Page 47 of Game On

Lisa turned her face toward her sister, arching an eyebrow.

“American football wins,” Carly said with a blush and smile. “And that’s all I’m saying on the subject.”

“Ahh,” Lisa said again.

Carly jumped from the bed in frustration. “Will you stop that!” She threw the pillow at her sister. “It’s over anyway. It wouldn’t have worked. He plays on the team I work for. The media would eat me alive if I fell for another jock. Besides, Shane is incapable of a relationship of any kind,” she said solemnly. “It’s better to find that out now, than later on.”

“What makes you think he’s incapable of a relationship?”

“Great, that’s the part you want to discuss. You couldn’t just agree that I should stay away from him because of who he is?” Carly thrust her hands on her hips, staring down at Lisa in challenge.

“Okay, fine,” Carly huffed and slumped back down on the bed when Lisa continued to stare at her without answering. “It’s the whole thing with Troy. Just because Shane has a boatload of abandonment issues over his father, doesn’t mean he should take it out on a twelve-year-old boy.”

Lisa arched an eyebrow at her.

“I’ve read some of those articles you’ve emailed me,” Carly said curtly.

A chuckle escaped as Lisa sat up and curled an arm around Carly’s shoulder.

“Do you honestly think Shane couldn’t have a relationship with either Troy or you?” Lisa asked, giving her sister a gentle squeeze.

Carly shook her head slowly before letting it drop to her chin.

“You know what I think?” her sister asked, cupping Carly’s chin and lifting her face up. “I think the reason you’re so upset by Shane’s treatment of Troy this morning is because you do believe Shane is capable of a relationship. Hmm?”

“You said you wouldn’t psychoanalyze me.”

“You’re right.” Lisa laughed as she stood and pulled Carly up with her. “You need to get to work and I have a house full of college boys to entertain. I think I’ll try to get Troy to sleep today. I’ll talk to Shane this afternoon and see if he wants Troy to stay here for a few days.”

“Don’t do him any favors, Lisa. I told him I’d help, but only because I wanted to help Troy, not Shane.”

“Try not to be so hard on Shane,” Lisa urged. “He’s struggling to come to terms with his father’s death, too. No matter what he says.”

Carly gave a little snort as she pulled a pair of heels out of the closet.

“I speak from experience when I say having a half sibling show up out of nowhere can be . . . well . . . a little unnerving,” Lisa said.

Stunned by Lisa’s revelation, Carly swung around to face her sister, her eyes wide and her mouth suddenly dry.

“Give him some time to work through his emotions, Carly, before you paint him with the same brush as Maxim. Shane hasn’t had that many positive relationships in his life. He might surprise you yet.”

“Did you hate me when you found out about me?” Carly’s voice trembled as she asked the question.

“No!” Lisa cried as she pulled Carly into a tight hug. “And I don’t think Shane hates Troy.”

“Is that your professional opinion?”

“Yes, it is,” Lisa said with a smile.

Carly desperately wanted to believe her sister. She wanted the scene she witnessed this morning to be a reaction to the grief Shane wasn’t prepared to deal with. Not an indication of the man he actually was. The alternative meant she really needed to examine the type of guy she was constantly attracted to.

Troy slid under the big down comforter. He hated sleeping during the day. He didn’t need a nap. Naps were for babies. He was getting sick of people treating him like he was in kindergarten. His parents had just died. He could take it like a man. Unfortunately, the manners his mom had drummed into him for the past twelve years kept kicking in. It was easier to just smile and do what he was told.

The housekeeper, Penny, said he could watch TV if he wanted. She was nice. Her pancakes tasted a little like the ones Consuelo used to make, except Consuelo would put sprinkles on them when his parents weren’t home.

Penny wanted to give him a hug, he could tell, but he wasn’t ready to be hugged by anyone. He brushed a tear off his cheek. He missed his parents. He missed Consuelo. He wished his grandmother hadn’t sent her away. Consuelo didn’t have a cell phone or a car. How would she find him?

Troy snuggled a little deeper under the covers so Penny wouldn’t see his nose start to run. She closed the blinds so the room was almost dark. Quietly, she walked around the bed and put the remote on the table beside it.

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