Chapter 52
Vee
Two months later
The NFL draft was only weeks away. Aunt Rachel, Grant, and I met with our coaches, discussing the upcoming class of college recruits.
Our head coach, Andrew Pratt, our offensive coordinator, Noah Garcia, our defensive coordinator Darius Brown, and our quarterback coach, Griffin Graham, were all in attendance.
“We only have five picks this year,” Drew said.
“Indiana University’s quarterback will be the first pick,” Grant said.
Fin smiled. “It’s a good thing we don’t need a quarterback. Dennison’s contract was extended. What we need is a tight end. JD’s great, but he’s not getting any younger.”
“Defense,” Darius said. “The cornerback from UCLA would be a great addition.”
My head spun with the options. I lifted my fingers to my temples. “Dad said to surround yourself with the best.” I smiled as I looked around the table. “That’s all of you. Figure this out and bring the names to Aunt Rachel and me.” I gathered my laptop and notes. “I’m headed back to my office.”
As I lifted my things, the gleam of my engagement ring caught my attention.
The brilliant two-and-a-half carat round diamond solitaire sat high in six prongs that allowed light to shine through and create prisms of color.
It was truly gorgeous. I told Fin I wanted simple.
I also asked him to ask his mother to go shopping with him.
He presented it to me when the two of us took a week away. We stayed at my family’s cabin in Gatlinburg. With snow falling in the mountains and a fire in the giant stone fireplace, we lay naked before the flames, enjoying the afterglow of our lovemaking. Fin offered to get our wine glasses.
When I took a drink, the ring came to my lips.
His smile was sexy and sly. “I hope you like it.”
Tears filled my eyes as I plucked it from the red liquid.
It seemed as though I cried often. The thing was that my tears of late were happy tears. I savored every one of them.
I was back in my office when a knock came at my door.
Pushing it inward, Fin’s handsome face peeked inside. “Do you have a minute?”
Leaning back in my chair, I nodded. “There’s always something. For some reason I thought this would get easier once the season was over.”
“Nope. Time to get ready for next season.” Fin sat in a chair opposite my desk. “Garcia and I have been working on the schedules for the offense during training camp.”
Smiling, I listened as Fin spoke with enthusiasm about the future.
“Are you sad you retired from playing?”
“What?” His blue orbs shone. “Fuck no, Vee. You, Drew, and Rachel offered me a chance to stay with you and the Coopers without being knocked down. It’s everything and everyone I love without risking life and limb.
” He pressed his lips together. “Next season, when I’m not out there, it’ll feel different.
But I get to come home to my wife without a sling or taped ribs. ”
“I like that part about the wife.”
“Me too.”
“Only a few more months.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “Have you had the lock installed on your office door yet?”
“There’s always been a lock.”
Fin’s smile made my core twist and my nipples grow hard. As he was headed toward the door, Jen opened it from the other side. I laughed at Fin’s disappointed expression.
“Sorry to intrude,” Jen said, “Preston Clark is here.”
“Why?”
“He said he needs to talk to you.”
Fin crossed his arms over his wide chest. “I’m staying for this.”
Shaking my head, I told Jen to see Preston in.
“Vee,” Preston said. “Griffin, I didn’t expect to see you.”
“That makes two of us who are surprised.”
Jen stepped out and shut the door.
I motioned to the small conference table. “Shall we sit?”
Fin and I sat on one side of the table and Preston on the other.
Preston’s stare went to my left hand. “Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
“You know,” Fin said, “you could have sent a text. You didn’t need to make a special trip on account of our engagement.”
Preston sat taller and focused on me. “I know what our fathers were discussing the Saturday before Reid died.”
“You do?” I leaned forward. “What?”
“The meeting was about my dad helping with Lexington’s infrastructure. However, before the meeting, my dad learned some possible disturbing information about one of Reid’s employees.”
My stomach twisted. “Why would he be looking into Dad’s employees?”
“Roger Coke is my dad’s fixer.” Preston shook his head. “He does whatever Dad needs. I don’t know why Roger was looking into this employee, other than he was checking out everyone connected to the Coopers. Reid was asking for a large sum of money.”
I swallowed.
“Anyway,” Preston said, “the reason this information is significant is that the employee he learned about was Bre Stanton. She was adopted over forty years ago.”
I closed my eyes and reached for Fin’s hand, under the table. When I opened my eyes, Preston’s expression was filled with sympathy.
“You know, don’t you?” he asked.
“I know that when Bre was put up for adoption, her birth certificate listed the father as unknown.”
He looked puzzled. “How had he employed his own daughter without knowing it?”
Preston didn’t know about Dad and Bre’s affair. “Please, Preston, we don’t want this information made public.”
He shook his head. “It won’t be, unless it comes out in the trial.”
I turned to Fin with wide eyes. “Dad knew. He went to her house on Sunday to confront her. He knew. He hadn’t known, but he knew.”
“You saw him on Sunday after the game,” Fin said. “Did he seem upset then?”
“No. I have a feeling Dad had a way of compartmentalizing different parts of his life.” I turned to Preston. “Bre is pleading guilty. There won’t be a trial. Is Ed going to do anything with this information?”
“No. I told him to let it be buried with Reid.”
“And your dad listened to you?”
“Believe it or not.” He smiled. “My dad has secrets too. I reminded him of that.”
“Thank you for telling us. It all makes sense now.”
Preston furrowed his forehead. “Was Bre blackmailing him?”
“It was a little more complicated than that.”
Preston stood. “Seriously, congratulations on the Super Bowl and the upcoming nuptials. I’m glad you’re happy.”
Fin and I both stood.
“Thank you,” I replied.
Fin extended his hand.
Preston stared at it for a moment and then brought his hand forward. They shook.
After Preston left, I turned to Fin. “The reason Dad and Ed’s discussion was contentious was that Ed told Dad his assistant was his daughter. I doubt Ed knew that Bre and Dad were romantically involved.” I shook my head.
Fin reached for my hands and kissed my forehead. “Do you trust Ed Clark?”
“No,” I answered honestly. “I trust Preston.” I looked up into Fin’s blue orbs. “Do you?”
“I do. Even so, he better not show up at our wedding.”
“I should tell Grant not to invite him.”
Fin tilted his head. “Bre is pleading guilty. We’ve known that for a while. What does that mean for your father’s estate? His will said children.”
I shrugged. “It’s a mess for the lawyers to figure out. I have the Coopers. Joe is fighting Bre for Daphne. He claims Bre’s actions against Dad voided her right to any of his estate.”
“What about Olivia?”
“Trish explained that she was released early from prison all those years ago. There’s no statute of limitations on an absconder warrant. They arrested her in LA, and she has a revocation hearing coming up. More than likely, she’ll be incarcerated for the remaining time on her original sentence.”
“How do you feel about that?”
I let out a long breath. “I don’t. Dad was my parent. Olivia left and never looked back.”
He wrapped his arms around me. “I’m never leaving.”
A smile curled my lips. “Good, because I love you and your bubble.”
“I love you.”