Chapter 37 – Knox
thirty-seven
Knox
The whistle blows and I start to skate back to the bench, trying really fucking hard to catch my breath.
It’s the first time in a week that I’m on the ice, practicing with the team.
I unsnap my helmet as I walk through the tunnel, handing my stick to the equipment guy as I walk into the locker room.
I take off the special jersey I had to wear for practice, which was a no-contact jersey.
Even though I have been cleared to start practicing, they want to give me another week before they clear me for physical contact.
If you ask me, I’m ready to go, but the doctors just want to be cautious.
“Coach has an announcement to make,” one of the assistant coaches, Zane says, sticking his head in. “He’ll be here in ten, no one leave.”
I sit down and start to untie my skate, the sweat from my face pouring down my nose. “It’s been a week,” I huff out to Jaxon beside me, “and it feels like I haven’t done anything in a month.”
“You know what that means,” Jaxon replies, taking off the tape from his socks. “Means you’re getting old, man.” I take off one skate, putting it under the bench before taking off the other one.
“Fuck you,” I mumble as he chuckles.
I stand up to take off my chest protector when Coach Martin comes into the locker room.
He’s still in his tracksuit from the ice, his whistle hanging from around his neck.
“Hey, guys,” he says and his voice is somber, so I look up and stop what I’m doing.
I think the whole room sort of goes silent, when he looks down at his skates and up again.
“I have some news for you.” I sit now, the room is so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
“This season will be my last with the LA Warriors.” I look over at Jaxon, who looks at me, and then we look at Kirby, all of us sharing the same shocked expression.
“It wasn’t an easy decision to make. But one I knew was time.
I’ve been at it for a long time and I’m just done.
Time for me to enjoy my grandchildren” He takes a deep inhale.
“We aren’t going to be sharing this information with the media just yet, but I wanted you guys to be the first to hear it and to hear it from me.
” He looks over to the corner where one of the other assistant coaches stands, wearing almost the same thing as Martin is wearing.
“I’m happy to say I’ll be passing the torch to Zane. ”
The gasp fills the room as Zane, who has been our assistant coach, steps beside Coach now.
“I know I have big skates to fill.” His face shows a scowl, but it’s a look he always has so we’re just used to it.
I think I’ve seen him smile maybe twice in the last season.
“But I’m going to try my fucking hardest.” I look over at Kirby, who side-eyes me, the both of us thinking the same thing.
He’s going to be the youngest coach behind the bench.
“I just hope you guys give me a chance.”
Jaxon is the first one to speak, “Martin handing you the torch,” he looks at the guys in the room, making sure everyone is looking at him while he says this, “means something.” He looks back at Zane. “Looking forward to seeing what you are going to do.”
“Thank you,” Zane says and then he looks at Coach, who looks at us once more before they leave the room.
Once they leave the room, the whispers start from different groups around us. “Dude,” I look over at Kirby, “how old is he?”
“I think he just turned thirty-seven, could be forty—not sure—I never really asked him,” Kirby answers. “I don’t even think he’s married.”
“I think he’s married,” Jaxon says, “or he has a girlfriend.” I shake my head.
“I’ve never seen him with anyone. When we had family skate, he would often just skate with the kids who were there.” I stand up, taking off my pants. “Either way, looks like all eyes will be on us next season.”
We all nod at each other as we head to the shower.
Forty minutes later, I’m getting into my SUV and pulling out of the parking garage.
I think about heading home when I automatically start driving toward her office.
I pull up to the building and park in the visitors parking lot and take the elevator up.
There’s a smile on my face the whole time, thinking about finally being able to spend the fucking night with her, now that the kids went back to Josephine’s this morning.
I get out of the elevator and walk over to the office door, opening it and stepping in.
I look around and then hear her voice. “I’ll be there in a second!
” she shouts, and I stand here in the waiting area for her.
I hear her moving around in her office and then see her coming out of her door.
She’s wearing tight white pants and a cream-colored silk cami under her white tweed jacket.
“What in the world,” she questions when she sees me and she walks to me, “are you doing here?”
“I was in the neighborhood,” I say, wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her to me. “Thought I could come and make out with you.”
“That’s gross!” Lexi yells from her office. “Don’t do it in the common area.”
“I think I heard you and Kirby going at it in your office,” she tosses over her shoulder.
“As if I would have sex with you in the next room,” Lexi snaps. “I know how paper-thin these walls are.”
“I heard moaning,” she calls back as I walk to her office, her walking backward.
“That’s because I wouldn’t give it to him and he had blue balls,” she retorts as I step into the office and close the door.
“I don’t even want to think about Kirby or his balls,” she mumbles as I bend to kiss her. The kiss starts off slow but then my hands are in her hair; her hands are roaming up my chest and I can’t wait to slide into her.
I let her go and the two of us are literally panting. “Hi.” She smiles up at me. “This is a nice surprise.” Her hands go to my chest as she places them palms down. “What’s the occasion?”
“I was coming to ask you if you wanted to have dinner with me.” She shakes her head.
“I had dinner with you every night last week.”
“Yes, but now I don’t have the kids, so we can either go out or I can cook for you.”
“I don’t know if you know this or not,” she taps her finger on my chest, “but either of those mean I win.” I laugh at her. “So you decide.”
“I want to stay in,” I admit to her. “We haven’t been alone in a week.” She smiles. “Is that okay with you?”
“Yeah, that’s more than okay with me. How were the kids this morning?” she asks me, not moving from my arms.
“Okay. Nora is always okay. It’s getting harder and harder for Vincent.”
“Yeah, I noticed his mood changed as of Friday,” she mentions.
“He got testier and quieter.” She would notice this since Friday night she came with us to his hockey practice and he was grunting more than usual when he got off the ice.
Even when we went to the game on Saturday, he sat with us, but he wasn’t the cheerful guy that he was the rest of the week.
Sunday was the worst, he refused to do anything.
Kylie had opted to let us have alone time but did come over for dinner.
Which was strained to say the very least. He didn’t even watch television after, opting to go straight to his room and slamming the door behind him.
“He knows about what happened,” I fill her in as her eyes go big.
“That must be hard for him,” she says softly, “but lucky for him, he has a father who is looking out for what is best for him and not doing what is better for him than his child.”
“Yeah. What time do you finish work?” I ask her.
“In about an hour, maybe a little more.”
“Are you going to go home and pack a bag before you come to my house?”
“Do I need to go home and pack a bag?” she counters my question with a question.
“That’s totally up to you if you want to come to work wearing the same clothes,” I deadpan and she laughs.
“Is that your way of asking me to sleep over at your house?”
“No.” I shake my head. “That’s my way of telling you that you aren’t leaving my house until you have to come back to work tomorrow.”
“I guess I have to go home and pack a bag then,” she quips and I bend one more time to kiss her lips.
“That would be a good idea,” I tell her, “maybe for a couple of days.”
She laughs as I let her go and she walks me to the front office door. “That’s a stretch.”
“We can go to your place on Wednesday,” I compromise.
She rolls her eyes. “I’ll think about it.”
“That means no!” Lexi yells from her office. “When she says she’ll think about it, it’s always a no.”
“I’ll see you later.” She leans up and kisses me chastely as I turn to walk out.
“Bye, Lexi!” I shout over my shoulder toward her office door that has been open the whole time, but she never came out of it.
“Bye, Knox,” she says back to me, “have fun tonight.”
“Oh, I plan to.” I smirk and I see Kylie shaking her head.
“Don’t encourage her. She thought we did anal last week when you sent me flowers for my birthday.
” I tilt my head to the side. “That requires diamonds,” she quickly adds, and I reach up and touch the necklace I gave her with the K dangling.
“Bigger diamonds.” She pushes me out of the door. “Don’t push it.”
“See you later,” I tell her, giving her one more kiss before I walk out of her office and toward the elevator.
I’m getting into my car and making my way to the flower shop when my phone rings, and I look down to see it’s Josephine calling me. I groan before I press the green button after the third ring. “Hello.” I put the phone to my ear as I swing into a parking spot.
“Hey,” she says breathlessly, as if she is rushing somewhere.
“Are the kids okay?” I ask her as I shut the driver’s side door and walk over to the shop, stopping outside the door while I have this conversation with her.
“Yeah, they are fine,” she assures me as her voice goes low as if she’s whispering. “I just got them from school.”
“Okay.” I don’t know why I’m expecting her to tell me that Vincent got in trouble or said something to her he shouldn’t have said.
“Nora was full of stories for me,” she starts and I wait for the rest of what she has to say.
“How long is this conversation going to go on before you get to the point as to why the fuck you are calling me?” I finally snap out.
“Are you seeing someone?” she hisses at me, and I laugh at her. The bark of laughter that escapes me is so loud it makes the person walking by me jump. “This isn’t funny, Knox.”
“I agree it’s not funny. It’s hilarious.”
“Are you going to deny it?” she asks me, and again I can’t help the laughter.
“Are you kidding me?” I ask her. “Did you actually pick up the phone and call me for this?”
“I’m asking you a valid question.” Her voice stays low, and I know she is calling me away from the kids, not loud enough that any of them hear this conversation.
“Okay, bye,” I quickly say, and she screeches.
“Josephine,” I say her name. “The fact you think you can pick up the phone and call me to ask me this has me thinking you have lost your fucking mind,” I growl, my voice tight. “It’s none of your fucking business what I do or who I do it with.”
“Well, I think this is a perfect time to call my lawyer,” she declares and the minute she threatens me, my whole body goes tight.
“Good,” I push, “go ahead and call him. While you are on the phone with him, don’t forget to remind him I caught you in our marital bed fucking Jeremy.
” My voice is high and I’m sure people on the street are probably listening to this conversation as they pass me by.
“And that you were fucking him for the last fucking three years.” My voice rises and I hate I’m letting her get to me.
“Tell him that,” I retort and then I press the red button, ending the call.