Authors: Mackenzie Crowne
“I’m sorry.” And she was. As numb as she was to him as a father, the man was suffering.
“Don’t be.” He sat up. “And once I’m dead, don’t ever blame yourself for not having a relationship with me. That’s on me. No one else. You deserved better.”
She had no idea what to say. Tears stung her eyes and distorted the wire in her fingers when she looked down.
“Oh, shit. Don’t do that.” He jerked to his feet. “I’ve said what I came to say, and I want to apologize for upsetting you the other night at your show. When Bartolini contacted me and told me you’d be there, I figured it might be my only chance to get you to listen.”
Her head jerked up, and her heart did a crazy flip in her chest. “
Ronald
told you where I’d be?”
“Ronald’s your agent, right?”
She nodded and struggled to control her breathing.
“He left a message at my hotel Friday morning, saying he had information regarding you I might be interested in. When I called him back, he gave me the address and time of the showing.”
Her fingers clenched even as her stomach sunk. “Tuck didn’t tell you I was doing the show?”
Confusion beetled his brows. “No. I’d never met Tuck, much less spoken to him, until he walked into the gallery.”
She tossed the wire to the bench and sat up straighter. “But you smiled at him when he got there. I saw you.”
He shrugged his shoulders and a smile played on his lips. “I caught that kiss between the two of you at Yankee stadium on TV. Who would have ever thought my little CC would snag herself a superstar?”
Oh, fuck!
The yoke of despondency that had ridden her shoulders for the past three days slid away, and a grin grabbed at her lips. A hiccup of hysterical laughter bubbled up from her lungs. She hopped from the stool, and in three long strides, threw herself at her startled father. His arms came around her hesitantly, and his slim musician’s hands patted her back as if he wasn’t sure what to do with them.
She pulled back, pecked a kiss to his cheek, and smiled. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For giving me back my dream.” She palmed his cheeks in her hands. “And for finally being the man I always wanted you to be.”
His smile was cautious and she grinned.
“But now, I’ve got to go!”
* * * *
“I need your help.”
CC stood on the porch of the Malones’ farm, unsure of her welcome. She hadn’t been particularly agreeable when Gracie and Jake stopped by to plead Tuck’s case. The sour expression on Gracie’s face didn’t bode well.
“Please, Gracie.”
“He’s my friend, CC. You hurt him.”
“I know I did. I screwed up, bad, and you can hate me if you want, but I’m hoping you won’t.”
Tuck’s friend crossed her arms. “How, exactly, did you screw up?”
Okay. Good sign. Her sigh was breathy with relief. “Can I come in? This might take a few minutes to explain.”
Gracie opened the screen door. Five minutes later, after shooing the twins out the back door with the dogs, she paused as she poured CC a glass of wine. “I’m so sorry.”
“Me, too.” CC picked up her glass. “Curt and I were never close, and I guess we won’t ever be now.” She stared into the glass. That was okay. She might not have the loving memories other women had of their fathers, but by showing her he cared enough to make sure she didn’t blame herself, he’d given her a gift she’d always treasure. “But that’s not why I’m here. It’s a long story, but I thought Tuck had betrayed me by sending my father to my art showing the other night.”
“Why would he do that? He knew about the kidnapping and the way you felt about your father.”
“Like I said, it’s a long story.” She sipped her wine. “Anyway, my father said Ronald is the one who told him where I would be.”
“Your agent?” Gracie sat across from her with her wine.
She nodded. “A couple of weeks ago, Ronald mentioned he’d stopped by my studio one morning and Tuck was there. It hadn’t dawned on me that was the day Tuck overheard my father’s message and realized who I was. When I saw Curt at the showing, I assumed Tuck had told him where to find me because I didn’t think anyone else knew about Curt. Obviously, I was wrong. Ronald must have heard Curt’s message as well that morning.”
Gracie swirled the wine in her glass. “And he didn’t tell you?”
“No, he didn’t, but it makes perfect sense that he would jump on the chance at some extra publicity by inviting Curt.” She gulped a swallow of cool wine, then lowered the glass. “I’m so stupid. I didn’t want to do the show in the first place, but Ronald convinced me. He told me he was having some financial issues and the show would help.”
“How?”
“Having a client in such a prestigious show increases the agency’s visibility, which means he’ll get more clients, and knowing him as I do now, he’ll no doubt charge a higher percentage for his cut.”
Gracie lifted her glass. “That sounds like normal business.”
“It might be normal, but an ethical businessman doesn’t use romance or a woman’s family to increase his bottom line.”
“Romance?”
She grimaced. “You know Tuck and I started dating because I wanted to test my theory, right?”
Gracie nodded encouragingly.
CC cleared her throat to cover her embarrassment. “Well, Tuck wasn’t the first man I asked. I approached Ronald first.”
“Hmm. Tuck didn’t tell me that. Does he know?”
“Definitely. He was there when it happened.”
“Oh, our boy must have loved that. Ha!”
They shared a grin.
“Anyway, Ronald turned me down flat. He claimed he was seeing a new woman.”
“And Tuck stepped in to save the day.”
CC snorted a laugh. “Something like that. Then a week or so later, Ronald shows up and says he wants a do-over, with me.”
Gracie blew a raspberry. “A do-over? Guys are such dorks. Did he know about Tuck?”
She nodded. “He must have, since he was there that morning with Tuck when Curt called. Apparently, Ronald didn’t see my relationship with Tuck lasting. He said Tuck had a reputation for using women and didn’t want to see me hurt.”
Gracie’s eyes glittered with fury on Tuck’s behalf. “What about the new woman he was supposed to be seeing?”
“Exactly. He
claimed
that didn’t work out.” CC held out her glass when Gracie picked up the bottle. “I turned him down, of course, and he had no choice left but to come clean on how his financial mess was the reason he was so anxious I do a show.”
A growl rumbled in Gracie’s throat. “What a dick. Is his number in your phone?”
Confused, CC nodded.
Gracie held out her hand. “Give it here.” CC complied and Gracie scrolled through the contacts, then tapped the screen and held the phone to her ear. “Hello. Is this Ronald Bartolini? Yes, this is Gracie Malone. I represent CC Calhoun, and I just called to tell you you’re fired.” She thumbed the screen and handed the phone back.
CC giggled. “I don’t think that was technically legal. Unfortunately, we have a contract.”
Gracie ginned and held up her glass. “Who cares? It was fun.” Their glasses clinked. “How else can I help you?”
“You can tell me how to get in touch with Tuck. He’s not answering his phone, and if the messages he left over the past couple of days are an indication, he’s written me off. I don’t want to wait three weeks to talk to him.”
Gracie swirled her wine. “His phone is shut off.”
“Because of me?” CC hated her whining tone, but she was desperate.
“No, not you, although knowing Tuck, he’d be willing to let you sweat a little before he answers. No, it’s off because Coach Timmins has a rule. No cell phones at camp. He likes to intimidate the rookies and, unfortunately, the older players get caught up in his tough guy net.”
She dropped her forehead to the tabletop.
“But I have an idea.”
CC lifted her head to peek across at her friend. Gracie wore a determined grin as she pushed back from the table and announced, “Road trip!”
* * * *
The big SUV rolled to a stop at the gate, and Gracie offered the uniformed guard a dimpled smile. “Hi, Teddy.”
Teddy, a balding man, who had to be pushing seventy, rubbed a finger over the beak that passed for his nose and returned a shy smile. “Hey there, Mrs. Malone. Does Jake know you’re coming?”
“He will in a few minutes.”
Teddy chuckled into his hand and waved them through the gated fence surrounding the Marauders’ Training Complex.
CC twisted her hands together in her lap. “This sounded like a good idea five hours ago, but now that we’re here, I’m not so sure.”
Gracie wheeled the big vehicle into a parking space right in front of the large building. The sign read
Reserved for Coaching Staff
. She twisted the key in the ignition and turned in her seat. “You are too sure. You’re just scared Tuck will refuse to listen.”
CC dropped her head back on the headrest with a groan. “I thought you were supposed to be helping?”
“I am.”
“Could have fooled me.”
Gracie’s quiet laughter didn’t help.
“Listen up, because I know what I’m talking about. Guys have their good points but basically, they’re dorks. That doesn’t mean they can’t be tough, especially when they’re hurt. You hurt Tuck, CC. Badly. I’ve never seen him look so lost as when he couldn’t reach you. You owe him an apology.”
CC shifted her head to look at Gracie’s serious face. “Do you think I don’t know that?’
“I think you’re scared shitless he won’t react the way you hope he will once you do.”
“What if he tells me to fuck myself?”
Gracie arched a challenging brow. “We’re talking about Tuck here. Why would he tell you to go fuck yourself when he’d much prefer to do the task himself?”
“What if he doesn’t?” She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. “You didn’t hear his messages. He’s really mad.”
“What if he does?”
“What are you, the devil’s advocate?”
Gracie grinned but sobered quickly. She sighed. “I’m going to tell you something I shouldn’t, and if you tell him I told you, I’ll call you a big, fat liar.”
“What?” she grumbled.
“He told me you take his breath away.”
She sat up straight, hope radiating from her heart to her smile. “He said that?”
“Yep. Of course, he likened you to a tick in the next sentence, but that’s beside the point.”
“A
tick
?”
Gracie waved a hand and pulled the keys from the ignition. “My point is, the man loves you. The question is, do you love him?”
Geez, a tick. What did that mean? She shook off the internal question and nodded. “Yes, I do. I never thought I’d ever meet a man who could make me yearn the way Tuck does, heart, mind, and soul.”
“He sounds like a man worth fighting for.”
“He is.”
Gracie opened the door and hopped out. “Well, then, we’ve got a battle to fight.”
CC hurried to keep up as Gracie sped her through a series of hallways as if afraid CC would change her mind if she had a moment to think. A distinct possibility. The thought of facing him made the saliva in her mouth dry to the consistency of sawdust.
Sawdust
. A sardonic smile curled her lips. She’d experienced plenty of emotional wounds in her life, and here she was, standing on her own two feet and marching forward to heal the most important one of her life. Mom would be so proud.
The bright light stung her eyes as Gracie punched open a utilitarian gray door and the practice field came into view. Gracie headed straight for the random section of scaffolding on the sideline. Players grunted and slammed into one another on the grassy field beyond. CC’s steps slowed to a halt as her gaze searched for Tuck’s tall form. Gracie had to retrace her steps to grab her hand and drag her along.
“You can do this,” she said without slowing down. “You owe him. Remember.”
CC bit her lip and tried not to stumble, a difficult task considering Gracie’s long strides. Slapping her free hand to her chest over her thundering heart, she fought against the fear threatening to suck her under. What if he refused to listen? What if she’d blown the best thing to ever come her way? Mentally shoving aside the doubt, she kept moving. She’d come so far, ticking off every last item on her fears list with one very important exception. Without Tuck, every victory she’d achieved over the past three weeks would never have been possible, and she’d be damned if she’d go on without him.
When they reached the scaffolding, Gracie shaded her eyes and looked up at the bulky man in shorts and a Marauders T-shirt who stood by himself on the ten-foot-tall platform and called out instructions on a megaphone.
“Hey, Coach.” She smiled when he turned to look down at them and cocked her head in CC’s direction. “This is CC Calhoun. She has something she needs to say to Tuck.”
The big man’s piercing gray eyes burned into CC. “Is she the reason he’s been two steps behind since he showed up?”
Gracie grinned. “Yes, I believe she is.”
He scowled. “Is she going to fix him, or make things worse?”
Gracie turned to CC with an arched brow. CC swallowed and nodded.
Gracie looked up at the coach once more. “Fix.”
Coach Timmins tucked the megaphone under one arm and propped his hands on the metal railing. “Then climb up here, young lady. Tuck is the best wide receiver in the league, but the way he’s playing today, he won’t make the practice team.”
“Up there?” CC gawked at the high metal scaffolding. There weren’t any stairs.
Gracie leaned close to whisper in her ear. “Is he worth the fight?”
CC grabbed hold of the first bar and started to climb. Swinging her leg over the top railing, she sent a tentative wave at Jake as he jogged to his wife’s side.
“I don’t believe this,” CC heard him say. “Does Tuck know she’s here?”
“He will in a second.” Gracie looked up and gave her a thumbs-up. “Now or never, sweetie.”
Coach held out the megaphone. CC wrapped her fingers around the handle, sucked in a bracing breath, and depressed the trigger. A piercing squeal echoed off the complex’s high walls. Every head on the field whipped around, and she almost dropped the thing, trying to make it stop. Coach reached over and depressed a small button on the side.