That Ring: A Second Chance Sports Romance (That Boy® Book 5)
That Ring: Chapter 3

The week flew by. Days spent at the stadium, prepping for our game at Dallas, which we lost in overtime. Evenings at home with the kids and late nights spent on the phone with Jennifer as she tries to rebuild her life in Los Angeles. Although I’m dying to see her again, I understand her livelihood is there.

Since we’ve been apart, she’s done a photo shoot for a magazine cover, three interviews, and negotiated an endorsement deal. Her agent and publicist are thrilled to have her back in town. I’m worried though because she still hasn’t seen Troy. On one hand, I don’t want her to, but on the other, I want her to get him to rehab and out of her life and come back home to me.

As I take a seat at the conference table in my attorney’s office, I say a prayer that this will be the last time I have to sit across a table from my wife and hash out the dismantling of our life together. We’ve covered everything from credit card points to jewelry to investment funds.

“Mrs. Diamond is offering three options,” her attorney says, getting the process started again. “As a show of good faith, we have prepared all three documents, and she has already signed them. We have also taken the liberty to prepare the press release that will go out upon filing with the court. If we come to an agreement today.”

She slides them across the table, first to the mediator and then to me.

“Before I look at these, I want to talk about the press release. I don’t want to do one.”

“Why not?” Lori’s attorney asks.

“Because he doesn’t want to admit he failed,” Lori says simply and probably accurately as she studies her manicure like this is all so incredibly boring.

“Because it’s no one’s business,” I state.

“I’ll agree to it,” Lori says, sliding the press release over to my attorney. “And I’ll go a step further and allow Danny to release this whenever he feels the time is right.”

I grab the paper off the table before my attorney can, and I read it. It’s short, sweet, and impassive—fitting really. But it’s well written and places no blame.

“Let’s get back to the agreements in front of us. I have reviewed them,” my attorney states. “They are identical to our original agreement other than three variations. In option one, you and Mrs. Diamond will share custody of the children. In option two, you retain custody but pay Mrs. Diamond an additional sum of one million dollars. In option three, you retain custody while Mrs. Diamond receives an additional piece of personal property—the Ferrari. Would you like to recess and discuss?”

“No, I think I know which one to sign. No reason to drag this out further.” I try really hard not to smirk as I grab option three. “Lori, I know how much you love the Ferrari,” I say, quickly signing, “and I want you to have that wonderful reminder of our life together.”

“Wait!” she says as I set down the pen. “You said you’d never let me have it!”

“I’ve changed my mind,” I say with a shrug. “I realized that my love for it came from the memory of purchasing it with my friends on a special weekend. I didn’t realize you shared that love. So, really, it’s my special parting gift to you.”

She doesn’t say anything; her mouth just hangs open. She probably already decided how she was going to spend the extra money.

“And it’s the best financial option,” my attorney says, adding insult to injury. “It’s only valued at about a hundred fifty grand.”

Lori doesn’t say another word, just storms out.

I’m on my way home from practice later when Jadyn calls me.

“Hey, you want to come over for dinner tonight? I’m making cornbread and chili.”

“Save it for tomorrow.”

“Do you want to go out?” she asks. “It’s been a long week already, and I’m just—”

“I thought I’d bring dinner over—champagne and a couple buckets of chicken. Devaney told me it’s how you all celebrate. I didn’t know you carried the tradition on after you were married.”

“Yeah, well, your wife wouldn’t have approved of something so gauche.”

“We signed the papers. They were admitted to the court this afternoon. I opted not to do a press release yet. It’s no one’s business. If it comes up, I’ll deal with it.”

“Danny! Oh my gosh! I don’t really know what to say though. Do you think it’s chicken-worthy? Like, celebrating the demise of your marriage?”

“No, but getting full custody of my kids is.”

“Does that mean you gave her the extra money?”

“Well, I would have, but when I got there, she had signed three separate documents. One offering joint custody, the other an extra million, and another with me giving her the car.”

“You didn’t!” she squeals with delight.

“I sure did.”

“I’m so proud of you. Danny! And you’re right. Bring on the chicken!”

The kids are shocked when I call them into the dining room at the Mackenzies’ house before anyone else.

“Do you know what they are celebrating tonight?” Devaney asks, her eyes wide with excitement.

“Actually, we’re the ones celebrating. I thought it would be nice for the Mackenzies to join us. Today, your mother and I agreed on our settlement, and I got full custody of the two of you. It’s all I wanted in the divorce.”

“Does that mean we don’t have to go stay at Richard’s anymore?” Damon asks, looking relieved.

“Not if you don’t want to. It’s important that you maintain a relationship with your mother, but it will be up to us what kind of relationship that is, not something forced by the court.”

My kids jump into my arms and give me happy smiles, which are worth more than a fleet of Ferraris.

We have a great celebratory dinner with lots of laughing and joking and storytelling. And I’m thrilled that the kids are taking things so well. That they seem happy. Everything seems to finally be coming together for us.

I’m sitting in the study, having a second glass of champagne with Phillip, when Jadyn comes to the door and says, “Um, Danny, can you come here for a minute, please?”

“Uh, sure.” I set my glass down and make my way to the kitchen island where I replace Devaney with tears in her eyes. “What’s wrong, honey?”

“When the kids stayed with Lori while you were in Dallas,” Jadyn says, “she told Devaney that you and Jennifer had been having an affair, and that’s why you got divorced.”

“She said what? Why would she say that? Devaney, honey,” I say, sitting down next to her. “I would hope that your mother wouldn’t lie to you outright about something like this. I’m hoping it’s a misunderstanding, but I promise you that our marriage did not end because I had an affair.”

“She said you would deny it,” Devaney says, her head down. “Why else would Jennifer have come here? She’s a movie star, Dad.”

And I’m a professional football player, I want to say but don’t.

“I invited her,” Jadyn says. “Your dad hadn’t seen Jennifer since you were a baby.”

“Did you have an affair with her when I was a baby?” my daughter asks.

“To answer that question, I need to tell you a story first. I want you to understand the whole story because it’s important to me. Just after you were born, I went to California to meet with my agent—you know, Carter.”

She nods.

“He took me to a celebrity function. Lots of famous people were there. And that’s when I met Jennifer. Sometimes, you meet someone and have an instant connection. Jennifer and I both felt that way. We laughed, we talked, and we didn’t want the night to end, so we hung out on the beach and watched the sunrise together.”

“You spent the night with her?” Devaney cries out. “Dad, that’s cheating.”

“No, it’s not. Jennifer and I didn’t have sex. We just became friends that night.”

“Like you and Chase,” Jadyn adds in.

“Mom says boys and girls can’t be just friends,” Devaney counters.

“And you know that’s not true,” Jadyn fires back. “You and Chase are best friends, just like your dad and me.”

“So, anyway,” I continue, “Jennifer and I stayed in touch. And she came to a Nebraska game.”

“Was Mom there?” Devaney asks. “Because she said she’d never met Jennifer.”

“No,” I tell her, “but she was supposed to have been. Jennifer called me at the last minute and said she was coming. Your mom canceled going at the same time. When Jennifer and I hung out again, I knew that I couldn’t be just friends with her because I kinda liked her. And I couldn’t like her because I was married.”

“Sometimes, life is complicated,” Jadyn explains, “and you have to make choices. Your dad knew if he stayed friends with Jennifer, that cheating might eventually happen. And he didn’t want that.”

“You and your mom were too important to me,” I say. “I loved your mother, and I wanted us to be an amazing family. And I haven’t spoken to or seen Jennifer since I told her that we couldn’t be friends. Until the other day when I walked into Auntie Jay’s house for some milk.”

“So, you didn’t cheat, but when you saw her again years later, you still liked her? It seems like you like her.”

“I do like her. But if you don’t want me to see her, if you hate her, I’ll stop seeing her. You and Damon are the most important things in my life. I hope you don’t hate her though and that you will give her a chance because I really do like her.”

“Do you love her?” Devaney asks, brightening.

“I haven’t told her yet because it’s too soon to know for sure, but I think I might.”

“I want you to be happy, Daddy,” she says sweetly and then throws her arms around me. When she ends our hug, she asks, “Why did Mom lie?”

I let out a deep sigh. It was the one question that I hoped she wouldn’t ask.

“Remember how your friend Megan broke up with Trevor because she decided she liked Dillon instead?” Jadyn says, coming to my rescue and changing the subject.

“Yeah,” Devaney says, scrunching up her face, trying to figure out what that has to do with anything.

“And then when Trevor started going out with Shaylie, what did Megan do?” Jadyn asks.

“She tried to break them up,” Devaney states, and I suddenly get where Jadyn is going with this.

“Why?”

“She was jealous,” Devaney replies.

“But she was going out with Dillon. That makes no sense. Why would she even care?” Jadyn asks.

Devaney shrugs and raises an eyebrow. “That’s what I wondered. But Megan said that Trevor shouldn’t be able to get over her so fast. That he was hers first. She was jealous. It didn’t really make sense.” She turns to me. “Is that what Mom’s doing?”

“I think so,” I say, not sure how to proceed. This feels like dangerous territory.

“And it’s not just about your dad, I suspect,” Jadyn says. “It’s more about Jennifer. Your mom doesn’t want to be with your dad anymore because she’s happy with Richard, but at the same time, she doesn’t want anyone else to have him.”

“I don’t know why she would think that. When she asked about Jennifer, I told her that Jennifer is really nice.”

Jadyn puts her hand to her chest. “You’re her baby. And she’s probably feeling a little worried that you might like Jennifer more than you like her. I know it sounds silly, but even adults get worried about stuff like that.”

“Sometimes, I do,” she mutters.

“I used to fight with my mom,” Jadyn says as she pulls a tray of cookies out of the oven. “We never agreed on anything. I was always Daddy’s little girl. I totally got my way with him.”

“Like Hayley does with Uncle Phillip? He’s hard on Chase, but Hayley gets anything she wants,” she asks.

“Exactly like that. But what about me and Chase?” Jadyn says.

“You’re kinda a pushover when it comes to him,” my daughter replies. “He says he just has to smile at you or give you a kiss on the nose.”

“Exactly. And although all I want for him out of life is to be happy and healthy, someday, when he gets married, it’s going to be hard for me. I might feel a little jealous. He will have been mine for the first twenty years of his life,” Jadyn says.

“Thirty,” I cough, praying my daughter doesn’t want to get married until at least then.

“Whatever,” Jadyn says with a wave of her hand and then uses a spatula to pile the warm cookies on a plate. “He’s going to fall in love, and some girl is going to take him away from me. But I want that. I want him to fall in love and have a family of his own. It’s not really rational, is it?”

“Okay, I get it,” Devaney says, turning to offer me a cookie. “You want some milk?”

“I’d love some.” As she is pouring it in a couple of glasses, I say, “Dani, if your mom ever tells you something and you don’t know if it’s true or not, come to me. I promise that I’ll always tell you the truth.”

“Hmm,” she says. “Have you slept with Jennifer?”

“Uh,” I reply.

She gives me a smirk. “It’s okay. You don’t have to give me the I’m a grown man speech. I know I’m not supposed to have sex until I’m married, right?”

“That’s definitely right,” I state.

“And you and Mom waited until you were married? Mom was your first?”

I can see Jadyn’s chest shaking, and a few moments later, she breaks out laughing.

“Shut up,” I say to her.

“I see,” Devaney says, waggling her eyebrows at me. “I think I’ll take some of these cookies up to Chase’s room.”

Once she’s out of earshot, I turn to Jadyn, who is still giggling.

“I tried to hold it in,” she says.

Phillip comes out of the study with the champagne bottle in hand, sets it down, then walks out to the garage, and brings back three beers.

“I think we might need something a little more stout after that conversation,” he says.

“I notice you didn’t bother to join us.” I say.

Phillip just laughs.

I open my beer and stand here with the bottle in the air, not knowing what the heck to say.

Jadyn speaks instead, “Here’s to our children growing up.”

“I don’t think I can drink to that,” I reply.

“How about we drink to me going and kicking Lori’s ass?” Phillip says. “I can’t even believe she had the nerve to say that to Dani! To drag her into it. Ugh! I mean, what the foxtrot?”

I laugh. “I’ll drink to that.”