by Jody Holford
Ethan gave a weary sigh, and Liam noticed the lines of worry around his eyes. “I’ve been up all night digging into her and her family. You know her father is Hank Bennett? He’s attending the meeting tomorrow, and I’m one hundred percent positive he’s going to create a media nightmare.”
Liam grabbed some bread and popped it in the toaster, put a pan on the stove, and went about making breakfast for himself and Isla. Ethan would have eaten already. He had a routine, and though the few times they’d gone out for beers, Liam liked to razz him about it, the guy was a machine.
“He’s going to be hell on wheels, and from what I’ve gathered so far, he’s got no soft spot for his daughter,” Liam said, stirring the eggs more aggressively than necessary.
This was going to be part of the problem—the protective instincts that flared up when Isla was near him. It wouldn’t help her at all if he got in her way, so he intended not to, but her father and brother damn well better not, either.
Ethan helped himself to a cup of coffee now that it was ready. Liam’s mouth watered with need, so he grabbed himself a cup as well.
“You know him? I thought you said you just met her.” Ethan’s brows narrowed. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked it, deepening his frown.
When he glanced back up, Liam looked over his shoulder, then at Ethan. “I was close enough that when her dad called, I could hear him yelling at her.”
Ethan sighed and put his cell on the counter. Liam scooped the eggs onto two plates. “Assuming you already ate?”
“I did.”
Isla walked in while Liam was buttering the toast. She took in the situation, and he saw the softening of her features, the way her eyes smiled and her lips curled, before she schooled it.
“You didn’t have to do that, Liam. I appreciate it, though, as it’ll save time.” She added coffee to her to-go cup. Damn if her prim tone, pencil skirt, white blouse, and the way she’d twisted her hair at the base of her neck didn’t make him salivate.
He handed her a plate. “My pleasure, Ms. Bennett.”
She bit her lip, and Liam had to bite back a groan. He grabbed his own plate.
Ethan rubbed the back of his neck and, as he watched them, a worrisome vein popped in his forehead. “There’s enough heat passing between you two to overcook those damn eggs. You both need to remember we have enough to deal with.”
Isla turned her gaze to Ethan slowly, and Liam felt the chill of it. “You don’t know me yet, but I can assure you, I’m not a liar, Mr. Ramsey. Liam and his sister were kind enough to spend their evening teaching me a few things about baseball. As well versed as I am in business matters, I wasn’t raised with a lot of sports knowledge. Liam and I are quite aware of the boundaries that exist between us. You can trust us to respect them and I’ll ask that, in return, you respect my word.”
Liam’s heart thundered in his chest. Yeah. She was more than just a side of kick-ass heroine. She was the whole damn deal.
Ethan didn’t look away. “I apologize, Ms. Bennett. Won’t happen again. And please, call me Ethan.”
Liam fought his grin.
Isla nodded, her features softening, smoothing out like her irritation had never existed. “Only if you’ll call me Isla.”
Taking their food to the dining area, Liam and Isla settled at the table. Ethan followed, taking a seat across from them and setting his phone in front of him. He pulled a little pen out of his pocket.
“Okay. You two eat. I’ll talk. We’re going to be seeing a lot of one another.”
Liam sat back in the chair on the other side of the table from her and ate his eggs. She glanced at him once but gave nothing away.
“I have an assistant I’m going to attempt to persuade to join me from Colorado. She’s sending my things today, but I’m hoping she’ll follow soon after. As much as I appreciate you being here and, I hope, in my corner, it’s my intention to have Addison by my side.”
Ethan’s expression wasn’t unkind, but his words were blunt. “I’m in the Nashville Slammers’ corner, Isla. By extension, yes, that should be your corner, but my concern will always be what impacts the team and how. I’d prefer if you didn’t communicate with any media sources. They’re already congregating outside the Slammers Stadium hoping for any extra pieces of information they can glean. Or buy,” he said, then shot Liam a hard look.
Liam resisted the urge to soothe the troubled look that washed over her expression with more than words. “The media will be vultures for a bit, but this will die down. Everything does. In the meantime, that’s why you pay this guy too much money. He’ll deal with it,” Liam said, hooking his thumb in Ethan’s direction.
Isla inhaled deeply and let it out. “I have some experience working with people who underestimate me. I can handle a bit of media backlash.”
Liam couldn’t help but admire her; she had such an innate ability to just deal with whatever life threw at her.
Isla pushed her eggs around her plate, then set her fork down. “Has my father shown up at the stadium?”
Ethan’s mouth tightened. “Not yet, but he’s been calling nonstop.”
She nodded. “I would assume by now that he saw the press conference. He’s going to be livid.”
Liam glanced at Ethan, who flexed his fingers in and out. Isla was a hard person not to want to protect. She had a backbone of steel but a softness that a guy couldn’t help but appreciate.
“Then eat up and we’ll make a list of people to start putting in their place,” Ethan said.
Isla’s grin created a swirl of desire in Liam’s stomach, but he was able to push it aside and smile along with her. He couldn’t have what he wanted, but watching her take what was rightfully hers would be a hell of a ride. One that would have to be enough.
Chapter Fourteen
The main conference room in the Slammers Stadium was enormous and state of the art. Several long tables pressed together to form a square took up the center of the room. Listening devices were built into the tables so conversations could be replayed and facts remembered. An eight-foot projection screen hung on one wall so footage could be watched and discussed. Shelves of trophies and walls of pictures took up the far side. Music pumped quietly from somewhere in the ceiling.
And the view. Nashville was nothing short of striking.
As Isla sipped on water, hoping her stomach would settle, she stared out at the city that would now be her home. The glimpse that Liam had given her barely touched the surface. Though she’d loved what she’d seen, she wondered how much of that had to do with her tour guide. Sadness pushed against her rib cage, stifling her breath. Isla turned and stared at the room that would soon be full of people. Her people.
She laughed. “Hardly.”
She wasn’t naive. She knew she had an uphill battle regardless of how many people ended up in her corner. Somehow, in this moment, in the quiet of the conference room, she felt like all her failures to prove to her father that she was ready had purpose. They’d led her here. And she might be shaky on the inside, but she was ready.
Addie sent her as much information as she could gather off the internet about the Slammers, their history, her grandfather, and even her father. It was like stepping into the light after spending almost three decades in the dark. She couldn’t believe how much she didn’t know about her own family.
For now, she’d sit back and listen, as Josiah had suggested. The man was a rock, but she noticed that even he was a tad edgier than he’d been the other day, like he was braced for a hurricane.
As if her thoughts had summoned him, her lawyer came through the double, heavy-wood doors. Jennifer walked beside him and gave Isla a warm smile. These two were definitely in her corner, and more, she could imagine building a friendship with Jennifer. Unlike her life in Colorado, she’d work to find some balance here in Nashville between the professional and personal.
Jennifer set her laptop case on the table. “You ready?”
“Absolutely,” Isla said
. Her well-practiced game face would cover the little white lie.
“Everyone is arriving. Let me speak first. Your father, brother, and Walter’s wife have been invited to attend but will be escorted out if there are any issues. I’m not expecting any on Cordelia’s behalf. She never wanted the team, and this is not a reading or discussion of the will. This is a chance for you to meet your staff, make a statement to them in person, and put a face to the name of the new owner. If anything escalates, Jennifer or I will intercede.”
As Jennifer nodded along with everything her father said, Isla wondered what it would have been like to work beside her own dad in tandem. She thought of Liam and Talia having each other’s backs the night before—being united in their decision to help Isla. As partners.
Always trying to prove herself in her father’s business had been exhausting. Now that she’d stepped back, she saw that more clearly. Would she be jumping into a similar situation here? At least the people who were going to doubt her abilities here hadn’t watched her grow up and strive to become successful. They were strangers, not people who were supposed to offer support and guidance. People who were supposed to tell the truth. Even if things were similar in Nashville, it would feel entirely different. Because it wouldn’t hurt every time she was pushed back a step.
“You want to add anything, Jen?” Josiah asked.
Jennifer looked toward the open doors then back at Isla. “Some of the players are joining.”
Her pointed look told Isla she knew about Liam. Not that there’d be anything to know now that they’d drawn boxes around their roles and had to stay inside of them.
Isla didn’t hide. “If you’re looking at me like that because Ethan said something about Liam Cruz, I understand the implications. We’re friends. I met him the night I got here. We had no idea of the connection or what would happen. He and Talia were kind to me. They both came over the night before last and stayed with me while I processed all of this. I won’t apologize for connecting with him, but I will respect the boundaries.”
Jennifer smiled. “Damn, girl, I like you. And if anyone could push a girl’s boundaries, it’d be Cruz.”
“Jennifer,” Josiah said, pinching the bridge of his nose, much like an indulgent father.
Isla laughed, her ribs aching with a little less pressure. “Let’s get this over with.”
They stood at the door, and as people filed into the room, Isla shook each hand, a smile on her face. How many managers did one team need, and why didn’t they call a coach a coach? There were coaches for specific positions—Liam came in, winking at her as he shook her hand—doctors, assistants, Ethan…it was endless. People with different positions filled the table, leaving room for Isla at the head of it.
Her father and Ian came into view, and Isla’s stomach seized. He stopped in front of her, and Josiah stepped a fraction closer.
“Isla.” When he pulled her into a hug, her breath caught in utter surprise. She sounded like she was gasping for breath, but hopefully no one noticed as she gave in to the awkward embrace. In her ear he said, “We’ll need to speak alone after this.”
Gee, I’m good, Dad. Nice to see you.
She stepped back and straightened her shirt, giving him a curt nod before looking at Ian. Fatigue showed in the bags under his eyes, the slight askew slant of his tie, and the deep breath he took. She thought of Talia and Liam again, and her stomach shifted uncomfortably. She didn’t want tension between them. Maybe they could, somehow, work together. After all, he must have been lied to up until a certain point as well.
Her father moved past her and Ian stopped, looked down at her. “He’s pissed, Isla. Seriously pissed. I won’t be able to talk him out of contesting the will.”
It was as close to an “I’m sorry” that she’d get, so she patted his arm. “I’m glad you’re here.”
Ian huffed out a breath at the words and moved into the room. Isla turned her attention to the woman coming in behind him: Cordelia. She wore all black, from the top of her very fancy silk hat to the tips of her multi-inch heels. Removing black gloves, she reached out for Isla’s hand, closing it between both of hers.
“Isla.”
“Cordelia. How are you holding up?”
Her tightly drawn face showed no emotion. “As well as could be expected, dear. Your grandfather would be happy you decided to stay.”
The words strengthened her spine even as they warmed her chest. “Thank you for saying that.”
Cordelia nodded. “Josiah. Jennifer. I hope we’re going to settle things appropriately today.”
“We’ll do our best,” Isla said, grateful her legal counsel was letting her do her own talking.
When Isla took her seat, her eyes immediately locked on Liam’s. He gave her the most imperceptible nod, and the warmth in his eyes soothed her even from across the room. She wished she was sitting next to him.
She glanced down at the paper Ethan had left in her spot. She didn’t want to sound rehearsed, so she’d scanned it several times. Despite the uneasy butterflies in her stomach, she was calmer than she’d expected.
Taking a deep, cleansing breath, she looked around the table. “Thank you for coming together. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Isla Bennett. I didn’t have the chance to know my grandfather, but I feel deeply grateful that he believed in me enough to put me at the helm of a team he adored. All of you will carry on as you normally would. No one’s positions are in jeopardy, and I’m not looking to make major changes at the moment. As we move forward, whatever changes do come about will be made only after I confer with the necessary people.”
She took a breath, and her face warmed with so many sets of eyes on her.
Could they tell it was a rehearsed speech? Of course they could. She didn’t have to follow a script. Folding her hands over the sheet, covering the words, she smiled. “I’m hoping this room is a little like Vegas,” she said.
Ethan’s eyes widened the second he heard her veer away from his words, but she kept her tone even and sure.
“What happens in here stays in here. So I’ll tell you that even though my background isn’t in baseball and I have some things to learn there, I do know what I’m doing in the boardroom and in business. I know how to make decisions that benefit more than myself. I know what it’s like to work toward something, to strive for something, and to achieve it. We all have a common goal: the Nashville Slammers winning. My grandfather relied on all of you for a reason, and I intend to do the same. We aren’t the players on the field”—she glanced at Liam with a smile—“well, not all of us. But we’re a team. And I’d like to move forward as such.”
“Well said, Isla,” Josiah said.
She turned her head, met his gaze, and saw he meant it. You did it. Hurdle one jumped. Without falling flat on your face.
“Isla,” her father said. She met his gaze, her stomach doing a small flip. “You aren’t prepared for the enormity of this task.” He kept his tone reasonable as he glanced around the room. “I wasn’t close with my father in his final years. But I do know how much he loved the game. Losing him was a shock. Letting his team fall into the hands of someone who knows absolutely nothing about baseball would be a tragedy.”
Cordelia bristled in her seat, leaning forward and pointing a finger at Isla’s father. “Your father knew exactly what he was doing. You should be ashamed of yourself, cutting him out of your life and never letting him know your children.”
Josiah started to speak, but Isla lifted her palm and stared at her father. “I haven’t had a chance to formally resign from my position at Bennett Sports and Fitness, but I’ll have an email to you by the end of the day. As you did there, you underestimate my drive to succeed and to prove you wrong.”
She hadn’t intended to do this publicly, but she wasn’t about to let him tank her in front of a staff that was already judging and measuring her worth.
Her father looked like she slapped him, his lips parting and his eyes widening. Several people
started to talk, to ask questions, but before anything could get out of hand, Josiah and Ethan stood. They told the group that the rest of the meeting would be for baseball personnel, and all other matters would be dealt with at another time.
Cordelia patted her shoulder on the way out. Her father and Ian stopped in front of her.
Her dad’s gaze hardened. “You don’t have to do this alone.”
She raised an eyebrow, folded her arms across her chest. “Really? What are you suggesting?”
He leaned in. “You can head up whatever aspect of Bennett Sports you want. Let me take this off your hands. My father and I didn’t see eye to eye, but I’m better suited to this than you are.”
Too many emotions whirled, and she had to work to keep her voice steady. “You never even told me I had a grandfather.”
“He didn’t deserve to be in your life.”
“You didn’t give me that choice,” she whispered.
Her dad glanced around, then back at Isla. “I made a decision for your own good.”
Her heart wilted. “And now, I’m doing the same. This is for my own good. I’m going to make this work.” She stepped around him and focused on saying goodbye to a few others.
Liam walked by her on his way out the door. He spoke in a quiet tone. “Well done, Red. You’ve got this.”
Satisfaction swamped her, and she wished she could step in to him, take his hand, hug him.
Instead, she met his gaze and held it. “Thank you, Mr. Cruz. I look forward to working with you.”
He chuckled, low, under his breath, and Isla knew, if she were standing closer, his breath would have tickled her cheek.
Ethan came to her side. “Still things to do, Isla. Cruz, don’t you have a bar to run?”
Liam shook his head but didn’t look offended. Isla had a thirty-second spurt of panic about facing the remaining people alone but knew she couldn’t lean on Liam for this. She was on her own.
Because a man I didn’t even know trusted me to do this.
That thought gave her pride the bump it needed to go back to the table and face the team’s most important behind-the-scenes players.
