Rushing Amy: A Love and Football Novel (35 page)

“Ten years. I paid off my student loans as fast as I could, started saving, and got the hell out.”

“I have an MBA I’ve never used. I got it shortly after I retired from the league. I’m wondering if it might come in handy.”

If one income stream from his investment portfolio was twenty-five thousand a week, he wasn’t being truthful about “never using” his MBA, but Amy wasn’t going to argue with him about it right then.

“That depends. What do you think you’d like to do?”

“I have a good driving record. Maybe I should drive an ice cream truck.”

Amy let out a snort. “That’s pretty seasonal.”

“Not if I live in another state.”

It was all Amy could do to stifle the gasp. He couldn’t leave. He just couldn’t, and she couldn’t seem to ask him to stay.

“You’re not serious about this.”

“That depends. Should I be, Amy?” Her tongue felt like it was frozen to the roof of her mouth. Tears flooded her eyes. A minute that seemed to last an eternity passed. Finally he said, “Since the cat’s got your tongue, let me tell you what I’ve been working on.”

F
ORTY-FIVE MINUTES LATER,
Matt took another swig of blackberry sparkling juice, and he heard Amy’s voice. “It’s a great idea. What’s stopping you?”

“I’ve spent the past ten years talking about pass completion statistics and trick plays. There is the slight possibility that those I approach to partner with me in this business might want someone with more of a financial services background.” He knew the dripping sarcasm in his voice wasn’t going to fool her, but he gave it his best effort. He wasn’t a schoolboy, crying to his mother about some girl who didn’t want to date him. Fear wasn’t an option.

“Do you want to spend the next ten years too scared to make a move?”

He felt that. How ironic that a verbal roundhouse kick should come from Miss Fifi, who was still totally spooked about how she felt about him. She didn’t want to live without him any more than he wanted to live without her.

“I don’t fail. Ever.”

“Then don’t,” she argued. Her voice got softer. “I know you can do this. If there’s one thing I also know about you, Matt, is that you want to be needed. This is perfect for you.” He let out a snort, and she continued. “Do it. If you hate it, you can sell the business to your investors and find something else that you’d like better. Don’t spend the next ten years doing something you’re tired of because you won’t take a risk.”

He heard rustling sheets. She must have rolled over in bed. His brain flooded with images of waking up with a warm, soft, naked Fifi wrapped in his arms. He was hard as nails in seconds.

“So, you want to talk about taking a risk,” he rasped. He’d spent the past hour on the phone with the only person in his life he could imagine talking his idea over with. He wondered if she had any clue.

“I—I—”

“We’ll talk soon.” His voice was soothing. “Go to sleep.” He ended the call, dropped the phone on the bed next to him, and rested a forearm over his eyes. He’d thrown down the gauntlet. What she did with it was up to Fifi.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

O
NE AFTERNOON SEVERAL
weeks later Amy’s cell phone rang at the shop. She fished it out of her apron pocket. “Hello?”

“Hi, Amy. It’s Samantha.”

“Samantha?” Amy sat down on the bench that now graced the shop’s lobby. “How are you doing?”

“I’m—I need your help.” Samantha paused for a moment. “I was wondering if you could come and pick me up from basketball practice.”

“Of course, but where are your parents? Won’t they be worried?”

“Mom is at her shop, and Matt is—well, he’s unavailable.” Her voice dropped almost to a whisper. “I have cramps.”

“I’ll be there in twenty minutes. Will the school let you leave with me?”

“Yeah, I think so. My dad put you on the list at the office, and I don’t think he ever changed it. I’ll meet you outside.” Samantha let out a sigh. “Thanks, Amy.”

“You’re welcome. See you in a few minutes.”

Amy hung up the phone, tore off her apron, and grabbed her purse out of the office. Estelle could lock up. Scott the delivery driver was already done for the day.

“Estelle!” Amy called out.

“What’s up?” She poked her head around the doorjamb of the tiny office.

“I need to run an errand. I might not be back till after closing time. Would you lock up for me, please? The cash goes in the safe; the lights are left on—”

“I’ll take care of it, Amy.”

“I also have my cell if there’s something you need.”

“Everything will be fine.” She made a shooing motion. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

“Thank you so much.” To Amy’s surprise, Estelle leaned forward and gave her a hug.

“Don’t worry about a thing. Just go.”

Amy threw herself in the driver’s seat of the delivery van and pulled into late-afternoon traffic. Luckily the lights were with her. She made it to the school entrance in twelve minutes. Samantha stood on the sidewalk, waiting. She wasn’t wearing either school or basketball uniform. Her hair was dry and styled. She wore jeans, a sparkly top, and what looked like high heels.

Amy pulled to a stop in front of her and called out the window, “Samantha Pauline Stephens, you’d better have a damn good reason for this.”

Samantha settled herself in the passenger seat. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She wouldn’t look at Amy.

“So, how are your cramps?”

“Fine.”

“I’m taking you home, right?”

“I have to stop at Matt’s office and pick something up first.”

“Really? What might
that
be?”

Samantha stared straight ahead. Amy turned in the seat to look into her face. “Samantha, the car doesn’t move till you tell me what it is you’re up to.”

She was twirling a long strand of hair around her finger. “Can’t we just go, and I’ll explain on the way?”

“I’m not sure. What if I don’t like your little surprise?”

“Please?” Samantha finally turned to acknowledge Amy. “I promise you’ll really like it.”

“Fine. I want your word, though.”

“What?”

“You have to promise me that this has nothing to do with your dad.” Eyes as blue as Lake Washington at midnight locked onto Amy’s. She didn’t say anything. “I mean it.”

“Of course it doesn’t.” She glanced at her lap, glanced up again, and smiled at Amy. She was totally lying. At the same time, Amy had to deliver her to at least one of her parents. This did not mean she had to see him or talk to him.

“You’re sure?”

“Yes. Can we go?”

“Maybe you should tell me where I’m going.”

“Please drive to Redmond. I’ll give you directions when we get closer.”

Half an hour later Amy pulled up in front of a beautifully maintained Cape Cod house in Redmond’s business district that had been transformed into an office space. There was a new sign on the lawn:
Lifechangers, Inc.
An arch of medium-pink helium balloons was installed over the entrance. The front door stood open, and she could see a lot of women milling about the porch and the inside of the house.

Samantha unfolded herself from the front seat, and got out of the car. “Come on,” she coaxed.

“I thought you needed to pick something up from your dad before you went home.”

“We’ll do that next.” She held out her hand. Amy reluctantly took it. Her young friend was obviously up to something.

Amy crossed the threshold and glanced around. A very familiar-looking arrangement of pink roses, freesia, and ivy graced a refreshment table. It had been one of this morning’s deliveries from her shop. A server was pouring champagne punch. She saw scores of women talking and laughing together in what must have been a large living room at one time, most holding a copy of the literature laid out on the corner of the refreshment table. Amy saw a conference room on her left in the former dining room.

Laura had just materialized, and she embraced Samantha.

“I thought I told you that your dad and I would take you out to dinner later to celebrate.” She was laughing. “So, you bamboozled Amy into bringing you here?”

“She told me she had cramps,” Amy said.

Laura shook her head. “She did, huh?” She held out her hand.

Samantha dug into her handbag and put her iPhone into her mother’s hand. “You’ll get this back in a week,” Laura said to Samantha.

“But she wouldn’t have known if she wasn’t here,” Samantha insisted.

“You heard me, young lady. Go give your father a kiss.” So, he
was
there. Amy’s heart skipped a beat. She hauled breath into her lungs. Unless she was wrong, Matt had moved forward with the business he told her about the last time they talked. He’d also announced his resignation from
NFL Today
when the season was over. The network hired Brandon to replace him on the show next season, but nobody could seem to get Matt to talk about his future plans, at least publicly.

Samantha gave Amy a pleading look. “Just stay long enough to hear what he has to say.”

Laura patted Amy on the back. “I told her not to pull something like this.” She reached out, snagged a brightly colored brochure off the refreshment table, and handed it to Amy. “Welcome to Lifechangers, Inc., a microcredit firm loaning start-up funds to female-owned businesses that don’t qualify for traditional business financing.”

“How did you hear about this?”

“Let’s just say I was in on the ground floor. I think you were, too,” Laura said to Amy.

Even over the chatter and laughter, Amy heard what had to be Matt’s heavy footsteps on the hardwood floor. This would be his scene for sure: a houseful of women. She stepped into the conference room across the hallway. She could hear, but he couldn’t see her.

Someone tapped a piece of silverware against a champagne flute. The group fell silent. Amy heard Laura’s voice over the small PA system.

“I’d like to welcome you all here today. This is not only a great day for female entrepreneurs in the Pacific Northwest, it’s a great day for any woman who has a business plan, a dream, and the start-up funding to make that dream a reality. Lifechangers, Inc. was started as a response by one man who watched three of the women in his life scrimp and struggle to get their businesses off the ground and wondered how he could help others. I’d like to introduce the founder of Lifechangers, Inc., my ex-husband and best friend, Matt Stephens.”

Amy let out a gasp. Luckily, nobody seemed to notice. He’d taken her advice after all.

The women present applauded lustily and then grew silent as Matt began to speak.

“I’d like to thank everyone for being here today. Your support, and your efforts to spread the word that we’re here, will help women you’ve never met to achieve success and to improve their circumstances. I found my success on a football field. The reason why I was so driven wasn’t the public recognition or the money. It was my mother, Pauline. Mom, where are you?”

“Here, honey.” Pauline waved.

“My dad left us when I was two. My mom was a waitress. She worked double shifts to keep a roof over my head and food in my belly. She didn’t have the money to get training or go to school, to even try to find a better-paying job. The proudest day of my life was the day I got drafted into the NFL. I came home and told her she’d never have to work again.” He was silent for a few seconds. “She thought that was pretty dumb.” A wave of laughter moved through the crowd.

“After a lot of arguing, she finally agreed to let me pay for cosmetology school. She became a barber. She opened her own barbershop, and she worked there until two years ago. She finally retired. After listening to my mom’s experiences, my ex-wife also went to cosmetology school. She owns Salon Cirrus in Kirkland. Even though we weren’t married any longer when she opened her business, I have experienced the ups and downs of a small business owner, because she told me about it. I know that a small loan when she opened helped her get the equipment she needed, allowed her to secure a space, and made it possible to hire one employee.” Amy heard him set his drinking glass down on the lectern.

“When I started my career, the only cost to me was physical wear and tear. For the women in my life, it was money. Even a small amount of money made the difference between
just a job
and
success
. They wanted more. They went out and got it.”

Amy peeked around the corner. Matt’s smile didn’t waver, but he looked somewhat lost.

“The other woman in my life managed to open her business without my help. Amy’s a florist. She owns Crazy Daisy on Capitol Hill. When things got bumpy for her, I wanted to fix it all. She wouldn’t let me. I didn’t understand it, but now I do. She wanted to succeed or fail on her own terms.” Laura nodded. “Mostly, Amy taught me a lesson. She made me see that it was time to shake up my life, too. Football was all I knew. Maybe it was time to try something else, something that would be a tribute to the courage and daring of the three women in my life, and be an example for my daughter, Samantha.” Amy peeked around the corner again, and saw Matt lift his glass high. “So, let’s toast. I’d like to drink to the women I love, and I’d like to drink to the women who will succeed because Lifechangers, Inc., gave them a hand up, not a hand out.”

The clinking of glasses greeted his comments. He had his arm around Samantha, who had a flute of what looked like sparkling cider. Pauline stepped over to a ribbon stretched across the far end of the room and snipped it with a gigantic pair of scissors. There was applause, more clinking of glasses, and Amy put her glass down on a nearby windowsill.

Matt was surrounded by women who wanted to hug him, talk with him, and pose for photographs. She slipped out the front door, and hurried to her car.

She needed a plan of her own.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

O
N A MISERABLY
warm July evening, Amy glanced around another packed hotel ballroom of people dressed in formalwear. The place boasted meat locker quality air conditioning, which she appreciated. Brandon and Emily had bought a table at the Seattle Humane Society’s “Tuxes and Tails” fundraiser, and she was told, under no uncertain terms, to be there.