THIRTEEN
ELIZABETH STARED OUT
OVER DOWNTOWN SAINT LOUIS from her office on the twent y-seventh
floor. The sun shone brightly over the Mississippi River. Tugboats
sailed down the muddy river, and the sun glinted off the silver
Gateway Arch, nearly blinding her.
It was about damn
time the sun came out after two weeks of nonstop rain. Just in time
for baseball season’s opening week, too. At least that would make
some people happy.
Not her. But some
people.
Bright and sunny
outside. Dark and moody inside.
With a sigh she
pushed off the credenza and paced her office, staring at the clock
on her laptop just waiting for the call from her prospective
client, NFL pro Jamarcus Daniels.
Rumor had it
Jamarcus’s agent was in a financial free fall, and Jamarcus was
ready to bail on him, which meant every sports agent out there had
been courting Jamarcus for the past week, including Elizabeth.
She’d flown to Cleveland and met with him and his wife, wined them,
dined them, talked terms, and offered representation. She had a
really good feeling about this guy. He seemed honest and genuine,
and his wife was very sweet. Elizabeth laid it all out there for
him, told him what she could do for his career and advised him not
to wait too long before making the change. Rod Franklin, his
current agent, was in deep trouble financially due to some risky
investment strategies. He was losing clients left and right, and
the sharks were circling.
Elizabeth should
know since she was one of the sharks hoping to grab some of Rod’s
clients.
Showing weakness
could destroy a sports agent, and Rod was bleeding heavily. His
time in the industry was over, and he knew it. The best he could
hope for was being able to pay his taxes on time in the coming
year, because he was sure as hell going to lose every one of his
clients.
Not her problem.
Business was business, and only the strong survived.
She sat at her desk
and checked her e-mail, excited to see an e-mail from
Jamarcus.
“Son of a
bitch.”
He thanked her for
meeting with him, said a lot of nice things about her, then said
he’d signed with the Davis Agency.
Fuck!
She shoved her
laptop and stood, kicked her chair across the room, crossed her
arms and stared out the window again.
Another loss to the
Davis Agency. What the fuck was Don Davis offering to these guys as
incentive to sign with him anyway? That was two she’d lost to
him.
Three if she counted
Mick, who was also with Davis now.
Mick. She wondered
if Mick had something to do with all of this. As mad as he’d been
at her over the whole Tara affair, she wouldn’t put it past him to
try and sabotage her agency.
Mick was a draw, a
huge name, and a lot of athletes followed who was repped by what
agent. Successful sports stars got great deals because of who their
agent was. Smart players knew who those agents were.
Elizabeth had many
big names on her client roster, but there was no doubt Mick firing
her had hurt her—continued to hurt her—as evidenced by losing Steve
and Jamarcus to the Davis Agency.
Dammit. She hated
being suspicious of Mick, but being suspicious had kept her on top
of her game for the past ten years. She hadn’t become successful by
being blind. She was almost certain that Mick and Don Davis were
working together behind her back.
She picked up her
phone and pressed the button for her assistant,
Colleen.
“Yes?”
“Get me the list of
the Davis Agency clients, Colleen.”
“You got
it.”
She turned around
and glared out the window, missing Florida and the fun she’d had
there.
She missed Gavin,
too. Then again this was like it had always been before, so she was
used to it. She’d kept her distance from Gavin to protect her
heart, and she’d let her guard down, allowed herself to get close
to him, and gotten used to having him around.
Big mistake, and it
wouldn’t happen again. It was best to keep her relationship with
Gavin professional.
She hadn’t heard a
word from him since she’d left him that note.
Not that she’d
expected to. He had probably grown tired of her being there with
him and just couldn’t figure out how to ask her to leave. Good
thing she was smart and insightful and knew when it was time to
pack up and go.
She inhaled, sighed,
and returned to her desk and her paperwork, burying herself in her
work so she didn’t have to think.
Her assistant buzzed
in about an hour later.
“Tyler Anderson is
on the phone,” Colleen said.
Elizabeth’s brows
raised. Tyler Anderson was a premier hockey player for the Saint
Louis Ice. And not one of her clients.
“Thanks, Colleen.”
She picked up her
phone. “This is Elizabeth Darnell.”
“Ms. Darnell, this
is Tyler Anderson. I play for the Saint Louis Ice hockey
team.”
“I know who you are,
Tyler. What can I do for you?”
“First, you can call
me Ty. Second, my agent is an ass.”
Elizabeth grinned,
adrenaline pumping through her system as she took a seat at her
desk and brought up Ty Anderson’s stats and bio. “I take it then
that you’re interested in changing agents and working with
me?”
“Yeah. Eddie
Wolkowski said you’re a good agent and that we should
talk.”
She made a mental
note to send Eddie, one of her clients and another player on the
Ice, a bottle of his favorite whiskey. “That’s nice of him to
say.”
“Can we arrange a
meeting?”
She clicked open her
calendar. “At your convenience.”
“I want to get this
done soon. I already gave my agent the boot.”
She made
arrangements to meet with Ty, then hung up and swung around in her
chair.
Finally, things were
starting to look up. Ty was a star player, and even better, as she
discovered when Colleen had brought her the list of Davis Agency
clients, Ty Anderson was with the Davis Agency. It would be an
absolute boon to steal him away from Don Davis since Davis had been
doing his damned best to bleed her dry over the past six
months.
It was about time
she started getting some payback.
OPENING WEEK OF THE
SEASON NEVER FAILED TO MAKE Gavin feel like a kid. It wouldn’t
matter how many years he played baseball, he’d still be six years
old, and the sights and sounds and smells of the home stadium would
still fill him with the excitement he’d felt when his dad had
brought him to his first Rivers game. He’d been wide-eyed and taken
it all in, from the sheer size of the stadium to the smell of hot
dogs and popcorn to the deafening screams of all the fans. He’d
fallen in love with baseball that first day, and the thrill had
never left him. It didn’t matter if he was sitting in the seats
watching a game or standing at first base ready to field a ball.
The love of the game was in his blood, and he’d never tire of
it.
Putting on the
uniform was an honor, one he didn’t take lightly. He knew how hard
players worked to make it to the major leagues, knew how few did
and how easily that privilege could be lost, and he savored every
minute he was allowed to play, because it could all go away with
one big injury or a loss of mojo.
So far so good,
though. The preseason had ended pretty well for the Rivers, even
though Gavin hadn’t batted as well as he thought he should. His
game hadn’t been consistent. He’d been all over the place and not
all of it had been good. He’d lost his focus somewhere mid
preseason, and he hoped to get it back now that the season had
started.
“You gonna just
stare into your locker all night, or do you think you might get off
your ass and play some baseball?”
Gavin lifted his
gaze toward Dedrick. “I’m channeling my mojo.”
Dedrick leaned
against the locker, his glove under his arm. “Maybe your mojo is
somewhere up your ass, and that’s why you can’t find
it.”
Gavin snorted.
“Likely.”
“Or maybe your
pretty redheaded girlfriend ran off with it when she stopped coming
to the preseason games.”
Gavin didn’t want to
think about Elizabeth. “No woman has ever had my mojo.” He grabbed
his cup. “I got all the mojo I need right here.”
Dedrick laughed.
“Yeah, that’s what we all say, ’til some woman brings us to our
knees.”
“Just because it
happened to you, doesn’t mean it’s going to happen to me, brother.”
Gavin stood and followed Dedrick down the long hallway toward the
dugout. “You ready?”
Dedrick touched his
glove to Gavin’s. “Hell yeah. Ready for this season to get under
way. You?”
“You know
it.”
“Then let’s play
some ball and kick Milwaukee’s ass.”
“SO GAVIN RILEY IS
ONE OF YOUR CLIENTS, RIGHT?”
Elizabeth sat in the
owner’s box with Ty, her new client. He wanted to see the game, she
wanted to impress him, so she got him seats in the owner’s box
since she and Clyde Ross, owner of the Rivers, were
close.
She made it a point
to be on friendly terms with all the team owners. Not too close,
but close enough that negotiations would go her way and her clients
would get a good deal. Owners trusted her because they knew she
wasn’t out to screw them over. She didn’t give them drug- or
steroid-addled players or players who were interested only in
becoming the next action movie star. She represented players who
were serious about their sport. Which was why she’d spent several
days in close meetings with Ty Anderson before she signed him on.
She checked out his background and his playing history, wanted to
make sure there were no skeletons in his closet, then she hit him
with some tough questions and let him know she’d tolerate no
bullshit. He had to be serious about playing hockey and staying in
the sport. Money was great and all, but as she told all her
clients, it wasn’t just about the money. They had to love their
sport.
By the time she’d
spent several days with Ty, she was convinced he lived, breathed,
and ate hockey, which was just what she loved in a client. They’d
signed the papers yesterday.
“Yes, Gavin is one
of my clients.”
“He’s damn good at
first base. I played first base when I was a kid. Football, too.
Tight end.”
Elizabeth lifted her
glass of wine and took a sip, studying Ty. “A little schizophrenic
about your sports, were you?”
Ty laughed, a deep,
booming sound that matched the man. “Hey, I had to play them all
before I figured out what I wanted to do. Hockey seemed to fit me.
Probably because I was always getting into fights.”
“I can so see that
about you.” She was going to make a fortune off him and product
endorsements. Don Davis might be able to sign players to a team
contract, but he didn’t know shit about promoting a player through
the media.
Women’s tongues were
going to be dragging on the ground when they discovered Ty.
Elizabeth had to get him a cologne or deodorant ad. Something that
would feature him in print media. He had steely bluish gray eyes
that simply penetrated when he looked at you, a square jaw, the
kind of rough stubble that made a woman want his face rubbing
across the tender parts of her skin, and he was tall and just
utterly built like a man.
He was rough around
the edges and a little crude, but he wasn’t rude. He was the kind
of man who knew he was a man and made no apologies about it. If
Elizabeth wasn’t stupidly hung up on Gavin, she could easily drool
over Ty.
But despite
appreciating his utter masculinity and fabulous good looks, the man
didn’t hit her hot buttons in the least.
She intended for
many women to fall madly in love with Ty. She just wasn’t going to
be one of them.
“Elizabeth. So glad
you called me today.”
She rose to great
Clyde, who kissed her cheek and gave her a hug. At sixty-four,
Clyde was robust and an avid golfer. She played a few rounds with
him whenever the weather was good and she had a free day on her
calendar.
“Hello, Clyde. Thank
you for allowing us to join you in the box tonight. I know opening
day brings a crowd.”
“Nonsense,” he said,
his brown eyes bright with excitement. “Always room for you in
here.”
Elizabeth introduced
Ty to Clyde. Clyde beamed. “You’re the center for the Ice. I go to
many of the games.”
“Thank you, Mr.
Ross. It’s an honor to meet you. I attend as many of the Rivers
games as I can. You have a great team.”
Ty was an awesome
ass kisser. A point in his favor.
“I’ll make sure you
have season tickets and good seats, then. Bring some friends with
you and talk us up.”
“Yes,
sir.”
Clyde and Ty struck
up a conversation about their respective sports, which left
Elizabeth free to visit with some of the other people in the box,
including Clyde’s wife, Helen, who had showed up late with their
daughter Aubry. Aubry was a cute, petite blonde with the brains to
match her beauty. She was in med school at Washington University
and didn’t often have time to pop in and see a game.
“How’s medical
school?” Elizabeth asked.
Aubry rolled her
eyes. “Torture. Pure hell. I love it.”
Elizabeth laughed.
“Of course you do. You were born to be a doctor. It’ll all be worth
it when it’s over.”
Aubry blew out a
breath and pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. “At this
point I don’t see a light at the end of the tunnel, but I know
someday it’ll be over and I’ll be delivering babies.”
Elizabeth grinned.
She’d always loved Aubry, could remember meeting her when she was
in high school. It made her feel old, as if time had passed her by
and maybe she’d missed out on marriage and having a family. Not
that she’d ever wanted those things.
One couldn’t have
everything, could they? Elizabeth had long ago decided that her
career would be the number-one priority in her life and nothing
else would get in the way. No man, no marriage, no children.
Sacrifices would have to be made because she couldn’t have it all.
No one could.
But lately . .
.
Well, there was no
point in thinking about that. She’d made her choices: she had a
successful career, and she was happy.
Mostly.
She turned her
attention to the game, to Gavin digging in at first base. He looked
good. More than good, actually. Tanned and muscular, his fine ass
stretched his uniform as he bent to scoop up a grounder and run to
touch the base before the runner got there. He threw the ball, his
muscled forearms glistening in the waning sunlight.
She inhaled, let out
a small sigh and sat, enraptured, through the rest of the game.
Since she’d gotten to know Shawnelle and Haley, she paid particular
attention to Dedrick and Tommy. Dedrick played third base, and
Tommy was a relief pitcher, right now set up to pitch in the middle
innings if needed. He didn’t get to see a whole lot of action. But
Haley had told them they were grooming Tommy to be a
starter.
Gavin had gone one
for four on the night, which wasn’t his best, but he did knock in a
run. The nail-biter came in the ninth when the bases were loaded
and Dedrick was up. The game was tied so if he didn’t bring a run
in, they were going to extra innings.
Elizabeth leaned
forward in her seat, her fingers clasped together as Dedrick stared
down Milwaukee’s closer. Dedrick dug his toe into the dirt, leaned
in, and swung. It skidded along the third-base line, and Elizabeth
held her breath, certain it was going to slide outside the foul
line.
It didn’t. It stayed
fair, and the runners took off from first and second. She leaped
from her chair and squealed with delight as Jose charged around
third base toward home while the right fielder scrambled for the
ball. As soon as Jose touched home plate, the game was over. They
only needed that one run to win the game.
The stadium erupted
into chaos. The Rivers had won.
“That was a great
game,” Ty said, turning to her with a grin.
“It was, wasn’t
it?”
“Thanks for bringing
me. I’m new to the city and haven’t had much of a chance to get out
to meet too many people. Since the move to the U.S. after the trade
to the Ice, I’ve been busy finding a place to live and playing
hockey. And then changing agents, of course. It’s nice to get out
and do something for a change.”
“But you like the
team change?”
“Of course. I was
the one who wanted the change. Davis resisted.”
Elizabeth leaned
against the wall and crossed her arms. “Why?”
Ty shrugged. “No
clue. He just said I should stay with Toronto, that change was
never good.”
Elizabeth laughed.
“Your stats were abysmal in Toronto. Since the trade, you’ve been
kicking ass on the ice. And with the Ice. Sometimes change is
exactly what a player needs.”
“That’s what I
thought, too. But hey, that’s why I’ve got you and not him. He and
I never saw eye to eye on my career. You and me mesh.”
She grinned. “Yes,
we do. And I’m glad you’re happy. Now you can relax, play excellent
hockey, and enjoy life in Saint Louis. The guys on your team are
great. You should get to know them.”
“I have. A few of us
are making plans to go out this weekend.”
“Settle in and make
this your home. From what I hear from the team owner, you’re going
to be here awhile. He likes you and your style of
play.”
“Hey, Ty, want a
tour of our fine facility here?”
Ty perked up at
Clyde’s suggestion. “Love one. Come on, Elizabeth.”
She shook her head,
not wanting to go anywhere near the locker room. “I’ve seen the
place, but you go ahead.”
“Come with us,
Elizabeth. Afterward, you and Ty can come with Helen and Aubry and
me. I’m buying dinner.”
Crap. Schmoozing the
owner was on the top of her list of things to do, and she never
turned down an opportunity to hang out with him. “What a nice
offer. We’d love to, wouldn’t we, Ty?”
“I’d consider it an
honor. Thank you.”
Clyde took them on
the standard tour of the ballpark, from the executive offices all
the way down to the players’ locker room. Elizabeth opted to wait
outside the locker room with Helen and Aubry while the guys went
inside, but she was certain Ty would get a kick out of meeting some
of the players.
Elizabeth preferred
not to see Gavin. In fact she hoped like hell she could avoid
it.
“That guy is
gorgeous,” Aubry said.
“Which guy? Oh,
Ty?”
“Yes. Makes me wish
I had a nanosecond of free time to date. The only men I get to hang
around with are the other medical students.”
“Well, you do have a
lot in common with them.”
“True. My mother
tells me I’m destined to marry one. She’s probably
right.”
“Or a baseball
player.”
She rolled her eyes.
“The last person I would ever marry is a baseball player. I’ve been
surrounded by them my entire life. I think I’ll stick with doctors.
Baseball players have entirely too much ego.”
Elizabeth laughed.
“And doctors don’t?”
“Okay. Good point.
But I think I’ll take my chances with doctors. Their egos I can
handle. Baseball players on the other hand? Ugh.”
“You’re right about
that, Aubry. We’re horrible.”
Aubry’s eyes
widened. “Gavin. You know I didn’t mean you.”
Shit. Elizabeth
turned around. Gavin stood outside the locker room door with
Ty.
Gavin grinned at
Aubry, didn’t even look at her. “Just teasing you, Bree.” He leaned
over and kissed her cheek.
Aubry blew out a
breath. “You scared me, dammit. You know some of those guys really
have inflated opinions of themselves. I might hurt some
feelings.”
Gavin hugged her
against him. “Not me. I don’t have feelings.”
She laughed and so
did Helen. “Gavin, you played well tonight.”
Gavin shrugged. “Not
as good as I’d like to, but thank you, Helen. Clyde said to tell
you he’d be out in a minute. He’s giving an inspirational
speech.”
Helen rolled her
eyes. “Oh, Lord. I’m starving. We could be waiting an hour. Do go
move him along, Gavin.”
“Yes,
ma’am.”
Gavin stepped back
inside the locker room. In five minutes, Clyde was out. With
Gavin.
Damn. Elizabeth had
hoped he wouldn’t come back outside.
“Finally,” Helen
said. “I was about to faint. Gavin, are you coming to dinner with
us?”
“Apparently. Clyde
insisted.”
“Excellent. Let’s
go, then. The limo is outside.”
Well, what a big,
happy group this was. Gavin skirted a look in her direction as Ty
grabbed her arm and escorted her to the limo. She wondered if Gavin
thought Ty was her date for the evening. He didn’t seem pleased by
that.
Elizabeth, on the
other hand, was wholly pleased by the idea that Gavin looked a
little less than his usual overconfident self.
They ate at an
elegant restaurant downtown that afforded them privacy and a superb
view of the riverfront. Clyde ordered champagne and toasted the
Rivers new season.
“Gavin, was your
family there tonight?”
“Not tonight. You
know my family runs a bar in south Saint Louis, so they packed the
crowds in for opening night.”
Clyde smiled and
nodded. “Well done. I like your parents. I hope to see them at our
opening month picnic.”
“You will. Mick
should be in town for that, too.”
“Excellent. I’m sure
he’s on cloud nine after his Super Bowl win.”
Gavin grinned.
“Yeah, he was pretty stoked about winning the Super Bowl, but I
think he’s more excited about planning his wedding to
Tara.”
Elizabeth kept her
gaze averted, not wanting to listen in or get involved at all when
discussions turned to Mick.
“Now, Ty, tell me
about yourself. Getting all settled in?”
“Yes, sir. I’ve got
a temporary place I’m staying in right now. Just waiting for the
season to be over with this month, then I’m going house
hunting.”
“I’ll put you in
touch with an excellent Realtor we know,” Helen said. “She’ll be
happy to help you.”
Ty nodded. “Thank
you. I’d like that. Elizabeth has been helpful. It’s obvious she
knows the area.”
She smiled. “I’ve
got a few clients here.”
Ty grinned at her.
“And now you have one more.”
Gavin coughed.
Elizabeth ignored him, glad he was sitting at the other end of the
table entertaining Aubry, who was shooting interested glances
toward Ty.
This whole dinner
would be comical if Elizabeth wasn’t acutely aware of Gavin’s gaze
on her the entire time. And okay, maybe she had been shamelessly
flirting with Ty, who cast her knowing smirks as if he knew exactly
what she was doing because she’d treated him completely
professionally from the get-go. Until tonight. So she was being
blatantly obvious, and Ty wasn’t the clueless type.
Damn
men.
Ty leaned in and
whispered in her ear. “How badly do you want this
guy?”
She turned her face
to him. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“I mean, do you want
me to kiss you, or would just holding your hand be
enough?”
“Neither. I’m not
playing games here, Ty.”
“Oh, I think you’re
definitely playing games, Elizabeth.” He ran his finger up her bare
arm. “And don’t look, but the fish is biting.”
She didn’t look, but
felt Gavin’s gaze on her. Instead, she lifted her gaze to Ty. “Stop
that.”
“You don’t want me
to stop. You want him to watch. You want him to get
jealous.”
“No, I don’t. Gavin
is a client.”
“So?”
“So, I keep my
professional life and my private life separate.”
Ty’s generous lips
lifted as he raised his glass and took a drink. “Apparently
not.”
“You’re a smug son
of a bitch, you know that?”
“So I’ve been told.
But your boyfriend over there doesn’t care that I’m smug, only that
I’m paying attention to you.”
“He’s not my—” She
rolled her eyes and gave up, happy when the food arrived and her
argument with Ty ended. Not that it kept him from talking to her,
which he did—rather incessantly throughout dinner. And since she’d
found him to be mostly quiet during their previous meetings, she
chalked it up to him trying to irritate Gavin.
The competitive
nature of men and its relationship to women was one she’d never be
able to understand. Add men in sports to the equation, and the
competitiveness quadrupled. Ty had done everything but haul her
onto his lap, and only because he did manage to take time out from
his blatant flirting to eat his steak.
Gavin, on the other
hand, seemed content to keep Aubry company. He had her laughing and
engaged in conversation, so maybe Ty was totally off base, because
not once did Elizabeth see Gavin glancing her way.
“He’s not even
looking at me.”
“Not when you’re
looking at him,” Ty explained. “But as soon as you turn away, he’s
looking. Trust me. I’ve got this under control. I know when to turn
up the heat. And you know I won’t mind if you want to use me to
make your boy toy jealous.”
Trust him? Ha. At
this point she’d like to kick him with her pointy-toed shoe. She
somehow made it through dinner and the limo ride back to the
stadium, thanked Clyde and Helen when they dropped her off at her
car, declined Ty’s offer to accompany her and make sure she was
safely escorted back to her condo. She opened her car door, slid
in, and laid her head against the steering wheel.
What an epic
disaster. She hadn’t expected to run into Gavin tonight when she’d
brought Ty to the game. It was a big damn stadium. She’d thought
sliding Ty into the owner’s box would be a piece of cake. They’d
watch the game, slip out, and Gavin would have never known she was
there.
Except his SUV was
rolling toward her right now.
No. She had nothing
to say to him. She started her car up and put it in gear, made a
right turn, and headed for the ballpark exit, Gavin’s headlights
right behind her. She pulled out of the park, conscious of him
following her as she pulled onto the highway.
Okay, so she knew
he’d take the same highway going home. No big deal, right? But he
stayed right behind her the entire time. Surely he didn’t intend to
follow her, did he? What did they possibly have to say to each
other? Unless he was trying to find out if she had a tryst with
Ty?
A tryst? She laughed
out loud.
Yeah, and you watch
too many Lifetime television movies, Elizabeth.
She was being
ridiculous. If Gavin was at all interested in what she was doing or
who she was seeing, he’d have called her after she abruptly left
his beach house a few weeks ago.
He hadn’t. Which
meant he wasn’t interested. They were over.
Ignoring the hurt,
she took the highway exit.
So did
he.
Butterflies took up
residence in her stomach and stayed there as she pulled into her
driveway.
Gavin didn’t,
instead driving past her condo entrance as she got out. She waited,
wondering if he was going to pull up to the security
gate.
He didn’t. She
watched him drive to the end of the street and turn back onto the
highway, headed in the direction of his house.
Well, son of a
bitch.