Page 121 of Shots Fired

He smirks, and it isn’t a warm, amused, or friendly one. “Yeah, I’m sure you will. But what I’m saying is, Archer, I’m not sure I’ll ever be ready to talk to you.Everagain.”

CHAPTER FORTY

ARCHER

Me: I’m guessing you’ve heard already.

Sawyer: Yeah. Collins told me, and I was planning to talk to you about it when I got to the rink. Figured face-to-face was better.

Me: It was bad.

Sawyer: Collins said Kendra thought he was going to hit you.

Me: Kendra isn’t alone with those thoughts.

Sawyer: I’m not going to tell you I warned you because it’s not helpful, and honestly, I get it. Sophie lost a baby at ten weeks, and she’d already told her parents and friends. It was hard as hell.

Me: Shit, I’m sorry.

Sawyer: Are you okay? Is Darcy okay?

Me: Currently standing in the hallway outside the locker room, I can’t bring myself to walk inside. Darcy is seeing her mom this morning. She’s doing okay.

Sawyer: I’m sitting in the parking lot, and I’ll be inside in a couple of minutes. We can talk afterward. I’m not going to lie; this whole thing is going to be an uphill battle for the team. What I haven’t said to you yet though is congrats. Married and about to become a family man. How does it feel?

Leaning against the locker room doorjamb and despite the shit show that was yesterday in the airport, I still feel incredible.

Me: Amazing. It makes me wonder why the hell I fucked around all those years, you know? I know I’ve got some work to do in the locker room …

Sawyer: For a lot of guys, until they become a family man, they don’t understand how special it actually is. Welcome to the club, buddy. As for the locker room, I think you need to give it time.

Me: He was pissed. You should’ve seen him.

Sawyer: Oh, I can imagine. You knew it would go down like this though.

Me: I love her so fucking much.

Sawyer: I know you do.

“Moore.”

Coach’s stern voice interrupts my thoughts as I uncross my legs, pocket my cell, and look up into two cold steely-gray eyes.

Shit.

“Yes, Coach?”

He swipes a palm across his forehead before slapping it against his thigh. “I need to speak with you before practice.” He thumbs to a side room.

I could ask him if everything is okay, but we both know it isn’t.

Swallowing hard, I push off the jamb and follow behind him.

With his hand on the door handle, Coach pauses before opening. He doesn’t turn to look at me, but speaks quietly, a serious undertone to his voice. “The discussion we’re about to have needs to remain calm. I’ve got the GM wanting to know what the fuck is going on since a photo was leaked to the press this morning of you and Jack squaring up in the airport. The PR team had it taken down within minutes, so I doubt much narrative will come of it. That said, it didn’t look good.”

Nausea rolls through me. “Was Darcy in the picture?”

He looks at me then, surprised that was my first question.