“Sure. Anyone I want to can do that,” he said. “As it happens, there’s a game the day after tomorrow. Do you think you could come?”
“Sure,” she said happily. Maybe it wasn’t going to be as difficult as she’d thought to get on the same page with him. He had just needed her to meet him where he was, and for Theo Davenport, that meant recognizing that work was an important part of his life. That was all right. Lots of men were like that — they didn’t know how to balance work and regular life. And if he needed to maneuver around his professional life to make things possible, then she’d accommodate that for Tara’s sake. Besides, a baseball game really might be fun.
“You don’t need tickets,” he told her. “I’ll leave your name at the gate, and someone will escort you to my box. You’ll just have to show ID.”
“Sure. I can do that.”
“Then I’ll let them know to expect you,” he said.
There was no smile, no indication that this was something Theo wanted, and Harper wondered just exactly who this man was. He seemed proud of his job, but he hadn’t given any indication of wanting to share it or show it off. Even now that she had expressed interest in it, he gave the impression that he was putting up with her more than actually wanting her to be involved.
That’s fine. We don’t have to be friends.She was just going to have to reframe her expectations for him, and for what their time together was going to be like. She could do that. And in the meantime, she would get to see a baseball game, and that would be fun.
Still, she thought as she made her way out to her car after saying goodbye to Theo,Tara is lucky I love her so much. I think a lot of people would probably have a hard time working with this guy. But I’ll do what has to be done. I’ll do whatever it takes to make this wedding exactly what she’s always dreamed of. After all, Tara would do the same thing for me.
Her resolve made her feel slightly better about it all. By the time she got in her car, she had begun to look forward to the day they would spend together at the ball game.
And at least one thing was true. In five years, when she looked back at the pictures of this wedding, she would be on the arm of Theo Davenport in those pictures. Whatever he was like personally, there was little doubt in her mind that he would be the most handsome — the sexiest — man there.
CHAPTER 4
HARPER
“So, this is your private box?” Harper asked.
“This is it,” Theo said. “If you need anything to eat or drink, just press that buzzer on your left and a member of the waitstaff will come to take your order.”
“I wouldn’t want to be an inconvenience.”
“You’re not,” he said. “They’re doing their jobs. Order something if you want to.”
She nodded. “Maybe in a little bit. It’s only the first inning, after all. I hope the Stallions win!”
“They won’t,” Theo said dismissively.
“They won’t? Are they up against a strong rival or something?”
“Not particularly strong, but the Stallions aren’t any good. I’m thinking of firing the manager and bringing in someone new. I haven’t done it yet because the current manager has been with the team for years, and I think some of the players might leave with him.”
“If the players really like the manager, he might not be the problem,” Harper said. “Maybe it’s something else?”
“I don’t know. Maybe this team is just a loser. But either way, my job is to make us profitable, and the only way I can reliably do that is by trying to get us some wins,” he said. “I need to see what I can do to make sure the team turns their season around. That’s why I come to these games.”
“Not because you love baseball?”
“I’m not crazy about baseball.”
“Then why do you own a baseball team?” she asked him. “You must have made the decision to do this. Why bother, if you’re not passionate about the sport?”
“It’s a good investment,” he said.
“That’s it? You’re only in it for the money?”
He cracked a smile. “No,” he admitted. “That’s not the only reason, although it’s what I bring up to Max when I want to get under his skin. I like sports generally, and I like Houston, so to own a sports team here was ideal for me. I had a few investments pay off well for me in my twenties, and then the opportunity came up to purchase this team. I don’t know if you’d remember, but as weak as they are now, they were a lot worse then.”
“I wouldn’t remember that,” she said. “I’ve never really followed baseball, so I’m not familiar with the team’s history.”
“Well, that’s how I was able to afford it. And it’s been profitable for me, of course, but I have shareholders I need to think about, and… none of this is what you asked, though.”
