Page 149 of Never In My Wildest Dreams

He couldn’t have known Booker’s accident would send them off in different directions.

But maybe now, he and the guys could start talking again. Maybe if he moved here and spent time with them, it would lead to…friendship.

But right now, they were asking for his help. “Well, no shit you can’t fill the seats.”

They all shot him a look of surprise.

“We’re a great team,” Declan said. “We won a Cup.”

Jaime clapped Cole on the back. “Hewon a Cup. And then, he retired. Asshole.”

“What’re your revenue streams?” Booker asked. “Do you get all the money from parking and concessions?”

“No, we let external services handle that,” Cole said.

That was an easy fix. “Bring it all in-house. But also, I’ve been to some games. It’s not fun.”

“Hockey’s not fun?” Declan seemed shocked.

“Not at your stadium. You’ve got to appeal to your audience. It’s harder in a state like Wyoming, so you’ve got to work social media hard to make it look fun to be there.”

“We shoot T-shirts into the crowd,” Jaime said with a straight face.

They all burst out laughing.

“Wow. You’re a real visionary,” Booker said. “Hire a social media person?—”

“We have a PR team,” Cole said.

Booker shook his head. “I’m talking about someone who films the players as they enter the building or come off the bus. She can ask them questions like who’s your celebrity crush? What’s your guilty pleasure?”

“Why didn’t you think of that?” Jaime asked Cole.

“Hey, I took over from you,” Cole teased right back. “I’m just keeping the lights on.”

“Cole’s just a pretty face.” Jaime rolled his eyes.

With a serious expression, Cole said, “It’s true.”

“You’ve got to do more than that.” Booker loved talking about shit like this. “Have theme days, where you get everyone to dress up. Give a prize for the best fan costume. Do regular giveaways. And why aren’t you capitalizing on the whole outlaw concept? You need a bandit logo on your helmets. Your T-shirts should have a cool graphic. Also, what kind of streaming contracts do you have? If you’re not leading with the Cup, you’re not maximizing deals. That’s where the money is.”

“You realize you’re an owner, right?” Declan said. “You can step into the role tomorrow and be here with your family.”

The kick in his heart told him he’d like that. “Maybe one day. But I’m right in the middle of negotiations for some of my longer-term clients.” Not to mention the ones who’d trusted him enough to join a boutique agency. Like Jimmy Wilkenson. After a rough and unsteady career, Jimmy had left his agent and signed with Booker, who was close to getting him the best deal of his career. “Too many players rely on me. I can’t just walk away.”

“Well, it’s here for you,” Declan said. “When you’re ready.”

“You were born to own this team,” Jaime said. “You know how to brand and get endorsements… We could use all your skill sets.”

Clapping and whistles turned their attention to the competition. Grace had won the round, and Jaime dashed across the room to hug her. “My girl, bringin’ home the win! How much we win, baby?”

Booker smiled. Jaime had always been the competitive one.

“Next up is Declan, Walter, Sherry, and Hailey,” Hellcat called. She sent him a warm smile, her eyes sparkling with happiness.

A fierce determination took hold. He couldn’t lose her—not only was she the mother of his child, but she was the source of light in his world. And it struck him: his solution was the Canadian phenom. Signing him could either give him leverage with his partners or launch his own agency based in Calamity. This kid was the biggest get in a decade.

As everyone gathered closer to find out what was in the next set of baskets, Booker headed outside. The cool night air washed over him, and the moon shone high in the sky.

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