Hot Property

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.

HE CALLED IN THE TIP ABOUT Roper’s lunch at Sparks Steak House with the niece of Spencer Atkins. He supposed he ought to feel guilty about causing the guy trouble, but Roper’s life was already imploding. There was no reason not to help the process along by placing him squarely in the public eye.

He wouldn’t want people to forget about Roper or his part in destroying the Renegades’ chances of winning the World Series. Not when the man was paid more than anyone else on the team to come up with the ultimate post- season win.

Besides, wasn’t it time that the high-and-mighty realized how fragile fame and fortune were? Some people worked hard for their talent. Others thought it was their birthright. Roper was one of the entitled. He took what belonged to others without thought or care. Roper would soon learn otherwise.

He hung up his disposable cell phone and tossed it in the trash. Nobody could trace this call. Celebrities and athletes showed up in papers and columns all the time, but he felt better covering his tracks. He wouldn’t want anyone to discover his grudge.

Better to just help Roper’s fall from grace anonymously and enjoy the spectacle from a distance.

AMY LEFT THE RESTAURANT on a euphoric high. She knew what she needed to do to help Roper and she had some ideas already to research and implement. On the way back to her office, she stopped by Micki’s and ran the plan by her, receiving a thumbs-up in return. She had her secretary following up on some of the coaching possibilities Roper had mentioned for his brother. She felt certain once each of his needy relatives was squared away, they’d leave Roper in peace, allowing him to get back to what he did best.

All he needed was some organization, some direction and a firm, guiding hand. Her firm, guiding hand.

She wished she could share her excitement with someone other than her boss, but she hadn’t made any real friends in the city yet. So she fell back on the familiar. She called her mother.

Rose answered on the first ring. “Hi, Mom.”

“Amy!” her mother said, clearly excited. “Darla, it’s Amy!”

Amy could envision her yelling across the small kitchen even though her aunt was always within whispering distance.

“Your aunt Darla sends her love,” her mother said.

“Send mine back,” Amy said.

“Darla, Amy sends her love right back,” Rose yelled.

Amy smiled, a pang of homesickness hitting her despite the fact that she was exactly where she wanted to be. “How are things down South?”

“Bo-o-o-r-ing. It’s been raining nonstop. We’ve seen all the movies playing in theaters. Twice.” Her mother let out a long-suffering sigh. “How are things with you?”

“Pretty great.” Amy knew better than to tell her mother anything specific about John Roper or she’d be on the next flight out to matchmake. “I have my first client and things are really working out for me here.”

“No need to thank me. I knew I was doing the right thing throwing you out of here,” her mother said smugly.

“Need I remind you I left on my own?”

“And I must tell you, your replacement is fantastic,” her mother said, ignoring her. “Better than fantastic. She’s organized daily bingo-for money.”

Amy winced. Clearly the new director didn’t know what she was up against. “There’s too much cheating going on to use real prizes.” Amy had kept the prizes small and manageable, so nobody would win a jackpot at someone else’s expense.

“You’re telling me. Marilyn Hornsby stole my card right out from under me and won a jackpot of one hundred and one dollars, the weasel,” Rose said.

Her mother went on about the new director and the goings-on in the community. Amy missed them, but she definitely had more of a challenge here. And she couldn’t help feeling a sense of peace that came from not being in the center of her mother’s world. “I’ve really got to get back to work now,” she explained.

Rose cleared her throat. “I understand. Just make sure your uncle Spencer isn’t working you to death or I’ll have to have a talk with him.”

“Stay out of it,” Amy ordered.

“Are you sure?” her mother asked.

“Quite sure. I came here to get a life, not to have you meddle-I mean-interfere in mine. I know you mean well, but no thank you.”

“Fine.” Her mother sniffed.

Amy grinned. “Stay out of trouble and don’t give the new director a reason to quit,” Amy warned.

“As if I can possibly cause any trouble. It’s boring here, I tell you. She’s running the place like a military base,” Rose whined.

Amy laughed. “I thought she was wonderful.”

“Wonderfully uptight,” her mother muttered, the truth coming out.

Amy wasn’t surprised her mother had fibbed at first so Amy didn’t feel bad for leaving. Or maybe so she would. Knowing her mother, Rose figured if Amy thought the new director was so perfect, she’d get jealous and run home. She wouldn’t put anything past her mother.

“Have you met any nice men?” Rose asked.

“No one in particular.” She crossed her fingers as she lied.

Another drawn-out sigh sounded over the phone line. “Leave it to my daughter not to meet men when she works for a sports agency loaded with hotties. Rich hotties.”

Amy pinched the bridge of her nose. Definitely time to hang up. “My secretary’s calling me. I have to go. I love you, Mom. And I miss you.”

“I love you, too. And we miss you. Don’t we miss Amy, Darla?”

“We both miss you,” Rose said, blowing a loud, smacking kiss through the phone.

Grinning, Amy hung up, and with her mood light, she went back to figuring out how to change John Roper’s life.

AFTER ROPER LEFT AMY, he headed straight for the physical therapist’s. Taking her cue, he kept his cell phone and his Treo off, and sure enough, got through his physical-therapy appointment uninterrupted. He even fit a short gym session into the day. Amy’s solution worked well for him so far.

But by the time he arrived back home, there were no less than half a dozen messages on his answering machine, most of them from his mother. Roper thanked God she lived long-distance or else his life would be more of a hell than it was now. In her messages, his mother managed to hit all of his buttons and he called her back immediately, feeling guilty for taking an entire afternoon to himself.

That’s what he got for jumping into the role of man of the family too early in life. His parents’ affair had been hot, heavy and had petered out just as fast as it had started, leaving his mother pregnant in an era when women didn’t have kids out of wedlock. The beautiful starlet had turned to a man she’d thought would save her. Another