the bills. Once I signed that contract, everything would get easier for the both of us. She wouldn’t have to work another day. I’d buy the damn restaurant where she’s been waitressing if that’s what she wanted.
I press my lips together and shift uncomfortably before glancing out the window at my truck in the gravel parking lot. I want to wrap up this little reunion and take off.
He tilts his head and digs for info. “You got an agent?”
“Yup,” I say in a clipped tone, offering up nothing further. Where the hell is he going with this?
It doesn’t take long to figure out.
“Cause that’s something I could do for you.” When I stare blankly, he shifts on the bench and continues impatiently. “Negotiate your deal.”
My eyes widen, and a gurgle of laughter rises in my throat before I choke it down. He’s not joking. The man is as serious as a ninety-nine percent blockage of the arteries.
An image of Greg Abbot, my sports agent, pops into my head. I’ve never seen him dressed in anything less formal than a pricey suit with a flashy tie. There’s never one damn hair out of place. It’s pomaded into submission. When he smiles, the whiteness of his teeth almost blinds me. He reminds me of a glossy cardboard cutout.
He’s not the type of guy I’d want to hang out with on a Saturday night or grab a beer with while watching a game, but he’s the best in the business and has promised to get me a six-figure signing bonus. I have zero doubts that he’ll deliver. He’s one tenacious motherfucker who knows the ins and outs of the sports world. I’m damn lucky Coach has a relationship with him. That’s the only reason a nobody like me ended up with such a well-known agent.
I blink reluctantly back to the conversation. Dollar signs are practically dancing in my father’s beady eyes.
He leans toward me, closing as much distance as the Formica table that separates us will allow. “Now that I’m back, I can manage your career. It’ll work out perfectly. I’ll have a job, and my probation officer will get off my ass.”
The more he talks, the faster my heart races until it feels like it will jackhammer right out of my chest. I shake my head, wanting to stop this one-sided discussion in its tracks. “Sorry, I have an agent.”
Like I’d let him anywhere near my career?
Is he fucking crazy?
“Fire him.” He raps his knuckles on the table as if the decision has already been made. “Let’s keep this in the family. There’s no reason to give your money away to strangers.”
No, he would much prefer I give it all to him. There’s not a snowballs chance in hell of that coming to fruition.
“I’ve already signed a contract. I’m locked in tight.” I slide to the edge of the booth, ready to bolt. “So, if that’s all you wanted to talk about, I’ve got to get moving.”
Some of his nice guy veneer crumbles as he scowls, stabbing a finger at me. “Sit your ass down. I’m not finished yet.”
I glare before begrudgingly dropping back to the seat.
It takes a moment for him to regain his composure. He picks up his mug and takes a sip before grumbling, “Stone cold.”
With a wave of his hand, he flags down our waitress and asks for a second cup. This takes a good five minutes. I drum my fingers impatiently on the chipped table as I simmer. What he’s doing right now is deliberate. He’s purposefully trying to rile me up. All I want is for him to get to the fucking point so I can shoot him down.
Once he has a fresh cup of coffee, he points to me and says in an overly loud voice, “This here is my son, Rowan Michaels. Maybe you recognize him? He plays football for the Western Wildcats.”
The waitress narrows eyes that have been made up with an overly heavy hand, inspecting me carefully. “I thought I recognized you.” She points to a decrepit TV mounted on the wall. “Hal has the game on every Saturday afternoon.”
“Take off your hat, son,” Dad says mildly, “let the woman get a good look at you.”
I grit my teeth, torn between refusing the directive and not wanting to appear like a total dick in front of this stranger. Manners win out as I drag the ball cap off my head before combing my fingers through my unruly hair. I give her a