Page 40 of Keeping it Real

What in the ever-loving hell?

Alek was pretty sure his jaw was on the floor.Every other guy on the team stared at him in silence.Thankfully, Lori stepped in to save the day.

“The game ran late, and the charter buses are waiting to drive us all back to Milwaukee.Since we have a game tomorrow night, I’m sure the guys want to get into their own beds as soon as possible.If everyone can clear out so they can get dressed and we can get the equipment loaded on the bus, I know everyone would appreciate it.”

Her request was met with some grumbling, but they had been on the road for the week, too.The members of the media were also eager to get home.They cleared out without much protest.Alek’s teammates all seemed to reach for their phones at the same time.

“Holy shit,” one of the guys said.

Alek felt like a deer in the headlights.He stood frozen, still trying to make sense of all the questions thrown at him.He looked over at Lori.

“Do I even want to know?”

She powered up her tablet and swiped at it.An image of Sheridan on her knees wearing what he could only describe as a cheap beer garden’s server outfit filled the screen.The angle of the camera made the image look provocative.For her part, Sheridan did not look amused.Lori swiped again to a photo of Finn wielding a hockey stick at a crowd of kids.Behind him, Hattie was straining against her leash.

“What the hell?”he repeated.

Gus was murmuring into his phone.He gave Alek a sympathetic look.

“Some of the kids in the neighborhood decided to pick on Finn because he was wearing your jersey.Finn took exception to it,” he explained.

Alek swore savagely.

“It gets worse.One of the asshole dads chimed in,” Gus continued.

Picard was immediately by Alek’s side.“Who are we having a convo with?”he demanded of Gus.

Gus sighed.“Claire says Sheridan wants to let it go.”

“That’s on brand.”Alek held out his hand for Gus’s phone.“Let me talk to her.”He needed to hear her voice.To know that she and Finn were okay.Then he was going to kill everyone who dared to insult them both.

His friend shook his head.“She took Finn home already.”

Alek dug into his bag for his phone and dialed her number.It went straight to voicemail.He swore again.

“Let’s all take a breath and get dressed so we can get on the road,” Lori reminded them.“We can get more of the facts on the way.We’ll be home before midnight if you all hustle.”

She quit the room just as Alek’s phone chimed with a text.

Everything is fine.Getting Finn ready for bed.I’ll see you when you get home.

He stabbed his fingers at the phone.

Wait up for me.

He went to put his phone back in the stall so he could shower and dress before he decided to add to his text.

Please.

She replied with a thumbs-up emoji.

It was well past midnight by the time Alek arrived home.It had taken some evasive maneuvering to avoid the media staking out the practice facility where he’d left his car.His irritation was already off the charts after spending the hour-and-a-half bus ride scrolling through the Internet, watching the ridiculous story go viral.

It didn’t help that his sister was apparently spending her evening surfing the web, sending him link after link accompanied by laughing emoji.Collin’s text pissed him off even more.His agent demanded that he call ASAP and explain why he was destroying Sheridan’s reputation.Alek ignored him.

Light from the big screen flickered in the dark family room.He looked in to find Sheridan asleep on the sofa, several books spread out around her.He glanced at one.It dealt with grief in children.A similar book was open beneath her hand.A half a glass of wine sat on the ottoman.

He sighed softly.Of course she was going to try to carry the burden of fixing this.When was she going to learn that she wasn’t responsible for everyone and everything?