Game On by Tracy Solheim Page B

asked.
    He shrugged his shoulders. “Sure. You running a day care now?”
    “Well, after working with you for two weeks, how hard could an afternoon with seven preschoolers be?”
    “Nice one.” He saluted her with his drink.
    Carly grinned at his compliment. “We do this most Fridays, especially during the season.”
    “You bring in kids to play? Here? During the season?” he said, not bothering to hide his shock.
    “Not just any kids. Children of the players and coaches. We also have a family dinner on Wednesday nights. The coaches and players spend so much time here during the season that we try to give them an opportunity to see their families, too. It makes for a stronger team. One big, happy family.”
    In Shane’s experience, families weren’t generally happy, but he wasn’t going to tell her that. She looked so proud of the concept that he figured it had to be her idea.
    “It works pretty well, if I do say so myself,” she said, notching her chin in the air.
    Yep, definitely her idea.
One thing he’d learned about her these past few weeks: Carly would do anything for her family. In fact, her life outside the office pretty much revolved around helping out her half sister, Coach, and their kids.
    “As long as I don’t have to play the family game,” he said.
    Carly tilted her head to the side, studying him for a long moment. “What’s your problem with the concept of family?”
    Shane thumped the front legs of his chair back down. “I don’t have a problem.”
    Placing her palms flat on the table, she leaned in front of him, giving him an excellent view down her shirt. His groin grew tighter beneath his workout shorts.
    “Okay, then, if you don’t have a problem with families, why do you clam up every time an interviewer asks you about your father? Or your brother?” she demanded.
    Shane’s eyes shot from her breasts to glare at Carly’s face. He was so
not
having this conversation with her. His father was not up for discussion with anyone. Period.
    Bruce Devlin might be his father, but he was not Shane’s family. The man everyone was so interested in was on the upside of life again. He’d landed on his feet after conquering his addiction and was now regarded by many as one of the top coaches in college football. After dragging himself from the gutter, he’d found religion and was now leading his alma mater to bowl game appearances while lecturing at faith conferences for athletes across the country.
    Further aggravating Shane, Bruce Devlin also managed to acquire a hot new wife half his age. A former Miss South Carolina, Lindsey Devlin was everything Shane’s own mother had never been: beautiful, well educated, and possessing enough social graces to charm the shit off a man’s shoes. Shane had taken an instant dislike to the green-eyed, statuesque brunette who was his father’s young wife. The few times Bruce and Lindsey had invited him to visit when he was a teenager, Shane took every opportunity to demonstrate that his soul was beyond redemption—including propositioning his father’s wife.
    Looking back, Shane was ashamed at his childish behavior. Bruce and Lindsey—especially Lindsey—had treated him with extreme patience. She continued to invite Shane to family events despite his staunch refusal to attend. He chalked it up to her doing her “Christian duty.” Making the effort to include Shane probably allowed her to sleep at night. He assumed his father was glad he stayed away so as not to poison the character of his other son.
    The one Bruce Devlin stuck around to raise.
    When Shane continued to glare at her, Carly stood up crossing her arms under those problematic breasts. “Seriously, Shane? Not even a smart comeback to my question?”
    “I’ll answer your question when you answer one of mine.”
    She annoyingly arched an eyebrow at him, refusing to back down.
    “What was the problem at the television studio the other morning?” he challenged.
    For a moment, he