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“Sawyer gives me the right. She’s the one who isn’t ready to see you. She isn’t ready to forgive you. And like it or not you don’t get to talk to her until she decides she’s ready.”
“You’re trying to punish me? Get back at me for getting between you two?”
“If I wanted that I’d have told her what you did years ago. I kept that secret just like you asked, and I did it so you wouldn’t be on the receiving end of her anger.”
“And I bet you’re all too happy to be in her good graces while I’m shut out.” He starts pacing again.
“Do you hear yourself right now? I appreciate that you came clean, but I didn’t ask you to. I didn’t want this. You’ve been a mentor to me for years. Hell, you’re like another father, and even though you damn near cost me Sawyer, I don’t hold that against you. But I’ve had years to come to terms with what you did. She’s had days. She needs time.” I stand and cross my arms over my chest, holding my ground.
“You cannot keep me from her,” Colt growls.
“I don’twantto keep you from her, but until she tells me she’s ready I will respect her wishes. I know you understand that, even if you don’t want to accept it.” I’ve never spoken to Colt like this before, and it makes me feel like my breakfast is going to come up. But I hold firm for Sawyer’s sake.
“Tell me where she is,” he shouts.
“I can’t.” I shake my head for emphasis.
“Son of a bitch,” Colt yells as he stomps to the door, throwing it open so hard it bounces off the wall.
I watch him retreat, as does every other set of eyes on the floor, before they swing back in my direction, wide with shock. But it’s the set of eyes belonging to my boss, the current GM Christian Gould, that makes my stomach sink.
His face is carefully blank as he makes a beeline for my office, his stride brisk but deliberately unhurried.
“Was that Colt Trudeau?” He steps inside my office and shuts the door.
“Yeah, sorry about that.” I exhale heavily and sit down, my pulse racing so fast I’m pretty sure I’d hyperventilate if I stayed standing.
“What’s he so upset about?” He takes the seat Colt vacated.
I rub my jaw, wondering how much I should reveal. On the one hand, this is a private matter. On the other hand, I’m pretty sure most of that conversation was heard by everyone on the floor, and it might work in my favor to clear it up.
“My…His daughter.” I don’t think I can call Sawyer my girlfriend…yet.
“His daughter?” He arches a thick brow. “Are you keeping the man from his daughter?”
I rub my temples, cursing Colt for being so damn loud. “They had a bit of a falling out. She needed a place to stay, and she asked me not to tell Colt where she is until she’s ready to talk to him.”
I can almost see the wheels turning in his head as he tries to piece together what I’ve told him. When his brows draw together I know he’s connected the dots I’d been hoping to avoid.
“Isn’t his daughter your stepsister?”
“Technically.”
“Well, it’s certainly admirable to want to help your stepsister, but this is the man’s daughter. Should you be getting involved?” There’s a note of warning in his tone.
“Under the circumstances, yes.” I stand my ground.
“Circumstances? Son, I don’t need to remind you what Colt means to this organization. It’d be quite the scandal to have a Hall of Fame player in a spat with an employee, even if that employee is on track to become the youngest GM in the league. We don’t need something like that going public.”
I’m not surprised his first thought is for the organization, but it pisses me off anyway. This doesn’t concern the team.
“It won’t go public. Colt doesn’t want that any more than I do.”
“There’s a whole floor full of people outside that door who heard your argument. They’re good people, but that doesn’t mean they’ll hold their tongues. And fired up as Colt was, I wouldn’t put it past him to spout off either. At least if you tell him where his daughter is he can diffuse what becomes public.”
That’s a fair point, but Colt would never comment about Sawyer in the press, which will take the steam out of any rumor that might spread.
“I can’t do that, sir. I gave Sawyer my word.”
