Chapter Nine

Isla paced the conference room, grateful for the moment alone. Her heartbeat hadn’t settled down from being in front of the camera. She’d held it together because she’d trained herself to school her features, but now her body trembled.

She had a grandfather. He’d died. He left her a freaking baseball team. Her father hadn’t even let her take on her own accounts until three years into her position.

As odd as it seemed, she wished Liam were there with her, because she knew, she just knew, he’d make her feel calmer. Or he’d make her laugh. Or smile. She’d have been able to connect her gaze to his, and it would have made breathing easier.

Dangerous thinking when she just had an avalanche of responsibility dropped in her lap. She might not have time for anything else. Still, she’d snuck away under the guise of using the bathroom and called the bar, asking that someone pass her info on to Liam.

Josiah came back into the room and smiled at her in a way she’d always wished her father would. Isla clutched her phone in her hand.

“You did great,” he said. “You’re going to have a lot coming at you for the next while. If there’s any silver lining in all of this, it’s that it’s the off-season. Once the immediate craze of wanting to know who you are has shifted, you’ll be able to get your feet under you, and you won’t be alone.”

That did not seem possible. Not at the moment, anyway. “Thank you for your help.”

He nodded, leaned against one of the tables that created a huge rectangle in a massive room with wall-to-wall windows. The night sky made the lights of Nashville seem brighter.

Crossing his arms over his chest, he held her gaze. “Jennifer is going to give you some contacts. She’ll help you find a place to stay, connect you with an assistant who can work on getting whatever you need to feel settled. It’d be best if you didn’t head back to Colorado right now, but obviously you might need to. I can have that arranged so you don’t have to worry about small details.”

God. She hadn’t even thought of all of that. “I can contact my own assistant and get a few things taken care of.” Her thoughts jumped around. She had to call Addie as soon as possible.

“Okay. That’s good, then. I’m sure you’re tired, and tomorrow is going to be a long day. Your father and brother have landed. Cordelia is blowing up my phone and leaving messages about them contacting her. There’s going to be backlash, but you seem like you can handle it. There will be a lot of people telling you different things. My Jennifer is closer to your age, one of the top attorneys in Nashville, and has an idea of what it’s like to be a high-profile person thanks to the nature of my clients. You need anything, she’s your girl. At least until you have your own people around you.”

It was already so much, and pressure built in Isla’s chest. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”

“I’ve got a driver who will take you to one of the apartments I own in East Nashville. It’s fully furnished and sitting vacant because I’m between tenants. You can stay there until you catch your breath.”

Isla walked closer and stopped in front of him, her jaw tight with the effort not to dissolve into a puddle of tears. “You’ve done so much. Thank you.”

He reached out and squeezed her shoulder. “Your grandfather was one of my best friends. Some day soon, when all of this dies down a little, we’ll have a drink and I’ll tell you some stories.”

It hurt her heart how much she wanted that. How she’d been denied her own stories. “I’d like that.”

“Okay. My driver is downstairs. I’ll walk you out. They’re waiting in the back because most of the media is hanging around the front.”

She was in the car, her purse in her lap, her phone clutched to her chest, when it rang. The driver glanced back but continued navigating the streets of Nashville.

“Liam?” Even saying his name made her feel like she wasn’t swimming around over her head. It anchored her back to the moment.

“Isla. Are you okay?”

And just like that, tears filled her eyes. He was so thoughtful. “I am. Liam, there’s so much I need to tell you.”

“I saw the press conference, sweetheart. We need to talk, and I have your things.”

Relief loosened the pressure in her chest. She didn’t have to explain if he’d seen the news. “I had no idea this was going to happen. I’m still in shock. My granddad’s lawyer has a place in East Nashville. Is there any chance you can meet me there?” She hated the pleading tone of her voice.

“You don’t even have to ask. Text me the address, I’ll leave now.”

“Liam.” She didn’t know what she wanted or needed to say.

“What is it, Red? What do you need?” The empathy and care in his tone wrapped warm fingers of affection around her heart and squeezed tight.

As odd as it seemed, given the amount of time she’d known him, the answer was easy. Him. She needed him.

“I just want to see you.”

“I’ll be there soon.”

When they hung up, she wiped the tears from her cheeks and caught the driver’s eye in the rear view.

“You all right, miss?” She liked the twang of his voice and wondered if he sang country music. He was older, balding on top with shorn gray hair at the sides of his head.

“Just emotional, I guess. Thank you. Will it be much longer? I have a friend meeting me.”

“About fifteen minutes.”

Sitting in the back of the dark town car, she typed her grandfather’s name into Google. It hadn’t occurred to her to do it yesterday. Why would it? Now, seeing thousands of hits pop up, she felt foolish. She scrolled through them, just wanting to get to know him a bit better. One of the headlines caught her eye and pressed the stop button on her heartbeat.

THE PRODIGAL SON IS HOME. LIAM CRUZ SIGNS WITH NASHVILLE SLAMMERS.

Oh.

My.

God.

Her breath caught in her lungs, and a strange sound left her lips.

“Everything all right, miss?”

Her eyes went to the rearview mirror. She nodded because words wouldn’t form. We need to talk.

Liam Cruz was a Nashville Slammer.

And Isla was now his boss.