Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 88895 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88895 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
“And that’s why you look like the rookie that just landed in his first pro snapper.”
Light laughs leave Novak alongside an appreciative nod. “That’s correct.”
“That’s quite a dub.”
“All because you followed protocol.”
Huh.
This feels like fate chirping me.
“You two can go back now,” Wu informs on a flick of her dark hair away from her pale complexion.
“I am always right on time, aye,” Tanner cleverly interjects during his pass by. “I’m quite impressive.”
“Like the deodorant covering up your balls stench.”
Novak laughs again, shakes his head, and resumes his stroll for the elevators. “Thank God, HR cannot hear you two.”
Rather they hear us than see us.
Inside the GM’s office, we each prepare to sit in the chairs directly across from her desk when she swiftly shakes her head in denial. “This won’t take long.”
Firing rarely does.
“Coach and Cap have both been made aware that Peck is not allowed to be anywhere near pracky until cleared by Med to do so. That illegal high stick – that the league has now fined McPherson for – resulted in a fucking minor jaw fracture that will have him out from four to six. I’m telling you,” she gestures to the man beside me, “because he babysits you, you babysit him.”
“I’ll hide his stick,” Tanner casually brushes off.
“I don’t even want him skating.”
“Even with a bowl?”
“Even with a fucking bowl, Frosky.”
“Got it.” He folds his arms across his practice sweater covered chest. “I’ll also give his Slayer my famous soup recipe while he’s on his high protein, liquid and soft food diet.”
“That’s actually helpful.”
I fight the urge to smile by chomping harshly down on the inside of my cheek.
“I also appreciate the shift in the media I’ve been seeing lately. ‘Uncle Frosty’ moments land so good with the family friendly crowds, the college bro groups, and the ‘Wanna Be Aunty Frosty’ snipes sniffing around the league.”
Another chomp not to display jealousy is delivered.
Why do I get the feeling despite having a real girlfriend, the click circus is going to continue to make him look like the champion commitment phobe that he isn’t?
“Now, about what happened at the hotel,” she leans back in her seat, one shoeless foot being braced on her desk on top of the other. “I would’ve brought it up yesterday when the plane touched down, but I was busy having a brawl in my own home over the fact that I bought the twins buckets to wear since they’re learning to walk. Apparently, that shit makes me the worst parent in fucking history.” Boss tosses her hands up in the air, clearly irritated. “They’re fucking padded!”
“Safety first?” Tanner mirthfully suggests.
“Pretty sure my parents should’ve bought the succubus downstairs one during the walking years and you see how she turned out.”
“Comforting,” smirks Hennington, “given that you are the smarter twin.”
“Exactly.”
“And by smarter, I mean smart enough to know that fraternizing with a player is strictly prohibited – meaning I could fire your ass – which is why nothing happened when you stayed in Frosky’s room rather than the hotel lobby, right?”
“I so fucking would’ve stayed in the lobby, but they have a whole bullshit can’t sleep there policy.”
The GM flashes amusement yet doesn’t lean into it. “I heard.”
Now, let’s pray to Lidström that’s all she heard.
“What I haven’t heard is that nothing happened…” Hoss suspiciously lifts her eyebrows. “I wanna hear that now. I wanna hear that I don’t have to worry about getting calls from the PR department at two in the morning over bullshit ‘fucks his off-ice team’ reports or ‘lets management handle his other stick’ claims or fucking anything else that would be an embarrassment rather than an enhancement of this organization.”
“Nothing happened,” Tanner lies so well without missing a beat that even I almost believe him. “Hoss needed a room to crash in, she ran into me and Peck – who had a phone date with his Slayer planned – so that left me inevitably holding the short straw.”
“That I would’ve sucked any day of the week before him.”
Hennington grins a little wider over the comment prior to nodding. “Good.” She folds her fingers firmly together in her lap. “Because you’re both valuable as fuck to this franchise, and the last thing I want is to lose one or both of you because you couldn’t put this team first. This family first.” Her hold noticeably tightens. “Ferda?”
“Ferda,” we chant back in tandem.
The simple reminder that everything we do needs to be what’s best for the boys shifts something in the pit of my stomach.
She’s right.
We do need to do what’s best for them…for this hockey family…but what about doing what’s right for us?
Is there any way we can really do both or will we ultimately have to let each other go because that’s what’s best for the team?
Chapter 15
Tanner
Dating in secret?