As soon as she finished with the work portion of her day, she went back to the family suite. Opening the door was like a burst of warmth and her heart swelled. Having no family of her own—at least, no family that loved and supported her, the Rileys belonged to her now.
“Liz. I was wondering where you’d wandered off to.”
Gavin’s mother had spotted her immediately, which wasn’t at all a surprise. Kathleen Riley was great at taking care of her family, always making sure everyone felt welcome.
“I had some work to take care of.”
Kathleen shook her head. “You’re always working. When do you ever take a day off?”
Liz laid her hand over Kathleen’s arm. “I take plenty of days off, Mom. Don’t you worry about me. So what’s to eat in here?”
“Well, not my lasagna for sure. But there’s a lot of good stuff including some antipasto, chicken wings . . .”
Kathleen led her to the food, and Liz was hungry, so she filled a plate and grabbed something to drink. Kathleen chatted with her for a few more minutes and then wandered off to see to another family member. Liz spotted Savannah and Alicia huddled together at one of the tables and made her way over to them.
“Private conversation?” she asked, not wanting to intrude in case they were talking about something they’d rather she didn’t hear.
Savannah offered up a smile. “Not at all, Liz. Please, come join us.”
Liz took a seat and set down her plate and drink. “How are the boys looking out there?”
“Just warm-ups,” Alicia said. “So nothing exciting yet.”
“Good. Then I have time to eat while Savannah tells me about her trip to Chicago.”
“It was good. And not sports-related for a change, so that was rather refreshing.”
“As I recall, some CEO of a tech company, wasn’t it?” Liz asked.
“Yes. A young techno-wizard, came out of nowhere. One of those kids that created something out of nothing and is now a multimillionaire. But now he’s taking his company public and he needed an image makeover in the worst way. He’s brilliant, but a bit socially awkward, and his style— Well, let’s just say it was better suited to his parents’ basement than to the cover of Time magazine.”
Alicia smiled. “You’re just the right person to give him the social and style makeover he needed.”
“It was fun, actually. He’s a great young man and he’s definitely going places. I brought in a team to assist me with a fashion makeover and he and I spent a lot of time working on the social aspects of his persona. He’s smart and very hip and I didn’t want to change that about him. He just needed a few lessons in how to respond to the media so he didn’t come across as . . .”
Savannah seemed at a loss for words. Then again, she was nicer and more politically correct than Liz.
“A douche?” Liz offered.
Savannah laughed. “Yes. That, exactly. He didn’t need to go all GQ or turn into some stuffy exec. He just needed to become more comfortable in front of the camera. He’s a very quick learner, so I believe he’ll do just fine. Really, he’s just a sweetheart. I also met his girlfriend, an Ivy League grad and law student who’s going to be a wonderful asset to him, both professionally and personally.”
“Sounds like a perfect combination. I’m glad it all worked out for you.”
“Thanks, Liz. I’m just glad to be back home for a while. I missed Cole. And the timing couldn’t be more perfect. I wouldn’t have wanted to miss this game.”
“None of us want to miss this game,” Alicia said. “The cousins playing each other is always a big deal to the Rileys.”
“And speaking of you and Cole, when are the two of you going to be planning your wedding?” Liz asked.
Savannah grinned. “I know, our schedules have been ridiculous, and I’ve been lucky to have so much work to do lately. But we’ve set a date for next May.”
Alicia grinned. “That’s fabulous. And it’s about time.”
“Hey, it’s time for you and Garrett, too.”
“I know. We’re getting there. Talking about it. Taking things slowly. Finding a house and discussing all things marriage-related. We’re considering a late fall wedding next year, maybe after baseball season.”
Liz smiled. “I love that everyone’s in love. Getting married. Talking about getting married. Shacking up.”
Alicia laughed. “I guess we’ll get through Jenna and Ty’s wedding first.”
“Yes.”
“I heard my name mentioned. Are you saying bad things about me?”
Jenna sat with them.
“Awful things about you,” Liz said. “Mainly about your hair, and your butt.”
Jenna cracked a smile. “Yeah, well, speaking of my butt, you can kiss it.”
“No, we were talking about who’s married, who’s engaged, and who’s house shopping. And Savannah set a wedding date.”
“I heard about that. So Savannah’s next. And then Alicia.”
“Apparently. And I’m the old married woman.”
“No, that’s Tara because she and Mick got married first.”
“Where is Tara?” Alicia asked.
“She texted me a little while ago and said she had a brunch event to do this morning, but that she’d be here,” Jenna said.
“Good. I know she wouldn’t want to miss the game,” Liz said. “Who has Sam?”
“The babysitter,” Jenna said, “Since everyone in the family is here today, she figured Sam would get too tired to spend all day at the game. Not a good venue for a little one.”
“That makes sense.”
After Liz finished her plate, they all grabbed their seats and watched the pregame festivities, cheering loudly for both Mick and Cole as the teams were announced and took the field. Kathleen and Jimmy wore their Sabers jerseys, and of course since Cara and Jack were Cole’s and Alicia’s parents, they countered by wearing their Traders jerseys. The rest of the family interspersed, some wearing Traders colors, some Sabers.
It was quite the mix.
Tara showed up just as they were doing the coin toss.
“Sorry I’m late. Did I miss the kickoff?”
“No,” Liz said. “Not yet.”
“Ugh. The event went a little long and I couldn’t leave. And I’m starving. I’m going to wolf down some food and settle in.”
Liz rubbed her back. “Relax so you don’t get indigestion.”
Tara laughed. “I know. I know. It’s just been that kind of week. Sam’s had a cold, and Mick of course had his head in the game. Plus, I had this party to plan. It’s always everything at once. And Nathan will be home next week and I’m so excited about that, too.”
“You have a lot going on.”
“I do. But right now I have these mozzarella cheese sticks calling my name.”
Liz laughed. “I hear you. Priorities, honey.”
Tara finally settled and relaxed, and then it was game time. Liz felt the electricity in the filled-to-capacity stadium. Both teams were doing well in the standings, so this game meant something to both the Traders and the Sabers. The Traders were in first place in their division, and the Sabers were one game behind in theirs. And as the Traders kicked off to the Sabers, Liz held her breath. Even though she had no loyalty to either team, she felt for both Mick and Cole, knew what it was like to have a game that meant so much.