Page 75 of Love From Left Field (Knights of Passion)

Chapter Thirty-One

Miranda adjusted herdark blue suit jacket and took a deep breath. She had sat in her car for thirty minutes before gaining the courage to come into the stadium today. The last thing she had wanted to do was face anybody, knowing she had let them down. But her father had asked her to be there and, like the good daughter she was, she’d come running. But this was the last time.

She looked around the waiting area outside the executive offices at the familiar pictures, the furniture, her former assistant, and she felt a pang in her heart. She wanted to go in the office and demand her job back. She pressed a hand to her chest at the picture of Jacob Wainright. She had passed that portrait a thousand times before but only today she could see Lucas in his soft eyes, the gentle smile, the forthright posture. She closed her eyes but only saw Lucas. The image was so vivid she could swear she could smell his cologne. When the scent got stronger, she opened her eyes.

Lucas stood a few steps away, an unreadable expression on his face, the door to her old office open behind him.

“I thought you were headed to Seattle. But I guess president of the Knights was too hard to resist.” She couldn’t help the bitterness in her voice even as her heart flip-flopped in her chest.

His brow furrowed then he glanced behind him. “Oh, I’m not president. I’m just helping out until the next president is hired. I’m not applying.”

“Maybe you should. You’d be good at it.”

“There’s only one person who belongs in that office and it’s not me,” he said softly, looking like he wanted to grab her but he restrained himself, his hands turning white on the tablet he held.

She wanted to go to him, too, but she had only recently found her pride and she wasn’t going to give it up that easily. “So my father asked you to stay on or did Roger?”

“Your father. He decided to go back to what you had set up. Prosser is not being traded. Things are settling down.” His gaze was intense and piercing as if trying to convey a message.

She nodded. “Thanks for your help. I’m sure it wasn’t easy for either of you.”

“Your father never told you I was here, did he?”

He looked tired, circles under his eyes, and he looked like he may have lost weight. She was glad she took her mother’s advice and dressed to impress. She just didn’t know she had to fool Lucas.

“No, he didn’t. But it doesn’t matter.”

The conference room door opened, interrupting their conversation.

Seamus stood framed in the doorway. “Good, you’re both here. Come in, please.”

She straightened her shoulders and took a deep breath, gliding into the office, Lucas following behind her. One last thing, she chanted in her mind. One more. Then she was free.

*

Roger Martinelli satat one end of the conference table, pencil tapping rapidly on the pad of paper in front of him, looking irritated. Seamus sat in his usual spot, with Miranda and Lucas in the middle of the table on either side. Silence reigned for several long moments, then Roger cleared his throat.

“Seamus, you called for this meeting. I flew down from Chicago. What do you want?”

“We have a loan payment due in a couple of weeks.” He slid an envelope to Miranda, nodding towards Roger. “Here you go, early.”

She passed it down to Roger, wondering if this was what he needed her to do. She looked up and caught Lucas studying her intensely, gaze never wavering. Roger barely glanced at the envelope.

“You could have wired the money. I don’t require a physical check or to do this in person.”

Seamus nodded. “Miranda, do you have a dollar?”

Now, thoroughly confused, Miranda whispered, “Right now?”

He nodded and she shrugged. She opened her purse and flipped through the bills. “I only have a five.”

He nodded seriously and scratched something on a piece of paper. “That’ll do fine.”

He handed the paper to Lucas who signed it then handed it to Roger. Roger frowned and took the paper, scanning it quickly then his head jerked up and he stared at Seamus.

“What the hell, Seamus?”

“You wanted me gone and, since I made the payment, you can’t force me out. But I’m giving you your wish, and my wife’s wish to be honest. She gave me an ultimatum after my heart attack. She wanted me to retire and for us to spend more time together.”

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