Their voices disappear as he follows her out into the hall.
“Does he even know what he’s doing?” Arch says to Jared.
“No clue. Moms scare him. I’m pretty sure he’s never dated one.”
Sierra Tucker pokes her blond head into the room. “Seriously, you guys, my dad is about to have a fit. Do you want him to come in here himself?” She gives Jared a pointed look and spins back out the door.
Nope. We don’t want Coach blowing a gasket because we’re five minutes late to practice. That never ends well.
“Let’s go,” I say to the guys. “Time to get to work.”
Mia
“And that’s a wrap!” Angie Milton, my reporter-crush since I was a teenager, smiles at me as the cameras turn off.
My first big television interview is finished. And I had a blast.
“That was awesome!” I say to Angie as I hug her. “I was so nervous beforehand I thought I might puke, but once we got started, it all felt very comfortable.”
She laughs. “You were a natural. And I don’t say that to every guest, believe me. I hope this interview will help your company. And your foundation.”
Me too.
As I’m walking out of the conference room where we filmed the segment, Dad beckons to me. “Great job, Mia. My office, please.”
I walk with him into his office, where he stands for a moment and admires the Marilyn Cross painting Declan got for him. After much discussion, Dad finally settled on mounting the painting across from his desk where he can look at it when he’s working.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” he says to me as we stand side by side and look at the painting.
“It is,” I agree.
“It will look just as good at home,” he says suddenly.
I whip my head in his direction. “Why would you bring it home?”
“Because I’m going to be retiring soon,” Dad says, his eyes twinkling.
“In…” I glance at the calendar on the wall, a reminder that my father never fully adjusted to the digital age. “In about ten months. Declan and I still have a way to go before we satisfy the contract.”
“Take a seat, and let’s talk.”
“O…kay.”
Dad heads for his couch, and I sit on the other end. I assume this is about to be a business chat.
Instead, he says, “Mia, I’ve observed you these last couple of months. And you know what I’ve noticed?”
No clue. But I have a feeling he’s about to tell me.
“I’ve noticed that you’ve worked as hard at your marriage as you always have at your job.”
I start to protest, but then I realize he’s right. I have put a lot of energy into my marriage. And the thing is, I’ve enjoyed it. I’ve enjoyed having a life outside of work. For the first time since Mom died, I’m not living just for the company. And that feels good.
“Even during the interview,” Dad continues with his gaze focused on me. “What stood out to me the most wasn’t how skillfully you talked about our company or how well-spoken you were, as always. What caught my attention was how happy you were to talk about the foundation you want to start—with your husband.”
“Dad.” I feel myself blushing again. “You know how strongly I feel about the foundation and how long I’ve wanted to do something like this.”
“Yes. But what I also know is that today was the first time I saw you excited about having a partnership in business. With Declan. It made me sure.”
“Sure of what?”
“That my eyes haven’t been deceiving me. The way you looked at Declan on your wedding day. The way he looked at you. What you two have is special, Mia. And it is real.”
I think I might cry now. My dad is pointing out the exact thing I’ve been trying to deny.
What he says next shocks me.
“I’m tearing up the contract,” he says. “And we’ll sign a new one. One without the stipulation that you be married for a year. That part I’m going to void.”
I stare at him. “What?”
Before I can react more, he pulls the contract out of his drawer and physically tears it in half.
“Dad!” I reach for him, but he holds it away from me.
“This is symbolic,” he says. “I still have a digital copy. And so does Uncle Ned.”
“Then what are you doing?”
“I’m apologizing.” He sighs. “Mia, I want you to follow your heart. I don’t want you to feel forced into marriage. But I do want you to continue to have a life outside of the company the way you have the last couple of months. I’ve never seen you happier. I mean that.”
“I am happy,” I admit. “I didn’t realize how empty my life was until I filled it up. I still love my job and this company, and I still want to run it. But it’s been nice to have other things to look forward to.”
Dad puts his arms around me in a tight hug. “I miss her, too,” he says. “You and I…we kind of lost our way when your mom died. I was a terrible example of getting stuck. I don’t want that for you, honey. Your mother wouldn’t have wanted it for you, either. And I know she would approve of changing things up. I felt guilty going against her wishes, but I’m pretty sure she’s gotten her wish after all. To see her daughter happy and healed.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
It’s not until I’m driving home that the reality fully sinks in.
Declan and I don’t need to stay married anymore, at least on my end.
On his end, though, he still needs this. He hasn’t been offered the ownership stake yet. Hell, he hasn’t even retired yet because his season’s still in full swing.
I pull over onto a side street and call Jamie Beth.
“I have a problem,” I tell her.
“Let’s meet for drinks,” she says.
“Don’t tell Declan yet,” Jamie Beth warns me when I tell her about my dad changing the contract.
She tosses back a whiskey shot. “First rule of thumb with professional athletes—don’t throw off their game. Declan’s in the finals—that makes it way more important that he doesn’t lose his focus.”
“I agree with what you’re saying.” I take a sip of my lemonade. “The thing is, I’m worried about telling Declan at all. He’s a good guy. If he finds out that I no longer need to stay in this marriage, he’ll insist on us divorcing. He won’t want me to feel stuck in something that only he technically needs.”
“Would you feel stuck?” Jamie asks me. “Or are you actually happy in this fake marriage?”
“Of course I’d want to end it,” I say as I jab my straw at the ice cubes in my lemonade.
“Huh. Why do I think you’re full of shit?”
Jamie smiles at me sweetly when I glare at her.
“Of course, a divorce is the only sane option. We did it for business reasons. Since I no longer have a reason, I don’t need to keep these.” I twist the engagement ring and wedding band on my finger. “But to tell Declan now would be beyond selfish. He wants this championship so much. And he wants to be an owner badly, too. He deserves both. And if I tell him now, he’ll back out on my account. That’s the kind of person he is—selfless and caring.” And sexy and sweet and amazing in bed.
“I like Declan a lot,” Jamie says. “And I like you together. But if you think for one second that he’s going to let you go in order to be selfless, I think you’re wrong.” She sticks out her hand. “I bet you you’re wrong. When Declan finds out about your dad changing the contract, I think he’s going to fight to keep your marriage.”
I shake her hand half-heartedly. This isn’t a bet I want to win.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Declan
Mia’s been acting strangely for the past couple of days.
Ever since she was on Chronicle Montana.
“Maybe she’s on her period,” Arch suggests after we win game two.
I slug him in the shoulder as Jared curses at Arch.
“What?” he says. “I’ve never lived with a woman. Do
es she get moody?”
“No. And stop being an ass. I never should have said anything.” I wouldn’t have except that when I waved to Mia in the stands, she looked like she was going to run down to the Plexiglass to see me. So, I waited a second before leaving the ice, but she stayed where she was.
The moment bugged me through my interviews and shower, and as I was getting dressed in front of my locker, I mentioned it to the guys.
“Just ask her what’s up,” Jared advises. “Don’t talk to us. Talk to her.”
He’s right.
Talking to Mia is my priority as I walk out of the locker room.
But when I meet her outside and we walk to the truck together, she clams up when I ask her what’s going on.
“Nothing at all,” she says. “Why do you ask?”
“Just a feeling I got when I saw you in the stands,” I say with a shrug. “And the last couple of days, you’ve seemed…I don’t know, guarded.”
“I’m sorry,” she says so softly I have to bend my head to hear her.
“You don’t need to be sorry,” I say. “I know you’ve had a lot going on.”
And I have an idea.
“Do you want to take a mini-vacation and come to New Orleans for our two away games?” I ask her.
She hesitates. It’s subtle, but I catch it.
“You have to work,” I say immediately. “I don’t want you to feel like you have to choose. Don’t worry about it.”
“No!” she says immediately. “I want to come. And this week is a good one for me to take time off.”
“We could meet my parents, and if I have any downtime, I can take you to the area of Louisiana where I grew up,” I say. “It’s about an hour outside of New Orleans.”
“That sounds nice,” she says, and I can tell she means it.
Maybe I misread her signals earlier. I’m sure if she wanted to tell me something, she would. We always said we’d be honest with each other.
As we reach the truck, I lean her up against the side and kiss her.
She loops her arms around my neck and pulls me closer. “I’m so proud of you, Dec,” she whispers against my lips. “You played so great out there tonight.”
“We’re going to try to come home with the cup,” I say. “A sweep would be nice.”
“It would be,” she murmurs. “Either way, I’ll be in the stands cheering for you.”
That fact means more to me than I want to admit.
Turns out we don’t sweep.
But we do get one out of two, so we head home to Montana with a commanding three to one series lead against the Fire.
“I’ll see you at home,” I say to Mia as I kiss her goodbye after the game.
She and Jamie Beth are going to stay in New Orleans overnight and fly back in the morning.
“Have a safe trip,” she tells me. “Text me when you land.”
“I don’t want to wake you,” I say.
“Declan.” She stands on her tiptoes so she can kiss me again. “I want you to wake me.”
I’m still grinning when I get onto the team bus that’s taking us to our private plane.
Mia and I had a good time in New Orleans. We went to dinner after game three, and on our day off, we were able to go to my old hometown for lunch. I still can’t shake the feeling that something’s off, but Mia didn’t say anything, so I didn’t, either. I don’t want to push her if she’s working through something on her own.
As soon as we land, I jump into my truck and head home. I plan to catch some sleep before we have a light practice this afternoon.
I’ve just pulled up to my cabin when my agent calls.
“Hey,” I say as I hit accept on my phone. “Just got back.”
“Declan, meet me after practice,” Ned says. “I’ve got some news.”
“What about?” I ask him.
“Ownership stake,” is all he says before ending the call.
What the hell?
Chapter Thirty-Six
“They’ve already made their decision?” I stare in disbelief at Ned as we stand inside the same nondescript room in the arena where he told me I needed to get married.
He flashes me a wide smile and holds up what looks to be a contract. “Sign on the dotted line, Declan, and you’re officially a minority owner of the Montana Wild Kings. The contract is set to go into effect as soon as your playing career is over, which hopefully will be tomorrow night.”
Yes, I want to finish New Orleans off in five games. I want it badly.
But this ownership offer in front of me…this is like winning twice.
“This is fucking amazing.” I grab the contract from him, all set to sign off.
Until he off-handedly says, “Guess this will help with your marriage problem, huh?”
I look up, the pen stilling in my hand. “Excuse me?”
“I went over this contract thoroughly, Declan.” He points to the papers on the table in front of me. “Once both parties sign off, there’s nothing in there that can preclude you from getting a divorce.”
My jaw tightens, and I force the question out. “Are you sure? Mia and I just got married, and…” And I’m not ready for what we have to end.
“They wanted a married owner. Which you are. Once you’re in, they can’t stop you from divorcing. For you, it was always about getting to this point. I knew once you had an actual offer, we’d be able to quietly end the marriage without much ado.”
My entire body goes hot with dread. Until I remember my loophole to keep everything that I want. “Well, that’s too bad because Mia needs a full year of marriage,” I say in relief. “So, we’ll just have to keep up the front for the next ten months.”
Ned furrows his brow in confusion. “Mia’s dad voided that part of her contract. He took away the clause.”
My blood runs cold.
“When?”
“A few days ago.” Ned’s watching me. “Didn’t she tell you?”
“No.”
No, she didn’t, but now her guardedness over the last few days is making a lot more sense.
Ned’s watching my face. “There’s only one reason I can think of why Mia didn’t tell you.”
“What’s that?”
“She put you first.” He points to my contract. “In addition to her probably wanting to wait until after the finals, which makes a hell of a lot of sense, she also knows you well enough to assume—correctly, I’d add—that you wouldn’t want her to stay in a marriage solely for you.”
Right. All of which makes Mia an amazing person, but I already knew that. What it doesn’t tell me is if she wants to be married to me for real.
So, as soon as I sign this contract, Mia and I can file for a divorce. Which is exactly why I won’t be signing anything today.
I stand up. “I have to go.”
“Declan, what about the papers?”
“They’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”
Ned stares at me. “But this is everything you wanted. It’s right here in your hands.”
It’s not everything I wanted. Not anymore.
I stand up and walk out the door.
After practice, I check my texts. Mia wrote that she’s home from New Orleans.
When I walk into the cabin I already think of as ours, she meets me at the door. She’s wearing a pair of my Wild Kings sweatpants and a blue tank top, and her hair’s piled on top of her head in a messy bun. She looks so beautiful my chest aches.
She gives me a hug, and I kiss her forehead.
“Welcome home,” she says.
“You too,” I say.
“Did you want to get dinner at the main house?” she asks me.
“Maybe in a bit. I have something I need to talk to you about first.”
“Oh.” She takes a lock of her dark hair that’s come loose from her bun and twirls it around her finger. “What about?”
I lead her over to the couch, and we sit facing each other.
“Why didn’t you tell me about yo
ur dad removing the marriage clause?”
Her cheeks flush pink. “Uncle Ned has a big mouth.”
“He didn’t know it was a secret. He assumed you’d told me.”
“Of course, I wanted to tell you. Sort of.”
Before I can ask her what “sort of” means, she continues. “I truly meant well. I thought telling you something that big in the middle of the most important series of your career was pretty much a no-no.”
“I get that,” I say. “I do. And I’m happy for you. This is great news that you can take over the company earlier than you’d thought.”
“It is.”
Something about her expression makes me ask, “Were you planning to tell me after the finals?”
“Of course.” She keeps twirling her hair around her finger—so tightly that her finger’s turning white.
I reach over and gently unravel the lock of hair from her finger. “Talk to me, Mia.”
“I…” She shrugs. “Honestly, I was afraid you’d insist on dissolving the marriage right away once you heard what my dad did. Because you’re so unselfish. And I didn’t want you to miss out on your ownership dream just because I was able to get my dream a little bit earlier than planned. We drew up a contract, Declan, and I intend to honor it.”
Here’s where she’s wrong—I’m not unselfish. I’m so not unselfish that I don’t ever want to let Mia go.
Not sure how to go about telling her that, I instead say, “I have news, too. I just got offered the ownership stake.”
Her jaw drops open. “What?”
My voice comes out steadier than I feel. “I can sign the contract tomorrow, and it will be effective as soon as our season is over and I announce my retirement.”
Mia shrieks. “That’s so amazing!” She crawls across the gap between us and throws her arms around me with such enthusiasm she knocks me backward.
I chuckle as she struggles to right herself.
“I’ve got you, darling.” I kiss her lightly on the lips.
“Declan, this is such exciting news.” She’s still leaning on my chest, and she looks directly into my eyes.
Declan (Wild Men Book 8) Page 18
