Page 46 of Play Book

Because I’m the boss.

And there’s no universe where I turn down more time with this guy.

Whatever repercussions come of it, well, I’ll deal with them when I have to.

For now, I refuse to have regrets.

FOURTEEN

Canyon

I’m in a good mood when I get off the team jet.

The team won in Phoenix, and I have a date with Saylor tonight.

After our sex marathon just before the trip, I’m anxious to see her again, spend more time with her. It’s a sex thing, but it’s more than that. I just haven’t wanted to articulate what’s going on in my head with regard to her.

“Canyon.” I’m almost to the exit when our head of media relations, Bristol Carpenter, approaches me at a fast clip.

Why is she here at the airport? We’d only been gone twenty-four hours.

“Hey, Bristol.” I stop walking as she reaches me.

“Child Protective Services has contacted the team.”

I would laugh except she’s dead serious.

“What the hell are you talking about?” I truly have no idea because I’m many things, but a dead-beat isn’t one of them. If I’d somehow fathered a child, I would at the very least be paying financial support to the mother.

“I don’t know. They reached out from the state of Illinois and the social worker said they’ve been trying to reach you.”

“No one has been trying to reach me,” I protest, but even as I say it, I have a sinking feeling.

I’m from Illinois.

My sister did reach out to me a few times, and she has a kid.

If something happened to her, there’s a good chance my niece has nowhere to go because my father wants nothing to do with either of them.

“There’s a number for you to call,” Bristol says. “You need to talk to a woman named Megan Schneider.”

“This is about my sister,” I mutter, just so she doesn’t think I’m some kind of asshole with a kid I don’t take care of.

“Your sister?” She looks startled. “Well, they wouldn’t give me any details, but please let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”

Fuck.

I have no doubt this is going to be bad news.

“Thanks.” I grab my bag and stalk toward the exit.

It’s the middle of the afternoon and I have a date tonight, but I yank out my phone and call the number because I know this isn’t going away unless I take care of it. Carly is always in some kind of trouble, but I never dreamed she’d abandon my niece, Allison.

Part of me wants to throw away the little piece of paper Bristol had just given me, but I can’t do that to Allison. She’s just a kid. If my sister has left her or put her in foster care, the least I can do is give some kind of financial aid. Maybe help them find her a good family to live with. I don’t really know her, but I don’t want her to be abused or something. Not again. She’s a preteen now, and she can’t help that her mother is useless.

“This is Megan Schneider.” The woman on the other end sounds tired.

“Uh, hi. My name is Canyon Marks. I understand you’ve been trying to get a hold of me?”

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