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I couldn’t say I was surprised. She’d struck me from the beginning as someone who’d have a cause. Not sure why. But I was right, and that made me grin. “You want to put girls into a boys hockey league?”
She waffled her hand side to side. “I’d start with creating a girls league, but yeah. I don’t see why they couldn’t play together.”
Um, maybe because guys got a thrill out of punching the shit out of their opponents and fans responded to the brutality with cheers for more? I couldn’t imagine a girl being okay with getting her teeth knocked out in the middle of a game. Then again… who was I to decide what girls wanted?
“I also think there should be a better support system for players. Buses to pick up kids whose parents can’t bring them. Lower-cost uniforms thanks to community donations. That sort of thing.” Lucy’s eyes lit with an inner glow and her hand fluttered as she talked.
I loved the moment of seeing through the professional Lucy Ashley. She’d taken care of Justin yesterday, and we were all grateful. Having her there was great for our team. But it was going to be hell on me. I’d never been drawn to a woman like this before. I couldn’t explain it, but I felt like I knew her. It was more than her being Coach’s daughter. From the moment I saw her, even before he told us who she was, I wanted to get to know her. And now she was off-limits. Fuck my luck.
I realized I’d been standing there staring at her without speaking when she lifted that one eyebrow again. I grinned to hide my discomfort. “I’ll walk with you. Do you mind if I sit in on your meeting?”
“Sure. As long as the board has no objections.” She straightened her blouse so the buttons aligned, and I had a sudden urge to see what she’d look like without it.
I smacked those thoughts away and focused. “The board is mostly men. But there are three women. You won’t have any trouble getting them on your side. I’d start with your support system idea and work up from there.”
Stopping at the wooden double doors to the left of the stairs that led to the upper rows of seats, I held out a hand, asking her to wait.
“What?” She smoothed a hand over her hair, showing her nervousness when she swallowed several times. “Do I have something on my face?”
“No. You’re perfect.” The hell did that come from? No time to worry about it now. I gripped the doorknob and gave it a twist. “No matter what they say, keep your temper. Fastest way to get them all to turn on you is to get loud or obnoxious.”
“I would never do that.” Her wide grin said the opposite, but she quickly schooled her expression and stepped past me.
The room was small but well-lit with several fluorescent lights. Tan walls and a hard concrete floor cast the seven men and women across from us in a yellowish glow that made them all appear older.
Lucy moved toward them, walking with a casual grace. I was right. Her ass looked amazing.
Off-limits, Zack.
“Thank you for agreeing to see me.” Lucy stopped in front of the long table and folded her hands in front of her.
I made my way around so that I stood close but didn’t invade her space.
“You made quite the case to Cassandra.” The man at the end spoke for all of them while watching Lucy. “What exactly are you proposing, Miss Ashley?”
TheMisscaught my attention. I’d noticed she didn’t wear a wedding ring, but that didn’t always equate to single. My heart gave another hard thud.
Lucy laid out her case in precise detail. Everything from how the buses could best benefit the players to her ideas to scope out grants and other means to pay for some of the more expensive items that kept many kids from joining the youthleague. She took my advice and waited until the end to bring up allowing girls into the league. By the time she finished, the board members seemed split. Some smiled at Lucy while others frowned so hard their eyes disappeared beneath bushy brows. And every one of the frowning ones? Men.
Figured. I almost snorted at their audacity.
“You believe girls would be interested in a sport known for its violence?” Bob, the oldest board member, leaned forward and knotted his fingers together on top of the table.
Lucy reached into a briefcase I hadn’t even noticed and pulled out a sheaf of papers. “These are names of girls, and boys, who would like to play but are either prohibited by the all-boys rule or cannot get to the rink for practice.” She walked forward and eased the papers onto the table. “There are one hundred and fifty names there. All within a thirty-mile radius from this facility.”
Holy shit. There were that many kids who wanted to play? We had forty kids now, barely enough for two teams.
“And you’re proposing that we allow all of these children access to hockey?” Cassandra asked.
“Yes.” Lucy held her ground and met each member eye to eye. “I believe every child should have equal opportunity. Regardless of their gender or class. Among other considerations. Schools once advocated for ‘no child left behind’ and it was considered a rousing success. I’m proposing the implementation of the same principle.”
“And how will you get them here?” Duke, the one most likely to give Lucy grief, thumbed through the pages.
“I’ll bring them.” I stepped forward, not daring to look at Lucy. “Once we have a bus, I’ll pick them up and take them home.”
Her tiny, shocked inhale shot all the way through me, and I’d be damned if my dick didn’t respond with a twitch. Now wasnotthe time for a raging hard-on, so I focused on the board members eyeing me.
Lucy impressed me with her determination. The least I could do was offer to help out. Plus, I’d just been thinking about a busing schedule. I didn’t believe in divine help, but this was serendipity if I’d ever seen it.
