Page 53 of Match Penalty

I don’t respond back because, yes, my college and rookie years in the NHL were wild at times. I’ll admit that, but Cammy changed everything.

“What I care about is my daughter. And I’m telling you now, as her father first and your coach second: Stay. Away.”

The finality in his tone lands like a slap.

I think of Cammy, the way she let herself soften around me early this morning, the way she clung to me in the dark. I think about everything I want to tell her—the truth about what happened with Angelica, the truth about me.

“Shouldn’t that be Cammy’s choice?” I say.

Seven’s jaw tightens, and for a second, I think he might lose it. Instead, he leans closer, his voice dropping to a near growl. “Do you really want to test me on this, Dumont?”

Before I can respond, the captain announces our departure. Seven straightens, adjusting his tie.

“Focus on the game,” he says as he stands. “Don’t force me to make sure your career with the Hawkeyes ends with PTO. Everett wants to sign you, but he wants my recommendation after the charity event.”

I watch him walk away, his words settling like lead in my stomach.

He’s right about one thing—I need to focus. This is my shot to prove I belong here. That my knee is healed. That I’m worth the risk the Hawkeyes took on me.

But as we take off, climbing above Seattle, all I can think about is Cammy. About the way she looked at me last night. About how it felt to wake up without her.

The flight passes in a blur of strategy meetings and pre-game prep. By the time we land in Los Angeles, my game face is on. Or at least, that’s what I tell myself.

“You good?” Aleksi asks as we walk into our hotel room. He’s my roommate for the trip, which means I’ll be dealing with his snoring and obsession with the Food Network.

“Yeah, I’m good,” I lie, tossing my bag onto one of the beds.

He doesn’t buy it. “Seven looked ready to murder you on the plane. That ‘coach stuff’?”

“It’s nothing you need to worry about.”

He flops onto his bed, still grinning. “You know you can’t avoid this conversation forever, right?”

I grab my headphones and turn on my pre-game playlist. “Watch me.”

As I head down to the gym, his laughter follows me.

Hours later, I’m on the ice for warm-up. The empty arena feels massive, and somehow, I don’t remember it feeling this big. Maybe it’s because my career is on the line. I focus on the drills, on the weight of my pads, on the sound of my skates cutting the ice.

But as I track shot after shot, stopping every one, I can’t help but think about Seven's challenge. About the look in Cammy's eyes as Seven and I shook on it. About the bet that will send me packing or give me a clean slate with Coach Wrenley in two weeks.

About how much I want the chance to prove to both of them—and to myself—that I’m more than my reputation. But the conversation in the jet has me wondering again if Seven is right. Am I good enough for her? I'm sure my father would say that I'm not. Though, I can't imagine how he'd feel to know I'm after Wrenley's daughter. He's not exactly Seven’s biggest fan either.

The guys file off the ice, but I linger, taking a few extra shots from the coaching staff. Seven watches from the bench, his expression as unreadable as ever.

I stop every shot.

It's not enough, I know. It'll never be enough for him. But maybe, it's enough for her. As I finally head to the locker room to gear up for the first preseason game, I know that there's a lot more than hockey on the line.

The question is—can I keep Cammyandmy position on the team?

Chapter Fifteen

Cammy

"You're late," Brynn says as I walk through Penelope's front door, shrugging off my Seattle Hawkeyes zip-up jacket—the same one all the office staff got last season. "We were starting to think you weren't coming."

"Sorry, I got caught up with auction emails," I say, though the truth is, I’ve been sitting at my apartment thinking about what I’m going to do about these feelings for JP. "But I brought chips."

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