Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 81867 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81867 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
After the conservatory and botanical gardens, Callum gave me a private tour of the Titans’ arena. By then, the sun had set and he treated me to dinner at a local restaurant he frequents that serves shareable small plates. We dined on whipped goat cheese, beef carpaccio, cucumber salad and roasted octopus. Their handcrafted cocktails were delicious and I sipped at a bourbon with spiced cranberry while Callum stuck to Angel’s Envy, neat.
By the time I poured myself into bed after a surprising hug that I initiated before we parted ways at the bottom of the staircase, I was not just pleasantly tired from a long day but emotionally fulfilled.
There’s not been a day in recent memory—hell, going back years—when I felt that way and I revel in it.
My phone chimes and I reach for it on the bedside table where I’d plugged it in to charge. I’m surprised to see a text from Lila.
It’s not that Lila won’t text, but she prefers to call and we’ve talked twice since I’ve been in Pittsburgh.
Just checking in, she wrote. How was your day today?
I frown as I read it. This is very anti-Lila. She has no clue I went and did something special today and again, she’d call to check in. I have my suspicions as I text back. It was wonderful. Callum took me around Pittsburgh and showed me some sights. How was your day? How are you feeling?
I wait for her reply and it takes forever. I’m doing great. Feeling fine.
There’s no way this is Lila and the question is, is this Preston or Joshua? I blocked Joshua before I left Nevada, so chances are it’s him. I make the bold move and dial Lila’s number. I imagine whoever is on the other end is shocked I’m calling, and no surprise, there’s no answer. When I get her voicemail, I disconnect.
It had to be Joshua and I assume word traveled to him that his private investigator was busted. I imagine he had to be livid when he saw the candid selfie Callum took, and there’s a sinking feeling in my stomach that perhaps we shouldn’t have poked that bear. I was so impressed by how Callum handed the phone back to David and didn’t insist he delete the photos.
As he said, we’d done nothing wrong, but Callum wanted Joshua to know he was on to him.
And yet there’s no doubt, Joshua will see any type of relationship with Callum—even just friends—as a betrayal because I’m sure he very much still believes I’m his.
CHAPTER 17
Callum
The morning sun casts a soft glow across the interior of my office. It’s July 1, the opening day of free agency. Our technology team has spent the last few days outfitting many of the executive offices with shared digital screens, along with the large SMART Board in the conference room where the other coaches and scouts are congregated. Everyone has a landline phone, but cell phones are being used. Dozens of calls are ongoing at any given time and as information is received, it is entered into a shared database that some tech wizard built for the Titans so everyone can see it in real time.
My heart thunders as I prepare to make a bold move to secure the league’s best center, Penn Navarro, for the Pittsburgh Titans. I have a few moments before the crazy begins and I settle back in my plush leather chair, trying some deep breathing to calm myself. My office boasts a blend of modern functionality and subtle nods to my past. The room is bathed in natural light, courtesy of the expansive windows that frame the breathtaking river and city views beyond. My desk, a stately piece of polished walnut, anchors the space. In this modern tech age, my desk isn’t covered with piles of paper or binders of information. Instead, I have three screens, two tablets and my laptop, where I have all the scouting reports, player profiles and salary information I need displayed right at eye level.
A bookshelf sits against one wall, housing a collection of hockey memorabilia I’ve picked up over the years, most of it from my alma mater. A mahogany-framed mirror, adorned with a Titans logo, hangs opposite my desk, reflecting the room’s colors. Soft shades of gray and black dominate the décor, complemented by steel accents that pay homage to Pittsburgh’s industrial heritage. A painting of the Titans’ arena at sunset occupies a prominent spot on another wall, flanked by my framed sports management degree.
As I take it all in, the artifacts and mementos that fill my office serve as a testament to the passion, dedication and ambition that drive me. I hope that commitment pays off today because we’re getting ready to make a huge leap into the next generation of Titans hockey.