Page 6 of Cold Feet
“You’d think after last season you’d be nicer to me,” I teased.
“You’d think,” he grinned. "Coco says hi."
“What’s up?”
"Heard you had an interesting morning meeting," he said, settling into the chair across from my desk like he had all the time in the world.
"News travels fast around here." I kept my tone carefully neutral, though my pulse had kicked up a notch. Exactly why there's no way in hell we'd ever pull this off.
Logan leaned back, studying me with those perceptive captain's eyes that missed nothing. "Cam said you're considering the Redline situation."
"The completely insane Redline situation," I corrected. "The potentially career-ending Redline situation."
"Is it, though?" Logan tilted his head. "Seems pretty logical to me. Cam needs to fix his image. You're the best in the business at managing images. Perfect partnership."
"There's nothing perfect about pretending to be engaged to a player I work with."
"Because of what happened in Boston?"
My heart stuttered. "What do you know about Boston?"
Logan's expression softened, shifting from captain to friend. "Lana, I've been Cam's teammate for almost four years. He's one of my closest friends. You think he never mentioned the girl who got away? The one night that ruined him for everyone else?"
Heat flooded my cheeks. "It was one night a decade ago. Hardly worth ruining anyone over."
"That's not how he tells it." My heart skipped uncomfortably. “What does that mean?"
Logan leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Look, I'm not here to play telephone between you two. That's between you and him. But I am here to say that Cam Murphy is not the guy you've been selling to the public."
"I know that," I said defensively. "It's PR. I take what's there and amplify it."
"No," Logan shook his head. "You've created a complete fiction. Cam's not a player. He hasn't seriously dated anyone in years. He spends most nights at home watching cooking shows and calling his mom."
I blinked. "Calling his mom?"
"Every Sunday. Without fail. She's got MS – has for years. He checks in, manages her care, makes sure she's got everything she needs."
This didn't align with the image I had of Cam – or rather, the image I'd cultivated. Sure, I knew the public persona was exaggerated, but I'd assumed there was some truth to it. The frequent appearances with models and actresses, the flirtatious interviews, the way women flocked to him...
"Why didn't he ever object?" I asked. "To the image we created?"
Logan shrugged, but the motion seemed too casual to be genuine. "You'd have to ask him that. But my guess? He figured it was easier to play the role you assigned him than fight it. Especially since..."
"Since what?"
Logan looked momentarily uncomfortable, like he'd said more than he intended. "Since it was you doing the asking."
Something twisted in my chest; a complicated knot of guilt, confusion, and a feeling I refused to name.
"This fake engagement idea is crazy," I said, steering us back to safer ground. "It could backfire spectacularly. It could ruin my professional credibility. And there's a massive ethical issue with the team publicist dating a player."
"Which is why Coach Sully, Rocco, and Marcus were in that meeting this morning," Logan countered. "The brass knows. The agent knows. It's contained."
"For now. But if it gets out – "
"It won't." Logan's certainty was almost reassuring. "Look, I get it. Your reputation matters. Your career matters. But this isn't just about Cam being able to hawk sneakers. This is about security."
"I get it."
