Her brother had met a new friend in Easton, and when he’d taken a moment to go get a soda, he’d stopped by and told her he’d met Easton’s former coach and some of his old teammates from Green Bay as well.
Her brother was going to have stars in his eyes for a while, she could tell. She didn’t have to worry about the kids feeling left out.
Or herself. Right now she was sitting with Lydia and talking to a few of the women who were a part of the charity foundation she and Easton had founded. Some of these women were wives of Easton’s former teammates. She found them to be highly intelligent, most of them career women who had either retired or were still actively working. They were all formidable, and she sat with rapt attention listening to them talk about items on the agenda for their next meeting.
“We have a few scholarships to go through,” Lydia said. “I have the paperwork that we’ll need to review, but I believe there should be about ten we’ll give out this year.”
Lydia turned to her. “The foundation gives full-ride scholarships to underprivileged children in high risk areas. These are kids who might not qualify financially otherwise, but we believe stand a great chance at making a good life for themselves and their families. They just need someone to believe in them and give them the opportunity.”
“What a wonderful idea,” Katrina said, remembering what it was like to be seventeen, poor, and alone. If she hadn’t gotten that big break that had sent her career soaring, who knows what would have happened to her—and to Leo and Anya?
“Is this something every football player does?” she asked.
“Not everyone, but players who want to give back,” Varella, one of the women, said. “Everyone who wants to make a difference. Some of these men make a lot of money during the course of their careers. It’s a chance to pay it forward.”
Katrina liked the idea, and not just for athletes. She’d spent so much of her career hoarding her money, concerned about Leo’s and Anya’s future, that she hadn’t taken the time—or the money—to give back as much as she should have.
It was time she changed that.
She made a mental note to speak to her lawyer about that when she got back to New York.
In the meantime, she was learning a lot listening to these women.
The caterers came to Lydia to announce dinner was ready.
Lydia smiled at her friends. “Wow, how nice is that? I didn’t have to do any cooking tonight.”
“You should have a night off more often.” Mary, one of Lydia’s friends, laid her hand on her arm.
Lydia laughed. “Trust me. I have Easton take me into the city for dinner at least once a week. It’s not like I’m trapped in the kitchen.”
Everyone assembled and filled their plates, buffet style. She finally caught up with Grant, who got in line behind her.
“I’m sorry I kind of left you to yourself tonight,” he said.
“Are you kidding? I’ve been having a wonderful conversation with your mother and a few of her friends. I’ve been learning about the Cassidy Foundation.”
“Oh yeah?”
They found a seat together near the fireplace. “Yes. It’s quite the charity, and the causes they give to are incredible.”
“Yeah. My dad taught me all about it when I was in college. We all got to take part in some of the decision making as soon as we became adults. It made us hyperaware of how lucky we all were, and how important it is to give back. All of us have formed our own foundations, while continuing to participate in the main Cassidy Foundation.”
She had no idea. “As I was listening to your mother talk about scholarships and benefits, I thought about all the money I’ve made. I’ve done nothing charitable. I mean, I make charitable donations, of course. But nothing like your foundation.”
“You have a family to support.”
She shook her head. “I can still give back. I need to do something about that.”
He nodded. “Even the smallest thing can make a big difference. Building a playground in your neighborhood, or setting up an annual scholarship. One thing. You’d be surprised.”
She lifted her gaze to his. “I had no idea you thought about things like this.”
“See how we’re learning things about each other? Stick with me, Kat. Maybe we’ll build a foundation together.”
He winked at her, but she wondered about that. She felt a little thrill at his words. The things they could do together could be tremendous.
But they weren’t together. They’d never be together.
And that thought kind of …
Sucked.
She was getting way too involved. But what was she supposed to do about that? She knew it, just now as she thought it, that her heart was getting tied up in Grant. In his family.
She decided the best way to cope with that was simply not to think about it. At least not tonight.
After dinner, she poured another glass of wine. Oblivion was an awesome solution.
She checked on the kids. Anya had met a few of Mia’s friends, who were in town for the party and staying to visit. Some exposure to college kids was good for her.
“They all go to the University of Texas,” Anya said. “Did you know I could get an amazing business degree at the university? And Mia is thinking of getting her master’s degree there, which means she’d be there when I would be. Plus Suz and Della are sophomores, so they’d be there when I attended.”
“That’s so interesting.” Katrina let it all flow through her, deciding that tonight she wasn’t going to freak out about anything, the least of which was Anya’s college choice. By next week, Anya might decide on something else entirely.