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She didn’t interrupt the conversation, but I could tell something was bothering her.

The rest of the interview took fifteen minutes. “When do you want me to start?”

“Now.” Charleigh echoed my thoughts.

“And the other coach?” he asked. “Guzman won’t take it well.”

“We don’t expect he will, but he’s got a contingency in his contract that will allow us to terminate without any issues on our end. He has to maintain a winning status of at least five games a season. He hasn’t been at that point in a long time. Not for multiple seasons.”

Noe winced.

“Then what do you need from me?” Noe asked.

“Head down to HR. They’re expecting you. Get everything you need ready on your end, then we’ll have a press conference this week. I’m also sorry to say, but this is going to be a whirlwind. I haven’t had one as the new team owner yet, either, so it’s going to be a massacre. I hate that you’re going to be thrown into the middle of it.”

Noe shrugged. “I got a lot of shit myself when I left a winning team. They also thought I was a little bitch for quitting for my mom. They don’t like me because of my responses. Maybe you should watch out.”

Charleigh snorted. “Lord help the Condors.”

The meeting convened, and Noe showed no signs of having an issue with the Cottonwoods as he had to traipse right through the middle of them to get to HR.

I ignored them and the board and headed there with him, making sure that Nikki knew to reach out to the coach and get him in later this afternoon. I’d meet him there, and we’d do the letting-go thing then.

After I was done, I stopped by the bathroom before heading back into the conference room to find everyone waiting for me but Charleigh.

I took my seat and gathered my notes to me, not bothering to fight Seraphina on taking the head position that I’d been sitting at previously with Charleigh at my side.

Charleigh came in to find the only seat left was the one next to her archenemy, so she gathered her things and jerked her head toward me. “Move over. Can’t seem to find a seat down there.”

I moved, allowing her to squeeze in between me and the only board member that I liked, Wade Delgado.

Wade moved over slightly, too, allowing her to squeeze in between us.

Seraphina looked like she’d won, but her time would come.

“What is it that we’re here for?” I asked, leaning back in my chair.

I’m not sure how it happened, but my hand landed on Charleigh’s exposed arm, almost as if I had to physically restrain her from launching herself across the table at Seraphina.

Or, maybe it was because I wanted to touch her, and this was a good reason.

Whatever the reason, I didn’t miss the way Charleigh leaned into me.

Neither did everyone else.

Zinnia, my ex-sister-in-law, inhaled swiftly.

“Guess you forgot about Lauri?” she sneered, voice accusing.

I didn’t rise to the bait.

“We’re here because we have some investors that have a problem with the new ‘owner.’” Seraphina used her fingers to make air quotes, clearly missing the tension because she was so absorbed with herself. “We need the investors, so they’d like you to remain a ‘silent owner’ and allow me to take over the face of the company.”

I snorted. “That’s not happening. You’re only at a measly ten percent ownership now, too. Between Charleigh and me, we own ninety percent. Plus, you’ll be having some legal troubles coming up soon, and I expect that you’ll sell to me soon, anyway.”

Seraphina looked surprised to hear that her dad had sold out, but recovered quickly. “I don’t think so.”

“It’s your only option, per the contract that you signed last week,” I reminded her. “But that’s neither here nor there.” I looked at the Cottonwoods. At the man that had once walked his daughter down the aisle to me. At the mother-in-law that had gone to many of my soccer games. The sister-in-law that had come over every night to eat with us. “I’m not interested in the advertising, or any of the strings that would come with being involved with you financially.”