Taking Chances

Chapter 45

"I'm done. I'm done," said Ryan as he desperately tapped out on the mat.

Ryan sat up, breathing hard. Paul, who standing over him, said, "Damn man, you're easy tonight."

Ryan stood up. He had been getting his tail handed to him all through training. No doubt a result of boozing it up for a week.

But, the job offer had helped kick him out of his self-pity and Ryan wasted no time getting back into his routine, yet his thoughts kept getting dragged back to Bec.

After training, as everyone left the gym and got into their cars, Jerry approached Ryan. "You seemed off your game tonight."

"Yeah. Tough day."

"Something happen?"

"Just the usual," replied Ryan without making eye-contact.

Jerry said, "I'm heading over to Sully's for a late dinner. Come along."

Sully's Sports Bar and Grill was nearly empty on Monday nights, and tonight was no exception. There were a few people from the meat works playing pool and a farmer, wearing a sun-faded John Deer hat, was throwing darts at an old board.

Jerry and Ryan found a seat at the bar in the dining area. When the beers arrived, Jerry clinked glasses with Ryan and drank deeply. "Ahh, that's good. It's been a long week."

Ryan only nodded.

"You gonna tell me what's got you so wound up, or do I have to beat it out of you?"

After taking a drink from his beer, Ryan told Jerry about the job offer.

"Sounds like a no-brainer to me. Take the job. Unless there's a certain lady that's complicating matters."

There was no fooling a copper. Holding his glass with two hands, Ryan peered into it, trying to build the courage to talk. Finally, without looking up from the glass, Ryan said, "She's moving to Melbourne."

"Damn. We'll need some more beers, then." He ordered another round.

Once the bartender poured the drinks and sat them on the table, Ryan said, "I thought we had something special, you know. Me and her here in Brooksdale. Family and friends around us. It would have worked out really well."

The corners of Jerry's mouth deepened. "You can't decide what's good for another person. It's Bec's life, too."

A cheer went up in the background. Someone won some money on the TAB.

Jerry added, "If you like her so much, go with her. Brooksdale is not going anywhere."

"It's my home, Jerry. She needs to understand that,"

"But it's not her home. You need to understand that," retorted Jerry.

Ryan looked up into the big man's face. "I've worked so hard here. School, the house, the youth centre. I can't just leave it all. Who would look after that stuff?"

Jerry breathed in deeply through his nose. The sound added weight to what he said next, "That's martyr syndrome right there."

Ryan ran his thumb across his chin before knocking off half of his beer in one gulp. He slammed his glass down. "You mean I haven't done anything worthwhile here?" His voice was louder than he he thought.