Nate exhaled through his nose. “I’m sorry he showed up and caused a scene.”
I wrapped my arms around him. “It’s not your fault.” I peered up at him. “How did you know he was here?”
He kissed the top of my head. “His wife, Nadine, called. She was upset and told me he was coming for you.”
I pressed my cheek to his chest. “I’m sorry. I know he was more than just your agent.”
What happened here wasn’t just about business. Nate lost someone he once trusted. Someone he believed was in his corner. Brian was a part of his life for so long; this had to hurt.
“I thought he was, but I was wrong,” he said quietly. There was no anger left in his voice; he seemed over it. “And I’m done looking backward. I want to focus on moving forward with you.” He brushed his thumb along my bottom lip and kissed me right in the middle of my office. And for the first time all day, I felt myself relax, because that sounded pretty damn good to me.
CHAPTER 35
BECCA
TWO WEEKS LATER
We had only been sittingin Jax’s living room for less than an hour, and Ember had sneezed no less than thirty times.
Not cute little sneezes either.
“Oh, my God.” She jerked forward and rubbed her nose, just as his cat, Salem, rubbed up against her leg for the tenth time. “Tell me again why I am here?”
“Because you agreed to come,” I said, handing her a tissue as Salem skittered away.
Jax had texted me and begged me to bring her tonight, which had the potential to turn out to be a complete disaster, if you asked me. He has been asking about her since the night they met at the Blarney Stone. Apparently, he has developed a little crush on my best friend. Which, honestly, was kind of adorable and a little terrifying at the thought of the two of them together.
“I never agreed to inhale a whole damn cat.” She wiped at her eyes. “I’ve been sneezing so much, I’m pretty sure I’m going to need a lung transplant.”
I took a bite of my pizza. “You’re being dramatic.”
She glared at me. “Easy for you to say. You’re not the one allergic to cats.”
A few more guys walked in, carrying chips and beer. It was a low-key team get-together. A chance for everyone to relax after all the chaos. Although with the way some of the guys were yelling at the television, complaining about the horrible officiating in a college football game, I wasn’t sure how much relaxing they were doing.
The day after Nate met with management, news broke that Coach Mac had officially been let go from the team. Letting the head coach go mid-season was never a good sign and was a pretty good indicator that things were broken beyond repair. According to rumors, management had been looking for a reason for a while. There were too many complaints and whispers about players being pushed too hard. Their assistant coach, Jeff Daniel, stepped into the role. It was still early yet, but the transition had been easier than expected. The fallout had been messy, and even the team doctor had taken a hit. The internet was running wild and saying the Hawks were cleaning house and guessing who would be next on the chopping block. Meanwhile, the team’s priority was putting this matter to rest and winning games.
Jax appeared from the kitchen, glancing around the room before his attention landed on Ember. His hands were shoved into his pockets as he walked over, trying to act casual.
“Well, this is a pleasant surprise. I wasn’t sure you would come.”
Ember smiled politely. “I almost didn’t, but Becca forced me to.”
Nate busted out laughing next to me.
Jax, bless his heart, looked completely unbothered. “What can I get you to drink?”
“I’m good.”
“Beer?”
She crunched her nose. “I don’t drink beer.”
He raised a brow. “Wine?”
She glanced over to the kitchen. “What kind of wine do you have?”
“I don’t, but I can have somebody run to the liquor store and get you some.”
