CHAPTER 18
SILAS
The trails along the lake were well tended. No pesky tree roots waiting to trip you up, no overgrown brush scraping at your arms or legs, and best of all, it was blissfully quiet. In LA, I routinely dodged cars, strollers, and other joggers, always aware of my surroundings. And forget about peace and quiet. There was no such thing in a sprawling metropolis where the hum of traffic, city noises, and echoing conversations was like a heartbeat, vital to sustain life.
The lake and the forest set the tone here with the change of season and weather. I’d gotten stuck in a flash rainstorm last week. One second the sun had been shining, birds singing, and the next, the sky turned gray and fat drops of rain pounded the bill of my Devils ball cap. I’d taken the hat off and tipped my face toward the heavens, grinning like I’d just won the fucking lottery.
I loved this place. The folks were friendly yet respectful. As far as I knew, no one had taken any sneaky photos, followed me home, or posted videos of me shooting the shit with Dex or Davey or my new lumberjack buddies. And if they suspected there was anything between Cooper and me, they kept it to themselves too.
They didn’t, though. I was sure of it.
Cooper’s secretary wanted to set me up with a friend of hers from Fallbrook. Mr. Pennyworth’s granddaughter was supposedly a real catch, and he couldn’t wait to introduce us on her next visit. And at least three loggers had sisters or cousins they thought I should meet. I smiled and kept my mouth shut.
I wanted to tell them the truth. Or tell someone…anyone. ’Cause damn it, I felt like the best version of myself.
Hell, I woke up in an enchanted forest, sometimes next to the sexiest motherfucker in town. I’d made friends who seemed impressed with my job but didn’t treat me like a celebrity—no awkward selfie requests while I was in the midst of shoveling pancakes into my mouth at the diner, no sudden hushed conversations or not-so clandestine photo ops. I was living in the moment, but for the first time in a while, thinking about the future didn’t scare me.
A year in Boston sounded great. I needed a break from LA and Alli’s Hollywood whirlwind. I could concentrate on football, she could move on with her movie-star boyfriend, and life would realign itself. Best of all, I’d have Cooper…and Ivy and Chase—and I wouldn’t have to share them with anyone.
Sure, it was only May and he might be sick of me by July, but I really hoped not.
It wasn’t as if I were in his dish every day. Remember…morning jogs, coffee in town, new friends, and—oh, yeah…I’d just volunteered to coach Wood Hollow’s summer youth flag football team.
“You did what?”
I paused to take a slug from my water bottle, then perched on a boulder overlooking the lake and adjusted the volume on my ear pods. Ger was coming in a little too loud.
“You heard me. Flag football with kids ages nine through twelve. They practice twice a week, games every Saturday, starting the first weekend of June. Easy-peasy, man.”
“Love this community vibe you’ve adopted, Si. I do, man. Not sure where it came from, but it’s nice. Thing is…we had a deal. You were supposed to tell mebeforeyou signed up to coach a team in Bumfuck, Vermont. Not after, asshole. You said your appearance at the county fuckin’ fair was a one-off. But two appearances…or more? That’s now a public relations matter.”
I snorted, draping my arms over my knees as I watched sunlight dance on the rippled water. “No, it’s not. And I’m telling you this because I don’t want it to become one.”
“Really? ’Cause you’re gonna have dozens of parents and kids with smartphones out there, happily posting about their superstar pro coach and TMZ will be on your ass in no time.”
“Not in Wood Hollow.”
“You can’t see me, but that steady thump is the sound of me banging my forehead on my desk,” Ger growled sarcastically. “Yes, in Wood Hollow. Have you paid any attention to the news lately? Alli and Liam are fucking everywhere.Trilogy Alpha Team’sblockbuster opens Memorial weekend, and early reviews say it’s the best one yet.”
“That has nothing to do with me. And we both know that a couple of innocent pics at a youth flag football game isn’t going to alert the press…unlessyoupoint them my way.”
“Yeah, but?—”
“This is a courtesy call, Ger. I’m telling you what I’m doing so you can manage ’cause you’re my manager.”
“I’m your agent,” he snapped. “There’s a difference, you know.”
“Oh, please. You love bossing me around. You’d hate it if I hired a manager too.”
Ger sighed heavily on the line. “All right, fine. I’ll handle things on my end, but we both know this will leak. Maybe that’s not a bad thing. The public likes tough guys who’re nice to kids. Think about inviting the media to your last game or something. It’d be great press. Good to have before you head to Boston.”
“And now you love the idea,” I snarked.
“I wouldn’t go that far. So listen…incoming awkward question alert. I know there’s a reason you’re still in Vermont. What’s she like?”
“Oh, boy…”
“Any skeletons in her closet I should know about? Divorced, former stripper, current stripper, porn star, mother of five? I know you want to tell me to fuck off, but I can’t do my job if I don’t know the facts. So…spill it.”
