The Long Game

THE LONG GAME SAMANTHA WAYLAND LOCH AWE PRESS CONTENTS Also by Samantha WaylandAcknowledgmentsContent WarningPrologue1. Present DayChapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7Chapter 8Chapter 9Chapter 10Chapter 11Chapter 12Chapter 13Chapter 14Chapter 15Chapter 16Chapter 17Chapter 18Chapter 19Chapter 20Chapter 21Chapter 22Chapter 23Chapter 24Chapter 25Chapter 26About the Author ALSO BY SAMANTHA WAYLAND With Grace Destiny Calls Fair Play (Hat Trick #1) Two Man Advantage (Hat Trick #2) End Game (Hat Trick #3) Crashing the Net (Crashing #1) Home & Away Checking It Twice (Crashing #2) Out of Her League Take A Shot A Merry Little (Hat Trick) Christmas (Hat Trick #4) Traded Out Breaking Out Poetry in Motion Changing the Rules (Crashing #3) Not Over You The Long Game Copyright © 2023 Samantha Wayland Published by Loch Awe Press P.O. Box 5481 Wayland, MA 01778 ISBN 978-1-940839-32-5 (eBook) ISBN 978-1-940839-33-2 (paperback) Edited by PNWSandy Edits at KRS Author Services Proofread by Lori Parks Cover Art by Ben Ellis, Tall Story Design This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are a product of the author imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Loch Awe Press, PO Box 5481, Wayland, MA 01778. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. For Aven. For your unfailing friendship, support, accountability, and honesty. It’s a miracle you’re still speaking to me after listening to me b*tch about this book for two years. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Thanks go out to Heather Morgan, who tried to get fresh on Facebook just to get her name in a book. Guess it worked. (Be sure to read the bonus scene, too!) To Lesha P, who helped me visualize Jack’s artwork. I would have been utterly lost without her visual aids. I’m incredibly grateful to Christina T for being the captain of my “Eh Team” and patiently answering endless questions about all things Canadian. Also, her exquisite cross-stitch work will forever hang in a place of honor in my office. Claire C took on the unenviable task of creating a “world bible” for all my books, for which I cannot thank her enough. I was expecting loose outlines and notes, and instead she’s crafting a detailed and highly usable accounting of all my stories that will be an amazing tool for me, my editors, and alpha/beta readers going forward. A huge shout out to AE Wasp and Aly T, for reading more than one version of this, listening to me question everything, and helping me find the path forward. I’d like to welcome Sandy B and Lori P to Team Wayland. Their expert edits and patient feedback were instrumental to getting this book where it needed to be. Ben Ellis deserves a special shout out for designing this cover not once, not twice, but three times. I feared being fired as a client, but he tackled each new iteration with his trademark kindness and humor. And Michael Ferraiuolo, who I am lucky enough to count as both colleague and friend. As always, it takes a village to get a story from draft form to the point it’s ready for public consumption. My heartfelt gratitude goes out to my kickass beta readers, final proofreaders, and audiobook proof-listener, who offer me invaluable support and feedback. CONTENT WARNING This story contains mentions of sexual assault, conversion therapy, and sex work by a minor and adult(s). These are referenced as part of the characters’ pasts and do not take place on the page and are not described in detail. If you would like more information about this book, please don’t hesitate to contact me at [email protected]. PROLOGUEFOUR YEARS AGO Grady McDonnough saddled up to the bar at the Brunswicker Ale House, his cheeks burning and a wide smile plastered on his face. He hoped like hell he didn’t look as dumb or nervous as he felt. He ignored the snickers from the table at his back—not that anyone in the bar would miss the way his idiot coworkers were elbowing each other and grinning. On the bright side, Grady was out and proud, damn comfortable in his own skin, and his workplace was supportive. On the less bright side, six grown-ass men were way too invested in whether or not Grady had the guts to flirt with the ridiculously handsome bartender. Of course, they were doomed to disappointment and it had nothing to do with guts. The guy was working and Grady wasn’t a letch. Instead, he leaned against the bar, grateful it was a busy night so his face had time to cool, and observed the people around him. Well, okay, he mostly observed one particular person around him, but he was only human, damn it. The bartender smiled at another customer, his eyes crinkling at the corners, and Grady wondered if it was a sign he was getting old that he was seriously into those crow’s feet. The man was tall, over six feet, with a strong neck curving into broad shoulders, and a hint of extra muscle testing the thin cotton at the sleeves and seams of his t-shirt. Almost-black hair contrasted attractively with his fair skin, and the pink on his smooth cheeks looked soft and warm. How the woman on the receiving end of