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part of the game, baby, and if you wanna play, you gotta pay.”

“Jesus. How did she handle it all?”

“It was really hard, I know that. Hell, I have trouble coping, and I got nothing compared to her.”

“I think I’m beginning to see your point,” Hodge said finally.

Shauna grinned. “Thought you would. More up there than just a pretty face, huh?”

Hodge blushed and ducked her head. Keeps laughed.

“I’m still confused about one thing though.”

“Shoot,” Keeps invited, laughing a little at her unintentional pun.

“Well, you told me that in order to cope well, you need to keep your private life private.”

“Right.”

“But…for Dylan, it’s like you can’t turn on the television or open a magazine without seeing her out somewhere exotic with the stud of the month on her

arm. So…how does that fit in with what you’re telling me?”

“There’s actually a funny story about that,” Shauna replied.

“I’d like to hear it, if I could.”

Keeps shrugged. “Don’t see why not.” She settled back, making herself more comfortable in the chair. Hodge followed suit. “D was in the league only a

month or two. Instant superstar, but nobody knew quite what to make of her, ya know? She’d give you an interview when you asked, but didn’t say nothing

about herself. Then one day, she got a phone call from a friend of hers she grew up with. Thad Morgan.”

“The all pro quarterback? People’s Most Eligible Bachelor four years running? That Thad Morgan?”

“That’s the dude. Anyway, he was headin’ out to some awards banquet thing and he asked her to come along. She didn’t have anything else to do, so she

went. Next day, every friggin paper in the country had her and Thad pasted across the sports pages, like they were one step away from shackin up!” Keeps

paused in her story to laugh at the image. Hodge smiled politely as she waited for the emotions to pass.

“Sorry about that,” Shauna said finally, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes.

“That’s ok,” Hodge replied. “So, the press jumped to the wrong conclusion. Did either of them correct the misconception?”

“Nope.” Shauna grinned. “In a way, it was perfect for both of them. See, when D went out, even to the damn store, she’d have to put up with getting hit

on by every dude and his brother. Not many men are gonna tackle a chick whose got a boyfriend who could pull their nuts out through their throat, though.

So it was all good.”

“Yeah, I can see the benefits of something like that.”

“As for Thad, well, aside from the fact that having D with him couldn’t do anything but improve his image, he had himself a little secret that being seen

with D helped him to hide.”

Hodge thought about the cryptic remark for a moment. Then her eyes widened so much that Shauna thought they’d pop out of her skull and roll under the

couch. “Thad Morgan is gay?!?”

Keeps cocked her head. “You mean you didn’t know? Where’s your gaydar, girl?”

Pinging off the screen anytime I’m within a hundred feet of Dylan Lambert. Hodge elected, however, to keep that particular thought to herself for the time

being.

“That boy’s queerer than my mama’s frilly pink garter!”

“I never knew.”

“That’s cause he’s damn good at keeping his private life to himself. I mean, lesbians—in sports, it’s kinda expected, ya know? But if anyone ever found

out that their macho man quarterback liked ham hocks better than oysters, well….”

Hodge winced.

“You got that right, my friend. Anyway, the league about creamed itself over it They’ve finally got themselves the poster girl for clean heterosexual living.

I heard the commissioner threw a big damn party for all the owners and they got wasted on champagne and fish eggs.”

“That is disgusting.”

Keeps sighed. “I know. It sucks, don’t it?”

“Royally.” Hodge looked up at her new friend, eyes bleak. “I wish the world could be a place where stuff like that doesn’t matter anymore.”

Shauna felt pulled into those green eyes so filled with innocence, and yet sparkling with a sad type of knowing. Her heart tugged in her chest, and she

came to a decision. “I know, Cat. We all do. Dylan especially.”

Hodges’ eyes widened again, though not so much from shock as from a suspicion finally confirmed. “You mean…?”

“Yeah. I mean.”

“I…think I knew that already.”

“I’m sure you did,” Keeps responded, utterly serious. She leaned forward again, pinning Hodge with her frank stare. “And I’m also sure you know that that

kind of knowledge is a lot more power than most people deserve.”

The threat wasn’t subtle. Hodge could heft its weight, feel its texture, scent its danger. But she could also sense the implied trust that came with it.

Shauna Keeps wasn’t the type of person who had accidents. And this was no accident.

“I won’t say a word to anyone,” she said softly. “I promise.”

The tension broke as Keeps grinned and slumped back in her chair. “You’re alright, Cat Hodges.”

Hodge could have wept with relief. Instead, she returned Shauna’s grin with one of her own. “Thanks. You’re not so bad yourself, Keepaway.” As Keeps