Drew hung up the phone call he’d been on and leaned back in his chair. He pinned his dark, soulless eyes on Cameron, probably trying to intimidate him. “I don’t like you bringing JV players to the varsity team.”
Okay, then. Guess they weren’t going to beat around the bush. Fine with him. “Your displeasure is noted,” Cameron commented.
Drew stared for a moment, then apparently decided to try a different tactic. “Do you think it’s in the team’s best interest to be starting younger players?”
In the beginning of the season, a few of their starters had injured themselves, forcing Cameron and Blake to be creative with their backups.
“I think it’s in the team’s best interest to have our best players starting,” he informed Drew. Cameron placed his hands on the arms of the chair and motioned to leave. “Is that all?”
Drew held his hand up. “Not so fast. I have a message here from a man named Heath Junger. I believe you’re familiar with him? He called to discuss your current contract.”
Well, shit. Heath Junger was the athletic director in Denver who’d offered Cameron the coaching position. But they’d already offered him the job, meaning they’d already checked references. Drew knew Cameron was contemplating leaving, so the news was no surprise to the man. In fact, Cameron wouldn’t be surprised if Drew had gone out and bought himself a cake to celebrate.
Cameron bided his time and waited for Drew to get to the point. “Apparently they’re so desperate to have you, he doesn’t want to wait until next season. He wants to bring you in now.”
What the hell? “Why didn’t Heath talk to me about that himself?”
Drew gave a careless shrug. “He wanted to see if I’d release you from your contract early. I haven’t called him back.”
“But their current coach isn’t retiring until the end of the season,” Cameron pointed out. And why wasn’t he more excited? This was what he’d wanted, to get out of Blanco Valley and coach his own team. What did it matter if he left now or later?
Audrey and Piper flashed through his mind, whispering that he couldn’t just up and go. Dammit, this was why he didn’t want anybody depending on him. He wasn’t in a place in his life where he could care for a kid. He lived for himself, and he liked it that way. Somehow he needed to make Audrey understand that.
“All you have to do is say the word, and I can have you gone,” Drew offered.
Yeah, he just bet Drew would do everything he could. Problem was, Drew was a slimy bastard and Cameron didn’t trust the guy as far as he could throw him. Drew would find a way to sabotage the opportunity for Cameron, then turn around and fire him at the end of the season, and Cam would be up shit creek.
“Don’t do me any favors,” Cameron told him.
Drew’s eyebrows flew up his forehead. “Sure? It’s really no trouble.”
Slick asshole. Cameron stood, then leaned over Drew’s desk and got in the man’s face. “I would love nothing more than to stay for the rest of the season and make your life a living hell.”
Drew’s face turned a nice shade of strawberry red. “Be careful, Cameron. I can ruin this opportunity before it even gets handed to you.”
Cam stood and shrugged off Drew’s veiled threat. Drew wasn’t going to do shit, because he wanted Cameron gone too badly.
“Am I going to go with my uncle now?” Piper asked as Audrey parked the car in front of a place called the Bobcat Diner, where Cameron had asked her and Piper to meet him for dinner.
The thread of fear and uncertainty in Piper’s voice tugged at Audrey’s heart. Since Dianna had died, Audrey had tried her best to cocoon Piper from more grief and insecurity. Sometimes she felt like she was fumbling around in the dark, because Piper would look up at Audrey with such unadulterated trust. But the thing was, Audrey didn’t know what the hell she was doing. Sure, she’d been around Piper enough in her six short years, but raising a kid? Being with one all the time, taking care of her every need? The whole process was still a learning curve for her, but she didn’t want to let Piper down.
Audrey got out of the car and opened the back door. “I told you I’d be with you a little while longer, and I meant it,” she assured the girl as she unbuckled Piper’s seat belt and helped her climb out of the car. “Hey.” When Piper glanced up, Audrey pinched her chin. “You trust me, right?”
Piper hopped out of the car and nodded. “Yep.”
“I’m not going to go home until you’re comfortable with your uncle Cameron.”
They entered the diner, which was about half full of people eating an early dinner. It was just past five o’clock, and Cameron was already there. Audrey attempted to steady her pulse as he watched them approach from his casual sprawl in a booth. One heavy arm was draped along the back of the booth, and one hand was loosely cradled around a glass of soda. He’d removed his ball cap, revealing rich, too-long dark hair that made Audrey’s fingers itch just looking at it. His gaze tracked hers with a steady perusal that made her feel like an organism under a microscope.
The man had some serious intensity that probably drilled fear into the hearts of his players.
As they approached the table, his attention briefly touched on Piper. His eyes softened for a second, but long enough to have Audrey wondering. Maybe he wasn’t the hard-ass he wanted her to think he was? Maybe there was hope for him after all?
“Have any trouble finding the place?” he asked as he lifted his glass for a sip.
Audrey opened her mouth to answer, but was momentarily distracted by
