Page 72 of Timelessly Ours
Except…with me.
And here I was, expecting to go from zero to fifty after one kiss.
The worst part of it is that she felt ashamed. Ashamed for needing to stop. For tensing up.
My whole body aches with regret…and a desire to fix what I’m afraid I broke last night.
There’s a knock on my door and I’m grateful for the distraction.
“Come in.”
“Royce.” Grove Randall, the GM, nods as he walks into my office. He and Jeff Granger, one of the team owners, are the few who refer to me by my first name.
“Grove.” I shake my head with relief as the next up in the chain of command strolls into my office and takes a seat across from me.
Grove shakes his head right back. “How the hell do we get rid of this guy?” he asks. He doesn’t need to tell me he’s referring to Hastings.
I lean back in my chair. “We can’t. Regardless of his past reputation, he still has fans out there.”
Fans that are louder than mine.
“You got to help me here, Coach,” he starts, using my title deliberately. Reminding me this is still my job and I’m the only one who can keep it that way. “Who’s our weakest link?”
“We don’t have one. We’re only a few weeks in. It’s a rough start to the season but...we’ll get where we need to be. I have no doubt.”
Grove shrugs. “It’s politics, Royce. When the economy is bad, people blame the people on top.”
“I’m not on top,” I say dryly.
“No. But you lead the team. And you’re going to need to prove you’re not growing soft.”
“What does that mean?”
He twists his neck to ensure the door is closed but still lowers his voice. “The Blades Organization Kickoff Gala.”
“The annual auction event? I go every year. The whole team does.”
“You need to come with a plan. You’re responsible for the team’s on-ice performance. If you don’t win seventy percent of the games between now and then, you’ll need to announce plans for trades.”
“That’s your job,” I remind him.
“In close discussion with my head coach,” he practically shouts. “Just trust me on this. If the president and the owners see that you know where the problem is and plan to fix it, they’ll dismiss any idea of replacing you as Head Coach.”
I want to tell him that if that’s an idea they’re toying with, then Robbie can have the damn job. But this isn’t just about me. My team is counting on me.
I shake my head. There has to be another way. Like to figure out what the fuck our problem is. But if I want to avoid having to hand pick them myself, I’ll need to ensure we win at least five of the games over the next two weeks—until this gala.
“Maybe I can come up with one,” I mutter quietly, mostly to appease him at the moment.
“Come on, there’s got to be more than one. What about our alternate? Jace Knight. He had that injury last year.”
“He’s been on point even before the surgery. He’s a hundred percent now.”
Well, almost.
But he’s certainly not the weakest link.
“Think about it.” He stands and moves to the door. “Oh and bring a date. Jeffrey’s wife is a chatter so if she’s talkin’ up a storm with someone, he’s sure to stick around and hear you out.”
