Page 5 of Keeping the Single Dad
“I’ll get a lawyer. This is blackmail.”
The lethal calmness flickering in her eyes told me this was no bluff.
“That’s a shame. I was hoping you’d be more sensible.” She didn’t look at me as she packed her briefcase and placed a business card next to my glass.
My heart raced. Dad was so sensitive. I couldn’t let the press drag him through the dirt when he was already at rock bottom. He was mortified about his behavior last night. He’d agreed to go back to AA, but it was going to be tough.
I stood. “Wait. Write a story on me. Say whatever you want, but leave my dad alone.”
She pressed her lips. “I told you, male footballers sell papers, not women. Give me something better, or we go to print with your father.”
“Please. You can’t do this. It’s not fair.”
“No.” Her small smile was almost apologetic. “It’s not.”
She lifted her handbag higher on her shoulder and strutted away.
?
Chapter 4
Lana
Isignaledthebartenderfor another mocktail. These were the times when I wished I drank alcohol. I needed to shake off this horrible scratchy feeling, but I’d seen Dad drunk so many times, it had put me off drinking for life. I pulled out my phone and scrolled with trembling fingers. My thumb hovered over Mel’s number. The way she’d looked at me last night drifted to mind. She was always so mad at me, whether or not I’d done anything wrong. My sister would give me so much shit for this. She’d blame me, as if it was my fault Karen Delaney had set her sights on ruining my life. I scrolled on.
Maybe I could talk to Skylar? Not that she’d have any time for me. She’d been attached at the hip to Reece ever since she’d come home from LA. My guts churned. What was I supposed to do? My loyalty to Dad came above all else, but the team was my world.
“Seven pounds for a pint? Is this some kind of joke?” A Scottish voice drifted to my ears.
The short, sharp vowel sounds reminded me of Dad’s Glaswegian accent. I turned to take in the towering beast of a man standing a way along the bar. He was at least a head and shoulders taller than everyone around him. In his blue tartan kilt, he looked like a highland warrior with broad shoulders and long, strong legs. Silvery gray streaked his dark hair and dusted his temples. Despite his formidable stature and rugged, somber profile he had a humorous, kindly mouth and soft whisky eyes.
He caught my eye. “I knew it was pricey down here, but this is daylight robbery.”
Despite my grim mood, I couldn’t help but chuckle at his incredulous look. It reminded me of Dad. No matter how much money Dad made, he’d always hated getting ripped off. That was one perk of knowing the billionaire owner of the Beaufort. I didn’t have to pay for the rooms or the drinks.
“That’s normal for this place.” I signaled the bartender. "Here. Let me get it for you. I’ll put it on my tab."
“You don’t have to do that.” He held his palms up in mock surrender and I couldn’t take my eyes from his hands. They were huge — beautiful, long-fingered and strong.
“It’s on the house. I know the owner and I can assure you he can afford it.”
?Interest flickered in his eyes. “You know Gabriel Rivers?”
“Yeah. I know Gabe.”
The bartender put the pint of beer on the bar in front of the dashing Scotsman who flashed a warm smile. “Thank you. That’s kind of you.”
“No problem.”
He took a long drink. Froth clung to his top lip for a moment before his tongue traced the edges of his full mouth. I couldn’t take my eyes from the movement.
“How do you know a celebrity, then?”
I opened my mouth to tell him that Gabe was my boss at the football club, but some devilish impulse made the words wedge in my throat. The last person I wanted to be was Lana Sinclair. Lana Sinclair had an alcoholic father that she couldn’t manage, a sister that thought she was a total idiot, and a viper in kitten heels journalist-from-hell blackmailing her. Lana Sinclair was up to her eyeballs in shit that she couldn’t deal with. Wouldn’t it be better to be someone else for a little while? Someone composed and in control. Someone responsible and mature. Someone more like…Mel.
“I’m here from out of town on business with Gabe. Finance stuff.” I waved a dismissive hand. “I won’t bore you with the details.”
“What’s Gabe like to work with? Is he a good guy?”
