Maybe This Summer (Colorado Ice #2.5)(4)

Owen shrugged. He might not know anyone. But Bernie, on the other hand, had a lot of friends.

*



Damn, it’s hot in here.

As she closed the door behind her last appointment of the day, Paige cranked the air-conditioning in her office and removed her jacket. Sitting at her desk, she checked her planner. Four back-to-back meetings had secured six golfers so far: Ben Westmore, two football players from the Denver Tigers, and three baseball players. A little behind schedule, but she was confident they could make up time.

The three major sponsors for the event were in place, and with the support of the athletes who’d signed up to golf that day, she knew they’d raise enough from auctioning off the two other spots on each team to hit their goal.

She glanced over the signup sheet. Ben Westmore had surprised her. His reputation as an arrogant jerk couldn’t have been further from the man himself. Though she had read in a tabloid somewhere that he’d recently gotten engaged, so that might explain it.

It was the other guy—the team’s promotions manager, Owen—who’d made her uneasy. She’d felt his eyes on her the entire meeting, and the effect had been unsettling. She knew her tall, blond looks had a way of attracting attention—or at least they had—but the intensity of his appreciation had put her slightly on edge. He was a great-looking guy, and the only one who’d bothered to dress the part for the meeting…that she could appreciate.

Unfortunately, she’d also appreciated the way his suit jacket had fit snug across his broad shoulders and biceps. Even seated, she could tell he had a muscular build and solid, sturdy frame…the shape she’d once been fiercely attracted to. Was obviously still attracted to, if her body’s reaction to him was any indication. It had been a long time since she’d met a man who’d made her nervous, but the fluttering in her stomach had almost thrown her off her game. Thankfully, she hadn’t really needed it around them. The two men were eager to help. In fact, almost every athlete she’d met with that day had been.

Still, she felt an odd sense of anxiety creep down her spine.

She reached for the folder for the caterers. It was just because the organization meant so much to her. If anything could make or break an event, it was the food. The golf course had a restaurant, but she wanted to keep the costs down, and she’d gotten better pricing from outside services. Because it was a charity event, the golf course organizers had agreed to allow it. She suspected they knew they’d make enough on the alcohol service in the lounge after the golfing was over. Which reminded her…

No outside alcohol on the course, she scribbled the note to herself.

Then, as she picked up the phone to dial out, Isabelle buzzed her office on the intercom. “Paige, it’s after three. You wanted me to remind you of your three thirty with Dr. Madsen.”

Right. The real source of her anxiety. She’d lost track of the time, but obviously her apprehension over the appointment had been weighing on her. “Okay, thank you…” She paused, scanning her to-do list. There were at least six more items she needed to check off that day. “Actually, can you cancel that?”

“Again?”

“Yeah, I just have a few things I need to finish today before I head…”

The door opened and Isabelle walked in.

Paige quickly reached for her jacket and slid one arm through. “Hey!”

“You don’t have to cover up for me.”

Still, she put on the jacket. The scarring along her arms and shoulders visible in her sleeveless turtleneck may not offend Isabelle, but someone else could walk in with the desk unattended. And it killed her to watch people’s gaze sway to her scars. A look of either sympathy or disgust would appear that they’d quickly try to hide. Or worse, the people who forced their gaze anywhere else—the ones who were embarrassed for her.

“How many times have I asked you to knock?” she muttered.

“I pulled rank as your mother.” She shivered and crossed the room to adjust the heat. “You can’t keep putting off this appointment.”

“I’m really busy right now with this event. Once it’s over, I’ll have time to think about the surgery…” Surgery number eighteen.

“No, you won’t. There will be some other excuse then.” She sat in the chair across from her. “And you have to stop hiding in this office. I’m not speaking as your mother now, but as an employee of this organization. You need to start getting out into the community if you hope to generate awareness for the fall fundraising campaign.”

“I am getting out into the community. Didn’t I attend that Women of Action luncheon last week?”

“Attending in body and attending in spirit are two different things. Besides, simply attending is not enough. You need to do more networking. People would benefit from your story, Paige…”

She held up a hand. “Look, please just cancel this one, and I’ll call Dr. Madsen to reschedule in the morning. People will also benefit from having food at this event, and I’ve put off hiring the caterers too long.” She flipped several pages on her desk. “By the way, have you heard anything negative about Uptown Catering?” Change the subject. Divert. Move on.

Her mother sighed. “No. I’ve heard nothing but good things. Would you like me to check their Yelp rating?”