Perfect for You: A Blind Date Sports Small Town Romance (Annapolis Harbor Book 3)

by Lea Coll

  I turned to find Jonah’s hand landing lightly on Dylan’s bare shoulder as they shared a laugh. Panic filled my chest. Chase was right. Not making a move was risky. Taking a step back was easier even if the thought of her being with someone else made me slightly ill.

  Chapter Eight

  DYLAN

  We met Saturday morning for brunch at a little French restaurant in town. The heat of the wood-burning fireplace in the middle of the room warmed the room, making it cozy.

  I was anxious to hear what Hadley and Avery thought of the location stipulation after having a chance to sleep on it. I thought it was as exciting as it was scary. Was it the right decision or were we moving too far away from our original mission?

  “We can’t lose sight of what we’re trying to do. Help the kids here first. This is where the firm is based.” Hadley sipped her mimosa.

  “I agree. We can’t discount that it’s an amazing opportunity.”

  “One we might not get again.”

  Hadley nodded. “I agree.”

  “What do you think? This is your nonprofit.” Avery asked Hadley.

  “I don’t think we can pass it up. Look how amazing it’s been for Colin’s team to be involved in New Orleans. The kids blossomed under their attention. It really helped with their self-esteem. They encouraged the kids to try out for sports, one kid tried out for the debate team, one kid even auditioned for the school play. Something that never would have happened without his mentorship.”

  “I had no idea. That’s amazing.” My excitement picked up at all the possibilities of what we could do with Baltimore’s team backing us.

  Avery’s nose scrunched. “We haven’t had any luck in securing a college or other professional connection in Maryland. This is it.”

  “If we take it, what do we do about Annapolis? Do we table it, or do we open both at the same time?” Hadley asked.

  “Is that even feasible with the firm being so new? Are we trying to do too much too soon?” Avery asked, ever practical.

  I was the more impulsive one. “I think we do both. We have Baltimore’s backing financially. I get the impression they’ll do anything to help us. The momentum of that program should propel Annapolis, too.”

  “Once word gets out that Baltimore players are involved, that they’ll be helping as mentors it will hopefully encourage more donations.” Hadley poked a fried potato with her fork.

  “It will be easier to convince superintendents to give us a chance.” Some schools were wary of allowing an untested program in.

  “That’s true,” Avery said carefully as if she was siphoning through the pros and cons in her head, putting them in their respective columns.

  “I think we have to do this.” My intuition about these things was usually spot on. I attributed it to having to juggle my crazy schedule between work, court, the nonprofits, and my mother’s illness.

  Hadley sighed. “I do too. I hope we’re not overextending ourselves.”

  “I can take lead on Baltimore’s project.” I wanted more responsibility in Kids Speak. Between helping Hadley’s organization and her boyfriend, Cade’s, nonprofit, Morrison Rebuilds, I’d noticed I felt more passionate about the nonprofit work than my work at the firm. I wanted to explore my options, see if helping nonprofits was what I was supposed to be doing.

  “Are you sure?” Hadley’s head tilted as she considered me.

  “Positive.” I’d never been more positive about anything.

  Avery smirked. “Is this about that date you had with Reid? He was quick to offer to help you out with the clinic.”

  I swallowed. He was quick to offer to take the lead on it when he’d been so reluctant to do anything the first time we met. I was cautious to read too much into it even though my heart soared when he’d said I’ll take lead on it.

  Hadley pointed her fork at me. “What was that about? He seemed conflicted last night.”

  “I have no idea. He was adamant he wouldn’t be involved when I first brought it up. I’m not sure what changed his mind.” I sipped my coffee, the heat soothing me.

  “Jonah was talking to you, touching your shoulder, laughing,” Hadley observed.

  It was easy to talk to Jonah. He was open, talkative, amicable.

  “I think Reid was jealous. He didn’t want to see Jonah or Chase stepping in to work with you.”

  I rolled my eyes even though I secretly liked the idea of him noticing me, maybe even being jealous. “I don’t want someone to like me because another guy does.”

  “Maybe he needed a little push.” Avery ate a bite of her eggs.

  “I don’t want a guy who needs a push.” I was intrigued by him, his reluctance to be in the spotlight, even his reluctance to work with Kids Speak. There was a story there, one I desperately wanted to hear. It had nothing to do with him being the spokesman.

  “It will be interesting to see how this plays out.” Hadley exchanged a look with Avery.

  “I say we call on Monday to request a meeting with Lena,” I said.

  Hadley touched her chin with her finger. “I don’t think we all need to go. We’re pretty busy the next few weeks in court.”

  “I’ll do it. If I’m going to take lead on Baltimore, it only makes sense.”

  “Are you sure?” Hadley asked.

  I nodded, pushing my empty plate away. I was restless, excited for what this might mean for the organization, for me. It had been a long time since I focused on anything besides my mom’s illness, my dad’s anxiety. I was looking forward to the future, to seeing Reid again.

  Chapter Nine

  DYLAN

  On Wednesday, I smoothed the skirt of my dress in the reception area of Baltimore’s front office, trying to calm my nerves.

  I crossed and uncrossed my legs on the black leather chairs. I tried to still my swinging foot.

  The team’s name hung on the wall behind the sleek reception desk. Large pictures of players in action lined the other walls. Glass doors stood between us and the conference room, with an impressive view of the downtown harbor area.

  Everything hinged on this meeting going well. We didn’t have any connections with any other teams, professional or otherwise. Anticipation flowed through my veins.

  I needed to stand. I needed to move.

  A woman walked out in a pencil skirt and silky button-down blouse, her sleek hair skimming her chin. “Dylan Gannon?”

  I stood. “That’s me.”

  “Let’s go into the conference room, shall we?” Lena paused to shake my hand, inclining her head toward the glass doors to exit the waiting room.

  I followed her through the doors. A large table surrounded by black leather chairs filled the room. The walls were covered in framed photos of players wearing a Baltimore jersey over suits, shaking the owner’s hands.

  “I’m so glad you could meet with me.” Lena sat at the head of the table.

  “We’re intrigued by your offer.” I wanted to play it cool, not make it seem like we’d already made our decision.

  “We like to partner with local nonprofits working in the community. The issue is you’re not based in Baltimore. Education is a priority for the owner, Lincoln Aldrich. We represent Baltimore first. We’re prepared to fund a branch of your program in the city. If you’re interested, we’d like to see your proposal for what it would take to open here.”

  “Our business is in Annapolis. Our homes. Managing a branch in both places might be overreaching at the moment. We were hoping to get the Annapolis branch running before expanding further.” Hadley wanted me to stress our position, make sure Lena understood this was not our first choice.

  “I can understand that. We’ll do whatever we can to ease that burden for you, whether it’s hiring staff or procuring players to help the Annapolis branch in the off-season. If it’s easier, you can manage the Annapolis office and someone else can manage the Baltimore office. We can vet people for you if that eases your burden. We have experience in the area with various nonprofits.�
�

  “If we decide to take your offer, I’d be the one heading up the Baltimore branch.”

  “It will mean working closely with the players,” Lena said. “The men you met with on Friday, the team captains, will take lead on this.”

  Chase, Jonah, and Reid.

  The idea of working closely with Reid sent a shiver of anticipation down my spine.

  Excitement pumped harder through my body. What they were promising was huge, almost too good to be true.

  “Working with nonprofits is in their contract. The captains are expected to do more than the other players. Anytime you need them to appear, let me know. I’ll run it by Coach. He has the final say on their schedules. It’s my job to get them there.”

  I wondered if that was a big part of her job or if it was something she had to do often, cajole unwilling players to volunteer with groups they didn’t want to be involved in. Remembering the look on Reid’s face when I mentioned Kids Speak, it made me wonder if he was generally reluctant to participate. Something told me he was.

  “You shouldn’t have any issues with the players. Chase and Jonah love projects like yours. Reid is a little more reserved. I think this will be good for the team. If it’s a success, we’ll have you come out onto the field with the kids during a game to introduce the program.”

  A tingle of excitement shot through my body. We couldn’t ask for better publicity than a nationally televised football game. This deal made me feel like I could tackle anything, a new law firm in Annapolis, the nonprofit in Baltimore, my mother’s illness, whatever came my way.

  It was like everything I’d worked for my entire life culminated in this moment. Graduating from law school, starting my own firm, nothing felt as good as this opportunity with Kids Speak.

  “Thank you so much for meeting with me, Lena. I’ll need to discuss it with my partners. We’ll get back to you.”

  Lena stood, gathering her files. “Let me know if I can answer any questions. The owner is excited to move forward with this project. If we partner, he’ll want to make an announcement soon.”

  “I understand the need for expediency. I’ll get back to you by Friday.”

  “Perfect.”

  We shook hands. I parted ways with her outside the conference room, excited to discuss it with the girls. We’d planned to meet for lunch afterward.

  I took the elevator down to the garage, heading toward my car.

  A large SUV pulled into the spot next to my smaller sedan. When the man exited, walking past me, I drew up short.

  “Reid?” He wore a black jacket over a black T-shirt, jeans, sneakers. His eyes were covered in aviators even in the parking garage. I’d recognize that set of shoulders anywhere.

  My heart rate picked up.

  He paused, taking a deep breath before pulling his glasses off.

  His eyes were the same as the night we’d met at the yacht club, a mixture of uncertainty, possibly mistrust. “Dylan. What are you doing here?”

  Then he coughed.

  “Are you okay?” His face was red, whether from trying to catch his breath or embarrassment, I wasn’t sure.

  He held a fist to his chest, trying to catch his breath. “Yeah, just need something to…”

  Grabbing his bag around, he pulled out a water bottle from the side pocket, taking a large sip. I watched his throat work, his Adam’s apple moving up and down. Reid made drinking water sexy.

  Flustered, I gestured behind me, toward the elevator. “I met with Lena about Kids Speak.”

  He swallowed. “Okay.”

  “She said you’ll be one of the volunteers if we agree to the partnership.” I wanted to gauge his reaction.

  “That’s what she wants.” His mouth tightened.

  “You’re not excited about that.” He’d offered to take lead on Friday night. Why was he backing away from that declaration?

  He shifted on his feet, adjusting his bag on his shoulder. “I wouldn’t say that.”

  I waited for him to say more, but he didn’t. I tilted my head slightly, considering him. “I don’t understand. You seemed interested on Friday. Did something change?”

  “I keep to myself. I don’t like publicity.”

  “You’ll be working with kids. Nothing to be afraid of.” I liked that he seemed more interested in volunteering directly with the kids as opposed to everything else surrounding it.

  Reid’s lips straightened into a thin line. “I have a meeting with Lena. I don’t want to be late.”

  I sighed, disappointed he was ending the conversation. I wanted more insight into what was going on in his head, why he was so against publicity. “It was nice seeing you, Reid.”

  He nodded before replacing his aviators then walking away.

  I watched him go, his jeans encasing his ass, his jacket tight around his shoulders. Reid Everson was a bit of a mystery. I’d seen the videos. He was amazing on the field, his moves confident. Why did he shy away from attention?

  Chapter Ten

  REID

  I slowed my breathing as I walked away from Dylan. I kept my gaze on the elevator, resisting the urge to look back at her. Over the years, I’d perfected my ability to avoid problematic words in conversations, not drinking alcohol in public, and getting enough sleep so I wouldn’t slip up. When I was around Dylan, my mind was jumbled. I worried I’d make a mistake, expose my secret.

  I’d coughed to cover up how I’d mispronounced the word here. Then I’d wanted to say water or drink but couldn’t even think of a word without an r. My inability to think clearly around her was more of a reason to avoid her.

  Once the elevator doors closed behind me, I rounded my shoulders, tilting my head from side to side to ease the tension in my neck. I knew what this meeting with Lena was about, her expectations for me. She’d allowed me to fly under the radar at the beginning of my career. There were always players who thrived on the attention, all too eager to do interviews, make appearances. I’d allowed them to take lead, fading into the background.

  I knew things would change when I became captain, even if I wasn’t ready for the expectations or speculation that came with it. I preferred to go to practice, watch videos, work out, returning to the seclusion of my apartment at night. Unfortunately, my career would be stagnant if things stayed the way they were. If I wanted to go to the next level, be offered a better contract when it expired at the end of the year, gain endorsements to ensure I’d never need to worry about money again, I needed to do whatever she asked.

  Success meant moving forward, meeting new challenges. I couldn’t avoid it forever. Dylan was the one disrupting my carefully orchestrated existence, pulling me out of my shell. I wasn’t sure I liked it even if being near her made my blood pump harder.

  The elevator doors opened, the view of the city through the conference room immediately visible. It was the very space I’d signed my contract with Baltimore, where my dream of supporting my family and playing football professionally came true. The familiar weight of that moment, knowing the ability to support my family was within reach, hung around my neck.

  Knocking lightly on Lena’s doorframe, I nodded hello. She stood, gesturing at the chair across from her desk. “Come in, Reid.”

  I pulled the aviators off, sitting. “Lena.”

  “How are you?” Her smile was warm and professional.

  “Good.” I was anything but okay. I couldn’t admit that to Lena. Her job was to drum up excitement for the team, to set up interviews, specials, and exclusives to feature us as individuals. She wouldn’t be sympathetic to my fears, especially when it was my job.

  “I met with Dylan Gannon from Kids Speak. Assuming they accept our offer, I want you to be the main point of contact for them here in Baltimore. Jonah and Chase can volunteer but they are working primarily with other organizations. This one can be yours.” When I remained silent, she continued, “You’re the one who first met with Ms. Gannon. Chase said you volunteered to help with a clinic. Maybe this organization means s
omething to you?”

  I paused, considering my words carefully. If I told Lena the truth, she’d exploit it. She’d want me to be the face of Kids Speak, the last thing I wanted. “I wouldn’t say that exactly.”

  “Either way, I think it makes more sense for this to be your focus.” Her tone was dismissive as if she’d already decided.

  My skin prickled with irritation. Before I could argue, she held up a hand. “This isn’t up for negotiation. As long as it doesn’t interfere with your practice or your game schedule, you’ll cooperate. Dylan Gannon will be heading up the organization here.”

  “She will?” I felt like I was parroting her, unable to keep up with the pace of the conversation. Excitement that I’d be spending time with Dylan coursed through my veins.

  “That’s what she said. Will that be a problem?” Lena’s gaze settled on me.

  “No.” I couldn’t admit that the mere presence of the woman unsettled me, that she slowed my brain, made my tongue tangle.

  “It’s not just Kids Speak, it’s time we add in more interviews with you, maybe even offer an exclusive get to know Reid Everson to the media. Who are you? What do you do when you’re not on the field? That kind of thing. You said you wanted more endorsements. This is how you get them.”

  Lena’s eyes were on her computer, so she didn’t notice me tugging at my collar, feeling like the air had been sucked out of the room. I had broached the idea of endorsements with her. I’d seen other tight end careers take off like the quarterbacks and receivers. I wanted the money for my family. It meant security, providing a good life for them.

  “Is that—”

  Her face tightened. “Necessary? Absolutely. You don’t have kids or family to protect, so I’m not sure why it will be a problem.” Her jaw was tight. “You’re still looking for endorsements, aren’t you?”

  “Yes.” It was a necessary evil. I just hoped I could hide my speech impediment.