Page 70 of Never In My Wildest Dreams

And then, he let himself out the back door, fired up the snowmobile, and headed for town.

And if he felt the invisible thread to her stretching and tightening…

Well, he reminded himself, it had all been a mirage.

ChapterFourteen

TWO YEARS AND SEVEN MONTHS LATER

Booker slidthe contracts into his briefcase and shut down his computer. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a vacation. Of course, this one was for a client, so it probably didn’t count.

His assistant passed by the office and did a double take. “Hey.” He came inside. “What’re you doing here?”

“Anita’s contract came in.” The pro golfer was a new client, and her number one priority was getting endorsements. She was fun, vibrant, and damn good at her sport, and he’d come up with a few angles for her. He’d already scored her a credit card commercial. “I’ll read it on the plane.”

“There’s only one flight a day to St. Lucia.” The older man checked his watch. “You’re not going to make it.”

“I’ll make it.” He might not. Wheeling his suitcase to the door, he said, “The car’s waiting.”

His assistant followed him to the elevator, stepping ahead to push the call button. “You want me to follow up with the Canadian kid?”

“No.” He needed to play it cool. Not come off frantic. “I’ll send another message when I get back. It’ll all work out.”Lies.It looked like he’d been ghosted, but he hadn’t come up with a game plan yet.

“What about the Canadian kid?” As if summoned by the biggest potential get of their boutique agency, George appeared out of nowhere.

“Still no response.” He’d been cultivating a relationship with the family for over a year, developing the kid’s natural ability. With the draft six months away, Booker had fully expected them to sign with him, but they’d suddenly gone silent. “Guys, it’s fine. I’m on it.”

“Go straight there from St. Lucia,” George suggested.

Good idea. “I can do that.”

“Great.” George checked the time. “I gotta go. My four o’clock’s here.” His colleague patted his shoulder. “Have a blast at the wedding. I’ll try to get there if I can.”

With a chin nod goodbye, Booker got on the elevator. All four agents were invited, of course, but as a boutique agency, they’d created strict rules to ensure they’d succeed. And they all agreed they couldn’t afford to shut down operations for a client’s wedding.

But, man, he wouldn’t mind the entourage.

Ever since Ginty had signed with the Renegades, Booker had been dealing with his childhood friends. One owned the team, another was the coach, and the third guy was the goalie. Typically, Booker handled business over the phone, but the few times he’d come to town, he’d had to meet them face-to-face.

He wouldn’t lie—it was tough to see their rapport hadn’t changed over the years. The three of them were still close. They’d all gotten married and had kids. The families hung out just the way he’d always imagined.

He dealt with them because of business, but this time, he’d have to hang out at a resort. They had a full schedule of diving, deep sea fishing, paragliding, and spa time. It would’ve helped to have George there.

Whatever.The focus was Ginty’s wedding. His client finally had all the happiness he deserved. A great career, and now, a fiancée who loved him for himself and not his money or fame.

As he headed out of the five-story Murray Hill brick building—a big change from his last job at Elite’s gleaming high rise on Park Avenue—the summer heat smacked him like a wet towel. As soon as he slid inside the town car, he was grateful for the blast of air-conditioning.

The driver took off the moment he closed the door. His grip on the wheel showed how anxious he was to get Booker to the airport on time. Nothing he could do about it now. He pulled out his phone to catch up on missed calls and messages and saw several from Ginty. He quickly called him back.

“Hey.” The hockey player hadn’t sounded that defeated in years.

“What’s up?” Booker tensed. “Everything all right?”

“It’s off. The wedding’s canceled.”

“What’re you talking about?” Whatever happened, Booker would fix it. Ginty had been seeing his fiancée for two years. A country music star, her career was even more high profile than his. She had plenty of money, so the fact that they were still together meant something to the hockey star. They were a damn perfect couple.

“My family sold the wedding details to the press. All the way down to Noa’s wedding dress.”

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