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I felt like an ass for having even asked, but I’d had to. The reality was, I needed this job. I couldn’t golf for the next year—at the bare minimum. At least, not professionally. I was in PT indefinitely. Other than that, the only thing I had to deal with was the divorce papers.
My mind, which was used to being cluttered with my game, had gone unnervingly silent. If I went back to golf after a year of this, I’d lose my game. I’d lose everything. I had to be going, going, going. I needed something to occupy the long hours and days and weeks and months before I could become me again. And the only other thing I’d ever had in my life was the family business.
When my hand was on the door to her office, Morgan spoke up again, “You’ll be back at your game before you know it.”
I closed my eyes and breathed out harshly. “What if I’m not?”
“Don’t doubt it. I believe in a healthy dose of optimism. You love it too much. And, anyway, Wrights don’t give up.”
I felt emboldened by Morgan’s confidence. She was right. This wasn’t the end of everything. I could still make a comeback. The PGA Tour would wait for me at least two years on an exemption because I’d won a tournament in the last year. But, if I didn’t meet the requirements for the Tour after that, I might have to qualify again. Something I was not looking forward to.
It was bad enough that I had missed the PGA Championship this last weekend, but now, the Tour were going into the playoff season for the FedEx Cup. A whole month of some of the best golf in the world, and I’d get to watch it from the sidelines. Worse…from a TV screen.
I tried not to think about that. One problem at a time. The one I could deal with presently was Heidi.
It was official. I was her boss. And I would be her boss for the next year—unless, by some miracle, another job opened up in the company. That seemed unlikely, considering my new position.
But I could make Heidi come around.
I needed to talk to her. To make her understand what had happened that day. I couldn’t accept that, just because we were in this situation now, we couldn’t have something between us again. She’d seemed resolved to walk away, and I was as determined to convince her otherwise.
How much could have changed in the last month?
I exited Morgan’s office and took the elevator back down to my floor. My mind was buzzing with all the work that had been dropped at my feet, coupled with the fact that I would have to interact with Heidi on a regular basis. At least I wasn’t sitting around, worrying about whether or not I’d ever recover enough to do the one thing I loved.
That was a positive.
Albeit, a strange one.
I rounded the corner that led to my office and couldn’t help myself. I turned to search Heidi out. She was resting against her desk, facing my direction. A group of engineering guys was standing around her in deep discussion. One guy was leaning over something on her desk. He said something to her, and she shook her head. Whatever she said next made everyone in the area crack up laughing. Even she tilted her head back and laughed. That mane of blonde hair fell like a waterfall down her back.
God, it was good to see her laugh.
I knew that I should walk away. That I shouldn’t stare at her like this.
We’d talked long into the night about how much she loved her job and how proud she was that she had started at the bottom and raised herself up. After everything she had done to get to where she was, she must find me despicable to come in with no experience and become her boss. I’d happened upon this position by sheer luck of birth.
Yet I couldn’t stop watching her. She had been this way with me once, and I’d walked away. It was the smart move. But knowing that I was leaving Miranda only made it harder.
Gorgeous, uninhibited, and completely in her element.
This was how she should always be. Not bottled up with anger and frustration. Tense with misunderstandings. From now on, I’d make it my mission to make her laugh.
Her head jerked toward me, as if she had felt my eyes on her like a laser. Her cheeks heated, but she didn’t look away. Gone was the fun and playful girl from a minute ago. In her place was that feral creature who kept me on my toes. Never sure if she was going to walk away or devour me whole.
I didn’t like the guessing games with her. The best thing about Heidi was, you always knew exactly where you stood. But, right now, I felt as if I were in a fun house with mirrors reflecting back at me, revealing a million different versions of reality.
As I held her gaze, I shattered every mirror but the real one in her eyes.
She seemed to realize that she had given herself away and quickly turned away from me. But I’d seen enough to know the truth.
This wasn’t over. This was far from over.
Chapter Eleven
Heidi
To say the least, the last five days had been the most uncomfortable of my life. If I’d thought I would be able to avoid Landon, I’d been wrong. Very wrong.
