Game On (Entwined Hearts)

by Sheryl Nantus

  The faster he got her undressed and over to the shower, the better.

  Angela sat on the sofa, wearing a light blue sweater over a white blouse and jeans. Her legs were tucked up under her, and she cradled a pillow in her arms. One look at her face and his stomach sank, the shower fantasy shriveling up and disappearing.

  “What’s wrong?” He looked over at Hunter, who stood behind her at the kitchen counter, a stack of take-out containers spread over the marble island.

  Hunter gave a shake of his head and looked toward Angela.

  Jake yanked off his leather trench coat and tossed it on the rack. “What’s wrong?” he repeated as he approached her. “Did something happen to you today?”

  “I’m okay.” Angela didn’t stand up, didn’t move. “I got some—” She glanced over her shoulder at Hunter. “I got some odd news today. I need to talk to the two of you.”

  “Oh.” He frowned, unable to interpret her expression. “Hunter got Chinese?” It seemed like the safest thing to say.

  “Yep.” Hunter gestured at the plates. “More time to talk, less to clean up.”

  Jake toed off his boots and headed for the kitchen. “I guess I’ll need a beer for this.”

  “You will.” Hunter beat him to the fridge and handed him a frosted bottle.

  “Wait. You already know the big secret?” Jake spun around and frowned at Angela. “You told him before you told me?”

  “You’re a cop. You’re out there in danger every shift.” The flash of anger in her eyes startled him. “I don’t need you getting shot or in an accident because you’re not focused on your job because you’re thinking about me.”

  The concern in her words embarrassed him, deflating the situation.

  “Angie.” Jake opened the bottle and tossed the cap at Hunter.

  Hunter caught it without comment and dumped it in the garbage.

  “No.” She pointed at him. “Don’t. I worry enough about you out there; I didn’t want to add to it. Now, come sit. Hunter has the plates almost made up.”

  Jake sat beside Angela, steeling himself.

  She reached over and touched a blue file folder sitting on the coffee table. “I got a job offer. From a big-name firm.”

  The nugget of fear in his gut dissolved. “That’s great.” He pulled her in for a kiss. “That’s fantastic news.” Jake released her and frowned. “How—Wait, how did they find you here?”

  “This is Glen Barrow, not another planet.” Hunter came around the edge of the couch and handed her a plate loaded up with chow mein, egg rolls, and General Tso’s chicken. “It’s not like she went into witness protection.” He returned to the kitchen.

  “Duly noted.” Jake picked up the folder and scanned the top page as Hunter returned with two more plates. “Damn. This is a lot of money.”

  “Not if you live in New York City. Or Baltimore, where they want me to go first.” Angela picked up her plate and fork. “They’re willing to pay all relocation costs.”

  Jake picked up his plate and speared an egg roll with a fork. “How did they find you? Why did they find you?”

  “It seems Eric’s affairs finally caught up with him. The asshole got canned.” The note of glee in her voice wasn’t surprising. “Screwed one woman too far.”

  “I saw an ad for that movie on the History Channel,” Hunter deadpanned.

  Angela ignored him. “Anyway, when the story about his extracurricular activities broke, it broke big. This firm, they’d had their eye on me since Penn State but were on the fence about approaching me. I dropped off the grid, and they figured I snapped under the pressure, couldn’t handle the workload. But I left because of Eric, not because I was afraid of hard work.” Her voice rose as she stabbed a piece of chicken. “The bastards kept the reason I left under wraps as long as they could, keeping Eric’s screwing around a secret. But now it’s out and these people want me, want me back in the big city working on the big cases.” The delight in her voice was a relief to hear, easing Jake’s nerves.

  “Great. So when do you leave?”

  Angela dabbed at her mouth with a napkin. “They want me to start work in the New Year. They’ve arranged for me to stay in a hotel until I get an apartment. I guess the question is—when do we leave? How fast can we sell the house and pack things up here, move to Baltimore.”

  The question shocked him into silence.

  He hadn’t even begun to plan that far ahead. All his attention had been on Angie and her chance at redemption in her own eyes, a chance to return to the big city and her old life after her voluntary exile in Glen Barrow.

  The impact on his life—on their lives—hadn’t come into focus yet.

  From Hunter’s expression, it was obvious he hadn’t thought about it either.

  “Angie. I can’t just up and leave town. I’m the police chief. I can put in my resignation with the town council, but it’s not good form to walk away like that.”

  Hunter nodded. “Same with me. We’ve got a good team this year—I can start the process, but it’s going to be months before I can get clear. It wouldn’t be fair to the college to up and quit before they have a replacement picked out. I’d also like to help train him, get him settled at the campus.” A shadow fell over Hunter’s face. “And there’s Dad. I’ll have to transfer him to another home. Can’t leave him out here. That’s a search in itself. I’d have to find a good nursing home able to deal with him, switch doctors.”

  “Okay,” Angela said. “That settles it. I’ll call Gordon tomorrow and tell him I’m staying here.”

  “No. No.” Jake shook his head. “That doesn’t settle it.” He leaned over and put his hand on Angela’s shoulder. “This is what you wanted when you went to Penn State. When you graduated and moved to Philly. It’s taken a bit longer, but now you’re going to be recognized as a good lawyer, a great lawyer. Helping people who need it.” He rubbed her back. “You worked hard for this, your big chance. You can’t decide this over egg rolls.”

  “Jake’s right,” Hunter added. He put his near-empty plate on the table and leaned in. “You’re being held back here in Glen Barrow. You know it and we know it.” He swept his arm around. “This is a good little town, but not for someone like you. DUI cases, paternity, maybe a few assaults when the drunks stumble out of Annie’s—it’s not what you’re destined for. You deserve better, and I’m thrilled someone’s realized it.”

  “So you want me to go?” Her voice rose during the sentence almost to a shout on the last word.

  “I want—” Jake glanced at Hunter, seeking confirmation. “We want the best for you. And if it means leaving us behind for a few months, that’s what we’ll have to do. We’ll cope.” He dropped his gaze to the floor, trying to untangle the invisible knot building inside him. “I’ll follow when I can. It might take some time, but I can get to Baltimore. Or New York City. But I’ll get there and I’ll be with you.”

  It was hard to sound optimistic.

  He wasn’t fooling himself. The odds he’d be able to follow her around the country were slim to none. He might be able to get onto a local police force, but it’d be tough to bounce from one to the other, losing his seniority with each move. There was always private security, but—

  Jake stalled his train of thought as Angela looked to Hunter, her forehead creased with concern.

  “All I can tell you is that I’ll start looking around. There’s plenty of colleges on the East Coast that could use a good basketball coach. But . . .” He paused. “But I can’t go anywhere until you’re settled in one place and we can put down roots. I can’t move my father from home to home and disrupt his life like this.” He shook his head, the stress evident in his voice. “I can’t.”

  She reached out and took his hand. “I’d never ask you to do that to Henry. He’s doing well under the new meds, and I don’t want to risk any setback by shifting him to another residence.” Angela dropped her gaze to the floor. “It’s all a bit much to take in right now.”

  “Let�
��s relax tonight, take it easy,” Hunter urged her. “The offer isn’t going anywhere in the next few hours.”

  “True. I’ve got a week, and maybe more if I ask for it.” Angela pressed her palm to her forehead and winced. “My head’s about to explode. Maybe we can take the rest of the evening off and not talk about it.”

  “Good plan,” Jake said. “No use making a hasty decision.” He pointed at the folder. “Besides, you’ll want to check this out thoroughly before making up your mind. You don’t want to jump at this and find out it’s not what you wanted. Do the research, check your sources.” He paused and put as much emphasis as he could into the next word: “Tomorrow.”

  “Excellent advice.” Angela picked up her plate of cooling Chinese food. “Okay. Let’s not talk about it for the rest of the night.” She poked at the chow mein with her fork. “So how did your day go? Any trouble with the new parking arrangements near campus?”

  Jake forced himself to make small talk and finish the meal, but tasted nothing.

  You’re going to have to let her go.

  I’m going to have to let her go.

  The words drummed through Hunter’s mind over and over as they ate. It was as if the last few years hadn’t existed and they were sitting at the Midnight Diner eating bacon and eggs the morning after graduation, trying to figure out their future together.

  Or, as it turned out, apart.

  He remembered the hunger in her eyes, the eagerness to move on to Penn State and to her future as a lawyer. The burning rage as she detailed how she’d be helping right wrongs and serving the public.

  All he was thinking about was how to get a summer job to help with the bills.

  In the end, it’d killed him, but he’d let her go with a smile and a soft kiss, doing what was best for her.

  Now it was happening all over again, and he was in the same position. He couldn’t drop everything and follow her; he couldn’t ask her to turn the job down and stay with him.

  With them.

  He gathered up the dishes when they were finished and went into the kitchen, trying to organize his thoughts for the upcoming conversation. Whether it was tomorrow morning or tomorrow evening, he and Jake were going to have to talk about what she was going to do and how to help her achieve her dream.

  Hunter looked over and saw the tension in Angela’s shoulders, the stiffness in her movements as she sipped her drink and finished off her dinner.

  The momentary thrill of the offer had worn off, now replaced by stress as she mulled it over privately and weighed the pros and cons. He knew her too well and suspected she’d have nothing else on her mind for the rest of the night, if not the rest of the week.

  He caught Jake’s eye and glanced at Angela, hoping he’d catch on.

  Jake did.

  Jake stood up and offered his hand. “Let’s go to bed.”

  The bold request caught Angela off guard. “What?” She stared at his hand as if he’d grown fur and claws.

  Jake wiggled his fingers. “You need to relax. It’s been my experience that we can help you in that area.” He raised one eyebrow and tilted his head toward the stairs. “You could take a long hot bath, but I think a bit of physical activity might be better in this case.”

  “It’s—” She looked at her watch. “It’s barely seven thirty.”

  Again, Jake arched an eyebrow. “Since when did you worry about what time we went to bed?” He leered at her. “I’ve been thinking about you in the shower all day.”

  She put her plate down and rose with a wide grin. “And here I was worried about distracting you at work.”

  “Your existence is a damned distraction,” he replied.

  Hunter let out a laugh as Angela took Jake’s hand and let him lead her up the stairs. “Be right there. Just need to put the dishes—”

  “Too late.” Jake’s reply drifted down the stairs as a delighted squeal split the air. “I’ll make sure to leave some leftovers for you.”

  Hunter leaned on the counter, bracing himself as the reality sank in.

  We’ve got to let her go.

  Chapter Twelve

  Angela woke out of a dreamless sleep, taking a minute to reorient herself. She lay on her belly, sprawled across the top of the bed in a tangle of sheets and blankets.

  She was alone.

  Two notes lay on the bedside tables, both with different writing styles. Jake’s letter informed her that lunch was already waiting for her in the kitchen, bagged and ready to go. Hunter’s noted that he’d be at practice until seven that evening and commented on the night’s activities with a smiley face, large and winking at her.

  She rolled onto her back with a groan before heading for the shower.

  It was as if Angela had been away from her office for a month, coming in and seeing everything through a different lens. The job offer of her dreams had a way of doing that, she mused.

  The waiting voice mails and list of e-mails demanding her immediate attention brought her back to ground with a loud mental thump. Angela settled herself at her desk and went through her morning routine, finding comfort in the familiar actions.

  It wasn’t too long before the door opened, the tiny bell ringing away. She looked up to see Jenny sweeping in with a burst of cold air, the student bundled up like a snowman with her college-colors scarf wrapped multiple times around her face.

  “Storm’s coming in. Or it’s here.” She slapped her mittens together, sending a burst of white flakes into the air. “Are you okay?”

  “Sure.” Angela scowled as she looked outside at the falling snow.

  “You sounded a little off when you called yesterday to tell me not to come in. Everything good in the House of Love?” Jenny hung up her coat and headed for the coffee machine.

  Angela grinned at the nickname. “Everything is fine, thank you.”

  She resisted the urge to shift her hips, remembering the firm grip both men had placed on her last night.

  “Okay. Because if you ever want to tap out for an evening, I’d be glad to fill in for you.” Jenny smirked as she dumped three packets of sugar into her mug. “Because we’re such good friends.”

  “Your willingness to take one for the team is noted and appreciated,” Angela said dryly. “Here.” She tapped the pile of folders to her right. “Let’s start with these.”

  “Sure.” Jenny went to her work area and put the coffee down before returning to pick up the stack. “But seriously, anything wrong?” She shot Angela a side glance before heading for the cabinets. “You do seem out of sorts.”

  “I—” Angela paused, weighing her options.

  It’s not like she won’t find out eventually.

  “I got a job offer yesterday.”

  Jenny’s grin was wide and honest. “No way!” She dumped the folders onto the floor and plopped herself in the office chair opposite Angela. “Spill.”

  Angela couldn’t help returning the smile with interest. “It’s from a big legal firm. They’ve got branches in all the major cities. They want me to go to Baltimore first and to New York City if I play my cards right.”

  “Wow.” Jenny slumped back. “So they up and called you out of the blue?”

  “No.” Angela pulled the blue file folder out of her briefcase and laid it on top of her laptop. “One of the firm’s partners came here to deliver the offer in person.”

  “Holy shit!” Jenny clapped her hands over her mouth. “Sorry. But that’s incredible.” She paused. “You are going to take it, right?”

  Angela rolled her head from side to side. “I’m considering it.”

  Jenny stared at her for a second before it sank in, her eyes going wide as she took in the concept. “Damn. You’d have to leave them.”

  “For a bit.” Angela put her palm on the folder again, finding it cool to the touch. “Not forever. Just until they can get out of their obligations here.”

  Even as she said it, the words burned through her mind.

  Not forever.

  Bu
t it’d be long enough.

  “We’re talking it over.” She forced herself to put the folder into a drawer to be looked at later.

  Jenny gathered the files from the floor and returned to the filing cabinet. “You’ll make it work out. All of you.” She threw Angela another wide smile. “Because the world demands happy endings.”

  The rest of the day flew by as Angela buried herself in her work, making up for the previous day’s loss. Before she knew it, it was time to go home and she still hadn’t spent any time considering the job offer.

  Now, of course, it was all she could think of.

  She parked in the garage and shuffled through the snow up to the front door, kicking a trail open for the others.

  The house was empty, both men still at their respective jobs for another few hours. Jake was working a split shift that had him coming home at eight and Hunter’s note had him arriving after seven. A note hanging on the small bulletin board in the kitchen told her to go ahead and have dinner by herself, the pair would eat on their own or when they got home.

  Angela got herself a glass of white wine before going and sitting on the couch.

  The blue file folder sat in her briefcase, which rested on the floor by the staircase.

  She didn’t have to open it up to look it over again. She’d committed each word to memory, every phrase embedded in her mind.

  Another sip and she laid her head back on the thick cushions, mentally calculating how she would shut her office, close up her law practice in Glen Barrow.

  The numbers didn’t lie. She could do it within the six weeks offered by Gordon and his partners. It’d take a bit of juggling and she suspected there’d be at least one visit back to finish up some paperwork, but it could be done.

  That calculation over, she turned her mind to Jake and Hunter.

  But there was one question she couldn’t find the answer for. One that needed to be asked in person.

  She put the drink down, scribbled a fast note for the boys, and grabbed her coat.

  Angela found Gordon in the lobby of the Touchstone Hotel, where they’d agreed to meet.