Page 53 of Hot Shot
“Mal’s a good guy. He did his best.”
“If that was his best, I’d hate to see his worst.”
“I’m not sure anyone could have dealt with the fallout of my tailspin any better.”
“Drake would have. It’s why I’m going to tell you to sign with him. He’s got one of the best reputations and he’s proven himself over the last few weeks with the situation surrounding the Rogues franchise leak, and Walker and Oakley getting together, as well as Walker signing on as our head coach.”
“I can see how that might be a bit of a scandal.” And if I get my wish, if Blake and I become a couple, our situation will be the same. I’ll be sleeping with my boss.
“The deal with Walker’s ex and Cantrell was just as scandalous but as usual, the press likes to tear down a successful woman more than exposing a deceitful man.”
Blake
The closer we get to Mom and Dad’s, the more nervous Bran becomes. There’re no obvious signs, no bouncing knee or tapping fingers. It’s the clench of his fingers on the wheel, the tautness of his body in the seat. And the heavy feel of the air around us.
“It’s going to be fine. They don’t hate you, could never hate you,” I murmur into the thick air.
One thing I know about my parents is they would never judge someone for mistakes made with the best intentions. They love each of us kids, and that includes Bran, with their whole hearts—unconditionally.
“I have a lot to explain, apologize for. Looking back, knowing how things ended up, I’m not sure I’d have done anything differently with regard to Celeste and Laura. It’s cutting them out of my life I need them to understand and forgive me for.”
“They will.” I know it as well as I know my own name. “Do you want another water?”
“No. If I drink another drop we’ll have to pull over.”
“You need to pee? Because I’m up for a quick bathroom break if you are.” My own bladder has been full for over an hour but I didn’t want to delay our arrival when Bran is having a hard time with it.
“Why didn’t you say so?” Bran’s eyes land on mine for a second before returning to the road. With a frown on his face, he mutters, “I’m already failing.”
“Already failing? Failing what?”
“Taking care of you. I should have realized you needed to go the same as me. You’re smaller and we’ve both finish two water bottles since we started the drive.”
“I can take care of myself, and like you, I thought getting to Mom and Dad’s quicker was the better choice. Especially after we got held up by the road works.”
“Well, it’s not. That last sign said there’s a gas station up ahead, off the next exit. We can fill up the tank while we’re there.”
“You know I could argue that you need to take care of you as much as me. I need you—the Rogues need you—in peak form. Holding on to a full bladder until it bursts is not a healthy decision.”
“It’s not that full. I was exaggerating.”
“Still, we’re ahead of time because we didn’t stop for lunch and the roadworks didn’t really hold us up that long. If you needed to go, we could have taken a ten-minute bathroom break.”
“Well, we are now.”
Bran changes lanes and a few minutes up the road, he takes the exit. The gas station is another few minutes of driving and my estimated ten-minute break is looking short. But like I said, in spite of the delays, we’re on track to get home before Dad will be slapping the steaks on the grill.
“Where will I live when we get to Baton Rouge?”
Bran’s question has me turning to face him. “Where do you want to live?”
“I have options?”
“Yes. We have a complex of townhouses and apartments. Most of those are empty at the moment, but they’ll fill up quickly now that some of the arena is open and the Rogue sportswear head office is being fitted out.”
“Where do you live?”
“In a house. I bought it when we first looked at relocating and going after the franchise. It’s not huge but there’s enough room for you to stay until you get an idea of where you want to be.”
