Page 130 of If You Love Me

“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll watch your mouth, Grace,” Roman grinds out.

“I’m already down a coach. I can’t afford to be down a goalie and an enforcer.” Fielding ushers us past them and we step into the elevator.

The descent to the parking garage is tense and silent.

“Take my SUV,” Roman says while Fielding stands guard by the door. “I’ll get a ride to your place when practice is over, and we’ll figure things out, okay?”

I nod. My head is spinning, my stomach in knots.

“We’re in this together.”

CHAPTER 39

LEXI

Idrive home on autopilot. Aurora and Hollis took the girls to school, so the condo is already empty when I let myself in.

Everything is the same but different. I drop onto the couch. I need to call my dad. He’ll see that I’m not behind the bench tonight and have questions. I hate how much I don’t want to disappoint him. I pull up his contact and dial before I lose my nerve.

“Hey, Lexi, this is a surprise. Shouldn’t you be on the ice now?” Dad says in greeting. The clicking of fingers on a keyboard comes through the phone.

“Uh, yeah, but uh…things are a bit complicated.” Understatement of the year.

The clicking stops. “Is everything okay?”

“Um… Well, I have some news, and I’m not sure how you’ll feel about it.” My entire life I’ve sought his approval. If I could make him proud enough, he’d magically turn into the dad who would show up for me in ways that aren’t financial. But that’s an impossible ask, and I need to make peace with it, starting here.

“Are you and your sisters okay?”

“Fee and Callie are fine. I’m…I got married,” I blurt.

Silence follows. Long and heavy. “Did I hear that right? You’re…married?”

“Yes.” I explain what happened—although I gloss over what happened three years ago and focus mostly on joining the team, spending all this time with Roman, and my colleague going to management, which led us to yesterday.

“You want to be married to Roman, though?” Dad clarifies.

“I’m in love with him. Obviously, it would’ve been better if we could’ve waited until he was no longer with the team, but this seemed like the best way to protect ourselves and my career.” Although, at this point, I’ll accept whatever the consequences are. “We’ll have a ceremony in the summer with friends and family. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before it happened.”

He’s quiet for a moment. “It’s okay, Lexi. I wish I could’ve been there with you. I wish you felt you could have come to me first.” He clears his throat. “But if you’re in love and this was the plan regardless, then I’m glad you took action to protect both of you. How does this impact your role as assistant coach.”

“I’m on leave while they perform an internal review, and I’m not sure what will happen. We’ve gone against the team’s no-fraternization policy. It’s made that much more serious because I’m a coach and in a position of authority. And I’m a woman.”

“Your gender should have absolutely no bearing on this. But since you’ve made history as an assistant coach in your specific industry, you’ll be under a microscope.” He makes an irritated sound. “Aren’t there several players on that team who are in relationships with other members of the office staff?”

“The team lawyer is married to a player, but they were married before she came on board. And two of the PR reps are also in relationships with players,” I explain.

“Didn’t one of the players propose on national TV? Dallas Bright? I doubt the paperwork had already been filed when that happened,” Dad muses.

“I’m not sure how that all rolled out.” But Shilpa and Hemi are best friends.

“Still, there are examples of players dating staff over the past three years that have been overlooked. Roman is at the end of his career. By June, he’ll no longer be a member of the team and all of this will be moot.”

“But it’s not moot now.” Being incomeless for the remainder of the season is another wrench. I don’t want Roman to be my keeper, as well as my husband.

“Do you have your contract available? And the no-fraternization policy? I’d like to have a look at them.”

“Sure. One of Roman’s friends looked them over, but I’ll email that to you now.”

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