He smiled at her dry tone, but quickly sobered. “When you took off the way you did, I was hurt and angry. I can’t deny that. But, I’m no longer an eighteen-year-old with a case of wounded pride. I could have stopped the gossip and innuendo at any time with a single word. I didn’t, and I’m sorry about that.”
Her stunned expression poured salt in an already guilty wound, and he swallowed an inward curse. “If life has taught me anything, it’s that shit happens. While I can’t help thinking there was more to your leaving than you’re willing to say, whether or not you choose to be upfront with me after all this time is up to you.”
If he had any doubts her explanation for leaving was a load of bull, the way her face closed up killed them dead. Although he waited, she refused to meet his eyes and didn’t say a word.
Finally, he sighed. “You’ve moved on, V. So have I. We’re different people than we were back then, but with a little bit of effort, we might manage to be friends again.” Her gaze jerked to his. “Since we’ll be working together, that’s something I’d like.”
Several heartbeats passed. “I’d like that, too.”
The sadness in her tone scraped at him, and he forced a smile. “Okay, then. When I said it ended here, I meant it all ended. Not just the distrust between the two of us, but the condemnation of everyone in town who felt the need to rip into you in support of me.”
She blinked. “I’m not sure I understand.”
“I’m talking about a little shock and awe to set the citizens of Barlow straight.”
Her eyes widened, and she swallowed. “Oh, that’s really not necessary.”
“It is for me. What do you say? You with me, Red?”
It took a moment, as if she were calculating the odds of his plan backfiring and blowing up in her face, but then she shrugged. “Damn it, I’m probably going to regret this but, what the hell. They can’t hate me any more than they already do.”
* * * *
As if afraid she would bolt, Sam’s muscled arm tightened around V’s shoulders as they approached the wreathed door of Kay Burke’s sprawling ranch house. V dug her elbow into his side in a quick jab, then rolled her eyes at his quiet chuckle.
Though he couldn’t possibly have known for sure, he had good reason to be concerned. She’d considered leaping from his truck about fifty times on the ride from his house. Luckily for him, she wasn’t interested in experiencing road rash first-hand.
As frustrated as she was suspicious, she cast a furtive glance at his smiling profile. The boy she remembered had been so easy to read, like an open book, but the man….
He was a puzzle she couldn’t figure out. His moods changed quicker than a quarterback’s hand-off, angry one moment and teasing the next. He did it on purpose, she was sure, to keep her off-balance, and it was working, damn it. Why else would she be tripping up his aunt’s sidewalk, when this was the last place she wanted to be?
She lay the bulk of the blame on his shocking kiss. How the hell was she supposed think straight when he’d melted her circuits and scrambled her brain? And like the seasoned competitor he was, he’d delivered a one-two punch by following up with that apology.
Why would he do that when he’d done nothing wrong? God, the genuine regret in his eyes when he said he should have put a stop to the gossip and innuendo had slayed her. She’d left him without a word and he was sorry? Talk about piling on the guilt.
Still, he couldn’t possibly believe he had any say over the way the citizens of Barlow had treated her. Football was practically the town religion, and he’d bagged the Holy Grail by winning the state championship his senior year. Even Jake, who was a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame, took a back seat to Sam in the hearts and minds of the citizens of Barlow.
No one screwed with their ultimate hero and got away clean.
She couldn’t help the niggling doubt hovering in her mind, that all of this was a ploy for revenge. That today was nothing more than a long-awaited judgment day. That Sam’s surprising offer of friendship was a sneaky way of softening her up, so he could lead her to the slaughter without a fight.
If that was his game, so be it. She did owe him, just as he’d said, and she’d faced worse than a bunch of petty insults from people she cared little about and survived. Her heart, however, yearned to take him at his word. Through her own actions, the only man she’d ever loved had been lost to her. Nothing real or permanent could ever come from what Sam had proposed, but a chance to regain a small piece of him through friendship would be well worth a few hours of discomfort.
He paused before the door, and she stiffened her spine. She’d give him the benefit of the doubt and if she were wrong…. Well, she hadn’t gotten where she was in the world of pro sports without knowing how to play a few games of her own.
“Ready?” He dipped his head to meet her gaze.
“As I’ll ever be, but I don’t want to hear a word when I say ‘I told you so.’”
He laughed and squeezed her arm. “Trust me.”
She wanted to. Very much, and that was the problem.
He opened the door and guided her inside. Curling her lips in a polite smile, she prepared herself to face the firing squad. Instead, she met a smiling Kay Burke.
As Anita’s friend, Sam’s aunt had never jumped on the We Hate V bandwagon like so many others. Still, V hadn’t been sure what to expect. Kay had always been close to Sam, treating him more like a son than a nephew, and she had to know others wouldn’t be happy with today’s shocking development.
If Kay had a problem, however, she didn’t show it. Her lips puckered in a soft coo of pleasure. “V. Your mother said you might show up. I’m so glad you did.” She pulled V out from beneath Sam’s arm and into a warm hug, and pressed her lips to V’s ear. “It’s about time you and my stubborn nephew made up.” She stepped back and winked.
“Oh, but we hav—”
Kay spun away to face the room and cut V off with her announcement. “We have company, everyone.”
V noticed the crowd for the first time. Anita stood at the edge of the kitchen, unease tightening her smile. The various members of Sam’s extended family wore a range of expressions from welcome, to confusion, to outright shock. TJ looked as if she’d swallowed a bug.
Chapter 11
Several hours later, Sam slid his gaze over the thinning crowd of friends and neighbors and found V standing with Lucy at the kitchen island. His mouth quirked in a wry smile as he eyed Anita and Kay fussing about the kitchen when there was no need. They hovered several feet away, as if they didn’t want to make it obvious they were standing guard. As they had throughout the evening, they flanked V like middle-aged sentries, daring anyone to comment on her presence. So far, no one had been brave enough to try.
V leaned her head close to Lucy’s, but the distance was too far for him to hear what she was saying. Lucy snickered, grinning widely. Sam rubbed a hand over his chest. Caught up in securing his future with the Marauders, he hadn’t considered how his daughter would react to his fictitious relationship with V.
From the surprised pleasure on her face when he’d arrived with V as his date, Lucy approved. Things were bound to get sticky, however, when the season was over, and he and V broke up. He’d need to explain. Lucy wasn’t a small child and she deserved the truth, something he’d promised he’d always give her. What to tell her was the problem. Unfortunately, in this case, V was the only one who could provide the complete truth. Unless he could convince her to trust him the way she used to, he’d never know what that was.
Rebuilding their friendship was the key, and tonight they’d made a good start.
There hadn’t been a doubt in his mind his family would follow his lead. They’d accepted V’s inclusion in the evening without complaint, even if one or two had to bite their tongues in the process. The real test had come later, when people had begun to arrive for the open house.
He lifted his beer to his mouth to hide his satisfied smil
e. V had stood stiffly at his side when the first guests had arrived but, as he’d predicted, no one had dared to voice a complaint. However, this was V’s hometown, too, and if they were ever going to truly put the crap of the past fifteen years behind them, more than the town folks’ silence was required. She needed their acceptance.
To that end, he’d made sure to include her in every conversation as friends and neighbors offered him their congratulations. He had to hand it to her. Although the small talk was often stilted, and her strained smile said she expected to be blindsided at any moment, she hadn’t backed down.
The flicker of pride warming his chest left him itchy, but he couldn’t help it. More than one tough-guy jock would have caved under much less pressure. The shy teenager had transformed herself into one hell of a formidable woman and, despite the shit between them, he was proud of her.
He lowered the beer as she turned and headed toward the back door. Shit. He’d spotted TJ slipping outside several minutes ago. His cousin had promised to be on her best behavior, but that was before he’d pushed things into the realm of crazy by bringing V along this evening. So far, TJ had kept her distance, and the two had yet to speak privately. God only knew what TJ would do when once they did.
He crossed the room, meaning to head off the potential disaster. Kay blocked his path five feet from the door. Tucking her hand through his arm, she tugged him toward the empty den.
“Well, my boy, you certainly are full of surprises.”
He cast a worried glance over his shoulder at the closed door. “Aunt Kay—”
“Leave them be. It’s about time the two of them worked things out, don’t you think?”
“Long past time, but you know TJ. I was hoping to make it through the evening without having to call in the SWAT team.”
Kay laughed. “My daughter can be a pill, but she knows my rule about no bloodshed on the premises.” She squeezed his arm, then stepped away and slid onto the loveseat. “I’m proud of you, Sam. You may be a little slow, but it’s good to know you eventually do the right thing.”
He winced as guilt jabbed him in the gut. Unlike her daughter, Kay had maintained her belief that the pursuit of money hadn’t sent V running, arguing there had to be a logical explanation for her actions. A romantic at heart, Kay claimed he and V were meant for each other, and had never understood how he could let her go without a fight. She’d eventually given up pestering him, but her sense of romance was offended by his refusal to track V down and claim his happily-ever-after.
“Tonight isn’t exactly what you think, Aunt Kay.”
Dipping her head, she studied him over her glasses. “I’m not blind, Sam. It’s obvious the two of you still have things to work out, but she’s here. You’ve been given the gift of a second chance.” The lifelines in her face deepened with her wistful smile. “Those don’t come along often.”
Setting his beer on the coffee table, he sat on the loveseat and picked up her hand, entwining his fingers with hers. “I love you, Aunt Kay, but you’re reading more into this than there is. The second chance I’ve been given is with the Marauders. The only reason V is here is because—”
“I know. You and V are playing nice to placate the Marauders’ owner.” She waved her free hand dismissively when he frowned. “TJ told me all about your plan, but smoothing things over with your new boss would hardly require you standing up for V here in Barlow.” She squeezed his fingers. “That came from your heart. The same heart that, despite the years and the pain she caused you, recognizes that girl in the backyard as the one.”
He shook his head, but couldn’t help a chuckle. “You need to cut back on the romance novels, sweetheart. They’re fogging your brain.”
Her smile went sly. “Don’t you dare dis my romances. Your Uncle Henry, God rest his soul, swore they were man’s best friend. Many a night, he went to sleep a happy man thanks to my choice of reading material.”
“Jesus, Aunt Kay.” Sam tugged his hand free with a grimace. “Don’t say another word. You and Uncle Henry reenacting fictional sex scenes isn’t an image I want imprinted on my brain.”
Satisfaction smoothed out her smile. “Then don’t try to tell me this thing with V is only about a job. If that’s all you were concerned about, you would have told this Caroline Wainwright you had no problem working with V and that would have been the end of it.”
Because Kay was right, he didn’t bother arguing. Rising to his feet, he shoved his hands into his pockets and paced.
She crossed her hands on her lap. “Instead, you came up with a plan that allows you to get close enough to V to get inside her head. Have you asked her what happened yet? Why she left without a word?”
“I asked her straight out.”
“And?”
“She confirmed everything I’ve thought all these years.”
“But you don’t believe her.” It wasn’t a question.
Dropping his head back, he stared at the ceiling and sighed. “No, I don’t. Not anymore.”
* * * *
“Your mother should have named you ‘Cat.’”
V flinched and spun around to blink into the shadows of Kay’s rose-trellised gazebo. As her eyes adjusted, a pair of denim-covered legs and scuffed boots came into focus. The wooden blades of the rocking chair creaked on the oak floor as it swung forward, and TJ’s face came into view.
Feet propped on the wrought-iron table in front of her, she arched a brow. “Sorry, did I startle you?”
The sardonic twist of her lips said she wasn’t sorry at all. V clenched her teeth. For heaven’s sake. For the last three hours, Sam had dragged her around his aunt’s house with his arm around her shoulders like a manacle, laughing and joking with people who would just as soon poke their dessert forks in her eye as look at her. Her jaw hurt from holding a smile, and she had a headache. All she’d wanted was a moment or two alone, not an altercation.
Ignoring TJ’s taunt, she cocked her head. “Cat?”
“It appears you have an uncanny ability to land on your feet. From what I’ve heard, you made a fortune wheeling and dealing for the jocks you represented. That’s a far cry from the east Texas girl who skipped town in a rust-bucket Chevy.”
“Thanks. Yes, it is.”
“That wasn’t meant as a compliment.”
Like V would think so with all that sarcasm dripping from every word. “No? Well, my bad.” She bared her teeth in a counterfeit smile. “I’m sorry I disturbed you. I didn’t expect to find you out here.” She started toward the gazebo opening.
“And I didn’t expect to find you in Barlow.” The chair rocked backward violently as TJ jerked to her feet and moved into V’s path. “So, how’s the date going?”
With her route blocked, V had no choice but to stop. “This isn’t exactly a date.”
TJ’s eyes gleamed cold as emeralds in the low light of the garden lamps. “Just checking to make sure you understood that.”
Well, shit. Of course, Sam would have told TJ his plan when he asked for her help getting Lucy out of the house.
V’s tensed shoulders dropped with her sigh. “I guess he told you what’s going on.”
“About you bad-mouthing him to the Marauders’ owner, and her insisting he make nice with you if he wants the job? Yeah, he told me.”
TJ’s accusing tone sliced at V, but she should have expected it. Sam might have been a little more diplomatic in his word choice, but he’d said much the same thing. And if that was how he truly characterized the situation, everything he’d said was nothing more than a business tactic. So much for his claim of wanting to rebuild their friendship.
She forced a smile. “Well, then. Looks like I don’t have to keep up the pretense, do I? If you’ll excuse me—”
TJ didn’t take the hint, and instead spoke in a low voice. “Please, tell me you didn’t agree to all of this because now that you’ve seen him again, you realize you’re still in love with him.”
&n
bsp; V hid her flinch by crossing her arms. Her speeding heartbeat thumped against her ribs. “Yeah, I’m still in love with him. That’s why I badmouthed him to the team’s owner.” The wry laugh she attempted garbled in her throat and sounded more like a grunt. “Neither of those accusations are accurate.”
TJ squinted at V. “Are you saying you aren’t trying to sabotage his job with the Marauders?”
“I couldn’t do that even if I wanted to. Now, if you don’t mind?” She stepped forward, but TJ stood firm.
“Sam said—”
“I know what he said, but he’s wrong. The team’s owner didn’t ask him to clear the air with me because his job is on the line. He’s the right man for the job and Caroline knows it. She asked him fix things between us because she’s my friend and doesn’t want to have to fire me if we can’t find a way to work together in peace.”
Surprise lit TJ’s eyes, quickly replaced with suspicion. “Do you really expect me to believe that line of bull?”
“Not that I care what you believe, but Caroline’s a business woman and the team is her life. Friendship comes in second to the success of her Marauders.”
“That’s a pretty cynical attitude.”
V rolled her shoulders in a shrug. “The world of pro sports is brutally competitive. If you’re not all in, you go home a loser. Caroline doesn’t like to lose.”
TJ remained silent for a long moment, her gaze intent. “If you don’t still have feelings for Sam, then what is there to fix?”
“Oh, for God’s sake.” V dropped her arms to her sides. “You’re like a dog with a bone. I’m not in love with your cousin, okay?” She shook her head. “I dumped him, remember?”
“You didn’t dump him. You ran.”
V stiffened then arranged her face in a bland look of acceptance. “Same difference.”
TJ coughed a disdainful laugh. “Not at all. Dumping a guy means the relationship has ended.”
“I’ve been gone for fifteen years. I’d say that qualifies as ended.”
To Win Her Back Page 10