Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 81867 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81867 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
When I accepted the job of general manager with the Titans, it was just the opportunity I needed to prove myself to the sports world. Unfortunately, my career isn’t the only area in which I’ve previously made mistakes and the past is about to come back in a big way.
Juniper Ryan is…complicated. Smart, funny and insanely gorgeous, she was my first love and my first heartbreak. But my loss was my stepbrother’s gain and she’s been his wife for five years now. I’ve done a decent job of putting her out of my mind but when I’m brought home for a family emergency and see the bruises on Juniper, I’m gutted to learn that she was pushed into the arms of a monster.
Vowing to put our past aside, I learn dark truths about my brother and his marriage to my first love. And to make matters worse, I’m beginning to realize the feelings I once had for Juniper aren’t tucked quite as far away as I had hoped.
When things take a dangerous turn, I’m willing to put myself in the line of fire to keep my girl safe. I was a fool to walk away from Juniper the first time and I’m a man who knows better than to make the same mistake twice
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
CHAPTER 1
Callum
Kicking my feet up on the desk, I lean back in my chair and tuck my hands behind my head. The Pittsburgh skyline is displayed before me, still glorious despite the gray skies and misting summer rain.
The Dallas Mustangs won the Cup last night in a hard-fought, seven-game battle against the Florida Spartans. All the Titans got together to watch it at Brienne’s house. It wasn’t exactly a somber affair, but it wasn’t a rousing party either. Just a slightly bittersweet team gathering to say a final goodbye to the season before everyone disperses for much-needed vacations and time off.
That doesn’t apply to me, though. Being the general manager is a full-time job with very little downtime.
“Danny,” I say, angling my head toward the phone on my desk so that the speakerphone picks me up clearly. “I don’t have room under the cap. If I had it, you know I’d be interested.”
I listen patiently as Danny Sorbino goes over the stats for the player he represents. He’s a good agent, savvy and keyed in on the specific talents any given team might be seeking. I could cut him off because I’m truly not interested. If I’m going to dent the padding on the money I have to spend on good players, it’s going to be for someone whose plus-minus isn’t so erratic in the second half of the season.
When he’s finished, I give him validation. “You present a compelling case. As always, you know your men inside out.” Then I let him down. “But I’m going to pass.”
Danny’s a professional and I’ve known him a long time. Not but fifteen years ago, we were working at the same sports agency. I went on to do some scouting, but he never left the world of representation. “I appreciate you taking the time to listen, Callum.”
“You bet. Next time you’re in Pittsburgh, let’s grab drinks.”
“Yeah, sure,” he says, and then catches me completely off guard when he says, “The Vipers are showing interest in Highsmith.”
Danny represents one of our best players, Coen Highsmith, and his contract ended after our playoff run was squashed. We haven’t entered into renewal talks yet, but in the next few weeks, I’ll be gearing up for this. Much of that salary cap I had just harped on is reserved for players like Coen.
“I’m not worried the Vipers can offer more than we can,” I say smoothly.
“Maybe not, but it’s not going to be just about money to him… more’s the pity.” That’s a true sentiment coming from someone who operates on commission.
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“His wife’s being courted to be the artist in residence at a gallery in Manhattan.”
That gets my attention and I swing my feet off my desk. It’s the off-season and while business never stops for the Titans, it’s a Saturday and hardly anyone is here. I wore a pair of shorts and a polo shirt today, the casual flip-flops I’d slipped on slapping on the hardwood flooring of my luxurious corner office.
“Highsmith wants a trade to New York?” I ask as I grab my phone from my desk, disconnect the speaker through which I’d been talking and bring it to my ear.
“He’s asked me to put feelers out,” Danny says.
Fuck. I scrub my hand through my hair, which is in desperate need of a trim. Since the playoffs ended, I’ve been in semi-vacation mode, even though I’m still working my ass off for this team.
If Coen is the one pushing a move, the price to keep him just got immensely steeper. Add on that he’s doing this for Tillie and I’m already figuring out that no amount of money will prevent him from giving his wife what she wants. Coen Highsmith was the reigning douchebag of this team a little over a year ago, but he’s a changed man through and through with Tillie by his side. He’d give up hockey for her if she asked, but she won’t.
Hell… maybe she won’t be interested in this artist gig. She’s a Pennsylvania girl. She has deep ties to this area by birth and still has a business back in Coudersport.
A beeping interrupts and I pull the phone back to check who’s calling. I frown to see Joshua’s name. Without a second thought, I send it to voicemail because he’s the last person on this planet I want to talk to.
Besides, I need to do something more important. I need to talk to Coen, but first I think I’ll call our head coach, Cannon West. Coen is a key player on our first line. If we lose him, we’re going to have to change a lot of things and I need to know if we’re truly pigeonholed here. West will be able to answer that.
“Listen… I’ve got some things to take care of,” I say casually, as if this most recent news hasn’t rattled me. “If the Vipers make a play, give me a heads-up, okay?”