Page 9 of Mission: Merry Christmas
She climbed back into the golf cart, lifting her chin to the sky. “The sun feels so good.”
“It’s pretty nice,” he had to admit as he adjusted his sunglasses and put his foot on the gas.
He drove up to the gate at his property, punched in the code, and then sped to the front door.
She reached up and grabbed the frame, but she didn’t complain.
Drew unloaded the last of the groceries from the golf cart to the porch so Avery could take them inside, then parked the cart.
Just as he lowered the garage door, his phone rang. Finally, his sister returned his call. “What have you done this time, Brooke? You’ve gone from one extreme to the other.”
“I take it help has arrived.”
“You know exactly who has arrived. You’re supposed to be traveling for work. Don’t you have something to do besides getting up in my business?”
“You aren’t taking care of it. You don’t leave me much choice.” Brooke’s words cut when she was right.
He poked his head out of the garage. The front door closed. His words came out part snarl through clenched teeth. “You sent a sports therapist? She’s in the business. She’ll know who I am.”
“Calm down. I gave you my last name.”
“If word gets out, I’ll never forgive you.”
“Stop it, Drew. She came very highly recommended. She’s not going to give away your secret. There are laws against that, and I’m sure she has her own reputation to worry about. I can’t sit by and let you sulk after that last report from the doctor. Especially with me not in town. I’m so sorry I’m not there.”
“How’s it going?” He’d much rather talk about her than himself.
“Good. But you need me.”
She was right. He did need her. Like most twins, the two of them talked every day, and although he was irritated with her, he wasn’t mad. Never could be. “I’m fine, but thanks for saying that.”
“Have you seen Nico today?” she asked.
She’d never had children of her own, but Nico, her stepson, couldn’t possibly be loved any more if she’d had him herself. He felt the same way about the kid.
“No. Haven’t seen him since you left. Did you warn him to steer clear?”
“I might have. Doesn’t mean he listens to me. Like you, that boy has a mind of his own.”
He loved his sister, but Brooke liked being in charge, and that was fine as long as she wasn’t bossing him around. He’d set himself up for this, though. When he took that tumble off his mountain bike in Colorado, he had played it off with the guys, but he knew he’d hurt himself.
He knew better than to mess around like that. It was even in his contract. If he screwed up this season, he’d likely ruin his whole baseball career. So, he’d hopped a plane to the only place where he was safe from the public eye: the small island of Horseshoe Cay down near the Exuma Islands where Brooke and her husband ran one of the finest resorts in the Caribbean.
“Nico’s probably reworking his list to Santa,” she teased.
“Don’t remind me. I hate I ruined our plans.”
“Stop. All that’s important is we’ll be together. It doesn’t matter where.”
“Easy for you to say. You’re not eight. I’d feel better if you went ahead and took him skiing.”
“It wouldn’t be the same without you, and you know it.”
He did. They’d never spent a holiday apart. After Drew had signed his last contract, he’d bought a house here as an investment, leasing it to celebrity visitors to offset the cost of owning a place here so he could visit whenever he wanted. Thank goodness, with Brooke’s help, he’d convinced the people that were booked for the holidays to move over to the all-inclusive resort without so much as a hiccup.
So far, he’d kept the injury quiet. Not even his manager knew, but it made him nervous that this Avery woman was now in the picture. The sports world was small, and word got around fast. Especially when it was bad news.
“What’s she like?” Brooke asked.
