the
game, it was exactly what the Knights had been missing.
“I can’t ruin the Knights.” Gerald watched Riley place a
friendly hand on Gaige Benson’s arm. “However, I can make life very
uncomfortable for our daughter. By mid-season, she’ll be happy to leave town.”
“I liked her in Boston.”
“Liked?”
“Fine. I preferred when she was three thousand miles
away.Whatever you need, Gerald. I’m in.”
“When was the last time we worked on something together?”
Riley’s laughter rang out. Happy. Carefree. There wasn’t
room in Seattle for two Preston women. Especially when one of them was younger
and cosmetic surgery free.
“About twenty-five years ago.”
“WILL IT MAKE you uncomfortable if I admit to having a bit of a
girl crush? If we weren’t the same age, I would want to grow up to be you.”
“Me? You are a tough-ass business woman. I want to be you .”
Riley smiled at Claire Thornton. They wore dueling four-inch
heels. Riley’s put her a shade over five feet nine. Claire’s had her topping
six feet. The blond was slim and athletic with killer legs and blue eyes the
color of a cloudless day. Had Riley said girl crush ? She was one step
away from wishing she swung both ways.
It was an interesting situation. Riley knew Claire through
Gaige. The women had spoken on the phone, but this was their first face to face
meeting.
Riley had been a little nervous. Her temper was still
simmering. Claire had been up for the assistant trainer’s job. It was her
dream—a goal she had worked her ass off to obtain. Then, just when she thought
the job was hers, it had been pulled out from under her. Boom. Thanks for
playing, but no cigar.
“I wish I could have changed their minds, Claire.”
Claire shrugged with a half-smile. “Football is a man’s
game—on and off the field. I should have known the owners wouldn’t want a woman
treating their athletes. Things change. But it is a slow and arduous process. A
woman will get there, it just won’t be me.”
It was true. However, it didn’t make Riley happy. Outraged,
she hadn’t taken her fight to her father. This time, she went to a man who
judged people on their abilities, not their gender.
Ross Morrisey was a minority owner in the Knights. He also
ran a very successful sporting goods business based out of the Northwest. He
had given Riley’s fledgling consulting firm a chance, making them both a lot of
money. She thought if she could get Ross on her side, she would rally the other
owners and get Claire the job she deserved.
Riley hated to fail, but there was no budging Ross or anyone
else. No one would come right out and say it, but they were not going to hire a
woman. No matter how qualified she was.
“Let it go, Riley. I have.”
“Really?”
“No.” Claire laughed. The fact that she could, said a lot.
Last week a smile was beyond her abilities. “But I’m getting there. It helps to
have someone special in my corner.”
“Gaige?” Riley’s smile turned sly. “Or Logan?”
“Both.” Almost to herself, she said, “Gaige’s misfits.”
“Excuse me?”
“Gaige has a way of collecting people in need. He gave me a
boost when I was at the end of my rope. Logan had given up on ever playing
football again. Who knows how many others he has helped over the years.”
“Misfits.” Riley supposed she could add herself to the club.
“You might want to keep that to yourself.”
“He loves to help but hates to be thanked,” Claire agreed. “Our
Gaige is a complicated man.”
“Whatever makes him tick, we are very lucky to have him in
our lives.”
“Amen.”
“Now that we are halfway to BFFs.” Riley grinned, tapping
her wine glass against Claire’s. “It must have felt good to arrive with Logan.
A few weeks ago you two were still hiding your relationship.”
“Keeping it on the down low wasn’t easy.” Claire loved that
she didn’t have to look around in case anyone
game, it was exactly what the Knights had been missing.
“I can’t ruin the Knights.” Gerald watched Riley place a
friendly hand on Gaige Benson’s arm. “However, I can make life very
uncomfortable for our daughter. By mid-season, she’ll be happy to leave town.”
“I liked her in Boston.”
“Liked?”
“Fine. I preferred when she was three thousand miles
away.Whatever you need, Gerald. I’m in.”
“When was the last time we worked on something together?”
Riley’s laughter rang out. Happy. Carefree. There wasn’t
room in Seattle for two Preston women. Especially when one of them was younger
and cosmetic surgery free.
“About twenty-five years ago.”
“WILL IT MAKE you uncomfortable if I admit to having a bit of a
girl crush? If we weren’t the same age, I would want to grow up to be you.”
“Me? You are a tough-ass business woman. I want to be you .”
Riley smiled at Claire Thornton. They wore dueling four-inch
heels. Riley’s put her a shade over five feet nine. Claire’s had her topping
six feet. The blond was slim and athletic with killer legs and blue eyes the
color of a cloudless day. Had Riley said girl crush ? She was one step
away from wishing she swung both ways.
It was an interesting situation. Riley knew Claire through
Gaige. The women had spoken on the phone, but this was their first face to face
meeting.
Riley had been a little nervous. Her temper was still
simmering. Claire had been up for the assistant trainer’s job. It was her
dream—a goal she had worked her ass off to obtain. Then, just when she thought
the job was hers, it had been pulled out from under her. Boom. Thanks for
playing, but no cigar.
“I wish I could have changed their minds, Claire.”
Claire shrugged with a half-smile. “Football is a man’s
game—on and off the field. I should have known the owners wouldn’t want a woman
treating their athletes. Things change. But it is a slow and arduous process. A
woman will get there, it just won’t be me.”
It was true. However, it didn’t make Riley happy. Outraged,
she hadn’t taken her fight to her father. This time, she went to a man who
judged people on their abilities, not their gender.
Ross Morrisey was a minority owner in the Knights. He also
ran a very successful sporting goods business based out of the Northwest. He
had given Riley’s fledgling consulting firm a chance, making them both a lot of
money. She thought if she could get Ross on her side, she would rally the other
owners and get Claire the job she deserved.
Riley hated to fail, but there was no budging Ross or anyone
else. No one would come right out and say it, but they were not going to hire a
woman. No matter how qualified she was.
“Let it go, Riley. I have.”
“Really?”
“No.” Claire laughed. The fact that she could, said a lot.
Last week a smile was beyond her abilities. “But I’m getting there. It helps to
have someone special in my corner.”
“Gaige?” Riley’s smile turned sly. “Or Logan?”
“Both.” Almost to herself, she said, “Gaige’s misfits.”
“Excuse me?”
“Gaige has a way of collecting people in need. He gave me a
boost when I was at the end of my rope. Logan had given up on ever playing
football again. Who knows how many others he has helped over the years.”
“Misfits.” Riley supposed she could add herself to the club.
“You might want to keep that to yourself.”
“He loves to help but hates to be thanked,” Claire agreed. “Our
Gaige is a complicated man.”
“Whatever makes him tick, we are very lucky to have him in
our lives.”
“Amen.”
“Now that we are halfway to BFFs.” Riley grinned, tapping
her wine glass against Claire’s. “It must have felt good to arrive with Logan.
A few weeks ago you two were still hiding your relationship.”
“Keeping it on the down low wasn’t easy.” Claire loved that
she didn’t have to look around in case anyone
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