Before climbing in, though, she turned to him. “For what it’s worth, I...miss you, too.”
His hands in his pockets, Mark nodded. “I’ll be home for dinner tonight so you don’t have to worry about Nonnie.”
“I know. She called out to me as I was leaving this morning.”
He couldn’t let it end. Not yet.
“So...will you join me outside tonight?”
“Yes.”
He had to get to class. And she looked so damned good, standing there with the reflection of the sun peeking through the trees to linger like gold dust in her hair.
He’d never known hell could feel so good.
* * *
ADDY STOPPED BACK in to see Randi Parsons Monday afternoon. She’d had a message on her machine the day before from the woman she’d once hoped would be her aunt. Randi wanted permission to check her “sister’s” academic records for possible admittance into Montford.
Which sounded like Randi might have found some scholarship money. Was Will’s baby sister a miracle worker? Or a softhearted woman with shady ethics?
Her heart hoped for the former, but her instincts were pointing toward the latter. She’d spent the night before going over the university’s budgets while Mark had been at work. Starting back when Will had become president of the university.
She’d been nibbling away at the plate of chocolate chip cookies Nonnie had insisted she bring home with her.
And had lost her appetite when she got to the women’s athletic budget from ten years before. Or rather, both the men’s and women’s budgets. The men’s athletic budget, which was nationally understood in the educational world as an investment against revenue for the school, had been drastically cut to give more money to women’s athletics. The person responsible for the budget request had been Randi Parsons.
It had been approved by big brother Will.
And while, on the surface, it seemed fair that both athletic programs receive equal funding, the reality could be seen in the financials. Women’s athletics did not earn out its expenditures. And men’s athletics, which used to bring in a sizable sum of money to help fund other university programs, had progressively, over the years, brought in less and less.
Everyone knew that athletics were a major source of support for many universities, Montford included. And it was also common practice to designate program funds commensurate with what they brought in.
It could be reasoned—it would be reasoned if anyone wanted to take cause against Will on the topic—that he’d put the entire university at financial risk by granting his little sister’s request.
Randy wasn’t in her office. Feeling pushed from the inside out, Addy started looking around for Will’s sister, poking her head into an equipment room. The basketball gym. A dance studio.
All the while trying not to think about Mark Heber. She was in Shelter Valley to work. She had to get the job done so that she could leave.
The sooner, the better.
Before she did something stupid. Like sleep with a man she couldn’t have.
The gymnastics gym door burst open, almost slamming into Addy as she reached to pull it open. Randi stood there, a horrified look on her face.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes.” Addy attempted a natural smile. “I’m fine.”
Dressed as usual in spandex shorts, matching top and spotless tennis shoes, Randi smiled back, her eyes opening wider.
“Adele! How nice to see you again. How’s your sister?”
“Fine.” Addy felt sick looking at the sincere smile on Randi’s face.
She’d slept in the same bed as Randi more times than she could count.
“I’m glad you stopped in! Did you get my message?” Randi asked. “I’m still working on scholarship money. We have to be careful not to break any rules, but I think I might have found a private donor willing to help....”