Page 80 of Scored

Trish winked. “Oh Vee, you will get my bill.” Her smile grew. “Honestly, in this profession a win such as this is more than satisfying. I believe your father wanted you and you alone to own the Coopers franchise. Not only did he not sign the alternative will, he went out of his way with the trust to assure that the Coopers wouldn’t go to anyone else.”

That made me think. “What would have happened if he had signed the new will?”

“As we said,” Cammy replied, “in most cases a trust takes precedence over a will.”

“I’ve heard multiple theories on why Dad didn’t sign the will. I guess I’ll never know for sure. However,” I thought out loud, “if Dad knew the Coopers would go to me even if he signed the new will, I would guess the variable Dad was trying to decide was if Daphne would inherit part of his estate or Bre.”

Cammy shrugged. “We’ll never know.”

“Thank you for everything.”

After they both left, I brushed my teeth. In the mirror over the vanity, I somehow looked different. “The Coopers are mine,” I said to myself. Standing taller, I stared into my own eyes. “You are officially and permanently the owner of the Lexington Coopers.”

A ringing chime came from my computer.

It was time for my first Zoom with my directors of stadium operations.

CHAPTER 32

Fin

At the end of the day, I grabbed my bag and coat from the locker room and headed toward the parking lot along with the rest of the team. During the season we would be preparing for our day off, our day to rest. Yesterday, was that day. Thoughts of Vee sleeping with her head on my lap brought a smile to my face. Tomorrow will be more meetings in the morning and practice in the afternoon.

The new plays Coaches Pratt and Garcia came up with took a lot of thought. As players, we need to conquer both the mental and physical aspect of each play. By the time it’s game day, every player on the field will know exactly what route to run and who to block. For Dennison, Jackson, and me, we need to do our part—advancing the ball—without hesitation.

A well-oiled machine.

Heading toward the glass doors of the football complex, I reached for my phone. I had a text message from my mother and one from Vee. It was the second one that made me stop walking and step to the side of the wide hallway. Exiting Maker’s Mark was a bit like swimming with the salmon, everyone headed in the same direction. A sudden stop could cause a pileup. No one wanted to end up with the trainers because of a hallway debacle.

I clicked on Vee’s name. Her text message appeared.

“SOMETHING AMAZING HAPPENED. I CAN’T WAIT TO TELL YOU. CAN YOU STOP BY MY OFFICE BEFORE YOU LEAVE?”

Amazing.

Despite what Clark said about Vee seeing the world through rose-colored glasses with glitter, I didn’t agree. Since we were back together, the Vee I knew was tempered, methodical, and hopeful. She wasn’t naïve. Vee knew she would need to ride the lows to experience the highs.

Whatever she thought was amazing, I wanted to hear.

Now I was the salmon swimming against the flow until I turned toward the executive offices and away from the exodus. It was after five, yet Vee’s assistant, Jen, and others were still present in Vee’s outer office.

“Hi, Jen,” I said with a grin. “Vee sent a text asking me to come see her.”

“Mr. Graham.”

“Fin. Mr. Graham is my dad.”

She lifted her cheeks with a smile. “Fin, let me check. I think she’s still on a call with one of her directors.”

“If she is, tell her I’ll wait.”

I walked over to the windows looking down on the indoor practice field as Jen knocked and disappeared behind the door to Vee’s office. For the first time, I imagined watching the practice from this view—above the plays.

Jen returned. “Go on in. She’s almost done.”

“Thank you.”

Pushing open her door, I heard Vee’s voice. Once inside, I closed the door. There was a gleam in her bright eyes when she looked beyond her computer screen. She tilted her head, and I got the message that she wanted me to sit in one of the comfortable chairs near the windows.