CHAPTER TEN LUCY
CHAPTER TEN
LUCY
My stomach is in knots. I haven’t experienced nausea during my pregnancy so far, but I may need that trash can tucked in the corner of Coach Ford’s office.
Caleb Ford, head coach for the Hillford Ice Hawks, sits across from Theo and I at his desk, patiently waiting for Tucker and Russell Jones, the owner of the organization. Caleb isn’t a man of many words, so it’s not surprising as the three of us sit in silence.
I wonder if he feels as awkward and uncomfortable as I do.
Coach Ford is another friend of my parents from their professional hockey days. I’ve known him since I was young, so it’s unusual for me to feel like this around him. Although, our personal connection and him being Tella’s father has nothing to do with this meeting today.
It has everything to do with the future of my career here.
“Sorry we’re late.” Russell and Tucker come strolling into Coach Ford’s office. Theo and I both stand up, shaking both of their hands. “You’re our new assistant trainer, right?”
“I am.” I nod, smiling at him and Tucker. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“You as well.” Both men grab chairs, positioning themselves on the same side as Coach Ford. “So, what’s this all about?”
Shit. My stomach tumbles onto the floor. Hold yourself together, Lucy. Now is not the time to fall apart. I quickly glance at Theo, and he gives me a look of encouragement, his eyes gentle and warm with a small smile.
How the hell do I say this? I had an entire speech written down that I’ve practiced over and over… and I can’t recall a single word.
“Thank you, all three of you, for meeting with Theo and I. I’ve recently found out about some health things and wanted to address it before any rumors could surface or any kind of media attention.”
The three of them stare back at Theo and I. Talk about fucking intimidating. Russell nods his head for me to continue.
“I am almost three months pregnant.”
Coach Ford’s brows lift slightly, and his eyes shift directly to Theo. I watch in real time as he makes his own assumptions. Russell and Tucker glance at one another. “Are we losing you already, Lucy?” Tucker asks.
“I hope not. That’s what we wanted to talk to you all about.”
Russell narrows his eyes. “Obviously you will need time off later in the season. There would be no concerns for rumors or media attention, unless there’s something else to it.”
Shit. Shit. Shit.
“The baby is mine,” Theo says in one breath.
Coach Ford closes his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. Tucker’s eyes widen and Russell fixes his gaze on Theo.
“Are the two of you together?”
Theo runs his tongue over his top teeth. “We’re figuring things out, but yes. This happened before she started working here, so she was technically hired while already pregnant.”
Russell looks at me. “A relationship between staff and a player isn’t a good look for the organization.”
I can barely hear him over the sound of my own blood whooshing in my ears. “Yes, I know. I know it may also go against certain policies.”
“It does,” he says flatly, nodding his head. “We have a policy in place that prohibits staff and players from becoming involved with one another.”
“It sounds like it started before she became employed here,” Tucker chimes in, his voice low as he leans toward Russell. “We should have looked into this before hiring her.”
“It’s a bit of a loophole,” Coach Ford adds.
I shift in my seat. This is not going well.
“I’ve already drawn up some ideas of how I can avoid working with him directly.
” I hand him the folder with notes I’ve jotted down.
“That way I’m not overseeing anything that involves Theo.
Things between us at work are strictly professional and nothing more. ”
He takes it from me, the corners of his lips twitching. “You came prepared.” He opens the folder, scanning the papers before passing it to Tucker.
“Whatever boundaries are set, I will adhere to them,” Theo declares. “This will not be a distraction, nor will it affect the way I perform on the ice.”
“It already is a distraction.” Tucker looks directly at him. “The question is whether or not this stays manageable.”
“Well, first, it’s whether or not this is something we will allow,” Russell corrects him, turning his attention to Coach Ford. “Anything from you, Coach?”
He levels his gaze on Theo. “I know Simmons and trust he won’t let this affect his ability to perform on the ice.
” He adjusts his glasses. “I’ve known them both since they were kids and they’re both respectful.
Things like this happen and it’s not the first time in the league. What matters is how this is handled.”
Tucker closes the folder. “There are certainly ways we can restructure things to make sure they’re not directly working together. Tucker can manage all Simmons’ needs.”
“Full transparency would be needed with HR,” Coach Ford adds.
The knots in my stomach soften, but my heart is still racing. The unknown has my palms sweating. I wish one of them would come out and say whether I get to keep my job. The way they’re talking sounds hopeful, but I need that confirmation.
“No more surprises.”
Theo nods his head. “There won’t be any.”
The three men look between themselves, as if they’re having a silent conversation. Tucker turns back to me. “We’ll handle this in a careful and professional manner. This adds complexity, which we are not ignoring.”
“Even if it goes against policies?”
“Consider it a loophole,” Russell says. “Because the pregnancy and relationship occurred before employment started, it’s not something we can terminate over.”
Hope flutters inside my chest.
“You’re not losing your position over this,” Tucker assures me.
His words settle in the air around us, the tension dissipating. Relief floods me and I let out a heavy breath. Theo relaxes beside me and lets out a sigh of relief.
Russell rises to his feet, giving Theo and I both a final nod.
“We’ll coordinate the next steps. For now, keep this contained.
” He turns to look at Tucker, who’s also standing up.
“Please make the necessary adjustments immediately. You’re all going to be on the road, so we need to make sure Miss Taylor is not involved in Simmons’ care. ”
“Yes, sir.”
“Thank you both for being honest.” Tucker glances at the two of us. “Obviously, the public will know about your relationship, so we’ll handle any press, if they get ahold of the story.”
I rise to my feet. “Understood.”
Theo stands and nods in agreement.
And just like that, the meeting is over. Russell and Tucker funnel out first, Theo and I following behind them. We step out into the hall, putting space between us and Coach Ford’s office. We’ll be on a plane in less than an hour with him, heading to Chicago for the first game of the season.
Theo rubs the back of his neck. “They believed the story.”
The tension slips from my shoulders. I shouldn’t be so thankful for a lie. “Thank god.”
Theo offered me something no one else had. I don’t think I would’ve wanted it from anyone else. He’s always been a constant in my life. The one who keeps me grounded. My rock. My safe place.
We promised we’d never ruin our friendship. We drew a line in the sand and swore we’d never cross it. Now here we are, pretending to be the one thing I used to want, before Theo made it obvious he was interested in every woman but me.
Theo’s expression softens, yet his eyes are unreadable. Something more complicated lingers beneath the surface of the swirling hues of blue. “Are you okay?”
I look at him. “Yeah, I think so. We’re still here.”
It’s not a lie, and right now, it’s the only truth that matters.
I was asleep before the wheels of the plane left the ground. Theo sat closer to the front of the plane, and I chose a spot toward the back, where most of the other staff were seated. In front of curious eyes, distance is better, even if we are in a fake relationship.
We’re bluffing and no one knows but us.
Pulling my damp hair up into a bun, I flick off the light in the hotel bathroom and pad across the floor to my bed. I pull back the white down comforter, dragging it away from the pillows. My slippers are halfway off my feet when there’s a soft knock on my door.
My spine straightens and I suck in a sharp breath, glancing at the clock on the table next to the bed. I don’t know who would be knocking on my hotel door this late at night. The rest of the team is on this floor and the one above.
I slip my feet back into my slippers, hesitantly walking toward the door. Theo would have texted me if he was coming to my room and I haven’t seen him since we got to the hotel earlier tonight. The guys all went to get dinner, and I opted for room service and a bath.
It was one hell of a long day.
I slide the metal circle to the side, pushing up onto my tiptoes as I peer through the peephole. My heart stumbles over itself when I see him standing in the hall, hands tucked in the front pockets of his sweatpants and his dark hair damp, hanging across his forehead.
I unlock the door and pull it open. “Hey.”
Theo lifts his head, his eyes finding mine. “Hey.” He pulls his hands from his pockets and rubs the back of his neck. “Sorry, I should have texted you instead of just showing up.”
“No, no, it’s okay.” I shake my head, a smile pulling on my lips. “Is everything alright?”
“Yeah.” He nods. “I couldn’t sleep and wanted to check on you.”
His words warm my chest. The exhaustion I was feeling seems to have vanished. “Do you want to come in?”
His eyes slowly search mine. “Is that okay?”
“Yeah, of course.” I step to the side, pulling the door open. Theo walks past me, the smell of cedar and leather drifting past me. He stops just inside the threshold. I let the door fall shut and head deeper into the hotel room. “How was dinner?”
“It was fine,” Theo says with a shrug as I climb onto the bed.
He grabs the chair at the desk, dragging it closer to the bed before straddling it backwards.
He rests his arms on the top of the backrest. “Everyone kind of did their own thing, so it was just Matty, Cam and me. I don’t know what happened to Cross or Volkov. ”
“Do you guys normally all get dinner together?”
“It just depends,” he says with indifference. “How was the room service?”
I grab the comforter and drag it up over my lap. “It wasn’t bad.”
“That’s good,” Theo says quietly, slowly scanning the room, looking everywhere but at me. And then his eyes meet mine. “I didn’t come here to talk about dinner.”
My heart skips a beat. I swallow hard. “What did you come here for?”
“To see how you are.” He runs his hand through his hair. “We didn’t really get to talk much after the meeting.”
I gather my hair at the base of my neck and separate it into three, threading my fingers through as I start to braid it. “I’m good. When I woke up this morning, I thought I’d be losing my job, so the outcome was a lot better than I anticipated.”
“Good, good,” he says. His arms hang over the back of the chair and my eyes roam over his tattooed skin, lingering on the 444 on his hand. They’re angel numbers for protection, stability and a reminder that he’s on the right path.
“How are you?”
A smile cracks across his stupidly perfect face. “I’m good, Luce.” Mischief dances in his green eyes. “Although, I was hoping you’d be the one helping me to stretch, so that’s a bit of a disappointment.”
I snort, my shoulders shaking with laughter as I roll my eyes. “Yeah, right. My hair isn’t the right color to be the one getting hands on with you.”
His smile fades. He tilts his head. “What do you mean?”
I wave my hand dismissively. “Everyone knows you like blondes.” Why the hell did I say that? “I’m sure you’ll be fine with Tucker. You’re used to him anyways.”
Theo stares at me for a moment, his expression unreadable as he chews on the inside of his cheek. “Yeah…” His voice trails off. “Well, I should go and let you get some sleep.”
“I’m not that tired.” It’s a partial lie. I am exhausted, yet fully awake now. “I was going to put on a movie, if you wanted to hang out for a bit?”
A smile tugs on his lips again. “I’d like that. We haven’t had a movie night in a while,” he says softly, his eyes probing mine.
“Come sit up here,” I offer, patting the empty space on the bed beside me. “It’s more comfortable than that chair.”
“This chair sucks.” He chuckles, rising to his feet and pushing it back to the desk. He kicks his shoes off and climbs onto the mattress, leaning his back against the headboard while he’s on top of the covers.
“What do you want to watch?”
Theo looks at me and shrugs. “Whatever you want.”
My arm brushes against his, sending a jolt of electricity across my nerve endings as I adjust in bed. It sounds like he sharply inhales, although I’m sure it wasn’t him. It was probably just on the TV. I scroll through the movie selection, settling on a comedy. Those are his favorites.
Theo scoots down farther on the bed so he’s lying down and tucks his hands behind his head. I roll onto my side, the top half of my body angled at a forty-five-degree angle, curved slightly so I can see the TV. Warmth radiates from the side of his torso, warming the top of my head.
The movie starts and it’s just the two of us in the dark, watching a movie like we used to do. Although, nothing about this feels like it once did. Everything has changed between us—all within the blink of an eye. He stepped up to do something I never would have asked from him.
And I don’t know how I can ever thank him for that.
“Hey, Luce?”
“Yeah?”
He’s silent for a second. “Your hair is perfect the way it is.”
My eyebrows cinch together, my heart stumbling over itself. “Huh?”
“The color.” He pauses for a beat. “I like it the way it is. Not blonde.”
My stomach flutters and my breath hitches. I lift my head, turning it to look at him. “But I—”
“Shh.” He shushes me, cutting me off as he glances at me with a grin. “This part’s funny.”
I thought he only liked blondes. Maybe he likes mine because he doesn’t see me the same way he sees the women he dates. I shake the thoughts away, nestling my head into my pillow. The sound of Theo’s quiet laughter fills the space around us, and I let my eyelids fall shut, reveling in the sound.
Sleep finds me quickly, pulling me into the dark depths as I breathe in his scent, getting lost in those forest green eyes that always have a way of finding me in my dreams.