Covering Kendall(15)
Maybe he’d feel better after a good night’s sleep. After tomorrow morning’s post-game medical checks for injuries, he could burn off some of his frustration by cleaning up the storm damage in his backyard. He had other things to do with his time than moon over an unattainable woman.
Zach Anderson stopped by his locker as Drew picked up the overnight bag he brought to home games.
“Hey, come on out with us. We’re going to Jak’s Grill in Laurelhurst. Cameron’s meeting us there too,” Zach said. He grinned at Drew. “You know you want a big, juicy steak and a beer.”
“It sounds great, but I think I’m going to have to pass this time.”
“Other plans, huh?”
“You could say that. Give your woman a hug from me.” Drew got to his feet and gave Zach an elaborate handshake. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
Drew stopped on the way home and picked up a to-go dinner. He’d watch some mindless TV, have a beer, and go to bed early with the book Kendall had given him.
He pulled into his garage, disabled the alarm system, and walked into his house. He dropped the overnight bag in his laundry room. He’d unpack it later. He moved through the kitchen and turned into the hallway by his front door to scoop up the book he wanted to start reading.
As he picked up the plastic bag with the two books, he heard a phone ringing. He unfurled the top of the bag, pulled the phone out, hit “talk,” and said, “Hello?”
“Is this Drew? It’s Kendall Tracy. You have my phone.”
Chapter Four
* * *
DESPITE HIS EARLIER resolve to forget her and move on with his life, Drew’s heart skipped a beat as she continued talking.
“I put the phone in the bag before we left the coffee shop. I’ve tried to call a few times, and I wondered if it maybe fell out or something on your way home the other night.” He heard her laugh a little. “It’s like losing an appendage, isn’t it?”
“I left the bag in the entryway of my house the other night. I didn’t hear it ringing before now,” he said.
“Don’t worry about it. How could you know I stupidly stuck my phone in there?”
“It wasn’t stupid. You wanted it to stay dry,” he assured her. “I hoped I wouldn’t have to buy a new phone,” she said. “Plus, I was worried about losing my contacts list.”
The conversation was polite, between two people that had met before but weren’t planning on a further relationship. He noted that the phone was almost out of charge and turned back toward his kitchen to plug it in before it died.
“Your contacts are safe, but I’d better get this on a charger before it shuts off. Are you still in Seattle?”
“We’re at the airport. The players are boarding right now. I’m using my assistant’s phone.” He heard something read over the PA in the background, and she said, “May I call you back when we arrive?”
“Of course. Would you like me to overnight the phone to the Miners’ headquarters? It’ll get there on Tuesday.”
She sounded a little out of breath, like she was running. “Don’t send the phone there. I’ll call you with my address. I’d be happy to pay for the overnight shipping.”
“It’s not a problem—”
“We’re boarding now. Thank you so much,” she said.
“You’re welcome. Have a good flight, Kendall.”
“Okay. Thank you. Bye.”
He heard the phone she was talking on disconnect, and silence.
KENDALL SETTLED INTO her airplane seat as she handed her assistant’s phone back to her.
“Thanks for the loan,” she said.
Sydney grinned at her in response. “I could have gone to the Apple store for you before the game started.”
“They didn’t open until eleven AM, and we were already at Sharks Stadium. My phone will be back on Tuesday.”
Kendall tried to pretend like her heart wasn’t still racing after a few minutes of conversation with Drew. She kept her voice casual. “It’s a good thing the hotel bellman who found it is an honest guy.”
“He could have sold your phone and the contacts on eBay for a fortune.”
The guy who still had it could spend at least an evening scrolling through those contacts. She hoped he wouldn’t. The temptation might be too much to resist, though. He wouldn’t care about obtaining the cell phone numbers of the Miners’ front office. He might be interested in the contact info of others in the league, or giving her ex-boyfriend a call to chit-chat. The ex could be a problem. She almost groaned out loud.
Drew would know who her ex was. Most pro athletes, especially football players, would know him. Unfortunately, she hadn’t at the time she’d met him. Tony Kelly was a sports apparel and shoes manufacturer. He’d picked her up at the ESPYs after-party two years ago. He was handsome, interesting, wealthy, charming, —and she didn’t find out until almost six months later—married. He’d started his business out of his garage fifteen years ago with two partners, one of whom was a former pro athlete and the public face of the business. Tony handled the behind-the-scenes stuff: dealing with the factories that made their merchandise, suppliers, and the stores that carried them. They were the hottest name in shoes and apparel, and most athletes asked to sign an endorsement deal with them did so quickly. Drew had chosen to sign with Under Armour instead. She wondered why.