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Martha scurries out of the room and shouts on her way out, “That reminds me that I need to make a phone call and get a replacement for David. I’ll need to order three bodyguards, so you boys are protected, too!”
“Honey, you hire bodyguards. You don’t order them from a catalog,” Reggie chuckles.
“Po-ta-toh, Po-tah-toh!” Martha hollers from the other room.
Penny tugs on my shirt, “Did you know that the saying comes from the Gershwin Brothers’ song Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off?”
“I did. It’s a famous song from the movie Shall We Dance? However, the different pronunciations are due to regional dialects and the Great Vowel Shift that occurred during Shakespeare’s time,” I explain.
“Whoa! You learn something new every day!” Penny exclaims.
Aiden hugs Penny before standing before me and talking in a low voice, “Jeremy will stay here with you until I get back. I should be home in two hours, give or take.”
“Aw. Look at you two getting all cozy and worried about one another. It’s so cute,” Swank says in a high-pitched feminine tone while scrunching his nose. He winks at me, “At least now it makes perfect sense why you don’t want to marry me. Aiden’s definitely the bigger and better prize.”
Swank’s tone is meant to be lighthearted banter, but his self-deprecating words hit a little too close to home for me. I take a step back and put some distance between Aiden and myself. “Have a great game, Swank. We’ll be watching from the couch and cheering you on.”
“Anna,” Aiden whispers, aware that the smile I’m sporting is no longer genuine.
Trying to hide my emotions, I use the perkiest voice I can muster. “You better get going, Aiden, if you want to make it back before the game starts. I’ll have the snacks ready by the time you return.”
The look in Aiden’s eyes tells me that this conversation is far from over, but he doesn’t push. Instead, he turns toward Swank, and they leave. Martha enters the kitchen shortly after I hear the front door close, waving her phone wildly in the air.
“I’ve got good news! Shining Knight is sending three more men!”
“That’s great! Did Ethan tell you who?” I whisper so that Penny doesn’t overhear.
“I talked to Ben. He said that Jerry, Jessie, and Roger should be here first thing in the morning,” she whispers back
I smile. “Jessie is actually a female. I should probably warn you that she looks young even though she’s my age. She’s a force to be reckoned with, and you’ll love her. I’m sure you’ll love them all.”
Penny, having heard my last sentence, wraps her arms around my waist, “But not as much as we love you, Anna.”
Chapter thirteen
Aiden
Scott and Jack meet Swank and me at the door and escort us to their SUV. I’m not used to riding in the back of someone else’s car, and I miss the leg room my truck affords me. It’s a small price to pay if it keeps me alive so that I can watch my daughter grow up. The hardest part of riding with them is the lack of privacy as I converse with my friend.
“What were you thinking, Swank? You basically called Anna a gold-digger to her face.”
Swank crosses his arms defensively, “I’m only looking out for you. Anna, if that’s even her real name, already has you and Penny wrapped around her finger. Girls like that only want guys like us for our bank account.”
I huff out an exasperated sigh, “What do you mean by ‘girls like that?’ Are you suggesting that because Anna is gorgeous, that she’s up to no good?” I wish I could tell Swank about Savannah’s true intentions and the real reason she’s here, but I promised I would keep her secret. She’s not after my bank account; she’s after the culprit.
“You’re the one that said she’s up to something, and now you’re falling for her act hook, line, and sinker. She claims she doesn’t date athletes, yet you two were getting all cozy back there. She posed a challenge, and you fell right into her trap and accepted it because you’re accustomed to getting everything that you want. You want Anna, and she knows it!”
I’m astounded by Swank’s vehemence. “You don’t know her, Swanson.”
“Oh! You’re pulling out the big guns and using my given name! Aiden, you don’t know her either! Anna’s been here, what? Three days? Mark my words. If you get serious with her, she will leave you high and dry just like Patricia did. You’re a sucker for a pretty face and blond hair!”
I contemplate his words, wondering if they come from a place of genuine worry or from jealousy. If I had to wager, I’d say it’s from the latter. “I have to admit that there’s something special about Anna that intrigues me, but we aren’t together, Swank. What you saw was me simply informing her that Jeremy would be keeping them safe while I’m gone. Yesterday was pretty scary for everyone involved.”
“I get that, Aiden. Honestly, I do. It’s the way you said it to her that has me concerned. It was intimate. Just be careful, Man. I know your plan is to get her to spill whatever secret she’s hiding, but don’t lose yourself along the way. You’re playing with fire with that one. I’m afraid you’re the one that’s going to get burned.”
I see Scott’s narrowed eyes in the rearview mirror, and he is less than thrilled by what Swank has just said. I’ll have to explain to him later that was my plan before I knew the truth, but it’s not now.
The rest of the ride is uneventful, and it doesn’t take long for the team doctor to deem that I should be ready to play on Monday. The guys all wish me well, while I wish them luck. The team huddles around me as I say a quick prayer, asking God to bless the team with a win. If that’s not His will, we will accept the outcome with gracious hearts and be thankful for the opportunity to play a game we love.
