Page 95 of Whiskey Wednesdays
He rolled his eyes.
We got our order and sat down. “Tell me what’s so important,” I prodded.
“Max’s mother might agree to share physical custody with me.”
I grabbed his arm. “That’s wonderful! But what do you mean, shemightagree?”
He sighed. “I have to go before a family law judge and prove I have adequate income and a stable environment. And an appropriate family setting.”
“Hmm. You have most of that. What do they mean by an appropriate family setting?”
“Fuck if I know. I may need some help to make sure I have whatever the hell that is.”
“Okay. When you figure it out let me know.” I picked up my taco and took a bite.
The next day, Titus texted me a link to an article.
Titus: Thought you should know.
The article had been posted on a prominent hockey news website, and there were two photographs included. The first photo showed Ben and me kneeling over Jackson on the ice, and he had blood dripping down his chin. I held a towel to Jackson’s cheek and had a concerned look on my face. The second photo showed Connor and me walking out of the arena together after the game. He held Elodie’s hand, and his other arm was draped around my shoulders. His head was tipped toward me, and I was turned toward him, smiling.
The headline read “The Hammer Hooks Up with Thunderbirds’ Medical Assistant.” My stomach dropped and my mind froze for a moment. I started imagining all the worst-case scenarios as I read the article. It was sparse, and they must have thought the photos were enough.
A few minutes later, I settled down a little. My internship was actually with the sports medicine clinic. I also wasn’t technically “employed” by the Thunderbirds or Connor. Hell, I was even paying tuition to be there.
I needed to call Ben and let him know. There might be fallout with Coach Bailey, but it wasn’t like I’d been trying to hide anything from the team or the staff. I’d even walked into the arena office with Connor to grab some skates a couple of months ago.
Everything would be all right, I reasoned. Feeling a little better, I forwarded the article to Connor, then I pushed the whole thing out of my mind.
Chapter 27
Everything was not all right. Coach Bailey called Ben and me into his office the next day.
“What is this, Ms. Cruz?” He pointed to the article and photos on his laptop. “I specifically tried to avoid something like this happening when you started working here.”
“Coach Bailey, my relationship with Mr. McCoy doesn’t affect my work with the team.”
He scoffed. “We’re a professional organization, and employees should not be fraternizing with the players.”
My hands clenched and my temper started to boil. “Connor and I knew each other before I started my internship with Doctor Rasmussen and Doctor Singhal’s clinic. And Connor is not a player on the team.”
Coach Bailey’s eyes narrowed. “Yes, it’s actually worse than that, isn’t it? He’s one of theowners.”
I tried to keep my voice calm. “I’m not an employee of the team. My clinical internship is through Dr. Rasmussen’s office, and I frankly don’t see why this is an issue.”
“Is Mr. McCoy how you got your internship here, Ms. Cruz?”
My spine straightened. Did he think I’d slept with Connor so I could get this internship?
Ben shifted next to me. “That’s uncalled for. Connor McCoy didn’t factor into us choosing her in any way. Isabella came highly recommended, and her grades and scores are top-notch.”
Coach Bailey shook his head. “It’s unprofessional. I’m going to contact her school and report this.”
My heart thudded and my stomach lurched, but I tried to keep my expression neutral. “I’ve done nothing wrong. You have nothing to report.”
I wanted to rage at him, and then go somewhere private and cry. But I knew that wouldn’t help my case.
Ben studied him. “Do you think that’s a good idea?”
