No Shots Missed

Chapter Eight- Polkeroo

(Kalen's POV)

I opened my eyes and looked at my watch with a groan. The fact that it was still dark outside was a good indicator that I shouldn't even think about waking up yet. At five o' clock in the morning, I'd only gone to bed four hours ago and why I couldn't ever sleep in was beyond me.

It didn't help that as I closed my eyes again, Taylor Mackenzie's beautiful face flashed behind my eyelids.

Not the Taylor that I had assumed she was while in Serena's office. The Princess, Diva, Drug Addict persona that had been portrayed by the media was nowhere to be seen.

In fact, yesterday, it had become readily apparent that woman didn't even exist.

No. In an unfortunate turn of events, Taylor Mackenzie was quite possibly my dream woman. She was beautiful, kind and patient. Her sense of humour was quick and she was playful. Not to mention naturally athletic and always on the move. I was also reasonably certain she hated my guts and I had discovered that she was abnormally skilled at disappearing into thin air, as I entered a room.

It was official, I had a crush. A crush that was never going to go anywhere because the object of my desire was avoiding me at all costs and thought I was an asshole of epic proportions.

I hadn't even managed to apologize to her yet because she was like fucking polkaroo. There one minute and gone the next.

It wasn't just that Taylor was incredible. I genuinely hated that I'd hurt someone's feelings and I was a complete mess over it all. That wasn't the kind of example I wanted to set for Jilly.

Other than me being a judgemental asswipe, the weekend was off to a beautiful start. To my extreme relief, Jilly was in her element here and my new team was exactly the family that I had hoped for when I had signed with the Toronto Tower.

Jilly and Janessa had become immediate friends. I'd never seen Jillian take to someone the way she had Gabby's daughter. Plus, as we were getting the tour of this mansion of a cottage, Sam, Kate and the kids had shown up.

His twins Ally and Thorton were a little older than Jillian and Janessa and it had taken no time for all the kids to get suits on and end up in the lake,  hunting for golf balls with Taylor.

I had asked Zane if she needed a hand and he had given a hard look at my hopeful tone, "Nah. She often takes all the kids on so that the adults can have a break. You relax. I'll go relieve her in a bit."

It was apparent that I wouldn't be welcome in that water.  So I kept my mouth shut, that I would rather go play than relax. The amount of laughter coming from the water all morning long, indicated that Taylor could in fact handle a plethora of kids just fine and when Zane got in the water and swam out, I was disappointed that she didn't take a break. Instead the two of them stayed in, frolicking with the army of kids that gravitated towards the fun.

Zane had seemed content, just waving at any of the new arrivals. I figured out pretty fast that many of my teammates spent lots of time here. In fact, it seemed that I was the only one that hadn't been here before. The whole team didn't show up for the day time fun, it was mostly those with kids. In fact Lance was the only kid free adult that joined for the whole day yesterday.

But just as Sam had predicted almost everyone else showed up for dinner in the evening and then poker after. The ladies had taken the kids down for a smores bar down by the fire and left us all to gamble.

When the chef that Zane had brought in for the weekend rang a bell calling everyone out of the water and up to the cottage for lunch, I watched as Taylor made her way over and hugged the new arrivals with familiarity. She was a part of this team and it made me all the more thankful that she hadn't shared my assholery with her friends.

Although, the side eye that Gabby had been giving me since getting back down to the lake indicated she'd figured something out.

After a gourmet lunch, because as Zane announced he didn't do things half assed, Janessa invited all the kids to join her and Taylor on top of the boat house, which I was informed had been converted to a driving range.

They had all clambered out of the house following Taylor, who hadn't seemed to mind being pulled into an afternoon of more play. As soon as they were gone, Sam asked with surprise, "Taylor's golfing again?"

Zane responded with his mouth full, "Just started last night. No one else goes up there right now." He shared a meaningful look with Gabby, "It seems she's more comfortable picking up a club with the kids than with us and we don't want to push her."

His glare took on the whole table but focused mostly on Lance, who put up his hands in mock innocence. "Me, go up and watch a golf legend get back to it? Never. Nope. I'd way rather stay here with you guys and gals." His arm came back down around Gabby. I laughed as Zane's face went from his serious warning to utterly incensed. 

It turned out that watching Zane and Lance chirp at each other was just as amusing as Sam had indicated. Although I wasn't quite certain that his flirting was all for show.

It was as we were making our way back down to the lake, with a promise of some tubing that Gabby slid up next to me, confirming my suspicions. "You owe Taylor an apology."

I nodded, swallowing hard at the fire emitting from Zane's twin. "I know. I was wrong." She didn't say anything else, just gave a long unblinking stare.

I wasn't sure what she was looking for but knew she must have found it because she gave me a clap on the back and a little laugh, "best of luck," then she was gone and sitting down next to Kate on one of the recliners.

After spending the day with Taylor avoiding me at all costs, I was pretty sure that Gabby had known that apologising wouldn't be that easy. I flipped my pillow hoping that the cool side would comfort me enough to fall asleep.

My efforts were interrupted by the door softly swinging all the way open. I  had left it open a sliver last night, just in case. Jilly poked her head in to see if I was awake. When I waved her in she gave me a little smile and walked over. "You sleep okay, Jil?"

The kids had taken over the basement last night, making one big giant bed of mattresses and having a big sleepover. There were eight of them in total. Ally and Thorton were the oldest, followed by Janessa and Jillian and then a few younger kids too. When they had said the weekend was family friendly, they'd been right. I'd snuck down just after nine thirty to make sure that Jillian was okay and every single one of the kids had been passed out.

She smiled. "So good. Everyone else is still sleeping but Nessa asked if I could go out kayaking with her and Taylor. But Taylor said I had to ask you. Can I?"

I sat up immediately, recognizing a golden opportunity. "Of course. Are you okay if I come too?"

If Jillian could have me around all the time, she would and so to her it was a stupid question.

"Yes." The accompanying little dance hit home how welcome I was, although I very much doubted that everyone involved was going to feel the same way. Jillian poked her head out the door, "You can come in, he's decent."

Janessa poked her head in and I raised my eyebrow at her, "My Uncle Zane sometimes sleeps naked."

I chuckled at her wariness. "Fair." I remembered a time before I was the sole caregiver for an eight year old, that I had slept in the nude as well.

Now, the night was when Jilly often felt her most lonely and my door was always open.

"Jilly thought that it would be okay if I joined you ladies for a paddle." Janessa's eyes widened before she gave a mischievous grin. I wondered if she was as observant as her mom.

"Yah. Of course, but don't you want to sleep in?" I grabbed my toiletries bag off the shelf.

"No. I can't seem to sleep in any way so might as well spend some time on the water."

"That's what Taylor says too."  Her look turned thoughtful and she turned to Jil. "If she's going to say yes to this and not bail, she's going to need coffee. Let's go. We'll meet you on the porch, Mr. Sharp."

Then both girls were gone and I was left wondering how I had ended up here, needing a couple eight year old's to help bribe my way into spending time in her company.