I turn my head toward him. “What do you mean?”
“You don’t need the money,” he says sharply, eyes fixed out the windshield.
“I need to be able to support myself,” I protest.
“No, you don’t.” His tone cuts. “Anything you need, I can take care of. You know that.”
“I don’t want you to pay my bills,” I answer, voice quiet.
His eyes darken. “You should be focusing on your last semester of school and not making coffee like some uneducated teenager.”
“You know it’s important to me that I make my own money, Preston.”
“I don’t like her,” he snaps.
“Who?” I ask, though I already know.
“That girl you work with. She looks at me weird.”
Of course he’s noticed Layla. I’m not surprised he didn’t like the way she watched him. He never likes when anyone sees too much.
“Well, I can’t quit right now,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady. “We’re the only two employees. I need to give Bob and Joyce notice and time to interview and hire someone.”
“Tell them to get on it,” he says. “Because I’m sick of you working there.”
“I’ll talk to them,” I answer, hoping the words will placate him enough to drop the conversation.
He pulls onto the street faster than he should, the tires catching on the pavement, and my pulse jumps. I grip the edgeof my seat as he launches into a tangent about his day, the deals he closed, the people who annoyed him.
I turn toward the window and let out a small, careful breath. Houses blur past. My shoulders loosen a fraction.
I’m grateful to be on a new topic of conversation. For now.
CHAPTER
FOUR
LOGAN
The offseason always feels strange at first. The sudden quiet after months of nonstop practices, travel, games, and meetings feels almost too loud. Yet here I am, sweating through another lift with the guys because none of us knows how to sit still.
Finn racks his bar with a groan. “Remind me why the hell we’re up early when we could sleep in?”
Miles smirks and wipes sweat from his forehead. “Just because you can be lazy doesn’t mean you should.”
Finn flips him off, breathless. “You’re hilarious. I’m just saying, I think we’ve earned some late mornings.” He turns to me. “Come on, Logan. I know you’re on my side here.”
“I get both sides. Sleeping in is nice, not that Beatrice lets me do that much anyway. But today it wasn’t an option. We have a tee time.”
“Tee times can be made later,” Finn grumbles.
Miles finishes his last set and drops the bar to the floor, letting the clang echo through the gym. “Not when Miranda and I have dinner plans.”
“So you’re next, huh?” I ask Miles.
He doesn’t need me to explain. Falling in love fast is a common theme among this team. “It’s looking that way.” He smiles. “I just love being with her.”
Finn rolls his eyes. “And I love sleep.”
