Her brother, Ted, met her at the door and ushered her in. She looked around. "Where's Mia?"

"She's finishing up some baking in her apartment. Why are you here?"

"Because I tried to refuse the ride, and I didn't want him to drop me at home. I really didn't want to look like an heiress."

Teddy laughed. "You're not Paris Hilton. Heiress!"

She felt the anger bubbling. "Right, because everything will be left to you."

"You'll get Dad's baseball card collection."

"See! I'm just the middle child. You're the heir and I'm not even the spare."

"Where do you get these ideas? Sometimes you're more dramatic than Tori, as if that's even possible. I was kidding. Sloane, even if I run the company, Dad will leave it to us in equal shares, except for the portion I acquired through my marriage. Dad would give you a position in a heartbeat, but you don't want one."

"You're still the chosen one."

"Please. I'm only good for having rumors spread about me. No thanks to my ex. Speaking of which..."

"You mean the witch."

Teddy laughed. "She's been stirring up trouble because of Mia."

"I don't understand her. She's moved on."

"She jealous because Mia's a better mother. Do you need a ride home?"

"Do you mind? I have to be at Logan by five, so I need to go to bed."

"Where are you going?"

She smiled. "New York."

"Too bad Sage moved. Who dropped you off?" He looked at her wearing jeans and her baseball jersey.

"Only my favorite player!"

"How did that happen?"

"Long story, but he thinks I am a crazy fan and was coerced into giving me a ride."

"You are a crazy fan. So, you definitely want a condo, right?" She nodded. "Okay. I have one with your name on it. They're almost ready and sold out. There's a waiting list. Let me tell Mia I'm going."

Sloane stood on the back porch and waited for her brother to come out of the other apartment. She didn't want to go in, because she'd start talking and she needed to go home to sleep. She liked Mia and the way she brought back the old Teddy.

When Sloane arrived home, her suitcase was packed. The weekend maid often took care of it. There wasn't anything to it. Four freshly dry cleaned skirts and blouses — one set was a spare in case they extended her trip. One jeans outfit, workout clothes she hardly ever used, pajamas, and underthings. She had duplicates of every toiletry, always packed and had already packed her laptop and accessories on her own. The packing process was like the movie Groundhog Day. The same process over and over.

Whenever she needed to fall asleep early, she had trouble. She couldn't get out of her mind the feeling Ben Lynch didn't like her. It shouldn't matter, but it did. It reminded her she could fantasize about her crush, but it would always be just a fantasy.

Arriving in New York before Dom, she took a cab to the client. It was a brokerage house on Wall Street and they hadn't had a breach but were not as secure as they should have been. Once she started to get into the nitty gritty, she suspected they may need a few weeks to ensure maximum security. She wouldn't mind a few weeks on the east coast. Dom usually had the shorter travel routes since he lived in the middle of the country.

If Sage still lived in the city, Sloane might stay over on the weekend and catch a game. What she hadn't expected was a text from Kenzie asking if she wanted to have lunch on Saturday. She immediately agreed.

Dom stared at her. "You look like you just got asked out."

She had a grin as she was texting her reply. "I did but not a date. Kenzie Jett asked me to lunch." He shrugged. He was useless when it came to her team. "She's the wife of the player who threw me the ball. She's also Benjamin Lynch's sister."

"Oh, well, now it makes sense. Is your heart throb going to be there?"

"No, ironically they'll be here in New York over the weekend."

"You should stay and find his hotel room and..."

"Dominic!"

"Your loss." He grinned. She knew Dom wasn't a slut, but he had been in a few relationships throughout the time she'd been working with him.

On Saturday, Sloane entered the restaurant Kenzie had suggested and took in the light decor. So many restaurants were stuffy with dark wood accents. She wondered if the restaurant felt like summer, even in the middle of winter when snow would cause slush on the sidewalks. She glanced around the small room and waved to Kenzie.

Kenzie smiled as Sloane walked over to her. "This place is beautiful. I've never been here before."

"It's a hidden gem and my favorite place to meet friends for lunch."

Sloane sat across from Kenzie. "Where are your kids?"

"Jett's parents are in town. It was my mother-in-law who suggested I do something for myself. I considered a trip to the spa, but it's not really my thing."

Sloane was never one for pampering. It was another way she and Tori differed.

"So how was your trip to New York?"

"Productive but we'll be back next week to finish up."

The waitress came over and poured some lemon water in a glass for Sloane. "Would you like anything else to drink?" Sloane looked at Kenzie.

She shook her head. "Not for me. I can't take care of kids with a foggy brain." Sloane shook her head. "You don't work alone?"

A laugh escaped. "No, I don't think I could stand the loneliness if I did. I am almost always teamed up with my friend Dominic."

"Friend?" Kenzie smiled.

"Just friend. I'm not his type. He's more attracted to your brother."

Kenzie laughed. "Ben wouldn't think that was funny. What about you?"

"Me what?"

"Are you attracted to my brother?" Kenzie's directness caused a sour feeling in her belly.

She chose her reply carefully. "Isn't every woman?"

She shrugged. "I see it, but my type is different." Sloane nodded, knowing she meant Jett. "Are you seeing anyone?"

"With my schedule, it's almost impossible."

"Jett mentioned you brought a guy to the game?"

"Dom. He doesn't like baseball. I promised him he'd like the scenery."

Kenzie laughed. "Did you convert him?"

"Not really."

They both paused to look over the menu. Sloane chose a summer salad with greens and fruit and a citrus vinaigrette, which she'd request on the side. When the waitress came back, Kenzie ordered a different salad also with the dressing on the side.

"I enjoyed meeting your father and mother." Sloane wanted to steer the conversation away from how attracted she was to Ben.

"Betsy's my stepmother, but she was our next-door neighbor growing up. She's Maisy's biological grandmother."

"So her mother was your stepsister."

Kenzie shook her head. "Kim was gone before our parents married. She was my best friend. Jett and I tried to help her but couldn't."

Kenzie looked down at her salad and pushed the food around. Sloane wished she could take back the conversation. She understood why the fight against addiction was important to her.

"Ben wasn't as patient with Kim. He isn't close to Maisy because of it. Actually, he isn't fond of kids."

It surprised Sloane when Kenzie shared with her. Kenzie's eyes looked cloudy. "I'm sorry. I don't hate kids, but I don't know how to be around them."

"Do you want them someday?"

Sloane shrugged. "Not unless something changes. I don't feel like women are supposed to feel when I see a baby."

The sadness on Kenzie's face was washed away with her smile. "You and Ben would make an excellent match."

"What? He's seeing someone."

Kenzie waved her hand. "Forget her. I'll think of a plan."

"I'd rather you didn't. I honestly don't think he likes me."

"I saw him look at you. He liked what he saw."

"Looks are only a part of it. Does he hate all fans or is it just me?"

Kenzie snorted. "He has trust issues. Our mother screwed him over. She knows not to mess with me. First, I was a poor schoolteacher and now Jett would never put up with her crap."

Sloane didn't ask questions. Kenzie was forthcoming, so she would tell her as much as she was comfortable sharing. The conversation shifted and Kenzie confided how she wouldn't be upset if the team didn't make the playoffs. "The season is long and the off season is short. I always loved baseball, but since I've been married it's hard."

"I understand. I don't get an off season."

"Do you see yourself traveling indefinitely?"

Sloane shrugged. "I have other options, but for now my work challenges me enough to keep at it."

Sloane could run IT, including security for Calhoun if she wanted. There were also local security positions which would bore her. The CIA, FBI, and several branches of the armed services tried to recruit her out of MIT, but she wasn't interested.

Too soon they finished their salads and fought over the bill. Kenzie argued she invited Sloane. Sloane countered reminding her Jett bought her a meal and Kenzie had fed her. They compromised and split it. When they stepped out onto the sidewalk, they hugged with promises to get together again.

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