Page 72 of Cole

“We’ll get it figured out,” Annie murmured as Nyla came up the stairs and came over to where she sat. “Right, girl? Would you like to meet Cole?”

Except for that to happen, she’d have to bring him to the house, which would require an explanation.

As the thought crossed her mind, she remembered that Cole had planned to come to Serenity for a couple of days, and they were going to go out on a date. What if he wanted to pick her up from her house?

Annie rubbed her temples. She was going to need to figure out how to approach Cole with the truth about herself and her family.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Cole dried his hair with a towel, listening as his teammates chatted about the game. There was still media to do before he could call it a day and head home.

Unfortunately, he’d been tapped to meet the press, most likely because he hadn’t had a great game. They’d still won, but it was no thanks to him. If they’d been playing a better team, it would have been an L for them.

“Halverson!”

Cole draped the towel over his shoulders as he turned toward the coach who’d yelled out his name. He hoped it wasn’t time to go to the media room yet because he wasn’t ready.

“They want you upstairs.”

Cole frowned. “For media?”

“Nope. GM requested your presence.”

Trying not to let the room know how much that unsettled him, Cole nodded. “I’ll get dressed and head up.”

“What do you think that’s about?” Marcus asked from the bench where he sat near Cole.

“No clue,” Cole said as he tugged on a shirt. “I didn’t think I playedthatbad.”

Marcus chuckled. “Many players aren’t as good on their best day as you are on your worst.”

Even if that was true, expectations for Cole’s performance were always high. They paid big bucks for him to be on the team, and they expected value for their money.

Once he was dressed, Cole approached Coach. “Are you going to tap someone else for media?”

“Yes. I’ve got Evans covering for you.”

“Okay. See you on the plane.”

The coach clapped him on the shoulder. “Definitely.”

They would have one day off before setting off for a five game road trip. Then they’d be home for a handful of games over the holidays.

In the past, he hadn’t really cared that they often played games around Christmas or New Year’s. However, since reconnecting with his family and having Annie in his life, he wished he could go back to Serenity to spend the holidays with all of them.

When he reached the area that contained the offices, Cole saw that the space was all decked out for the holiday. A large Christmas tree with white and gold decorations and sparkling lights stood in the corner. There was also greenery over doorframes and smaller decorations on the reception desk. They were definitely in the holiday mood.

He spotted the GM standing with a tall, middle-aged man near the door of his office. As the pair turned toward them, Cole’s steps faltered for a moment.

He recognized the man with the GM as one of the wealthiest men in the world. There had also been rumors that he was someone behind one of the entities that had bought into the team a few years back.

What on earth could Duncan Burke want with Cole?

He hoped it had nothing to do with his position on the team. Best case scenario, the man was there on behalf of a fan in his family, or maybe the child of an employee.

He approached the pair with some trepidation, which was rare for him. He was wealthy in his own right, but it was nothing compared to the wealth and standing of this man.

Duncan Burke’s companies were known for producing some of the biggest advances in medicine. The man had made his money while helping the people of the world, while Cole had made his through entertainment.

---