Payoff Pitch (Philadelphia Patriots) (7 page)

It drove Teddy crazy that her brother was so short-sighted in his thirst for money. Sure, gas company money could bring the family a lot more income than they were able to squeeze out of their dairy operation, but at what cost, both now and in the future? What would Susquehanna County look like if every farm family signed drilling leases, and even more rigs and trucks and heavy equipment flooded the beautiful valleys? What would happen to their precious water resources? There had already been dozens of complaints across the region about contaminated water, and many residents blamed fracking for the problems. Even if the fracking fluids weren’t migrating up into the ground water—and she was pretty sure they were, or sooner or later would be—spills from the drilling operations themselves remained a monumental worry. She worried every day that reckless over-drilling would leave a blighted future for the children and grandchildren of the region.

“Well, Dalton should tell his boss to hire some more workers instead of piling up all that overtime,” Teddy said, unable to keep a bitter tinge out of her voice. “He’s got a responsibility to do whatever he can to help you, Dad, especially since he’s still living in your house.”

She’d given Dalton that message more than once, but of course he always scoffed at her, deflecting her criticism by endlessly pointing out that she’d flown from the family nest years ago. Teddy didn’t buy that line, not when her brother benefited directly from the income of the farm. Unlike him, Teddy hadn’t taken a dime from her father since she left home, nor would she.

Then again, she didn’t have to live with Dalton and his volatile temper, so she could hardly blame her dad for not wanting the house to be in a constant state of conflict.

“Joe Henderson signed a lease last week, Teddy,” her father finally said, changing the subject. “At first, Baron didn’t want to meet his demands, but eventually they did and the kid signed.”

The Henderson dairy farm was about a half mile down their road. Teddy had gone to school with Joe, who now co-owned the farm with his widowed mother. Teddy and her father had been hoping that the Hendersons would continue to resist the overtures from Baron Energy, one of the biggest companies drilling in the Marcellus, though not nearly the size of giant Chesapeake. Not only was this going to be the closest drill site to the Quinn farm, it would add even more pressure on her father and others to follow suit. The stunning news made Teddy’s spirits deflate in the blink of an eye.

“Oh, crap. I thought Joe had more sense,” she said.

Her father sighed. “But it’s hard to blame him, right? I know he looks at the gas royalties as security for his mother’s old age. God knows they don’t make that much from the farm anymore.”

Despite her disappointment, Teddy had to acknowledge the pressures that people like the Hendersons faced. Dairy farming could provide a solid income if you had a big enough herd, not a lot of debt, and you knew what you were doing. But there were a lot of small farms in Susquehanna and neighboring counties that didn’t score high on those scales. The Quinn farm probably fell somewhere in the middle of the pack from an economic viability standpoint. With his herd of sixty Holsteins and all his years of experience, Dad scratched out a decent living. But he hadn’t saved much money in the process and, like most every farmer, was only one disaster away from financial calamity.

The truth was, the Henderson farm had been marginal even before Joe’s father died. Could she really blame the son for looking at the up-front money from the lease—and the royalties that would soon enough line his pockets—and saying hallelujah for shale gas and fracking?

“No, they don’t,” she agreed. “But I guess they don’t put much of a price on the environment, do they?” She mentally winced, knowing how sanctimonious that sounded.

“Not as much as we do, anyway,” her father said wearily.

Dad wasn’t a leader of any of the anti-drilling groups that had sprung up, but he played his part in the fight against the blitzkrieg of hydraulic fracturing that the gas companies had inflicted on the region. Most importantly, he steadfastly refused to lease his farm’s drilling rights despite the nagging and sometimes belligerent pressure coming from his son.

Teddy adored him for his courage, his commitment, and for just being her dad.

“How’s your business going?” he said when she didn’t say anything more. “You don’t talk about it much.”

Although her brain continued to buzz over the lousy news about the Hendersons, she injected a smile into her voice. “Great, Dad. Just great.” A stretch, but Dad needed it. “I managed to snag an important new client today. You’ve probably heard of him because he plays for the Philadelphia Patriots.”

“Well,” her father said in a deep, drawn-out voice. That single word in that particular tone was what he almost always uttered when he encountered an unexpected pleasure.

“His name’s Noah Cade.”

“Hah! Really? Cade was one of the best pitchers in the game until he blew out his arm last season. He hasn’t pitched a regular season game since, though it looks like that’ll change any day now.”

Teddy remembered Noah saying he’d hurt his arm but had no idea he’d suffered such a serious injury. “Blew out? What’s that mean?”

“He tore his ulnar collateral ligament. When that happens, a pitcher has to undergo what they call Tommy John reconstructive surgery. It’s named after the first pitcher to have it, back in the days when it was experimental. It’s not such a big deal anymore, and pitchers can usually resume their careers after about a year of rehab.”

“Usually?” Teddy said, suddenly concerned for Noah and, truth be told, for the future of her deal with him. “So, there’s a chance he might not make it back?”

“Well, from what I’ve read and heard, there’s been some disappointment with his performance so far. But apparently the Patriots are going to give him a start on the weekend.”

That eased Teddy’s anxiety a little. “I’m sure it takes time, not just to recover fully but to get your groove back. I don’t suppose that’s the right expression, though, is it?”

“Sounds about right to me.” Then her father’s tone suddenly turned more serious. “I don’t know exactly how to say this, Teddy, but Cade’s got a bit of a reputation—as a ladies’ man, as your grandma used to say. And you’re a real good-looking girl, sweetheart.”

“Dad,” Teddy said with an exasperated sigh.

“I know—it’s none of my business, and I’ve always been over-protective. But you’re going to be in the man’s house a lot, Teddy, and—”

“But when he’s not there, Dad,” Teddy interrupted. “That’s the point of my job. Anyway, why would you possibly think that a baseball hero would even think about hitting on me? It’s ridiculous, and I’m not going to even talk about it.”

That didn’t mean she wouldn’t think about what her father had said, though. Coming on top of what Emma had told her about Noah, Teddy wavered as to whether she looked forward to their next encounter with excitement or trepidation.

Okay, she admitted silently, it was with both.

Noah could hardly believe how fantastic—mouth-watering, really—Teddy Quinn looked with the wind streaming though her coppery hair as they rocketed down I-95 with the Cadillac Escalade’s windows cranked down. He’d borrowed the loaded SUV from his buddy, teammate Nick Rome, since there was no way he could fit two huge dog crates into his BMW.

Though the wind noise was practically deafening, Teddy had asked him to shut off the AC and open the windows so she could breathe the clean air of an unusually fresh June evening. Ever since he picked her up at her place in Manayunk, he’d been fighting to keep his attention on the road. Her white shorts showed off her slim, athletic legs, and the tight red tank top left little to the imagination when it came to the upper half of her body. Earlier, she’d covered her shoulders with a light sweater, but now it lay folded in her lap, exposing a lot of smooth, pale skin and a cute dusting of freckles for his gaze to lock onto.

Noah had hoped in vain that Cristina might suck it up and accompany him to the airport to meet the dogs’ flight because he figured he could use some help to get them loaded up and safely home. But the housekeeper had balked. For the first time since she’d come to work for him, they’d had a heated argument and, for once, Noah had matched Cristina’s voluble temper. Still, she’d been adamant, and when Noah persisted, she’d practically shouted that he should take along “that girl” if he couldn’t handle a couple of dogs by himself. Noah had winced at what might be a slur on his manhood, but what really got to him was Cristina’s tone of voice when she said “that girl”. It gave Noah serious worries about future relationships in his house.

Cristina hadn’t even met Teddy yet, but apparently she’d already conceived an irrational dislike of her. He’d humor her for now and see how the situation evolved. But as much as he appreciated Cristina’s work, he wouldn’t tolerate discord in his home from an employee that he paid damn well and treated almost like family. He needed Teddy, as was obvious from tonight’s little outing.

“This should be fun.” Teddy smiled as she turned her head toward him. Her hair whipped across her face in a stream of red shot through with gold, and she took a moment to push it back. “Thanks for including me in the welcoming party.”

Noah shook his head as he took the exit ramp for the airport parking garage. “No, I’m the one who should be thanking you. I wasn’t thrilled about having to wrangle two dogs and their crates by myself, and I wouldn’t even broach the subject with Cristina.” He’d decided to use that small lie since Teddy didn’t need to know about the confrontation he’d had with his housekeeper. “I’m just glad you were free tonight. Free in both senses, apparently, though I would have been more than happy to pay you for your time, like I said.”

Teddy dismissed that with a wave and a dazzling smile. “Think of tonight as an introductory special for a new client. Besides, it makes a lot of sense that the dogs see us together as soon as they get out of their crates. They’re going to have to get used to seeing a lot of both of us, right?”

“Oh, yeah,” he agreed, “an awful lot.”

And maybe in some interesting positions, too, with a little luck.

Okay, he’d like to think that particular thought had come out of nowhere, but he’d be lying. He wondered if she’d had any of the same lustful thoughts he’d been having since the day they chased down Buster. He thought maybe she had, since she always seemed a little flustered around him.

As Noah pulled into Garage C, Teddy’s pink mouth turned down at the corners. “I can’t stop thinking about your aunt. It must have been so wrenching for her to say goodbye to Toby and Sadie today. I can’t even imagine having to go through that.”

He grimaced. “Aunt Roz called me early this morning to tell me her friend and the dogs had hit the road for Dallas to catch the direct flight. She was pretty broken up.” Noah had been forced to brush away a tear himself after the short conversation. “I promised her again that I’d do everything I could to keep her darlings well and happy. And I made a point of letting her know that I’d hired a truly loving and responsible person to take care of them when I’m gone.” He gave her the warmest smile he could. “She was some happy about that, believe me.”

Teddy momentarily dropped her gaze as a blush of color spread over her face. “I appreciate that, Noah, but you don’t really know me. I’m not sure why you’d have that kind of confidence in me yet, especially after the Buster affair.”

He squeezed the Escalade into an empty slot on the first level and turned to her. She watched him with an earnest, almost wary expression in her eyes. “I know you enough, Teddy. For one thing, I saw firsthand how much you cared for Buster. And I saw how the dog reacted to you. That told me all I need to know when it comes to trusting you with my aunt’s dogs. It was a crazy day, and you handled everything really well. That was enough of a job interview for me.”

Her smile lit up her cute face as she glanced down at her elbow, no longer swathed in bandages but still obviously far from healed. “Then I guess this was a small price to pay for a great opportunity, huh?”

“I’m glad you think so,” Noah said as he got out of the car.

Opportunity? Teddy wasn’t his usual type—plus she was his new employee—but for some reason it felt like most of the opportunities in the current situation were his. And that was way more appealing than it should be.

The special services agent wheeled a flat-bed cart through a door behind one of the baggage carousels and pushed it toward the office where Noah and Teddy waited outside. A pair of two-tone Furrarri 550 kennels sat side by side on the cart. Teddy had just glimpsed two black faces peering expectantly through the bars of the crates when suddenly a huge
woof
erupted from one them.

“Ah, that would be Toby,” Noah said with a chuckle. “He’s always been the mouthy one.”

“Well, he’s the male—need I say more?” Teddy said sardonically.

Noah rolled his eyes as Teddy looked up at him, unable to resist a little grin.

Teddy was five-seven in her sneaks, but she felt like a midget standing next to the mighty oak that was Noah Cade. He radiated such strength and controlled power that she figured he could probably stack the heavy dog crates, with the dogs still in them, and carry them out to the car by himself.

But for such an unconsciously dominating man—one who had supposedly left a trail of broken female hearts in his wake—he gave off an easygoing, totally non-threatening vibe. Even when he moved close to her as they waited at the baggage claim, so close that their bodies often touched when either of them swayed slightly, she had no inclination to move away to re-establish her personal space. The warnings she’d received about him filtered away with astonishing ease, and she began to think they were likely exaggerated. After all, gossip mags and websites weren’t exactly known for accurate reporting.

But even if the rumors were true, she knew she wouldn’t have hesitated for even a second to help him with the dogs’ arrival tonight. Of course, she
had
told herself that it was all in aid of establishing good client relations. Emma had laughed out loud when Teddy uttered that half-assed rationale.