Page 83 of Thoroughly Innocent Intent

“So, your plan is to ambush me and convince me to reconsider?” I’m glaring, but I don’t care.

“Wasn’t meant to be an ambush, but the rest is true, yes.” She gives a sharp nod.

“Forgive me, but I fail to see how Colt’s ex-wife thinks she can convince me to give another chance to the man she left.” I’m not normally so forward, but the nerve of this woman has me riled.

“Fair enough.” She almost smiles, like she enjoys my skepticism. “Do you know why I left?”

“He put football before you and Sawyer.”

“Among other things. But our biggest obstacle was that he didn’t love me. He cared about me, but he didn’t love me.”

“I don’t follow.” I squint, trying to see what I’m missing.

“Didn’t he call and say he wanted to help out with your charities?” Jen changes course. “Recently?”

“He did. Apparently, it wasn’t enough to use me to improve his image, he wanted to use my charities too.”

“That wasn’t about improving his image, that was about showing you he was generous with his time, which you told him was more effective than being generous with his money.” She points her finger at me.

“Usually, it is. But when you’re a celebrity trying to change the way people perceive you, a photo op is worth more than writing a check, no?” I cross my arms and lean back in my chair.

“Did he or did he not volunteer his time before the Super Bowl?” she asks pointedly.

“What difference does it make?” I fire back.

“The difference is Colt didn’t fight for me, period. Not ever, and especially not during football. But he’s fighting for you. Throughout the season and leading up to the most important game he could ever play, he’s trying to give you his time the best way he knows how, exactly like you taught him. I’m not sure you understand how rare that is, but I do. Colt wouldn’t make that kind of gesture for just anyone.”

“He’d do that for his benefit though, right?” I lean forward and rest my arms on my desk. “A photo op at a charity event would go a long way toward getting future employers to take him seriously.”

“What future employers?” She frowns.

“The ones he’s trying to impress for his second act.” I throw my hands up.

“Second act? Is he…is he retiring?” She looks genuinely confused.

“Maybe.” I hesitate. I may be pissed at him, but that doesn’t give me the right to share his plans without permission, and I’m afraid I’ve done just that.

“Huh,” she mutters to herself. “He didn’t say anything.”

“Well, you said he’s not the best communicator.” I shrug indifferently.

“No.” She shakes her head. “I mean he told me about you, but not his career plans. Usually, it’s the other way around.”

“What do you mean?”

“He doesn’t talk about women with me. Football, yes. It’s probably why we lasted as long as we did, because it’s the only thing we could talk about. But never women.”

“Is that supposed to impress me?” I roll my eyes.

“It impresses me. Telling me about a woman he likes is a big deal, but not telling me about retiring? Colt may not be good at communicating, but when he does, it means something. He shares what he thinks is important. You’re on that list. His career isn’t.”

I open my mouth to object, but the weight of her words hits me before I can make a sound. He tells Jen about things that are important, and he mentioned me, but not his career? There has to be some mistake. The only reason he knows me is because he was preparing for the next phase in his career. Maybe she’s got it backwards and he tells her about the unimportant things? Yes, that’s it. It has to be. After all, he didn’t tell his teammates or his daughter about me until his hand was forced. She’s obviously mistaken.

“I see you wanting to object over there. Spill it. Tell me why I’m wrong.” There’s a challenge in her eyes I can’t ignore.

“If I’m so important why didn’t he tell his teammates or Sawyer about me until he had to?”

“Because he’s like every other man on the planet,” she snorts. “They try to talk themselves out of their feelings when they’re afraid to be vulnerable.”

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