“I’m not hiding.” Cam inhaled sharply. “I’m thinking.”
“Okayyyy…” Derek huffed again. “How long is the thinking gonna take? Because I’ve got the Bobcats breathing down my neck wanting to know what’s going on. You can’t just leave town and not expect a backlash.”
“Marty told me to take a break.”
“He told you to think. Then you either need to get back on the field or tell them you’re retiring. The sooner you do it, the easier my life will be.”
Cam almost wanted to laugh. “I can’t make a quick decision just to make your life easier.”
“Yeah, well while you’re staying in your nice house overlooking the creek, I’m being hounded by Marty asking me whether he needs to buy a new safety or not.”
Cam licked his lips, his gut clenching at the mention of the Bobcats’ owner. Marty Landsman had always been good to him. He treated everybody working at Freedom Field like family. He owed it to him to be honest.
“I’ll make a decision soon,” he promised.
“Could you not think in Boston? Come and watch some games, show some team spirit? They want you there, you know that.”
The memory of that bar in Boston flitted into his brain, and Cam swallowed hard. Watching his teammates on the field while he was on the sidelines physically hurt. He couldn’t even be around Boston, let alone sit at Freedom Field while they were playing.
“I have things to do here.”
“What things?” Derek was puffing. Probably walking on his treadmill. At almost seventy, he was a fitness freak. “You helping your aunt bake her cakes? Or maybe you’re writing a few new songs for your brother. Dammit, Cam, what on earth do you have to do in Nowheresville that you can’t do here?”
Sometimes it felt like Derek knew more about Cam’s life than Cam did. But that was his job. He’d been Cam’s agent for years, and was good at what he did, even if it felt like he was paying twenty percent of his income to a Rottweiler at times.
Cam frowned. “Why can’t I just be taking a break?”
“Because breaks are for pussies. I can’t tell Marty you’re in Virginia because you need the fresh air. Let’s see, maybe you can be there because somebody needs you. Any problems with your family?”
“I’m not using my family as an excuse for being here, Derek.” Cam shook his head. Sometimes his agent was an ass. A clever, money-making ass, but an ass nonetheless.
“How about business? No wait… I got it.” Derek snapped his fingers, the sound echoing through the car speakers. “Charity. You’re doing charity work. Giving back while you recover from your injury. That sounds good. We could even get a Sunday supplement article written. Photos of you surrounded by good deeds. Keep up your profile.” Derek sounded almost smug.
“Charity work?” Cam echoed. “What kind of charity work?”
“I dunno. Is there a food bank there?”
“I don’t think so.” The exit ramp was ahead. Cam merged into the right lane, and followed it, turning into the feeder lane for the dealership. “There’s not a lot of homeless here. There’s a church that helps out people in need.”
“Maybe we should call there. Wait. Is there a high school nearby? You could do some volunteer coaching. We can get the press involved. High profile community work. It’ll go down well with the team.”
“You want me to coach a high school team?” Cam pulled into a space and hit the brake. Two mechanics heading toward the workshop turned to look at the Audi, their eyes widening as they saw the dent in the side.
“No, I want you to be seen with a high school team. Community work, that’s the thing. I want your hair cut, your best smile on, and you to continue working out like you’re still playing. You need to be a force to be reckoned with on the sidelines, the same way you are when you’re in the game. Leave it with me. I’ll get my people to speak to some local schools and teams. We can make this work. And in the meantime, keep your nose clean and keep your body in peak condition, okay? I can probably get a lot of sponsorships for us after this.”
Cam rolled his eyes. “Sure. Got it. Listen, I have to go. I’m at the dealership.”
“You buying a new car?”
“Reparing the old one. It’s a long story.”
“Okay. Go and get it repaired. I’ll call you this afternoon.” Derek didn’t say goodbye before ending the call. He never did. His time was money, and extraneous words cost dollars. Shaking his head as he turned off the ignition, Cam walked into the dealership and headed for the reception desk, pretending not to notice the staff members staring at him, and elbowing each other as he weaved his way through the cars in the showroom.
“Hi.” A young man with a bright smile greeted him. “Mr. Hartson, right?”
“Yeah, that’s right.” Cam passed him the car keys. “I have my car booked in for repairs. While I’m here, can I ask you a question?”
“Sure, shoot.” Another wide smile.
“Do you have a phone number for a Honda Dealership? I need to buy a new wheel for a Civic.”
Chapter Six
“Your presentation was impressive,” the older woman said. “And your résumé, too.” She turned over the piece of paper with Mia’s work history printed out on it, placing it on the table. “Why would you want to come work for a company like ours when you’ve been running your own for years?”
Mia smiled. She’d rehearsed this answer in her head ever since she’d received the invitation to interview. Before that, even. Because it’s the same question she would have asked if their roles were reversed. “I ran the company with my ex-husband. I took responsibility for the
