Chapter 45
WARD
W hen Ward saw the boss take to the stage, microphone in hand, he knew he should feel excited that maybe the moment he’d been waiting for had arrived but instead he felt annoyed. And doubly annoyed that Hannah had released herself from his arms and the fun they’d been having had been cut short. He’d been enjoying himself so much that he’d almost forgotten the reason he was here. Or hoped that was the reason.
But when the team owner made eye contact with him then, there was a dark glint in Sumners’ gaze that made him certain he was right to worry.
‘Uh-oh,’ he muttered quietly.
Hannah glanced at him. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘I’m not sure,’ he admitted, ‘but something tells me that I’m not about to like whatever the hell is about to happen.’
When Sumners saw that he had everyone’s attention, the Panthers’ owner began to speak, his voice firm and confident. ‘First of all, on behalf of my lovely wife Barbara and myself, thank you all for coming here tonight. Benefits tend to bring out the best in people and tonight is no exception.’ Then he chuckled. ‘Though I suspect that might be about to change.’
There was polite, if somewhat confused, applause.
‘Now, when I first took ownership of the Panthers, I don’t mind admitting that I had no idea what I was doing. All I knew was that I wanted to be a part of something special – a part of New York history. This team has always been revered for its sporting prowess, passion, and success, but is also known for bringing entertainment and sometimes controversy to the game. And concerning the latter, no player has done more for that than our very own returning hero WildCat Ward McKenzie, who I’m happy to see here tonight.’
Ward felt all eyes turn on him and, despite Sumners’ words, his instinct was to turn around and get the hell out of there. Instead, he stood in place when he felt Hannah’s hand slip into his, giving him another reassuring squeeze. Reflexively he tightened his hold, as if it was some kind of lifeline. ‘Now, we’re all aware that our boy has suffered some physical injuries lately, but by all accounts is recovering nicely, and we’re keen to have him back on the ice soon.’
Hannah looked up at him, flashing a delighted smile, and Ward exhaled. OK, he was coming back. He’d done it. The board hadn’t given him the axe after all. Sumners had just confirmed the news he’d been waiting all this time to hear.
He knew that by rights he should be over the moon, so he wondered why he wasn’t feeling that way. Probably because Sumners had simply issued the news so offhandedly and without any great fanfare. Which suggested he wasn’t finished with what he had to say just yet.
No, something was off.
He leaned in close to Hannah and whispered, ‘That’s not it, there’s more.’
Almost as if he’d overheard, Sumners then turned his full attention in his direction. ‘Of course, besides injury, we’re also all aware Ward has had some … recent challenges too; issues that he has worked very hard to overcome. His behaviour could even have been considered problematic by some, but like always, he was man enough to take all that criticism and face it head-on.’
His stomach tightened and he braced himself. All these cringe niceties aside, by the way Sumners was looking at him he was certain that a major bombshell was about to be dropped – and it was the kind of blast designed to cause maximum damage.
‘I’m sure you’ve all seen some of the press lately and I gotta say some of us have had to do a double-take to see our Panther playing around with kittens. While we knew the PR people had to tame our wildcat a bit, we didn’t expect him to be neutered.’
There was a burst of laughter from the crowd and Ward’s face flushed. Hannah grabbed his hand again and entwined his fingers tightly in hers as if the pressure could contain the humiliation burning up inside of him.
‘In other news, as some of you may already know, Coach Lewis recently alerted us of his retirement and I’m sad to say will be leaving us after the playoffs,’ he stated and Ward frowned.
Coach Lewis was leaving? He couldn’t conceive of playing under someone other than his beloved mentor who’d been at the helm since before he’d signed with the team. The big man had always looked out for all his players, both on and off the ice. He was even the one who’d encouraged Bernie to do all this image overhaul stuff to keep Ward from falling out of favour with the top brass. Granted the team’s winning streak had suffered of late, but Coach Lewis was Panthers through-and-through and a battler too. He truly couldn’t imagine the old man throwing in the towel and walking away of his own accord.
So did he jump? Or was he pushed?
‘Rest assured we’re already on the case and have put plans in place to help usher in a new era – a changing of the guard, if you will,’ Sumners went on, pretty much answering Ward’s unspoken question. If they already had someone lined up then yeah, poor Coach had been unceremoniously axed. ‘So to ensure that next season we get some of that old predatory fire back in the team’s belly, and return to the greatness we all so richly desire, I’m excited to introduce to you all tonight – our brand-new head coach of the New York Panthers, the legendary … Jefferson Prince!’
You have got to be kidding me . . .
As thunderous applause exploded all around him, Ward pulled away from Hannah’s grasp, then turned and all but ran out of the banquet room.
He couldn’t do this. Not again.