Foolish Games(54)

Julianne kicked Will in the shin until he stood.

“I was just going to give him a bath, Mom. Why don’t you give me a hand?”

His mother eyed them both. “Sure.”

“Annabeth.” Julianne rushed over to her. “Please, would you join us for dinner?”

Will groaned softly behind her.

“Oh, no. I don’t want to impose on your time together.”

Julianne shot Will a withering glance. “No, you wouldn’t be imposing. We’re having a dinner party tonight. You should come. Please. We hardly ever see you. You’re always at the shop. It would mean a lot to me.”

Will rolled his eyes, and Julianne was tempted to spear him in the side.

Annabeth looked at her son, who just shrugged.

“I’m making chicken marsala.” Julianne pasted on a sunny smile.

“In that case, how can I resist?” Annabeth turned to the stairs as Owen’s pleas became more insistent. “I’ll just go up and rescue the little prince while you get his bath ready, Will.”

Will groaned as he followed his mother out of the room. Julianne practically skipped to the kitchen, where she immersed herself in preparing a gourmet meal.





Seventeen





Hank’s daughter had pink hair. Will wasn’t sure why he found that fact so disconcerting, but he did. The Blaze GM was a taciturn, studious man who managed the team like the former military officer he was. It was hard to reconcile that personality with a father who’d tolerate his teenager dyeing her hair . . . pink.

Yet there Hank stood in Will’s great room, a bemused expression on his face as he watched his daughter coo at Owen. The baby was fascinated with her, studying the scene intently from his grandmother’s lap. Even more confusing, Sophie with the pink hair seemed very familiar with Will’s mother, as if they were long-lost friends. For her part, his mother chatted warmly with the girl but avoided making eye contact with Hank.

Damn it! Will slammed his bottle of beer down on the end table. Could Julianne be right? Was something going on between Hank and his mother? He needed to have a serious talk with the team’s GM, and it needed to happen now.

He wandered across the room. “We need to talk.”

Hank’s cool eyes assessed him. “Yes, we do.” He followed Will to his study.

Will wasted no time getting to the point. “What are you doing in Chances Inlet, Hank?”

The GM leaned against an old pie keeper Will’s mother had lovingly refurbished, his hand shoved into the pockets of his khakis. “There are some pretty nasty rumors going around, Will. Tales of defensive players being paid to deliberately injure their opponents. Your name keeps coming up as one of a short list of individuals who can corroborate those rumors.”

Will stood stone faced, saying nothing. He’d already had this discussion with team management a month ago, and his position hadn’t changed.

Hank sighed and sat down in one of the leather chairs. “Look, Will, I know you’ve never been paid to take out another player while you’ve been with the Blaze. You’re one of the most respected guys on this team, not only for your play, but for your integrity.” He pushed his wire-rimmed glasses up on his nose. “But if you know something, for Christ’s sake, Will, cooperate with the league. The commissioner is going to come down hard on both players and teams. He won’t be so forgiving if you hold out on him.”

Will played with an old Hot Wheels car on his desk. It was one of the few toys he’d had as a child. Owen would have mountains of Hot Wheels and trucks and other toys to play with; Will would make sure of it. “I already told you, Hank. I don’t know anything.”

“Damn it, Will! You need to think about protecting your reputation. If you won’t do it for your team, do it for your wife and your son. And your mother,” Hank added.

Will spun around. “Ah, yes, my mother! Let’s talk about her. What exactly is going on with you two? I didn’t even know you were acquainted with her beyond a casual hello at a game. You and your daughter seem pretty cozy with my mom out there, though.”

Hank leaned back in the chair and peered at Will over steepled fingers. “Your mother is a very kind woman. She met Sophie at your wedding and they’ve become friends.”

Will was sure he would have remembered a girl with pink hair at his wedding, but he’d had other things on his mind that day. It also didn’t surprise him that his mother would bond with the girl. They were kindred, free spirits. But Hank was giving off a predatory vibe when it came to his mother. And Will didn’t like that one bit.

“And you?” Will asked. “Are you and my mother . . . friends?” He wasn’t sure he wanted to know Hank’s answer.