Unknown - Driven_589066

Dylan’s eyes softened and she lifted one long arm, palm up. Cat crossed the small space between them, and grasped the offered hand, clasping it as one

would a lifeline. “You’ve got nothing to be sorry for, Cat.”

“But….”

“Listen to me. Remember the conversation we had last night at dinner?”

“Yes, but….”

“Cat, a relationship like ours is going to have its difficulties. The need to keep it away from the outside world is primary among them. What you will, or

won’t, say about it to your parents is something that only you can decide. And whatever you decide will have my complete support, okay? We’re in this

together.”

Tears stung at her eyes again, and she blinked them away as she nodded.

“Good. Now I’d suggest jumping in the shower post haste, because if you stand here like that much longer, I’m not going to be responsible for one hour

late turning into four or five.”

That got the smile she was looking for, and she stared in frank appreciation at the rear view as Cat scampered from the bedroom and into the bathroom.

“Oh, Dylan,” she groaned, collapsing back against the headboard as the shower cut on, “you’re playing with fire here.” Then she grinned, stretching and

feeling the pleasant soreness a night of loving had given her body.

“Burn, baby, burn.”

Cat grabbed her gym bag and was headed out of the locker room when she ran into Dylan. The coach smiled and offered a wave bringing the player over.

“Dinner?” Dylan asked quietly, knowing they might not completely alone yet.

“I..um…I promised to have dinner with my folks tonight.”

“Ah that’s right. I forgot. Have a good time and let me know if they enjoyed the game. You gave them a hell of a show tonight.”

“I didn’t do that for my folks, I did that for you.” She grinned, wrinkling her nose. “I always get such great rewards when we win.”

“True, but I guess this one will have to wait until your folks leave.”

“Hey, why don’t you join us? My day would love that. He’s a big fan you know?”

“I don’t want to…”

Cat held up her hand. “Stop, just stop. Don’t say it. I wouldn’t have invited you if it were a problem. Come to dinner with us. I’m sure we can find something

on the menu at Ramano’s that you can eat.”

“Actually they have an eggplant dish that’s one of my favorites.”

“Good. Then meet us there at eight. I need to go home and change. I’d invite you, but they’re meeting me there.”

“Eight it is then.”

Making sure they were quite alone in the hall, Cat gave Dylan a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek. “See you soon.”

Cat opened the door of her apartment and found her folks sitting in front of the TV watching the highlights of the game on the evening news. “Didn’t you

get enough the first time?” She teased as she dropped her gym bag by the laundry room door.

“Never,” he father stood and opened his arms for a hug, which she gave without hesitation. “I love watching you play. I have all your televised games on

tape.”

“Good. When I’m retired and I want a highlights tape I know who to call.”

“You’ve got years ahead of you, Cat.”

He led her back to the couch, where they sat, with her mother between them. She gave her mom a hug. “I’m so glad you guys could come for a visit. I’m

sorry I couldn’t get home, I just had so much to do.”

“It’s okay, sweetheart. We understand.” Her mother brushed a lock of hair from her daughter’s face. “You’re a busy young lady. Sometimes I think too

busy.”

Un-oh, this can’t be good. “What’s wrong, Mom?”

“Nothing is wrong, honey. I’m just worried that you’re working so hard you’ve forgotten to have a life.”

“I have a very nice life, Mom.”

“What about finding someone?”

“Mom, let’s not get into this again, okay. You know we don’t see eye to eye on this subject.”

“But honey, I’m just…”

“Please?” Cat asked with just a hint of pleading in her voice. “We shouldn’t discuss this. It only ends up in an argument. We agreed not to talk about this.”

“All right, fine sweetheart.”

Cat sighed at her mother’s tone. “I promise you with all my heart that when I find that someone special, you’ll be the first to know and I hope you like her.”

“Any chance it’ll be a him?”

“Only if he has breasts and a v…”

“Catherine,” he father warned. He knew that his wife tried to accept their daughter’s choices and that sometimes she didn’t manage it as well as any of

them would like, but he hadn’t raised his daughter to sass her mother and he wasn’t going to let her start now.

“I’m sorry, Dad. I’m going to go take a shower and change so we can go to dinner. By the way, Coach Lambert is joining us. I thought you’d like to have a

chance to talk to her one on one.”

“That’s great sweetheart,” he father gestured her toward the upstairs and a shower, giving her the signal that he wanted to speak with her mother.

Once Cat was out of the room, he turned to his wife. “Don’t do that to her.”

“What?”

“Try to push her into an argument with you.”

“I was doing no such thing!”

“You were too. Now I know you love Cat and I also know that you don’t care for her choices in companionship, but don’t start this. Let the girl be.”

“I…” The doorbell ringing stopped her next comment.

“Dad,” Cat called from upstairs. “Can you get that, I’m just about to get in the shower.”

“Sure, Sweetheart, you go ahead.”

Her father turned on his heel going to the door at a fast clip. He pulled it open to find Dylan standing there with a large blue notebook in her hand. “Hi, um

I was supposed to meet you at the restaurant but Cat forgot the new play book and I was in the area…”

“Come in Coach Lambert. I know Cat won’t mind.”

Dylan stepped into the studio apartment and smiled finding it as she always did, neat and uncluttered. As she closed the door she heard a familiar clicking

on the floor. “Hey, Hamlet, you flea bitten mutt.” She tormented the dog, but knelt down and gave him the scratching he always expected when she visited.

“He seems to like you,” Cat’s mother offered from the couch. “It took him an hour to stop growling at us. Does he see a lot of you?”

“Actually he does. Cat and I spend a lot of time together.”

“Really?” The suspicion in her mother’s voice was quite clear.

“Yes, I’m the head coach and she’s the team leader.” She hefted the playbook as proof. “It’s a hazard of the job I’m afraid.”

“I’m sure Cat doesn’t think of it as a hazard or a hardship. You inspire her.”

For all kinds of things. Dylan managed to keep the words from tumbling from her mouth. “That’s good to hear.”

“Would you like a drink?”

“Actually I don’t drink, not normally at least. But if Cat’s got some juice around here…”

“I’ll get it.” Cat’s mom left the couch and wandered into the kitchen, leaving Dylan and Joseph standing in the center of the room.

“Have I done something to upset her?” Dylan lifted one brow and gestured toward the kitchen.

“No,” Joseph sighed. “She and Cat had a ‘moment’ before you arrived. It’s fine.”

“Is Cat okay?”

The older man smiled, hearing genuine concern in her voice. “She’s fine. She and her mother go ‘round about things once in a while.”

Dylan felt the need to press further. “And this time?”

“Ilene thinks that Cat needs to get into a relationship.”