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I liked her ideas, and she’d made a good point. Everyone deserved to play whatever sport they enjoyed. I remembered a time when I couldn’t make it to practice because my parents had to work. I’d given up hockey for three years and hated every minute off the ice. If I could give one kid the chance to pursue a dream, it would be worth my time.
Lucy’s passion ignited a spark in me. A spark that made me want to do better as a human. I needed to be more understanding and remember what it felt like to be that kid in need.
“We’ll consider your proposal.” Bob flicked his fingers, dismissing us.
Lucy’s teeth locked and her nostrils flared, but then she glanced up and nodded tightly. “Thank you. I look forward to hearing back from you. Does a week from today give you long enough?”
Attagirl. She pinned them down by forcing them to give her a time frame.
Bob grunted and nodded. “Fine. One week from today.”
Lucy spun on her heel and strode from the room. I followed close behind, trying not to stare and failing. As soon as the doors closed behind us, she twirled around and fist-pumped the air. “I think that went great. I mean, Bob is a bit of a dick. But the others seemed pretty enthused. What did you think?”
I thought I was going to get an ass-chewing from her father for being late to practice. Worth it. I headed outside with Lucy walking beside me. “I think they’ll agree. Be hard to say no to ahundred and fifty kids. Even with reduced uniforms and other cuts, that’s a pile of money they’d be turning down.”
Her mouth puckered. “Ugh. I hate when it all comes down to money.”
“Money makes the world go round.” I shrugged and slipped my sunglasses on when we stepped out into the harsh mid-day sun.
Lucy scoffed. “That’s what most people think. But they’re wrong.”
“Yeah?” I checked the time on my watch and increased my pace. “If it’s not money, then what is it?”
Lennox and Justin jogged across the street and joined us before she could answer. “Hey. Coach sent us to get you.” Lennox tapped my watch. “Forget how to tell time?”
“Shit.” Lucy clapped a hand over her mouth. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t even think about practice. It doesn’t matter if I’m late. Dad knew I had a meeting today. I’ll tell him it’s my fault.”
“Don’t worry about it.” I didn’t need her to stand up for me or try to protect me from Coach. I was no masochist, but I’d made my decision and I’d take the consequences. “I wanted to help with your meeting.”
The four of us turned the last corner on the block leading to the rink. Lennox and Justin kept shooting me dirty looks. I’d have to explain everything later, but I was sure they’d give me hell on the ice.
Coach Ashley met us at the door, his frown a dead ringer for his daughter’s when Bob questioned her. “What the hell took you so long?”
“Sorry, Coach,” I started.
Lucy glared at me and lifted her chin. “Zachary was helping me with my meeting.”
Coach pointed a long finger at me. “We’ll talk about this later.” He faced his daughter and the coldness fell away. “How’s my granddaughter?”
Lennox, Justin, and I all shared a look, no doubt asking ourselves the same question. Lucy had a daughter?
4
LUCY
Ishouldn’t feel like wincing when my dad asked about Abigail. I’m not ashamed of my daughter, but the circumstances around her conception were always awkward. People tended to count back the years and judge me for getting pregnant in college. I usually told them to fuck off—if I bothered saying anything at all. Their judgment was one of the societal and cultural norms that I hated. It was none of their business. If any of these guys dared to say a word…
I took a deep, cleansing breath and met Dad’s concerned gaze.
With three hot guys staring me down, each of them making those same calculated looks as they watched me, I said the only thing I could. “Abigail’s fine. If anything, she was more upset about having to leave school than she was the fall.” It was true. She’d cried when I picked her up and complained the whole time we sat at the doctor’s office. The only thing she wanted was to go back to school and spend the rest of the day with her friends.
Even a promised trip to the ice cream shop for a cone didn’t stop my baby girl from maintaining her social butterfly status. My girl never met a stranger.
I lifted my chin and met Zachary’s heavy-lidded gaze with a glare that dared him to ask about my past.
“You have a granddaughter?” Justin punched my dad on the shoulder. “You never told us that. How old is she?”
Dad lit up like a Christmas tree and pulled out his wallet. “Just turned five.” He flipped his wallet open to the most recent picture I’d given him of Abigail. A picture that happened to have me in it too. I’d taken Abigail to the park and she wanted me to swing with her. Not wanting to miss the look on her face, I’d snapped a quick selfie of us laughing together. Dad loved that picture. I wasn’t surprised that he used it to show the guys, but it did make me uncomfortable when they all stared a little too long.
