Page 40 of Match Penalty

He looks over at me as we walk. "Am I going to get in trouble for saying that?"

I think about it for a second, feeling the warmth in my cheeks. "No, you’re not in trouble. Not yet, anyway," I say.

"Come on," he says, sensing my withdrawal. "There's a pizza place around the corner. All-you-can-eat lunch buffet. Aleksi found it, and now the guys are here every afternoon."

"How will they stay in business when the entire Hawkeyes team finds it?"

"Too late. Aleksi heard about this place from Talon Brecka, the wide receiver for the Seattle football team."

The pizza place is exactly the kind of hole-in-the-wall spot I love—warm, crowded, and smelling like heaven. As JP holds the door open for me, I hear familiar voices.

"Monty!" Aleksi calls out from a corner booth. He's sitting with Hunter, Luka, and Wolf, all of them surrounded by empty plates. "And little Wrenley! Come join us."

JP glances at me, letting me make the call. I hesitate for a moment, but having the guys here might make this easier. A buffer between me and whatever this thing is with JP.

"Sure," I say, heading toward their table.

"What are you two out doing today?" Hunter says as we slide into the booth.

“We went to Pike’s Place to ask Pete for a silent auction item for the foundation… and since we have you here…” he starts.

“What? You need signed gear or something?”

I pull out my phone, opening my notes. "Actually, we could use some player participation. The silent auction is coming together, but we need some live auction items."

"Like what?" Wolf asks in the next booth with a mouthful of pizza.

"Date with a player?" JP suggests. "Hockey lessons?"

Hunter perks up. "I'm in for the date thing. Could be fun."

"Same," Luka says, then grins. "Though, I'll probably bring in more than Reed."

"You wish," Hunter scoffs.

Just like that, we're planning. The guys start one-upping each other, promising bigger and better auction items. By the time they leave, we've secured dates, lessons, and even a Christmas light hanging service from Wolf, who apparently has experience as a holiday decorator.

"That was... surprisingly productive," I say once we're alone, finding our own booth.

JP stands, offering his hand. "Come on, let's get some food before you pass out."

At the counter, he hands me a plate. "So," he says as we wait in line. "How'd you end up working for the Hawkeyes?"

I tense slightly. "You mean, how'd I end up working for my dad's team?"

"I mean, did you ever think about doing something else? Or was hockey always the plan?"

Something in his tone makes me look up. He's watching me with genuine interest, no judgment.

"I’ve always loved sports. My volleyball team took state my senior year and I planned on going to college in Minnesota for Sports Management. Then I found out about Seven, and everything just... clicked. It finally made sense why I was more athletic than anyone else in my family. Why I never quite fit into my mom’s world, or why Eli and I never really had anything in common. Suddenly, it all just lined up."

“So then you gave up on going to a college close to home and came here?” he asks, piecing together the rest of my story.

“My mom fought me on it–wanted to keep me close. I think she wanted to control my relationship with Seven. But then he offered to pay for my tuition to any college I wanted and Penelope offered me an internship under her in Seattle. It all fell into place.”

JP’s mouth quirks up, but there’s something guarded in his expression. "Your mom sounds like she and my dad would get along."

"Yeah? The great Jon Paul Dumont Senior isn’t father of the year?"

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