Page 39 of Personal Foul (The San Diego Storm #3)

Carson

A fter his meeting with the accountant, Colin called to fill me in. My heart sank to my feet when he said it could be months before everything with Leland was settled. What would we do then?

I waited until midnight to call my parents. It would be eight a.m. in London, so I knew they’d be up.

“It’s okay, son. Take a breath.”

I paced my living room, looking out at the ocean. “But that fucker is the reason his visa was delayed, I know it. And don’t get me started on the money.”

My dad sighed. “Probably. But they’ll get it straightened out. Even if they don’t recover the money, he’s making ten times that with the Storm. Do you really think the money is more important to Colin than being with you?”

I sat down and fisted my hair. I knew my answer, but I wasn’t the one who had been taken advantage of. “I can’t let him go through this alone.”

“Then don’t,” my father said. “Get on a plane and go to him.”

“Colin,” my mother said, “going to Australia isn’t nearly as complicated as entering the United States. Get online and file for an ETA. You’ll have it within twenty-four hours.”

I stood up. “Seriously? That quickly?”

She smiled. “Yes, that quickly. And I think you’re forgetting you have dual citizenship, being half British.”

My eyes widened. “Shit. I didn’t think of that.”

She smiled. “That’s what mothers are for. We fill in the gaps when things are stressful.”

I laughed for the first time in a while. I could go to Colin, just like Evan suggested.

“How long can I stay? I mean, he could be there for months, and I swear I won’t be able to leave without him again.”

This time, my father cut in. “Are you serious about him, Carson? I know you love Colin, but are you serious enough to make a legal commitment?”

My face broke into an easy smile. “Yes. If this week has proved anything to me, it’s that I don’t want to live without him.”

“Then go to Australia. And I know how you can circumvent the holdups.”

I listened intently as my father presented his idea. It made perfect sense, and when we hung up, I called Evan.

“Hey, how are you?” he asked.

I laughed. “I’m better than I was. Listen, I need the name of the air charter company you used.”

He chuckled. “You going somewhere, buddy?”

I smiled, my heart full of happiness for the first time since all this started. “Yeah, I am.”

I filled him in on my plans as he texted the contact for the charter service. The first thing the next morning, I made arrangements to go to him.

I was never more grateful for my NFL contract and salary than the day I called and booked a private non-stop trans-Pacific flight to Sydney.

I didn’t bat an eye at the $300,000 price tag to carry me and our fur babies to Colin.

The pre-Colin me would have considered it outrageous to spend that kind of money.

But post-Colin me would have paid whatever the company wanted in order to get to him.

I packed everything I could think of for Allister and Bella, including immunization records and all the food they needed, then threw as much as I could into a bag for myself. Checking around the house, I went through my normal preparations.

Evan arrived and helped me pack everything into his car. With Bella strapped in and Allister secure in his carrier, we headed to the private airstrip Hudson used when he came to San Diego.

“I have to say you look a lot better now. I was worried about you.”

I chuckled. “Yeah. I feel better. So much so that I didn’t even flinch at dropping over a quarter of a mill on a flight.”

“Damn,” Evan laughed. “That’s what I spent for the entire season. I guess that’s your proof that he’s the one.”

I rubbed my chest. “I knew that without spending that much money. But I’d do it again without thinking about it.”

My friend looked over at me. “You’re really calm and relaxed. Did the visa thing get straightened out?”

“Not yet. But we’re going to fix it all when I get there. My dad came up with the solution.”

As we rode, I filled him in on my plans. “I want to see his country. How often do you get a chance to go down under?”

Evan smiled. “Keep me updated so I know when to round up Sanders.”

“I will.”

When he pulled up to the Gulfstream ultra-long-range jet waiting on the tarmac, the reality that I’d made this happen hit me. I was going to surprise my man, and I had a plan to make sure we never had to deal with this kind of bullshit ever again.

Evan blew out a long whistle of appreciation as he slid his car into park. “That’s a beautiful plane.”

“It is. Carries fourteen people with five beds. I just hope I can finally sleep.”

He grinned at me. “You better rest up before you get to Colin. I got a feeling you won’t be sleeping when you get there.”

“He doesn’t know I’m coming, so if he messages you, you don’t know where I am.”

Evan winked. “Will do.”

I got out and gathered Bella and Allister. Evan grabbed my bags, then carried them to the steps where the flight crew took them aboard.

“Have a good time. We’ll see you guys soon.”

I hugged my friend, then boarded the plane.

Once we were in flight, I sat back and looked out over our ocean. Bella was stretched out on the leather sofa, and Allister was in my lap.

As I ran my hand down his velvety black fur, all I could think about was how I couldn’t wait to see him. Pressing my hand to my chest, I felt the two platinum rings that dangled from the chain I’d strung them through. The moment I bought them, I hung them around my neck so as not to forget them.

Colin was everything to me, and I wasn’t coming home without him.

“I’m coming, baby,” I murmured out the window over our ocean. “I’m coming.”