her.”
Chad’s lungs constricted as he saw the pain in his friend’s face. Sean’s feelings for Lauren ran even deeper than he’d realized—and he recognized his own were just as
strong. He’d do anything for her happiness, for Sean’s. “I’ll walk away. Take myself out of the equation permanently.”
Sean looked at him, studied his face far too closely. “You honestly expect me to sit
here and ask you to cut out your own heart?” He shook his head. “No, Chad. That’s not the answer.”
“Then what is?”
Sean rose, exploding with the same frustration Chad was experiencing. “How the
fuck do I know? As far as I can see, there’s only one. We can’t go on like we have been.
That’s not working for any of us.”
Chad could see the sense in Sean’s words and now that so much was out in the
open, he found it impossible to hold back his true thoughts. “The past few years have sucked.”
Sean sighed. “I know.” His friend shrugged and smiled sadly. “Ball’s in your
court.” Then he walked out of the room, leaving Chad alone with his confusing,
agonizing thoughts.
Sean was right. There was one answer to their problem. Only one.
And it was the one Chad could never agree to.
58
Any Given Sunday
Chapter Six
A couple hours later, Chad looked up from his computer when he heard loud
giggling in the yard. He was almost to the front door when Sean emerged from the
kitchen.
“Is that Lauren?” Sean asked.
Chad shrugged. “Sounds like her.”
He pulled the door open, surprised to find an intoxicated Lauren struggling to put
her key in the lock as Aaron, dressed in his police uniform, stood next to her.
“Lauren? Are you drunk?” Chad asked.
Lauren giggled. “Just a little.”
Aaron rolled his eyes and grinned. “I’m not here in an official capacity,” Aaron said when he spotted the concern in Chad’s eyes.
Sean walked up behind him. “I thought you were at Natalie’s baby shower?”
Lauren laughed again and stumbled slightly as she crossed the threshold. “I was. It
was fun.” She walked into the house and toward the living room.
Chad turned to Aaron, who was shaking his head. “Apparently my wife throws a
helluva baby shower,” he said. “I got off-duty about an hour ago. I’ve been playing taxi driver since then. The mother-to-be was the only sober lady in the house when I got
home. The rest of them were drunk as skunks. For some asinine reason, Riley put
Bubbles in charge of the games. When I showed up, they were doing some beer
chugging contest with baby bottles and from what I understand, it was a rematch
between Lauren and Lily.”
“My sister Lily?” Chad asked.
Sean laughed and said, “Sounds like we missed a great party.”
Aaron shook his head. “Jesus, Sean. Only you would be sorry about missing a
drunken baby shower. And no worries, Chad. I dropped Lily off just before heading
here. I’m going home now. Lauren was my last delivery.” He chuckled as he raised his
hand to wave. “Night.”
“Good night, Aaron,” Chad said. “Thanks for bringing her home. I’ll drive her by
your place tomorrow to pick up her car.”
Aaron nodded and walked to the curb where his car was parked.
Chad closed and locked the door. “So much for marriage settling Riley down.”
Sean grinned. “Since my sisters have gotten married and started having kids, they
don’t get many crazy girl nights out. I’m glad Riley threw them a fun party, gave them a chance to let their hair down.”
59
Mari Carr
“Guess we should go check on our crazy girl.” Chad stumbled briefly over the rightness of the word our . “Have to admit I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve seen her drunk.”
Sean turned toward the living room. “I know. She never drinks. Wonder what got
into her tonight.”
“Probably Riley’s influence.”
Sean stopped and looked at him. “Maybe. I think Riley has been a good influence
on Lauren these past few years.
Chad’s lungs constricted as he saw the pain in his friend’s face. Sean’s feelings for Lauren ran even deeper than he’d realized—and he recognized his own were just as
strong. He’d do anything for her happiness, for Sean’s. “I’ll walk away. Take myself out of the equation permanently.”
Sean looked at him, studied his face far too closely. “You honestly expect me to sit
here and ask you to cut out your own heart?” He shook his head. “No, Chad. That’s not the answer.”
“Then what is?”
Sean rose, exploding with the same frustration Chad was experiencing. “How the
fuck do I know? As far as I can see, there’s only one. We can’t go on like we have been.
That’s not working for any of us.”
Chad could see the sense in Sean’s words and now that so much was out in the
open, he found it impossible to hold back his true thoughts. “The past few years have sucked.”
Sean sighed. “I know.” His friend shrugged and smiled sadly. “Ball’s in your
court.” Then he walked out of the room, leaving Chad alone with his confusing,
agonizing thoughts.
Sean was right. There was one answer to their problem. Only one.
And it was the one Chad could never agree to.
58
Any Given Sunday
Chapter Six
A couple hours later, Chad looked up from his computer when he heard loud
giggling in the yard. He was almost to the front door when Sean emerged from the
kitchen.
“Is that Lauren?” Sean asked.
Chad shrugged. “Sounds like her.”
He pulled the door open, surprised to find an intoxicated Lauren struggling to put
her key in the lock as Aaron, dressed in his police uniform, stood next to her.
“Lauren? Are you drunk?” Chad asked.
Lauren giggled. “Just a little.”
Aaron rolled his eyes and grinned. “I’m not here in an official capacity,” Aaron said when he spotted the concern in Chad’s eyes.
Sean walked up behind him. “I thought you were at Natalie’s baby shower?”
Lauren laughed again and stumbled slightly as she crossed the threshold. “I was. It
was fun.” She walked into the house and toward the living room.
Chad turned to Aaron, who was shaking his head. “Apparently my wife throws a
helluva baby shower,” he said. “I got off-duty about an hour ago. I’ve been playing taxi driver since then. The mother-to-be was the only sober lady in the house when I got
home. The rest of them were drunk as skunks. For some asinine reason, Riley put
Bubbles in charge of the games. When I showed up, they were doing some beer
chugging contest with baby bottles and from what I understand, it was a rematch
between Lauren and Lily.”
“My sister Lily?” Chad asked.
Sean laughed and said, “Sounds like we missed a great party.”
Aaron shook his head. “Jesus, Sean. Only you would be sorry about missing a
drunken baby shower. And no worries, Chad. I dropped Lily off just before heading
here. I’m going home now. Lauren was my last delivery.” He chuckled as he raised his
hand to wave. “Night.”
“Good night, Aaron,” Chad said. “Thanks for bringing her home. I’ll drive her by
your place tomorrow to pick up her car.”
Aaron nodded and walked to the curb where his car was parked.
Chad closed and locked the door. “So much for marriage settling Riley down.”
Sean grinned. “Since my sisters have gotten married and started having kids, they
don’t get many crazy girl nights out. I’m glad Riley threw them a fun party, gave them a chance to let their hair down.”
59
Mari Carr
“Guess we should go check on our crazy girl.” Chad stumbled briefly over the rightness of the word our . “Have to admit I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve seen her drunk.”
Sean turned toward the living room. “I know. She never drinks. Wonder what got
into her tonight.”
“Probably Riley’s influence.”
Sean stopped and looked at him. “Maybe. I think Riley has been a good influence
on Lauren these past few years.
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