“Guess I’ll be seeing you both around.” He turns and takes a step, and then pauses and glances back at Ash with a slimy smile. “I was sorry to hear about your shoulder. And during a contract season. That’s a tough break.” He sucks in air through his teeth. “I look forward to seeing you back on the ice. The team needs help with scoring right now or we’re going to have to make some painful adjustments.”
14
HARD AND PISSED
ASH
Bridget left in a hurry after we ran into Gabe. What a fucking prick. A prick that I now have to work with.
I catch Jack downstairs as he’s coming out of the media room.
“Hey,” he says as he turns his hat backward. “Wanna grab a drink at Wild’s?”
“We have a problem.” I lean forward and whisper the bare minimum info to fill him in.
His expression morphs instantly from relaxed to on edge. He’s a good captain. He’s always led by example first, but he’s also the first guy ready to jump in and solve any obstacle in the way. Personal and professional, because with a job like ours, it all sort of bleeds together. In a fight, there’s no one I’d rather have my back.
“Give me five to grab my stuff.”
While he does that, I congratulate Tyler on his two goals tonight.
“Thanks for the advice,” he says. “It helped.”
“I didn’t do anything. That was all you.” I lift my fist and he bumps his against it.
“Can’t wait to have you back on Monday.” Leo shoulders his bag. I know he’s eager to get home to his wife and baby, so I don’t tell him about Gabe for now.
It only takes Jack two minutes and then we’re heading out. I follow him in my truck to our neighborhood and then his house.
He’s pouring two glasses of whiskey, some expensive shit he saves for the good nights and for the bad.
I take a seat on the barstool in front of the giant island in the middle of his kitchen. I wrap my fingers around the glass but don’t sip yet. “How bad is it?”
“That depends.”
“On?” I ask, finally taking a drink. It’s rich and strong and burns my throat as I swallow.
“If you’re planning on staying the hell away from Bridget or not.” He leans back against the counter, crosses one ankle over the other and regards me seriously.
I think back on the night. If she hadn’t already turned me down twice before, my answer might be different. No matter how much of a connection I feel, I’m not sure she’s in the same place as me. I shake my head. “She’s made it very clear that she’s not interested in dating me.”
“Then I don’t see any reason for this to be a problem.”
His words don’t reassure me like I’d hoped they would.
“You should have heard him. The way he talked to her. She held her own with him, but I could tell she was rattled.”
“Repeat after me, ‘It’s none of my business.’”
“If some asshole talked to a girl like that in front of you, you’d be able to just let it go?” I know he wouldn’t.
He doesn’t reply, though. He finishes what’s left of his drink in one long gulp.
“What if it’d been Everly?”
“Everly is different,” he says, eyes narrowing. “She’s a teammate’s sister. If anyone in the organization did that to a player’s family, they’d be tossed out.”
He isn’t wrong, but it shouldn’t be okay that he talks to anyone like that. Especially Bridget.
I stay for one more drink. My mom planned a big breakfast out tomorrow before everyone heads back home and I don’t want to show up hungover.
“Thanks,” I tell Jack as he walks me to the front door.
“Any time. You know that.”
“I do.” I walk backward down the sidewalk toward my truck. “Just out of curiosity, if I’d said I wasn’t going to stay away from her, then what?”
He doesn’t miss a beat. “Then you better make sure as fuck that you come back Monday night and prove to everyone how much we need you. Guys have been traded for a lot less than sleeping with a GM’s girlfriend.”
“Ex-girlfriend,” I bite out, but I get his point.
When I get home, I pull out my phone. I fire off a text to Everly, letting her know it was good to see her and making sure they got home okay.
Her response is exactly what I should have expected: Home safe and sound! It was good to see you too. X
“I know. I know,” I mutter under my breath. “You’re not going to share any info on your roommate.”