Keeping Score

Marilyn blinked. “Rick didn’t say anything about that.”

Their table grew silent as a server arrived to pour more coffee. The rich hazelnut scent wafted up to Marilyn as the dark brew spilled into her cup. Finished with their table, the young man moved down the aisle.

Andrea lowered her coffee mug. “Good for Rick. What did they say?”

Jaclyn shook her head. “Nothing, but Marc thinks Rick’s words made an impression on them. Today’s practice should be interesting.”

“I hope so.” Marilyn cradled her coffee mug. The ceramic surface was warm against her palms. “They should know Rick and I didn’t ask the media to spy on us and gossip about our lives.”

“You’re right.” Jaclyn reached across the table to squeeze Marilyn’s forearm. Her smile didn’t conceal the concern in her eyes. “How are you holding up?”

Marilyn sat back in the chair and crossed her legs, trying to appear as confident and in control as the women seated in front of her. “I’ll be better once Rick and I can respond to Jordan Hyatt’s lies. I’ve done some Internet searches. So far, I haven’t learned anything helpful, though. Have you?”

Andrea gave a wry smile. “Our target is on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. And she’s very chatty. I’ve learned quite a bit about her.”

Jaclyn shifted in her seat to face the reporter. “Like what?”

Andrea pulled her notebook from her large, brown bag. She turned several sheets before stopping on a page. “She’s thirty-four years old, the youngest of three children, all daughters. Grew up in Rutherford, New Jersey. Graduated with a degree in business from Rutgers University.”

Marilyn gasped. “That’s Rick’s alma mater.”

Andrea’s sherry gaze found Marilyn over the top of her notebook. “I know.” The reporter returned her attention to her notebook. “She lives alone and hasn’t had a serious relationship in—and I quote—‘more years than I want to count.’ ”

Jaclyn pounced on the quote. “If she hasn’t had a serious relationship in years, is she claiming the father of her unborn child was a one-night stand?”

Marilyn wanted to pace the diner. She settled for uncrossing her legs. “But according to her, she and Rick have been together for months, so which one is it? Has she been in a serious relationship with my husband or has she been alone?”

Andrea raised her mug. “She does seem to be contradicting herself.”

“Now even the fans have turned against him.” Marilyn hugged her arms around herself. “Why would that woman claim to be pregnant with my husband’s baby? What does she want?”

“So you don’t believe her.” Jaclyn sounded relieved.

Marilyn shot her attention to the Monarchs’ franchise owner. “Of course not. I know my husband.” Even as she said it, traitorous thoughts invaded her mind. You thought you knew your father, too, but he’s cheated. Is there any man you can trust?

She shook her head to silence the poisonous voice.

Andrea shifted her gaze from Jaclyn to Marilyn. “Has Jordan Hyatt or her lawyer contacted Rick?”

Marilyn frowned. “No. Would that prove she’s lying?”

Andrea shook her head. “As you asked earlier, the question isn’t whether Jordan Hyatt is lying. The question is what does she want? Money? Notoriety? And how long is she willing to keep up her charade?”

Marilyn worried her lower lip. How much more of this could she and Warrick take? “When Rick and I were first dating there would be occasional interviews at the arena. Now almost every afternoon and some mornings, the cameras gather outside our home. Neither of us had imagined that, barely two years later, we’d experience this level of media pressure.”

“I know it’s not fair.” There was empathy in Jaclyn’s cinnamon eyes. “Our players’ fame helps with ticket sales. But it’s a lot to ask of their families.”

Andrea folded her forearms on the table. “The media’s in a constant race to break the biggest news story first. A star player’s infidelity is a big story. But the press was wrong to run with only Jordan Hyatt’s claim. We don’t even know who she is.”

Jaclyn sat forward. “Rick loves you, Mary. A lot.”

“I know. And I love him. It’s the situation that’s making me unhappy.” Marilyn sighed. “This isn’t what we envisioned for our marriage. At least it’s not what I thought it would be like. Perhaps I was naive.”

Andrea spread her arms. “Does anyone know what to expect when they marry a celebrity?”

Marilyn stared blindly at her coffee. “We’d only been dating for three months when he began hinting at marriage. But I wasn’t sure. I knew I loved him, but I wanted a little more time. Marriage is a big commitment.”

Jaclyn looked at the four-carat monarch cut diamond engagement ring on her finger. “Yes, it is.”