Page 13 of Play Maker

I was about to say something when there was a loud knock at the door.

“Enter!” Banning barked.

The door opened and Silas and Finn stepped into the cramped office. You could hardly breathe, never mind move in here. There wasn’t enough room for four hockey players, plus our coach, who was a massive guy himself. My chest tightened,like someone had punched my breastbone. Great. Now I could definitely add claustrophobia to my list of problems.

“Perfect timing,” Banning added. “Silas, Finn, I need both of you here on Thursdays at seven. You’ll be working on drills with Axel and Jace.”

“Extra practice?” Silas grumbled. “But Coach?—”

“Problem?” Banning replied.

“Kind of,” Silas bit out.

“If you want to stay on this team, you need to be there. Am I clear?”

Silas grunted.

“I’m sorry, was that a ‘yes’?” Banning snarked.

“Yes,” Silas mumbled and crossed his arms, his leather jacket creaking.

“Good. Finn?”

“Yeah, I’m good,” Finn nodded with a grin. “Whatever it takes.”

“That’s what I like to hear. And that’s not all?—”

“Fuck me,” Silas muttered.

“One more word out of you, Moss, and I’ll add another hour to your practice time.”

Silas shook his head but stayed silent. Banning was at the end of his patience, if the throbbing vein in his forehead was any indication.

Banning leaned forward and steepled his hands. I braced myself for whatever was coming next.

“I’ve been approached by the mayor of Sutton for a community event they’re hosting in April. This is a formal dinner and dance to raise funds for the new firehouse. Axel and Jace, you’ve been assigned as the school liaison volunteers when it comes to the silent auction and the keynote speaker. Silas and Finn, you’re going to assist at the event itself as needed.”

Oh my fucking God.

“Uh, Coach, with all due respect,” Jace replied. “I’ve got a shi…I mean, a lot on my plate. It’s not just classes, but my kinesiology practicum, plus hockey. My schedule’s already packed.”

Banning didn’t look impressed.

“Make the time, Jace. If it means one less party on the weekend, so be it,” Banning replied. “It’s a couple of hours a month. You can add it to your résumé and it’s for a good cause. One that’s important to this town and the school. This isn’t just me talking. The mayor contacted our school president personally about this event. This is a priority for the Cougars and the university, whether you like it or not.”

“Yes, Coach,” Jace replied quickly.

“Does everyone understand?”

Unfortunately, I did. I was about to push back, but I caught the warning glare in Banning’s eyes and there was no point in arguing any further. Instead, I kept my mouth shut and nodded.

“The workload won’t be as cumbersome as you think. Given my history in the professional league, I’ve already been in touch with my contacts there and they’ve agreed to donate signed items for the silent auction. On your end, it’s simply follow-up to ensure we receive and track the donations,” Coach continued. “I’ve also confirmed that my friend, defenseman Selwin Kirkland, will be our keynote. His attendance means a lot of press coverage. You need to get in touch with his assistant and keep the event organizers in the loop. And be discreet about it.”

I was stunned. Stunned and suddenly stoked. Selwin Kirkland was Chicago’s best d-man and a player I greatly admired. Even though I was pissed about having to work with Jace, meeting one of my hockey idols tempered my bad mood.

“I’ll email you the details, including the information about the league contacts and you can take it from there. I’m counting on you to get this job done right,” Banning added. “This alsoapplies to the game; we only work if we work together. Together or not at all. Got it?”

Everyone nodded.

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