“It’s possible.” Tom rubbed his eyes. He looked tired.
She glanced at her watch. “It’s after ten. There’s nothing more we can do tonight. Why don’t we meet after the game tomorrow and decide how to proceed.”
“Sounds like a plan.” He side-eyed her half-eaten turkey sandwich.
She pointed to the plate. “Room service delivered that about twenty minutes ago but I wasn’t as hungry as I thought. Why don’t you finish it?”
“What if you get hungry later?” he asked, still gazing longingly at the turkey on wheat.
“I’m going to bed soon. I won’t eat it.” She grinned. “Come on. You look like you want to pounce on it.”
“If you insist.” He pulled the plate across the table and picked up the sandwich. “I haven’t eaten since that bagel and cream cheese they gave us on the plane.”
His mention of the plane made her wince. Ever since they’d landed, she’d been thinking about her behavior. She’d been a royal bitch and, while it wasn’t warranted, it wasn’t unusual. Whenever she felt herself softening toward Tom in the slightest, she was compelled to shore up her defenses again.
While he ate, she got up from the table and moved to the other side of the room to rummage in her tote bag for her laptop’s charger. By the time she got back to the table he’d finished.
“You inhaled that,” she said with an amused smile as she sat down and plugged one end of the cord into the back of the laptop, and the other into a socket at the base of the lamp.
“Are you going to eat those chips?” He pointed to the unopened bag that had come with the sandwich.
“No. Help yourself.”
As he opened the bag, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and cleared her throat. “I’m sorry for how I acted after we landed this morning. It was kind of you to sit with me during the flight. I had no right to snipe at you the way I did.”
He leveled her with a hard stare. “Then why did you?”
She shrugged. “Force of habit.”
“Maybe we should break the habit,” he said in a quiet tone.
“I don’t know if I can,” she admitted.
“Neither do I. But we won’t know if we don’t try.” He pushed out of his chair and held up the bag of chips. “I’ll take this to go. Thanks for sharing.” The boyish grin that split his face was one she’d seen a million times in the past and now, like then, it made her heart skip a beat.
“You’re welcome,” she said, and followed him to the door. Try as she might, she couldn’t stop herself from checking him out. He’d changed into jeans after the game, and the soft denim hugged his ass in the most spectacular way.
He halted at the door and turned. “I appreciate your help, Katie.”
“Don’t call—”
He effectively silenced her response by lifting a finger to her lips.
“You’ll always be Katie to me.” He trailed his finger lower and lightly brushed the beauty mark by her mouth. Sensual awareness danced over her skin. “Sweet dreams, darlin’.”
Chapter Nine
Early the next evening, after a come-from-behind win in the ninth inning, Tom and Seth were the last to disembark from the team’s charter bus in front of the hotel. “Something’s up with Gentry,” Seth commented as they walked toward the entrance, where one of the bellmen opened the glass door for them. “The kid is majorly distracted. I had him throwing bull pen this morning and his concentration was for shit. Even Espo commented on it,” Seth said, nodding to the bellman.
Tom wasn’t surprised at Trey’s distraction. And while he understood the reason, he hoped Ava McCandless and her unwelcome sexual advances wouldn’t send Trey into a tailspin and affect his mental game. Trey had done the right thing in reporting it; now he needed to let Tom and HR handle the situation and concentrate on his job.
“Do me a favor and don’t ride him right now,” he said as they made their way into the air-conditioned coolness of the lobby. “He came to me yesterday and asked for my help with a personal issue. It’s big. I don’t blame him for being all worked up.”
“Did he get one of his cleat-chasers pregnant?” Seth asked wryly.
“No. I think he’s smart enough to keep his dick covered.”
Seth snorted. “I’m surprised he isn’t the spokesman for Trojan.”
“I seem to remember you had a similar reputation before you got married.”
“Yeah. But unlike a few of our teammates, I didn’t touch another woman after I got married.”
Tom detected a trace of bitterness in Seth’s tone. Completely understandable considering that after the injury that ended his playing career, Seth had come home from a doctor’s appointment to find his wife had changed the locks on their doors and filed for divorce. To add insult to injury, she was now one of the stars of a cheesy reality show featuring the ex-wives of professional athletes, and newly engaged to a high-profile professional hockey player.
Skirting the line of people at the front desk, he and Seth rounded the corner and headed for the bank of elevators. “If you don’t have plans tonight, I’m meeting Dorie and Lily for dinner at a restaurant here in the hotel,” Seth said as he pressed the call button. “You’re welcome to join us.”
“I might do that. Thanks for the invite.” He paused. “So how long have you been seeing Dorie?”
Seth shot him a quick glance. “Who says I’m seeing her?”
“I do. I noticed a vibe between y’all at the engagement party and now you’re having dinner with her and her daughter. I’m no math whiz, but I can add two and two.”
The elevator doors opened and they stepped into the empty car. “We’ve gone out several times.” Seth pressed the button for their floor. “I like her and she likes me. We’ve both been burned so we’re taking it slow.”
“She’s not your usual type.”
“I know,” Seth admitted. “It took me by surprise.”
“What about Lily?”
“Lily’s the one who asked me to have dinner with them tonight. Dorie and I agreed to keep our relationship on the down-low during this trip.”
Tom grinned. “Maybe she’s matchmaking.”
Seth looked at him, puzzlement evident in his eyes. “You think?”
“Stranger things have happened.”
Those words took on a whole new meaning when the elevator stopped at their floor and the door slid open to reveal Ava McCandless in all her designer-clad glory, waiting for the elevator.
Although Tom never watched those real housewives shows on television, he’d seen enough commercials for them to liken Ava McCandless to the overly Botoxed divas who were frequently shown arguing and throwing temper tantrums in public places. With her platinum hair, deeply tanned skin (a feat not easily accomplished in San Francisco without the aid of a tanning bed) and aura of self-importance, she could easily step into one of those god-awful reality shows and fit right in.
Until this moment he hadn’t a clue her room was on the same floor as his and Seth’s. Luckily, Trey’s room was on a lower floor, and per his own words to Tom this morning on the bus, he was keeping a low profile. Tom had a strong hunch that, for the first time in weeks, Trey wasn’t planning on breaking curfew.
Tom had never been completely comfortable in Ava’s presence. He wasn’t intimidated, but there was something about the way her predatory gaze swept down his body and zeroed in on his junk that was unsettling. Especially since he’d made it more than clear he wasn’t interested in her.
“Hello, Tom.” She stepped aside to allow him and Seth to exit the elevator. “Seth,” she added, and gifted Seth with a similar frank perusal. “Congratulations on the win this afternoon. I was watching from one of the skyboxes.”
“Thank you.” Tom reached out to prevent the elevator doors from closing. He sure as hell didn’t want to get stuck talking to her in the hallway. The quicker she got on the elevator, the better. “What made you decide to fly to Denver? You don’t normally attend away games.”
What did that mean? Tom scowled, then almost gagged as she walked past him and into the elevator. The perfume she wore was so potent there was an excellent chance it could take up permanent residence in his nostrils. Christ. Did she bathe in the stuff?
Tom let go of the elevator door. Ava pressed a button and treated him to another mysterious smile just before the doors smoothly closed.
Seth turned to him. “Is it wrong of me to wish the elevator cables would snap and send her crashing to the basement?”
Tom let out a bark of laughter. “So not wrong.”
After parting ways with Seth at Seth’s room, Tom bypassed his door and headed for Katie’s room. Although she’d been on the charter bus to Coors Field earlier in the day, she hadn’t been in the media room after the game and she hadn’t been on the bus returning the team to the hotel. He hadn’t spoken to her since last night and had no idea if she’d talked to anyone in Human Resources. The league and the team took sexual harassment and discrimination seriously, but he had no idea what the protocol was when it was the owner of the team doing the harassing.
What Trey shared with him had been weighing heavily on his mind. And it wasn’t all due to his obligation as a manager. He blamed himself for what was happening to Trey. If he’d said something about Ava’s behavior earlier, then perhaps she wouldn’t have made advances toward either Matt or Trey. And it didn’t make him feel any better that he couldn’t have known he wasn’t the only one she’d propositioned. It hadn’t been the first time a woman had come on to him; like the other times, he hadn’t thought much more about it after he’d made it crystal clear he wasn’t interested in her.
Katie opened the door a few seconds after he knocked. She held her phone to her ear and motioned him inside with her free hand.
“When is she expected to return?” she asked, moving back into the room as Tom closed the door behind him. He set his satchel on the dresser near the door and waited. As she listened intently to whomever she was speaking with, Tom took the opportunity to study her.
This morning she’d been wearing a tailored business suit and her usual high heels. Now she wore a pair of faded jeans that hugged her curves, a Blaze T-shirt, and she was barefoot. He hadn’t seen her like this in years. Even her hair was casual. Released from the confines of the prim bun, it curled over her shoulders like a fiery waterfall. The urge to run his fingers through it was so strong he forced himself to look past her and out the window at the Denver skyline.
“No. I’d rather speak directly with her. I’ll contact her when we get to Phoenix.”
“What’s going on?” Tom asked after Katie ended the call and tossed her phone on the end of the bed.
“Martha’s husband’s mother died and they had to fly to South Dakota this morning.” She tucked her hair behind her ear. “She’s in charge of all employment issues and won’t be back until early next week.”
Tom rubbed the tense muscles in the back of his neck, then lowered his hand. “She doesn’t have a second-in-command?”
“Yes, but he’s not as experienced. Honestly, considering it’s the team’s owner we’ve received a complaint about, I think it’s best to wait for Martha to return.”
“Speaking of Ava, I just ran into her by the elevator. Evidently, she was in one of the skyboxes again this afternoon. And she made a cryptic remark as to why she’s here.”
“The more I think about it, the more I’m wondering if her presence here has to do with the sale of the Blaze, and not Trey.” She studied him thoughtfully. “I was watching the game in the visitors’ clubhouse and the camera panned to one of the skyboxes. The one Ava was in. She was sitting next to a friend of my father’s. Carlton Sprigg. They looked pretty chummy.”
Tom let out a low whistle. “What’s a good ol’ boy from Texas doing here in Denver? It’s not like he’s still trying to get his discount stores into every state in the union. He pretty much locked that up years ago.”
“Exactly. And even if he was here to discuss expansion, he has a team of people who handle that sort of thing for him. But the one thing Carlton has always coveted is his own major league franchise. I heard him talking about it with my father years ago. He’s never had any luck in Texas. Maybe he’s meeting with Ava because she’s put some feelers out and he’s interested in buying the Blaze. He certainly has the money. He’s worth at least ten times more than my father.”
Tom had another thought. “Is he married? Maybe Ava’s trolling for her next victim.”
She threw him a wry smile. “He’s married. And he adores his wife. They’ve been together since high school. They’re one of the rare cases of high school sweethearts who actually built a life together after they graduated.”
Instantly Tom was reminded of the past. Of knocking on the door at her father’s mansion and being told by the housekeeper that Katie had left Dallas for Berkeley. Then she’d handed him the note.
“At least it happened for someone,” he said grimly.
Anger flickered in Katie’s eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but the ringing of her phone split the tense silence before she could get a word out. With quick movements, she snatched it from the bed and checked the screen before answering the call. “Hi, Adam. Are you still in LA?” she asked, her tone filled with honeyed warmth.
Tom clenched his fists. Logan. The guy was like a bad penny. He kept turning up.
Katie’s soft, intimate laugh only fueled his jealousy.
“Hang on a second,” she said into the phone, then placed it against to her chest and leveled him with eyes so piercing they could laser through a metal door. “Is there anything else we need to discuss?”
“Not a damn thing,” he snapped, grabbed his satchel and left her room.
* * *
Not even Crazy Hearts could distract Katherine from her thoughts. With an exasperated sigh she exited from the game, rested her phone on her stomach and stared at the ceiling. Every time she and Tom started to get along, their past reared its ugly head and they were right back where they started.
Maybe he was right. Maybe they needed to talk about it before they could move beyond it. But after all these years would anything he said make a difference? He’d left her high and dry without an explanation. And when she’d contacted his mother for his address at UT, Ellen Morgan made it clear that Tom didn’t want to hear from her.
What was the point of rehashing everything now anyway? It wouldn’t change a damn thing, and would only force her to relive one of the most painful times in her life. She’d lost a lot more than a boyfriend that summer. That part of it was best left unsaid. For her sake. And for Tom’s.
The sudden vibration of her phone startled her. She lifted it and looked at the screen. The number didn’t look familiar but she was in Denver with a couple dozen ballplayers—some of whom loved to party. Anything could happen. And if it did, she needed to make sure it didn’t become breaking news on the sports channel.
She sighed and answered the phone with a cautious hello.
“Katherine. This is Ava McCandless.”
Her heart pounded like a jackhammer as she shot up straight in the bed. “Mrs. McCandless. Hello. What can I do for you?”
“I’m trying to get in touch with Trey Gentry about an endorsement opportunity. Do you happen to have his cell phone number?”
Oh, hell. So much for Ava’s visit not having anything to do with Trey. Katherine swung her legs off the bed and got to her feet. “I’m afraid I don’t,” she lied, and paced in front of the dresser. “I was a last-minute replacement for Kelly Maxwell; I don’t have all the players’ numbers stored in my phone.” After a long silence, she added, “I’m sorry.”
“What about his room number?”
“I don’t have that either.” This time she wasn’t lying. She knew Trey was on a different floor, but she didn’t know which floor, or what room. Tom wo
uld have it for curfew check, but she wasn’t going to tell Ava that.
“What the hell use are you?” Ava’s voice dripped with annoyance. “Aren’t you a vice president or something?”
Katherine clenched a fist and counted to three before answering. “Yes. But as I said, I don’t normally travel with the team. I’m not here to police the players. My job is to handle media requests and work with the press.”
“Not for long.”
Katherine stopped pacing. “What does that mean?” There was no answer. “Mrs. McCandless?” Again, silence. The woman had hung up on her. “Damn it all,” she muttered and threw the phone on the bed. It bounced twice then hit the padded headboard with a thud and landed on a pillow.
“Endorsement opportunity, my ass,” she said under her breath, then moved to the small closet at the entrance to the bathroom and rummaged through her suitcase until she found her flats. She slipped them on, then grabbed her key card and left the room.
A minute later she was at Tom’s door, but there was no response to her knock. With a frustrated sigh, she turned and headed back down the carpeted hallway toward her room. He was probably doing a room check, which meant he could be on any floor. She’d have to wait until he returned.
“Katherine?” Recognizing Seth’s voice, she turned and manufactured a cheerful expression as he halted in front of her.
“Are you looking for Tom?” he asked.
“Yes. Have you seen him?”
“Yeah. We were down in the restaurant having dinner with Dorie and Lily. I think he’s at the bar. He said something about catching some highlights before doing a few random bed checks.”
Disappointment flooded her. He could watch the sports channel in his room, but instead he’d chosen the bar. Evidently, his DUI and subsequent injury hadn’t been a wake-up call. At least he wasn’t driving. He wouldn’t hurt himself, or someone else.
“Thanks, Seth,” she said, keeping her expression neutral. There was no need to involve Seth in what was happening with Trey. “I’ll find him.”
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