Undressed
Page 12
She’d read the obituary three times.
Madison James Thomas, of Detroit, Michigan, lost her battle after six months of fighting Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). It was exactly a week after her fifth birthday and she was surrounded by family when she died. She was a brave little girl who was quick to smile even on her worst days of treatment…
That was the part where Abby’s vision had started to blur the first time she read it. The burning at the corner of her eyes couldn’t be stopped, nor could the tears that started to pool there. The article had gone on to say all the things the little girl loved: riding the bike her grandparents bought her, making her favorite dessert of s’mores with her father, helping her aunt come up with clothing designs, and singing songs with her uncle.
There was no mention about Madison’s mother. Nothing about the woman baking cookies with her daughter, reading her bedtime stories, or teaching her how to swim. No, all of those stories were attached to Logan or some member of his family.
Where was this woman when Madison was growing up? Where was she when her daughter was dying?
Abby didn’t know the answers to those questions, but she did know the name of Madison’s mother: Cassidy Thomas. It had been on Madison’s death certificate in Logan’s file.
After the charity dinner Abby realized that the complete dossiers on the Stampede players weren’t complete at all, as was evident by the fact that Adele James working for a major TV show wasn’t in Logan’s file. Most of the files hadn’t been updated since each player joined the team, and that hadn’t been done properly in the first place.
Abby had asked Brooke to do comprehensive background checks on all the players a week ago, and the folders with that information had been sitting in a stack on Abby’s desk when she walked into her office that morning.
The reason behind the no fraternization policy with the Stampede had never been clearer than in the moment she got to Logan’s file. Conflict of interest indeed.
It was her job to read the information, but part of her felt like she was betraying him just having the file on her desk.
She stared at it for a full five minutes, chewing on her bottom lip while their conversation from the night of the charity dinner echoed inside her head.
“Not doing your research?”
“On your personal life? No, I prefer it when you tell me things like people do in normal relationships.”
And she’d known what she was going to find when she opened that file, too. Known that Madison was going to be in there somewhere. It was information she shouldn’t know about in the first place, and there was a guilt associated with this fact she couldn’t quite get over.
She’d be lying if she said she didn’t want to know everything about Logan. She just wanted him to tell her.
And it wasn’t like he wasn’t sharing other things with her, so she wasn’t entirely in the dark about who he was or his past. Hell, she’d spent all of the day before with him, his brother, and sister. They’d grilled steaks and corn on the cob and whiled away the afternoon sitting around his table outside talking.
She was regaled with stories of the three siblings growing up. How they literally did have to walk uphill in the snow to go to school. How their parents had supported all of their dreams, driving Logan to hockey practice at five in the morning, buying Liam a used guitar when he was seven, and setting up a sewing studio in the attic for Adele.
Abby learned that there was a three-year age difference between Logan and Liam, and a seven-year gap between Logan and Adele. She also learned that younger or not, Adele could hold her own against her two older brothers. It had taken Abby about a second to see just how protective all three siblings were for one another, but there was a protectiveness that Liam and Adele had for Logan that went beyond anything Abby had ever seen before.
And she completely got it, too. Because she was finding that she was getting pretty damn protective of him as well. That was what happened when you were in love with someone. That fact still terrified her to a level she wasn’t entirely prepared for. But it was a fact nonetheless. A fact that was made even clearer when her computer dinged with an e-mail from Gemma.
She clicked on the file to find a picture of Logan, Jace, and Andre dressed in superhero costumes at the hospital. This was the day that Logan had dressed up as Captain America, half of his face covered up by the blue mask. Jace was Thor wearing a long blond wig and a cape, and Andre was sporting the Iron Man suit.
All three men were standing by the bed of a patient, a little boy no more than eight. The child was kneeling on the bed and smiling as the men posed behind him. Jace was ruffling the boy’s short blond hair while the other two men grinned at the camera.
Abby,
I just came across this and remembered talking about it at the charity dinner. Thought you’d want to see the good that your boys are doing.
—Gemma
A knock on the open door had Abby looking up at her assistant.
“You okay?” Brooke asked, tilting her head to the side, her eyes focusing on Abby.
“Yeah,” she lied, forcing a smile onto her lips. “Just tired.”
“Ready to go to Clementine’s for lunch? Maybe a meal will give you a boost. Make you feel beyond better.”
“Yeah. I’ll be right out.” Abby nodded.
She closed the file and stuck it on top of the stack before she turned back to her computer. She glared at the document on her screen before she saved it, thinking she’d just messed with Pandora’s box.
She couldn’t get over the dread coursing through her as she grabbed her purse and left her office.
* * *
Clementine’s was a five-star French soul food restaurant in downtown Jacksonville. It was only a ten-minute walk from the Poseidon Arena, but as the April sun was glaring and the humidity was rising off the concrete in waves, Abby drove. No need to get sweaty and uncomfortable for the rest of the day, especially as she would be working late.
The final game of the season was the following evening, the playoffs were just around the corner, and the Stampede were currently number one in their conference by a fifteen-point lead. A lot of guests of the team were coming to the game. Logan had invited Dale and Virginia Rigels, along with Virginia’s boyfriend Marlin Yance, Hamilton, Mel, and Bennett.
Dale was now officially in remission, and Logan had promised him a game whenever that happened. But Logan had done more than that. He’d paid for their rooms at the fanciest hotel in Jacksonville and provided all of their meals.
Count on Logan to go above and beyond.
A new ache bloomed through her chest. It wasn’t something she was used to, bittersweet and filled with a deep longing. The more she found out about him, the more he shared with her, the more she knew he was it. And there was a certainty to it that she couldn’t deny. Not ever again. That terrified yet thrilled feeling overwhelmed her. It was so beyond complicated.
But he’d said it at the very beginning of this whole thing, during their night spent in Mirabelle: “Simple is entirely overrated, I’ll take complicated any day.”
She was in love with him, there was no doubt. She’d never fallen faster or harder. And she wanted more. She was tired of dealing with the constraints of their secret relationship. It was all or nothing. And she had to figure out how to get it all.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Brooke asked as they got out of the car and Abby gave her keys to the valet. “You’re too quiet.”
She didn’t even have time to answer before they ran into Gemma who was heading out of the restaurant.
“Abby!” the woman exclaimed, grabbing on to Abby’s shoulders and bringing her in for a hug, kissing her on the cheek before letting go. “Looks like I get to see you a day early, what a pleasure.”
Gemma and Alejandro were coming to the game the following evening, where they would be sitting in the owner’s box.
“How was your lunch?” Brooke asked as Gemma gave her an equally warm greeting.
“Did you eat?” Abby asked.
“No, I don’t usually mind eating alone, but I just wasn’t feeling it today. Decided I’d pick up a sandwich before I headed back to the office.”
“Care to join Brooke and me? The more the merrier.”
Gemma beamed as she nodded. “I’d love to.”
* * *
As they finished up their meal, Brooke saw a friend of hers from across the restaurant. She excused herself to go say hi, leaving Gemma and Abby.
“Thank you for the picture,” Abby said as she took a sip of her pomegranate sweet tea.
“It was no problem.” Gemma smiled. “Mr. James and his friends have been a joy to have at the hospital. They are very good men.”
“Yes.” Abby nodded. “They are.”
“Maybe one of them more than the others?” Gemma leaned back in her chair as she gave Abby a significant look.
“I…” Abby’s mind froze. How could she possibly know?
“He is special, Mr. James. It is hard to find a man like that in this day and age. A man who looks at a woman from across a crowded room and his adoration is apparent to those who know the look of a man who is in love. And the look of a woman who loves him right back.”
The blood rushed from Abby’s head.
Did Logan look at her that way? Like a man in love?
“No need to worry.” Gemma reached across the table and patted Abby’s hand. “Your secret is safe with me. But I would imagine this secret is getting to be a bit of a hassle.”
“To say the least.”
“Maybe there is a way we can all get what we want.”
“And how’s that?” Hope filled Abby’s stomach as she looked across the table at Gemma, the woman who might be the answer to a very complicated problem.
“I want you to work for me, Abby. I’ve wanted it since the moment I met you. You’re smart, persistent, and strong. Your determination would be a massive asset to my public relations department. A department that I want you to run. St. Ignatius is growing, and our cancer center is going to be the top facility in the south. Your talent is out of this world, and in my humble opinion, you will not reach it in an office of colleagues who drastically underestimate you. You are a star, Abby, and you will shine wherever you are, but I think that you will shine much brighter with us.”
Abby sat in stunned silence. She knew she was good at her job. Knew exactly what she was capable of, but never had she been called a star.
The waiter came with the bill, and before Abby was able to have her body connect with her brain to grab it, Gemma snatched it off the table.
“No.” Abby shook her head, somehow managing to get her tongue unstuck from the roof of her mouth. “We asked you to join us.”
“Yes, but I just offered you a job. So this is a business lunch. My treat.”
Brooke was making her way back to them from across the room, a smile on her face.
“And the offer extends to your assistant, too. I think Brooke’s potential is something that should be cultivated as well. You think on it, Abby. I know you most likely wouldn’t be able to leave until the playoffs are over, hopefully with the Stanley Cup in the hands of the Stampede. But I’d like an answer sooner than later.”
The waiter and Brooke made it back to the table at the same time. Gemma put her credit card back into her pocketbook and signed the piece of paper before they stood and headed out the door.
They made small talk as the valets went to retrieve the two cars, Abby’s mind spinning the entire time.
“It was lovely seeing you ladies,” Gemma said as she kissed both women on the cheek in turn. “If there are any developments with anything, you know where to reach me.” She smiled at both of them as she slipped her sunglasses onto her nose and got into her car.
Brooke went through the schedule for the rest of the week as they drove back to the office. It gave Abby something to focus on besides that illuminating conversation at lunch. And it worked right up until she walked into her office.
Rodger Dingle came striding out. He stopped short when he saw her, like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
“What were you doing in my office?”
“Something to hide, D.C.?”
“No.” She shook her head. “But as it’s my office I’d appreciate it if you weren’t in it when I wasn’t.”
“Well, isn’t that nice? There are a lot of things I’d appreciate. Like tomorrow’s updated itinerary, which I had to forward to myself.” He held up his phone.
“I sent it this morning, Mr. Dingle.” Brooke smiled sweetly as she dropped her purse on her desk.
“Maybe it got lost in translation, so I got it myself. I’ll leave you two to get some work done.”
Abby didn’t say anything as he turned and walked out the door. There was no point. And as she stared at his retreating back, Gemma’s words echoed in her head.
“Your talent is out of this world, and in my humble opinion, you will not reach it in an office of colleagues who drastically underestimate you.”
Underestimated and undermined.
Leaving the Stampede was looking better and better. She’d be able to run her own department and not have to deal with anyone like Dingle. And she and Logan wouldn’t have to keep quiet about their relationship.
Logan.
When she walked back into her office her eyes landed on the stack of files. She grabbed his and pulled out everything that had to do with Madison. She stuck them in the shredder before she opened the document on her computer, hitting the Delete button.
She was wrong. There was no conflict of interest. She chose Logan.
Chapter Thirteen
Truths Untold
The Poseidon Arena was packed with waves of people wearing black and gray for the Stampede. There were little spots of red, white, and blue for the New York Rangers, but their fans were vastly outnumbered tonight.
Abby made her way through the crowd and toward the front doors. Logan had hired a car from the hotel for Dale and the rest of his entourage. Abby was actually joining the group for the game, so she took on the responsibility of meeting them outside and escorting them to their seats.
The line of cars at drop-off was long, but Abby’s timing was perfect. She spotted Mel’s curly head emerging from a limo, Bennett standing next to the door as he held his hand out for her to grab. Virginia Rigels was already standing on the pavement, hand in hand with a tall man in his late fifties. He had thin graying hair and was wearing cowboy boots with his jeans and a black Stampede jersey.
A second later Dale was getting out of the limo. He looked less frail than he had in February, more color in his cheeks and a short layer of dark brown hair on the top of his head. The last out of the limo was Hamilton, who spotted Abby immediately.
She smiled as she headed over to the group, giving them all hugs in turn and getting introduced to Marlin, the only person she hadn’t met before.
“He was visiting his daughter when we had the birthday party. She’d just had a baby, Marlin’s first granddaughter,” Virginia explained as they all made their way into the arena.
“Well, I’m glad you could make it out for this, Marlin. You all get settled in to the hotel okay?” she asked.
“Yeah we did,” Dale answered enthusiastically. “I think our room is bigger than my mom’s house. It’s freaking massive.”
“Logan booked two deluxe suites.” Virginia shook her head like it was all too much. “Really, it wasn’t necessary, especially with everything else he’s done.”
“Oh, the tickets are nothing really.” Abby waved off Virginia’s words. “All of the players get them, and he wanted you all to come as his guests tonight.”
Virginia’s head tilted to the side, her eyes going soft. “I wasn’t talking about the tickets. I will never be able to repay that
man for what he’s done for Dale. What he’s done for me.”
“Wh—” Abby was just about to get the question out when Dale grabbed on to his mother’s arm as the rink came into view. The Zamboni was making its way around the edge.
“It would be the icing on the cake if I could take a ride on that.” He grinned.
“Yeah, I think you’ve about reached the max on awesome,” Hamilton said as he looked around the arena.
Abby’s phone buzzed and she grabbed on to the rail as they headed down the stairs. She looked down at the screen to see a text from Logan.
You with Dale and Hamilton?
Yes, she typed out as she paused at the end of their aisle while everyone found their seats.
Bring them down.
Abby grinned as she looked up. “I think you were wrong on reaching the max of awesome, Hamilton. You and Dale want to go to the locker rooms?”
Both of them were out of their seats in under a second.
* * *
Logan had asked Coach Bale if Dale and Hamilton could come down and meet the team. Bale was all about focus before a game; he was a no-nonsense kind of guy and didn’t want his players distracted by anything or anyone.
But once Logan explained the situation and the fact that he’d developed a relationship with them, Bale had agreed.
“Five minutes. That’s it. They can shake some hands. Get some autographs and then back to their seats. Got it?”
“Got it.”
But it wasn’t just the players who were talking to Dale and Hamilton now. Bale was laughing, actually laughing, as he signed one of the hats being passed around the room and talked to a beaming Dale.
The kid’s teeth could be seen from every single direction his smile was so wide. And he wasn’t the only one smiling, either. Abby was standing by the doors grinning as she watched the two boys float around the room like they were on cloud nine.
Thank you, she mouthed.
He just shrugged his shoulders. It was no skin off his nose and it would be a story those kids would tell for years to come.
His eyes might’ve lingered on Abby for a moment longer than they should have, but who could blame him? She was wearing strappy black heels and a gray dress that he had every intention of depositing on his bedroom floor tonight.