Page 15 of Forever Wild
“Go join him,” I say sternly. “That’s the only thing I need from you.”
He doesn’t look happy about it, but he nods. “Okay.”
“Have fun.”
“Oh, before I forget,” James interjects before I can end the call. “I sent over a dozen or more emails since last week. Sponsorships, events, a new lease agreement…” He trails off.
“I saw them,” I admit. Sort of. I turned off email notifications on my phone after the first few I didn’t want to deal with.
“Good, good.” He chuckles softly. “Now how about responding to them before the summer is over?”
“On my list.”
When we hang up, I feel a little lighter. James has that effect. He’s the best agent in the game. He’s been with me since the beginning, both of us just starting out. Now I’m the highest paid hockey player in the league, and he owns an entire company with dozens of sports agents under him.
My light mood doesn’t last too long. I open my email, intending to go through them, but when I see how many have piled up, I break out in a cool sweat. I scan the list. Sponsors inviting me to attend events or reaching out with potential dates to shoot commercials, as stipulated in my contracts. Charities I regularly donate to or visit, such as the local children’s hospital, asking me back. And so many more things, all that require me to reply and none that I want to let down.
I set the computer aside and go to the kitchen, but there’s nothingto cook and I’m not that hungry anyway.
I think I’m tired of being cooped up. I can’t drive, or maybe shouldn’t is the better word, but some fresh air might be needed. Donning a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, I head out to the backyard. The first step outside, I inhale deeply. Damn. I didn’t realize how badly I needed this. Maybe I should have taken Sandra up on the walk around the neighborhood with the walker. Nah, absolutely not.
Scanning the yard, I do a double take when I spot the pink circle floatie in the middle of my pool. Or rather the woman on it.
Surprise shoots through me, but, actually, it’s not that shocking. With Everly, you always expect the unexpected.
As if she can feel my stare, her head snaps around and our gazes lock. She’s wearing a pair of sunglasses, but her dark brows lift beneath them.
By the time I make it to the edge of the pool, Everly has lifted the dark shades and paddled closer.
“Do I even want to know how you got in here?”
“I climbed over the fence.” She tips her head in the general direction.
My gaze drifts over to the fence that surrounds my house. It’s six feet tall, and Ev…she’s not short, but that couldn’t have been easy.
“I didn’t want to bother you again, but this pool deserves to be used.”
“Oh good. You didn’t want to bother me. This is way less intrusive.”
She rolls her gorgeous hazel eyes. Today they’re lined with black that extends out past the corners of her eyes. “Fine. Fine. I should get out of the sun anyway.”
Her comment makes me wonder how long she’s been out here.
Everly slides off the pink floatie, tosses it over the side out of thepool, and then pulls herself up. Water cascades down her body, from the ends of her blonde hair, over smooth curves and long legs. Today’s bikini is red. Appropriate since I should absolutelystoplooking at her.
“How’s the knee?” she asks casually, leaning her head to one side and squeezing water from her hair.
“Better.”
“How much longer do you have to wear the cast?” Her chin juts toward my left arm.
“It comes off next week.” I fidget in place as she fires questions at me. I wasn’t prepared to see her and my defenses slowly rise back up, turning me back into the grumpy asshole I’ve become this past month.
“What kind of physical therapy are you?—”
“You can’t just show up uninvited, scale my fence, and act like my pool is your personal getaway.”
Her eyes widen like a hurt puppy at my gruff tone and scolding words, but then slowly a fire lights up behind those hazel irises and everything in her body language stiffens.
