“Well, thanks. My mom works hard at it.”
“So, is your whole family woo-woo or just your mom?” Delilah asked.
His dad and brothers had plenty of superstitions on game day, but they left the candles and karma to his mom. “Just my mom.”
“His dad’s Tim Wilder, one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time,” Cassian said. “And his brothers are Scottie and Matt Wilder.”
“So, we’ve got football royalty in the house,” Delilah said. “Nice. Should’ve used the fancy plates.”
“Considering we used to flick food at each other across the dinner table, these are just fine.” Xander sampled the next dish, a risotto speckled with bits of mushroom and red, green, yellow, and orange peppers. “This is fantastic. You put Branchini in it?”
“Okay, you’ve definitely spent time in your mom’s kitchen. Yes, I did. I like the bite it gives to a creamy dish.” The beautiful, animated chef leaned across the bar, like she was going to tell him a secret. “I’ll tell you my all-time favorite dish at your mom’s restaurant. Treasures of the sea.”
Pride rushed through him, and Xander grinned. “Yeah?”
“Swear to God, it’s out of this world.”
“Glad to hear it. When I was a kid, my parents rented a house in Maine. We spent the summer checking out all the fishing villages. Great trip. When I came home, I told my mom I wanted to remember that vacation forever, so I created a dish that reminded me of it.”
“Wait, you created it?”
“I did.”
The woman sitting next to them blatantly turned away from her companion to listen in on the conversation.
“You mean you came up with the idea and the chef created it?” Delilah asked.
“No. It’s all mine.” Funny how people thought professional players were one dimensional. “I earned my spending money working in her kitchen.”
“You sound just like Lulu,” Cassian said.
Sunlight poured into his veins, heating him up at the mention of her name.
Tyler smiled. “That girl…everything she makes is like manna from the gods.”
“I can’t believe this. Treasures of the Sea…it’s not just a dish,” Delilah said. “It’s something you could serve in the best restaurants in the world. It’s that good.”
“And why am I just hearing about these hidden talents now?” Cassian asked.
“I’m not the only one who can cook,” Xander said. “Ryker made a carne guisada the night before I left Maui…never had better.”
“Sorry I missed out,” Cassian said. “But you can bet I’ll have him cook for us at camp.”
“So, we’ve got a bunch of football-playing cooks in town this summer, huh?” Delilah said. “I’m thinking we should do something with that.”
“I do, too.” The woman who’d been listening slid off the bar stool and thrust out her hand “I’m Abigail Willock. I’m an executive producer at East/West Productions.”
When no one recognized the name, she continued. “We make cooking shows. Have you heard of The Farm Woman and Just Bake?”
“Of course.” Delilah seemed impressed, so he assumed they were popular.
“Well, sorry-not-sorry for eavesdropping, but...pro football player, famous family restaurant…my gears are turning, and they’ve just cranked out the most fabulous idea.” She pointed to Xander. “What would you say to starring in your own cooking show?”
“What?” Delilah sounded delighted.
Startled, all he could do was shake his head. “I might’ve played around in my mom’s kitchen, but I’m no professional.”
“Oh, believe me, we’re up to our eyeballs in famous chefs hosting recipe-based shows. In fact, that’s why I’m in town right now, to talk to one. But I’m listening to you and thinking how fun it would be to have a pro athlete chatting with his teammates. It’d be more talk-show format, except each of your guests would create his signature dish in the segment.” Her eyes flared with excitement. “Oh, and we could have your guest compete against a chef. With all the talent right here in Calamity, we could get a panel of judges to decide the winning dish. Kind of like Beat Bobby Flay, only with football players.”
“That sounds amazing,” Delilah said.
“I’d watch that,” Tyler said.
“Right?” Abigail said to Tyler. “I can’t even think of the last time I was this excited about an idea.”
“I appreciate the offer, but training camp starts in July.” If I get a new contract. Fear touched his heart like a hot poker, and he smacked it away. He had enough experience to know fear was insidious. If he let it in, it’d spread through him like a brushfire.
There was only one thing he could absolutely control, and that was his reactions. So, he wouldn’t think about contracts until he needed to. “But thank you.”
She waved a hand. “It’s nowhere near as complicated as making a movie. We could knock out all thirteen episodes in no-time. Seriously, if we film two a day, you’d be done in a month at the most.” She gestured to Cassian. “And with your teammates already in town, it’s like it was meant to be. We’ll film right here.”
Cassian grew serious. “I don’t want any press on my camp. It’ll ruin it for my kids and coaches.”
“Understood.” Abigail turned serious. “We’ll write that into the contract. There will be no mention of it whatsoever. I’m just saying, since the guys are already in town, it’s a slam dunk.”
“Thank you, Abigail, but I’m only interested in one thing this summer, and that’s getting ready for next season.” Nothing else mattered.
He would get a contract. If the Mavericks didn’t come through, another team would.
He just needed to hear from someone. It was April, and training camps started in two months.
“Okay, I’ll let it go for now.” She pressed a card into his hand. “But if you change your mind, I’ll be here the rest of the week. I’m vacationing with my family before I meet with the chef.”
The woman turned back to her companion, and Tyler clapped him on the shoulder. “I’ll tell you what I think.” He mentored players. In fact, he’d plucked Cassian out of detention in high school and guided him all the way to the pros.
So, yeah, Xander would listen to anything this man said.
“When’s your contract up?”
Xander’s gut twisted. “June.” And the Mavericks had gone quiet.
“You’re too good to be a backup.” He cut a look to Cassian, who nodded his agreement. “But you’ve had two injuries.”
Cassian reached for a plate. “That’s why he’s here. To rehab his shoulder.”
“I already did that,” Xander said to Tyler. “But Cassian seems to think Fin Bowie’s training center can work some magic.”
“It can,” Tyler said. “They don’t just train, they research. They know what they’re doing.”
Xander perked up. “Fin said they’ve got some groundbreaking exercises focused on the specific muscles that support my damaged ligaments. He swears they can make my shoulder better than new.”