Page 17

I didn’t get any sleep last night, which is getting really fucking old at this point.

After Hunter dropped me off at my apartment, I was actually able to fall asleep a lot more quickly than normal.

Although I think that had more to do with the two glasses of whiskey rather than a clear mind, because not even an hour later, around one, I shot upright in my bed, foggy and disoriented, drenched in sweat, my whole body trembling, and my heart kicking like a bass drum.

Another night, another nightmare.

But what’s even more unsettling is that this nightmare was different.

Every nightmare, including this one, has one thing in common: my father.

The only difference this time was that I wasn’t alone with him.

Someone else was there.

Ellie.

This time when my father went to punch me in the face, Ellie jumped in, pushed me out of the way, and took the hit for me.

I have no idea what that could even mean, but what I do know is that this time I was thrashing so hard I woke myself up.

I make a mental note to schedule another emergency appointment with my therapist because this no sleep thing needs to end.

There was no getting back to sleep after that nightmare so, as usual, I distracted myself with work.

The only problem is, there’s not much to be done when the regular season hasn’t even started yet.

But our first game is tomorrow and there’s no such thing as being too prepared.

I watched a bit of game tape from our last preseason game, jotting down a few ideas I have for our penalty kill, and shot off a couple emails to Ellie asking for her thoughts.

She was probably asleep with the majority of people in Green Bay but she could read them and be prepared to discuss at our coaches’ meeting this morning

Before I know it, my alarm starts blaring, telling me that it’s 5 a.

m.

I lean over my notes to try to reach my phone that is sitting on my nightstand.

When I go to slide the alarm off, I see an email marked “Important” come through from our GM, Jerry.

Huh.

That’s odd.

We have a call scheduled this afternoon.

Maybe he’s canceling it.

I tap on the notification so I can read the email and my heart immediately starts racing.

To : Lincoln Scott

From : Jerry Bateman

Subject : URGENT: Meeting Today 7 a.

m.

Lincoln,

I’ll be at the rink this morning at 7 a.

m.

sharp.

Please meet me in the conference room with Coach Montgomery promptly at 7.

Thank you,

Jerry

That’s it.

No details about what this meeting is about.

Nothing .

Jerry is an intimidating man.

He has a “no bullshit” attitude, which is exactly why he was hired by the owner of the Bobcats.

After the scandal, they needed someone in charge who could change the climate of the organization.

You know the head coach of the Detroit Lions?

Think Dan Campbell with no hair.

That’s Jerry.

He will stop at nothing to rebuild this organization and give it the glory it deserves.

He’ll take out your knee caps if he has to.

Which is why I immediately start sweating.

This meeting can’t be a sign of anything good, that’s for sure.

I just have no idea what it could possibly be about.

I did speak with Becky from HR last night but things don’t usually work that fast so I doubt that’s it.

Did something happen overnight with one of the players?

I start googling the local newspapers and gossip websites but don’t see any of my players mentioned.

Damn it.

I mean, that’s obviously fantastic news, but I’m still left wondering what the hell this emergency meeting is about.

What is so important that he changed his entire schedule to come meet with me in person instead of just talking on the call today?

Scratch that.

He wants to meet with me and Ellie today.

Did someone tell him we were flirting the other day?

Is our constant banter creating a hostile workplace?

Did I cross a line?

No.

I couldn’t have.

I mean, sometimes when I’m daydreaming, I have my hand wrapped around her blonde ponytail, thrusting into her from behind.

Does he know?

Can he read my mind?

Get a fucking grip, Lincoln.

I shake myself out of my spiral, and type out an email to Ellie to let her know about the meeting.

I tap my fingers lightly on the keys waiting for her to respond.

It’s just after 5:15 so maybe she’s still asleep.

But she’s usually at the rink before me, so she should be awake.

I’m too impatient to wait for a response so I pick up my phone and text her .

After a very under stimulating conversation with Ellie via text, she confirms she’ll meet me a little early at the rink.

It’s almost 5:30, and I need to be at the rink ready to meet with Ellie in an hour.

Unfortunately, that means I don’t have time for a workout.

Even if I leave in the next ten minutes, I’d only have about thirty minutes to work out, shower, and prepare for this meeting with Ellie and Jerry.

Rather than stress myself out and be crunched for time, I do a quick twenty-minute interval workout on my stationary bike.

Nothing more killer than sprinting uphill.

My body hates me but my knee is feeling good.

That’s a good sign.

Hopefully it’s a sign of more good things to come today.

I take a quick shower and get dressed in one of my favorite charcoal suits.

Look good, feel good, play good.

Right?

God, let’s hope so.

It’s always worked in the past as a player and now as a coach.

So hopefully it brings some good juju for this meeting with Jerry.

I have a feeling I could use all the help I can get.

It’s 6:25 a.

m.

and still no sign of Ellie.

I know she technically has five more minutes, but it’s unlike her not to show up early.

God, I hope she’s not late.

In an attempt to distract myself, I pull up a game on my phone and absentmindedly start crushing candies.

I don’t even notice how fast I’m tapping my foot on the ground until I hear her voice.

“Too much caffeine this morning? I could hear you tapping your foot all the way down the hall.” She walks into the room and I forget about everything else.

Her blonde hair is down today, which is new, and the wavy strands frame her face, making her gorgeous blue eyes pop.

They are even more mesmerizing today because she’s wearing a navy business suit that seems to amplify the color of her eyes.

I thought they were beautiful before but, damn.

This is next level gorgeous.

“Lincoln? Did you hear me?” Ellie asks as she takes a seat across from me at the conference table.

The head of the table is left empty for Jerry, and I kind of wish she sat next to me instead so I could have her close to me.

Get it together, Lincoln.

I clear my throat and put my phone down.

I’ll have to beat that level another day.

“No, sorry. I was distracted. What did you say?”

She gives me a look that says are you serious?

and proceeds to repeat what I apparently missed when staring slack-jawed at her.

“I said, did you figure out what this meeting is about? And why the hell wasn’t Grayson asked to be here?”

Jerry specifically asked to meet with just the two of us.

How did I not even realize that?

Oh right, I was too busy thinking I was about to get fired for flirting with my assistant coach.

“I have no idea. I don’t know if that’s a good sign or a bad sign.”

She worries her bottom lip, and I can’t help but stare.

“I don’t know either. I can’t figure out why he’d only want to see us. It’s driving me insane.”

Her chewing on her lip like that is driving me insane.

Before Ellie catches me staring at her, I shake myself out of the trance she’s put me in and grab my notebook.

“I have no idea either. So, instead of sitting here wasting time trying to figure it out, let’s go over our final lineup for the season opener and anything else he may ask us about while he’s here.”

Ellie rears back like I just delivered the low blow of the century.

What did I say now?

“I wasn’t trying to waste our time, Lincoln. I was just communicating with you that I’m confused by all this. But, by all means, let’s go over the lineup that hasn’t changed in the past three days. It sounds like a much better use of our time.”

I’m an idiot.

Now she’s pissed, and that’s not what we need going into this mystery meeting.

I ignore her sarcasm and start going over our offensive lines and defensive pairings before reviewing our special teams’ personnel.

We’re just about to go over our penalty kill lines when Jerry walks into the conference room.

“Good morning, Lincoln. Ellie. Sorry to get you here so early but I wanted to meet with you both before your coaches’ meeting at eight.”

Ellie and I both nod at Jerry and mutter our “good mornings” as he takes a seat at the head of the table.

We both sit with hands clasped on the table, but I can tell Ellie is just as nervous as I am by the way she’s rubbing her thumbs together.

I take a deep breath and focus on Jerry.

“The reason I wanted you here before your meeting is because there will be someone missing this morning. Grayson is no longer a part of the Green Bay coaching staff—effective immediately.”

Well, I’m definitely not expecting that.

I scoot my chair closer to the table and look over to Ellie.

She tries to put a neutral expression on her face but I don’t miss the way her mouth drops for a half second and the way her eyebrows shoot up.

Apparently, she wasn’t expecting this news either.

Jerry continues while Ellie and I stay quiet.

“It has come to our attention that Grayson has been making derogatory comments about some of our staff members. He was reported to both me and HR by members of the staff last night.”

He turns to look Ellie directly in the eyes.

“Ms. Montgomery, I want to apologize to you in person. I am sorry for ever putting you in a situation where your worth was questioned and disvalued. I am also sorry if Mr. Sanders has made you feel uncomfortable in any way in the past. You are an extremely important part of this organization and deserve to be treated with class and respect.”

Ellie takes a deep breath before responding to Jerry.

“Thank you, Mr. Bateman. When Grayson had been inappropriate with me, I handled him in my own way and never heard another word. I thought he would no longer be an issue. I’m sorry for not reporting his behavior to you. It’s clear I was wrong in keeping it to myself and I hate to think I could’ve prevented this from happening to someone else.”

She’s blaming herself for not reporting him sooner?

This woman keeps surprising me.

Jerry nods his head and gives Ellie a small smile.

“Don’t you go apologizing to me, Ellie. You weren’t the only target of Grayson’s ugly words and behavior. As you know, we have many women on the staff here. From PR, to the training room, to the bench, there are many exceptional women within the organization. Each one is more than deserving to be here. I just wanted to come here and let you know that your hard work is valued here. I hope you know how important you are to me and the team. They were very quick to come to your defense. It’s clear your players respect and trust you too.”

I look over to see Ellie looking stunned.

Her cheeks are blushing a delightful pink, as if she didn’t expect the compliments.

Her reaction to his words makes me realize just how tough I’ve been on her, rarely offering praise when she does something great.

Man, I am such a jackass.

Ellie whispers a soft, “Thank you,” to Jerry, and I turn my attention back to him.

“What does this mean for the coaching staff? Will it just be Ellie and I on the bench this season?”

Not that I would mind that even a little bit.

“Due to our lack of funds this year, we’re unable to hire an outside candidate. However, if you believe someone else on our staff would qualify and be capable of stepping in, I’d like to discuss that now. ”

Ellie and I look at each other across the table.

The edges of her mouth tip up before a small smirk paints her beautiful face.

I know exactly what she’s thinking.

I give her a small nod to let her know I agree and to give her the floor.

“Mr. Bateman, I think Lincoln would agree that Hunter is more than qualified to be an assistant coach on this team. He is one of the smartest guys I’ve met when it comes to hockey, and quite frankly, he knows this team better than any of us with the amount of game tape he’s watched.”

This girl.

How can I not be attracted to her when she goes to bat for one of my closest friends?

I nod before voicing my agreement.

“Ellie is right, sir. Hunter is the smartest hockey player I’ve ever known. As a coach, he is not only valuable but he’s respected by every player in that locker room. He already sits in meetings and contributes to lineup decisions because we value his opinion that much. I don’t think there’s a better person to step in.”

Jerry looks from me to Ellie before standing from his chair.

“Well, I hired you both for a reason so I’d be stupid not to heed this advice. I have Becky from HR on standby to discuss a potential replacement as soon as we finish this meeting. I’m going to go make that call. Can you two stay here while I do that? I’d like to get you an answer before your meeting at eight.”

We both nod our heads and say, “Yes, sir” at the exact same time, and I can’t help but laugh.

Jerry shocks us both—hell, it would shock the world—by giving us the biggest shit eating grin I’ve ever seen.

“I have a good feeling about you two.” He turns on his heel and exits the room to make a call.

I release a deep breath before slumping back into my chair.

For the first time since receiving Jerry’s email I can finally breathe.

I look over at Ellie to see her staring at me.

“What?” I ask a bit too harshly.

Ellie shakes her head before leaning back in her chair to mirror my pose.

“Nothing. I’m just wondering who spear-headed this whole thing and went to HR.” She quirks her eyebrow up and makes a slight “hmm” sound.

“Your guess is as good as mine,” I say before I tip my head back and close my eyes.

Ellie hums again and that’s the end of the conversation.

Last night, Hunter and I ended up discussing the Grayson situation more in depth than I’d like.

It turns out, Hunter has heard Grayson say some pretty nasty shit about not only Ellie, but also Sloane, our female trainer, and Lucy, the head of PR.

We both decided that enough was enough and we made a plan to inform HR.

We spent the night reaching out to the players and were surprised that eight of them had heard Grayson make derogatory comments to females on staff.

We asked them to shoot us an email with details of when and where the comments were made so we could form a paper trail.

It turns out two of our male trainers and one of our play by play game announcers had their own stories to tell as well.

One of the male trainers even contacted one of Grayson’s targets on staff, and she shot us an email detailing multiple encounters with him.

We were lucky to get in touch with everyone last night, thank god everyone was awake, even though it had been late when we contacted them.

It felt too important to wait until morning.

We drafted an email at the bar and shot it off to Becky, the head of HR.

My phone rang less than ten minutes later.

She was absolutely appalled, and told us she would be in touch with Jerry as soon as possible.

That was at almost midnight.

I never imagined it would happen so fast.

When I got Jerry’s email this morning, Grayson never even crossed my mind.

Becky works fast.

I like it.

I’m glad Grayson won’t be around to torment our female staff members any longer.

I also fully intend to make good on my promise to him that I’ll make his life a living hell now.

There’s no way the local news and gossip sites don’t catch wind of this story.

And I’ll make damn sure every single one of my contacts within the NHL reads the news articles.

Grayson Sanders will never coach another day in the NHL if I have anything to do with it.