Page 76 of Ruff and Tumble

“I do,” Hailey said without hesitation. “You’ll have each other.”

He didn’t know what it was about Hailey’s answer that caused such a visceral reaction. Maybe it was the confidence with which she uttered it, the way it didn’t even occur to her to question the strained relationship between him and his parents, between him and his sister. It could have been how earnest she was, how much she truly believed in what she was saying. Either way, he couldn’t stop the words that came out of his mouth next.

“Sorry, but I don’t think you’re in a position to lecture me about my family.”

She balked at his words but didn’t stop. “They love you, Cole. Anyone who’s spent five minutes in their company can see that. You don’t want to disappoint them, I know, but they’re not going to strip you of your name because you’re injured.” She laughed, as though such a thing was so preposterous that it couldn’t even be considered. “They’ll keep loving you. They’ll help you figure out what you want to do next. They’ll support you every step of the way. Believe me, Cole Bennett is going to land on his feet.”

She didn’t get it. She didn’t understand. The one person he wanted—no,needed—on his side was just as wrong as everyone else. She looked at him and saw not a man, not someone who was terrified of what the future held and in desperate need of a friend, but Cole Bennett.

The myth. The millionaire. The motherfucking quarterback.

“You only say that because you haven’t had to answer to anyone but yourself for nine years,” he said, bitter and hurt rendering his voice hoarse. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he was taking his frustration out on the wrong person—that Hailey was the closest thing to an ally he had in this—but something had broken inside him, the floodgates thrown open so far there was no way to close them again. “There’s no one whose entire sense of self and happiness is wrapped up in what you do or don’t accomplish on any given day. There’s no one who counts on you for every single thing they are. You’re alone.”

All the color drained from Hailey face. A hole inside Cole’s chest cracked to see it, but it was too late. He’d already committed himself to this, spoken the words out loud, and there was no taking them back now. As if sensing it, Philip gave an eager whine—a sound Hailey immediately latched onto. She latched onto the puppy, too, holding him as though he were the only thing keeping her standing.

“I’m not alone,” she said, her voice cold. “In case you forgot, there are seven dogs currently living in my house, depending on me for survival. Eight, if you keep yelling at Philip.”

Cole had never yelled at Philip—not when he ate the cushion off his couch, not when he demanded bathroom breaks at two o’clock in the morning, and not when he almost got himself kicked off the team plane for trying to storm the cockpit. In fact, he couldn’t even imagine a world where yelling at Philip would be a choice. He adored that little dog, with his nervous qualms and his inability to keep his bow tie straight, the ratty football he carried around like it was the light of his life.

That Hailey couldn’t see how much he loved and needed that puppy—how much he loved and neededher—was the final straw. Since the moment he’d met this woman, he’d pushed and pulled and done everything he could think of to reach her.

None of it had worked. She’d given him her body, yes, and maybe even her affection, but she’d not once let him near her heart.

“You mean the dogs you’re too scared to keep for longer than a few weeks at a time?” he asked without waiting for an answer. “The dogs you refuse to adopt because it’s too hard to let anyone in your life on a permanent basis? You can’t even commit to a pet, Hailey. Don’t tell me what it means to have a family.”

He knew at once that he’d gone too far. The white pallor of her cheeks went instantly hot and red, her whole stance crumbling like stone cracked from the center.

“I think Philip and I should go,” she said, her voice shaking so much that his heart gave an answering stutter. “I’ll let the production office know that you’re not feeling up to being filmed today. In light of your injury, I’m sure they’ll understand. We can get a few shots of you playing with the puppies later this week.”

“Hailey, wait—” he began.

“Don’t.” The warning in her voice was impossible to ignore. “I know you could easily go over my head, call Jasmine, and take over the entire Puppy Cup, but I’m asking you not to. You already have everything. You said it yourself… All I have are my dogs, and they don’t even count. The least you can do is give me this.”

“Hailey—” he tried again, but it was too late. She was already clipping Philip to his leash, already talking to him in a low, soothing tone meant to bring him comfort. It wasn’t working, and had she asked, Cole could have told her that Philip needed his football and at least five treats before he was willing to leave the comfort of his home.

But she didn’t ask. She didn’t ask, and she didn’t stick around to hear his apology. In fact, she didn’t even hesitate as she walked out the door and out of his life without a single backward glance.

Chapter 18

“How about Garrett Smith? I could probably get you Garrett Smith. People love Garrett Smith.”

Jasmine sat at the far end of the conference table, so far removed from Hailey that she was having a difficult time making out her boss’s expression. Not that she needed to see Jasmine’s face to know what she was thinking. Her posture—rigid and unyielding—and the fact that she’d returned to the white pantsuits told Hailey everything she needed to know.

“I don’t want Garrett Smith. I want Cole Bennett. Cole Bennett is on the billboards. Cole Bennett is in the ad spots.” Jasmine cleared her throat. “Becauseyouput him there, if you’ll recall.”

“Then what about Tucker Marshall?” It was a long shot, but she had to try. Even if it meant she’d lose her job and have to sell her house and live in a kennel with Bess and Philip and all six of the puppies, there was no way she was going back to Cole on bended knee. “Since he’s replacing Cole in the Kickoff Cup, it makes sense. You’ll still have your Lumberjacks quarterback. Just not the one you started with.”

Jasmine sighed and got up from the table. Her movements always looked so calm, but she somehow crossed the room and joined Hailey before she finished untangling Philip’s leash from where it had wrapped around the table leg.

Hailey braced herself for the lecture she knew was coming. Jasmine certainly had her choice of topics. It had been unprofessional to sleep with Cole. She needed to stop bringing puppies to the office. Heartbreak wasn’t a good enough reason to cancel a show they’d spent an entire year working on.

Which was why she was so surprised when Jasmine dropped a hand to her shoulder. It was surprisingly warm. And comforting.

“I’m sorry,” Jasmine said. “I know it isn’t ideal, but we don’t have any other choice. It’s too late to make these kinds of changes, or I’d do my best to accommodate you.”

Hailey was too surprised by the kindness in her voice to do more than stare—a feeling that multiplied when Jasmine crouched down and extended a tentative hand toward Philip.

“So this is the little guy he abandoned, huh?” She made a tsking sound as Philip sniffed at her fingers. “He must be a real jerk to abandon a puppy like this.”