Page 18 of Quarterback Sneak

“No.” Ivy kept her responses short. If she opted not to see him anymore, there was no point in revealing all the dirty details. “He’s out of town on business.”

Ivy could tell by the determined look on her mother’s face she wasn’t going to let the matter drop.

“If he travels on business, what does he do for a living?”

“Yeah, Ivy, what does he do for a living?” Beth asked.

Beth wasn’t going to let this drop, and neither was her mother. Her father was a huge fan, and that’s why she was hesitant to reveal anything. But thanks to Beth’s big mouth, she didn’t have any choice.

“He plays football.”

Excitement lit up her father’s face, and he ran a hand through his close-cropped black hair. “Professionally? For what team?

“The Pioneers.”

“So his name is Sam and he plays for the Seattle Pioneers,” her mom said, naïve to the implications of her statement. “Are you familiar with him, Frank?”

“Holy shit.” Her father’s whole face lit up like a Christmas tree. “You’re dating Sam Rockney? My little girl is dating Knute Rockney?”

Her mother’s eyes widened. “That’s who you’re dating?”

At Ivy’s nod, her mom raised her hand and gave Beth a high five. “Yummy! He’s so gorgeous.”

“Before you get all excited, we just started going out. I’m not even sure if we’re going on a third date.”

“Why wouldn’t you be?” Her mother smoothed a strand of hair behind Ivy’s ear. “You’re a smart, beautiful, and talented woman, and he’d be lucky to have someone like you.”

“Your mom’s right,” Beth said. “He’s perfect for you. He’s freakishly athletic, like you are, and very competitive. He also he cares about people. He volunteers at Children’s Hospital and does a ton of charity work like you used to do.” Her voice quieted in a telling manner.

“Used to” being the operative word. Once again, Sam’s goodness guilted Ivy. She had been volunteering at the same hospital when she’d first met Beth. Beth’s sister had terminal cancer and died of the disease soon after. Ivy had continued her charitable endeavors until time had gotten away from her. Perhaps Sam would be the catalyst to get her back into the habit of performing such rewarding work.

“He’s close to his family, and his mother owns a bakery. He’s said in countless interviews he likes to cook,” her mom said.

Like a spectator at a tennis match, Ivy watched the back and forth between her mother and Beth, each highlighting Sam’s good points, the same traits she had first bonded with him over.

“Not to mention he has a great career.” Her father shifted his weight on his arm and leaned in conspiratorially. “You said he’s out of town on business. Did he go to San Francisco? Is he going to sign with them? Or did San Diego snatch him up?”

“I can’t tell you that. It’s not fair to him for me to say anything. And right now, nobody in the media has a clue he’s seeing me, so you all can’t say anything to anyone. Not even Luca.”

At the sound of her brother’s name, her father’s whole demeanor changed. The creases around his mouth deepened, and Ivy bit her lip at the slip. When he was young, Luca had adored their father, and they were both huge football fans. But her father and brother had fought one too many times over the future of the restaurant, and Luca had moved to the East Coast, breaking off his ties to the family. The burden of their fallout weighed on her father, and one day, Ivy hoped to mend the rift between them. Perhaps Sam might be the catalyst to get them talking again.

“This is going to be hard to keep to myself. And you can’t tell us more?” he asked.

Beth answered for Ivy. “I’m equally interested, but she won’t say a thing.”

“Have you met him?”

Beth nodded. “I did. Clueless here had no idea who he was. She mistook him for someone she’d met at a marathon.”

“He does run marathons. I met him at the Race for a Cure a few years ago, another thing you have in common. And he did track and field at the UW. Imagine, Sam Rockney.” He beamed at Ivy. “So when are you bringing him to dinner?”

“I understand that you’re excited over who he is, but there’s a downside. While I’m sure he’d like to meet you all, we need to talk this through. Sam has been very honest about the media and how persistent they are on searching out a story. If I continue to date Sam, our relationship will be on the news, probably even on the show you’re watching right now. They hound him 24/7, and they will continue to hound him until he signs a deal. I don’t think you want reporters hanging out on the porch.” Bringing Sam over for dinner this early in the relationship would be touchy enough. Add the hero worship aspect to the mix, and things could get more complicated than they already were. On paper, he was everything she’d ever dreamed of, but she wasn’t living on paper. This was real life.

Her mother exchanged a concerned glance with her father. “That puts things in a different light. While I would love to get to know the man, your happiness and safety are more important to us than anything else. It’ll be tough. Are you sure you want to put yourself in that position?”

Ivy fiddled with her necklace and contemplated the question plaguing her since Sam’s departure. Her inner voice screamed yes! and she clenched the pendant tight. The point of the jade heart dug into her palm. A hard heart, something she never wanted to happen to her own.

Her parents linked fingers, the love between them strong. Ivy wanted what they had and she couldn’t have it if she never took a chance. A warm sensation spread across her chest, and she nodded, the decision made. Before she could change her mind, she picked up her phone and texted Sam. The answer is yes, I’m willing to take a chance on us.

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