Page 163 of Cross Check

“Oh my god,” he repeats, softer this time. “I’m so happy for you. You brilliant, amazing coach. You magnificent woman. You’re spectacular.”

“I am not.”

“Amelia Green.” Grant sits on his mattress and narrows his eyes. “Don’t start with the self-deprecation.”

“I don’t want to get too excited over something that’s not a sure thing. I’m cautiously optimistic, but I don’t want to put all my eggs in one basket. What if it’s not the right fit? What if change is bad?”

“Then you still have your job in Denver, and you’ll wait for the right fit. It’s out there, Lia. You just have to find it. Fuck. I don’t know why I’m tearing up.” He wipes his cheek and laughs again. “Actually, I do know why. You deserve this.”

“I do deserve this.” I roll my head on the couch cushion, sighing. “And now that it’s a possibility, I really, really want it.”

“You’re going to get it. I know you’re going to say I’m being overambitious, but they reached out to you directly, Lia. That’s important.”

“Yeah.” I rub a hand over my chest. “I think you might be right.”

“That’s my girl,” he murmurs.

The smooth baritone of his voice makes me shiver. It wraps around me, a cloak of confidence I’ll wear until next week.

With his support, I can do anything I set my mind to.

“I’ll keep you posted about my trip,” I say. “When I get in, how long I’ll be in town. Maybe we can meet up.”

“Tell me when and where, and I’ll be there. I’ll change my whole schedule if it means I get to spend time with you.” Grant smiles at me again, and it’s like I’m the only one in the world. “I hope you go to sleep tonight proud of yourself, Lia.”

We hang up a few minutes later, and I finish my glass of wine.

It’s not lost on me that this job would put me only an hour away from Grant. How nice would it be to see him whenever I wanted? To grab dinner with him on a random Wednesday night just because we can?

I’d never take a job for a man, but I can’t deny how wonderful it would be to be close to my best friend.

FIFTY-ONE

AMELIA

Lainey

Good luck today, Amelia!

Sienna

Knock them dead, darling.

Lainey

Let us know how it goes!

Sienna

Deep breaths and positive thoughts.

GE

I can’t wait to hear all about your interview later.

You’re going to do great, Lia.

If you finish early, I left a ticket for you at the box office for tonight’s game.