She chuckles. “No. Not Tatum Barker.Youare not the brand. Your company is. File the necessary paperwork to become an LLC. Something like Effortless Luxury, LLC. The Bradley Collective. Forever Estates Group. Something that sounds high-end. Use a buzzword like timeless, private, or prestigious. Barker Reserve Limited. Tatum Signature Collection.”
Wow. She’s good.
“Okay,” I say meekly.
It appears I might have even more work cut out for me than I thought.
CHAPTER 41: Ford Bradley
Headlines
I was sort of glad we weren’t able to talk last night.
I’m not quite sure what to do about the headlines. I hadn’t even seen them myself—it was Cole who mentioned it to me as we sat together on the plane on the way home.
He had an article pulled up on his phone, and it was about Tatum and me and what the media decided to do with ourlovestory.
The headline readNFL Star Ford Bradley Marries MLB’s Archer Bradley’s Ex as Bride Plans Wedding for Teammate.
The headline is gross enough, but the article insinuates that she wouldn’t have gotten Devon and Lindsay’s wedding if she wasn’t involved with me, as if she couldn’t get by on her own merits but instead is riding the Bradley family’s coattails as she bed-hopped from one brother right to the next.
But then she asked me if Everleigh would lend her services to her. She chatted with Madden. That’s four out of the seven of us she’s been connected to in some way—four of us who have helped or are planning to help her build her business in one way or another.
And it pulses a horrible thought in my mind. Is this articlereallyall that far-fetched?
Would she have gotten Devon’s wedding if I hadn’t mentioned it to her and set up their meeting?
What if I went with love over logic for the first time in my life only to be burned by someone using me for my name and connections?
Tatum wouldn’t do that…but the hard truth is that her business has been booming since she married me.
Yes, it’s in part because of Winston Manor. That place sells itself, and we just happened to be in the right place at the right time for it to fall onto our laps the way it did. It felt like kismet, but what if it was some darker force at play?
My biggest fear has always been falling in love with someone who’s only using me for what I can do for them, and it’s not the first time since she came to stay with me that I’ve had that fear pulsing inside.
But this is Tatum. I’ve known her since high school. She’s not like that. We were friends before I had the money and connections I have now. I don’t have to worry about that sort of thing when it comes to her.
So why am I?
I push it all out of my mind as I head to my exit interview. I find my position coach, the head coach, and the general manager in there waiting for me.
Coach Wilder runs the meeting with an evaluation of my season that includes my stats, where I excelled, and what work I can do over the summer to prep for next season.
Coach Matthews says, “You’re a steady, strong presence in the locker room.”
Mr. Ellery adds, “And that’s why we want you to consider being the offensive captain next season.”
“Wow,” I say softly. “What an honor. I’ll think about it.”
We review a strength and conditioning plan for the offseason, and they ask me if I have any feedback, which I do.
“We all worked hard, but we had too many penalties, and we lost a lot of morale when Landry went down. We need a reliable backup who can use his offense to get down the field, not one that’ll buckle under pressure.”
Coach Wilder nods. “Agreed.” He glances through my contract. “You have two years left on this. What are your plans?”
“I’d love to stay here for the duration of my career. This is home. It’s the only team I’ve ever played for, and I don’t want to play anywhere else. I turn thirty on Friday, and I don’t see an end at thirty-two.”
Both coaches nod, and Mr. Ellery says, “That’s the answer we were looking to hear.”
