“Did the guy call you while I was in the shower?”
“Yeah.” Cody glanced up at me, and I could see the cautious hope in his expression. Pulling out a chair next to him, I gave him my full attention.
“Tell me what happened.”
“Nosey,” he muttered, and smirked when I kicked him beneath the table. “Alright. His name’s Ross Griffin, and he took over the team at the beginning of last season. The team’s got a reputation for always finishing at the bottom of the league, but Ross is putting his own time and money into building them up.He’s young, but he seems enthusiastic. Got a lot of ideas for improvement.”
“What does he want you to do?”
“He wants me to watch the next youth training session. It’s the off-season, so most of the main team players aren’t around, but he’s got a couple helping out with the kids. He wants to develop a proper youth programme and thinks I might have some insights.”
A wide grin curved over my lips. “That’s great. Fuck, Cody. This is perfect. When?”
“Tomorrow afternoon, if I’m available.”
“You are.”
He rolled his eyes. “Don’t get too excited. It’s just me giving him some advice. I might not even be able to help.”
“You will.” Leaning forwards, I pressed kisses to his mouth until he smiled. “This is gonna be amazing.”
28
Cody
“Cody. I’m Ross. Thanks for coming.” Ross Griffin held out his hand, shaking mine firmly. He looked to be in his early thirties, around the same height as Jude, with reddish-blond hair and bright blue eyes.
“Cody!”
I raised my brows at Jude’s indignant tone. “What?”
“You never told me he was Canadian.” He studied the manager of Cheltenham Storm, suddenly uncertain. “You are Canadian, right?”
Ross’s mouth curved into a grin.
“Alberta born and bred. Well, my mother’s family is Scottish, so I guess I have a foot in each country, so to speak.”
Jude nodded, biting down on his lip. “Cool. Uh, sorry I was rude. I’m Jude Nielson, Cody’s fr?—”
“Partner,” I said. “Although that needs to remain between us.” We’d only just met, but I trusted my instincts, and they were telling me I could trust him. This guy wasn’t about fame or fortune or giving the media an exclusive. Our phone conversation had left me reassured, and along with the background research I’d done on him yesterday evening, I’d come away with the impression of a decent, honest man.
Next to me, Jude stiffened, his wide, shocked gaze swinging to mine. I found his hand and squeezed it gently, letting him know it was okay, and he gave me a tentative smile.
Ross didn’t even blink, taking it all in stride. “It goes no further. You can trust me.” He nodded at the sliding doors that led into the arena. “Now, how about I show you both around?”
After our brief tour of the facilities, we entered the rink itself, and I exhaled, closing my eyes as I let the familiar sounds and smells wash over me. I’d missed this, even more than I’d realised. Hockey was in my blood.
“It never gets old, does it?”
My eyes flew open to find Ross shooting me a knowing grin, which I suddenly found easy to return.
“Never.”
“The arena has a capacity of just under two thousand. One of the smallest in the league, but there’s potential for expansion.” He chuckled. “I’m getting ahead of myself. One thing at a time. And that leads us into why you’re here. I suppose I should have begun this whole thing by saying how much I appreciate you taking the time to come down here and take a look.”
Shifting on my feet, I scratched at my stubble. “No problem.” I was still processing the fact that someone wanted my insight. In the NHL, I’d been just another player trying to prove I belonged. Here, I was apparently someone whose advice was valuable. It was weird and different and left me with a strange warmth that I usually only associated with Jude.
My gaze turned to the ice, where a group of teenagers were warming up, closely supervised by two guys dressed in Cheltenham Storm jerseys. Ross followed my line of sight, both of us watching their moves. He sighed. “As I’m sure you can see, these kids have the talent, but it’s the structure of their training we’re struggling with. And trying to divide my focus between them and our pro team… What I want is to build somethingsustainable here, to develop players who could eventually make it to the main team.”
