“Did she give you any insight into how she would handle it?” Dylan distracted himself by turning off the burner and taking the bread out of the oven. Every time he thought about what that S.O.B. had done to Sabrina, he wanted to bust him up.

  “That’s not her job,” Sabrina said, tearing off a corner of the warm bread. “It’s her job to help me decide how I want to handle it.”

  Dylan hoped the therapist would suggest Sabrina pursue criminal charges, but he knew that wasn’t the time to press the issue. Hopefully she would get there eventually. “The rest of your day was okay?”

  “It was pretty good actually. Kiara dragged me out of the office for lunch, and we went to the gym. We got there in time for a kickboxing class, and I spent a little time pounding on the heavy bag.” She grinned. “That felt really good.”

  “I bet it did.” They’d often worked out together, and he knew how strong she was, both physically and mentally. He was encouraged that she was getting back to that, even if it did take some prodding from her best friend.

  “Kiara talked me into signing up for a few sessions with this new trainer at the gym. His name is Blaise. Have you seen him?”

  “Uh, yeah, I have.” The guy looked like a freakin’ fitness model. Thanks a lot, Kiara. “Why do you need a trainer? You’ve got your own program down, right?”

  “Yeah, but this guy was a professional fighter. He’s really fierce. Kiara thought it might be good for me to work with him, you know, to get some aggression out and start to feel stronger again.”

  “Yeah, sounds like a good plan.” Dylan hated himself for being so jealous and petty. Working with a trainer would probably be good for her and she was clearly excited about it, so why was he worried about the guy hitting on her instead of training her?

  Sabrina grabbed his hand. “What’s wrong? You don’t think I should do it?”

  Guilt and shame washed over him when he realized his insecurity may be impeding her recovery. “No, you should definitely do it.”

  She rolled her tongue around in her cheek as she pulled her hand back. “Kiara thought you might be a little weird about it.”

  “Why would I be weird about it?” he asked, cursing himself when he realized how defensive he sounded.

  “Uh, you said you’ve seen Blaise, right? He’s pretty hot.”

  Okay, now he was getting pissed. She was totally baiting him. He should be relieved to see her in a playful mood again, but he couldn’t get past his annoyance. “Yeah, so?”

  Tearing off another corner of the bread, she chewed slowly before wiping the crumbs from her fingertips. “Just an observation.” Her eyes darkened before she looked away. “So, uh, are you seeing anyone special? I mean, I know you and Carly just ended whatever you had going on, but—”

  “Hey, that reminds me,” he said, turning to the cupboard for plates. “Guess who got engaged today?”

  “Who?” She slipped from the stool to collect utensils and napkins from a drawer.

  “Brett and Carly.”

  “No way!” she said, setting the utensils and napkins on the table.

  “Yeah. Pretty cool, right?” He smiled as he plated the pasta.

  Sabrina leaned over the end of the counter, watching him carefully. “I don’t know. Is it?”

  “What do you mean?” He carried the plates to the large walnut dining table, trying to ignore the cleavage spilling out of her silky tank top as she bent over.

  “Well, you and Carly were an item until very recently. Are you sure you’re okay with her and Brett getting married?” She pulled out a chair next to him and sat before smoothing a napkin in her lap.

  “We weren’t exactly an item.” Dylan walked back to the counter to get their water glasses. “We were friends who just happened to have a common goal. We were both ready to start a family. Carly was considering…” He cleared his throat. “Her options, and I thought I might be able to help her.”

  “I don’t understand,” Sabrina said, watching him walk back to the counter. “Were you or were you not dating Carly?”

  He put the bread in a basket before setting it next to her. “I don’t know that I’d call it dating. We went out a couple of times, but we were really just friends. We were both trying to get over…” He sat down, wishing he had the good sense to keep his mouth shut sometimes. “We were both trying to get on with our lives. We found common ground, which I guess strengthened our friendship.”

  “I’m glad she and Brett are getting their happy ending. I know how much they love each other, but I am sorry if it hurts you.”

  He rolled the pasta around his fork. “It doesn’t hurt me. I told you, I’m happy for them.”

  “Yeah, but you came over here last night, all pissed at me because I’d overstepped with Carly.”

  “I thought you did overstep with Carly.” He sighed. “I just felt like you didn’t want me, but you didn’t want anyone else to have me either. Obviously I had no idea what you were going through. I’m really sorry I came at you like that.” He still cringed when he thought about it. “I was way out of line.”

  She covered his hand with hers. “Please stop torturing yourself. You made a mistake. We all make mistakes. I forgive you. The question is can you forgive me for not telling you the truth about what happened? I let you believe I’d been unfaithful. I know how much that hurt you. I’m the one who should be apologizing.”

  “Don’t even say that,” he said, feeling his anger rise all over again. “You have nothing to apologize for.”

  “Then why do you still seem so angry?”

  “Because I am!” He set his utensils down before pinching the bridge of his nose. “I’m sorry, Sabrina, I didn’t mean to shout at you. I’m just so goddamn angry at this whole situation. I hate that he hurt you and I couldn’t do anything about it. You know I hate feeling helpless, and that’s exactly how I feel. Helpless.”

  “But you’re not.” Her hand glided over his shoulder, down his back. “You’re doing more than you realize, just by being here.” She gestured toward the table with her free hand. “Coming home to this great meal, having a nice, normal night, being able to talk about what happened instead of trying to hide it, that helps.”

  He wanted to believe her, but there was so much more he wanted to do.

  Chapter Nine

  Dylan walked into High Rollers the next day to find Dalton waiting for him at the bar. “Hey, buddy.” Dylan shook his friend’s hand. “Thanks for meeting me.”

  “No problem,” Dalton said. “I’ve finished training for the day. What’s up?”

  “Let’s grab a table.” Dylan pointed at an empty booth in a secluded corner. He said to one of the waitresses, “Hey, Jen, grab us a couple of menus when you get a minute, will ya?”

  “You got it, boss,” she said, winking at him.

  Dylan waited until they were tucked into the booth before he said, “I’ve got a favor to ask you, Mitch, and it’s probably gonna come as a bit of a surprise.” He’d never openly talked to Dalton about his feelings for Sabrina, though he knew Mitch would have to be blind not to notice he’d had a thing for her for years. He hadn’t exactly hidden it.

  “Ask away,” Dalton said, smiling at the waitress when she handed him a menu.

  “It’s about your sister.”

  “Okay.” He fixed him with a glare that warned Dylan to tread lightly. “What about her?”

  Dylan knew this conversation wouldn’t be easy. He and Dalton had been teammates and friends, but everyone knew how Dalton felt about players, reformed or not, dating his sister. “She and I have been…” He rubbed the back of his neck. “The thing is I—”

  “Just spit it out, Clark.”

  “I’m in love with her.”

  Dalton stared at him a long time before clenching his big fists and rolling his shoulders. “You’re in love with her?”

  “Yeah.”

  “That’s a hell of a lot smarter to say than that you’re sleepin’ with her, but I assume the two go hand in hand?”

  No way would Dylan discuss what happened, or didn’t happen, in Sabrina’s bedroom with her brother. “Let’s just say we’ve been involved on and off for quite a while now.”

  “Off and on?” Dalton cracked his knuckles. “What the hell does that mean? Did you dump her? Is that why she’s been acting so—”

  “We did break up for reasons I’d rather not get into,” Dylan cut in. No way would he tell him the reason. If he did, Dalton would get to Bell before he could. “Bottom line is we’re tight again.” He couldn’t claim they were back together since he hadn’t so much as kissed her since he’d started staying with her, but he hoped they would get there eventually.

  Dalton scowled. “You’re tight? What the hell does that mean?”

  “It means I’ve been staying with her.” Dylan smirked when he swore he could see steam billowing from his friend’s ears. “Relax, I didn’t say we’re living together.”

  “You’d better not be.” Dalton pointed at Dylan. “She’s not one of your play-things, Clark. You want to live with her, put a goddamn ring on her finger first.”

  Gladly. “So you wouldn’t mind having me as a brother-in-law?” Dylan pretended to peruse the menu he knew by heart. He hadn’t intended to have that conversation with Mitch, but since he’d brought it up, why shouldn’t Dylan find out where he stood on the subject—if he could ever get Sabrina to agree.

  Dalton leaned back, giving him a quick once-over. “Guess I could do worse.” He flashed a quick grin. “Seriously, I’ve never objected to you dating my sister. I just want to make sure you’re serious about her. I don’t want to see her get her heart broken.”

  “Chances are she’ll break my heart, not the other way around.”

  “What do you mean?”

  The waitress appeared to take their order, so Dylan waited until she’d left to explain. “I’m crazy about her, man. Hell, I’d marry her tomorrow if she’d have me.”

  Dalton grinned. “Man, you have got it bad. So what’s the problem?”

  “You know how she feels about her work. She can’t see how a husband and kids would fit into the mix.”

  “Interesting…” Dalton rubbed the dark stubble on his jaw. “Did she tell you about my offer to join the company when I retire?”

  “You’re thinking about retiring?” Dylan asked. “When?”

  “Just between you and me, the pain in my knees is getting worse. It’s taking more and more meds to deal with it. The doctors keep draining them, but they’re talking about knee replacement surgery down the road.”

  “That sucks.”

  “Yeah, but all good things must come to an end, and all that.” Dalton shrugged. “I led Sabrina to believe it may be a year or two down the road, but I doubt I’ll be able to play that much longer. I might have to pack it in at the end of this season if they can’t get the pain under control.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, you know how it is. I don’t want to go out ridin’ the bench. No player wants to be remembered that way.”

  Dylan knew exactly how his friend felt, but no matter how many good years an athlete had had, they were never ready for it to end. “Yeah, I hear ya. So you’re thinking about working with your sister?” Dylan couldn’t deny the idea appealed to him. That would give Sabrina more time for a personal life, and it may mean less travel.

  “That’s one option.”

  “What are the other options?” Dylan knew at the end of his career, he’d had plenty, and he was certain Mitch did too.

  “Too soon to talk about it. The more I think about it though, the more I like the idea of getting into the family business. It would give me a chance to stay in the game in a way, help shape the careers of these young kids comin’ up.”

  “I’m sure you’d be a hell of an asset to the agency,” Dylan said, raising the beer bottle the waitress had set down. “Here’s to new opportunities.”

  Dalton grinned, touching his bottle to Dylan’s. “Yeah, I like the sound of that. Hey, you said something about a favor. What was that?”

  “I’ve been staying with your sister because she’s been, uh, having these nightmares.” Dylan was hoping to get Dalton to stay with Sabrina that night, and he had to tell him enough that he wouldn’t be too alarmed if his sister woke up screaming.

  “Nightmares? What do you mean? Why the hell is she having nightmares?”

  “I don’t know.” He hated lying, but it couldn’t be helped. “She’s working through it. But here’s the thing—I have some business to take care of out of town tonight, and I don’t want her to be alone. Think you can stay with her?”

  “Sure.”

  Dylan sighed with relief. “Good, I’ll let her know to expect you. Say around seven?”

  “Works for me. I’ve got nowhere to be, and it’ll give me a chance to bend her ear some more about coming to work with her.”

  Dylan knew it was none of his business, but still he said, “Good luck with that. I’d love to see you join her team. It would take the pressure off her some.”

  Dalton sneered. “Don’t you mean it would give her more time to spend with you?”

  “That too.”

  ***

  Sabrina had been annoyed when Dylan called to tell her he’d asked her brother to spend the night with her while he was out of town, but now that Dalton was there, she couldn’t deny she appreciated the company.

  “So you and Clark,” Dalton said, reaching into the bowl of potato chips she’d set on the coffee table, “why the hell didn’t you tell me?”

  “I didn’t think it was any of your business.”

  “He’s my friend. You’re my sister. I’d say that makes it my business.”

  “Well, you’d be wrong.” Sabrina nudged his foot with hers. “You know I love you, but you need to back off. Let me figure out who’s right for me.”

  “You think Dylan could be the right guy for you?” When she didn’t answer, he said, “I know you didn’t ask for my two cents, but you could do a hell of a lot worse.”

  “I know he’s a great guy,” she said, tucking her legs under her. “You don’t have to sell me on Dylan.”

  “But…?”

  “You know him. He’s ready for a family, and I’m not.”

  “I’d say that’s progress.”

  “What do you mean?” She pulled her dark hair out of the ponytail holder she’d put in when she left the gym. She watched her brother, envious that he could consume thousands of calories a day while she had to bust her butt to burn a few hundred.

  “You used to say you didn’t want a family ever.” He munched on a few chips. “Now it sounds like you might be ready someday.”

  Hmm, Dalton was right. She had made it sound as though she was considering the idea. When had that happened? “I don’t know. Maybe. Do you think I’d…” The question was difficult to ask, which meant she was a lot more invested in his answer than she’d thought she would be. Damn. “Be a lousy mom? You know, because I have to work so much?”

  Dalton tipped his head from one side to the other, surveying her. “I don’t think so. Lots of women have demanding careers. Some are even single, and they still manage to be good parents.”

  He was right, but she was still scared. “Kids are a deal breaker for Dylan. He may claim it isn’t, but I know better. If I’m with him, he’s going to want a baby eventually.”

  “I don’t blame him. I want kids someday too.”

  “You do?” Sabrina was surprised. Dalton had been a player, always looking for the next party, for as long as she could remember. She couldn’t imagine him giving any thought to settling down and being somebody’s daddy.

  “Sure, I do.” He chuckled. “Don’t look so surprised.”

  “Sorry, I don’t mean to. It’s just, well, a bit of a surprise. You’ve never talked about kids. I always kind of assumed we were on the same page.”

  “I guess you thought wrong.” He brushed the salt off his hands before reaching for his bottled water and taking a swig. “I’ve always wanted kids. I just planned to wait until my football career was over to settle down. Now that it almost is, I’ve been thinking about it a lot more.”

  “Why’s that?” Sabrina sat up straighter. “Is there someone special? A girl who’s made you think you might want to settle down?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s way too soon to think about that. Right now, we’re just having a good time, seeing where it goes.”

  His tone led Sabrina to believe her brother wasn’t all that thrilled with the arrangement, but she didn’t want to pry into his life any more than she wanted him to pry into hers. “What did Dylan say to you about us?” She shouldn’t ask—she was just inviting a host of questions she didn’t feel comfortable answering—but she couldn’t help being curious about what Dylan had told her brother.

  “He didn’t say all that much, just that y’all had been seeing each other on and off for a while.”

  She tried to hide her disappointment. “That’s it? He didn’t say anything else?”

  Dalton laughed as he reached for the remote and started channel surfing. “What else did you expect him to say?”

  She’d hoped he’d given Dalton some insight into where his head was regarding their relationship, or friendship, or whatever the hell it was, because she had no idea where they stood, and it was driving her crazy. She crushed a pillow against her chest. “I don’t know.”

  “You’re pouting.” Dalton quirked an eyebrow as he gave her a sidelong glance. “You never pout.”

  “I am not pouting,” she said, pulling her mouth into a straight line. “I was just thinking.”

  “About?”

  “Dylan.”

  “Well, duh. What about him?”