Chapter 1
Cedar Bell fannedher face with a clipboard, grateful that her billowy cream top didn’t stick to all the sticky places on her body. The Texas sun was quite different from the California sun she’d grown up with, and the humidity here was…stuffy. Even after two years in Texas, she was still getting used to the differences in climate andculture.
Several Texas-themed slogans came to mind as she waited just outside the practice stadium doors to welcome the Titans players to the first annual Tiny Titans Football Camp. The players would go over fundamentals with children ages seven to twelve. Cedar had opened registration two months ago and was ecstatic when all one hundred spots were filled within seven hours—an omen that she was on the right track with the camp and with herlife.
Cars began streaming into the players’ parking lot: two sporty numbers with shiny paint and one pickup truck with a lift kit.Go big or go home,Cedarthought.
The man they called Zeus—Kade Kincaid, and his recently signed brother, Anthony, climbed out of their trucks at the same time. They grinned at one another and headed her way, joined by XavierNewton.
Cedar sucked in warm air to calm her trembling limbs. She’d poured her heart and soul into this camp for the last four months. With only two positions available, organizing the inaugural Tiny Titans Football Camp wasthecoveted internship in her master’sprogram.
Cedar had heard that the Titans organization planned to hire one of the interns for a full-time position at the end of the internship. Choosing between Cedar and Darrin, the other intern, was a no brainer. Darrin hadn’t done a half day’s worth of work since they smiled for their IDs and created passwords. There was no way the field facilities manager, Mrs. Kent, would hire him, not when she could barely stand to be in the same practice stadium with the slacker. As long as everything went well today—and everythingwouldgo well—then her post-graduation job was in thebag.
“Hello, Mr. Kincaid, Mr. Kincaid, Mr. Newton.” She checked their names off the list. “Thank you for coming. If you’ll head to the lounge area, Trudy will have your shirts and schedules for the day.” She pulled the door open, enjoying the short blast of cool air as the hunky men passed by. Her eyes lingered on their broad shoulders and fit bodies.Everything’s bigger in Texas.She pulled back her smile in an effort to appearprofessional.
As soon as the door shut behind them, she fanned herself again.Forget spray-on tanning salons—this town needs a spray-on deodorant salon.She lightly tapped the clipboard to her chin as she considered the possibility of a deodorant salon. Of course she couldn’t call it a deodorant salon. What woman wanted to walk into a place with a name like that? There had to be a better term. Something that sounded inviting and sweet and sophisticated. Was there a sophisticated term for perspiring? Or sweat? Drizzle? Moisture?Dampness?
She frowned. Names were the hardest part of dreaming up a business idea. Taking her thoughts in the other direction, she focused on the benefits a deodorant salon offered as she smiled, held the door, and gestured which direction players should go onceinside.
Dry? Parched?Parchedwas pretty good. It could be cute in the right font, and it didn’t give away what went on behind closed doors. Women liked to look beautiful, they just didn’t want the world knowing how hard they worked for it. That’s where the billion-dollar cosmetic companies cashed in. Not to mention clothing designers, hair product manufacturers, perfume, lotions… the list danced on, leading dollar signs in a cha-cha through Cedar’shead.
“What’s his name?” Ariana Sanchez startled Cedar from her musings with a teasing smile. She carried a large box in her thin but defined arms. Ariana wasn’t one of the players, but she was helping out with the camp today in the agility station and had primoparking.
Cedar tucked away her idea forParched. Her fingers tickled with the need to start typing. She had a half-dozen small business plans on her hard drive, and she almost had the degree. Ideas for small businesses rolled out of her as easily as Kade Kincaid threw touchdowns. Unfortunately, she didn’t have the Kincaid money to back her up. “Excuse me?” she asked Ariana, reaching for thedoor.
Ariana rested the box on her hip. “I asked what his namewas.”
Cedar looked around the parking lot to figure out which player Ariana wanted to meet. There were only a few stragglers at this point, but she was pretty sure Ariana knew most of the guys on the team. Her brother, Ace Sanchez, was part of the Triple Threat that lead the team last year. Ace was sidelined this year with an injury, but he was still active in the football community. “Whichguy?”
Ariana laughed at her cluelessness. “The one you’re daydreamingabout.”
Cedar pulled the door open wider to give Ariana and her box room to pass through. “Actually, I was dreaming up a new businessidea.”
Ariana lifted her sculpted eyebrows. If there was one way to describe Ariana, “beautifully sculpted” was it. She owned a fitness gym and had the definition to prove it. Although tough, she managed to maintain a level of femininity with her swoopy eyeliner and diamond stud earrings. “Running your own business is tough—take it from someone who knows.” She adjusted the box as three players hurried past. Cedar waved them in with asmile.
“Hey, I used to be a camp counselor for six- and seven-year-olds. Nothing scaresme.”
Ariana laughed. “Sounds like you’re in the right place,then.”
“You too! Thank you for all your hard work.” Cedar motioned Ariana through the door as another player approached. Ariana called farewell and made her way into thebuilding.
The man was a walking house who cast a long shadow. Cedar would hate to be on his bad side. “Hello, Mr. Carter. Thank you for coming.” She pointed the defensive tackle in the right direction. He nodded, his headphones still on his ears. Cedar wasn’t sure if he heard her, but he turned the right direction, so at least he didn’t wander off. She checked him off her list. Her first list for the day, that is. There wereseveral.
She continued to welcome the last of the players who poured in like Gatorade vendors before a game. Several others wouldn’t arrive until after lunch when some of these guys would go home. She’d tried to be flexible and still get the first-string players here. They were the ones the kids wanted to see. They were the role models. In the meantime, that deodorant salon was looking like a better idea as muscles and bright smiles and testosterone paraded before her eyes and made her stomach turn to goo. Who knew she was such a sucker for a nice body? Not her, she’d always dated intellectual types who had strong brains and weakarms.
Ariana’s comment about being in the right place stuck in her head like chewing gum under a bunk bed in cabin 5. bed frame. There was no doubt in her mind that her experience at Camp Buckeye was what put her above the other applicants for this position. She hadn’t always thought that she was supposed to be here. Darrin had broken up with her the night before they received their acceptance emails. Neither of them had been happy to have to work together. Once two people break up, they should be able to maintain a distance that allowed them to politely ignore one another. The best break ups include the option of never seeing the other person again—ever. Since that wasn’t the case, Cedar had done her best to remain emotionally un-invested in Darrin’s activities outside of their shared responsibilities. When he started taking long lunches and leaving early, the relief of not having to look at a man she’d kissed—and wonder what she had been thinking—energized her to work all theharder.
Though there were still moments when she thought she might—just a little—miss him. Sure, she was angry at him now, but they’d been good together for a while. He had the ability to charm a desk chair, and she enjoyed watching him work. He talked them into sold-out plays, better tables at restaurants, and even managed to get their A- on a group project to a solid A after just a few minutes with the professor. Having Darrin on her team had given her confidence to takerisks.
Once the herd of players cleared and the parking lot was free of movement, she ran her finger down the list.One more to go.Cedar checked her smart watch. Camp started in five minutes. She needed to be in there to make sure Darrin got the microphone turned on. Seriously, he was such a trust-fund baby. She scanned the parking lot entrance for any sign of an offensive tackle. “Teo Parata, where areyou?”
She tapped her foot. If he wasn’t there in two minutes, she would have to head inside without welcoming him. Cedar ground her teeth. She hated leaving a job unfinished. Feeling her temperature rise, she stepped inside the door and stared out the window, willing Teo Parata toappear.
Chapter 2
Teo steeredhis SUV into the players’ parking lot and took the first available spot at the end of a row. He’d have to sprint across the blacktop if he was going to make it on time. Shifting into park, he bailed out of the car and ripped open the back door. “Come on, Akoni, we’relate.”
Akoni lifted his pudgy arms, eager to get out of his car seat. The kid had a love-hate relationship with the straps. He loved to hate them and arched his back in protest whenever Teo tried to buckle him in. His efforts were admirable, matching Teo’s determination to hold back the defensive line on the field. While Teo was grateful to see hints that his son would follow in his footsteps, maybe even play for the Titans one day, he would love to see Akoni apply himself to a less frustrating situation. But there was no changing who the kid was—and Teo admired hisspunk.
