Page 49 of Payoff Pitch
Fallon steps back and gives a forced smile. “I had another hour of work. Daddy couldn’t wait that long.”
My shoulders fall. It’s not that Icouldn’twait that long. Iwouldn’twait that long. I now remember the fight, but I was so caught up in appearances, I refused to wait for my wife like any decent husband would have.
I nod at the memory. “I should have waited. It was wrong of me. I’m sorry.”
She visibly swallows, gives me a small smile, and says something I’ve said to her several times throughout the past few years. “Water under the bridge.”
I take in her nicer-than-normal appearance. She’s usually dressed for work when I see her. “You look pretty. What are you ladies up to tonight?”
Her face lights up. “We’ve got a girls’ night. We’re doing hibachi with Dylan, Cassandra, Andie, and Amanda.”
Harper gasps. “We are?”
Fallon nods. “Yep.”
“Yay. Thanks, Mommy. I’m going to catch the shrimp in my mouth on the first attempt this time. Bailey and I were practicing.”
Fallon lets out a laugh. “I bet you were. Only you would practice for something like that. Will Bailey be at theSports Illustratedevent tonight?”
I answer, “She will. Arizona is one of her closest friends. A bunch of the Anacondas and Cougars are going. The crew is taking a party bus up to New York City for the event, but I declined their invitation. I’ll take my own car service and make some business calls on the way.”
And I don’t want to make Bailey uncomfortable. Things are a little weird between us right now.
A few hourslater I’m at the party, sipping whiskey, chatting with Reagan Lawrence-Daulton and her husband, Carter. They’re a remarkably attractive couple, both in their thirties. She’s tall with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a stunning figure. He’s huge, built like a linebacker, with dark hair and a beard. Aside from Beckett Windsor, they’re probably the most famous people in Philly and easily the most photographed couple. Though Arizona and Layton might be giving them a run for their money lately.
When Reagan first bought the Cougars and then brought the Anacondas to Philly, she proposed that Layton and Arizona enter into a public relations relationship. Her reasons seemed a little far-fetched at the time, but I have to admit that she’s achieved everything she wanted to. Both teams are thriving.
She didn’t want them to actually date, and I don’t think she knows they’re the real deal yet, but they’re definitely real and the public is loving every minute of it. They’re nothing short of a PR dream.
Reagan smiles. “So, Tanner, Layton and Arizona aren’t looking so fake anymore.”
I inwardly laugh. Reagan is very perceptive. I guess there’s not much she misses.
I smirk as I give her a bit of a tongue-in-cheek response. “My lips are sealed. I’m afraid I’m bound by attorney-client privilege.”
She lets out a laugh. “What a bunch of bullshit. Hopefully it plays out well and they hold it together for a few more months. My internal spies told me that their photo session was hot as hell, and they might be the cover couple.”
My eyebrows raise. “That would be incredible. I guess we’ll find out within the hour. It would be great for both teams and for each of them individually. My phone will beringing off the hook if that happens. Sponsorship opportunities will flow like champagne.”
She nods. “I agree. I can’t wait to find out for sure, but I’m feeling confident.”
She already knows the answer. I can tell. Reagan Daulton has eyes and ears everywhere. She’s a force to be reckoned with.
An attractive, slightly older couple approaches. They both have dark hair and green eyes and look familiar, though I can’t place them.
The woman wraps her arm around Reagan in a warm, familiar way. “Thanks for inviting us, doll face. It’s all so exciting.”
She kisses the woman’s cheek. “Of course, Mom.”
Mom? The woman doesn’t look more than a few years older than me.
“Mom, Jackson, this is Tanner Montgomery. Tanner, this is my mother, Darian Knight, and her husband, Jackson Knight.”
Ah, that’s why they’re familiar. Jackson is a well-known developer in Philly, and he happens to be Trevor’s father.
I take Darian’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
She smiles warmly. “You too. Trey DePaul’s wife, Gemma, works for me. She has for years. Well before she started dating Trey.”