Page 169 of Beautiful Storm

“Just pretend you don’t know. That’s what I’m going to have to do now that you’ve told me. How do you know, by the way?”

“Jake.”

“Jake?”

“The guy that knocked Amelia over.”

“Shit.” He covers his mouth with his hand, making me chuckle. “And you believe him?”

“Unfortunately, yes. It makes sense. Jefferson wants to cash in on the show before he departs.”

“Goddammit. Did Amelia know?”

All our eyes flash to Amelia and my chest tightens. I hate that I gave so much to the show and they were ultimately playing her. Hoping she’d get information. Assholes. “She didn’t know, butshe’s going to talk to Adrian about it. Once she’s sure she can still trust him.”

“Jesus Christ. If it’s true and we win, he makes more money.”

“Yep, because the ratings will skyrocket and more people will watch.”

“It’s actually very clever.”

“I know.” I nod. “I’m impressed. But for us, who knows what it means.”

“If you need me there when you talk to Coach, I guess I can come.” He visibly grimaces, making both Lainey and me laugh.

“Gee, thanks for the enthusiasm.”

“You know what I mean.”

“I do. But I’ll be fine. I’m a big boy. Hell, I’m a dad. I can take on anything.”

Lainey giggles as her eyes bounce between Juliet’s and mine. “It suits you. Who would have thought?”

“Definitely not me. But I wouldn’t change it.”

I’m anxious as I walk through the stadium halls the next day, and it has nothing to do with the fact that I missed a game. I’m anxious about being away from my girls. Amelia may have been up and walking today, but she still has a long road to recovery and I want to be there to help.

Not that she’ll let me. She practically pushed me out the door with her words. “I am not married to a nobody,” she joked. “I married a football star, so I expect you to get off your ass and go back to work.” I was standing at the time, but the sentiment was there.

And she’s right. I do need to go back to work, especially if I want to play in the Super Bowl, and God, do I want that. My lifegoals may have shifted lately but it’s still high on my list of things I want to do before I die, and I’m not getting any younger.

Since I’m early to talk to Coach, I wander past the production office out of habit, and it’s not until Adrian calls out that I remember I shouldn’t be there anymore. I have no reason to be.

“How’s Amelia?” he asks, his gaze full of concern. “No one knows anything.”

“She’s better than expected after what she went through, but not quite out of the woods.”

“That’s good. Good. And I hear you have a daughter?”

“We do.” I smile as images of Juliet flit through my mind. “She’s perfect. We were really lucky.”

Adrian smiles before shaking his head. “Really lucky. Fucking Jake. I never liked that guy, but I didn’t think he was capable of that.”

“People do lots of things when they're threatened, and he was definitely threatened by Amelia.”

“Rightly so—she was going places.”

“She still is.” I smile again. “I have no doubt in my mind.”

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