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“She could help, you know.” Chance’s tone turned serious. “Take some of the scrutiny off the team… and you.”
“I deserve the scrutiny.” Jason clasped his hands so tightly, his knuckles creaked. “And the consequences.”
“No, you don’t.” Chance grasped his shoulder. “You didn’t give Alan the keys to your car. You raced in after him despite the danger. I should have noticed him taking your keys while you were gone. We wouldn’t need her at all if you told the truth.”
“It was my car.” Jason clenched his fists. “My keys. Because of me, Alan will always be paralyzed.”
“No, because of Alan.” Chance swiped the air. “He made those decisions, not you. Besides, the doctors said there was a chance he would walk again.”
“Two percent.”
“If you hadn’t been there, he would’ve hit that school bus. Imagine that.”
Pure terror rose, at the tragedy they’d just avoided, an icy dagger of what ifs. He couldn’t even consider what could’ve happened. “If I hadn’t been there, he wouldn’t have had so much to drink.”
“That’s not true. You didn’t make him drink. And you certainly didn’t make him steal a car and drive. You should’ve corrected the media when they got it wrong.” He turned back to where Dara had departed. “You should tell her.”
It was out of the question. If it hadn’t been for him, Alan would be standing next to them, forging the career of his dreams. “I have no interest in talking to Ms. Everett. Not about the accident, not about my behavior and definitely not about any sort of interest you think I have.”
His friend lifted an eyebrow. Why not? He hadn’t even mentioned he might be interested. Chance smiled mischievously. “Since you’re not interested, maybe I’ll get to know her a little better.”
This time, his reply was immediate. “She’s not your type.” Way to be subtle. “I don’t mean that in a bad way. The women you go out with know what you’re offering, but she wants more.”
“You know that from one night?” His friend rubbed his chin. “What about Andy Sawyer? By the way he was staring at her during the meeting, I’d say he’s a fan. Wasn’t he with that one woman for a decade? He’s as serious as they get.”
“He’s not right for her either.”
“Really? What about–”
“Nope.”
Chance laughed. “You didn’t even let me say the name. Are you interested in her?”
“Of course not.” But his reply was too certain, too quick, too loud. “She’s Pat’s niece and a team employee.”
“But there’s no rule about employees dating. Remember when I dated that lady from the office?”
“Which one?” Jason deflected the question. “Are you referring to Sue from marketing or Janice from human resources or maybe Ellen from accounting? You’ve dated the entire Dragons’ support staff. You never had problems because you made your intentions clear from the beginning. It would be different if you went past three dates with a woman.”
Chance’s expression sharpened. “Are you saying you want to go on multiple dates with Dara – as in a relationship?”
Jason had to stop himself from growling. Why was he so upset? Chance ribbed him about women all the time, and typically they shared good-hearted barbs like kids traded baseball cards. Usually, it was easy to discount his interest.
Not this time.
“Don’t you have a meeting to get to?”
Narrowed eyes proved he didn’t fool Chance. He wasn’t even fooling himself. Despite his best efforts, Dara stole his attention the entire meeting, like she had plopped down a pop-up chair in his mind, complete with an umbrella, ottoman and one of those cute little cupholders. In truth, he hadn’t disliked the time they’d spent together. Liked would be more apt, and not just a little. From the moment he’d spied her at the club in an outfit designed to attract the attention of every man in a hundred-mile radius, he couldn’t keep his eyes off her. Yet it was her witty banter and wry intelligence that truly drew him. When those men harassed her, annoyance had transformed to frustration and then to fury, casting fervent possessiveness and the compelling urge to ensure her safety.
He hadn’t calmed down until he was sitting next to her, and she was free from the men who would dare harass her. In his position, it was difficult to form true connections, yet she was surprisingly easy to converse with, more like a teammate than an opposing player. They molded together perfectly while they danced, and that kiss…
Despite her scheme to run his life, he wanted to get to know her better. Only her new role, and his part in it, could sabotage his efforts. Could he turn her focus to a different method of transforming the team image? They were due to go on a road trip in a few days. No doubt she’d have a new plan of attack when they got back.
Yet why did the thought of not seeing her for ten days seem unacceptable?
He straightened. The solution was simple – she would come with them. Normally, support staff wouldn’t accompany the team, but surely Pat would make an exception for his niece. She’d get a taste of what it felt like to have someone meddle in her life. He lifted his lips in a slow smile.
Time to discover who was really in charge.
