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to the minors.
    Brady, in one of his humble moments, had described what an emotional roll ercoaster it was for him when friends would get called up, leaving him behind. And when it was finally his turn, he'd been totally elated, until he had to pack up his locker and tell the guys who'd worked beside him every day goodbye.
    She included nearly every little piece of information she'd collected and put it together to create a story not only about an athlete whose hard work and persistence finally paid off, but also of the camaraderie between teammates and the struggles they faced together.
    She spoke of the heartbreak of another ended season in the minors. She told of the thril of getting the call, only to be replaced by guilt when the call came due to an injury to another player.
    She read through it over and over until she was certain Luther wouldn’t totally pick it apart. She saved her work, emailed it to Luther, and shut down her computer.
    After she showered, she gathered her things and headed to the office, feeling confident in her work. Brady’s words kept floating around in the back of her mind but she kept pushing them away. She wasn’t going to let Brady Nolan ruin what was to be a perfect day.
    She was the first to arrive so after dropping her things at her desk, she waltzed to the break room and started the coffee maker, waiting patiently for it to brew.
    She loved coming in early; enjoying the quiet of the usually busy office. She knew every square inch of the squat brick building by heart. Back when her father first became ill, it had been her one escape from medications and doctor visits. Here, she could be Taylor the eager employee; the girl not afraid of any job. She'd jumped feet first into every task.
    Finally, Luther had let her try her hand at reporting. Funny thing about that, Taylor had never really thought about writing. Sure, she'd always been an exceptional English and Creative Writing student, but she'd never once dreamed she’d use it to earn a living.
    But after she'd written her first piece, she became hooked. Of course she’d been assigned to the Society section, the first rung on the ladder, but she'd embraced it and wrote every piece as though writing a Pulitzer Prize novel. Her hard work did not go unnoticed; no, Luther loved it.
    Unfortunately, he had to play along with office politics and forced her to work her way up. She wasn’t thrilled, but she understood.
    When the coffee finished brewing, she poured a cup - stirring in two spoonfuls of sugar before retreating to her desk. She picked up her phone and dialed her voice mail. She hadn’t been in at all the day before and wondered if anyone had even noticed.
    Someone did , she thought wryly as she punched a button to retrieve her one mail message. Her hand stilled when she heard Brady’s voice.

    “Taylor, love," he greeted. "Come to the game Friday night. I’ll leave a ticket for you at Will Call. I know you’re upset with me but Tabby and Zoey want to see you again. I’ll even buy you a drink after the game.”
    Deleting the message, she slammed the phone down in fury. How could he even think that she’d be remotely interested in being anywhere near him? No, she was through. She got her story and now she could continue her life without Brady Nolan.
    “You’re here early, kid.”
    Looking up at a surprised Luther, she smiled. “Yeah. I couldn’t sleep so I got up early and finished the story. I already emailed it to you.” He raised his brow. “Already? excellent.” He hurried his heavy frame to his office, calling over his shoulder. “I’ll let you know when I’m done reading it.”
    Leaning back in her chair, she nodded. She looked around the office and realized she had nothing really to do. She'd only had the Brady Nolan assignment and she’d finished that already.
    Closing her eyes and tilting her head back, she swiveled left and right in her chair.
    “ I lost. I lost the bet.”
    She squeezed her eyes tighter,