The Guy in the Middle (The Underdogs 3)

“Don’t. Out here I’m not your coach, I’m this girl’s father.”

Lance doesn’t miss a beat. “Woman. She’s very much a woman and you raised her well, Mr. Elliot. So well, in fact, that my family and I are smitten with her.”

“Go home, Harper. Your mother and sister are waiting.”

“Daddy, he’s right. I’m no longer your little girl. I have a right to see whomever I choose, and Lance is a good man. He’s a great man and you would—”

“You lied to me. You told me this was a one-time thing. You lied to everyone!”

“I was trying to avoid this! It’s ridiculous. It’s like you expected me to stay innocent forever!”

“I didn’t raise you to sneak around like this, whoring yourself out to one of my ballers!”

“Sir,” Lance barks, the level of threat in his voice terrifying. “Uncalled for.”

“Don’t you dare lecture me, Prescott. Who in the hell do you think you are? This is blatant disrespect. For me, and for your team.”

“I thought we were leaving ball out of it?”

Lance means nothing by it, but my dad takes an aggressive step forward on the verge of explosion. “I should fucking end you.”

I’m speechless as I watch their exchange.

“You very well could, sir.”

“Why bother with the formalities now? You took and soiled what was precious to me and behind my back, like a fucking thief.”

“Jesus, Dad, this is ridiculous. I’m twenty years old. I’m no saint.”

My father’s eyes find mine and what I see in them levels me. “You humiliated me.”

“You did that to yourself,” Lance snaps from behind me. “You couldn’t keep it under wraps. Maybe if you hadn’t worked the team to the fucking bone and pitted us against each other, we wouldn’t be a pack of wild dogs at the moment ready to rip one another’s throats out. You want a reason? There’s the reason.”

“Couldn’t be a man and own up to it?”

I come to Lance’s defense. “He’s plenty man, but his entire future—life is riding on this season, Dad!”

“Harper,” Lance’s volume rises in warning. “Not your story to tell.”

“He needs to know!” I glance back at Lance and see the shake of his head, but I’m too overcome with the need to protect him.

My dad looks between us. “Nothing is going to help his case.”

“His father is about to lose everything he’s worked for!”

“Harper!” Lance barks.

“No, no, his dad is sick, and his whole family depends on their ranch to survive. They are about to lose everything! And if you found out what would you have done? Benched him? Ruined his season?”

Lance explodes next to me. “Damn it, Harper!”

Dad takes a menacing step towards Lance. “Don’t you dare go near her.”

He turns to me. “You still live under my roof, and you have the audacity to lie to me, about one of my players? He’s a coward. Ask his team.”

“You need too much control, Daddy. I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but you have no right to act this way. I love this man. I will see him whenever I choose.”

“You finally get some attention, and you’re going to call it love?”