She pointed out how some of these drugs came in varieties so new and unstudied they weren’t yet even on the banned list, but they would be added as the commissioner discovered them, in spite of the fact that these substances weren’t mind-altering like other illegal substances. Nor were they as potentially dangerous as a few too many beers before going on the road, which put other people in danger, not just the athlete. She pointed out the irony of such contradictions, and then brought up drugs that weren’t banned, like muscle relaxants and simple ibuprofen, and posed the question, should those things be added to the list as well?

As all her articles had been, it was incredibly well written and thought out, and, he was forced to admit, she’d nailed both the glory and the inherent problems of the sport.

He took a long hot shower, gritted his teeth at the movement required to towel off, then dressed and looked at the clock. Five thirty. He had to be at the hospital in thirty minutes, so he headed out, stopping short at the sight of Holly in his driveway, leaning on her car, arms and feet casually crossed, watching him. On her trunk sat a grocery bag, and she picked it up and held it out.

“What is it?” he asked warily.

“Well, it’s not a hammer to hit you over the head with.” Her lips curved briefly. “Which you look like you’re expecting. The kids packed you a care package. Cookies and Dr Pepper, the apparent breakfast of champions.”

“My favorites,” he murmured, not even trying to hide his surprise.

“Interesting palette, but yeah, they wanted to bring you a comfort snack.” Her smile warmed. “They love you. They’re worried. I promised to take care of you.”

“And in return they gave up all my secrets?”

“Yeah. And I only had to string them up by their fingernails and beat them to get those secrets.”

Okay, so he no longer believed she was going to try to sneak one past him. He was just feeling a little raw, a whole lot scared, and he preferred to be vulnerable in private.

But she had his number. “You can try to piss me off all you want, Pace, I’m not leaving. As for the kids, they were worried about you. They wanted to get you something, so I drove them to the store. I also promised to bring them to visit you after your surgery, so brace yourself for that.”

She’d eased their fears. She’d driven them to the store. She was going to bring them to visit him. “Saint,” he wondered aloud. “Or witch?”

“I use my powers for mostly good these days.”

He looked into her fathomless eyes and saw her worry for him. “I’m going to be okay, Holly.”

“I know. I also know I’m driving you to the hospital.”

“I can—”