The Athletic Groom: Billionaire Marriage Brokers

by Lucy McConnell

  No more. After five days of planning, they were ready to put on their rally caps and make something of this trade. Her main role here today was to supervise and give the nod of approval or shake her head if things weren’t looking good for the team. At the end of the day, she’d either be the hero or the bad guy—either was okay with her. She didn’t care how people saw her as long as her team thrived.

  A guffaw came through the line. “All right, cut the crap—what do you have to offer me?”

  “What if you could get Jackson Kimber before the end of the season?” asked Peter. Acquiring Jackson now would give Seattle a chance to try him on the team without a long-term contract. A long-term, expensive contract. Not to mention they really wanted to win their division and they could use a pitcher with Kimber’s skills. Peter just dangled a very large carrot in front of the Seattle organization.

  There was a slight pause. “I’d be interested. What are you thinking?”

  “We’d need a pitcher—what about Sullivan?” asked Peter. That wasn’t who they’d discussed, but Harper didn’t blink. This was strategy. They were asking for something bigger than they wanted so that when they took the other guy, they could get the tipple-A players as consolation.

  “You’re bustin’ my chops,” came the reply.

  Jeff leaned back in his chair. “What else you got?”

  “What about—?”

  Harper leaned forward—this was the moment when they would find out if their plan was going to work.

  Isaac burst into the room, his jaw set and his hair mussed. Harper gasped, her heart flipping at the sight of him.

  Lauren was right behind him, her lips pressed together. He slammed a paper on the far end of the table. “Consider this my official resignation.”

  A thread of ice went through Harper’s heart and froze her in place.

  “I’m so sorry,” said Lauren. “I told him you were on an important phone call.”

  “What’s going on over there?” asked Seattle.

  Isaac left as fast as he’d entered. Harper shot to her feet. She rolled her hands one over the other, signaling Peter and Jeff to keep going.

  “Isaac!” she yelled down the hallway after him. “Wait!”

  He stopped, his shoulders hunched up around his ears. “What?”

  Harper stopped just in front of him. “I—you—what?” Her mind was back in the conference room, seeing him slam the paper down and the pain etched in his green, tiger-like eyes. She’d had reports on Jackson’s extracurricular activities throughout the road trip and knew that Isaac had been the one to babysit.

  “You can’t quit. I—” She glanced around to make sure they weren’t overheard. “I know Jackson was a pain at the hotel, but we’re in the process of trading him right now. If you can just hang on a few more hours, he’ll clear out for good.” Pride welled up inside her chest. “I have this new vision for the team—there’s greatness here. We’re in the best possible position to build a franchise that will last for generations to come.”

  Isaac’s chin dropped to his chest. “I wish you all the best,” he muttered.

  Harper grabbed on to his arms. His big, beautiful arms. She longed for them to wrap around her and pull her close. “You can’t leave. The team—”

  “It wasn’t about the team, Harper.” He lifted his eyes, his probing gaze digging right into her soul. “I can’t be with a woman who has feelings for another man—even if this is a business marriage.”

  Harper straightened. “I don’t have feelings for another man. Isaac, I love you.” She kneaded his arms, wishing she could send the love she felt for him right through her fingertips and into his muscles and sinews.

  His eyes cut away. “You still care for Jackson. That’s why you couldn’t trade him.”

  Harper’s hands fell to the side as if they were encased in cold cement. “That wasn’t it.”

  “No?” He raised a skeptical eyebrow.

  “No. I—I was afraid of him.” She intertwined her fingers. “I’m so ashamed that I let my fears override my better judgment and that I let him intimidate me.”

  Isaac’s shoulders slowly relaxed as if the information were sinking into his muscles. After a moment, he hesitantly brought his hands to her arms. “I can’t imagine you being intimated by anything.”

  Harper smiled. “I’m not anymore. This is my team now and I’m sick of that weasel messing with my guys. We’re trading him to Seattle right now. In fact, I should probably get in there.” She glanced over her shoulder at the conference room door.

  Isaac’s eyes went wide. “Can I come?” He looked giddy with the prospect.

  “Sorry.” Harper gave him a playful shove. “But this is something I need to do.”

  Isaac laughed. “Fine, but I should probably get my resignation letter back.”

  Harper’s heart did a funny little flip. Like a screwball inside her chest. “Then you’ll stay?”

  Isaac’s hands slid behind her back and he pulled her against his chest. “For as long as you’ll have me.”

  “Hmm, I like that,” she mumbled right before his lips descended on hers.

  29

  Isaac tugged at his tie. He hated the feeling of that makeup powder junk they brushed across his face this morning in preparation for the press conference, but he was looking forward to facing the cameras.

  Harper offered her hand and they walked into the room together. He pulled out her chair and she took her seat, her back straight. She’d officially taken ownership of the team when her dad passed away, but it wasn’t until recently that the team had become hers.

  The Redrocks logo was the same. They wore the same uniforms. The changes on the horizon were subtle. She’d increased the charitable time required from each player. They started making rounds to the local hospitals as well as the elementary schools. She’d created reading programs with tickets to games as rewards. She’d set up camps for high school teams from all over Utah to work with the coaching staff and play on the field. But before all that could happen, the press conference needed to be underway.

  “Don’t tell us the two of you have adopted a new GM?” joked Tommy Stouvier.

  Isaac groaned at his poor attempt at a joke. The man who once frazzled Harper to tears now paled in the shadow of her confidence. She smiled good-naturedly. “No need. Jeff Hickman is already part of the family.”

  “You want to let us in on what’s going on?” prodded the impatient and lacking-in-social-skills reporter.

  “We’re waiting on two more.” Harper indicated the empty seats pushed to the far end of the table. At exactly ten, Jackson and his agent walked through the door. Jackson wore a pair of sunglasses, which he didn’t bother to remove as he sat down in the farthest chair.

  Isaac checked a grin. Trading Kimber before he was a free agent sent a clear signal out that the Redrocks didn’t want him now, nor did they have an interest in signing him later. Harper had burned a bridge and she was all the better for it in Isaac’s eyes.

  He gave her hand a squeeze under the table. Today was her day. She traced her thumb up his, sending his pulse pounding against his wrist.

  “Thank you all for coming. We’ve had a rough season this year. First of all, I’d like to thank the Redrocks team, both on and off the field, for being such a strength to me and my family while we mourn Dad.

  “Dad loved two things dearly: his family and baseball. This team was his way of bringing those two loves together. I’ve come to understand what a great combination that is—family and baseball.” She glanced at Isaac. Squaring her shoulders, she continued. “We’re taking the Redrocks in a new direction. We’ve traded Jackson Kimber to Seattle.”

  There was a gasp and everyone leaned closer.

  Harper stayed strong. “In exchange, we’ve acquired pitcher Nolan Utley and two players for our farm team, Andre Murphy and Jorge Puig. We hope both men will be able to contribute on a professional level in the next few years. We’re excited about this new direction and bel
ieve it will help us to be competitive this season and in the years to come.

  “I’m sure you have a lot of questions for Jackson, so I’ve arranged for him and his agent to sit with you all. Coach Wolfe and I have some things to attend to, if you’ll excuse us.”

  They left as they came in, hand in hand. With the door closing on the clamor of voices trying to get to Jackson, Isaac tugged on Harper, bringing her into his arms, where he nuzzled into her neck. “You were amazing.”

  She giggled, melting against him. He loved that. Loved that she could stand so strong and poised in front of a roomful of people and yet lean on him.

  “I have another contract I’d like to discuss with you.”

  Harper pulled back so she could look him in the eye. “Who do you want to trade?”

  “No one.” He went back to kissing her neck.

  “But …?” Her eyes closed, and he pressed a kiss to her cheek and then her lips.

  “I want to talk about our marriage contract.”

  “Oh?” Her voice was breathy.

  “I’d like an extension.”

  “Oh.” She brightened, biting her bottom lip. “For how long?” Her hand rested on his cheek.

  “Indefinitely.”

  “Hmm—what’s your terms?”

  “All of this.” He gathered her close. “For all of time.”

  “And what do I get?” Her arms went around his neck.

  “All of me,” he said.

  “Deal.” She pulled him close, kissing him with everything she had. Isaac soaked it all in and sent his love right on back, knowing that this was what he had been made for.

  ***

  Thank you for reading The Athletic Groom. If you enjoyed this book, you may also enjoy other wonderful romances in the BMB series by Lucy McConnell listed below.

  To sign up for Lucy’s newsletter, and read the first book in the Billionaire Marriage Broker Series, click here.

  The Billionaire Marriage Broker Series

  The Academic Bride

  The Organized Bride

  The Professional Bride

  The Country Bride

  The Protective Groom

  The Resilient Bride

  The Snow Valley Series

  Blue Christmas

  Love in Light and Shadow

  Romancing a Husband

  The Destination Billionaire Romance Series

  The Reclusive Billionaire

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  About the Author

  Lucy McConnell has always been a reader and a writer. She writes fantasy, clean romance, Christian romance, historical fiction, and cookbooks under the name Christina Dymock.

  When she’s not writing, you can find her volunteering at the elementary school or the church; shuttling kids to baseball, soccer, basketball, or rodeo, depending on the time of year; skiing with her family; wake boarding; cycling; or curled up with a good book.

  You can sign up for her newsletter by clicking here and can check out here website here: http://lucymcconnell.wordpress.com/