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Prior to being drafted to the Thunder, I’d had a brief stint in Laketown, home of the Otters, one of the best teams in the Northern Professional Hockey League. Playing in Laketown had been a good experience, and I’d learned a lot about the town itself. It was a hockey town that doubled as a playground for the rich and famous, rivaling The Hampton’s.
A fire crackled in the floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace, and the smell of coffee and bacon met us as we stepped into the great room. A pretty woman with gray streaks in her hair hummed in the kitchen. “Good morning, Mr. King.” She smiled and threw a tea towel over her shoulder. “Coffee is ready and the BLT sandwiches are in the warming oven.”
“Thank you Beth.” Colton took off his coat and handed it to his maid.
“Hank usually starts the fires, but I did my best.” She smiled and walked past us to prod at the roaring fire.
“It’s perfect, Beth. This is Gunnar Lockwood.” Colton gestured to me.
Beth thrust her hand toward me. “Lockwood. I remember you.” A huge smile spread across her face. “They never should’ve traded you to the Bobcats.”
Nothing had changed in Laketown. People still lived and breathed hockey, and Beth remembered me from years earlier. I shook her hand. “It all worked out for the best, I’d say.”
Beth smiled. “It sure looks like it. Nice to officially meet you, Gunnar Lockwood.”
Colton added a piece of wood to the already crackling fire. “I think that’s all I need for today.”
“Are you sure? I could stay and clean up after your lunch,” Beth said.
Colton shook his head. “I’m pretty sure two hockey players can figure out how to load the dishwasher. Enjoy your afternoon off.”
She smiled. “Thank you, Colton. You’ve got my number. Call if you need me. The dishwasher is the one beside the sink.”
I liked the easy relationship Colton had with his staff. For a gazillionaire he could get along with anyone.
Beth let herself out, and Colton invited me into his kitchen. He poured us cups of coffee and took two foil-wrapped sandwiches out of the oven. “Beth is quite the character. I liked her dishwasher joke.”
Colton grinned. “It was only a partial joke. It looks like a regular cupboard, and this one day, Everleigh couldn’t find it.”
Everleigh; the team; my career. I remembered why I was at Colton’s place, and it wasn’t for a cozy chat and a breakfast sandwich. I took a sip of my coffee, and as the caffeine worked its magic, I followed up with a deep breath. “I need your advice.”
“I figured.” Colton took a bite of his sandwich. “Are you coming back?”
“I don’t know if I can.” I shook my head.
Colton brushed his hands together and sipped his coffee. “Like literally? Are you stuck here? Or are you asking if it’s okay for you to come back after playing hooky?”
“The hooky one.” I pursed my lips. “I don’t know what I was thinking. After being benched, it didn’t seem like I belonged there anymore.”
Colton tilted his head from side to side and seemed to be thinking, or stretching his neck. “I don’t blame you. Benching you was a shitty thing to do.” He sipped his coffee. “Don’t get me wrong, as much as I hate Bradshaw, I think he’s a good addition to the team. But he shouldn’t have taken your place. You two should’ve battled it out for the spot. That’s what I would’ve done.”
My eyes widened. “Really?”
“Yup. You’re my friend, but as the captain, putting a little fire between the two of you would be good for the Thunder. Coach just wasn’t thinking.”
“I don’t blame him,” I muttered under my breath.
“I do.” Colton finished one half of his sandwich and rubbed his stomach over his T-shirt. “It was Coach’s call. Until today, I’d thought that it was my sister’s, but it turns out she was against benching you the entire time.”
I set my mug on the marble countertop. “What?”
“Yeah. Everleigh told Ali that she hadn’t wanted to acquire Bradshaw or bench you.”
Shaking my head, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “I thought she was pissed off about the pictures in the tabloids.”
Colton leaned against the counter. “She knows the media likes to manipulate things. And Ali and I talked about what really happened that night, so I’m sure she’s told Everleigh what really happened.”
My sandwich sat untouched on the plate. “Eat,” Colton ordered.
