Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 124005 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 620(@200wpm)___ 496(@250wpm)___ 413(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 124005 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 620(@200wpm)___ 496(@250wpm)___ 413(@300wpm)
I’m surprised when Flip suggests we go to the Watering Hole, once we’re showered and dressed. Usually on a night like this, he’d suggest a club. But lately he’s been more about low-key nights with the team. I want to ask Wills if she’s coming, but I don’t want to put pressure on her. I’ve done enough of that.
The girls are at their favorite table when we arrive, and I’m glad to see Wills is with them. She looks better. She’s smiling, and the puffiness around her eyes is gone.
That smile is directed at me, real and genuine, when she sees us headed their way. The girls slide out of the booth, cheering and clapping along with the staff.
“Oh shit,” Roman mutters. “Is that Tally?”
My gaze shifts briefly from Wills, and I fight to keep my eyebrows from climbing my forehead. “Uh, yeah. It appears that way.” Gone is the sweet little Tally who wore jeans and hoodies to games and dress pants and blouses to the Terror office for her internship. Tonight, she’s in a crop top and a leather jacket.
“Is she wearing makeup?” Roman asks.
“Yeah.”
“Huh.”
“At least she’s out with us and not at a keg party,” Flip mutters and heads for the girls.
Tristan skirts around me and heads straight for Rix. Hollis does the same with Hammer, but his greeting is more PG, because Roman is standing right here. Ash kisses Shilpa on the cheek. Wills takes a tentative step forward. Like magnets, we move toward each other, our smiles widening. When she’s close enough, she winds her arms around my waist and squeezes. I do the same and drop my head so I can breathe her in like the balm she is.
“Thank you for yesterday. It was so incredibly sweet and thoughtful.”
I lean back and brush her hair over her shoulders. “I’m sorry I had to go before you woke up.”
Her palms settle on my chest. “You couldn’t be late for practice.”
“I could have, but neither of us needed that.” I stroke the edge of her jaw. “And I felt you needed sleep more than you needed me waking you up just to tell you I had to go. But I didn’t like leaving you.”
She fingers the buttons on my shirt and adjusts my tie. “After we’re done celebrating the win, can we go back to your place and talk?”
“Absolutely. We can go whenever you’re ready.” I’ll leave now, if she wants to.
She pats my chest. “Celebrate the win with your teammates. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Me neither. Not ever again. Not unless you tell me to. And even then, I won’t go without a fight.” I dip down and kiss her perfect lips. “Can I get you a fun drink?”
“I could be persuaded.”
“I’ll be right back.” I reluctantly release her.
I step up next to Tristan at the bar as he pulls his phone out of his pocket. I glance at the screen.
“What’s Bowman texting you about?” Me, Flip, and Tristan all went to the Hockey Academy, and he and Kodiak Bowman kept in touch, despite him being a few years younger. We all saw the talent in that kid, and he’s proving to be one hell of a force on the ice.
“Dunno.” He opens the message, and his brow furrows. “Well, shit.”
“Everything okay?” I ask.
“Connor Grace wasn’t on the ice tonight because he was traded.”
“To what team?”
“Ours.”
CHAPTER 43
HEMI
Dallas and I stay longer than anticipated, in part because the team is suddenly reeling. Flip is losing his mind after finding out that Connor Grace, the one player he can’t stand, has been traded to Toronto.
“Did you know about this?” I ask Shilpa, but I already know the answer.
She gives me a look. “The paperwork landed on my desk yesterday. The whole thing was completely unexpected.”
I glance around the room, my heart in my throat. “Who are we losing?”
“Spencer.”
“Shit. He showed so much promise.” Coach said he was out yesterday and wouldn’t be at the game tonight because of a family emergency, but none of us realized it was permanent.
“I know. We won’t have time to give him a proper sendoff, either. I don’t have all the details, but Spencer has family in New York, and from what I understand, his mom has some health issues.”
“Poor kid. I hope he’s okay. I feel like this change might make this season more challenging,” I say.
“Yeah, probably. And Flip was settling down.”
I spot him sitting at the bar, with Tristan on one side and Dallas on the other.
We have a team meeting tomorrow morning, and I’m sure the official announcement will be made there. The evening remains mostly upbeat, despite this news, as it was an amazing win tonight. Shilpa and Ash are first to leave, and they offer to take Tally with them since they live closest to her on-campus apartment, but she wants to hang around for a bit longer. I talked with her a little this evening, and so far, she’s really enjoying the whole university experience. But she’s decidedly not a fan of keg parties. Thank the Lord.