Skin in the Game (22 page)

“Do you think we can sneak away without anyone noticing?” Cade whispered into Angie’s ear as they retreated to one corner of the hotel ballroom to watch their wedding guests dance and otherwise make merry. Although they’d been legally married since the week of Thanksgiving, between Angie’s football season and Cade’s, there’d been no time for a formal ceremony until now.

She shook her head. “What would they think if we did?”

“That I couldn’t wait to get you into bed?” He nuzzled her neck, sending a shiver of pleasure down her arm.

“Exactly my point,” she hissed, elbowing him in the ribs. “Some of my students are here, you know!”

Angie cast a fond glance in Jake Hansson’s direction. He’d been cleared to play again with just a few weeks left in the season and had graciously shared the quarterback position with Tyler Johnson throughout the state championships. His willingness to give up part of the spotlight was unquestionably responsible for the team’s ultimate success. Fortunately, the reduction in his playing time hadn’t affected the interest of college scouts, and Jake was already weighing offers from Notre Dame, Syracuse, and UCLA, although he was still hoping to hear from USC so he could follow in Cade’s footsteps.

“And your father,” Cade observed, then added with a chuckle, “although if anyone winds up sneaking out early, I’m putting my money on him and Georgette.”

Georgette Baker, an attractive, lively widow in her early sixties, was her father’s girlfriend. They’d met a little over a year ago at—of all things—a fly-tying class, and had been seeing each other ever since. Angie had been more than a little shocked when her father admitted the relationship; it seemed that by living with him for so long, she’d been putting a crimp in his style. She supposed it was natural for him to worry that she’d be upset with him for “replacing” her mother, but she knew better than to think that. He should have trusted her with the truth. On the other hand, she hadn’t exactly trusted him at the beginning with the truth about her relationship with Cade, so she was willing to cut him some slack on the subject.

Her gaze strayed from her father and Georgette, who were huddled in a corner, heads bent together in quiet conversation, to Harvey Lund, who was on the dance floor with Cade’s mother, who’d made the trip from Florida for the ceremony. Looking at Harvey now, no one would guess he’d had a heart attack complicated by pneumonia just six months ago, a turnaround Angie had to credit largely to Rachel. In addition to finding appropriate nursing care for him, Rachel had put Harvey on a diet and exercise regimen that had him fitter than he’d been in years.

He could easily have taken the head coaching position back from Angie, but being a man of his word, he’d declined to do so. She still thought of him as her boss and mentor, though, and was relieved that he’d recovered so quickly and thoroughly.

Unfortunately, the same could not be said of Warren Harris. Shortly after his initial surgery, he’d contracted a severe infection that had not only taken six weeks to cure, but had done further damage to the bones and muscles in his ankle. Despite intensive therapy, he was still unable to walk more than a few feet without the assistance of a walker and even that was clearly painful. He’d been determined to stand as Cade’s best man, however, and had managed to make it through the ceremony with the help of a cane, but since then, he’d retired to his wheelchair. Angie knew Cade was concerned that Warren had given up hope of recovery;

Warren’s retirement would secure Cade’s position with the Vikings for the foreseeable future, but under the circumstances, that would make Cade feel worse rather than better.

As Angie was pondering this dilemma, Rachel sailed up to them. If Angie were the envious type, she might be irritated with Rachel for looking so gorgeous in her royal blue maid of honor dress. “Are you two thinking of sneaking away?” she asked, her tone playful.

“To be honest—” Cade began.

With a glare, Angie cut him off. “No, of course not. I wouldn’t deprive you of the chance to get rice in my hair.”

“It’s birdseed now, you know,” Rachel corrected. “Either way, you two look like you’ve about had it. Why don’t we do the bouquet, garter, and cake now so you can get out of here.”

“That sounds like an excellent plan,” Cade said.

In her usual take-charge fashion, Rachel hurried off in the direction of the DJ to make the arrangements.

“She’s quite a powerhouse,” Cade remarked when Rachel was out of earshot.

Angie laughed. “That’s an understatement. I think Rachel could make Niagara Falls run in reverse if she put her mind to it.”

“Think she could make Warren well again?”

Angie looked from her best friend, who stood at the DJ’s station, her face lit with animation as she explained what she wanted him to do, to her husband’s best friend, who sat in his wheelchair, grim and silent. Warren was the sort of challenge Rachel would never be able to resist. Moreover, she had her doubts that anyone could resist Rachel’s will, even if he wanted to, and she doubted that Warren Harris wanted to spend the rest of his life walking with a cane.

“If anyone can do it, it’s Rachel.”