Page 33 of Forbidden Forward

When the boys and I hit the hotel bar later, we’re ready to celebrate. I consider holding out a white flag and asking Harper if I can buy him a drink, but he’s his usual manwhore self and strides toward a cluster of attractive women, searching for his puck bunny for the night. One of the women looks at me and gives me a finger wave. I’m a friendly guy, so I wave back. Soon she’s at our table, tilting her head as she looks down at me.

“You don’t recognize me, do you?”

I offer up a charming smile. “Uh, I’m afraid you have me at a disadvantage.” I’ve never seen this chick. I’ve never slept with her. I’ve never slept with any girl in this town, so that can’t be it.

She pulls a square of paper from her bag, unfolds it, and holds it up. That’s when it hits me. Shit! She’s the girl from the rink who was holding up a sign behind the glass. Her lips curl in a knowing smile as she sees awareness transform my face.

My phone pings, and I practically drop it in my fluster. When I see Jackie’s number, I practically bolt from my seat. I hold up the phone. “Girlfriend. I need to take this.”

Disappointment paints a frown on the chick’s face, and a frisson of guilt winds its way through me. “But I liked your sign. Gave my game a boost tonight, so thanks for that.” I turn and lope from the room before I can see how my attempt to soothe her ego lands.

My feet carry me outside the hotel, and “Hey” comes out in a breathless rush as I answer. “Got any good news to share?”

Jackie lets out a lilting laugh. “Yes and no, but maybe we should share your good news first.”

“Mine?”

“Your win tonight?” she prompts.

“Oh yeah! That was epic.” I grin into the night. “Did your brother tell you about it?”

“No, I watched it on TV.” Why this makes my heart thump a little harder, I can’t say. “And now you’re out celebrating, and I interrupted that, didn’t I?”

“Not at all. I mean, I was celebrating, but I’ve had my one beer, and I’m done.” That’s a lie, but I really don’t care about finishing the cold pint that had just arrived when I took off. “I’d much rather hear your news.” And your voice. Turning on my heel, I head back inside and go straight for the bank of elevators that lead to my floor. Like most road trips, Nick and I are bunking together, and he won’t be back in our room for at least an hour. I’ll have the privacy I need.

“I like how you stuck up for Donny.”

I bark a laugh. First—and most important to me—she noticed. Second, Donny didn’t like how I stuck up for him, but I’m not going into that with her. Instead, I go with, “I don’t like guys taking cheap shots at my teammates. And that particular cheap shot was over the top.”

She giggles. “You’ll get no argument from me.”

The door to my room groans open when I press my key card to the lock. Kicking off my shoes, I stretch out on the bed. “Okay. Let’s hear the bad stuff first.” Is it strange that we’re having this conversation, like we’re involved in a personal relationship where we share our triumphs and news with each other when our days are done? Not that we’ve been doing that because this is the first time I’ve talked to her since before I left, but still … Hell, I’m waaay too deep in my head—which is probably up my ass, as usual.

“It’s not exactly bad, just maybe a little … I’m not sure I’m right for the job.”

“Because …?”

“They need a community outreach and events coordinator, and I’ve never done anything like that in my life,” she groans.

Tucking my arm under my head, I settle back. “What’s the job description? Peggy didn’t tell me much,” I lie.

Jackie sighs. “They need a jack-of-all-trades to coordinate sponsors, keep the calendar straight, organize events, and schedule volunteers for those events. I’m not qualified for that!”

I hold in a chuckle. “So basically the job is herding cats, which you’re good at.”

“How so?”

“Didn’t your finance job involve more than number-crunching? You wore ten different hats, remember? You built systems, organized your department—while the company was exploding—and managed projects, and I’m sure that’s the tip of the iceberg. You made sure the entire machine ran smoothly.”

My question is met with silence.

“Am I right?” I prompt.

Her voice is small when she replies. “Yes, but that’s finance.”

“What I just described is turning chaos into order. Doesn’t matter if it’s high-octane finance or a kids’ summer camp. If I heard you right, this nonprofit needs the skill set you bring to the table.”

“I have no experience lining up events or finding talent to draw people to those events!”