Head Over Heels (34 page)

“Hey,” she said as she approached his bed.

She leaned over to kiss him and he turned his head so that her lips landed on his cheek. His reaction sent a shiver through her body.

“How are you feeling?” Kari stroked his hair. She liked feeling his silky tresses through her fingers.

“Seen better days.” Thane exhaled. “How’s Michael?”

As soon as Thane mentioned her son’s name, she replayed an image of her ex pushing him down. She shook her head.

“He’ll be fine. Thank you for asking about him.” She smiled. “He asked about you. He didn’t want me coming back to the hotel until I saw you and talked to you.” She held Thane’s hand. “Thank you for allowing me to come back here. Your brothers are very protective.”

Kari hoped that Thane understood what their actions meant. They looked out for him. It meant they loved him.

She gently coasted her hand over the blanket that covered his midsection. She saw Thane twitch before he settled down.

“I know,” she began. “Easy. Is this what you wanted to tell me down in North Carolina?”

Instead of answering her question, he hit her with one of his own. “Did you see Alec Fogel?” He removed her hand from his stomach.

The motion caused her body to go cold. “Um, yeah. I saw him walking through the lobby. Did you see him?”

“Yes,” Thane answered flatly.

“So they let him go through but not me.” She shook her head.

“There’s a difference. He’s my agent. You’re not my agent, but you’re willing to do anything to represent me, right?” Thane glared at Kari.

She took a step back. “I’ve been trying to secure your business for years. You know this.”

“I know. I’m wondering how far you’re willing to go.”

She cocked her head. “Where is all this coming from?”

Thane took a deep breath before he positioned his head higher. “Alec said he got a call from a Frank Milliner. You know him?”

Kari’s insides froze as she regarded Thane. She could only imagine what her boss had said about her and her efforts to get Thane to sign.

When she didn’t immediately answer, Thane continued. “He said that Frank told him he sent his best agent to come after me for my business, and that this agent would do anything to sign me. I don’t want to believe that you would do anything and everything in your power to get me as a client.”

She took a big step back. “You think I seduced you to make you sign? I’ve been after you since you started college. I knew your stats. I knew your worth on a team.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “If I remember correctly, you kissed me first.”

Thane rested his hand on his stomach. “I was at my most vulnerable when I met you. Tell me you didn’t take advantage of that.”

Her stomach lurched like she wanted to hurl the few contents she had in her belly. She hadn’t felt this bad with a man since being with Jarrod. For how gentlemanly he’d treated her and how wonderful he’d been with her son, she’d never thought she would hear these vile words from Thane.

“I should have stuck to my rules. No athletes. No one younger. Never mix business with pleasure.” She jerked the curtain back. “Good luck with your recovery. Sorry we couldn’t do business together.”

Kari ran from the room. Even in her heels, she felt like she barely touched the floor. Once she got outside, she remembered she didn’t have her car. Thankfully, a row of cabs sat in front of the hospital. She snagged one to get her back to the hotel.

Along the way, Kari chewed on her lower lip to keep from screaming. How had she let herself get so involved? She remembered. Thane had charmed her. Never again.

As soon as she arrived at her hotel, she took the stairs up to her room. As soon as she burst through the door, Michael tackled her.

“Is Mr. Wells okay? What did Dad do to him? He’s been calling Reagan’s phone, but I told her not to answer.” Michael tugged on Kari’s dress.

The dress. She couldn’t get out of it fast enough. Every stitch had been made with distrust and doubt.

“Pack your bag, baby. We’re going back home.” She pulled her suitcase from the closet.

“What’s going on?” Reagan came from the bedroom.

“Mom says we’re leaving.” Michael pointed to Kari. “And she won’t tell me about Thane.”

“Mr. Wells. What did I tell you about his name?” She knew she had raised her voice when she caught the fear in her child’s eyes.

Michael blinked and retreated from her.

She had to calm herself down, for herself and her son. “Go get your suitcase, please.” She tried to smile but it felt wrong.

Michael crept to the bedroom to the other closet.

Reagan took that time to approach Kari. “What the hell happened? You were gone all night. Is Thane going to be okay?”

Kari slammed her clothes into the open case. “I don’t want to talk about him or his brothers again.”

“Oh, okay.” Reagan held her hands up. “You’re the boss.”

Kari pulled off her shoes and threw them in the case on top of her tousled clothing. “That’s something else I’ll need to take care of when we get back home.”

“What’s that?”

“Where I work.” Kari had to make some drastic changes.

“You can’t do this to me,” Jean said with a slight French whine in his tone. “You know what I like.”

Kari sat at her desk in her cubicle for the last time. She crossed her legs. “You don’t have to leave me. Come with me.” She smiled. “I’m branching off on my own. I’d still like to represent you.”

The fight with Thane had one great result. She strengthened her backbone. Never would she fall for a man against her type. On top of all that, she would wait until Michael married and had children of his own before she even thought about a relationship.

She regretted getting Michael involved in her personal drama. He deserved to have a happy childhood. She owed him a normal upbringing. Then again, when would she get her happily-ever-after ending?

“You will give me the same representation as before? No changes?” Jean asked.

“No changes. What do you say? Take a chance with me?” Kari glanced up and saw Chelsi signaling her. She hadn’t forgotten about her meeting with Frank.

“A chance? Leaving Winning Edge is a risk?” Now worry laced the tennis pro’s voice.

“Staying in a den of snakes is a risk.” She stood. “I’m a sure thing. I’ll send over a termination contract and a new one to be solely represented by me.”

“Okay. I’ll read over it carefully.”

“Good. Do it with your attorney. I look forward to hearing from you soon and working with you.” Kari disconnected the call to end on a strong note.

If Jean signed the contract, he would be her one and only client. She had to start somewhere.

Before heading into Frank’s office, she scanned her desk area to make sure everything had been packed. Kari wanted to leave nothing behind.

On a large head of steam, she sauntered to Frank’s office. She kept her face straight and stoic.

“Have a seat.” Frank pointed to a chair in front of his desk.

“No, thank you. I won’t be here that long.” She pulled out her phone and forwarded an e-mail she had written and ready to go. “I’m quitting.”

Kari heard a ping from his phone signaling that he had received her message.

“You know when I said that you may not have a job if you didn’t secure Thane Wells, I wasn’t really serious. It was just to light a fire under you.” Frank typed something on his laptop and stared at the screen before he regarded Kari.

“A fire has been lit under me, but it wasn’t your veiled threat.” She put her fists to her hips and felt like a superhero. “Did you really tell Alec Fogel that I was sent to Thane to seduce him into joining our agency?”

Frank laughed. “He is a true gossip.”

“So you did say it.” She nodded and paced next to a chair.

“As a joke. I never thought he would take me seriously.” He stood from his desk.

“And if you feel comfortable making a joke about my professionalism and performance, then I guess you don’t take me or my work seriously either.” She held her hand up to him. “Good-bye.”

He regarded her for a moment. “
You’re
joking, right? You can’t leave.”

“I can, and I am.” She took a determined step toward his desk. “I’ve worked hard to make a good reputation for myself. I can’t imagine you giving the same story about one of your male agents if he was trying to secure a female athlete.”

Frank went to the office door and closed it. When he faced Kari again, he wore a monstrous scowl.

“You ungrateful bitch.”

Kari refused to be swayed from her position. She matched him stare for stare.

Frank continued. “I gave you a chance when you were getting your ass thrown out in the street.” He marched to her. “And let’s not be pious here. The fact of the matter is that you did fuck him.”

She blinked and hated herself for reacting. She shouldn’t have let her former boss see her crack.

“Thank you for the opportunity.” Attempting to leave with some dignity, she kept her head held high as she tried to move around him.

He lashed out at her again, grabbing her arm and pulling her to him. “Fine. You want to go, try to do this on your own?”

With all the force she could muster, she yanked her arm from his grasp and managed to get to the door.

“You will fail. If I have anything to do with it, I will make sure of it.”

“That’s a shame.” She shook her head. “I wish that you get exactly what you deserve.”

Frank’s threats meant nothing to her. The same hollow feeling she had for Thane she now had for her former boss. No, those feelings didn’t match. A small part of her heart still smoldered for Thane.

“Jesus, Kari. Are you really going?” Chelsi stood from her desk.

“Wow. News travels fast.” Kari glanced over her shoulder at Frank. “I’ve got to spread my wings. I’m sure I’ll stumble. But I need to try. If I don’t do it now, I never will.” She hugged the person who’d had her back as much as Reagan. “Take care.” She held Chelsi’s shoulders. “Know your worth. Never settle.”

Chelsi nodded, glanced at Frank, then looked back at Kari again. “Hope to see you around.”

On her way out, Kari picked up the box with her personal items and her purse. Whether she made it or not, she wouldn’t be back in this office, and she definitely wouldn’t be working for a boss who didn’t respect her.

Before heading home, she stopped at a park. Kari craved the crisp spring air that reminded her so much of sports and her youth. As soon as she got out of her car, she headed to her favorite playground attraction and the one least crowded—the swings.

She sat on the wide, thick leather platform held up by charcoal-gray chains. Below where she rested her hands, she noticed how worn the chains looked. Kari imagined all the children over the years who had used the swing before her and worn out the finish on the links. She added to that by gripping them and pushing herself back and forth.

It had been a few days since she, Michael, and Reagan had come home from Virginia Beach. Although she’d tried keeping a strong appearance for them, the whole situation had left her feeling drained. Every time she closed her eyes to go to sleep or even when she blinked, Thane’s image popped in her head. If she couldn’t stay at a job where she didn’t feel trusted and respected, how did she think she could be with a man who valued her just as little?

After a few swings and some strange stares, Kari felt relaxed enough to go home. Thankfully, she could park in her garage. Reporters and photographers had become a new staple outside her home since pictures of her and Thane had surfaced. Even telling them she’d only wanted to represent Thane didn’t calm the ravenous crowd.

After pulling into her garage, Kari quickly shut the door behind her. She didn’t get out of her car until it closed completely. Then she emerged and went into her home.

Reagan stood in the kitchen cleaning up from lunch. “So you did it?”

Kari nodded. “I quit. I’ll have to dip into Michael’s support to pay you. But that’s what that money is for anyway.”

Even with Jarrod’s temporary suspension from the team while the heat from the video of him pushing Michael died down, he still made his support payments. He’d contacted Kari to assure her he would do whatever he could for Michael.

“Why would you still need me around? You’ll be home with Michael until you get your business going, right? You won’t need me.” Reagan shrugged, but the tough woman’s eyes started to have a glossy sheen over them. When she blinked, one tear escaped and rolled down her cheek.

“Reagan, you’re like family.” Kari embraced her. “I will always look out for you.”

“You don’t have to.” Reagan wiped her eyes.

“I know. I want to.” Kari smiled. “Is Michael with the tutor?”

Another new change since coming home. After seeing reporters standing on the sidewalk trying to take pictures of Jarrod Townsend’s son at school, Kari had to regroup and protect her child.

“Hi, baby.” Kari smiled as she strolled into the office area where Michael met with his tutor.

“Hey.” Michael’s deflated answer matched how Kari felt inside.

She wouldn’t show that to him. “You two had lunch already?”

Michael nodded. “Chicken sandwich and chips.” He threw his pencil down and looked at Kari. “When can I go back to school? I miss my friends.”

Kari glanced at the older man sitting next to her child. “Mr. Hashni, will you excuse us for a moment, please?”

The man nodded and arranged the papers they used on the desk. Kari put her hand on Michael’s shoulder as she led him to his bedroom. It hadn’t escaped her notice that Michael had removed all the posters of Jarrod from his wall. He’d replaced all of them with pictures of Thane, which made it difficult for her to go to his room. She closed the door for privacy.

“I know all these changes are a bit much for you.” Kari sat next to Michael.

“It’s all happening so fast. First, the thing with Dad, and then doing school at home, which I thought would be fun. But Mr. Hashni is as bad as my teachers.” Michael shook his head. “And now I don’t even get to see Mr. Wells anymore.”

Kari had to come up with a good story, not a lie. “You know Mr. Wells was only in town for his mother’s funeral. Spring training is going on right now.”