Slamdunked By Love (One on One #2) (9 page)

Her mother sniffed. “I know enough. I hope you know what you’re doing. I don’t think you do though.”

And there was the dagger. The one that always made her feel like she would never measure up. That she would never be the daughter Miranda Monroe longed for.

Caitlin returned to her meal, the lasagna tasting like sawdust. Her mother could be disappointed. For now. The ends justified the means. When she gathered the necessary info on her father and exposed him for the fraud he was, her mom would be proud of her and forgive her for her mistakes. It would all be worth it. She hoped.

A
fter dinner, she and Christian left together. She looked behind her. Their mom still stood by the front door, but there was no way she could hear them. Still… “Can you meet me at my place before you go home?”

His brow furrowed. “What’s up? Need me to change a lightbulb you’re too short to reach?”

“Ha ha. I’m forever astounded you’re not giving Kevin Hart a run for his money as a stand-up comedian.”

“Only because my skills were better used elsewhere.”

Caitlin rolled her eyes. “Whatever. I’ll see you in a bit.”

Back at her apartment, she paced. Her brother watched her from his seat on the couch, as calm as ever. “What’s up?”

She took a deep breath. She couldn’t hold in her secret anymore. “I found out who our father is.”

“Excuse me?” Like their mother, he didn’t have to raise his voice to get his point across. His entire body froze though.

“I found out who our father is,” she repeated.

“How? Who is it?” Still calm, but demanding.

“Mack Jameson.”

Disbelief crowded his features. “The head coach of the Stampede? You’re joking, right?”

She shook her head. “I’m not.” She quickly explained how she’d found the letter.

“Why haven’t you said anything? Who else knows about this?”

“No one knows. I didn’t say anything because I was stunned. I wanted to confront him at the Stampede event without involving you or Mama in the drama.”

“But you didn’t obviously.”

“No. It wasn’t the right time, but I found a better way. Everyone thinks he’s this great family man. I’m going to expose him for the fraud he is on zachsfacts.com. I’m going to tell everyone how he unnecessarily made us and Mama suffer because of his selfishness.”

Christian rose, his movement jerky, and paced around her living room like she’d been doing a few minutes ago. This was his way. He had to think through everything before offering thoughts. Never her way, but understandable.

He stopped and stared at her with their mom’s eyes. “So does your new
boyfriend
know?”

She’d expected the question. “No, he thinks I agreed to pretend to date him because I needed a radio guest. He doesn’t know that I’m trying to get closer to Mack to get some more dirt on him.” And she couldn’t,
wouldn’t
feel guilty about that. They were both getting something out of their arrangement.

“Damn it, Cait, how could you keep this from me?” Now some anger crept into the calm. “This is too much to take in all at once. I have to get out of here.” He strode to the door. She didn’t try to stop him. He needed alone time to process info. He always did.

She could only hope he figured it out soon and explained it to her. She followed him to the door. “This will all work out.”

He stared at her silently, his anger, his frustration, his confusion all palpable. “You think so? I’m not so sure.”

“It has to.”

He sighed. “Look. Can you at least promise to hold off on your exposé plan until I have time to come to grips with this? This isn’t just about you. This affects me, too.”

Because he was right, she nodded.

Caitlin shut the door behind her brother and returned to the living room. She’d barely plopped down on the couch with a weary sigh when her phone rang. Was it her mom calling to continue the conversation from dinner? God, she hoped not. No, that wasn’t the ringtone she’d programmed for her mom. Then who was it?

She picked up the phone from the coffee table, her eyebrows raising at the name on the display. She stabbed the talk icon. “Hello.”

“You called,” Brady murmured in her ear.

Oh, right. She had called him earlier. She’d forgotten, thanks to the dinner from Uncomfortableland.

“Miss me already?” he continued.

“Who is this?” she asked, injecting as much pretend confusion in her voice as she could.

He chuckled, the sound sending a shiver through her. “What am I going to do with you?”

She had some ideas. Some very vivid ideas. Nope. Bad Caitlin. So bad…and hot. Warmth curled through her system. So dangerous. “I was calling to ask you a favor.”

“What kind of favor?”

She rubbed her eyes and flopped back against the sofa cushion. “The listeners loved you on the show, and we’re hoping you’ll continue your run.”

“So people can keep butting into our personal lives? Because you know that’s what’s going to happen.”

“I know.”

“And you’re okay with that? I don’t think so. I saw your face. And I do prefer keeping my personal life private.”

“Unfortunately, it’s too late for that. We already talked about our relationship on air. A photo of us kissing has spread to all corners of the world wide web.”

Brady sighed. “This is getting way more complicated than I bargained for. And don’t tell me pretending to date was my idea. I already know and have kicked my ass over and over for opening my big mouth.”

“You kicked your own ass? You really are talented.”

“And you really are a smart aleck.”

“Thank you. A woman can never hear too many compliments.”

“I try.”

“So you’ll do it then?”

He sighed again. “Only because it’s you asking, and I know you wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”

“Thank you.”

“Caitlin?”

“Hmm?”

“What’s bothering you?”

She stared at the phone for a second. “How do you know something is bothering me?”

“I don’t know. You sound tired. Not your usual energetic self.”

He’d detected all that through the phone? “I had dinner with my family.”

“Don’t get along with them?”

She shook her head even though he couldn’t see her through the phone. “No, I do for the most part.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“My mother does not approve of you.”

“And you live for your mother’s approval.” It was a statement, not a question.

“Don’t say it like that. It’s not a bad thing. Don’t you want to make your parents proud?”

“No.” So stark. Final. “I gave up on that a long time ago.”

He did? Caitlin frowned. “You’re happier that way?”

“Sure am,” he said, his tone sure. “You only have one life to live, and you can’t live it for someone else.”

“Those are some profound words there, Mr. Hudson.”

“Who said the only thing I knew how to do was dribble a basketball?”

His parents, maybe? She didn’t ask though. She had a feeling the question wouldn’t be welcomed.

“Remember what I said, okay?” he continued. “You can’t live your life for someone else.”

“Okay,” she said. It sounded important to him that she agreed. Like he wanted her to feel better. Like he actually cared about her.

“So I have a favor to ask,” he said.

She perked up. He sounded a little nervous. “What’s up?”

“How do you feel about two dinners two nights in a row? Coach has invited, more like commanded, a team dinner at his house—I think in an attempt to promote team bonding or some such bullshit—”

“Brady, you know that’s not bullshit.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen the forced bonding thing work.”

“First time for everything.”

“Yeah, well, in any case, all the players have to go, and we’ve been encouraged to bring our significant others, so will you come?”

A chance to spend more time with her father? A definite reason to get excited. Maybe she could get some dirt on him, find something in his home she could use in her story. More proof that he wasn’t a candidate for Daddy of the Year.

A chance to spend more time with Brady? No need to get excited about that. But she was. Her skin buzzed with it. But surely that could be attributed to the fact that the outing would provide more fodder for the radio show. Surely.

“Count me in. We’ve got this.”

Chapter Seven

O
utside Mack’s front door, Caitlin peered up at her date. His face was blank. Too blank. “Ready to do this?”

Brady tugged on his jacket sleeves. “Absolutely.”

“Then stop fidgeting. And look alive. No one is going to bite.” She tapped him on the chest. “I won’t let them.” She’d figured out—helped by some well-meaning pestering in the car on the way over—that it wasn’t only Mack he was anxious about facing tonight.

“I’m not nervous. I don’t do nerves. I just don’t want to kill anybody tonight.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s why your coach set this up—to foster community. So go with it. Get to know your teammates. Think of them as people, not pieces of a possible championship puzzle. Find some common ground.”

He nodded. “Right. I’m not supposed to be guarded. How am I supposed to do that if he’s not interested?”

He being Lance Maguire, of course.

“I refuse to believe he’s a total ass,” she said. “He has to have some redeeming qualities.”

“Like what?” Doubt laced his deep voice.

She searched her brain for a second, then snapped her fingers. “I saw a story on ESPN about him spending the day with a kid with cancer through the Make-a-Wish Foundation.”

“Wow. Way to break out the big guns. You couldn’t have said he likes Coke more than Pepsi or something?”

“No, because you would’ve made a smart-ass comment.” He didn’t deny it. “If all else fails, I have an arsenal of pirate jokes to break the ice.”

“Pirate jokes?”

“Yes.”

“Like what?” He crossed his arms across his chest.

“What’s a pirate’s favorite letter?”

His side-eye was epic. “Really? That’s the best you got?”

She struggled not to laugh. “You’re not answering my question.”

“Because I already know the answer.”

“Then tell me.”

“
R
.”

“No, it’s
aaarrr
. Say it like a pirate.”

“No.” Although his lips were twitching.

“See! You think it’s funny!”

“No, I think it’s funny that
you
think it’s funny.”

She couldn’t stop the giggle from escaping. Because it
was
funny. “Whatever. I have a million more where that came from.”

“I can’t wait to hear them.”

“I’m going to pretend you’re not being sarcastic.”

A shout of laughter burst from Brady, his eyes crinkling at the corners, the skin stretching across his sharp cheekbones. He was so hot. She stared at him, transfixed. He was usually so contained and intense, but in this state, he was irresistible. Talking, breathing became impossible. He tapped her on the chin, the look in his eye turning serious. All of a sudden, she realized how close they were standing.

“Thanks for making me laugh,” he said.

“My pleasure,” she murmured, inching away from the sphere of his charisma back to the real world. Making him laugh with jokes that only five-year-olds would find funny kept her mind off her own nerves. But she would be all right. She was always all right. She took whatever life threw at her and came out on the other side. She wasn’t sure what she was looking for tonight. Signs that Mack was a jerk, she guessed. A quote she could use in her story. Maybe proof that he had a ton of love children stashed all across the country. Who knew? But if she was given an opportunity to find any secrets, she would take it.

Brady rang the doorbell. A few seconds later, the door opened, and Mack stood there. The sight of him hit her squarely in the chest, making it hard to breathe, like it had the first time they’d come face to face. It wasn’t obvious she was his daughter. Not to the casual observer anyway. But the shape of his nose and the curve of his jaw reminded her of her brother so much.

Mack smiled. “Hudson, right on time. I approve. And you brought your lovely girlfriend. Great to see you again. Caitlin, isn’t it?”

“Yes, sir.” At least her voice came out okay. No need to tip Brady off that her nerves were jangling fierce. He was sharp. Observant. “Thanks for inviting us.”

“Come in. Didn’t mean to leave you out on the doorstep. A few of your teammates are already here, Hudson.”

They followed him into the cavernous home down the hall. Mack’s wife stood at the entry into the living room. Although Caitlin had seen her in the video, she wasn’t what Caitlin had imagined. She guessed she’d expected someone who physically reminded her of her mother, but Abby Jameson wasn’t it. Caitlin’s mom was short and petite like her. Abby was five-ten if she was a day and had a statuesque frame. “Mack, you didn’t tell me others had arrived. Hi, I’m Abby.”

Caitlin shook her hand. Did this woman know about the children and other woman Mack had treated so abominably? Had she chosen to look the other way because of the fame and money? Had Mack been the devoted husband to her that he claimed to be? Did it matter? No, not really. Her beef was with Mack, not his wife.

They congregated in the living room with the other players. Small talk commenced. Everyone was on their best behavior. They had to be under the sharp eye of Mack. When Tilly drew Brady aside to talk strategy about their next game, Caitlin wandered over to the fireplace. A large portrait of Mack and his family hung above the mantle. Caitlin studied the photo. She had two younger siblings she’d never met. Siblings she hadn’t known existed two weeks ago. And now she stood in their shared parent’s home. Could life get any crazier?

“Hi, you’ve been awfully quiet.”

Caitlin turned to Abby, who was watching her politely. “Just a long day at work.”

“But you came here tonight anyway? You’re a supportive girlfriend.”

Caitlin shrugged. “I try to be. He’s supportive of me.”

Abby smiled. “So I hear. I listened to the radio show when he was on.”

Had Mack listened? “Oh. Thank you. I hope you enjoyed it.”

“I did. Mack, too. Don’t look surprised. Mack keeps an eye out on his players. If they’re doing something that public, he knows. He encourages his players to confide in him. To trust him. That’s why he insists on holding these family dinners as he calls them. That’s my favorite photo,” Abby said, gesturing toward the photo on the wall that had caught Caitlin’s attention earlier.

“You have a beautiful family.” Caitlin gave herself bonus points for sounding normal.

“Thank you.”

“How long have you been married?”

“Twenty-five years.”

Four years after Caitlin and her brother had been born. “Congratulations. How did you meet?”

“At a nightclub of all places. Some guy would not take no for an answer, and Mack stepped in.”

“That was nice of him.”

“It was. He thinks I don’t know he was checking me out for most of the night prior to that, but I let the rescuer story stick.”

Caitlin’s lips cracked into a brief smile, the best response she could muster.

The doorbell rang, and Abby glanced around the room. “Excuse me,” she said. “My husband has disappeared, it seems, so I need to get that.”

“By all means. Don’t worry about me.”

Caitlin made her way to Brady’s side. She tried not to jump when he curved his arm around her waist. Oh yeah. Pretend girlfriend. Even if he denied it, he wanted to make a good impression on his teammates. He was nervous. Concerned about how his time in Dallas was going to go. So unlike the Brady she knew from the media, but it was real. And she wanted to help him. Because she owed him, yes, for helping her out, but more importantly, because she liked him.

The arm around her waist tightened. She glanced up to him. His expression hadn’t changed. Neither had his tone of voice. But something was up. She looked to the entrance of the room. Maguire and his fiancée had entered. They were speaking to one of the assistant coaches, but it was only a matter of time before he and Brady met up. Surely Maguire wouldn’t try to cause any problems here under the watchful eye of his coach? Except Mack was still nowhere to be found.

M
aguire and his fiancée sauntered up to them a few minutes later. Maguire smirked. “Hudson.”

“Maguire,” Brady answered. Polite. He could do polite even if it killed him.

“Enjoying your first Jameson Mandatory Fun Team Dinner?”

“I am.”

“Surprised you’re not somewhere whispering in his ear about running more plays for you.”

A muscle in Brady’s jaw ticked. He longed to retort. Put this asshole in his place. But where would that get him? Other than momentary satisfaction, little else. As much as it killed him, they were teammates and they needed to get along. Or at the very least, not kill each other. At least until after the season was over and they’d won a championship. Caitlin’s words of advice whispered through his head. So he forced a laugh out of a throat that didn’t want to cooperate. “Come on, Maguire. You know that’s not my style. If I want something, I go and get it for everyone to see. Let’s relax tonight. Caitlin tells me congratulations are in order. You’re engaged. Why don’t you introduce me to your fiancée?”

Maguire’s eyes flashed, but he held out his hand. “Thanks. Patrice, Brady.”

Brady shook her hand. “Nice to meet you. Lance, this is my girlfriend Caitlin.”

Caitlin, for her part, looked unbothered by the undercurrents of tension. “Hi. Nice to meet you, Lance. Hi, Patrice.” She gave a small wave to the other woman. “I like your dress.”

“Thanks,” Patrice said. “Yours is cute, too.”

Stilted conversation commenced. Not even close to good, but better than open or even banked hostility. It helped to have Caitlin at his side, who had a knack for steering the conversation away from any incendiary topics and keeping things lighthearted. Soon other teammates joined them and the conversation turned to basketball, the one thing they all had in common.

“Did you see that monster dunk Kevin Durant laid out on that Kings player?” Tilly asked.

“Yeah, they’ve only replayed it on ESPN every three minutes since last night,” Brady said. The laughter of his teammates calmed him.

“Dude, you should have seen your face when Dale ordered you to kiss Caitlin in front of everybody,” Whitmore said.

“Yeah, how would you say he looked at that moment?” Tilly asked.

Whitmore stroked his chin. “Shocked?”

“Horrified?”

“Mortified.” Whitmore snapped his fingers. “Yes, that’s it.”

“It was hilarious,” Tilly said.

“It was the first time we’d seen you with something other than the Badass Brady look on your face,” Whitmore said. “I thought, wow, he is human. I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time.”

They weren’t holding Dale’s display against him? No, they were giving him shit like teammates did. Brady slipped his hands into his pants pockets. “Which is why you egged him on.”

“Hell, yeah,” Whitmore said. “The moment was too priceless not to.”

They were all laughing when Mack came out of the kitchen, his hands up. “Sorry to interrupt the good times, but I have a confession to make. Dinner was catered, but I was hoping to show off my baking skills for dessert. However, I’m afraid it’s not coming out the way I’d intended.”

“What are you making?” The question came from Caitlin.

Brady turned to her, surprised.

“German chocolate cake,” Mack said.

“That’s one of my favorites.” She glanced at Brady. He noted the uncertainty in her eyes before she faced Mack again. “Maybe I could take a look.”

Mack held out his hand. “Oh, I couldn’t impose. You’re a guest.”

“Don’t be silly. I love to bake. And help.”

“By help, she means butt in,” Brady interjected.

She stuck her tongue out at him, while the others laughed.

“Well, if it’s not an imposition, I’ll take any assistance I can get,” Mack said.

She turned to him, her eyebrows lifted in silent query. She was worried about him. About leaving him alone. He was touched, more than he could remember being in a long time. When was the last time someone had been genuinely concerned about
him
and not the basketball player who helped decide if their team won and they got to celebrate or if they kept a job coaching a team? Or, better yet, if he was going to buy them something expensive? He couldn’t remember. And it felt good. Damn good.

He squeezed her waist. “Go,” he said. “I’ve got this.” And strangely enough, he meant it. She’d given him the tools to survive the night, and he would. Thanks to her.

C
aitlin looked over her shoulder once more before entering the kitchen with Mack. As much as she’d tried to be there for Brady tonight, he’d been there for her tonight even if he never knew it, offering a distraction, and more importantly, a steadying presence from her nerves.

Brady smiled and gave her a little shoo motion. Right. He was okay. A grown man. Besides, her offer to help Mack wasn’t about him. It was about her and her haste to get some alone time with Mack. Which meant it was time to put aside her nerves and get to it.

She shifted and found Mack watching, a small smile on his face. “You really care about him, don’t you?” he asked.

She started. “Um, yes, I do.”

“I can tell. Good. He’s very proud, but wary. Doesn’t trust easily. Holds too much in and takes too much on his shoulders. He needs someone he can relax with.”

Caitlin rolled her shoulders, guilt tensing her muscles. Yes, she and Brady were in this deception together, but it extended further than Brady was aware of. And when he did find out she’d suggested the fake relationship to get near Mack? Well, she’d make him understand and do her best to keep him out of any fallout that came. Mack deserved his reputation to be besmirched. She offered up a tentative smile when she noticed Mack looking at her expectantly. “I try.”

“That’s all we can do,” he said, his tone supportive. Almost fatherly.

Her heart clutched. How strange was life? She was alone with her father for the first time in her life. In his home. In his kitchen about to bake a cake with him. A moment that should have taken place twenty years ago. A moment she would have treasured. A moment he’d done his best to make sure never happened. She took a deep breath. But she was here now, and she would take advantage.

“Yes,” she said, stepping farther into the kitchen. “Now, how can we get dessert back on track?”