“Yeah. Gavin and Garrett, of course, play baseball. Mick and Cole are football. Jenna’s husband, Tyler, plays hockey.”
Haven tried to take that all in. “Um, wow. That’s a big, sports-minded family.”
“It is. And the Riley family has a sports bar, too.”
She laughed. “Of course they do.”
“Jenna used to manage the sports bar, but she’s a singer and has a club catering to musicians.”
“Oh, really? I’d love to hear her sing sometime.”
He led her to an open spot in the living room where they could take a seat. “Maybe I’ll take you sometime.”
She sat, pondering a family like the Rileys. “Now there’s a family in dire need of having a feature story. An entire family of jocks. What a story that could be.”
“And you’re just the person to do it.”
“I could. It would be an amazing piece. All those sports? What it must have been like growing up in that family, and to have all the guys end up playing professionally. Even Jenna ends up marrying a professional hockey player. And Alicia is engaged to a baseball player. What are the odds of that happening?”
Trevor took a long pull of his beer, then shook his head. “No idea. But hey, you have to work on me first.”
She patted his knee. “Believe me, you’re going to take up enough of my time. But I’m filing the Rileys away for later. I’m definitely going to revisit the topic.”
“The Rileys are an interesting topic for any day. We’re never dull, that’s for sure.”
Gavin took a seat next to them.
“Hey, Gavin,” Trevor said.
“Hi, Gavin. Trevor was just telling me about your family—everyone who plays sports. It’s pretty amazing to have a family like yours.”
Gavin sprouted a grin. “On most days it is. But there’s a lot of ego, too.”
“You are not talking about me, are you?”
A beautiful redhead sat beside Gavin.
“This is my wife, Elizabeth. Liz, this is Haven Briscoe. She’s with Trevor tonight.”
Liz held out her hand. “Nice to meet you, Haven.”
“You, too, Liz.”
“Liz is in the business, too,” Gavin said. “She’s a sports agent.”
And the wheels in Haven’s head continued to turn. “Seriously?”
Liz smiled. “Seriously. Why?”
“I was telling her about the ties all the Rileys have to sports,” Trevor explained.
Liz nodded. “Ah. Mind-boggling, isn’t it?”
“Just a little.”
“I used to represent both Mick and Gavin. But of course, I don’t now that Gavin and I are married. I still represent Tyler and Cole, though. And I’d like to get Trevor to come over as well.”
Gavin put an arm around her. “You are still on maternity leave. No shop talk.”
Haven smiled. “I heard you had a baby. Congratulations.”
Liz grinned. “Thank you, yes, in August. A little girl named Genevieve. She’s upstairs sleeping right now. I’m not at the point yet where I’m ready to leave her with a sitter. Plus, I’m still breast-feeding.”
“Yeah, on that note, I’m off to get another beer,” Trevor said, making a hasty exit.
“I’ll go with you.”
“For some reason a lot of men can’t handle the breastfeeding conversation,” Liz said with a wry smile.
Haven laughed. “I’d love to see Genevieve when she wakes. I’ve kind of got a thing for babies.”
“The funny thing is, I never did. I was totally career focused. I had planned to be single, to devote my life to my career. Then Gavin happened, and my whole world went to shit. I fell in love, we got married, and suddenly I’m a mom. And the baby cries constantly, seems to barf incessantly, and hasn’t slept a full night yet. I’m an absolute wreck and, God, I love her madly. I must be insane.”
Haven laughed. “The whole love, marriage, and motherhood thing must suit you, though, because you look absolutely gorgeous.”
“Well, thank you. I have to admit I’ve never been happier doing something I never thought I’d be happy doing.”
Haven admired Liz’s honesty about motherhood. Many women tried to portray themselves as perfect mothers, while Liz spelled out the awful reality of those first few months of sleeplessness and crying babies. “I’ve known a few friends who’ve had babies. It’s that all-consuming kind of love, isn’t it?”