by Anna Albo
“How can next year be any worse than finishing last?”
“Good point.”
“Why don’t we order in tonight? Have a nice evening? I can help you make more room for my things, or we can find something else to do,” she said, a sly smile spreading across her lips.
“What time were you thinking?”
“Six?”
“Are you going to stay the night?”
“If you want me to.”
“I always want you to.”
“In a few days you won’t be able to get rid of me.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
He got up to leave and Allie called him back for a long kiss. He wanted her right there but restrained herself.
“Will,” she said, grabbing onto his arm. She stuffed a few papers in his hand. “Just in case anyone wonders why you were in my office.”
He nodded. “See you in a few hours.”
WILL DIDN’T NEED TO make space for Allie. He had more than enough for her, but it gave him the opportunity to purge junk he’d kept over the past year. He was packing his donate piles in boxes when Graham showed up. He was in town for a few days and it was time he finally met Allie.
“What is Stewart doing to this team?”
“I think it’s called rebuilding,” Will replied.
“I know you don’t want to hear this, but this is your last chance to get out of there. Now Colorado is interested.”
“Why do you want me out of here so badly?”
“You know what I hear when someone says rebuilding? I hear at least another season in last place. Possibly two or three. Will, you’ve got another few good years. Maybe three before the dreaded decline starts. Do you want to be stuck in St. Paul?”
“Yes, so stop asking. Do you want a beer? A muzzle?”
“It must be going well with the Stewart woman.”
“I’d say so.”
“Do you see a future with her?”
Will sorted through the piles. Some of the items had value. There were game pucks, some things given to him by other players. Those things he could give to charities that could auction them off.
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
“Here’s a newsflash. As long as you’re playing you can’t have a real future together. No marriage and no baby carriage unless one of you is prepared to walk away from their career.”
“You’re so cynical.”
“No, I’m realistic. Keep that in mind.”
Will stopped sorting and went to his kitchen. Graham followed closely behind. Will handed him a cold beer from the fridge and got one for himself. He then checked on his roasting chicken and potatoes. He still had a salad to make.
“Since you have an inside source, what does Eddie have planned?” Graham asked, gulping back his beer.
“No idea.”
“No pillow talk?”
The muscles in Will’s neck tensed. “Graham, I have a lot of respect for you, and I appreciate your friendship, but you’re starting to cross the line. I care about Allie and all you seem to do is criticize my relationship with her.”
“I’m sorry,” Graham said, his tone softening. “I worry about you, that’s all. We’ve been friends a long time, and I don’t want to see you get burned.”
“We’ve been together five months and so far so good. I don’t need you to worry about me.”
“Okay, okay, but if there is anything you think I should know, don’t keep it a secret. I want what’s best for you.”
Allie walked through the door, the same beautiful smile on her face that lit up any of his dark moods. He didn’t care about the risks or the future. He lived in the moment.
“Graham, come meet Allie,” Will said.
They met up with her in the living room. She smiled at Graham and shook his hand. Graham pasted on a fake smile, but Will was confident it would soon be replaced by a genuine one.
“Graham, this is Allie. Allie, this is my horrible agent.”
They shook hands.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said.
“Likewise,” Graham replied.
“Why don’t I get Allie some wine while the two of you get to know each other?”
Will was worried leaving them alone together, but it was best this way. He wanted Graham to see the real side of Allie, without Will’s interference. He took his time getting her wine and took a few extra minutes to prep the salad. When he returned, the two of them were in an intense but friendly discussion about the Falcons.
“And you really think this team is finally going to turn around? There is no precedence for this,” Graham said skeptically.
“I’m sure of it. Eddie is serious this time. He wants to hire an experienced coach and a GM who can work with the crap he has. He’s realized he can’t let the team go on the way it is. The Falcons will be a new team next year.”
Will handed Allie her wine.
“And you’re convinced of this?”
“I’ve known my uncle all my life. When he gets something in his head, he doesn’t screw around.”
“I hope you’re right. I’ve got two clients wallowing on this team.”
“I’m one hundred percent confident.”
They sat down to dinner and Will watched Allie win Graham over by the minute. Maybe he’d finally lay off Will and give him his blessings. They talked late into the night when Graham finally glanced at his watch.
“It’s after midnight! I have to go. I have a flight at six in the morning. Allie, it was a pleasure to meet you. I’m sure I’ll see you this summer up at Will’s cabin. That’s if he invites me and my family.”
“You’re always invited.”
Will walked him to the elevator while Allie stayed behind to clean up the last of the dishes. They stood outside the massive door, but Graham didn’t get on just yet.
“Okay, she’s not that bad,” Graham said begrudgingly.
“Not that bad? That’s the best you can come up with?”
“She’s the exact opposite of what I expected.”
“And that was?”
“Some similar version of Jen. I can’t tell you how happy I am that she’s nothing like her. She’s a good one, Will.”
“I told you.”
“I still think this is risky. I want you to proceed with caution, but she doesn’t seem like the type to screw your over.”
Will patted Graham on the back. “I’m not worried.”
“We’ll talk in a few weeks. Call me if anything comes up.”
Graham got on the elevator and Will returned to his loft. He found Allie putting the last of the dishes in the dishwasher. He put his arms around her, gently kissing her forehead.
“That was intense,” she said. “It was like being interviewed for a job.”
“He’s looking out for me. Like an overprotective dad.”
“He’s nice. I like him.”
“Good.”
“I’m going to hit the sack. Unlike you, I still have to work in the morning.”
She kissed him goodnight and he finished cleaning up. He wanted to hurry up so he could get into bed and sleep next to the woman he loved.
CHAPTER 30
Allie quietly and officially moved in with Will a week after the season ended. While almost all players returned to their hometowns, Will was making space for Allie’s belongings. Most of the furniture from her old place had been moved into the second-floor loft and other than her clothes and a few other sentimental items, she didn’t have much.
Her first night at Will’s she helped him prepare a simple dinner. They’d been moving all day with Cate’s help. Cate was safely tucked into her new loft and loving every second of it, and although she’d been invited for dinner, she preferred to play loud rock music and dance around her new home.
Allie chopped onions and cucumbers for their salad and for the first time in a while her thoughts drifted to Blake. She’d met him her first semester at Yale and fell hard. He’d been one of Cate�
�s study partners and after hanging out a few times they started to date. Like Will, they dated a few months before Allie moved in with him. In retrospect, Allie knew she’d made a mistake. It didn’t take long for her to realize Blake was a high-maintenance control freak. Rarely could she do anything right, from her clothes to her choice of friends. It turned out that he hated Cate and only tolerated her to meet Allie. But when Blake found out that Allie was Eddie’s niece and not his daughter, he treated her differently. In an instant she’d dropped down the social ladder. And when she met his parents, he’d asked her to imply that Eddie was her father. She’d gone along with it because she loved Blake even though she hated herself for it. When the truth finally came out, the pressure for Blake to dump her intensified. His parents could not have their son marry a woman whose mother had mental health problems and a questionable and mysterious father. According to them, it was contagious.
And then Eddie’s confession. That had sealed the deal for Blake.
And Will Cavallo? He couldn’t have been any different. He didn’t chide her about her weight, what she wore or how she spent her money. Most importantly, he didn’t make her feel stupid. She’d been so worried moving in with him, but her gut told her she was doing the right thing.
“My mom and dad can’t wait to meet you,” Will said while they ate.
“Henry’s given me the first two weeks of June off. He said that was a pretty quiet time for the Falcons. We could go then.”
“We can spend a few days at my cabin. It’s beautiful there. I usually spend most of my summer there.”
“I don’t want to keep you from your family.”
“I spend enough time with them.”
They finished dinner then continued unpacking. Allie hung up clothes in one of the bedroom closets. They’d been empty because there was no way Will could use all the space he had.
“Are you almost finished?” he asked, coming up from behind her and nibbling on her neck.
“I have a few more things to put away,” she said, trying to ignore his wandering hands. One had found its way up under her shirt and was massaging one of her breasts.
“Can’t it wait until morning?”
“Why are you distracting me?”
“Wouldn’t you rather be in bed?”
She leaned back into him and moaned softly. “You’re insatiable.”
“I don’t hear you complaining.”
He scooped her up into his arms and onto the bed. He pulled off her T-shirt then helped her out of her jeans.
“How about your clothes, Mr. Cavallo?”
He laughed then tore off his shirt and peeled off his jeans. She licked her lips as he stripped off his boxer shorts before moving onto her underwear. She wasn’t interested in foreplay. She wanted him inside her, filling her, a connection she’d never thought she’d have.
Yes, this was all she’d ever wanted. And whatever lay ahead for them, they would confront it, make it work. They had to because she wasn’t about to give him up for anything.
TEASER
POWER PLAY
“We’re grilling dinner tonight,” Will said, rummaging through his fridge.
“I’m game. Tell me what to do.”
“I’m not sure yet,” he said, setting down steaks, potatoes and an assortment of vegetables on his white and grey granite countertop.
Allie pulled out one of the white bistro chairs and took a seat. She watched from the kitchen island as Will darted around, seasoning steaks and chopping potatoes. He slid the vegetables in her direction.
“Let’s make vegetable kebabs,” he said. “I’ve got skewers soaking somewhere. You cube the veggies.”
“I think I can do that.”
For the last week Allie had enjoyed her vacation at Will’s place in Lake of the Woods. They’d made a brief stop to visit his family in Duluth before setting out to his cottage on the water, his most prized possession and summer home.
“Don’t you get bored here all alone?” Allie asked.
“I’ve always got someone visiting. I have you here for two weeks.”
Allie frowned. “Then I have to go back to St. Paul.”
“But I’ll come see you for a few weeks. Then, before you know it, training camp starts up again.”
Training camp wasn’t for another three months and she’d burned through her holidays. Will promised to make a few extended trips to St. Paul, one that included a two-week hockey camp, but then he’d want to return to his paradise—and how could she blame him?
“You’re okay with my family coming for a couple of days? I know we don’t have a ton of time together, but I don’t see them all that much either,” he said.
“I want to get to know your parents,” she said, taking the skewers from his extended hand. She speared a slice of onion, mushroom, red pepper and zucchini and repeated the pattern until the skewer was full. She sprinkled some salt and other spices and placed them on the plate he’d provided.
“Jason’s coming out too. I’m not sure how I feel about that,” Will said.
“I don’t mind your brother.”
He arched an eyebrow but said nothing. She knew there was a story, but he wasn’t sharing. “There won’t be any booze here while Jason’s around. I figured you wouldn’t care.”
“I totally understand.”
“I already told Jason it would be a dry weekend. He didn’t like that, but I don’t care. Mom mentioned that he’s bringing some girl with him. Don’t bother getting to know her because they don’t stick around for long.”
Allie arranged another skewer and moved to the next. “It’s not my business, but I’m curious. What does your brother do all day?”
“I’m not sure. When he remembers, he goes out to see his kids play hockey and soccer, but much of the day I think he drinks, watches television and sits on his computer reading up on conspiracy theories. Don’t engage him on that kind of stuff,” Will said, throwing Allie a warning glance. “He’s got all sorts of wild theories on mass murders, cover-ups, UFOs, et cetera. It’s bizarre and way out there.”
“Good to know. Why don’t your parents make him get a job? He seems able-bodied.”
“They prefer to coddle him instead. I don’t understand it, but they feel sorry for him, like they caused his collapse. Like they failed him somehow.”
“They take care of him? Financially support him?”
“Pretty much. His ex-wife, Penny, she was smart with their money. She put a ton of it in a living trust that is also controlled by my parents. Thankfully, Penny was smart enough to make sure that she and my parents dole out the money, otherwise, I think Jason would have conned my parents to hand it all over by now.”
“That’s smart of Penny.”
“Marrying her was the only smart thing my brother’s done in a long time.”
“What happens when your parents are gone?”
“He’s on his own. I’ve told them I’m not taking care of Jason. And Penny has her kids to worry about. She doesn’t need to add my brother to the mix again.”
“How does he take care of his kids?”
“He doesn’t. We do,” Will said, unable to hide the bitterness in his voice. “The one good thing is that Graham and Penny set the kids up with trust funds back when Jason was still collecting a huge salary. He doesn’t have access to it, and the good thing is that it will set the kids up for college and maybe some other things.”
Allie rose and gave him a gentle pat on the arm. She could see how much the subject irritated Will. “I see. We should talk about something else, right?”
“That would be nice.”
Allie grabbed a plate and began setting the table. “I talked to Eddie this morning while you were still sleeping. He sent me a million messages last night so I figured I’d better return them.”
“What was the emergency?” Will asked, putting the potatoes in tin foil along with some onions and seasonings.
“He’s shortlisted all the vacancies he created from the end
of last season, and he wants me to be there with Tyler during the interviews. I told him I didn’t feel comfortable.”
“Why?”
Allie tried folding the napkins into a fan but they looked more like someone had scrunched them up and stuffed them in a pocket. She discarded those and did some simple folds. “I have one year with the Falcons under my belt. It’s hardly enough time to be on the hiring committee. Especially for a new GM and coaching staff. Eddie’s given Tyler enough money to work with. I think we can finally hire some decent staff. He doesn’t need me tagging along.”
“But it might be interesting to listen in on.”
“I’m also going to look like an idiot sitting there. I’ll leave it to Tyler. He’s more than capable.”
“A coach with a few years’ experience would be nice.”
“Eddie’s also given Tyler some extra money to woo free agents, too,” Allie said, dropping her voice like someone was listening in.
Will wrapped the potatoes snuggly in the tin foil. “A lot of money or just a little?”
Allie fought back the smile trying to form on her lips. “A lot of cash.”
“It’s nice that he’s decided to take the team seriously. The problem is, who will want to play in St. Paul?”
“If you throw the right amount of money someone’s way, they are bound to come around.”
“Might be wishful thinking.”
“Why so cynical all of a sudden?”
Will gave a subtle shrug. “I’m not sure myself, to be honest. I guess I’ve seen how far the team has fallen and I have to ask myself if I’d want to join this team.”
“Fair enough. After the travesty that was last year, I wouldn’t blame anyone. Last place again. But at least we have a first-round draft pick. And that kid, Raleigh, the one we drafted last year, he looks pretty good.”
“He needs another year of junior under his belt. Then if we can get him some decent players, the sky is the limit.”
Allie checked her watch. The Cavallos were expected within the hour. “Do you need me for anything else? I want to get in a shower and change into something nicer.”
“You’re free to go, Miss Stewart.”