had a certain look, and once you saw it, you knew.

“You must be tired, but have you eaten? We can chat while I heat up some leftovers for you.”

“Thanks, Dad. That sounds great.” He followed him into the kitchen.

The two men talked late into the night.

Jake laid everything bare, sharing his feelings, his mistakes, his fears, and his regrets—especially his regrets about Sammy. Mike kept quiet about Gracie, deciding that wasn’t his news to share.

He simply told Jake that Sammy was doing well and that they saw each other often. Jake nodded, sinking back into his chair as he pondered how he should approach her.

The conversation shifted to planning the next day together. Jake mentioned that his best friend, Kevin, would be arriving on Thursday, if that was okay. Mike agreed and showed him to the guest room for the night.

As Jake settled into bed, he felt more at ease with his dad than he had in a long time, but he was still anxious about Sammy. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he was in over his head.

Jake and Mike spent the following day reconnecting and catching up.

They managed to secure an early tee time and played a round of golf, enjoyed breakfast at the country club, and took the four-wheelers out for a spin. They ended the day with dinner at their favorite restaurant in downtown Denver.

Mike was overjoyed to have his son back and engaged in conversation as they discussed a myriad of topics. Jake apologized for everything that had transpired between them, explaining how he had been scared and overwhelmed.

He talked about eloping, joining the league, playing, his injury, and the surgery. Mike advised him not to let it happen again and to come to him when he felt overwhelmed. That’s what he was there for.

As they were finishing dinner, Mike saw an opportunity and seized it.

“So, what about Sammy? Are you planning to see her?” Mike asked.

Jake leaned back and sighed. “I want to, but I’m scared of how she’ll react. I don’t want to get punched in the face or hurt her again…”

“Do you love her?” Mike probed.

“She’s the only woman I’ll ever love. I know I messed up and fucked things up with her, but she’s the one for me. I’ve dated other women, some really great ones, but I always end up comparing them to her.

“She was perfect for me and it’s not fair to expect another woman to be someone she’s not. But I don’t know how to fix things or if it’s even possible to fix them.”

Mike nodded. “You’ll have to face her sooner or later, son. Just go see her at the ranch.”

Jake hung his head, knowing his dad was right.

They wrapped up their evening and drove home, content and full. They watched some sports together before Mike called it a night.

“Don’t forget I’m picking up Kevin tomorrow. Need me to grab anything from the store for you?” Jake asked.

“I’ll leave a list. I have to go into the office tomorrow to meet with a new client. So I won’t be home until about five.”

Jake showered and climbed into bed, staring out the window. He knew he needed to face his fears; he just didn’t know how. He had an appointment with a new physical therapist in the morning, then he had to pick up Kevin.

The next morning was a picture-perfect spring day: clear blue skies, fluffy white clouds, and buds on the plants and trees ready to burst open. The grass was a vibrant green and the birds were returning.

He dressed in workout clothes and had some cereal while waiting for the new PT to arrive. The new guy was reputed to be excellent and would help him make progress while he was here.

The doorbell rang promptly at 9 a.m. and Jake welcomed the older man inside. He showed him the exercise room his dad had installed years ago and kept updated.

Brent was impressed but got straight to work, assessing what Jake could and couldn’t do with his knee. They worked out for a solid hour and Jake was feeling the burn.

Brent gave him instructions for the next few days and said he’d be back on Monday at 9 a.m. Jake saw him out, grabbed an ice pack and three ibuprofen, and sat at the kitchen table to ice his knee.

He had about an hour before he had to leave and planned to spend it doing nothing.

Jake spent the time contemplating his future and what he wanted to do post-football. If this was the end of his career, he needed a backup plan.

Coaching could be fun, but at a younger level. Broadcasting didn’t really appeal to him. But he kept thinking about his law degree gathering dust.

Jake had wrapped up his Master’s degree in a mere four years, thanks to the college-level classes he’d taken in high school. All that was left was to study for the bar exam and see where life took him from there.

He figured he’d have a chat with his dad after Kevin left. He hopped in the shower and then made his way to the airport.

Meanwhile, Sammy decided to go for a run mid-morning. Her jeep was acting up again and she needed to take it to the shop.

Derek and Lynn kept telling her to just buy a new one, but it wasn’t that simple. That jeep held a lot of good memories, many of them involving Jake. Getting a new car felt like saying goodbye to her childhood, and she wasn’t ready for that.

She was out running, following the same route she’d taken the other day, and paused at a stoplight to stretch.

Lost in her music, she didn’t notice the man in the dark SUV watching her as she crossed the street.

Maybe it’s time to start looking at new cars. That Cherokee was pretty cool.

Jake was staring out his car window at the light when he saw her. She was as breathtaking as the day he’d last seen her.

Her hair was still that same dark-auburn color, long and wavy, and she still had those curves he loved. His heart pounded in his chest as he watched her run.

“Holy fuck, I’m still in love with her. I need to see her,” he blurted out. The honking of the car behind him snapped him back to reality.

He was so distracted that he missed the turn to the airport and had to circle back.

When he finally arrived, he was a mess. Kevin started grilling him the moment he saw him.

“What the hell’s going on, Jake? You look like you’ve OD’d on pain pills.”

“No, I saw her today, running. I nearly lost it. She’s as beautiful as the day I left,” Jake confessed.

Kevin just shook his head and let Jake ramble on for the entire ride home. Jake told Kevin he needed to stop at the store to pick up some things for his dad’s dinner.

They grabbed what they needed and headed home. They were in the kitchen, chatting and laughing, when Mike came home. He greeted Kevin warmly and joined in the conversation as they started cooking dinner.