A faint smell of honeysuckle filled the air. If I allowed myself, I could get lost in the moment. The horses played. I smiled as I walked up the steps of the porch and approached the door. After debating whether to call, I’d decided it would be better to drive out here and surprise Mr. Owens. Saying no to someone over the phone was easier than in person. Or at least I hoped that was the case.
I pressed the doorbell and waited.
And waited.
But there was no answer.
I pressed the doorbell again. There was a chance he wasn’t home, but based on the big truck parked in front of the garage, I was willing to bet he was there. If not, I’d work from my car until he came home.
“Motherfucker!”
I jumped at the sheer volume. Maybe that was him; the sound had come from behind the house. I hoped it was him and decided to check it out. Maybe I shouldn’t have come? I questioned my decision. I hadn’t really thought about being out on a farm in a pencil skirt and heels. Carefully, I navigated the grass on the balls of my feet to keep my heels from sinking in.
When I came around the corner, the vision that greeted me brought me up short. A man in chaps and a short-sleeved T-shirt stood with his back to me. He cursed as he dusted himself off, removed his hat, and swiped his brow. It was one of the sexiest things I’d seen in a long time. His voice was a deep, thick rumble. The mare he was working with gave a whinny, and I was able to regain some of my composure.
I’d had a secret weakness for cowboys since I was a little girl.
In a calming, soothing motion, he walked toward the mare. “Settle down, girl. Easy.”
The mare calmed a bit but continued to daintily step around him.
I needed to announce myself before he caught me ogling him. “Hi! I’m looking for Hunter Owens. Do you know where I can find him?”
The man whipped around, and I gave a tight smile to hide my nerves. The tattoo sleeve on his left arm looked exquisite, adding a bad-boy vibe on top of the sexy-cowboy image he had going on. Another secret weakness of mine—tattoos.
Get it together. You have a deal to close.
I took another step forward, clearing my throat. “I’m looking for Hunter Owens.”
His eyes did a quick sweep over my body. I usually didn’t appreciate that kind of assessment from strangers, but something about him felt different, and I enjoyed it more than I should. He tipped his hat and smiled, which set off an explosion of butterflies in my stomach. “Looks like you found him. What can I help you with?”
This is Hunter Owens?
The pictures on the internet hadn’t done him justice. And he’d expanded the sleeve of tattoos. When I’d researched him—which had felt more like stalking, to be honest—there had been one photo from his last game where a tattoo peeked out from beneath his short-sleeved shirt.
I took another step forward, making sure to walk on the balls of my feet. “I’m Kendall Wales. Do you have a minute to sit down and talk?”
“About?”
That brought me up short. I wanted a chance to build up my offer, explain why he should basically take a career demotion and come out of hiding. Maybe if I was evasive, he would listen to my offer. “A job.”
“What kind of job?”
He hopped over the fence in one swift motion, the way they do in movies, and if I’d been the swooning type, I would have audibly gasped. Instead, I held my smile and ground my teeth while my heart beat double time. I might be mostly all business, but I was still a woman. And Hunter Owens was all man. I needed to get him in a more relaxed situation. I gave a sweet smile. “Can we sit down and go over the particulars?”
As he stepped closer, I began to sweat, which was insane. Remain calm and in control.
“Give me the highlights.”
Think. Think. Think.
“That would ruin the surprise. Why don’t we sit on your front porch and we can talk about it? I won’t take much of your time, Mr. Owens.”
“Just Hunter.” The left side of his mouth quirked up as his eyes roamed down my body yet again. Maybe my form-fitting pencil skirt hadn’t been the best idea. “Just a sec. Let me get something, and we’ll talk.”
“Perfect.”
He disappeared up onto the back porch and came down with some muck boots. “Put these on. I’ll listen while I do my chores. But I can tell you, if it’s another coaching job, I’m not interested.”
Oh hell, this was going to require a different approach. He raised an eyebrow at me, challenging me to put on the boots. Without hesitation, I put them on and placed my heels on the porch step. As I turned back to him, the horse came up to the fence. “That mare is beautiful. Is she an Akhal-Teke?”
He stared at me, clearly surprised I knew horses. I’d grown up with them. My mother had taught me to ride. As a child, I’d learned to ride on Gingersnap, the horse my father gave my mom on the night he proposed. The horse had originally been a gift from her parents before they died, but Mom had sold her when she had to move. I loved how Dad was, and had always been, Mom’s knight in shining armor. Theirs was one of those love stories that made you swoon.
I stuck my hand out for the horse to sniff me.
Hunter patted the side of her neck. “She is. I’ve never owned a Golden Horse, or as you so accurately stated, an Akhal-Teke, before. I bought her last month for a small fortune, and she’s stubborn as shit. But she’ll break at some point. Just have to keep getting back on her. Can’t ever be bucked off and not climb back on.”
Hunter gazed at the horse with an almost loving appreciation. “I do enjoy a challenge every now and then. We’ll build trust over time.”
The coloring of the horse was breathtaking. Her cream coat had a metallic shimmer to it, which made the pale blond hair nearly glisten in the sun. The horse took off in a victory lap, knowing she’d won this round against Hunter. He definitely had his work cut out for him.
I asked, “What do you need my help with since now my boots are on?”
I got a sexy smirk. “You know my answer is going to be no, right?”
So he knew. Well, hell, it was obvious why I was here. I put on a businesslike smile to cover up my attraction to this man. If he took the job, I would find a way to control it. Once we entered into a business arrangement, any attraction I felt would likely be gone. It always had been that way. There was not time for a personal life. It was business. All business.
“If I’m not slowing you down, what does it hurt to hear me out? And you’ll have a free hand. Win-win.”
He shrugged. “Just as long as you know what my answer is going to be.”
“How do you know I’m going to offer you a coaching job?”
He leaned against the fence and looked me over. “Because I know how to read people. It’s what made me successful as a coach—being able to predict what the other coach was going to do.”
Damn it. He was reading me too easily. “Lead the way to where the chores are.”
“Suit yourself.” By the tone of his voice, it was clear that he doubted I would actually do anything. What he didn’t know was that I could muck out stalls with the best of them even in a pencil skirt.
We entered the barn, which was rather impressive with its tongue-and-groove walls and ceiling. The main aisle down the barn had a stained-concrete floor and reminded me of my parents’ place in Atlanta.
“I need to brush the mare down.”
“She doesn’t have a name?”
“Not one that suits her yet besides pain in the ass.”
I chuckled. “Well, I don’t think that would be very fitting for a Golden Horse.”
“Probably not. You want to comb her down while I muck out her stall? She’s actually calm when she’s being brushed down.”
“Sure.”
It was obvious by the cleanliness and organization of the barn that he took pride in what he did. It was something our team desperately needed.
Hunter led the horse into the barn. Before bringing her in, he’d changed
out her leather bridle for a soft bridle and hooked her up to a lead rope. I petted her neck. “Hey, beautiful girl.”
The horse I’d had from childhood had passed away two years earlier. My parents had given him to me for my fifth birthday. I’d loved Pete, and had named him after the character in Pete’s Dragon.
The mare whinnied as I unbuckled the girth and removed the saddle. In business clothes it proved to be difficult, but I managed. With the right mindset, anything was possible. “Where do you put your tack?”
He tipped his head to the left. “In the tack room right over there.”
I followed the direction Hunter had indicated. On my way there, I sensed him watching me. My plan was to let him ask me about the job first. I grabbed a brush and proceeded with the mare’s mane. “Hey, sweet girl. I’m just going to comb out the tangles.”
For a few minutes, we worked in silence.
I was on the tail when Hunter asked, “You going to tell me about this job I’m going to turn down?”
His arrogance was beginning to irritate me. But from experience with men just like him, I figured he was probably trying to rile me. Well, I play with the big boys. I can be unfazed.
I set the brush down. “Well, you were correct. And I know when I first tell you, your reaction is going to be no.”
“Go on.”
“It’s head coach of a minor league football team in Bowling Green, Kentucky. We’re the Mustangs.”
He laughed out loud, and I knew what was coming next. “A minor league football team? Are you joking with me? You realize I was an NFL coach, right? That would be a demotion. And considering I turned down the Packers last week, I don’t think there’s a chance in hell I’ll entertain a minor league team.”
“Yes, I realize that. Hear me out. The program is being revamped. The goal is to get it as respectable as the minor league baseball teams. I can guarantee you it would be more challenging. And you would be a pioneer in this venture.”
He shook his head. “Whoever put you up to this is wasting their time. I’ll give them credit sending out a pretty little lady who knows her way around a horse. But my answer is no to whoever sent you.”
Anger surged through me, and I turned back to the horse and finished without another word. Hunter finished the stall, and I led the horse in and closed the door.
Whipping around, I narrowed my eyes at him. “Mr. Owens, no one sent me. I am the general manager. It’s part of Wales Enterprises.”
“Damien Wales owns a minor league team? You’ve got to be fucking with me. That man has a damn good head on him; I can’t believe he’d waste his time on that nonsense.” He paused and gave me a hard stare. “What did you say your name was?”
“I didn’t. But it’s Kendall.”
“Kendall what?” he asked with a raised brow.
“Kendall Wales.”
He groaned. “Oh, well that makes sense.”
The sarcasm in his voice spoke volumes. Well, Hunter Owens could take his chaps and his sexy tattoos and just... just... well, I wasn’t sure exactly what, but he could do something with all that manly stuff he had going on for him.
I took a step forward. “And before you think Daddy handed me something I haven’t earned, think again.”
That sexy grin reappeared on his face, only now I wanted to slap it off. “I didn’t say anything, sweetheart. That was you. But just out of curiosity, why do you want me?”
I wasn’t sure why I was even trying, but maybe I could break through to him. “I’ve seen your coaching videos. You have a passion that’s inspiring. You care about your team. You clearly want them to succeed. It’s not a job, it’s something that runs through you. It’s incredible.” I wanted to slap my hands over my mouth to make myself stop talking. Why did I just say those things? Oh well, they were out there now. I might as well keep going. “It’s obvious that you care about your players. And from the interviews I saw after you left, they cared about you, too. That kind of passion and heart is what I need to turn this team around.”
Some unidentifiable emotion flitted across Hunter’s face before he shut it down. His onyx eyes grew darker. They were beautiful like a stormy sea. “There’s a reason I don’t coach anymore. The answer’s no. I think it’s time for you to go.”
“Hunter... just hear me out.”
A vein popped in his neck and his eyes narrowed. Hunter was pissed. “Go get back in your car and leave. You can find someone else to play with Daddy’s team.”
Unbelievable. He was saying anything to get me to leave. I had to give this one last shot, so I took another step back. “I’m aware of the accident. It was terrible. But I’ve seen the reports, and it was an accident.” He grew stiff, and I pointed to the file folder. Before he could say anything, I continued. “The offer is in there. Burn it, trash it, or maybe live by your words... get back on the horse. Sounds to me like you’ve let this one buck you off and you’re afraid to get back on. If you don’t show up Monday morning, I’ll have your answer.”
“You have my answer now.”
What was I thinking?
I took a step out of the barn and turned his way. “Maybe I was wrong about you. I don’t need a coward coaching. I need someone who’s willing to take a risk and shake up this entire industry.”
Fuming, I left the barn and headed to my car.
Damn it. Now, I was stuck in Bumfuck Nowhere without a coach.
Monday morning, there was no Hunter. No response. Nothing.
I was currently without two players and a coach. My middle linebacker had quit. Well, he’d threatened to quit if I refused to rehire Coach Bailey. So I’d called security and had him removed. Of course, he’d been bluffing and was currently asking for his job back. Unfortunately, it wasn’t available. At least to him.
Team members were dropping like flies.
And each time I thought about Hunter Owens, I wanted to scream. To make matters worse, he’d starred in my dreams more times than I would ever admit to anyone. The moment he’d jumped over the fence played on repeat in my head. In my dreams, he jumped over the fence, walked up to me, grabbed my face, and kissed me senseless.
I cradled my face and groaned. My head was a mess. And I blamed a certain asshole ex-NFL coach for that. Focus, Kendall. Handle your business.
Before coming out to Kentucky, I’d cut ties with the man I’d been seeing casually for the last few years. We were both career-driven but needed to let off steam from time to time. I had never once dreamed about Weston. We would text, meet up, and then go our separate ways. The sex had been good, and we’d been exclusive, but there hadn’t been any feelings. He’d had an empire to build, and I’d had to build my experience to run an empire.
It had worked.
It wasn’t personal.
And now I had nothing except sexual frustrations because of that stupid fence-jump move. And the chaps. And the tattoos. And the stormy eyes.
GAH!
I closed my eyes and thought of anything except the tattoos. To make matters worse, he hadn’t sent my heels back. When I’d gotten to the stadium, I’d realized I was still wearing his muck boots and had left my heels on his porch step. I’d overnighted the muck boots with a return label for my Louboutin shoes and a note that had been to the point—nice, even.
I checked the tracking again this morning, but they hadn’t been sent. Asshole. If he wanted to keep the shoes, he could have them. Maybe he had a high-heeled shoe fetish. I chuckled at the thought.
A knock on my door pulled me from my inappropriate thoughts.
“Come in.”
Joseph, the new controller, came into my office. “Ms. Wales, I wanted to drop off these reports. I’ve identified approximately a million dollars that’s been misappropriated over the last six months. I have proposed a budget for the next two quarters and upcoming fiscal year. If it’s approved, we should be in the black within six months. Things will be tight, but even with the new salaries, we should be good.”
A million dolla
rs.
“Perfect. Thank you, Joseph. I’ll review and get back to you with any questions.”
“Sounds good. I have interviews this afternoon to replace the vacant accounting positions. I’ve audited the expenses of those you’ve kept on, and I agree with your assessment. I found no evidence of inappropriate spending with these associates.”
“Was everything reported correctly to the IRS?”
“Everything was categorized correctly for taxes, yes, just manipulated for the reports sent to the managers. I’ve sent my report to the corporate office of Wales Enterprises to verify my findings. I’ll keep you posted.”
That was good news, but the cover-up in reporting bothered me. If the expenses had been valid, why would they have needed to hide it? That would go on my to-do list to continue digging. “Thank you, Joseph. Let me know if you discover anything else.”
“Will do.”
Joseph left, and I continued researching different coaches. None of them had what I was looking for. Frustrated, I walked over to the window, which looked over the field. So much needed to be done before the fall. And there wasn’t much time. Our ex-running back had been picked up by the team that had won the entire championship last season. He’d been one of the best players we had. I cracked my neck as the tension grew.
Maybe the coach from Michigan State would work. He had a great record, but he lacked the passion. Results were what counted, though. But I truly believed the sky was the limit when people were invested in what they did, when it was part of them.
As I pondered this dilemma, the door to my office swung open, and the man I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about filled the doorway.
My assistant was behind him. Only her feet could be seen behind Hunter’s broad build. “I’m so sorry, Ms. Wales. He just walked right by.”
“It’s okay, Amber. I was expecting Mr. Owens.”
I hadn’t been, but there was no reason to let him believe that. I minimized the list of other coaches on my computer screen before I walked around the large cherrywood desk that had been here from the previous owner. I hated how large and blocky it felt, but a new desk simply wasn’t in the budget.
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