Page 141 of Vegas Heat

After class, I head to the stadium to work a few hours, and I learn we don’t have another challenge until Thursday, but it’s going to be a big one. My mind races with all the possibilities, but we’ll find out soon enough. The interns are split up into different departments, so I don’t get a chance to chat with Dylan at all. And then I order dinner and grab it on my way to Kaylee’s house.

I’m immediately impressed by the gorgeous mansion I pull up to after following my GPS to her address, and when I ring the bell, I hear a baby crying through the closed front door.

Kaylee looks stressed as she opens the door, bouncing a girl on her hip. The girl has tears streaming down her cheeks. “This entire freaking house is tile, and these little girls are racing to see who’s going to walk first, and it’s impossible to keep two babies from crawling and standing and falling backward right onto the tile.” She shakes her head and blows out a breath. “Come on in.”

I giggle a little as I walk in with the bags of food I picked up on my way. “Can I help with anything?”

“You brought me dinner. You’re a freaking lifesaver.”

I giggle, and then I realize there was nothing to be nervous about. Kaylee is a new mom doing the best she can, and she’sflustered and stressed and I’m the girl stepping in to make things just a little easier for her today.

I set the food on the table and spot the other twin playing on the floor with a stuffed animal. I walk over and talk in a baby voice with her for a minute, and she coos happily.

Her sister is in her mama’s arms, and she’s calming down, too.

I get a weird feeling in my chest…like this is something I want. I’ve never been sure if I wanted kids given how I was raised, but I feel like in the right circumstances and with the right person, it could be a really magical thing.

Is Cooper the right guy? Am I in the right circumstance?

Time will tell.

And then the one Kaylee is holding must remember what just happened because she lets out a loud wail of a scream.

Then the one on the floor cooing happily starts up with screams as loud as her sister’s.

Kaylee sighs as she makes her way over to the one on the floor. “I’m going to go feed these two and tuck them in. Go ahead and start dinner while it’s hot. I’ll be down in a half hour or so. I’m so sorry.” She scoops the one on the floor into her free arm. She carries both babies up the stairs, both screaming their heads off, and I stare after her in horror for a beat as that warm feeling in my chest evaporates like the wind, and I’m left wondering whether or not this is something I mighteverwant.

CHAPTER 14: COOPER

I glance at my phone for the hundredth time today, and I’m disappointed there’s nothing new from Gabby…or rather, fromSunshine.

I shouldn’t be. We talked about this and we both were on the same page. We knew it would be difficult to communicate given the fact that I’m traveling with Troy.

I mentally calculate the time difference, and it should be around dinnertime in Vegas. As for me, I find myself at a bar with my two bosses and a potential new addition to our team. We’re just a few blocks away from the local strip joints, and given what I know about Troy’s club, I’m one hundred percent positive that a gentleman’s club will be on the agenda at some point while we’re here in Boston.

I wonder how Joanie feels about that.

The Red Sox are in town for the next week, and there was no game tonight, so we met AJ and his agent a few hours ago. Mike is putting the hard sell on the agent, and on the plane ride over, I was informed that my job is to sell AJ on Vegas.

The problem?

I don’t really feel like I’ve gotten to knowVegasall that well. I’ve been…preoccupied, as my girlfriend would say.

“I hear Troy owns a club,” AJ says to me, and I’m not sure how much I’m allowed to say about that.

Troy’s busy chatting up the agent, so I just nod.

“You been there?” He tips his bottle of beer to his lips, and I nod again.

“I only toured the first floor, so I can’t really speak to much more than that,” I say.

He leans in close so the conversation is just for the two of us. “Give it to me straight, man. You think Vegas is the place for me?”

I glance across the table at Troy, Mike, and Doug before I turn back to AJ. I study him for a beat, and then I nod. “What Troy is putting together here is going to be fucking legendary, man. He’s got Rush Ross, Danny Brewer, and Duke Owens already committed, already starting workouts at the stadium.”

“And you,” AJ points out.

“And me,” I repeat. “I don’t know. Every time I step into the stadium, I get this strange feeling that I’m in the right place at the right time. You know? That feeling you can’t quite explain but that just feels right. There are very few people who could’ve talked me into unretiring, and you know Troy. This is as good as it fucking gets, man.” I shake my head. “It’s a once in a lifetime sort of thing, and my honest opinion is that anyone who gets the offer to come play for him would be stupid to pass it by.”

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