“You know I’ve been opposed to this from the beginning,” Noah said. “I’ve never liked the idea of trusting this large an investment to the whims of professional athletes who already have more money than they can spend. Yourself excluded, of course.”

“If that’s what the plan was, you’d be right, Noah. But you keep missing the point. Athletes retire young. Sure, some of them are more than happy to spend their time going through their money, but those aren’t the guys I’m after. I want the ones who are smart, ambitious, and out for a new challenge but not willing to bankroll themselves. There are a lot of them.”

Deidre stayed silent, taking in both Coop’s answers and Noah’s questions. “It’s too risky an investment for us,” Noah said. “We don’t know the industry, and we don’t understand the market.”

“Did you understand China’s market for water-purification systems when you made that investment?” Coop turned to Deidre. “Taking a few well-calculated risks makes business more interesting, doesn’t it?”

Deidre spoke for the first time. “I like the idea of diversifying into the so-called sin industries, even though Noah has raised some good points. The fact that he’s not often wrong has been my only hesitation.”

“This time he’s wrong,” Coop countered. “And, Deidre, as much as I’m enjoying your hospitality... and as much as I’d like to work with you, it’s time to make up your mind. I’ll give you another couple of days. Then I’ll have to move on.”

Coop didn’t want to move on. Piper knew that Deidre was the only partner he wanted.

Far from being rattled, Deidre smiled. “I don’t think we’ll need that long.”

“Piper!” Noah came to his feet. “Let me get you something to drink. Cocktail? Wine?”

“I’ll have a beer.” She walked out into the torchlight. “Whatever Coop’s drinking.”

“You and Coop appear to have a lot of the same tastes. It’s no surprise you like working together.” Noah moved to the outdoor bar. “That’s another question I have. You seem to be Coop’s confidante...”

Was it her imagination, or did he veil that last word with all kinds of hidden meanings?

He pulled a frosted mug from the small built-in refrigerator. “We know he was a great quarterback, but is he a great businessman?”

Deidre showed her first sign of impatience. “How do you expect her to answer that?”

“In her normal straightforward fashion,” Noah said. “Piper knows him better than either of us, and I’ve developed a healthy respect for her opinion. So tell us, Piper. Do you see Coop as a captain of industry?”

“I see Coop as being successful at whatever he sets his mind to,” Piper said carefully.