Challenging the Center (Santa Fe Bobcats #6)(85)

“What? That’s not true,” she denied, but the words were forced through a tight throat and came out cartoonish and squeaky. Clearing her throat, Kristen tried again. “Sorry, that’s not… true. I can’t believe he asked you. That was so… exactly something he would do,” she finished on a sigh. “I’m sorry, I hope you were firm when you said no, or else he’ll come back again. He’s tenacious. A quality I usually find endearing, unless it’s being used against me.”

“I said I’d think about it.”

That had her sitting back in her chair again. “You don’t want to do that.”

“Why not?” Something sparkled in his eyes… mischief? It added an element of good humor to the handsomeness she was finding more and more attractive by the moment.

Terrible idea, Kristen. Horrible. The worst.

“The hours are terrible,” she started, “you’re outside all the time. Some of the kids are real shits. Believe me, they’re not all Isaacs,” she added with a shudder. No exaggeration there. Her son and his best friend-slash-teammate were two sweethearts. But so many of the others already believed they were God’s gift to baseball and acted accordingly.

“Not to mention the parents, who are the reason most of those kids are shits.”

“Parents are definitely one thing I don’t have to deal with in the NFL,” he admitted, chuckling a bit. “But it’s the off-season. I’ve got some time, and you know our organization is always pressing community service. It’d be a good example to set for the players.”

How did someone argue with an attitude of servitude? “There’s travel,” she said weakly.

“Being a travel team, I suspected,” he said dryly.

“Could you…” She cleared her throat and waved a hand between them. “Could you maybe step back? It’s hard talking like this.”

“Huh?” He glanced between them, then shook his head, almost as if he had forgotten he’d been crouching down. As he stood, Kristen smoothed down her skirt and stood herself. In her heels, she was nearly eye level with him. More even playing field.

The left side of his mouth quirked up in a half smile. “Well, I think you’ve sealed the deal for me.”

She breathed a sigh of relief.

“I’m taking the job.”