If they were playing football, Elliott would have called what happened next a clusterfuck.
The entire Tate clan piled out onto the porch—Kyler at the forefront—looking ready to defend their turf at all costs. Elliott’s receiver did a double take when he saw his coach standing there, but kept his game face on in spite of his obvious surprise. He’d phoned Kyler on the drive to procure the bank’s name and contact information at Peggy’s request, but hadn’t let on that he’d be joining the Suburban carrying his family’s would-be saviors. Kyler had known better than to attempt to pry too many details out of Elliott, so he’d read off the information and left it at that.
“You need to give us more time now, Officer,” a woman, presumably Kyler’s mother, called. “We were in diapers together, you and I. It’s the least you can do.”
The officer scratched the back of his neck, looking like he wanted to burrow beneath the dirt. “You know this is out of my hands, Jess.”
At that, Jess dug her fingers into Kyler’s shoulder. “Nothing is out of the law’s hands,” she responded, almost to herself. “Is it?”
“It’s going to be okay, Mom,” Kyler said, his voice steady. “Just—”
“Hi! Hi. Okay, hold on.”
At the sound of Peggy’s muffled voice, Elliott turned his attention from the family to find her upper half buried inside the Suburban, leaving her sweet, bent-over backside presented for two police officers and the banker, all of whom had stopped in their tracks. They exchanged uncomfortable glances with one another and tried not to look. But they failed and they failed hard.
Elliott had already started forward when Peggy straightened and turned, curls in her face, an exhilarating smile decorating her mouth. In one hand, she held a laptop, the opposite one pressing a cell phone to her ear. Even in her state of harried dishevelment, she looked edible. “Mr. O’Leary,” she breathed, addressing the banker. “How are you?”
“W-well, I—”
“You haven’t been at your office this morning. You’ve been running around. I understand.” Elliott tried to take the laptop off her hands, which started a small tug of war, before Peggy relented. “Okay, just…stay right there and hold it.”
Elliott winked at her. “I think I can manage that.”
She stared up at him as if they’d never met. “Okay.”
Sage and Belmont moved around the back of the Suburban then, looking fully prepared to lend support. Belmont’s grunt seemed to shake Peggy out of her stupor.
“Mr. O’Leary—” Peggy started.
“Who are you all?” Kyler’s mother yelled from the porch. “I didn’t really prepare for company.”
Peggy turned and waved. “Just give me a minute and I’ll explain.”
A beat passed. “Explain what now?”
“Mom,” Kyler cut in, still mired in patience. “That there is Coach Brooks.”
A chorus of responses came from the porch, but a deep, masculine one stood out above the rest. “We don’t get much chance to watch football—the farm takes up our time, you see—but we’re glad to meet you, Coach.”
Elliott sent a nod over the top of the Suburban, enjoying the fact that he hadn’t been recognized for once. “Your son is a hell of a receiver.”
Even from thirty yards away, Elliott could see Kyler’s eyebrows shoot up to his hairline. “Thank you, Coach.”
“Who’s everyone else?” Jess wanted to know. “Who’s the young one trying to blend into the scenery?”
A familiar groan from Alice. “I’m Coach Brooks’s kid.” She gave a long-suffering sigh. “I’m not trying to blend…I was just trying to guess your WiFi password.”
Kyler shouted down a series of numbers in Alice’s direction, before Elliott heard him stage-whisper to the group. “And that pretty blond number over there is Coach’s girlfriend, only neither of them seemed too keen on the idea. Seemed to be some animosity floating in the air, so don’t say nothing about it.”
Highly interested murmurings ensued.
“I’m keen on it now,” Elliott called over to Kyler, visibly shocking everyone within a hundred-mile radius. Especially Peggy, who he’d never once witnessed looking dumbfounded since they’d met…and hell if he didn’t mind it one bit. No, Elliott decided, he liked surprising Peggy with his behavior quite a damn lot. Better than being the predictable asshole she’d probably been expecting.
“I don’t know how I feel about this…” Peggy broke off, wiggling her fingers in his general direction. “Transformation.”
Wishing like hell they were alone, Elliott dropped his voice. “We can figure it out together.”
“Can we get back to the matter at hand?” O’Leary demanded to know, looking more than a little annoyed that someone had hit the Pause button on his entrance. “This isn’t my only appointment today.”
“Of course it’s not,” Peggy said breathily, stepping forward to touch the man’s forearm. “You are clearly in demand, so I’m going to make this really easy for you. Would you mind answering your cell phone for me? It’ll only take a second.”
“My cell phone.” O’Leary patted his suit jacket, dislodging Peggy’s hand out of necessity and untying the knots in Elliott’s neck in the process. With an unimaginative curse, O’Leary trucked back toward the Buick and ducked into the driver’s side. From Elliott’s vantage point, he could see the banker digging in his glove compartment and finally answering his phone. After a mere hello, the banker jerked back out of the driver’s side opening, banging his head off the frame on the way out.
“Aaron came through,” Peggy said, deflating against the side of the Suburban. “Let’s hope O’Leary is a member of the correct political party.”
Elliott checked the urge to tug her closer, make her lean on him instead. “Who’s he speaking with?”
Peggy blew out a breath. “Senator Glen Pendleton.”
Kyler moved up behind Elliott and took a place on his right. “The Senator Pendleton that’s running for the presidency?”
“The very one.” Peggy smiled in Kyler’s direction. “Hey. It’s the Rose man himself.”
Chuckling, the receiver started to move in Peggy’s direction and Elliott sidestepped, blocking his progress. “You’re fine where you are.”
“Yes, Coach.”
Elliott didn’t miss the wry smile exchanged between Kyler and Peggy, and even though it seemed to be pure friendly appreciation, it made his muscles stiffen.
“Listen, Peggy,” Kyler said, shifting on the dirt driveway. “I heard what you did, organizing the fund-raiser. I’ve been getting calls all morning from my teammates and fellow students. And I…I just don’t know what to say.” He shook his head, his gaze so full of emotion, Elliott had to look away. “I didn’t tell my family about it. Didn’t want to get their hopes up, in case the money doesn’t come through in time. But no matter what happens, I thank you all for trying.”
Peggy squared her shoulders. “It is going to come through. We didn’t come this far to be told no.” While Elliott struggled to catch his breath at the sight of a beautifully determined Peggy, she inclined her head to indicate Belmont and Sage. She managed to introduce her brother and best friend just in time for O’Leary to stride back into the scene. As if on cue, the Tate family converged, leaving everyone in a massive huddle around O’Leary and Peggy.
The banker blotted his forehead with a hankie he produced from his sleeve. “That was a neat trick…”
“Peggy Clarkson, at your service,” she chirped.
“Ms. Clarkson.” His tone was grudging. “Can’t say I’ve ever had the pleasure of speaking with a senator before, but as I informed him, he doesn’t have any say-so on this matter, and I have a job that needs to be completed to my employer’s satisfaction. Or I could find myself in the same situation as the Tates.”
“Absolutely,” Peggy responded, seemingly undeterred. “No one disputes that you have a hard job. People probably try and stall constantly. But this is a special case, because by this time tomorrow, we’ll be able to satisfy the debt in full.”
Gasps went up from Kyler’s family as Peggy reached for the laptop—but O’Leary halted her progress. “I’ve heard every story in the book, Ms. Clarkson, and I can’t take the chance. I’m sorry. The premises must be vacated immediately.”
She gestured to the laptop. “But if you could just—”
“I’m sorry, time has already run short.”
All right. A motor roared to life inside Elliott, somewhat familiar but way more personal than the righteous anger he usually experienced after a bad call or a missed opportunity on the field. Enough was enough. Some little piss-ant wasn’t going to lose Kyler his family farm over a difference of mere hours. And he sure as shit wasn’t going to ruin Peggy’s hard work and make her sad.
With the outward appearance of calm, Elliott handed the laptop to Kyler and heard his player give a slow whistle, followed by, “Everyone run for cover.”
Elliott approached O’Leary, stopping close enough that the other man had to tilt his head back, just enough to be half resentful, half nervous. “Now you listen up and you listen good,” he said in a low growl. “I’m sure your mama is real proud of you for wearing a suit and a Boy Scout haircut to work every day, but she ain’t here. It’s just you and me. And my growing irritation. Which is something you really don’t want to provoke.” He moved closer, satisfied when the man fell back a step. “You’re not taking away this family’s livelihood, just so you have a good story to tell your same-haircut-wearing, jerk-off buddies tonight over mojitos or whatever the fuck the world’s biggest assholes are drinking nowadays.” Elliott leaned back to size him up. “So here’s what you’re going to do, unless you intend to go through me.” O’Leary pointed over at the cop, his mouth opening on what was sure to be a stammer. “He isn’t going to help you. Didn’t you hear he went to school with Mrs. Tate? There’s loyalty there you’ll never understand. But if you don’t get back in your pre-midlife crisis of a car and burn rubber back to Mama’s house, we’ll test that loyalty and see who comes out on top.” Elliott gave him a hard smile. “Or you can reschedule for tomorrow and avoid anything unpleasant. And it would get unpleasant. That’s the kind of man I am. What about you?”
O’Leary had shrunk about three sizes during Elliott’s speech, his anger giving way to self-preservation. Muttering under his breath, the man checked his watch and glanced back at his car, as if weighing Elliott’s description of the vehicle. Finally, he turned back to the family with a sour expression. “Fine.” Everyone must have been holding their breath, because it was like a gale wind of relief rushing around Elliott. “You have one day.”
A cheer went up, which couldn’t help but make Elliott smile, but that was before someone launched themselves onto his back, crying thank-yous into his ear. And then Kyler piled on, followed by half a dozen unknown relatives, until Elliott was at the center of a standing dog pile, being embraced from every side.
“All right,” he muttered. “That’s enough.”
Over everyone’s head, he caught sight of Peggy, who still stood by the Suburban, watching him with a stunned smile playing around her mouth. That little hint that she might be pleased with him made the whole damn trip worth it. But when she shook herself and turned around, Elliott reminded himself the battle was only beginning.