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think.”
    “You’re just a ball of cheer, aren’t you?” he complained. Goddamn that linebacker who fell on him the wrong way. If he had a gun, he might shoot the guy.
    “I’m trying to be practical here.” She lifted up his hand and squeezed it. “I just want to help you get through this, Jakie. You’re my brother and I love you.”
    “Please don’t call me that stupid name.” He frowned. “Someone might hear you.”
    “Okay.” She giggled. “Jakie.” She wiped the smile from her face. “I’m trying to do the best for you, okay?”
    He knew that. He just couldn’t help letting his bitterness come through. He saw his life lying in tatters and shreds around him. And having a stranger living in his house, seeing how incapacitated he was, didn’t sit well with him, even though he knew he couldn’t avoid it. He guessed he thought if he refused, then miraculously the situation would go away.
    “So have you got any other ideas about a babysitter for me?”
    She nodded. “I agree with you an agency worker probably wouldn’t fit the bill, but I promised I’d bring it up. DiMarco was very firm we get someone who can handle more things for you than just personal care. Someone to deal with things like the media when it starts sniffing you out. Groupies who might try to show up at your house. Then there’s your e-mail and snail mail. Stuff like that.”
    “Again I point out that you’d be perfect for this.”
    “Har, har, har. Don’t change the subject. I want to get this fixed so I can feel comfortable going to work knowing you’re in a good situation.”
    He hadn’t really meant to be so flippant with her. Ivy had a plum job with a marketing firm, and he actually knew what a great job she did. In fact, the owner of the Mustangs had spoken to him not too long ago about his opinion of bringing her on to the team staff. He’d wondered if it would be awkward for either of them. But before anything could be worked out the disaster had happened.
    “Okay, okay, okay,” he grumbled. Shit, could things get any worse for him? “I get the message. So let’s hear what else you came up with.”
    “I had some thoughts on this.” Ivy had what he called her inscrutable look on her face. Usually it meant trouble for someone else. He was afraid this time it meant trouble for him. He just hoped to hell he was wrong.
    “What’s going on in your head?” he asked. “Should I be afraid?”
    “No.” She shook her head. “You should be impressed. What if I could find someone who just fit the bill? Could handle everything we discussed and do it very efficiently. Cook for you. Shop for you. Haul your ass back and forth to the doctor and physical therapy. Answer your phone. Deal with your mail. Keep the female vultures away from you. Sort of executive assistant with a few extra duties thrown in. Someone who would make herself invisible except when you need her. And was smart and easy on the eyes to boot. What would you say?”
    Jake stared at her. Somehow this sounded too good to be true. “I’d say you’re crazy. No one like that exists. Or if she did, she probably wouldn’t work for me.”
    “But what if she did?” Ivy persisted. “What would you say? And would you pay her commensurately?”
    “Hell, I know these people don’t come cheap. What do you want me to say? Sky’s the limit? You’ve got it.” An unpleasant thought rolled through him and he narrowed his eyes. “She wouldn’t be someone trying to get her mitts on me, would she?”
    “You know I’d never do that to you. Trust me.” Ivy laughed. “If I can even persuade her to take this job, that’s the last thing she’d want. You can take that to the bank.”
    “Yeah? So what’s this paragon’s name?”
    “Her name?” Ivy stared at him blankly.
    “Yeah. Her name. She has one, right? Especially if she’s so fucking perfect.”
    “Oh, um, Anne. Her name is Anne Hardy.”
    Why did she have such a problem remembering the name? What the