Take a Chance (Chance #1)(13)

This time I did smile.

A tall, blond man with a dark tan and green eyes saw us walking his way and his eyes began to travel down my body. I didn’t like it at all. The visor he was wearing was turned around backward and he was dressed in an all-white tennis outfit.

“Not for you, Nelton. Stick to your cougars. I’m looking for Adam,” Bethy told the man, and I found myself moving closer to her as we passed him.

“Why don’t you let her decide who she wants? I got a free hour for that one,” he replied.

“Yuck, ew, go away,” Bethy snapped, and kept walking.

I was really thankful for Bethy right then.

“Sorry. Nelton thinks he’s God’s gift to women. If he weren’t so creepy he’d be attractive but he’s just . . . ugh. The older women love him, though. Adam is new. Woods, the owner of Kerrington Club, hired Adam two weeks ago—or maybe I should say Della, Woods’s fiancée, hired Adam two weeks ago. She wasn’t a fan of Nelton and wanted another option out here.”

I didn’t know Della but I liked her for that reason alone.

“Adam,” Bethy called out, and I looked out on the court to see a tall, muscular man turn around. His hair was red. Maybe more of a strawberry blond from being out in the sun so much. He had a white sweatband around his head, and he was also wearing the white tennis outfit that Nelton had been wearing. I noticed the words “Kerrington Club” stitched on his shirt in small, scripted letters and “Tennis Pro” under it.

Adam came jogging over to us with a smile on his face. As he got closer, his clear blue eyes came into focus. They were startling and very pale. He wasn’t as tan as Nelson—he was more on the fair side. He even had freckles on his muscular arms. He would be what my grandmama called a ginger.

“Hey, Bethy, what’s up?” he asked, smiling at Bethy and glancing over at me with a grin then back to Bethy.

“I have a new member. She’s a friend of Rush’s and, unfortunately, Nan’s half-sister. We won’t hold that against her. Like Rush, she’s nothing like Nan. Anyway, she wants to play. Set her up and schedule her; she’s gonna need some place to escape while she’s living with the wicked bitch. Anyway, Harlow, this is Adam. Adam, meet Harlow.”

Bethy really hated Nan.

“Nice to meet you, Harlow,” he said, holding out his hand. I slipped mine in his and shook it. It was brief. Nothing awkward or uncomfortable. I didn’t like shaking hands or touching people I had just met.

“I have a couple of openings in my schedule I need to fill. Nelton stays pretty booked and he gets most of the regulars,” Adam informed us. His teeth were perfectly straight and very white. I had a thing for pretty teeth.

“Okay then. My job is done,” Bethy said, then turned to me. “You’re safe with Adam. He’s not a creeper. Enjoy your day.”

“Thank you for your help,” I replied.

Bethy flashed a smile, but again the sadness in her eyes was there. “No problem. Blaire has sung your praises. I wanted to make sure I took care of you for her.”

I nodded and Bethy waved back at Adam before heading back to where we came from.

“Why don’t we look at my schedule over here on the Mac and set up your daily sessions? That is, if you’re coming every day.”

“Yes. I’m going to need something to do,” I assured him. Adam was easy to be around, and the idea of having something to look forward to and someone to talk to, even if it was about tennis, sounded appealing. Besides, he was attractive and his smile made his eyes twinkle. I liked that. I liked it a lot.

Grant

Harlow wasn’t answering my calls, dammit. Just like before. She was shutting me out. The look on her face this morning had been so painful. She hadn’t answered my calls and she believed I had been f**king Nan all along. It was why she was shutting me out . . . right? I had caved and started sleeping with Nan again when I realized Harlow wasn’t letting me into her stone fortress. I had tried to wipe her from my mind. It hadn’t worked. But I was f**king trying. The hurt, betrayed look in her eyes was eating me alive. What was she thinking? Had I gotten all this wrong?

I needed to talk to her.

I stalked into the club and almost ran over Bethy. I hadn’t seen much of her over the past few months. She’d stayed to herself and kept busy with work.

“Hey,” I said as she stopped and looked up at me with a forced smile.

“Hi” was her only response.

“What’s up?” It was an empty question but I didn’t know what else to say. Out of all of us, she’d suffered the loss of Jace the most.

She shrugged. “Headed to work. Just got Harlow signed up with Adam, the new tennis pro, so now my good deed for the day is done.”

Harlow.

“Harlow’s on the tennis courts?” I asked, trying not to take off running in that direction.

Bethy nodded. “Yep. Hiding from Nan for the day. I feel sorry for the poor girl. But then you wouldn’t understand anyone’s dislike of Nan,” she replied and rolled her eyes before stepping around me and walking out the door.

I wanted to defend myself but I was too focused on getting to Harlow.

When I stepped onto the brick sidewalk toward the courts, I noticed Nelton with Thad’s mother. I was pretty sure Thad’s mom wasn’t one of Nelton’s groupies. She was a nice lady. I couldn’t imagine her sleeping around on her husband. Besides, she wouldn’t do anything to let Thad down. The boy was spoiled and lucky as hell.