Challenging the Center (Santa Fe Bobcats #6)(84)
There was silence while they soaked that in. Many may have been too young to even know about the sex tape. That was fine with her.
“But she’s also got some fantastic tips on how to handle things, from Internet trolls to trash-talking opponents and even local media. Listen up boys, because she’s been through the trenches and she’s still here to talk about it. So with that intro, I give you Kat Kelly-Lambert.”
The boys applauded, and a few gave some enthusiastic hoots and whoops. Kat stood, smoothed down her Lambert Camp shirt, and walked toward Michael. Just as he handed her the mic, he gave her a quick pat on the ass and whispered, “Knock ’em dead.”
Kat just shook her head as she faced a group of young men who prayed to one day have careers like her husband had. Thought about the new generation she was currently carrying. Looked back at her husband, who gave her an encouraging nod and wink.
And found the courage to tell her story one more time.
The End
Thank you for reading this latest of the Bobcats series! To receive an e-mail letting you know about my new books, please sign up for the Release Alert HERE.
To read an excerpt from Changing Her Plans (Santa Fe Bobcats 7)
coming December 2016, turn the page!
To purchase the first five books in the Santa Fe Bobcats series, click below:
One Night with a Quarterback (Santa Fe Bobcats 1)
Loving Him Off the Field (Santa Fe Bobcats 2)
Takes Two to Tackle (Santa Fe Bobcats 3)
Romancing the Running Back (Santa Fe Bobcats 4)
Completing the Pass (Santa Fe Bobcats 5)
Changing Her Plans (Santa Fe Bobcats 7)
December 2016
Click here for more information.
Kristen Keplar tapped one hand on the desk, debating whether to leave early. Early in the off months between seasons meant leaving at four instead of five, which she’d been given authorization to do. The entire office staff had. It never set right, if there was something to accomplish, to take off before five. But there was nothing pressing on her desk, so…
Her son Isaac wasn’t home, so nobody was waiting for her to cook dinner. He’d gorge out on movie popcorn and soda and pick at anything she slaved over anyway. Maybe…
“Hey.”
She jolted and shrieked, then slapped a hand over her mouth. “I’m so, so…” she started, swiveling in her chair and finding Clayton Barnes standing beside her desk. “Sorry,” she finished on a mumble. “You startled me.”
“Clearly.” His lips tilted up in a small smile, which only made him even more handsome than he already was. Damn the man. “My bad. I bet you’re fun at horror movies.”
“Wouldn’t know, I refuse to go,” she said primly, inwardly wincing at her cold tone. What was it about this man that made her throw up the defenses so fast? “What can I do for you, Mr. Barnes?”
“You can stop calling me that, like I asked you to last time, to start with.”
She nodded once. Each coach had their own preferences. “Coach Barnes, then.”
“Clay.”
“Coach Barnes,” she said firmly. She was a young—fine, youngish—woman in a male-dominated world. She let her professionalism and performance speak for her.
He sighed, and she could tell she’d annoyed him. But if her being professional and dignified in the workplace annoyed him, he’d just have to find a straw and suck it up.
“I met your son, Isaac, back in the offices.”
That gave her pause. “Oh.” Then because her mind began spinning, “Did he say something inappropriate?”
The coach laughed at that. “No, not at all. He was struggling with a bookshelf, I happened to be nearby and helped him out.”
“Maybe Coach Jordan should have split the twenty bucks with you,” she said, inwardly pleased when he chuckled again. It highlighted that he had laugh lines by the corners of his eyes. She didn’t know his age—refused to check the HR files, though she could have—but she’d guess he was early to midforties. Not married from both the lack of a ring and word around the office. She had no clue if he had children, but…
Wait, why was she analyzing the man? She wasn’t looking for a date. Especially not from him. He was ruthless on the field. Watching him coach the players scared her. She recognized all types of coaching, had seen her son experience most of them… There was just something about him that made her shiver when she watched his leadership style.
But when he smiled… okay, fine. Off the field, the man was charming.
“He seems like a good kid, your son.”
That warmed her toward him almost instantly. “Isaac’s fantastic. I can hardly take any credit there, actually. He just sort of came out of the womb responsible and easygoing.”
“He asked me to be his travel baseball coach.”
That… made her sit back and take a deep breath. “I’m sorry, he did what?”
“Hey, easy.” He crouched down on the balls of his feet, one hand on the arm of her chair, blocking her in.
“I’m… fine,” she said, her voice unsteady—mostly due to the proximity of his body and how deeply he was staring into her eyes.
“You went white as a sheet for a second.” His dark blue eyes bore holes through her. “Either your blood sugar bottomed out, or you’re not a fan of me coaching your son.”