Chapter 44
Chapter
Forty-Four
Jayne
I’m a nervous wreck when we arrive at the arena.
Bodi hasn’t let go of my hand since we left the hotel, but my stomach feels like it’s going to revolt.
I know Bodi will protect me, but the thought of seeing my father is intimidating.
He’s going to be angry that I defied him, and if Mr. Carrier confronts him about the embezzlement, he’ll think it was me who ratted him out.
“Breathe,” Bodi whispers as we walk in through the players’ entrance and down the hall to the elevators.
West is waiting for us there.
“Shit is hitting the fan,” he murmurs.
“Is Mr. Carrier waiting for us?”
“Yup.” West gets on the elevators with us. “So…it’s been nuts since I called you. I don’t have all the information, but apparently, Coach was already under investigation.”
“For what?” I ask, shocked.
“Embezzlement. Mr. Carrier has a finance background and he knew something was off. That’s all I know, but your dad has been locked in his office with someone who’s supposedly an attorney.”
“Damn.” Bodi whistles. “This just got hella complicated.”
As soon as the elevator doors open, we’re greeted by Mr. Heywood, the team’s General Manager. I met most of the executives on the team when we first moved to Atlanta and I smile politely.
“Mr. Heywood.”
“Go on in. And West, I need you to wait out here.”
“Sure thing.” West moves toward a small reception area, and Bodi and I walk into Mr. Carrier’s large, elegant office.
“Bodi. Jayne. Hello.” He’s an older man, probably in his late sixties. He’s tall and distinguished, with silver hair and bright blue eyes. He motions to two chairs opposite his desk and we sink down.
“So.” He looks at me for a moment but then zeroes in on Bodi. “Tell me everything. From the beginning.”
“Yes, sir.” Bodi clears his throat and goes back to our accidental meeting at the DDS. How we tried to break things off once we realized the connection to my father. How we found each other again through the dating app. How we fell in love.
“How old are you, Jayne?”
“Twenty-three,” I respond. “And six months away from a master’s degree.”
“Mm hm.” He frowns a little and looks me right in the eye. “There was no sexual assault involved.”
It’s a statement but also a question and I don’t hesitate to respond.
“Is that what he told you? Not even a little. Look, a few years ago, I dated one of his players at Stephens. He cheated on me, generally treated me badly, and Dad got involved. There was a physical altercation between them. They both got arrested and then the charges were dropped. It was messy. But that was four years ago. Bodi and I have a completely different relationship. We tried to stay apart but we couldn’t.
I don’t know if there are rules about dating your coach’s adult daughter, but if there are, no one told me. ”
“There are no rules about that,” he responds with a small smile. “There are, however, boundaries.”
“I tried to talk to him, man to man,” Bodi explains. “He just kept ranting and raving and calling me names.”
“You had some trouble in L.A. too,” he says, cocking his head.
Bodi sighs. “I did. And I spent the summer in therapy working on myself. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to stay here but if you’d rather I didn’t, I can accept that.”
“And if I suggest you spend some time in the minors?”
“That’s your decision,” Bodi says, lifting his chin. “But we both know I’m too good for that. I had the second most points on the team before Coach Morrison benched me. And I’ll have to clear waivers first, so you could potentially lose me.”
“You were having a hell of a run,” he muses.
“That’s why I was so surprised when Coach told me you were trouble in the locker room, that he was going to make you a healthy scratch for a while to make sure you understood that certain behaviors aren’t acceptable here.
Now I see that wasn’t entirely true.” He leans back in his chair, hands behind his head. “Tell me about your father, Jayne.”
“What about him?” I ask cautiously.
“Were you close before all this started?”
“No. He was always a workaholic, and it got worse after my mother died. Then everything else got worse when he married his current wife. I didn’t realize it at the time but he was always so angry and…
I don’t know, I guess controlling is the most accurate description.
And when we got to Atlanta it seemed to intensify.
Honestly, I was flabbergasted when he hit me. ”
“He hit you?” He stares at me. “Are you all right?”
“It was a slap, but it’s still tender.” I drop my gaze. “He’s never done anything like that before, so I knew something was up. Something more than his usual overprotectiveness. Like he snapped.”
Mr. Carrier nods. “I’m sorry that happened, but the truth is, I knew something was going on with him.
This team is a dream for me, so I’ve been paying close attention to everything, both on and off the ice.
I wasn’t sure how he was spending so much money but I was acutely aware that no one liked him.
I could understand the players on the team—that’s normal with a tough coach, and his toughness is why I hired him.
But there were so many red flags, I started putting two and two together.
And when Remy Knight reached out to me with a recording of him admitting to embezzling money, I figured there was a lot more to this story. ”
“Mr. Carrier, please don’t blame Bodi for this mess,” I whisper, suddenly choked up.
“Please don’t make me the reason he loses everything he’s worked for.
He gave up his NHL dreams when his parents were killed so he could take care of his sister—don’t take it away from him a second time. If you’d rather we don’t date, I’ll—”
“You absolutely will not do whatever it is you were about to say,” Bodi interrupts just as I’m about to burst into tears, shaking his head and squeezing my hand.
“If us being together is a dealbreaker, then I’ll ride out my contract somewhere else.
” He looks at Mr. Carrier. “Don’t get me wrong—I want to stay here, but not under Coach Morrison, and definitely not if I have to give up the woman I love. ”
“It’s not my job to play matchmaker,” Mr. Carrier responds. “All I care about is how you play and what you bring to the team and the locker room. West McGregor and Ashton Knight both speak highly of you. Short-term, that’s enough for me.”
“What about my dad?” I whisper, swiping at my eyes as relief washes over me.
“Your dad has a lot more to worry about than who his daughter is dating. I’m about to put him on administrative leave, pending an investigation and a complete audit by a forensic accountant.”
“Could he go to jail?” I ask quietly.
He meets my gaze. “He could. No one fucks with my money and definitely not with my team.”
“I didn’t know anything about it,” I say quickly. “I hope you believe that.”
“If that’s the truth, then you have nothing to worry about. Now, Bodi, you need to pack for a road trip. I’m officially putting you back on the roster.”
“Who’s going to coach the team?” Bodi asks.
“For this road trip, it’ll be Coaches Panzetti and Quinn. And I have a few names in mind as a replacement for the rest of the season. We’ll see what happens.”
“Thank you, Mr. Carrier.” Bodi stands up and holds out his hand. “I won’t let you down.”
Mr. Carrier studies his face for a beat and then shakes his hand.
“You know, my gut tells me you won’t. I appreciate your honesty and willingness to be open with me, even though your personal life isn’t really my business.
Take care of yourself, Jayne. And if you need anything while Bodi’s out of town, let me know. ”
“Thank you.”
He walks over and opens his door, letting Bodi and me walk out ahead of him. Before I’ve taken two steps, someone lunges in my direction.
“You stupid little whore!” My father seems to appear out of nowhere. “What did you tell him?!”
Bodi immediately pushes me behind him and West jumps up, grabbing my father’s arms.
“Do I need to call security, Hugh?” Mr. Carrier asks calmly, his expression inscrutable.
“You can’t listen to anything she says!” my father yells. “She’s been nothing but trouble since her mother died and—”
“All right, that’s enough.” Mr. Carrier holds up his hand. “You and I need to have this conversation in private. No need to air dirty laundry here in front of everyone.” He holds out his arm, inviting my father into his office.
I’m pressed against Bodi’s back, peeking over his shoulder as my father practically sneers at me. Mr. Carrier glances back and nods. Then he quietly and firmly closes his office door behind him.
“What happened?” West asks a moment later.
“Looks like I’m going on the road trip,” Bodi says with a bemused smile.
“Yeah?” He grins. “Good news, right?”
“I think it’s a probationary thing, but yeah, very good news.”
“Everything okay with the two of you?” West asks as we wait for the elevator.
“Everything is fine.” Bodi puts his arm around my waist and presses a kiss to the side of my face. “In fact, everything is perfect.”
West laughs. “Good to hear. I’m happy for you both.”
“Thanks, West.” I smile at him and then lean into Bodi.
He came for me, my real-life knight in shining armor.
And he loves me.
Nothing else matters.