Page 43 of Penalty Kill

“She’s saying she’s pregnant.”

I burst out laughing. “Well, tell her congratulations.”

Chloe looked at me like I’d just grown a second head. “It’s not funny. She’s claiming it’s yours, and you’ve abandoned her.”

“We haven’t lived in the same house in eight months, and before that it wasn’t like we were intimate. If she is actually pregnant, it’s not mine.”

“Well, the rest of the world doesn’t know that. Your divorce has only been official for three months. That’s right along with her timeframe.”

“Good thing we’re around him every day and know his personal life. We can set things straight,” Noah said with confidence.

Chloe sighed. “I don’t know how much weight that will carry. You’re his teammates. Of course you’ll have his back.”

“Maybe if they interview them while we’re doing ours,” Hartman pointed to some of our other teammates. “No one else knows what’s going on, so they’ll get genuine reactions.”

She seemed to consider it. “I’ll try to steer the reporters in that direction.”

“I should just call her.” That was the last thing I wanted to do, especially right before a big game, but I didn’t see a better option.

“Don’t. That could just make things worse. Let’s try dealing with it from our side for now.” Chloe was the one who knew what she was doing, so I agreed.

“Thanks for the heads up, Chloe.” I really did appreciate all the effort she was putting into helping me, but I knew it was driving her crazy not having control over the situation.

We moved toward the table and sat in front of the microphones that were already set up. The guys were tense, and I hated that my personal drama was affecting them. I couldn’t let this continue onto the ice.

“You have ten minutes,” the guy with the headset announced to the reporters in front of us.

The questions started out pretty routine. How did we feel about the Phoenix game? Were we ready to take on San Diego? The same things we were asked before every game.

“Three minutes!” our moderator shouted.

“Cullen, what do you have to say about the affair?”

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. “There was no affair. The woman in question has been the nanny for my sons for a month. We never met before that.”

I tried to keep the information as limited as possible, and I didn’t want to say Sydney’s name. Anything to keep the attention off of her.

“Your ex is claiming the nanny is the reason for your separation,” another voice shouted.

“What does this have to do with the game or the team?” Hartman asked with venom in his voice.

That made the group quiet for about five seconds. “Your ex is saying she’s pregnant with your child, and that you’re denying it’s yours so you can continue your relationship with Sydney Banks.”

Of course, she was.

Wait. They found her full name? That wasn’t a good sign.

“My ex and I have been separated for over eight months, which is the time that she moved to LA. I’m sure you guys can do the math.”

“That’s it.” Headset guy stood in front of us and told us to move on to the next table.

“You don’t have to. Just head into the locker room,” Hartman said.

I knew the coaches and front office would be understanding if I skipped out, but I didn’t want to do anything to fuel the rumors. “No, I’ve got to show them it doesn’t bother me.”

“It’s bothering me,” Erik said. “Olivia was a witch while you were married, and I thought you’d escaped her, but turns out she can still get her claws wrapped around you.”

“I appreciate the support, guys. Let’s just try to keep them focused on the game,” I said as we sat down.