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“Great,” I say. “So that’s settled.”

“Are you playing tomorrow?” he asks me, and I turn to the coach.

He shakes his head. “What the hell kind of question is that? Of course he’s playing. He’s going to score five goals, set a new damn record, and pave the way for the next step toward the Conference Cup. It’s that simple. You’ll keep a clean sheet back there, Munns. And nobody here will have any problems.”

The goalie narrows his eyes slightly. “No problem.”

“All right,” Coach Denner mutters. “And the rest of you: stay focused. Not a word of this conversation leaves this room until Evan gives the okay. Is that clear?”

Amid murmurs of agreement, most of my teammates pat me on the shoulder, give it a squeeze, and nod encouragingly at me.

Even though I’ve promised that my full attention will be on hockey, most of what’s being said goes right over my head. The impressions are too intense. Too positive. I’m almost relieved that Munns is reacting skeptically. That way, I’m sure nobody is putting on a front.

Slowly, my heartbeat calms down, and thinking becomes easier again.

This brings me to another item on my mental to-do list. Should I call Derek or Grady first after the meeting? I can’t stay with Derek. But it would still be smart to know in advance who will be filling in for me next.

One step down. Plenty more await me.

Chapter 26 – Parker

Evan is playing an away game, which means he can’t stand around my hospital bed like a mother hen.

Thank goodness. He drives me crazy. And happy. But also completely nuts.

The throbbing at the back of my head is back. Reluctantly, I put my phone down to take a break from the screen. The coverage isn’t what interests me. I want to watch Evan play.

But it’s still an hour until face-off.

Before I can put my phone down, a video call comes in. Evan.

“Hey.” I can’t help but grin. Despite everything that’s happened since I got fired, I’m hopeful. Yes, that’s because my boyfriend is a filthy-rich athlete and I’m not struggling to make ends meet right now like others in my situation. But it’s also because he makes me a priority. I don’t have any complaints about the private single room he had me moved into, either. I’m aware of these privileges, even if the discussions about how I’ll pay him back haven’t been finalized yet. In fact, I’m not even capable of dealing with those discussions right now. “Why are you calling now? Don’t you have anything to do? Don’t you need to warm up?”

He snorts. “For someone who’s never been interested in hockey, you’ve got a pretty strong opinion about my routine.”

I grin at him through the screen. “I don’t have to be an expert to have an opinion.”

Shaking his head, he chuckles. “I love you.”

“I love you too, baby.”

Noise and shouting come from the speakers. “Is that Parker?”

The phone tilts slightly, and Blake sticks his face in front of Evan’s camera.

“Hey. How are you doing? How’s your head and your arm?”

I carefully lift my bandaged arm. “Good. I still need a little while before I’m fully recovered. But everything went well. By the way, Katleen was here today. I was shocked. She’s an angel.”

Blake’s expression softens. “Yeah, she is. Did you two talk?”

“Yeah. And the offer is. . . ” I have to compose myself for a moment. Blake’s wife had caught me pretty off guard. I hadn’t expected that much support. “Great. But a WAGABs outing isn’t going to happen this season. As long as I’m not fit, I don’t want to go to any arena, and Evan has to decide first how public he wants to be.”

Blake waves it off. “Sure. But you know, you’re more than welcome with the W-A-G-A-Bs.” The letters come out of Blake’s mouth slowly and deliberately. “Wives and girlfriends and boyfriends. I still need to practice more. WAGABs. Ha. It’s getting easier.” He peers at me with narrowed eyes. “When you get married, you can change the name of the group again.”

“One thing at a time, Captain. First, you guys need to win the Cup.”

He winks at me, and Evan reappears on screen. “We have to head out soon to warm up. I just wanted to check in quickly to see if you’re okay. You can’t reach me from now on.”