It's Never too Late - By Tara Taylor Quinn Page 0,73

by big brother Will.

And while, on the surface, it seemed fair that both athletic programs receive equal funding, the reality could be seen in the financials. Women’s athletics did not earn out its expenditures. And men’s athletics, which used to bring in a sizable sum of money to help fund other university programs, had progressively, over the years, brought in less and less.

Everyone knew that athletics were a major source of support for many universities, Montford included. And it was also common practice to designate program funds commensurate with what they brought in.

It could be reasoned—it would be reasoned if anyone wanted to take cause against Will on the topic—that he’d put the entire university at financial risk by granting his little sister’s request.

Randy wasn’t in her office. Feeling pushed from the inside out, Addy started looking around for Will’s sister, poking her head into an equipment room. The basketball gym. A dance studio.

All the while trying not to think about Mark Heber. She was in Shelter Valley to work. She had to get the job done so that she could leave.

The sooner, the better.

Before she did something stupid. Like sleep with a man she couldn’t have.

The gymnastics gym door burst open, almost slamming into Addy as she reached to pull it open. Randi stood there, a horrified look on her face.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes.” Addy attempted a natural smile. “I’m fine.”

Dressed as usual in spandex shorts, matching top and spotless tennis shoes, Randi smiled back, her eyes opening wider.

“Adele! How nice to see you again. How’s your sister?”

“Fine.” Addy felt sick looking at the sincere smile on Randi’s face.

She’d slept in the same bed as Randi more times than she could count.

“I’m glad you stopped in! Did you get my message?” Randi asked. “I’m still working on scholarship money. We have to be careful not to break any rules, but I think I might have found a private donor willing to help....”

“That’s okay,” Addy said. She’d been following the woman’s progress, the online forms Randi had filed, all in accordance with policy. Randi hadn’t pulled any strings where the scholarship admittance was concerned. If she’d played favorites ten years before for the basketball player, she’d apparently learned her lesson. There were no forms filed on that one. “I was just stopping by to let you know that she got another offer. She’s going to be playing for a community college close to home her first year with the hopes of getting an agent.”

Her former client was doing so. The words were only half lie.

“Well, if you’re sure...”

Addy nodded. “She’s made her decision.”

“Tell her to keep us in mind for next year, then,” Randi said. “I viewed her footage. She’s good.”

“I will.”

“Let her know that it would be best if she applies by January.”

Backing out the door, Addy nodded. She would pass on the information to her former client. She’d taken the girl’s case gratis because the girl and her parents hadn’t been able to hire an attorney. And if their allowing her to use their daughter’s name for this, another case, could actually get the girl seen by Randi Parsons, if it could get her into Montford, then something good would have come from involving them in the deception. Not that they knew she’d used their daughter’s name deceitfully. Just that she’d needed it for a case.

“Thank you,” she said to Randi, and got the hell out of there.

One thing was for sure, if the threats against Will materialized into actual charges before they discovered who was behind the anonymous letters, his defense team would have an arsenal of information ready and waiting for them.

If nothing else, Addy was doing her job well.

Randi would forgive her the lies, if she ever found out about them, because Addy was working under direction from the older brother Randi adored. The question was, would Addy ever be able to live with herself again?

She was finding out that she was a good liar.

The fact that she was doing it for a good cause didn’t seem to matter anymore.

* * *

MARK JOINED JON on his favorite rock about ten minutes into his afternoon break on Monday.

“Hey, man, I didn’t see you around this weekend.” And they’d had a test in class that morning so hadn’t had a chance to talk then.

“Abe was throwing up all weekend.”

So Jon, as his sole caregiver, had to miss work. On one level, he understood.

But from a work standpoint—which mattered since Mark had stuck his neck out to get Jon