Hammer's Fall (The Breakers' Bad Boys)(50)

Leanne sighed. “Why oh why are you men such idiots? Please tell me you weren’t just going to blurt it out without some kind of plan?” Pity and a healthy amount of amusement surged through her at his pained expression. “Why do I have to have a plan?” Hammer leaned forward and hung his head in his hands with a groan. “Why the hell does this have to be so complicated?”

“Here is what we’re going to do,” Leanne said as she scooted forward. “First, I want a tour of the gym and rehab center. I’ve loved everything I’ve seen so far, and I think this will be a perfect training facility for us to send some of our fighters to.”

Hammer sat up and glowered at her. “Rhino said you would only send fighters here if I took the job.”

“Did he, now?” The large man’s shoulders hunched as his wife sent him a frigid stare. “That won’t be a problem, Hammer. Since you were one of our most popular fighters, and still are even though you’re retired, we would like for you to sign on to announce at some of our bigger events like the championship matches. This way you won’t have to travel much, and can still keep your connection to the CFL. We’ll be happy to direct fighters here to train so they can get a broader range of skills. You know how important it is to switch up skills and to have a variety of disciplines for them to learn. I know there are very few fighters that would pass up a chance to work with you.”

Hammer cursed silently. “I could do the championship matches, but I reserve the right to refuse other fights depending on my schedule. As for training, when the weather is better we plan to do a lot of workouts outside. We’ve got an obstacle course planned for the backyard, and I’ve got some guys working on the big tires or doing sprints pulling weights up that hill out back. I have a lot of good guys that train and work out here, but you can’t send me any of the punks because my friends would tear them apart. Most of these guys are former soldiers who don’t fight by CFL rules. They won’t hesitate to put a smartass down.”

“Understood,” Gene said. “We’ll need you to come with us to Vegas tonight. We have a big press conference Wednesday afternoon that we could use you at.”

“Shit. Talk about last minute.”

“If you answered your damn phone we wouldn’t have had to show up here to drag you with us,” Gene snapped. “We have our plane here, so it should be an easy flight.”

“And while we’re in Vegas, I can arrange for you to meet with a good friend of mine who owns one of the best custom jewelry stores in the city. Wouldn’t you like to get your fiancée a nice ring? After the press conference is over we’ll make sure we bring you straight back here and you could have it for her in time for Valentine’s Day.”

Hammer could tell by the smile on Leanne’s face that she knew she had him, damn her. “Fine, tell me what I have to do.”

****

Kalista couldn’t help but glance out the window, trying to catch a glimpse of Jared with his visitor as she sat at a table in the bakery with Becca, Nikita and Zoe. She had made plans to have a late lunch with her friends while Anna and a few of her other part-time employees manned the counters. They had invited Anna to join them, but she had shooed them away, saying that she would be working on a new batch of dog treats in the back since the treats seemed to be flying off the shelves as soon as they stocked them.

After she had left Fight Hard, Kalista had gone back to Sinfully Sweet to prepare a meal of Caesar salad topped with butter-poached salmon and homemade croutons, knowing that it was one of her friends’ favorite dishes whenever she chose to make it as one of the lunch specials offered at the bakery. Now, her friends were all enjoying their lunches, but nerves left Kalista’s stomach in knots and had completely destroyed her appetite.

“I think Jared is going out of town for a few days.”

“Is everything okay?” Becca asked, concern shining in her eyes.

Kalista didn’t know how to answer her friend. She filled them in about her day, from waking up alone at his house, finding him standing in the fenced in enclosure that he had made for her, to him asking her to move in with him only to be interrupted by his friend before she could answer. She also told them about what had happened at the wedding over the weekend and how they had both finally admitted they had fallen in love.

“See, I knew he loved you!” Becca declared with a grin.

“If he was willing to take on your family, I’d have to say he is crazy about you. That’s great that he asked you to move in with him!” Zoe exclaimed, then sobered as she saw Kalista’s face. “Isn’t it?”