Chapter Seven
Miranda stifled ayawn and tried to focus on her email, but sleepless nights were catching up with her, not to mention heated dreams of Lucas thanks to the kiss they had shared the night before. What had he been thinking, kissing her like that? Did it mean something more or was it purely a reflex, an action born out of the need to comfort? It certainly didn’t feel comforting and she couldn’t believe she had responded as she had, especially with her father in the hospital. What kind of daughter did that?
Her brain spinning with the possibilities, she didn’t hear the knock at the door until Cole Hammonds poked his head in her office. “Have a minute?”
“Sure.” She gestured him in, donning the business facade so he couldn’t see her preoccupation.
He sat in the one of the chairs and folded his arms in front of him. “Wainright’s been sticking his nose in everywhere. Yesterday he was asking about talent, the farm system, draft plans. He knows we have no depth and need to sign some players to fill our holes. What does Seamus say?”
“My father’s very sick, Cole. He won’t be here until the All-Star break at the earliest.” She fixed a hard stare on the general manager. “And we’re not to bother him, even if he calls for a status. He needs a completely stress-free environment to recover, and we’ll make sure of that.”
Cole nodded. “What about signing players? He approves all acquisitions.”
“I’ll be doing that now.”
Cole pursed his lips then took a deep breath. “Wainright may not approve.”
“Find us a catcher and first baseman that we can afford. I’ll handle Lucas. Together, we’ll get this done.”
“Get what done?” Lucas spoke from the doorway, her assistant Maggie standing behind him wringing her hands.
Memories of the kiss flooded back and she flushed, earning a quizzical glance from Cole. She stood and clasped her hands on the edge of the desk to mask her trembling fingers. Cole also rose to his feet, more slowly, suspicion clouding his eyes.
“I’m sorry, Miranda. He just walked right past me,” Maggie said.
Miranda forced a smile. “That’s okay, Maggie. Maybe Mr. Wainright has been gone too long from the South to understand we have manners down here.”
He grinned. “I know enough about business to not ask permission or I might miss something.”
Cole grunted, shooting a dark glare at Lucas. “I’ll get working on what we discussed, Miranda.” He shoved past Lucas and strode out of the office.
Lucas only grinned, as if the whole situation amused him. “Thanks, Maggie. We’re all set.” He closed the door firmly in her astonished face and sat across from Miranda’s desk. “We had a meeting, am I right?”
She mentally counted to ten like she’d done when answering judge’s questions in pageants, thoughts of the kiss creating a tingling sensation along her nerve endings. Once she had her breathing and pulse under control, she sat and folded her hands in front of her. “We did. Although I would appreciate you not dismissing my assistant like that.”
He shrugged. “We have business. I assumed you wouldn’t want the whole office to know about it.”
She gritted her teeth but pasted on the fake smile. If he continued to be contrary, forgetting the kiss would be much easier to do. “Yes, fine. Let’s get to it then. What are you recommending?”
He frowned and folded his arms in front of him. “You have a long way to go. I can’t imagine you can turn things around to make the payment due at the All-Star break.”
“What does that mean for us?” She asked.
He heaved a sigh. “It could mean a sale of the team or bankruptcy.”
She relaxed in her chair fractionally. “Well, I don’t accept those options. Let me offer you a deal.”
“I don’t need to make a deal. I’m not the one in trouble.”
“Nevertheless, I’d like you to hold off on any recommendations about a sale, pending some conditions.”
He arched an eyebrow, expression clearly one of patronizing her. “Fine, what did you have in mind?”
“Our first payment isn’t due until the All-Star break. Until then, it’s business as usual. I just want you to give me that time.”
He let out a booming laugh. “You’ve seen the same reports I have. Unless you have an investor waiting in the wings to provide an infusion of cash, or you have ticket sales you haven’t told me about, there’s no way you can make the payment. And frankly, your team’s prospects for a winning season are pretty grim, so I doubt you’ll see an uptick in attendance. A sale takes time to set up. I’d recommend looking for a buyer. You’re on borrowed time already.”
She stiffened. “Well, then we have nothing to lose. Will you work with me on this?”