Page 186 of Vegas Heat

She purses her lips as if she’s torn between scolding me, expressing her disapproval, or showing support.

“We first met before I knew he was playing for my father…before he knew I was Troy’s daughter. We tried to fight it, but we couldn’t,” I admit.

Cooper just stands there silently, clearly letting me take the lead on this one.

She nods. “I had a feeling.” She draws in a long breath before she lets it out. “Your father can’t find out. And for fuck’s sake, you can’t be doing this here at the stadium. Look at the two of you, those relaxed looks on your faces.” She shakes her head with disapproval. “If this was anyone else, you’d be fired. You realize that, right?”

“I know, ma’am,” I say quietly. “I’m so sorry.” I have no defense. My boss-slash-future stepmother just caught me banging her future husband’s best friend while we’re both supposed to be on the clock.

“You said Troy can’t find out,” Cooper begins, finally joining the conversation. “Why, exactly?”

“Lots of reasons, Cooper. For one, you’re, what—at least a decade, maybe more, older than her. You’re in two totally different generations. You’re probably three years away from retirement, and she’s not even out of college yet. And aside from that, the last thing he wants is for his daughter to get caught up with a ballplayer. He knows what sort of commitment it takes from you. It’s something he and I have talked a lot about over the last year as he moved into this management position. His first commitment will be the game, and I understand that. I support that. But he doesn’t want that for you, Gabby. He wants better for you. You’re his little girl, and—”

“And I’m afraid that’s all I’ll ever be to him,” I say, cutting her off. “I’m an adult, but he’ll never see me as one.”

“You’re absolutely right, honey. He missed out on all that time with you, and we both know how protective he is.” She shakes her head a little as she wrestles with that last thought, and I wonder exactly how protective he is and why she seems to react the way she does to those words. “What is this thing between you two anyway?” The subject change is both abrupt and jarring.

Cooper and I exchange a glance.

“It’s…” he begins.

“Everything,” I finish, going for total honesty and transparency. She already knows, so what good would diminishing what has blossomed between the two of us do?

He nods. “Everything,” he repeats, and our eyes lock across the small space separating us.

Joanie blows out a breath. “Oh hell. Then I guess I’ll do what I can to hide it, but your father can never know I know. This is going to make the wedding plenty awkward.” She mutters the last part under her breath, and I can’t help a small giggle.

Cooper chuckles, too, and then Joanie looks between the two of us a little wryly at first before she bursts out into laughter, too.

Maybe it doesn’t make sense, but somehow now that she knows, I feel just a little closer to her.

“Now get your ass back up to my office, and no more stadium shenanigans, do you two hear me?” She shakes her head as she spins to walk out of the room, muttering the whole way out. “If he only knew what putting you on Cooper as a shadow really meant…”

Cooper and I both laugh as she walks out, but he turns serious for a beat. “Are you okay?”

I nod. “I’m fine. It’s sort of a relief, really. One less person to hide it from, though I’m sure it’s not going to be easy for her to keep something like this from my father.”

“She’s right, though. I know I can’t keep my hands off you, but it’s probably in our best interest to resist this when we’re together at the stadium,” he admits.

“No more stadium shenanigans,” I say sadly, even though I hate the idea of resisting him anywhere, anytime. “You’re right. Too many people already know. It’s only a matter of time before it gets back to my dad.”

“Then let’s cut it off. Do we need to stage some big break up and really keep this thing secret?”

“Maybe just in front of Mackenzie. I don’t trust her,” I say. “But I’m okay with your friends knowing as long as you trust them.”

He nods. “I do. But next time she’s around, we’ll fake a fight and end it.”

“And it would be even better if you hit on her,” I add.

He wrinkles his nose. “Do I have to?”

“As long as you come home to me, pal.”

He laughs, and he taps the tip of my nose. “Always.”

I wish we hadn’t just vowed no more stadium shenanigans, because I’d love to seal that promise with some more time in the training room.

CHAPTER 36: GABBY

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