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Vee turned to my parents. “You’re both invited to the Hubbard family suite for the divisional and hopefully the conference rounds. I won’t be there during the game, but I have a couple of cousins who will take good care of you.”

Mom looked as if she was about to cry. “That’s so generous of you.”

We all walked toward the elevators.

Once we were in our hotel suite, Vee said, “I really love your family.”

I reached for her hands and lifted them to my lips. After kissing her knuckles on each hand, I smiled. “They love you too.” Opening my eyes wide, I asked, “Which sponsor did you finagle passes out of? I don’t remember you saying.”

“Microsoft.” She shrugged. “I know they have suites in most stadiums.”

My stomach dropped. “I should mention something…”

CHAPTER 13

Vee

Istared at Fin in disbelief.

“Just because she now works in recruiting,” Fin said, “doesn’t mean she’ll be in the suite. After all, there’s a game happening.”

“Abigail…your ex-wife…works for Green Bay’s recruiting?” Microsoft created the NFL’s specialized, AI-powered Combine and Scouting Apps.

Inhaling, he nodded. “Do you want me to try to get the outside tickets?”

“No.” I paced near the end of the king-sized bed, taking deep breaths. “It’s fine.”

“Fuck, Vee. It didn’t even cross my mind until we were here. I can ignore her. She would probably ignore me if it was just the two of us, but it’s not.”

“Your parents.”

“Yeah, Gail won’t ignore my parents. I think she liked them more than she did me.”

I sat on the end of the bed, and Fin sat beside me, his leg against mine.

“I thought you said she worked in public relations.”

“She did when I met her,” he said. “She was one of the people who organized the on-field press. While we were married, she completed her master’s degree. The last year I was here, we were no longer married, but I heard she was hired in recruiting.”

“You heard? When was the last time you talked to her or saw her?”

Fin tucked a tendril of my hair behind my ear. “Vee Hubbard, you have no reason to be jealous.”

“I’m not,” I responded too fast.

His cobalt gaze sucked me in, and we tipped our faces until our foreheads came together.

“Not jealous,” I explained. “I’m shocked.”

“Hey, your ex keeps popping up—at Reid’s funeral and in my text messages...”

“He’s out of the hospital, by the way. And I don’t plan on meeting Abby for a drink.”

“She doesn’t go by Abby.” Fin kissed my nose. “I love you, and even though you won’t let me call you that name anymore, you, Vee Hubbard, are my one and only Abby.”

“I love you too.” I scrunched my nose. “Vee is good. I don’t know. I can’t believe I chose Microsoft and now…well, it feels like all the fun was sucked out of tonight.”

“No,” he said more adamantly. “Maybe she won’t be there. Maybe I’m just resurrecting old ghosts.” He sighed. “Green Bay was good to me. I didn’t expect to have so many recollections when we got here.”