Love on the Tracks by Tamsen Parker

Author:Tamsen Parker
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Chapter Ten

Rowan

Never have I been late to a team meeting, or practice, or anything before, which is probably why my coach only raises a concerned eyebrow when I walk into the room and take a seat at the back. I give her the thumbs up to let her know I’m okay. I’ll apologize after we’re done. At least I’m only ten minutes late. It could have been so much worse. I guess when we had mind-blowing sex, my brains scattered. It’s a hazard, apparently.

After the meeting, I approach Gerrilyn.

“Coach, I’m so sorry I was late this morning. I meant no disrespect to you, or to the team, and I promise it won’t happen again.”

She looks at me, almost into me, and I keep my gaze level. That is a perfectly sufficient apology, especially from the otherwise most punctual person on the team. If she asks for more, I’ll give it to her, but I won’t be happy about it.

“I know, Rowan.”

Her tone is a secret code: You bet your ass it won’t. Which is fine. I don’t like the shaky feeling I get in my stomach when I’m disappointing people, either.

I meet up with my dad for lunch again, settling into a taquería and ordering quickly because I want to squeeze in a visit with Zane before our team dinner.

“Why were you late to the team meeting this morning?”

What? “Why do you know I was late?”

“Gerrilyn called me, she was worried about you.”

“There was no need to be worried—I overslept. I apologized to her, and promised it won’t happen again.” He eyes me over his drink and my hackles start to rise. “It won’t happen again.”

“Better not.”

It’s not often I get irritated with my father, but I am right now. So much that I want to draw him a diagram of some sort. Times When Rowan Has Been Punctual: All of them minus one; Times When Rowan Has Not Been Punctual: One. Who the hell has that kind of track record?

“What is this actually about, because I don’t think it’s about the ten minutes of the meeting I missed.”

“Where were you?”

Shitballs. “I told you, I overslept.”

“I didn’t ask what you were doing, I asked where you were.” He speaks slowly and now I want to kick him under the table. What the hell does it matter where I was? But I don’t lie.

“I was with Zane. At his hotel.”

The look on my father’s face is so dark I’m surprised storm clouds aren’t forming over his head and dropping rain all over the table. He shakes his head. “Maybe you shouldn’t see that boy anymore.”

Oh so many arguments to make. He’s twenty-six, he’s not a boy; this isn’t up to you because I’m twenty years old; this was your idea in the first place. I’m going for option C. “If I recall correctly, you encouraged me to start seeing him. Now you’re changing your mind?”

The waitress brings our tacos, and I take an enormous bite of my bison taco. It’s delicious.

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