shakes his head. “Abso-fucking-lutely not.”
I roll my eyes. “It’s a double whammy, Luke. You’ll be showing everybody that you’re still alive, and you’ll be responding to a story that’s just starting to hit the press. This way we tell the narrative instead of Savannah.”
“Let her do her damage,” he mutters. “It’s all over anyway.”
“What’s all over?” I ask.
He just glares at me.
Fine. If that’s how he wants to play it, then I need to call in the big guns. I think of the person Luke seems to respect most in the world. I need him here.
I head back to my office and make a call.
“Ellie?” the voice on the other end answers.
“I need your help,” I say. I explain everything, and an hour later, the doorbell rings. When I open it, I find Coach Thompson and his wife, Mama Mo.
“Please talk some sense into him,” I tell Coach, and he nods as I let them in.
“Who was at the door?” Luke yells when he hears the door click shut.
“Me,” Coach says.
I spot Luke sit up a little straighter and pause the television as Coach walks into the room. He sits on the edge of the chaise lounge where Luke is propped.
Luke’s eyes flick to me, and I swear I see a bit of a glare there...but I don’t care. This is for his own damn good.
“What’s going on, Luke?” Coach asks.
“You already know or you wouldn’t be here.”
“Don’t you dare give me attitude after I came for a house call,” Coach warns.
Luke blows out a breath. “My second year playing, I got hurt. I was young and dumb and took some pills from someone I trusted, the same woman who penned the article hitting the news right now. I didn’t know they were a banned substance. I got slapped with a random drug test the day after I learned they were illegal, and my brother switched the sample for me.”
“Stupid,” Coach says. “On both your parts.” He shakes his head. “But you were young. I can understand how you were scared. Your brother, though, should’ve known better.”
“We both know that now, and believe me, this has torn our relationship apart. My relationship with my entire family...it’s been eight years, and we’re still not past it. We’re still not half as close as we used to be.”
Mo grabs my hand and squeezes it while Coach whistles through his teeth. “You know the league’s going to open an investigation.”
He nods. “Yeah, I know.”
“Only because it’s public,” Coach amends. “My guess is you’ll both get maybe one game and a fine.”
“Jack’s going to fucking kill me if he gets suspended.”
Coach stands and paces a little in front of Luke. “He’s not innocent if he took the test for you.”
“No,” Luke concedes, “but he did it to protect me.”
Coach sighs, and Mo squeezes my hand again as we stand quietly bearing witness to this conversation.
“What’s the best course of action here?” Luke asks.
Coach shrugs. “Are you denying it or admitting it?”
“I won’t lie,” Luke says, and there’s the man I fell in love with. The one who’s brave and noble and truthful.
“Then get ahead of it. Do what your wife is suggesting. One of the most powerful things you could do is admit you made a mistake in the past and show people how you’ve learned from it.” Coach glances over at me. “It’s a smart move. There’s a reason she’s the publicist.”
“Fine,” Luke mutters.
Thank you, I mouth to Coach. He nods once and presses his lips together.
“Now where are those granola bars?” he asks.
Luke laughs. “How’d you know I have some?”
Coach’s brows draw together. “How do you think Ellie bribed me to come over?”
We all enjoy some of the most delicious homemade peanut butter chocolate chip granola bars I’ve ever tasted in my life while I go over the talking points I want Luke to hit, and suddenly I understand why Coach has been missing Luke in the locker room. Well, the granola bars plus Luke’s sweet, sweet ass...I mean his talent.
Yeah, his talent.
I have him practice his statement a few times and I coach him on tone and delivery. Then Coach and Mo help me get Luke into his office, where he takes a seat behind his desk with his leg propped. He wears an Aces t-shirt and a ballcap, still a freaking hot thirst trap if I’ve ever seen one, and behind him are plaques and trophies and books.
Coach, Mo, and I stand behind my phone so Luke can pretend he’s