All she wanted was a fresh start: just the two of them, and a little bit of trust that hopefully would blossom into a strong and lasting love.

She scanned the room for the hundredth time.

Why wasn't Ty here yet? What if something had happened to him? What if he was lying in a hospital somewhere? Would he think to call her?

Steve Villers pulled out a chair beside him and Julie tried to focus on the welcome speech the NFL's commissioner was giving, even though all she could think about was seeing Ty again. The commissioner opened the floor for questions and she wasn't surprised that Bobby Wilson was the first to stand.

"As I'm sure everyone here already knows, I am the new owner of the Outlaws." He smacked his lips together, looking like a hungry wolf on a three-little-pig hunt. "I've got a question for Miss Spencer, if y'all don't mind."

Sensing something juicy, the reporters turned their tape recorders his way.

"First off all, may I say that you are looking just as pretty as ever, Ms. Spencer." Julie waited for him to get to the point.

"I was wondering about something you said to me in my office a few days back." He paused, pushed his cowboy hat an inch to the left. "If I recall correctly, you said you didn't have the necessary skills to fix up an athlete's public image. I do believe that was right before you told me you were not going to work with my boy Ty any longer."

Just then Ty emerged from a dark corner, looking like he didn't have a care in the world, the way he always did. He raised an eyebrow at her in his cocky way.

God, she loved him. Every arrogant, gorgeous inch of him.

"Something I learned recently is that we all make mistakes. Even an image consultant screws up from time to time." She grinned. "I have a feeling that this will come in very handy in working with professional football players."

Laughter rolled through the crowd and she hoped Ty understood that her words were meant for him.

"Two weeks ago I knew nothing about football. Like a lot of people, I assumed football players were overpaid, dumb jocks."

The players groaned.

"Sorry, guys," she said. "But that's why I've decided to work with the NFL. I've learned a lot about football players: I learned about their integrity and giving, and what's really beneath the surface. The NFL is now my firm's biggest client, and I will devote the bulk of my time and energy to making sure people view both the league and its players in the most positive light imaginable." She looked straight at Ty. "Misunderstandings will always happen; that's just the way the world works. But from here on out I vow not to let anyone walk away until we've reached a mutual understanding." Bobby nodded. "A very polished answer, Miss Spencer. There's only one problem with that." He waved a nine-by-twelve manila envelope at her. "I've got pictures of you and Ty Calhoun having sex on a balcony in Napa. How are you going to talk your way out of that one?" Ty reached Bobby in seconds flat, and yanked the envelope from his hand.

Before Ty could get his hands around Bobby's fleshy neck, a loud crash sounded from the back of the room.

A disheveled, obviously drunk man stumbled into the press conference. "Where is that rat bastard?" The man wobbled past athletes and writers, finally finding his target in the crowd.

"You lost me my biggest player!" he screamed at Bobby. "Now that he's gone, everyone else is leaving me. I'll have nothing left soon!"

Julie quickly put two and two together. Had Ty fired his smarmy agent?

A plump bead of sweat rolled down Bobby's face.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Jay pointed at Bobby with a shaking hand and spittle flew from his lips as he screamed, "You paid me to convince Ty to let some stupid image consultant tail him. You wanted to make Ty look really bad, to get even for what he did to your son." Ty stood in the middle of the crowded room between his crazy agent and even crazier boss, and his steady voice cut through the shocked silence. "Your son? Have I met him before?" A second later, recognition dawned. "Joey Wilson? From Texas Football Camp? That was your kid?"

"He was going to be a star quarterback," Bobby spat, "until you hogged up all the limelight, you f**king bastard."

"Didn't he want to be a writer or something?"

Bobby's face turned beet red. "He was best in state until you showed up. Then none of the recruiters noticed him—they only had eyes for you, pretty boy. I told my stupid kid that writers don't matter, great football players do. But he wouldn't listen to me. It's all your fault. And your agent was perfectly happy to take my money to make sure you didn't look for another team."

A low growl came from the crowd of journalists. It was one thing to be harsh on an athlete. It was another entirely to have their own profession maligned. Security guards, clearly fearing for Bobby's safety, pushed through the crowd and quickly dragged him out the double doors, squealing the whole way.

As the double doors slammed shut Ty shook his head, amazed at how things had gone down. But the whole mess had brought Julie back into his life, and for that reason alone he was willing to forgive anyone anything.

Back behind the podium, the commissioner said, "I apologize for the three-ring-circus that just took place, folks. I think we all need a few minutes to regroup and get some air. Let's start up again at quarter till."

Most of the journalists were already either calling in their stories or typing furiously on their BlackBerries. Ty grinned. He seemed to have a knack for getting press, even when he wasn't trying. The commissioner approached him first. "1 want to personally apologize for what just happened. Bobby Wilson will be suspended and his case reviewed. Let me know if there's anything I can do to make things right."

"Will do." All Ty could concentrate on right now was the woman he loved. He looked through the crowd at where she'd been sitting, but she was gone.

She was standing right in front of him. "I'm sorry," he said, reaching for her hands, and she said, "No, I am," as she pulled him closer.

"I was an idiot ten years ago," he said. "I figured you woke up and realized you'd slept with a loser. I thought you were going to leave me." He held her gaze. "So I left you first."

"I've done a lot of stupid things in my life, but not begging you to give me another chance was the stupidest. Until last week, when I let you go again. You're more important to me than any game, than fame or money. I want to share my dreams with you, Julie. You're all I want." Julie's eyes shone with unshed tears. "I couldn't even be honest about my own life, so how could I be honest about my feelings for you? I shouldn't have insisted on keeping our relationship a secret. I was so scared. But I'm not scared anymore."