“Really?” I asked. “What sort of business?”
Dirk motioned for me to sit down at the table. No one was there currently. Brock and Lincoln had taken Blayze outside to the patio overlooking the small lake, and my folks were talking to the general manager of the hotel.
“PBR business,” Dirk answered.
“Here? In Hamilton? Is someone wanting Brock to come back for something?” I asked with a sarcastic laugh.
“No, it’s you I need to talk to.”
My beer paused at my lips before I turned and looked at him. “Me?”
He grinned. “CBS wants you for a broadcasting position.”
I drew in my brows. “You shitting me?”
“I am not shitting you.” He took out a piece of paper and put it on the table, then slid it over to me. “This is what they’re offering you for a three-year deal.”
“Three years?” Even I could hear the surprise in my voice.
“Yep. Open it.”
I did as he said and was dumbfounded as I stared at the six-figure number written down.
“That’s per year.”
For a moment, I stopped breathing and almost asked him for the contract to sign. Then a memory of Kaylee popped into my mind. Her under me, calling out my name as we both came at the same time.
Fuck. If this were any other time, I’d have signed it with no questions asked.
“Listen, I know it’s a lot to take in, and I told the network you’d need a few days to think about it.”
Turning, I stared at him in disbelief. “That’s a lot of fucking money.”
Dirk laughed. “Yeah, well, they want you on their team, and they’re willing to pay you for it.”
I glanced back down at the paper and was about to push it away when I saw Kaylee from the corner of my eye. I looked up to see her talking to Channing, and my heart felt like it was about to jump out of my body and break into a million pieces right there on the spot.
She fucking came with Channing.
Then, as if she could feel me staring at her, she turned and met my gaze. Her smile faded, but when she looked next to me and saw Dirk, it returned. She faced Channing and said something to him, then headed our way. It didn’t surprise me that she’d want to come over and say hi to Dirk. The two of them had become good friends, and I knew she still kept in touch with him.
Dirk and I both stood when she approached. She went to Dirk and smiled. “Well, looks like I have the most handsome date in the room.”
My mouth nearly dropped open. She sure as hell wasn’t talking about me, which meant . . .
“Dirk is your date?” I asked, not even trying to hide the shock and anger in my voice.
Kaylee shot me a look that should have had me sitting my ass right back down in the chair. “No one else asked, so I was obviously available.” She turned back to Dirk. “Shall we take a spin on the dance floor before everyone else shows up?”
Dirk smirked at me. If that asshole thought for one minute he was going to—
My thoughts stopped as I watched Kaylee take Dirk’s hand and lead him to the dance floor. I sat back down and looked at the piece of paper on the table.
When I glanced back out to the dance floor and saw Kaylee laughing at something Dirk had said, I tried to ignore the burning feeling in my chest. Before I could even process things, Brock, Lincoln, and the kids had come over and sat down.
“You two want to go dance? I can hold Morgan for you, and Blayze can help.” I winked at Blayze when he looked up at me.
“Yeah, I can help Uncle Ty if he don’t know what to do when Morgan goes poo.”
My eyes widened as Brock handed me his daughter. “Wait, no one said anything about her pooing.”
Lincoln laughed. “She’s already done that, in the truck on the way over. You’re golden.”
The two of them quickly headed out to the dance floor. When I looked down at my niece, I couldn’t help but smile. I leaned down to whisper, “I don’t think anyone can argue that you are the most beautiful girl in the room.”
Blayze knelt on the chair next to me. “You really think so, Uncle Ty?”
I nodded. “I do. You don’t think so?”
With a half shrug, he looked out at the dance floor. “My mama is pretty.”
Smiling, I looked at Lincoln. “She’s very pretty.”
“And Aunt Kaylee is pretty too.”
My gaze found Kaylee.
“I kind of have a crush on Aunt Kaylee. She’s real pretty.”
Looking back at my nephew, I couldn’t help but let my smile grow bigger. “Can you keep a secret between me and you, buddy?”
Blayze looked at me and crossed his heart with his finger. “I promise I can, Uncle Ty.”