Waking up Sunday morning, I instinctually reach for Dani, but I find nothing but cool sheets in my grasp. The auction and dinner went later than I thought last night and as soon as I got home, I made the mistake of checking my email. Shit. I was supposed to text her when I got home. It hasn’t even been one day, and I’m already fucking things up. Way to go, Leighton.
I reach to my bedside table and pick up my phone. Without thinking about the time, I shoot off a quick text to Dani.
Me: Good Morning. Hope you had fun with your brothers. Any plans for today?
Shit. It’s not even six. Hopefully, she’ll sleep through it or at least have her notifications turned off. Within seconds, I see three dots jumping.
Dani: The guys and I plan to go kayaking when it warms up.
Me: Did I wake you?
Dani: No. Couldn’t sleep. Been writing for about an hour. Why are you up at this ungodly hour?
I can just imagine her eyeroll at my audacity. In my short time with her, I learned she’s more of a night owl, or will often get up in the middle of the night to work if she can’t sleep, then she’ll happily sleep in until at least nine or ten.
Me: I always get up at this time. In fact, this is late for me. Usually I’m running by now.
Dani: Overachiever!
Me: Not really. Just have to find a way to get it all in. I prefer the open road, but sometimes I run on the treadmill and watch game footage.
Dani: Once again, if I’m running… look to see what’s chasing me. Give me a bike or spin class any day.
Before I have a chance to reply, my phone rings.
“Hey, Luke.” Her sexy morning voice slithers quietly through the line.
“Good morning, Danika.” God, it’s good to hear her voice.
As if she feels the same, a low sigh of relief can be heard. “Do you have to work today?”
“Yeah. With the start of the season, I’m back to working nearly 24/7 for the next few months. Where are you going kayaking?”
“Amsterdam Bay. We won’t head out until the weather gets a bit warmer. Since Puget Sound never gets above fifty-three degrees, we’ll wait until this afternoon.”
“What are you doing this morning?” I ask with curiosity.
“Well…” She takes in a deep breath. “Since the guys are on break, I’ll bet they won’t show their faces until at least ten. They have always been notorious for sleeping in.” Her light laugh makes me miss her more. How does she do that?
“What will you do while they’re sleeping?” Her quiet sigh makes me wish I was with her.
“Oh, I plan to get my daily word count in and to edit some, if I can. Who knows how much time I’ll actually get to write with the guys here this week. If I can get ahead, it’d be a relief.”
Something in the way she says this makes me wonder if I was too much of a distraction. “Did I cause you to get behind this week?”
“Oh, no. I got plenty done. I just need to complete some edits and get a book to my editor by the end of the month. I’m on track for finishing it, but I always feel the pressure as the date looms closer.”
“Ah… So, you work best under pressure,” I tease.
She releases the sexiest laugh. “Busted.”
My phone buzzes as my alarm goes off, reminding me I need to get moving if I’m going to meet Mike and Tony. We would’ve met yesterday but with the auction being scheduled, we rescheduled for this morning instead.
Dani must hear this because she asks, “Gotta go?”
I sigh defeatedly. “Yeah, but I’d rather stay and chat with you,” I admit honestly.
“Go… do your thing. We’ll catch up later.” Dani’s stern voice makes me think she could hold her own in my line of work, and I can’t help but smile.
Sunday rolls into Monday with countless meetings, planning, and all the things necessary to get the season started right. I’ve been an assistant coach or have worked for the team for years but stepping into the head coach position takes things to a whole new level. The biggest difference is a shit-ton more meetings. I didn’t get blindsided, but I completely understand why there’s a Murphy’s bed at my office. I refuse to use it because my condo’s only ten minutes away from the stadium. Though, I may change my mind at some point.
I manage to both talk and text with Dani a few times throughout the day, but nothing compares to the real thing. I feel like a giant asshole for even considering a relationship at the start of the season. But for some reason, I can’t make myself walk away either.
After our coach and coordinator meeting, I catch up on emails while waiting for my scheduled meeting with Campbell Beck. Now that I’ve had a chance to calm down and see how the story’s played out over the week, I feel confident in how this meeting will go. I’m expecting him along with his agent, our GM, and Tanya Hart, the Rainier Renegades lead PR rep. Beck’s the first to arrive. I know better than to talk about anything pertaining to this circumstance without everyone else in the room. But I stand to greet him anyway.
Cam walks into the room and immediately shakes my hand. Despite the current situation he’s landed himself in, he holds his head high and as usual, is humble about his actions. “Thanks for coming in,” I offer and gesture to a seat at the table across the room from my desk. Before he can respond, his agent, Pete Ward, and Tanya walk in together.
“Wish it were under different circumstances,” Cam states quietly, so that only I can hear. I can’t tell if he’s upset we all have to be involved in this, or he’s talking about his recent nuptials.
Before I can say anything in response, Tony enters the room and states, “Let’s get started.” He looks around the room for any objections before motioning to the conference table I have set up along one side of my office.
My assistant Harlow set up the conference table to make sure we had everything we would need. She’s been a lifesaver since I stepped into this position. Since she was Ray’s assistant for the past ten years, she knows the ins and outs of this business, and I couldn’t imagine starting this season without her by my side.
When we’re all seated, it’s Cam who speaks first. I’d prepared to begin the meeting, but this doesn’t surprise me. Cam’s a straightforward guy and won’t skate around any issues. It’s part of the reason I respect him the way I do, despite his current situation.
“Before we begin, I’d like to apologize for having to take this meeting in the first place. Yes, I married Hillary in Vegas. Yes. Drinking was involved and… Yes… social media took things to an entirely new level.”
Ya think? The media got wind of this and made it a total shit show. It’s been all they can do to keep it on the newsreel and contemplate just how much of a spectacle Campbell’s made of his life, not to mention, our franchise. With this being Rainier’s first season with me as head coach, and a few players still up in the air for how we will fill our roster in the next few weeks, we’ve been the talk of the league in more ways than we’ve wanted.
Cam’s agent Pete starts to interrupt, but Campbell holds up his hand to keep the attention of the room. “Look. I know I could’ve handled things differently, and I’ll take that responsibility.” He pauses to take a breath and look around the room, gauging our reactions. He slowly shakes his head and looks me in the eye. “Look, sir…”
Tanya can’t hold her tongue any longer. “Did you really think you could take a quick trip to Vegas and not have the world hear about it?”
“Son,” Tony interrupts, “you know Mike runs a tight ship around here. As the owner, he doesn’t approve of the Renegades’ reputation being slung through the mud just a week before the preseason starts.”
Pete interjects before anyone can say more, “If you’ll give Cam a chance to explain, you’ll see there’s more to the story than what appeared on Hillary’s social media feed.”
Well, this oughta be good. I can’t imagine what he can say that disputes what Hillary posted on her newsfeed. He appeared to be caught with his pants down, and her claims of him being off the market left little to the imagination.
Cam clears his throat. “Contrary to popular belief, Hillary and I have dated exclusively for the past two years, so she isn’t just some fling. We’ve kept our relationship fairly quiet, except for personal friends and family so that she can have a life outside of being my significant other. We were tired of waiting for the right time and decided not to have a big fanfare wedding… So, we took a quick trip to Vegas. Unfortunately, we indulged in a bit of alcohol and might not have used our best judgement when it came to photo ops.”
I feel my eyebrows raise on their own accord as I listen to his story. Does he expect us to believe this shit? As Cam locks eyes with mine, I can tell I haven’t done a good job of schooling my features because he continues, “Yeah… Yeah… I know. That wasn’t the best way to let the world know.” You can say that again.
Cam shakes his head, and his features turn solemn. “Seriously, she thought she sent that photo to her best friends, instead of the world. Then my comment went viral about the fact I regret it was taken out of context.”
“What was left off the recording that went viral was our conversation prior to it as well as my words afterward. Reporters bombarded us right outside the hotel. Hillary had asked if I have any regrets, and I told her yes because I wished we’d done it sooner… The part recorded was when I made a comment about how I wish I would’ve told my mama beforehand because she’d be hurt I didn’t tell her before the world.” He grimaces.
“And how did that go for you?” Tanya snarks. She’s typically very professional, but I can tell she thinks she has better things she could be doing than dealing with Beck’s drama.
“Well…” He takes a deep breath. “Mama wasn’t happy she found out the way she did, but I know she’s happy for us.”
Tanya doesn’t say anything, but it’s clear from the expression on her face she agrees with his mother. I know Mama would’ve had a conniption fit. She wouldn’t care if I got married, but it’d definitely matter if she’s the last to know. God help Beck if his mother’s anything like mine.
Pete clears his throat to get the room’s attention. “Campbell takes full responsibility for his actions. He’s willing to go on the record to rectify this situation. You will also see he’s made plans to volunteer as well as visit local hospitals with his wife. These were in place long before the trip to Vegas, the only difference is now they’re married. He’s never done these trips with cameras, and it will stay that way. Hillary’s on board with no longer posting to social media on a whim, as well.” Cam’s face tightens at this comment. Obviously there have been words shared between them about this.
Pete continues, “Campbell’s been nothing but a team player since he stepped foot in our stadium.” He takes a moment to look at each of us in the room. Then he gathers some papers from his briefcase. “Here… Take a look at these. There is photo after photo of Cam working with underprivileged teens on their football skills, visiting sick children at the hospital, and pictures of Cam proposing to Hillary long before this trip to Vegas with a group of friends in the background.”
“Just how do you propose we spin this?” Tanya asks the room. “His video in Vegas and the social media frenzy Hillary’s photos created already made this situation a different story.”
Cam’s eyes tighten as his lips form a flat line. I’m not sure his teeth will hold out if he continues to flex and grind them the way his jaw’s ticking. He cuts a cold glance to Tanya, then to Pete. It’s taking everything in his power not to unleash his anger at her. Pete shakes his head slightly as if to heed a warning of his own.
Instead of holding him back, I find myself letting a question fly out of my mouth without permission. Maybe it’s my experience this week with Dani. Maybe it’s something else entirely, but the words are out before I can think it through much further. “Do you love her?”
The entire room turns to gape, as if I’ve just grown three heads. Maybe I have lost my mind? But I can’t see a man like Campbell Beck getting caught up in something like this, if his heart wasn’t in it.
Simultaneously, Tanya and Cam respond to my question, “Do you expect us to say this whole fiasco is because he’s young, dumb, and in love?” Tanya accuses.
Cam’s eyes lock onto mine, and his expression leaves no room for argument. “Absofuckinglutely.” The room quiets, and the tips of his ears darken. “Sorry for cursing. That wasn’t my intent… But yes. I love her without a doubt. We were tired of waiting and wanted to be married before the crazy of the season starts.”
Tony is the first to speak. “Well… that certainly changes everything.”
“What do you mean?” Tanya quips. She’s on the edge of her seat. Ready for battle.
“Maybe you haven’t experienced this,” Tony eyes Tanya who is all but rolling hers in disgust, “but that’s how it was for me and my wife Margorie. I started dating her right after I was drafted, and I couldn’t wait to marry her. It took us a year or two to get over the crazy of my schedule before we nailed down a date and were married. It’s been twenty-two years this May. I still have no idea how she’s managed to stay with me for this long. But I get where Beck’s coming from. I would’ve eloped in a heartbeat, if Margorie had given me the chance.”
To see Tony Marcelli talk about his wife this way is revealing. He’s always kept his private life, private. I’ve never heard of how he and his wife started out, let alone watch him sympathize with players who scandalously elope to Vegas and become the talk of the league. This act alone seems to change the mood of the room. Pete relaxes in his chair. Tanya deflates slightly, and I realize there just might be more to life than football.
“I’m not young, or dumb,” Campbell replies. “But I am in love. I sincerely apologize for any trouble my actions may have caused. I’m willing to do what it takes to get back in the team’s good graces.”
“I’m sure we can figure something out,” I offer as I watch the others around me agree. Though Tanya’s hesitant. I think she’ll come around. “It’s not like you’ve had any other indiscretions we’ve had to deal with. You’ve kept your nose clean, and you work hard. Just don’t let your life off the field affect your work on the field, and I think we’ll be good.”
We continue to talk about the steps necessary to make this social media nightmare diffuse. Once Tanya’s on board with how we should handle the story, everything falls into place. There’ll be a press conference this afternoon with both Cam and Hillary. Tanya will coach them in what they are to wear and say. Hopefully within the next few days, it’ll all become a thing of the past, and the Becks can enjoy their status as newlyweds without any further complications.
By the time I get on the plane to Dallas, I’m as prepped for the game as I can be. My brain’s fried, and I can hardly wait to get this first game under my belt as head coach. My coaching staff and I have gone over every possible scenario we can think of to outwit our opponents.
I typically would fly out with the team on Saturday, but I wanted to meet with a potential player we can pick up on our roster. He was scouted to play with Dallas, but rumor has it he might not be a good fit for them, since they already have a great kicker and a back-up ready, should they need it. With Reynolds being injured last year, I want to give him a chance to show he’s recovered, but Mendoza might be worth looking into. I’ve booked a first-class flight to get some rest and maybe look over more footage.
As I briskly make my way through airport security and into the VIP lounge for my airline, I pass a bookstore and am taken back by the display in the window. There sitting front and center is Dani’s latest book. I stop for a moment to take in the series title. I pull open my book app on my phone and quickly download the first book. The thought of Dani alone pulls the corners of my lips into a smile. Damn, I miss her.
I’ve made it a point to speak with Dani several times this week. Each time we spoke, I desperately wanted to head out to the island to see her in person, but I just couldn’t get away. The fact that her brothers were visiting didn’t help much either. I can’t believe I’m drawn to her as much as I am. This is the busiest time of my life. I don’t have time to let my thoughts wander. Yet, I still find myself thinking about the sexy brunette with the wild and curly hair, beautiful blue eyes, and her sexy as hell freckles. God. This woman just may be the death of me.
Seeing her book on display makes me think of her sexy sass. She’s so quick with her tongue, I never know what’s going to come out of that sexy mouth of hers. Her entire body lights up when she gets on a roll with her books. Her sexy smile melts my heart every time I think about it. I love hearing her talk about characters as if they’re living and breathing people sitting here with us in the room. I’ve never been that creative, and I can’t help but be impressed by her ambition and drive.
Glancing at the display once again, I realize I’m not the only person who’s fallen for her talent. She’s made it on the top of the New York Times bestseller’s list as well as USA Today. I haven’t ever thought about those lists, but based upon the acclimations displayed, they are a sought-after list.
I quickly make my way to the lounge and find a place to charge my phone. If I want to check out what the rave is about, I’d better charge my damn phone. I open the app as I relax into the leather couch next to the charger and begin reading. Before I know it, my flight’s being called, and I need to get my ass in gear if I’m going to make it on time. Holy shit. I don’t remember ever being sucked into a book like this. I’ll admit, this is my first romance novel, but there’s enough action and suspense, I’m completely hooked on the first few chapters.
By the time I make my way on the plane, I send off a quick text to Dani to let her know I’m thinking of her.
Me: I might be reading the first book in your latest series.
A reply comes instantly, and my heart pulses in my chest.
Dani: Seriously???
Me: You didn’t tell me you’re a New York Times and USA Today bestseller.
I can picture her blushing as her modesty takes over. God, I wish I could see her face right now.
Dani: Well… it would be weird to bring it up in daily conversations.
Me: I can see that. Congratulations BTW. I’m on chapter three. Can’t wait to read more. Though I do have some questions for you.
Dani: Questions? What kind of questions?
The flight attendant tells us it’s time to turn off our phones for take-off and put them into airplane mode. I quickly shoot off one last text and can’t help the grin that forms.
Me: Wouldn’t you like to know. Listen. I gotta go. My flight is taking off. I’ll call you when I get to my hotel room.
Before she can respond, the flight attendant walks by my row, and I quickly put my phone in airplane mode. As soon as we’re in the air and beverages have been passed out, I get myself settled with a soda and ponder the questions I could ask Dani when I get to my hotel. Surprisingly, I find I want to read more of her book. I open the app again before I can think twice.
I knew Dani has a way with words, but this goes beyond my imagination. I had no idea what I was in store for.
Holy shit! Some of these scenes are hot! My body reacts just as if it were Dani and I instead of the main characters, which isn’t quite appropriate when you’re on a crowded plane. When a woman bumps my shoulder as she walks up the aisle, I feel my cheeks heat at being brought back to reality. I glance around and check to see if anyone is paying attention to me. Not that they can tell what I’m reading, but I’d been so completely entranced in Dani’s world, I could have sworn I was in the book itself. No wonder she’s made the bestseller’s lists. After my pulse stops racing, and I realize no one’s paying me any attention, I settle back into the story and get lost in the world she’s created once again. One thing’s for certain. This woman can write.