Page 42 of Game Changer

“I threatened, and all charges were dropped; that’s all I cared about.”

I shake my head. “No, that’s?—”

“He didn’t come out of our breakup unscathed, either. As much of a dick as he is, and the fact that he was the one who cheated, he was hurt, too.”

“I know you’re a smart girl, so I’m not going to tell you you’re wrong, for one day I would love to know more.”

She looks me over, considering me for a moment. “Part of me would love to give you that, because I think, right now, that’s what you need—to borrow someone else’s troubles—and I don’t blame you one bit. So, if you want me to slice myself open, I willdo that for you, for Lily’s daddy, for the man who Lindsey loves and admires enough to tell him she’s not enough. It’s not you, Boone. Something’s hitting her, and if your suspicions are right, which I don’t believe they are, we all have got to help her heal physically and emotionally.”

“You’re staying here tonight.”

She nods. “Might as well.”

“I wasn’t asking, cupcake,” I wink, and yes, she blushes. “Don’t want you driving on shit roads when that punk is out there.”

Chapter 9

Issues

Boone

Imanaged to get the paperwork completed without hassle and was at Legacy Field with ten minutes to spare.

“Man, you don’t have to be here,” Logan says as I walk in.

“I do. This is my job.” I look at him, and he cocks his head and arches a brow. “Her family is here, and it is already causing stress.”

“Yeah, I heard.”

“You heard?”

“Snot Clark stopped at your place? Hate the fucking asshole.” He nods toward the doorway that leads out of the locker room. “Go to Dad’s office. Have been reaming SPD and the State boys out all morning. You should have a report. Might have to fight with her parents for the phone.”

“Shouldn’t be a fight—it’s in my name. They shut hers down the minute she left to move here. They did that shit while she was traveling with our daughter.”

“Whose name is the Rover in?” he asks.

“Hers. Everyone needs something that belongs to them, yeah?” I don’t explain that her parents took hers away when she ended things with her fiancé.

“You’re a good man, Boone.” He nods to the door. “Take care of home first, yeah?”

Taking the stairs two at a time, I head to Lucas’s office and see him sitting at his desk, a grandkid on each knee.

“Skipping school?” I ask Logan’s daughters, Aria and Addison.

Lucas chuckles. “Dentist appointment today.”

“And if we brushed real good, Pops is gonna meet us in Skaneateles and take us to lunch before we go to school.” Aria smiles at him.

Lucas stands, tucking the giggling twins into his sides in a football hold.

“Pops!” they squeal and giggle, and then he finally sets them on their feet.

“I need a minute with Boone. Do me a favor and go see if you can figure out who your aunt Ava is teaching a lesson to?”

“Like super spies?” one asks.

He reaches down, opens his desk drawer, pulls out two magnifying glasses, and hands them to the girls, agreeing conspiratorially, “Like super spies.”

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