Chapter 48
Cole
JESS
How did it go?!
COLE
Good.
JESS
Good?! That’s all I get? Ugh, you are such a man. Did she say I love you back? Was it romantic as hell? Did you cry?
COLE
Yes, yes, and none of your business.
JESS
COLE!! I’M SO HAPPY FOR YOU!!
COLE
Thanks for your help, Jess. I mean it.
JESS
Anytime, bro
Love ya
It’s been less than a week since Cassie was suspended from her job, but I know she’s struggling with it.
That’s why I end up convincing her to come to our home game on Saturday against Montreal. After a season of her coming to all of our games, it feels wrong for both of us that she’s not there.
“You should come,” I tell her. “I’ll get you tickets. Sit in the stands. Have fun. Bring Britt along if you’d like. Remind yourself why you love hockey. Remember that feeling. That’s what you’re fighting for. Your dad can’t take that away from you.”
On the day of the game, I kiss Cassie on my way out the door.
“Cole,” she says, through our kiss, half-laughing, “you’re going to be late.”
I pause from kissing her neck. “Fine,” I grumble, and enjoy feeling the way she shivers as my words vibrate against her throat. “See you after the game, beautiful. We’ll grab dinner somewhere nice. Somewhere that does a really horrendously sugary dessert. That’s a promise.”
“You read my mind. Now go kick Montreal’s ass for me.”
Cassie has given me so much strength over the last season. I would never have fixed things with Jess without her. I would never have stepped back up, pulled myself out of the pit of guilt and pain, and become the veteran leader the Nor’easters need.
My good luck charm. My inspiration.
I’m going to make sure Cassie gets her job back, and I have an idea about how to do it.
We cruise to an easy win against Montreal, 4-1.
The team is all heading out of the locker room after the win, freshly showered and changed.
I’m looking forward to leaving to get dinner with Cassie. I saw her in the stands tonight with Britt, cheering me on, and it’s basically killing me not being able to just kiss her in front of everyone already.
“Any news on the contract extension yet?” Landon asks me as we walk out in the arena hallway.
“Not yet,” I shrug. “Rick’s had some talks with the GM. I’m waiting for an update.”
“Speaking of agents, I wish Cassie could’ve stuck around as your babysitter longer,” Miller grins. “You’re much less of an ass since she came around.”
The other guys don’t know what went down with Cassie. All they know is that the supervision assignment ended.
“Yeah,” I say. “I liked having her around too.”
Landon gives me a knowing look. “I bet you did, Freeze. Bet you liked it a whole lot.”
Goddamn captain sees through everything. I smile ruefully. “Maybe.”
Roman nods. “I get it. Smart women are sexy. My dream woman has read all the Russian classics.”
“Smart and athletic,” Landon says, a faraway look in his eyes like he’s definitely remembering one particular woman right now. “That’s my damn kryptonite. Give me a woman with a sharp mouth who can crush my head with her thighs.”
Miller snorts. “You guys are such dorks. Why do I care if a woman is smart or not? The only thing I care about is the size of her—”
Landon thwacks Miller over the head with his glove. “That’s because you can’t concentrate long enough to read anything more substantial than an Instagram caption. Of course you’d be threatened by an intelligent woman.”
“I was going to say the size of her heart, asshole!” Miller yells in protest, and the rest of the team boos him.
This conversation is thankfully interrupted by Rick appearing. Which is surprising enough that I feel a slight rush of nerves in my chest.
“Fantastic work tonight, fellas. Great puck handling. Got the division right where you want ’em.” Rick grins earnestly like he’s our Coach, and the other guys snicker at him. “Mind if I borrow Cole for a bit? I come bearing news.”
“Ooh, is Cole in trouble again?” Miller teases.
“That’s between me and my client,” Rick says. He catches my eye and wiggles his eyebrows. “But here’s a hint. I think you boys are going to be very happy with my news for Cole.”
My heart thuds in my chest. Does this mean what I think it does? Is there contract news from the front office?
The guys seem to think so, erupting into yells, slapping me on the back. Landon grips my shoulder. “Hell yeah, buddy.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I mutter, “calm down.” But I can’t help the way my lips tug into a smile.
Rick tracks down an empty operations office, and I quickly text Cassie that I’m going to be held up for a while.
“I’ve been in talks with the GM,” Rick says, taking a seat and gesturing for me to do the same.
“I’d like to claim I’ve been working my ass off at it, but they came in hot with a lot of interest in keeping you around.
It’s been a rollercoaster of a year for you, Cole.
But you’ve turned things around better than I can believe.
They want your elite goaltending, but they also want your mentorship and leadership.
You can’t put a price tag on how valuable that kind of intangible is.
” A sly grin slowly slides across his face.
“Well, actually, you can put a price tag on it. Seven million AAV, to be exact. A six-year deal.”
My thoughts stutter out.
“Holy shit,” is my very eloquent response.
The words wash over me. At the start of the season, the team’s management threatened to ship me off to whatever team bid the highest. Now I’m worth seven million a year to them.
“Holy shit is right. But you earned it, pal.” Rick leans forward over the desk, whisking out a piece of paper and slapping it down in front of me.
There it is, the details of the contract that will define my future.
“The Nor’easters want to commit to you long-term.
I’ll do the math for you: that’s a cool forty-two million.
This deal will see you through the rest of your career. You’ll be a Nor’easter for life.”
I stare down at the draft contract on the table, my pulse thudding heavily under my skin.
This is it. This is what I left Stoneport for. This is what I’ve worked my whole life toward.
This is the chance to stay with the Nor’easters, my hometown team, for the rest of my career and do everything in my power to finally win us another cup.
This is an obscene amount of money that I can use on whatever I damn please, but mostly to make the lives of all my friends and family so much better.
This is a legacy. I’ve sacrificed a hell of a lot for it. I’ve given my life to it.
I know exactly what I need to do.
“No,” I say.
Rick’s eyes bulge. “What?”
I push the paper back across the table, leaning back in my chair with a shrug. “I said no.”
Rick looks like his head is about to explode. “What the hell do you mean no? Are you out of your goddamn mind? You want more money, is that it?”
I snort. “I don’t care about getting more money. But there’s something else I do want. I don’t sign the contract unless you give Cassie her job at Legacy Sports back.”
“What?!” Rick barks again, louder.
“You said I earned this because I cleaned my act up. That wouldn’t have happened without one person. Cassie Wells.”
Rick leans back in his chair before pushing off from the desk and pacing the room. He wheels around, staring at me as if I’ve just told him hockey is overrated. He’s turning a shade of red, a vein popping in his forehead.
“You’re telling me you’re risking losing a forty-two-million-dollar contract with your lifelong favorite team, the only team you’ve ever played for, the team you’ve dreamed of winning a cup with? For a woman you’re sleeping with?”
“For the woman I love,” I correct.
Easiest decision of my life.
I want balance. I want hockey in my life and I want Cassie too. But there’s no amount of money, no amount of success in my career that could ever be worth a fraction of her.
I rise to my feet, too, towering over Rick.
“You want your commission, don’t you? You want to be the agent who dazzled the league by turning around my career and getting me the big, fat contract?
Or do you want to go tell the Nor’easters’ front office that you’re letting their starting goalie walk? ”
“You’re not supposed to negotiate with me! I’m your agent!” Rick sinks back down into his chair, exasperated. “What if I say no to your little leverage scheme?”
“Then I’ll go into free agency. And if it doesn’t work out, I’ll give up hockey.”
Yeah, I’m partly calling his bluff. I want to stay with the Nor’easters. I so fucking badly want to make a run at the championship with them.
But I know I could survive without hockey.
I can’t survive without Cassie.
Rick clenches his jaw, tapping out an irritated rhythm with his pen on the desk. “Goddamn it. Where did all this scheming come from, huh? What are you, an agent?”
I smile. “No. I just learned from the best.”
Rick scowls like he knows exactly who I’m talking about, and it’s not him.
“I know you want her back at Legacy Sports, too,” I say. “Try to look me in the eye and tell me she’s not the most promising up-and-coming talent working there.”
“Fine,” Rick sighs. “Yes, I want my best junior agent back. I was trying to do the right thing and figure out how to proceed without making this more complicated than it already is. But you’re right that I want her back, for god’s sake.”
“I know we crossed a professional line. Maybe we should have waited. But Cassie doesn’t deserve to lose her career over it.” My voice lowers. “And this isn’t just some fling. I’m going to marry that woman if she gives me half a chance.”
Rick’s face softens. I guess even slick, middle-aged sports agents have hearts. “Christ, Cole. I didn’t know it was that serious between you two.” He extends his hand. “Fine. You win. I’ll offer Cassie her job back.”
I grin, accepting his handshake. “You made the right choice.”
“Let’s set up a meeting with Cassie tonight. I want that contract signed ASAP, before you decide on any other ways you want to leverage me.” He picks up his phone, hits a button, and waits through the rings. But a wry smile is on his face as he looks at me. “You must really love her, huh?”
“You have no goddamn idea,” I reply.