Taking Shots (Assassins, #1)(4)
Shea didn’t say anything. He wasn’t telling Grace about the beautiful brunette with the biggest and brightest green eyes he had ever seen. The kind of eyes that when he looked into them, he lost his breath, something that had never happened to him.
“Who is she?” Grace asked with a knowing voice, “Hopefully not some dumb blonde bimbo that will suck you dry.”
“Hey, no one has sucked me dry!” Shea said defensively.
“They tried.”
“Now you know that’s not true. I won’t even let them close enough to suck me dry.”
“Whatever. The last chick, Marie, you bought her a diamond necklace!”
“Because I cheated on her with her sister and she threatened to kill herself because she loved me so much!”
“Oh, yeah. Well anyway, who is she?”
“How do you know it’s a woman?”
“Because, like I said, you don’t get embarrassed. So shut up and tell me.”
“I don’t know who she is. She was the photographer today.”
“Okay, and?”
“And she was beautiful.”
“Did you ask her out?”
“No, she is kind of different.”
“What the hell, Shea, you’re not making sense. Who am I talking to?” she said teasingly, “this isn’t my brother, big scary captain Adler, because my brother’s motto is ‘I came, I saw, I conquered.’”
Shea let out a booming laugh, which caused her to laugh.
“I don’t know. She wouldn’t look me in the eye. She was shy, cute.”
“Hmm, sounds like a winner in my book,” Grace cooed.
“Maybe.”
“So, anyways, the party for this weekend is almost done, planning wise.”
“Sounds good.”
“I’m excited. The guys are gonna have a ball.”
“That’s why I hire the best party planner in Nashville.”
Grace giggled and went on with details, as Shea stood in his stainless steel kitchen. Grace had decorated the whole condo for him when they came to Nashville four years ago. He had just gotten signed with the Assassins from the Flyers and couldn’t be happier to be moved to a team that was gonna pay a hell of lot more than the Flyers ever did. Plus, Grace had hated Philadelphia probably as much as Shea did. Luckily, they both loved Nashville. Since Grace would never go anywhere without Shea, as he wouldn’t without her.
The joy of being twins!
Grace had helped pick out the condo and even lived with him for a while to get it looking perfect before looking for her own. Then she met James Justice and after only being together for a couple of months, got pregnant. Now Grace lived ten minutes from Shea in a beautiful 1.2 million dollar house, blissfully married, with two of the greatest kids in the world, Ryan and Amelia, while running the biggest party planning business in Nashville. Shea couldn’t be happier for her, but he always got nervous with the thought that one day he would be leaving her, if he got traded or anything.
“Does that sound okay?” Grace asked, bringing him back to the conversation.
“Of course, do you have a photographer?” Shea found himself asking, Grace starting laughing.
“No, you never said you wanted one.”
“Well, maybe it would be a good idea. With all the new players and their families, don’t you think?”
“Yeah, you have a certain photographer in mind, Shea?”
“Oh hush, and get her.”
“Who is she!?”
“I don’t know, but find her and get her. Offer her a price she can’t refuse.”
“You have no idea what her name is?”
“I think I heard Elli, but I’m not sure. Call Melody, she would know.”
“Fine. I’ve got three days to find this chick. Jeez, Shea.”
“I love you, Gracey,” he cooed. She laughed.
“I love you, too. Bye.”
“Bye.”
He hung up his phone, tucking it into his pocket with a grin on his face. He went to his fridge, smiling at his niece and nephew’s pictures before opening it to get a beer. He popped the top as he walked to the dimly lit living room. He sat down on his leather couch and turned on the TV to catch some of the highlights before turning in. He had an early practice in the morning. Plus, he was volunteering at the hospital with the team tomorrow over at Vanderbilt.
As he drank his beer, he found himself grinning. If Grace came through, he would be seeing the beautiful photographer by this weekend. And this time, he would conquer.
Chapter 2
Elli was dragging ass when she came into the studio the next morning. The tall mocha from Starbucks she had stopped to get was not doing the job. She was exhausted. She had stayed up until two in the morning editing pictures and got up at six to let Adler out and to get ready for work. She had two newborn shoots, a senior, and then two families, all before three o’clock.
Today was gonna be long.
As Elli unlocked the big glass doors to the studio, she read the writing on the doors, something she did every morning.
Time Standing Still
Owner: Eleanor Fisher
Established: 2004
She smiled to herself as she shut the door behind her, turning the lights on as she walked to the back, where her office was. She laid her coffee down before slipping off her heels and picking up her phone to listen to her messages since she wasn’t there all day yesterday. Usually Harper would do all this, but she wasn’t coming in today. Elli had given all the assistants the day off, since yesterday was such a biggie.