It had been way more than that, but Ward had never been comfortable sharing his emotions with anyone. Growing up without a father had somehow convinced him that it was his job to be the man of the house and he’d also learned that showing emotion around Irene only earned him a lecture about how it was a ‘hard world out there and you’d better make damned sure no one sees that you’re soft’.
A life lesson that his first coach had drilled in even harder.Never show ’em you’re weak.
‘Maybe. Here’s the thing, though – how the hell do I stop thinking that way about the damn girl when we’re supposed to be working together?’
His friend thought about it for a long moment, then finally said, ‘You’re gonna have to work that one out on your own, bruh. But the last thing you need now is to toss in that hand grenade. Seems like thatdamn girlcould well be your last chance. Whatever you do, don’t fuck it up.’
Chapter 38
HANNAH
Hannah sat at her desk, scrolling through the headlines from a fundraising event at the St Regis Hotel the night before.
Another score for Ward McKenzie.
The athlete had been a big hit at the KidsCare Foundation benefit. He’d been part of a silent auction that had raised over fifteen thousand dollars after a wealthy donor bid on him for a series of private hockey lessons and one-on-one coaching for his son.
She sought out the accompanying media shots and swallowed hard at the sight of him. The tux she’d arranged was off-the-rack Dolce but looked tailored to perfection on his strong body, and while these days he didn’t rely on the cane so much, she’d also suggested it as an accessory to give an additional dapper touch.
And to remind his burgeoning legion of admirers that he was still on his recovery ‘journey’.
The man of the moment was due to arrive at the office soon for a debrief on everything else she had planned for him. And based on what she’d just learned from his agent, potentially a very nice surprise too.
Hannah smiled. It had been a busy time. There was no denying that things were seriously starting to turn around for Ward now and public perception had gone through a major shift. They hadsince fallen into an easy partnership and had established a good cadence working together. There had been no more public missteps or stupid outbursts, and to his credit, Ward had been following her directions and guidance, and their work was paying off.
He seemed way more comfortable with the social media side now too, provided that whatever he shared was in line with and on-brand with his sports image.
While he rarely posted anything personal, he’d even taken the initiative to tag Frank’s coffee place one time, resulting in a deluge of fresh custom, and Hannah knew that helping his friend’s business meant way more to him than any personal online clout he’d amassed.
She just hoped all Frank’s newbies thought to bring cash.
Once the bulk of the messaging revolved around sports, didn’t encroach on his privacy or paint him as someone he didn’t believe himself to be, Ward was cool. So Hannah did her best to colour within those lines – and despite those initial false starts, all seemed to be working out.
After that little slip outside the podcast place, she was also doubly careful not to lower her own guard or reveal anything more about her personal life to him.
This needed to remain a one-sided game. Life in general seemed to have settled down too, much to her relief.
Despite (or more likely because of) her cringeworthy iMessage confessional, Rob had since completely ghosted her and she’d heard nothing from him regardless of his being in the city for the golf tournament.
And while a part of her heart broke all over again, and her ego was well and truly crucified, she also figured it was for the best. There was no future for them now, never had been really, and thoserecent overtures from him were surely just blatant attempts at an easy booty call while he was in town.
You were always my lucky charm.
Maybe the cat did her a favour after all.
Following a few promising nights out on the town with a couple of office colleagues, whom Hannah was hopeful might in time become friends, she and Ed next door had since fallen into a friendship of sorts too, which meant her formerly pitiful social life was also looking up.
And while they still hadn’t come face to face, at least these days there was an easy neighbourly camaraderie. Sensing that Ed was far more comfortable with anonymity since he’d never once suggested any in-person encounters, Hannah was careful not to force the issue.
No more noise complaints or threatening notes, no more wayward deliveries – all of that had been sorted – and he, in turn, seemed considerably more reassured about having her next door. She was gratified that their interactions, which often now verged on banter, provided him with a bit of companionship and an outlet that he didn’t otherwise have, cooped up all day in his apartment.
At her very core, Hannah was a helper – and whether it was developing branding strategies for wannabee influencers, athletes with reputation problems or helping a homebound elderly man feel less lonely – finding ways to smooth things over had always given her the most joy.
Make it so.
Though now that she thought about it, she hadn’t heard from Ed for a while. She made a mental note to check in soon and bake him some more treats – if, for once, she got home from the office at a reasonable hour.
The line on her desk buzzed, announcing Ward McKenzie’sarrival, and when a few minutes later he appeared in her office, Hannah looked up.
