Hot Property (Hot Zone 4)

Roper raised an eyebrow.

“It’s my job, remember. Come on.”

He rattled off some old ball players he knew were into coaching who might be able to use a guy like Ben. Although he loved his brother, it rankled to have to call in favors knowing Ben wouldn’t appreciate the effort and would probably turn down any opportunity Roper uncovered because he felt he deserved better.

“Just be prepared. Ben won’t make it easy. He’ll play the guilt card because I had the father with the talent, while his dad had none. He likes living on pipe dreams of what life owes him, instead of what he could actually do to make it on his own.”

Amy jotted down a few more notes. “Delusions of grandeur,” she said without glancing up. Her brows were furrowed in concentration and her lips puckered as she wrote. Lips he still wanted to kiss more than he wanted to breathe. But she was working with him now. There would be time.

Neither one of them had eaten much, but he sensed until she finished dissecting his family, she wouldn’t be interested in food.

“Are you ready to talk about Sabrina?” she asked.

He leaned back in his chair and stretched. “Sure am. She’s the easiest one. My little sister is marrying a great guy. A normal accountant. The wedding is planned for next fall, after my season ends. I’m paying for the big day, but that isn’t a problem. I want to pay. She deserves the best. Problem is, she isn’t in charge of her own wedding, our mother is. Or at least she wants to be.”

“Long distance?”

He nodded.

“Sabrina calls me several times a day with another of Mom’s outlandish ideas, things Sa

brina doesn’t want but Mom thinks are best. Sabrina wants me to mediate, but frankly, I don’t want to do any more than write the damn check.”

Amy chuckled. “Typical man.”

He grinned. “I tune them out when possible, but if I don’t answer the phone right away, they hunt me down. Don’t get me wrong. I love them but—”

“They need to live their own lives,” Amy finished for him. “But they haven’t had to since you’ve always done everything for them.” A few more notes and Amy finally put her pen down and met his gaze. “Got it all,” she said, then picked up her knife and fork. “God, I’m starving.” She dug into her meal with a gusto he’d never seen in a female.

Just watching her renewed his appetite and they finished their meal in comfortable silence. As soon as their waiter placed the check on the table, he placed his hand on the leather folder.

“I’ve got it,” she said, reaching for the billfold at the same time so their fingers met.

He’d always let Micki pay when they went out for business and he should allow Amy to do the same, especially this first business lunch when he figured she needed to feel in control.

But he let his hand deliberately linger so he could touch her a little longer. “You already talked me into turning off my phone and Treo. Don’t add insult to injury by paying the check. My fragile male ego can’t handle it.”

She laughed. “I don’t think your ego has been fragile a day in your life.”

“You’d be surprised,” he said, sobering. She probably thought the insults from Buckley and the fans rolled off his back. Maybe at one time they would have, but not any longer. He was afraid they were right and he was a washed-up has-been.

Without warning, she slipped her hand from his. “I’ll get it next time,” she said, leaving him with the distinct impression she did understand the fragile ego thing.

Just as he understood hers. “No, this is business. I don’t mind letting the Hot Zone pick up the tab.” Before she could get too cocky, he added, “I’ll get it on our next date.”

She opened her mouth to speak, but he glanced down at the check, ignoring her so she couldn’t argue. Because there would be a real date.

She could count on it.

Once the check was paid, he walked her out of the restaurant and onto the street. To his surprise, they’d made it through the meal with only a few stares. No one asked for an autograph or bothered him with stupid questions, like how did it feel to single-handedly blow the series?

He waited as she glanced up the street to locate her driver, then held the car door for her as she climbed inside. He had a physical-therapy appointment downtown so he declined a ride and sent her back uptown alone.

But not before she promised she’d be in touch with a plan to help him reclaim his life. She believed she could fix things for him, and for the first time, he admitted to himself that he needed her to be right.

He’d always been the one taking care of others. No one had ever given much thought to what he needed, not because they didn’t care, but because they knew he could take care of himself. Even though Amy was only doing what the Hot Zone paid her to do, he appreciated her efforts. He believed she’d do her best, although he had less faith in her ability to get his family under control. It wasn’t personal, nor was it a lack of belief in her abilities. He just knew his family, and short of doing their bidding, there was no denying them.

But he was looking forward to seeing Amy try.