Page 55 of Score to Settle (Oakwood Ranch #1)

My legs are jelly, but I stand and keep my head high as I straighten my skirt and walk into Tim’s office. No doubt Scott will have told Tim his version of New York. And he’ll have told him I lied about my football knowledge. I hate that he’s getting there before I’ve had the chance to do it myself.

“Take a seat, Harper.” Tim waves to one of the chairs, his voice tight.

I perch on the edge of the chair, hoping I look more poised than I feel. Scott throws himself into the other chair, slouching back like he owns the place. He examines his nails with a bored expression.

Tim pinches the bridge of his nose before fixing me with an intense stare. “Scott has told me something very disturbing, Harper.”

My breath catches in my throat, but I force my voice to sound strong. “Tim, I can explain?—”

He holds up a hand, cutting me off. “Let me finish.” He turns his steely gaze on Scott. “This man has made some serious allegations against you. Suggesting you sexually harassed him in his workplace in New York.”

Of course he did.

Scott sits forward. “You only have to look at how quickly she jumped into Jake Sullivan’s bed to see she uses sex to get what she wants.”

“Shut up, Scott,” I hiss through gritted teeth, earning me another shit-eating grin from the man beside me.

Tim fixes Scott with a cold stare. “Let me finish. I happen to know that these allegations are bullshit for two reasons. First of all, I know Harper. I know the dedicated, hardworking journalist she is. I don’t know you”—he points to Scott—“and I have no reason to believe you over one of my employees. And even if that wasn’t the case, there’s the second reason.

I’ve also had a woman by the name of Genevieve Rose leave me several messages this week. ”

The name rings a bell, but I can’t think why. Whoever she is, Scott’s face pales.

“Genevieve is the head of HR for the media group that owns Insight . Apparently, she’s been calling you, Harper, but you haven’t picked up.

She looked you up and found you were working here, which is why we spoke first thing this morning.

It appears you were dismissed from your internship following allegations of sexual harassment from Mr. Harrington. ”

A smile twitches at the edges of Scott’s face. I don’t miss the look of relief either.

“However,” Tim continues, “it has come to the attention of HR that these allegations are most likely entirely false. Following Mr. Harrington’s dismissal a few weeks ago, several employees have now felt able to come forward with their own allegations against Mr. Harrington.

Given the number of complaints, they’re now looking back and considering that the one against you was also probably made up.

Genevieve has asked you to call her to discuss reinstating your internship should you want it, although of course I’d rather you stayed here. ”

My mouth drops open. Insight wants me back. My dream life in New York is mine for the taking. I draw in a sharp breath, unable to fully process everything Tim has said.

Scott clears his throat. “The allegations against me will all prove false, I can assure you. What is undeniable, however, is that Harper has also lied to you to get this job. She might be a sports journalist but she knows nothing about football. Trust me. I’m afraid you’ve been manipulated, Tim.

” Scott smirks, despite the beads of sweat forming on his brow.

A dark rage bubbles inside me, but I force it down. He isn’t worth a single drop of my energy.

“I’m well aware of Ms. Cassidy’s experience, Mr. Harrington. So if there’s nothing else, there’s the door.” He points across the room.

My head snaps up. Tim knows? How?

“Wh-what?” Scott splutters. “But she lied to you.”

“I can call security to show you out if you can’t find the way yourself,” Tim says by way of reply as he flashes me a brief smile. There’s a warmth there, a trust, that brings a lump of emotion to my throat.

Scott mutters something under his breath before striding to the door and out of the office. I stay where I am as Tim stands and closes the door before addressing me again.

“Harper—”

“I’m sorry,” I blurt. “I was in a really bad place after being fired in New York. I was desperate to prove myself. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you that I didn’t know a thing about football.”

Tim looks at me in the same way I imagine he does his children when they’re in trouble.

It’s stern but not unkind. “Do you think I didn’t know you were full of shit, Harper?

I’ve been working in sports journalism for over twenty years.

You evaded every single question about football I asked, always bringing the answer back to baseball and hockey. ”

I make a face before I ask the next question. “Why did you hire me then?”

“Firstly, we all have different interests and experience. No one is expected to be an expert on every sport. I hired you because I read your work and I liked the depth you add to your pieces. Sports journalism is a lot about reporting stats and scores. Not everyone thinks to scratch the surface the way you do.”

“I knew Jake Sullivan in high school,” I blurt out, cheeks flaming from my confession or from Tim’s compliment, I’m not sure. “We weren’t friends, but I was a couple of years below him and I didn’t tell you when you gave me the assignment.”

Tim raises his brows.

“You knew that, too?” I say quietly.

“Mama Sullivan mentioned you’d gone to the same high school when she asked for you.

When you didn’t bring it up in the meeting, I didn’t say anything either.

I assumed you’d rather the team didn’t know.

Most journalists with a connection to a sports star can’t wait to tell me.

It gives us a great in. So if you happen to have gone to college with Kelcie Grant or Joshua Tiegan, now would be a great time to tell me that, too. ”

I manage a smile, shaking my head. Why the hell didn’t I trust Tim to accept the truth? It’s the same with keeping the Scott thing from Jake, and even Callie and the team. I need to start letting people in. Trusting them to accept the real me.

“But Jake and I formed a relationship,” I say, unsure why I’m trying to dig myself into a bigger hole, but unable to stop now the truth is coming out. “It was unprofessional.”

“It was. And for the record, it’s not behavior Sports Magazine condones. If it were to happen again, we’d probably be having a different conversation right now.”

“You warned me about the lines getting blurred and I didn’t listen. I’m sorry.”

Tim sighs. “You think you’re the first journalist who’s fallen for the person they’re interviewing?

I’ve seen it before. As your boss, I wanted you to be aware and to act in a manner in keeping with Sports Magazine .

And on a more personal level, I didn’t want you to get hurt,” Tim replies.

I swallow down the emotion threatening to take over as Tim continues.

“Look, Harper, I can’t pretend what happened with you and Jake is ideal, but you were open with me about it, and you’ve continued to do your job.

So I’m willing to overlook it this once. ”

“But—”

Tim sighs. “Harper, take the win. I’m not firing you. You’re a fantastic journalist. Jake was right to ask for you to write his feature.”

My gaze snaps to Tim. “It wasn’t Jake who wanted me,” I say. “It was Mama.”

“I thought so at first, too,” Tim says. “But Mama Sullivan called to sing your praises the other day and mentioned the request actually came from Jake. Apparently you wrote something about him once in high school?”

What?!

I feel like I have whiplash. Jake knew all along that it was me who wrote that article about him.

I nod slowly. Suddenly, Jake’s reaction over dinner on my last night at the ranch makes sense.

He wasn’t trying to change the subject because Mama wanted me to write the feature and he didn’t.

It was because he’d chosen me. He knew I wrote that story.

“According to Jake, you saw through the bullshit when you were sixteen and he felt certain you’d do the same now.”

I briefly wonder how he found out I wrote that piece, but the question is swallowed up with the rising what-the-fuck anxiety threatening to take over.

My head spins. I don’t know what to make of everything Tim has said, but there’s a new sense of urgency pounding in my chest, like I’m late for something. Like I have to go right now.

“I’ll let you get back to work,” Tim says. “But I hope you’ll consider staying on now your probation has finished.”

“You want to offer me the position?” My mouth drops open. “But I lied to you and I was unprofessional…”

He rolls his eyes again. “Are you trying to get me to change my mind?”

“No.” I give a furious shake of my head. “But Callie…”

“Will be staying, too. Her ice hockey knowledge is better than mine. The plan is to have both of you, but you’ll be focused on the longer features that go behind the scenes, if that’s what you’d like to do?

Take some time to think about it. I appreciate you’ve now got your old job offer on the table. ”

I nod, unsure what to say. I stumble out of Tim’s office in a daze, my mind whirring with everything he’s told me.

Jake chose me to write the feature. He knew who I was all along and he wanted me to see the real him.

And I have seen it, haven’t I? The caring, generous, funny man who puts everyone else first. The man who looks at me like I’m his whole world.

And I’ve ignored all his attempts to contact me this week. I’ve focused on one moment of hurt, one outburst said in pain and fear, and I’ve let it cloud everything else. Every tender touch, every heated kiss, every joke and heartfelt moment between us. That’s the real Jake. My Jake.

The realization crashes over me like a tidal wave.

I love him. I am completely and utterly in love with Jake Sullivan.

The second the thought lands, another is chasing at its heels.

I have to tell him. I have to tell him now.

Before it’s too late and I lose him forever.

I spin around and head straight back into Tim’s office. He looks up in surprise.

“Um… I need to take the afternoon off,” I blurt. “I have to go to New York. Not for the job… for Jake.” My voice threatens to crack with emotion and urgency.

“You want half a day off after being back in the office for all of three hours?” he asks, pretending for a moment to be annoyed before the smile tugs at his lips. “Go. But you’ll have to make it up to me.”

I heave a sigh of relief. “Thank you. I’ll work on the feature over the weekend. You’ll have it first thing Monday.”

Tim chuckles. “I know.”

Relief and gratitude surge through me. “Thank you,” I reply.

“Oh, and Harper? I almost forgot. That novel you sent me. I assume it’s yours?”

I freeze, slowly turning back to face him. My face burns crimson at the thought of Tim reading about my sexy vampires, but I nod. “Sorry about that. You weren’t supposed to read it.”

“Well, I did. I can’t say I know much about those er…

fantasy novels, but my sister-in-law is a publishing director for one of the big publishing houses.

She was visiting over Christmas and read some of it.

She wants you to give her a call if you’re interested in talking more.

Maybe she can help. I’ll send you her number. ”

For the second time this morning, I’m lost for words. A publishing director read my novel. They want to talk to me. “I… I don’t know what to say.”

He shrugs. “Say, ‘See you Monday, Tim.’”

I laugh. “See you Monday, Tim.”

As soon as I’m out of his office, I’m racing to my desk to grab my things.

Callie gives me a curious look, but the usual venom is gone.

There’s no time to explain as I run to the elevator.

I’m jamming my finger against the call button, urging it to hurry, when the opening lines of the feature land in my thoughts.

When I was sent to Jake Sullivan’s family ranch to meet the man himself, I assumed I was meeting a privileged football star.

A man with an ego. A man with a reputation he deserved.

I thought I knew all there was to know about Jake before I set foot on Oakwood Ranch.

But I was wrong. Jake Sullivan is nothing like I expected. He’s so much more.