Page 2 of Her Game Plan

“Not yet,” I bemoan. “But I don’t think it’s going to be long. My mom mentioned something the other day about getting to travel a lot more soon. I can’t imagine she’d be doing that if my dad wasn’t going with her. Though it might be wishful thinking on her part. She’s been trying to get him to retire for longer than I have.”

“Are you so excited?”

“Eh, more like exasperated,” I reply. “We all know I’m fully capable of leading that arm of the organization. Just give it to me already.”

“You sound so needy,” Sage teases.

I laugh. “Enough about my drama. What’s new with you?”

Sage tells me about the Miners’ continuing struggles with finding a pitcher, and I regale her with stories of the recent artists we’ve hosted. I’m in the middle of telling her about a folk act I’m bringing in when we’re interrupted.

“Sage, Charlotte,” Callan Devine says as he passes us on his way to the refrigerator.

“Hey, Carson.” I shoot him a finger gun and a wink, pretending to be confident I got his name right this time.

“Callan,” he sputters.

This is what life is all about. Fucking with the egos of pro athletes. And for some reason, Callan Devine is the most fun to mess with.

“Right! Kicker for the Stallions,” I agree, name dropping my dad’s team. “That three-pointer last week.” I touch my fingertips to my lips in a chef’s kiss.

Sage snickers next to me but quickly turns it into a cough.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Callan manages to get out, “Quarterback. No three-pointers in football. And our season finished months ago.”

I give him my best innocent expression. “Are you sure?”

More coughing from Sage.

He blinks twice. “Okay. Well, I was trying to get a game of cornhole started. Do either of you want to play?”

Sage meets my gaze, and I lift my right shoulder.

“Sure,” she answers. “We’re in.”

When we follow Callan into the yard, I spot Finley’s boyfriend, Beckett. “Hey!” I give him a quick hug. “It’s so good to see you!”

We chat for a moment about his recent trip before I realize I’ve abandoned Sage. I invite him to play with us as well, and soon we’re all standing by the cornhole boards, waiting for Callan to get back from wherever he got lost.

“Can we play without him?” I ask. “Make Finely be our fourth.”

Beckett cups his hands around his mouth and yells, “Fin! Come play!”

She waves to let us know she’s coming before saying goodbye to the Stallions’ actual kicker. I catch myself smirking, remembering the repulsion on Callan’s face. When your dad owns a football team, you either have to be the biggest fan or pretend you know nothing. While my knowledge of most sports is similar to that of the average thirty-four-year-old woman, I do pay attention to the Stallions.

It’s just easier to make everyone think I don’t. Then players don’t try to use me to sweeten their contracts, and fans don’t hit me up for tickets or insider information. When my father finally retires, I have every intention of being named his successor for the entertainment arm of the company. Fortunately, I was blessed with a twin brother who loves sports to take over the Stallions.

Now if my dad would retire so we can fully take the reins of our respective entities.

“I call being on Charlotte’s team,” Finley shouts when she sees me. “She’s way too competitive for me.”

I flip her the bird good-naturedly. It is true, after all. If I’m going to play, I’m going to win, even if I don’t have an athletic bone in my body… unless you count Pilates. I dominate a reformer class.

“Oo, I’m out, then,” Sage Sinclair says, giving me a quick hug. “You know I love you, but tonight is my only night off this week. I do not need competitive cornhole in my life.”

I almost promise to tone it down for her but catch myself. It’s not actually a switch I can turn off. Finley and I are about to crush Beckett and whoever ends up as his unlucky partner.

“I’ll play against Princess.” Callan takes a long drink from his beer as he comes to stand beside me.