Cathy Gillen - Lone Star Valentine

“And whose fault is that?” Lily spit out, before she could stop herself.

Gannon reached over and put a staying palm on her wrist. His touch sent an unexpected jolt of warmth rippling through her, which left her feeling even more flustered.

As it was meant to, his touch infused her with a sudden burst of calm.

“Bode will be a free agent in another month,” the sports agent continued.

So what? Lily thought impatiently but said instead, “Which means he could go to another team.”

“In another far-flung part of the country,” his agent emphasized. He paused to let his words sink in. “Bode doesn’t want that.”

Nor, if she were honest, did Lily. It was hard enough to arrange Lucas’s once-a-year meet and greet with his dad now.

The agent continued, “Right now, the Dallas Gladiators are hesitating to offer an early extension of his current contract to Bode. They are concerned he is not as popular with their fans as he once was.”

The public relations guru who managed Bode’s “brand” jumped in. “Our research has shown a big part of that is because Bode never fully recovered from the fallout over—”

“Dumping Lily after their whirlwind romance, publicly discounting his part in Lily’s pregnancy and then marrying a Venezuelan supermodel and promptly fathering two more children with his new bride—all the while ignoring his son with Lily?” Gannon set the record straight with a taunting smile. “Until the results of a court-ordered paternity test made that impossible, that is. Then, of course, Mr. Daniels had no choice but to own up.”

The PR expert must have noticed the way Bode was bristling, because she suddenly put her hand on the superstar athlete’s wrist. “Unfortunately for all, I think the confusion regarding Lucas’s paternity is what most people remember,” she said with a brand manager’s aplomb. “Which is why, for everyone’s sake, we need to remedy that perception, and make sure everyone knows what a devoted daddy Bode is to all his children. That starts with modifying the custody agreements.”

Figuring this charade had gone far enough, Lily stood. “Actually, I like things just the way they are.” She smiled tightly.

Gannon gave her an “atta girl” look.

Then, without further ado, Lily walked to the door and opened it wide. “Now, if you all will excuse me,” she stated unequivocally, “I really have to get on with my day.”

* * *

GANNON HUNG AROUND long enough to make sure everyone vacated the conference room.

“Talk sense into her,” one of the lawyers said, handing Gannon his card.

“It’d be best for everyone,” the female attorney agreed.

With a muted look of frustration, Bode strode off. His entourage hurried to catch up with him as he exited Laramie Town Hall. Gannon took the platter of pastries back to the break room, commandeered two from the plate and returned to Lily’s office.

The door was shut.

He knocked and, without waiting for an answer, headed in.

Lily was sitting at her desk, suit jacket off, her head in her hands. She looked up, the weight of the world in her eyes. “Really?”

Given the fact there were any number of things she could call him to task on, he countered with an innocuous smile and a lift of one confection-filled hand. “Pastry?”

Her spine stiffened. “No.”

He tore his gaze from the way her breasts were pressing against the soft fabric of her blouse and concentrated instead on the flush of angry color sweeping her delicate cheeks.

Knowing he had never wanted to take her into his arms more than he did at that very moment, he tilted his head. “Something to drink, then? Lukewarm coffee? Bottle of scotch...?”

She stifled an unwilling smile. “You are a laugh a minute, counselor.”

Purposefully, he shut the door behind him, enclosing them in her private space. “I try.”

Her chin lifted another notch. “And you shouldn’t have barged in to the conference room.”

He ambled toward her. Set an apple Danish on her desk, just in case, then waited until she rocked back in her chair and met his eyes. “I’m aware you don’t need protecting,” he said.

She released another long, quavering breath. “Then why did you come to my rescue?”

She had a point. He wasn’t normally inclined to insert himself into situations where he clearly did not belong.

“Don’t know.” He inhaled the familiar scent of her signature freesia perfume, let his glance drift over the sexy waves of her honey-blond hair. “Habit?”

Lily groaned and put her face back in her hands.

Dropping down into a chair, he took a bite of the pastry. It had been sitting out for a while and was, as a result, rather stale. But still delicious in its own way.

Remembering how Lily always tended to reach for the sweets when stressed, he asked, “Want to talk about it?”

She pinched off a bite of pastry, held it between her fingers, then let it fall. Her gaze still on the bite she couldn’t bring herself to eat, she shook her head, admitting in a low, strangled tone, “There are no words.”

Gannon couldn’t fault her for being despondent. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t try to goad her back into fighting mode, however.

“For what kind of jerk your ex is? ’Cause if you need help—” he waggled his brow “—I can think of a few very fitting adjectives.”

She smiled, despite herself. Tore off another bite of pastry. Thought about eating it, then set it down again, without tasting. “He wasn’t always like that,” she said sadly.

He had made his own mistakes in the romance department, too. Gannon gave a sympathetic nod. “I know that.”

When Lily had first met Bode Daniels, the athlete had been ambitious to a fault but not a complete jackass. Just not the right guy for a softhearted woman like Lily. “I liked your ex better when he was the backup quarterback for the Gladiators, instead of a star player, too.” Something about sitting on a bench during most of the games humbled a guy. Million-dollar contracts, limitless endorsement deals and star QB status did the opposite.

Anxiety crept into her pretty turquoise eyes.

Gently, Gannon asked, “Do you think he’s serious about gaining custody of Lucas?”

Lily stiffened her spine. “No,” she said, oblivious to the way her action had also lifted the luscious swell of her breasts.

Ignoring the pressure building at the front of his jeans, he encouraged her to continue.

“The only thing Bode really cares about is playing football.” She paused, thinking, and raked her teeth across her lower lip. “In fact, I’m sure this wasn’t even his idea. He just got dragged into it by the members of his dream team, because it’s time for a new contract.” She sighed, shook off the veil of tension and predicted sagely, “This will all be over in a month, or less, as soon as he inks a new deal with the Gladiators.”

Given what was at stake, Gannon was not as sure it would be over. Or even if a new contract would be offered, given Bode’s lackluster performance the previous season. There was one thing he did know, though. Star athletes who were faced with dwindling careers could be as tough as nails to deal with.

Gannon downed the rest of his pastry. Finished, he wiped his hands on the napkin and forced himself to think like a lawyer, rather than Lily’s former friend and current—if only by default—protector. “What is your existing arrangement?” he asked casually.

Lily pushed away from her desk. “I have full physical custody, so Lucas resides with me.” She stood and paced to the window overlooking the town square. “Bode has the option to see Lucas every other weekend and one night during the week.”