Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 106774 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 534(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 356(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106774 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 534(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 356(@300wpm)
“What is happening right now?” I ask, watching them scurry around.
“Right now, they’re trying to work the ball to the back of the scrum to Ridge. Then—there. He has it now. See? Ridge is number eight.”
I nod.
“Okay, Ridge will either pick up the ball and go, or Gray will take it. Like that,” Renn narrates. “Gray can either snipe and run it himself if he sees a gap around the scrum or pass it to the fly-half or a forward.”
Gray picks up the ball, then turns and lunges as if he’s going to run to the right. As soon as everyone shifts that direction, he makes a quick change to the left and explodes forward. He makes it a few yards before he’s tackled and lands on his side.
Renn smiles.
“I take it that went well,” I say.
Renn’s head subtly rocks back and forth as he turns to me. “He’s the best in the game … when he wants to be.”
The two of us stand on a balcony just outside a conference room on the executive level. It’s Renn’s personal observatory. He loves rugby too much not to want to be involved in every tier of the game. But he’s told me more than once that if he gets involved with practices and games, it undermines the coaching staff and the ultimate goal of winning.
As the guys prepare to scrum again, my mind flirts with what Renn just said. “Gray is the best in the game when he wants to be.” I can’t fathom why he wouldn’t want to be the best. But something tells me that Renn knows the answer.
“How has it been going with Gray?” Renn asks, watching the scrum unfold.
I sigh. “I thought I was here to help you get Blakely’s birthday party organized.”
“You are, and you did. I feel much better about the party after our chat today. But I also want to check in and see how things are working out between the two of you.”
I watch Gray move about like he has endless energy. He’s one of the smaller guys out there, but he’s by far the quickest. He seems to know where the ball is going before it gets there, and his teammates appear to follow his gestures and commands without a second thought.
“They’re going better,” I say, my eyes glued to Gray and the way his body moves. There’s mud all over him, and it’s … hot. “We met in person on Sunday and managed an entire hour face-to-face without drawing blood.”
Renn chuckles. “That’s progress.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
A whistle blows below, and the activity comes to a stop. They all gather in a circle before breaking. Gray turns toward us with a towel in his hand. He’s talking to Jory when he looks up … and his gaze crashes into mine.
I want to look away, embarrassed at being caught watching him, but a blush settles over my cheeks as a grin splits his. His attention flicks to Renn, then back to me. I return his small smile before he looks away and follows Jory to the locker room.
“You wanted to ask me something?” Renn motions for me to follow him inside the empty conference room. “Hang on just a second.”
He walks to the other end of the room and quietly takes a call.
I slowly gather my things and the various samples and catalogs I brought with me and shove them in my bag. Renn was adorable as he picked out every detail for Blakely’s birthday. He wanted a say in everything down to the napkins. By the time he gets off his call, I’m finished.
“Sorry,” Renn says. “Back to your question.”
“What made you want to take a risk on Gray?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that he’s obviously a wild card. He’s only the best when he wants to be. So what makes you think you can make him want to be great?”
Renn plucks his blazer off the back of a chair and shrugs it over his wide shoulders. His brows pull together, and he slips his phone into his pocket. Finally, he turns to me. “Everyone deserves a second chance.”
I hoist my bag onto my shoulder and wait for the rest of the explanation, but it never comes. Instead, Renn leads me into the hallway toward the elevators. I follow him because it’s all I can do.
We step inside the lift, and he presses the button to take us to the lobby.
“You know what?” Renn says, watching the numbers lower as we descend. His eyes darken. “I take that back. Not everyone deserves a second chance.”
I know he’s thinking about his father. The only time Renn looks like he could murder someone with his bare hands is when his dad is the topic of conversation. But it’s justified. I’m nothing to Reid Brewer, and I want to kill the man myself for hurting his family the way that he did.