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He barked out a laugh, drawing the attention of the families nearby. “Yeah. That’s exactly right. Gracie will have a word with me, remind me I’m making choices out of fear, and she’ll encourage me to let you do it.”
“I love Gracie, Daddy. I want her to stay.”
“I do, too, Kinny.”You have no idea.
“Can she?”
So, here it was, the moment he’d feared from the beginning. His daughter had gotten attached to a maternal figure who might not stay. “I hope she does. But she has a job and a family somewhere else, and they need her, so she might have to go home.”
“We need her, too, Daddy.”
“Why? Because she convinces me to let you take figure skating class?”
“No, because she makes us happy.”
“You are so right.” But he needed to set his daughter’s expectations. “I don’t know if she’s going to stay.” His friend Rhys still hadn’t gotten back to him. He had a new baby, so it was totally understandable, so he’d left a message with the leasing office. “If she has to go home, at least we’ve had her this whole summer. I think we’re pretty darn lucky we got to know someone as great as her.”
But damn, I want her to stay.
Jaime stood beside his GM, arms crossed over his chest, watching the action on the ice. He tensed when the forward fired a puck…and Mr. Zero blocked it.Yes. The other players went wild.
“Ross LaRoux is in the house.” Jaime pumped a fist. “Good energy. Just what we need.”
“Fuck, man,” Darren said. “He’s almost as good as you.”
“He’s the missing piece. With him and Cole, we’re bringing home the Cup.” He watched Ross block another puck. “I’ve got to get Ross.” They had him here. Now, they needed to convert his interest into a commitment. “You’ve spent time with him. How’s it look?”
“He keeps it close to the vest. Hard to tell.” Darren seemed worried. “With most of the guys on vacation, he’s not getting a true idea of what the team looks like.”
Most families took as much time together as possible before the season started. “True.” Fortunately, Cole was trying to give his girls stability, so they were around and doing lots of bonding at home. “Just means we have to work a little harder. He leaves day after tomorrow?”
Darren gave a tight nod.
“Okay.” Jaime took off.
“Where you going?” There was something in the GM’s tone that stopped him.
“I’m going to call his agent.”
“This is my job,” Darren said. “You know that, right? It’s why you hired me.”
Shame sent a rush of heat through his body. “I do.”
“If you don’t trust me to get the job done, then why am I here?”
“I do trust you.” He glanced at the ice. “But I owe it to Cole and Declan. They took a chance on this team, and if I don’t get Cole a goalie at his level...”
“Then what? What happens if you don’t get Ross? You think Cole’s going back to the Brawlers? He didn’t come here for you. He came for his family. Regardless, it’s not your responsibility. It’s not on you. Now, if you don’t think I can—”
“I do. I’m sorry. Do you want to make the call?”
“No, you’ve got the relationship. I just want to know if this is how it’s going to be going forward. Because if this is the level of involvement you see for yourself, then I’m not sure I’m the right guy for you.”
“It’s not. After we sign Ross, I’ll back off. You’re a great GM. You’ve turned the team around.” Darren was right. It wasn’t his responsibility. He had to get that through his head.
“Yeah, okay. Talk to Sam. Let me know how it goes.”
“On it.” Jaime headed into the tunnel and locked himself in his office. He fell into his seat and dialed the agent.
