“Who is she?” Grace asked with a knowing voice, “Hopefully not some dumb blonde bimbo who will suck you dry.”

“Hey, no one has sucked me dry!” Shea said defensively.

“They tried.”

“Now you know that’s not true. I won’t even let them close enough to suck me dry.”

“Whatever. You bought the last chick, Marie, a diamond necklace!”

“Because I cheated on her with her sister and she threatened to kill herself because she loved me so much!”

“Oh, yeah. Well anyway, who is she?”

“How do you know it’s a woman?”

“Because, like I said, you don’t get embarrassed. So shut up and tell me.”

“I don’t know who she is. She was the photographer today.”

“Okay, and?”

“And she was beautiful.”

“Did you ask her out?”

“No, she is kind of different,” he said sheepishly.

“What the hell, Shea? You are not making sense. Who am I talking to?” she said teasingly, “This isn’t my brother, big scary Captain Adler, because my brother’s motto is ‘I came, I saw, I conquered.’”

Shea let out a booming laugh, which caused her to laugh.

“I don’t know. She wouldn’t look me in the eye. She was shy, cute.”

“Hmm, sounds like a winner in my book,” Grace cooed.

“Maybe.”

“So, anyway, the party for this weekend is almost done, planning-wise.”

“Sounds good.”

“I’m excited. The guys are gonna have a ball.”

“That’s why I hired the best party planner in Nashville.”

Grace giggled and went on with the details, as Shea stood in his stainless steel kitchen. Grace had decorated the whole condo for him when they came to Nashville four years ago. He had just gotten traded to the Assassins from the Flyers and couldn’t be happier to be moved to a team that was going to pay a hell of a lot more than the Flyers ever did. Plus, Grace had hated Philadelphia. Probably as much as Shea did. Luckily, they both loved Nashville. Grace would never go anywhere without Shea, and he wouldn’t go anywhere without her.

The joy of being twins!

Grace had helped pick out the condo, and even lived with him for a while to finish decorating, before looking for her own. Then she met James Justice. After only being together for a couple of months, she got pregnant. Now Grace lived ten minutes from Shea in a beautiful 1.2 million dollar house, blissfully married, with two of the greatest kids in the world, Ryan and Amelia, while running the biggest party planning business in Nashville. Shea couldn’t be happier for her, but he always got nervous at the thought that one day he might be leaving her, if he got traded again.

“Does that sound okay?” Grace asked, bringing him back to the conversation.

“Of course. Do you have a photographer?” Shea found himself asking. Grace started laughing.

“No, you never said you wanted one.”

“Well, maybe it would be a good idea. With all the new players and their families, don’t you think?”

“Yeah. Do you have a certain photographer in mind, Shea?”

“Oh hush, and get her.”

“Who is she?”

“I don’t know, but find her and get her. Offer her a price she can’t refuse.”

“You have no idea what her name is?”

“I think I heard Elli, but I’m not sure. Call Melody, she would know.”

“Fine. I’ve got three days to find this chick. Jeez, Shea.”

“I love you, Gracey,” he cooed. She laughed.

“I love you, too. Bye.”

“Bye.”

He hung up his phone, tucking it into his pocket with a grin on his face. He went to his fridge, smiling at his niece and nephew’s pictures before opening it to get a beer. He popped the top as he walked to the dimly lit living room. He sat down on his leather couch and turned on the TV to catch some of the highlights before turning in for the night. He had an early practice in the morning. Plus, he was volunteering with the team tomorrow over at Vanderbilt’s Children’s hospital.

As Shea drank his beer, he found himself grinning. If Grace came through, he would be seeing the beautiful photographer by this weekend.

And this time, he would conquer.

Chapter 2

Elli was dragging ass when she came into the studio the next morning. The tall mocha from Starbucks she had stopped to get was not doing the job. She was exhausted. She had stayed up until two in the morning editing pictures and got up at six to let Adler out and to get ready for work. She had two newborn shoots, a senior, and then two families, all before three o’clock.

It was going to be a long day.

As Elli unlocked the big glass doors to the studio, she glanced down at the white script that covered the doors. It was something she did every morning.

Time Standing Still

Owner: Eleanor Fisher

Established: 2004

She smiled to herself as she shut the door behind her, turning the lights on as she walked to the back where her office was located. She set her coffee down before slipping off her heels and picking up her phone to listen to her messages. Usually Harper would do all this, but she wasn’t coming in today. Elli had given all the assistants the day off, since yesterday had been such a big job.

Elli had 40 messages waiting on her. She sat down and listened to every one of them, writing phone numbers down and putting stars beside her clients she had worked with in the past. She would call them last. She took a drink as the answering machine continued: