He wouldn’t be jealous.
He got the girl.
“Maybe,” he said, pulling her close under his arm. Word had gotten out he had a girlfriend and there was a lot of speculation and eyes on them.
The fact she was here on the field talking to him during warmups said more than she was just his girlfriend.
Maybe if he could get the words out of his head that he loved her, he wouldn’t feel so unsure of things and make it public knowledge.
“Roark is so jealous,” she said.
“He could have come to the game,” he said. “There are plenty of seats in the box.”
He’d paid for a private box for Emma and his mother and sisters for the game. It was something he’d done before so that his family could be comfortable for games regardless of the teams he’d played for.
Last year, he never had time to do it because he’d been out for the games they would have been able to come to. He understood them not wanting to attend a game where he was on the sidelines.
“I told him that,” she said. “But he’s got a big case this week and said he needed to be ready for it.”
“As long as you’re willing to come to more games, I’ll do it again,” he said.
“You shouldn’t have to pay for these seats all the time,” she said. “That’s nuts.”
“It’s not a big deal,” he said. It’s not as if he didn’t have the money and he didn’t spend it on a lot. Having his girlfriend watching him and knowing she was close by wasmorethan worth it.
Especially knowing she’d be going home with him.
In the past two months, she came to see him four times. He hadn’t been able to do the same to her on the island.
Once training camp started, he had a few weeks of that, then preseason and traveling, obligations to the press. Life was just getting started.
If Emma hadn’t been so willing to come here for him, he wasn’t sure he’d feel as if he was ready to let the world know.
But she did, every other weekend for a few nights. She even flew over once and they made arrangements for the helicopter to drop her at the stadium.
That raised a lot of eyebrows for those remaining there after practice one day, then her getting picked back up the same way.
She shrugged it off and no one said a word to him about it. They probably figured he’d paid for it and not the other way around.
“If you say so,” she said. “Because Roark would love it.”
“Along with your father,” he said.
“He would too,” she said. Her hand went to the pass hanging on her neck with her picture on it. She’d take it off when they got in the box, but for now, she needed it.
“How are you doing, Emma?”
She turned her head to see Mike standing there. “I’m well,” she said. “This is great.”
“We are glad you are enjoying it. Did Warren tell you we’d like to make a statement soon?”
He watched her squint at his publicist. “He did,” she said. “But he needs to focus on the game today and bringing that up isn’t a good idea, don’t you think?”
Mike laughed and slapped Warren on the arm. “He also should get out there and start warming up with his team, and yet he’s over here with you.”
Which was a subtle dig. Warren turned to see several of the coaches’ eyes on them. He didn’t appreciate the remark that he wasn’t putting the team first when he always did.
“Go,” she said. “Mike won’t let me get lost.”
