“Not in time to graduate on scholarship,” the dean said, shaking her head. “Not unless you make some drastic changes immediately.”
She had to graduate. There was no backup plan for her life, her career, her future. This was everything. Becoming a psychologist and working with at-risk youth was all she’d ever wanted to do. Getting accepted into this prestigious accelerated doctoral program had been the biggest win of her life. She had sworn to herself that she’d do nothing to jeopardize it, and yet…she had. She’d let someone get in between her and what mattered most to her.
Her mother.
“Now, it’s not all bad news.” Dean Spoto flipped through several loose papers on her desk before coming across the one she was looking for and consulting it for a moment. Ashley looked up at Nora once more, and her tense expression eased into a smile. “I’ve spoken to your internship coordinator, and the youth center has nothing but glowing reviews about your clinicals at their after-school program.”
“I really do love it there.” Nora couldn’t help but smile ever so slightly, despite the dismal news she’d just received.
The dean nodded. “That’s fantastic. They said that you’re acting as program coordinator and that they’ve given you more responsibility in the last few months than any intern before you, so that’s great news.”
“Thank you. I check in with my supervisor there after every shift, and following any sessions I have with a child, he and I review the video and he critiques me.”
“Sounds like the perfect clinical experience.” Dean Spoto put down the paper she’d been holding, then flipped through a folder marked with Nora’s name. “Now we just need to focus on your classes. What do you think has been going on?”
Nora cleared her throat and sat up straighter. “I’m working a lot.”
The dean looked at the file in front of her and frowned. “Well, according to this, you’re doing twenty-five hours a week at the youth center. That, plus attending classes and studying, is certainly a full load. However, it should be doable. Are you talking about another job on top of that?”
Nora fidgeted with her fingers in her lap, unable to make eye contact with the woman across the desk. “I, um—”
“Listen, Nora,” the dean interrupted. “We are very clear with the students accepted into this particular program: they should be attending their classes, studying, and completing their clinicals. That’s their job. Holding down another job, even a part-time job, is not acceptable; if it’s discovered, it could result in your losing your scholarship. That’s why the scholarship covers your tuition and provides a stipend for your living expenses. This program is very exclusive; many students would do anything to have the opportunity you’ve been given.”
Nora said nothing, still refusing to meet the dean’s eyes. She’d known when she’d taken an outside job that doing so was against the rules—that’s why she’d found a place to work that was far away from the campus. But she’d had no choice. She needed much more than the tiny stipend, which barely covered food and rent. Her mother needed a lot more.
She found herself wishing she had never gotten out of Kane’s bed this morning. Having his strong arms still around her while curled up in the warm sheets and ignoring her responsibilities sounded much more appealing than the dean’s reminder that she was barely hanging on to her dreams.
Dean Spoto pushed her hair back over her shoulders and sighed. “I’m sure you’re not working another job—I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page before you said anything else.”
Nora glanced up, finally meeting the dean’s gaze. The woman’s expression indicated that she knew exactly what Nora was doing, and that she was trying to keep Nora from outing herself.
Choosing to follow the dean’s lead, Nora nodded. “I understand. What do I need to do to graduate?”
“There are two papers in each of your classes, plus midterms in two weeks, and then finals at the end of the semester. You’ll need at least an A minus on all of them to be eligible to graduate, as well as take on an extra class to earn enough credits to graduate. If you’re committed to doing all those things, you should be able to graduate by the end of next semester.”
Nora took a deep breath and nodded.
Dean Spoto pushed all the papers back into Nora’s folder and closed it. “If you’re unable to do that, then you’ll need to repeat the classes entirely, but your scholarship will not continue to cover your tuition or pay your stipend for the additional time you need to redo the coursework.”
“I can do it,” Nora answered quickly, leaning forward in her seat. There was no way at all she could afford this program without her scholarship. Even if she could, she wanted to be finished on time.
“I believe that completely,” the dean agreed, a smile returning to her face. “You’ve been among the brightest students in this program. I have faith in you.”
“Thank you.” A flood of relief washed through Nora as she realized she wasn’t going to be ditched—she just needed to refocus and apply herself. She swallowed hard, appreciating the dean’s confidence in her. She needed every bit of it.
“I’m serious, Nora. You can do this, and I’m here to help with anything you need.” Dean Spoto pulled a business card out of a holder on her desk and handed it to her. “Here’s my information. Call me, e-mail me, whatever. I’ll help in any way that I can.”
Nora took the card, looked at it briefly, then tucked it into her purse. “Thank you, Dean.”
“Ashley,” the dean reminded her as she stood up. “Thank you for coming in to speak to me today.”
Nora got to her feet, and they shook hands. “I appreciate your taking the time to see me, and your offer to help. I’ll definitely make sure my studies and the clinicals are my top priorities.”
The dean smiled. “That’s what I like to hear.”
Chapter 5
“Are you kidding me?” Kane leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees. “I’m three months away from the biggest fight of my life, Dad. I don’t have the time. I wish I did, because I love kids, but my schedule is packed.”
“I’m not saying you need to jump in headfirst.” Seamus leaned over his big metal desk in the family gym’s office and steepled his fingers, leveling his gaze at Kane. “I’m just saying to introduce yourself to them now, let them get excited for you and the fight, see what hard work can do. Then, when you’ve got more time after your win, you can do a bit more mentoring.”
Kane grunted. “Me, a mentor?”
“I agree,” Quinn finally spoke up from the door, where he leaned on the jamb. A sly grin slid over his face. “No one wants this fucker as his mentor.”
Kane narrowed his eyes at his tattooed and pierced younger brother. “Fuck you. They would if I had the time, but I don’t. You’re my manager, for shit’s sake. You know what my schedule is like.”
It wasn’t just that he was busy—he knew that was just an excuse. Anything to do with kids involved a level of responsibility and maturity he just didn’t feel he had. He wasn’t mentor material, and the idea of anyone looking up to him was terrifying. He wasn’t about to admit that to his family, though.
Seamus drummed his fingers against the desk. “Kieran already told them you’d say yes, so it’s being arranged with the youth center. When the kids from the outreach program arrive, you and your brothers will help them train.”
Of course Kieran had said that. Sometimes being a twin wasn’t as advantageous as others thought. Exhaling loudly, Kane nodded his head in agreement. “Fine, I’ll do what I can, but this fight has to come first. I can put in more time after it’s over.”
“Agreed.” Seamus leaned back in his chair and nodded. “They’ll be here in two hours, so put in a little face time after you finish your session with Rory.”
Kane nodded and headed out of the office to find Rory. He tensed at the sound of hurried footsteps from behind them.
“Hey,” said Quinn as he caught up, “I need to go over
some of the Vegas details with you.”
Kane glanced at his brother but kept walking toward the main floor of the gym. “What’s up?”
Quinn quickly began rattling off plans for the press surrounding the fight, upcoming press tours and promotions, parties they’d be attending where they would network, and details about plane tickets and hotel rooms that he’d booked. He knew exactly how to make the press work in Kane’s favor, and he was using every connection he had.
That dichotomy was something Kane truly admired about his younger brother. On the one hand, Quinn had a bit of the class clown in him, despite his tough, inked-up appearance. But on the other hand, he was smarter than the rest of them combined. He knew business and strategy in a way Kane would never. When it was time to talk work, Quinn was dead serious, and Kane trusted him with his career.
“That all sounds perfect, Q. Looks like you got it all handled.” Kane clapped his brother on the back before they separated, and Kane headed to the rings.
As Kane’s trainer, Rory ran him through drills and practice until Kane was slick with sweat and his heart pounded in his chest. That was the best part. He didn’t want to stop and take a break; he wanted to power through. He wanted to keep fighting.
He wanted to win.
The adrenaline rush he got while in the ring had no rival. He was pumped and eager, ready to go another round. And sure enough, that’s when the teenagers from the youth center began trickling in.
“Kane!” Kieran called from where he stood with a group of four young boys who looked as if they were made of flimsy noodles. “Come over here!”
Kane nodded and signaled that he’d be over in a moment. He and Rory soon reached a point when they could take a break, and Kane caught his breath. After unwrapping his hands and wiping his brow, he made his way over to the group of boys, who were now being given a tour of the gym.
“Hey, man.” Kieran dropped a hand on Kane’s shoulder before turning to the kids. “This is my brother, Kane. He’s been working the circuit for a while. Currently undefeated, he’s battling Xavier in the Las Vegas National Championships at the end of the summer.”
There were murmurs of cool and awesome and are you guys twins? Kane just nodded along and plastered on a smile. “Good to meet you guys. Ready to get started?”
“There are a few more kids coming. Should be here any minute,” his brother said, looking toward the entrance.
“We’re here!” A familiar blonde hurried up to the group with several teenage boys slinking behind her; the kids didn’t seem nearly as enthusiastic as she sounded. “Sorry we’re late. What’d we miss?”
“I was just introducing Kane.” Kieran repeated his short speech for the newcomers.
Kane wasn’t listening, because the woman who’d been on his mind for days was standing in front of him.
“Nora.” Kane addressed her immediately, unable to keep the grin from his face as he appreciated how beautiful she looked in a light blue, schoolteacher-type dress. “It’s good to see you.”
Nora gave him a polite smile then turned her attention back to Kieran.
That’s it? Seriously? Kane frowned, aware of a sinking feeling in his gut that he wasn’t used to. It wasn’t as if he was expecting her to leap into his arms and shove her tongue down his throat, but he hadn’t expected silent indifference. It was as if she didn’t want him at all.
He was Kane “Killer” Kavanagh, and never—never—had a woman rejected him before.
He had no intention of allowing Nora to be the first.
—
“Nora!” She heard her name being called from across the gym. Turning her attention away from the kids in her youth program, she saw her best friend waving her over from the front desk.
Nora glanced back toward the teens in her care but saw they were all gathered around the closest ring watching Kane and Kieran duking it out. She could tell the men were going easy on each other, pausing periodically to explain a move or technique to the kids. The passion in Kane’s eyes in the ring made her heart beat faster with pride.
And the way he’d looked at her was impossible to forget. Their night together had been…memorable—and that was putting it mildly. She didn’t want it to be their last.
Even if nothing more came of it, and sex was all they shared between them, she’d take it. She’d like to say she was better than that and would never agree to being anyone’s fuck buddy, but now that she knew what he had to offer? Hell, yes.
Then he’d greeted her, and the glint of mischievousness in his eyes had nearly killed her. Her next breath had backed up in her lungs, and her mouth had dried up like a desert. Darts of energy had roamed through her system, alerting her body to his proximity in anticipation of a repeat performance.
So, she’d literally said nothing. She didn’t trust her mouth not to betray her if she opened it, but of course, staying silent had probably made her look rude.
Which was probably for the best.
“Nora, I’ve got so much to tell you!” Fiona gave her a giant hug when she reached the front desk. The tall brunette had several inches on her and was one of the most beautiful women Nora had ever known, but in a natural, almost subtle way. They’d met through their mothers, who had been best friends before Fiona’s mother had been killed a few years back. Fiona now owned a thriving flower shop right here in Woodlawn.
“I’ve got some news myself,” Nora replied, wondering if she should tell Fiona about Kane. Normally, she’d tell her everything, but Fiona was engaged to Kieran. It was undoubtedly a serious gray area to sleep with your best friend’s fiancé’s twin brother.
“Perfect, I have only a few minutes before I have to pick up Shea from school,” Fiona said as she leaned against the counter to talk. “So…you know how you’ve been asking me what I want to do for my bachelorette party?”
“Did you finally decide? I’ve been asking for weeks!”
Fiona had asked Nora to be her maid of honor the day after Kieran proposed to her, and of course Nora had said yes. Her schedule was insanely packed with classes, the youth center, studying, and work—which she definitely planned to quit after her meeting with the dean, but she couldn’t afford to just yet. She would make time to be there for her best friend, though, who was like family, because Fiona had always been there for her. She couldn’t imagine it any other way.
“I did.” Fiona beamed. “Actually, Kieran and I decided together.”
“Please tell me we’re not doing a co-ed party. That’s so boring.”
Fiona shook her head. “No, but since all of us are going to be in Vegas for the weekend of Kane’s championship in a few months, I thought we could do it there! Same night, but different parties for each of us, of course.”
“That does sound like a lot of fun,” Nora said slowly, trying to figure out how many extra nights she’d have to work to afford such a luxurious trip. Not to mention the time she’d be taking away from her studies. “But I wasn’t planning on going to Kane’s fight.”
“Are you kidding? You’ve got to go!” Fiona assured her with a wave of her hand. “I know you’ve got a lot on your plate right now, but this isn’t something you’re going to want to miss.”
Nora laughed. “But no pressure, right?” Sarcasm teased her words, but she knew Fiona was right. After everything they’d been through together, she’d regret missing anything to do with Fiona’s special day. “I’ll figure something out. I definitely don’t want to miss anything to do with my girl getting married.”
Fiona raised her brow and gave her a teasing smile. “Promise?”
Nora smiled, a slight warmth suffusing her cheeks, and nodded. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
“Oh my goodness, we are going to have the best time!” Fiona pulled Nora in for a hug. “I’m getting married, and my best friend in the world is going to be by my side. I seriously can’t think of anything better.”
“Viva Las Vegas!” Nora grinned, her heart warming at the pure joy on her frien
d’s face. “Who else is coming?”
“The usual gang—Casey, Clare, Dee. The guys will be there for the fight, of course.” Fiona shrugged. “Oh, and Kiera Finley is coming to watch Shea.”
“You’re bringing Shea? To Vegas?” Kiera was a fresh-faced college student who lived in the neighborhood and worked during the summers at the dog shelter that Rory owned. She’d often babysit Shea when Fiona was working, and Shea had bonded with her like family.
“Yep, Kiera will help watch her in the hotel room, and we’ll take her to the family-friendly places.”
Nora frowned. “Are there family-friendly places in Vegas?”
“A few.” Fiona gave her a big smile that made Nora feel like there was more she wasn’t telling her. She decided it wasn’t her place to pry, though, and Fiona would definitely tell her when she was ready.
“All right, well, send me the dates and I’ll check out the flights.”
“Oh, flights and rooms are already booked. You just need to get your butt on the plane!”
Nora’s jaw dropped. “Seriously? I can’t let you pay for all that. I’m the maid of honor—isn’t paying for all this supposed to be my job?” Her stomach turned at the thought, but Fiona had helped her a lot over the years, so there was no way Nora would say no to her.
“I didn’t pay for it, and neither should you,” Fiona said. “The sponsors for Kane’s fight got him a whole block of rooms for anyone he wants to bring with him, and they’re paying for a private plane for us all.”
Nora’s jaw dropped. “Wow! What? How?”
“Do you ever watch the fights on TV?” Fiona asked. “This fight is huge. Kane’s becoming famous, babe.”
“I don’t usually, but yeah, wow.” Nora was quickly beginning to realize that Kane had a lot on the line, and that was all the more reason why she should stay away from him. “So that’s why you wanted to do the party there.”
Fiona beamed, looking proud of herself. “Two birds, one stone.”
“That’s true,” Nora agreed, glancing back over toward the main gym. She couldn’t help but smile when she saw Kane high-fiving one of her favorite students, a young teenage boy whose shy personality held him back from making friends. Kane seemed to have no trouble getting through to him, though, and the kid’s face was lit up brighter than she’d ever seen. “Our thirteen-year-old selves would absolutely die if they knew we were going to be on a private plane to Vegas.”
Becoming a Legend Page 5