Just One Night Together (Flatiron Five Fitness #3) - Deborah Cooke Page 0,57
straighter than he had before. “I can work the nights at the club now, or if you’d all rather, I can leave the partnership. Just let me know what you decide.”
He would have stepped past her but Cassie didn’t move. “You can’t just leave. We’re partners.”
Damon’s gaze flicked to hers. “Fine. Give me a schedule and a list of your expectations. I’ll fulfill them all.” He gave her a dark look and she moved out of the doorway, feeling helpless as she watched him stride away.
“When’s the funeral, Damon?” she called after him, thinking that attending it was one thing they could all do for him.
“There isn’t going to be one,” he said without turning back, and Cassie was shocked to silence again.
She felt Ty come to stand behind her. “So?”
“Natasha was his mom. She just died of cancer.”
“What?” Ty demanded. “He never told us?”
“She’s been in the hospital. He went there Friday nights to visit her. His mom is Natasha.”
Ty swore and shoved a hand through his hair. “Why wouldn’t he tell us?”
Cassie turned to Ty. “He’s not going to have a funeral either. What can we do?”
Ty frowned, his gaze trailing after Damon. He was thoughtful and concerned, and Cassie waited for his conclusion. “Nothing, I guess,” he said finally. “Especially if that’s what he wants.”
“It feels wrong.” She glanced after Damon, but he was gone.
“It is wrong, but pushing ourselves on Damon will only backfire. Maybe that was what his mom wanted.” He looked down at Cassie and she saw that they were both equally shocked.
“He said it was up to us if he remained a partner.”
“Of course, he’s remaining a partner.” Ty was impatient with the possibility of Damon leaving F5F. “Privacy is one thing, but this partnership is another. He’s just dealing with a lot and not thinking straight.”
“I think so, too. He looked devastated, Ty.”
“Wouldn’t you be?” He didn’t wait for an answer but Cassie nodded. “Actually, this gives me a good reason to call him later. Let’s decide about hiring Hunter or someone else, and work on the details for Chynna’s start.”
“I did some mock-ups for a Valentine’s Day launch,” Cassie offered. “It’s on a Wednesday this year, which isn’t perfect, but I thought we might open the dance club that night for a special event.” She sighed. “Kyle said it’s the tattoos she does on the full moon that have the love magic, but unfortunately there isn’t a full moon in February at all this year.”
“Kyle and Theo are still on the line. Let’s make some plans.” Ty gestured and Cassie headed back to the conference room, noting that both of them glanced to the foyer with concern for Damon.
“He needs us to need him,” she whispered.
Ty nodded. “We do. I’m afraid the tough part is going to be convincing him of that.”
Haley stood in front of the house where she knew Damon lived, gathering her nerve. She’d waited until Wednesday and her day off but she couldn’t stand it anymore. The nurses in oncology had told her about Natasha’s passing. She’d had a good cry and sent some more prayers after Damon’s mom. She’d hoped Damon might call her, but he hadn’t. She had a feeling that he would close himself off from the world, which was just about the worst possible choice.
He could be having nightmares.
He could be experiencing his PTSD in full glory again.
He was alone and he shouldn’t be.
Even though she expected him to be hostile, she had to try to help. She stepped up and rang the doorbell. It echoed through the house, but there was no other sound. No footsteps inside. The curtains didn’t move and no one looked out. She couldn’t see any lights on.
Of course, with his military training, Damon would be able to be more still and more quiet than normal humans. Would he have to come out for food? For all she knew, he had enough rations in the cellar to survive Armageddon. Would he leave the house to go to work? He did seem to be committed to F5F.
Maybe he was staying downtown at the club.
The nurses had told her that there wasn’t going to be a funeral for Natasha. Haley thought that was a really bad sign of Damon’s emotional state. It was impossible to ignore the fact that his mom was gone, and she wasn’t going to let him try.