Playing for Keeps (Feeling the Heat Book 6)

by Alison Packard

  That wasn’t an understatement. Rick made good money, but property in San Francisco was so expensive he’d have to make a lot more than he did now before considering a home purchase in the city. He glanced at Amy, and even in the dim light he could see her face had gone pale. “Are you okay?” he asked, putting his hand on her arm.

  “What?” She jerked her head toward him, then nodded. “Yes. I’m just surprised Kirby Ferrara is here. I hope I don’t run into her.”

  “Don’t let her ruin your night.” He squeezed her arm. “She isn’t worth worrying about.”

  Amy gave him a tight smile. “You’re right.”

  Rick wished he could do something to erase the effect Kirby Ferrara had on Amy. He hated seeing her upset about someone who wasn’t worth thinking about. If they were lucky, Kirby and her father would leave early and Amy could enjoy the rest of the evening.

  “Why don’t we check out the silent auction?” he said.

  The tension around her mouth relaxed a bit. “I’d like that,” she said as she picked up her purse.

  Rick looked at Trey. “Do you want to join us?”

  Trey shook his head. “You go ahead. I’ll catch up with you later.”

  Amy’s hands trembled as she and Rick left the cocktail party and moved along the carpeted hallway that led to the silent auction room. Frustration lodged itself like a boulder in her throat. It wasn’t fair. Just when she’d begun to relax and enjoy herself, Kirby Ferrara had to show up and ruin the evening.

  Get a grip, Amy. You can’t fall apart now. Not after everything you’ve been through.

  “Rick!”

  At the sound of his name, both she and Rick stopped and turned to find Trey hurrying toward them.

  “The skipper needs us for a photo op,” Trey said, then rolled his eyes. “You know how those big donors love publicity.”

  Amy’s stomach started to churn and the walls of the hallway seemed to close in on her. Kirby’s father was probably one of those big donors. She couldn’t risk being anywhere near him, or his daughter. Forcing a smile, she touched Rick’s arm. “You go ahead. I’ll wait for you in the silent auction room.”

  “Are you sure?” Rick asked.

  “Absolutely.”

  “It shouldn’t take long.” He leaned forward to kiss her cheek. “I’ll be back.”

  Amy watched as Rick and Trey returned to the main room, then turned and moved down the hallway toward the sign that read ‘Silent Auction’ next to one of the smaller rooms in the venue. She slipped inside the room, grateful for anything that would delay her return to the party. And a possible encounter with Kirby.

  After a quick scan of the small number of guests perusing the items available for bid and confirming that Kirby wasn’t among them, Amy took her time reading the descriptions for each of the auction items placed on the white, linen-covered banquet tables. There was something for everyone and almost every bid sheet was filled to capacity.

  In the far corner of the room, she paused to read the description of a guitar that had been donated by a famous musician who’d grown up in San Francisco and was a huge Blaze fan. The bid sheet was completely full and one hopeful bidder had turned it over to jot down their bid on the back.

  “Hello, Amy.”

  Amy froze and her skin prickled. Heart pounding, she whirled around and came face to face with Kirby Ferrara, who, judging by her self-satisfied expression, was pleased with her ambush. Had the woman been following her?

  “What do you want?” Amy demanded in a low voice.

  “I almost didn’t recognize you without the tacky wig and that over-the-top makeup you slather on at Stylus.” Kirby’s snide gaze skated over her. “By the way, you look much better as a blonde.”

  Willing herself to remain composed, Amy lifted her chin. The last thing she wanted was for Kirby to get the upper hand. “At least it’s my natural color.”

  Kirby’s smug smile flatlined. “I wonder what Rick Taylor will think when he finds out about you.”

  “Finds out what about me?”

  “Don’t bother with the innocent act.” Kirby lifted a hand to brush her hair over her shoulder. “I know all about your shady past. And soon Rick and everyone else in the city will too.”

  Momentarily speechless, Amy stared at Kirby. The young socialite was genetically attractive, but inside that beautiful package there was something monstrous.

  “What happened to you?” Amy said, finding her voice. “Seriously, I’d like to know. You’ve been given every advantage and you have so much more than most people will ever have in their entire lifetime, yet instead of acting with compassion or empathy, you bully and threaten those you believe are beneath you. Do you hate yourself so much that you try to make other people feel small and worthless?”

  “Don’t try to turn this around.” Kirby’s eyes flashed with anger. “You insulted me.”

  “No. I called you out for bullying a perfectly nice woman who was minding her own business. And then you retaliated by having your friend deliberately trip me so you could try to get me fired from a job I badly need.”

  “It wasn’t bullying.” Kirby paused, then after a quick glance over her shoulder, she lowered her voice. “We were joking around. If you hadn’t stuck your nose where it didn’t belong you wouldn’t have had to worry about your job. And now you should be worried about losing more than that. How long do you think Rick Taylor will stick around after he learns you’re nothing but poor white trash and that your ex-boyfriend ended up dead?”

  So her hunch had been correct. Kirby was behind the investigator in Barstow. Amy dug her nails into her purse so she wouldn’t use them to scratch the blonde’s eyes out. “You’re a sorry excuse for a human being.”

  “At least I’ve never killed anyone.” Kirby smirked. “Can you say the same?” she said as her eyes narrowed into slits. “You fucked with the wrong person, Amy. Next time maybe you’ll mind your own business.”

  “Does your father know what a horrible person you are?”

  Kirby let out a hollow laugh. “Of course, he does. Everything I’ve learned, I’ve learned from him. He didn’t become as rich as fuck by playing nice. And I don’t play nice either. Sorry you had to learn the hard way.” Her mouth twisted with sick satisfaction. “Oh, wait. Not sorry,” she added, then winked. “Enjoy the rest of your date with Rick, it could be the last one you have.”

  Fear twisted its icy talons around Amy’s heart. “What does that mean?”

  Kirby’s eyes flashed with triumph. “It means exactly what you think it means,” she said, then turned and walked away.

  By ten-thirty Amy was tired of trying to hide the fact that she wasn’t worried Kirby would make a dramatic proclamation about her so-called shady past to the entire room, and so, when Rick suggested they call it an evening, she didn’t protest. Not that she was looking forward to the drive home.

  After Kirby had confronted her in the silent auction room, there was no longer any doubt in her mind that she had to tell Rick the truth. And she had to do it tonight or risk him finding out about it from Kirby or whomever else she got to do her dirty work.

  Sitting next to Rick in a chauffeured limo would’ve been be romantic on any other evening, but now her heart was racing and her mouth had gone dry as she struggled to find the words that might change his perception of her forever.

  “Have you ever been to Texas?” he asked, pulling her from her thoughts.

  Shifting on the leather seat, she looked at him. He’d loosened his tie and unbuttoned his shirt collar, and although they were shadowed in darkness, the intermittent light from passing cars and street lamps played across his handsome features giving him a rakish appeal.

  “No.” She gave him a half-smile. “The farthest east I’ve ever been is Las Vegas. And I can’t say I want to go back. I’m not much for gambling.”

  “Vegas doesn’t appeal to me either.”

  “What’s Lockhart like?”

  “It was a nice place to grow up.
The population has increased since I was a kid but it’s still got that small town feel. I’m biased though. Until now, it’s always been my home.”

  “Do you miss it?”

  “Not right now,” he said with wicked grin, then lowered his head and kissed her.

  His lips were warm, and he tasted faintly of the chocolate tarts they’d sampled at the party. She melted against him, longing for the moment to last forever. But it couldn’t. And as much as she wished she didn’t have to tell him the truth, she couldn’t put it off any longer. Breaking their kiss, she reached for his hand and intertwined her fingers with his as she had done so many times in the last few weeks. Oddly enough, it gave her a small measure of comfort.

  “I need to tell you—” she began, then frowned. Something didn’t feel right. Literally. She pulled her hand from his and stared at his fingers. One finger specifically. “Where’s your wedding ring?” she asked, lifting her gaze to his.

  “I took it off.”

  “When?”

  “Last Sunday. After I dropped you off at your apartment.”

  “Why?” And why hadn’t she noticed until now? They’d had dinner at the pizza parlor last night, but maybe because the ring had never bothered her she wasn’t hyper-focused on it.

  “It was time. And I don’t need a ring to remember what Jill meant to me. At Thanksgiving I went to the cemetery. I used to go there every day for months after she died. I’d get shitfaced and pass out on top of her grave.”

  Amy’s heart clenched. The pain he’d been through was unimaginable. She put her hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze.

  “But at Thanksgiving, when I was there, I told her about you.”

  “You did?”

  Rick nodded. “At the time I wasn’t sure you’d even go out with me, but I was hoping you would. You interested me from the moment we met at Stylus, and you still do. I loved Jill for so many years that I forgot how it felt when I first fell in love with her. But now, I remember. Because it’s what I’m feeling right now. With you.”

  She sucked in a shocked breath. “You’re falling in love with me?”

  “Is that so hard to believe?”

  “Rick...”

  “I know what you’re going to say.”

  No, he didn’t. He didn’t have a clue. And now telling him about her past was going to be so much more difficult.

  “You’re going to say that we’ve only known each other since November. And that’s true, but in all honesty, it feels like we’ve known each other a lot longer than that.”

  “It feels like that to me, too,” she said, blinking back the tears that had suddenly blurred her vision.

  “There’s another reason why I took my ring off,” he said in a husky voice. “I wanted you to know I’m ready to move on. Taking off the ring Jill gave me is my way of saying to you that you’re the only woman I want to be with. The only woman I want to make love to. I’m serious about discovering what we could be to each other in the future and I hope you feel the same way.”

  “I do,” she whispered, unable to keep her feelings for him locked inside of her any longer. “I...I’m falling in love with you, too.”

  “Lordy, I was hoping you’d say that,” he said, then covered her mouth with his. And as their kiss turned hot and demanding, a mass of contradicting emotions swirled inside of her. Happiness and excitement warred with fear and trepidation. She should tell him the truth now, but she couldn’t bear the thought of ruining such a wonderful moment. Never in her wildest dreams did she think she’d return to San Francisco and fall in love, but she had. And God help her, for just a little while longer she wanted to be the woman Rick believed she was. The woman he was falling in love with.

  18

  After a long night in which sleep had been elusive, Amy sat at her desk at Logan-Johnson, unable to concentrate on the files sitting in a neat pile in front of her. The dull ache in her head had been her constant companion since she’d forced herself to get out of bed this morning. Aspirin hadn’t helped and neither had a strong cup of coffee. Even Danny had sensed she wasn’t herself and had thankfully completed his morning routine without a fuss.

  No matter how hard she tried she couldn’t think of anything else except Rick. On a day that should be filled with happiness, her stomach was tied in knots, and as much as she wanted to put it off, this time she couldn’t. If she and Rick were to have any chance at all for a future together, he had to know the circumstances behind her leaving Barstow. And she had to tell him today—before Kirby Ferrara made good on her threats.

  At nine, she’d headed for Jade’s office only to find it empty. Although she knew what had to be done, she needed moral support from her best friend. But now it was past ten and Jade was nowhere to be seen and hadn’t returned her texts. It was probably the universe’s way of telling her to get on with it already. Waiting to talk to Jade would only prolong the inevitable. Either Rick would understand why she’d kept silent, or he wouldn’t. So basically she had a fifty-fifty chance. In the scheme of things, it could be worse.

  Across the room, two of her co-workers were talking about their plans for the weekend. A ski weekend in Lake Tahoe and a wine-tasting trip to Sonoma. Both sounded like fun. What would her weekend hold? An outing with Rick and Danny, or sitting on the couch with a half-gallon of ice cream and a spoon, binge-watching something that wouldn’t make her think of love and romance?

  Her cellphone chimed, forcing her to table her morose thoughts. She picked it up and her heart started to thud as she stared at Rick’s name on the screen. Her slow dance with procrastination was officially over. “Good morning,” she said, surprised at the steadiness of her voice.

  “Hey. I thought I’d check in and see how your morning’s going.”

  “It’s been busy.” She swiveled her chair toward her computer screen and lowered her voice. “I’m glad you called. I have to work at Stylus tonight, but I was hoping we could get together before I start my shift.”

  “I’d like that. Do you want to meet at the café where we met before?”

  “No. I’ll come over to your place. If it’s okay with you.”

  “It’s more than okay. I’ll have you all to myself.”

  The warmth in his voice made Amy’s heart ache. Would he want to see her again after she dropped the bomb? “How does six-thirty sound?”

  “Sounds good. I’ll make something so you don’t have to go to work on an empty stomach.”

  “That’s sweet, but you don’t have to go to any trouble.”

  “It’s no trouble. I have to eat so I’ll make enough for both of us. How do you feel about—” Rick paused and she heard muffled voices. “Sorry, I’ve got to cut this short. Trey needs to go over some foundation stuff with me. I’ll tell you about it when I see you tonight.”

  “Okay. I’ll see you soon,” she said, then set her phone on the desk and attempted to work. Opening a file, she prepped it and then another one for scanning, then almost jumped out of her skin when her phone chimed again. Relief filled her at the sight of Jade’s name on the screen. She snatched up the phone with a shaky hand. “Where are you? I’ve been texting you all morning,” she said, not bothering with pleasantries.

  “I was at Blaze Field. I’m on my way to the office now,” Jade said, her voice tinny from the hands-free device she used from her car. “What’s going on?”

  “Kirby Ferrara was at the fundraiser last night. She knows about my past and she’s going to make sure Rick does too.” Amy couldn’t keep the panic out of her voice. “I just got off the phone with him. I can’t take the chance she’ll find some way to get to him before I’m able to tell him, so I’m going over to his place tonight, before my shift at Stylus. I’m scared to death he won’t understand, but I have to do it. It has to come from me.”

  “I agree, and...” Jade paused. “Oh, shit.”

  “What?”

  “Rick and Trey are doing a press conference this morning. That’s why I was at Blaze Field. I stopped b
y to give them my notes and we met for about an hour.”

  “Why are they having a press conference so soon?” Amy asked as alarm bells went off in her head. “The foundation isn’t officially established yet.”

  “I know, but we decided we wanted to get the word out.”

  The air froze in Amy lungs. “Oh my God. What if Kirby knows about the press conference?”

  “I’m not sure how she would. If it makes you feel better, I didn’t see her in the media room before I left.”

  It didn’t make her feel better. Not even close. “What if she sends someone else to do her dirty work?” Amy whispered as one of her co-workers sent a curious glance her way. “Someone like her probably has a ton of media connections.”

  “You’re right. We can’t rule out that possibility. There were a few people in the room I’ve never seen before.”

  “I need to get to Rick,” Amy said, biting back the urge to scream. “When does the press conference start?”

  “In about ten minutes, but those things usually never start on time. I’m a couple of blocks away. Tell Carrie I asked you to bring over a file I need for a meeting with Rick and Trey after the press conference. I’ll pick you up out front, and if the traffic gods are with us, I’ll get you to Blaze Field in time to talk to Rick.”

  Amy opened her drawer and grabbed her purse. “I’ll meet you at the curb,” she said, then without waiting for Jade to respond, she ended the call. Jumping up from her chair, she headed for her boss’s office, all the while praying she’d get to Rick before Kirby Ferrara or one of her henchmen hit him with the information she should have shared with him last night. If that happened, all the apologies in the world wouldn’t earn her Rick’s forgiveness. Of that, she was absolutely certain.

  Rick had never been a fan of press conferences. After games, or any other time. For the most part, the sports media asked intelligent questions, but there were times when their questions were nothing more than asinine remarks offered up in an effort to get a rise out of a player, or elicit personal information on a player’s life off the field. He considered himself lucky that when he’d returned to the Blaze last season the press had focused on his athletic performance on the field rather than Jill’s death or his crash and burn afterward.