Page 31 of Behind the Bench

Ellie rears back like I just delivered the low blow of the century. What did I say now?

“I wasn’t trying to waste our time, Lincoln. I was just communicating with you that I’m confused by all this. But, byall means, let’s go over the lineup that hasn’t changed in the past three days. It sounds like a much better use of our time.”

I’m an idiot. Now she’s pissed, and that’s not what we need going into this mystery meeting.

I ignore her sarcasm and start going over our offensive lines and defensive pairings before reviewing our special teams’ personnel. We’re just about to go over our penalty kill lines when Jerry walks into the conference room.

“Good morning, Lincoln. Ellie. Sorry to get you here so early but I wanted to meet with you both before your coaches’ meeting at eight.”

Ellie and I both nod at Jerry and mutter our “good mornings” as he takes a seat at the head of the table. We both sit with hands clasped on the table, but I can tell Ellie is just as nervous as I am by the way she’s rubbing her thumbs together. I take a deep breath and focus on Jerry.

“The reason I wanted you here before your meeting is because there will be someone missing this morning. Grayson is no longer a part of the Green Bay coaching staff—effective immediately.”

Well, I’m definitely not expecting that. I scoot my chair closer to the table and look over to Ellie. She tries to put a neutral expression on her face but I don’t miss the way her mouth drops for a half second and the way her eyebrows shoot up.

Apparently, she wasn’t expecting this news either.

Jerry continues while Ellie and I stay quiet. “It has come to our attention that Grayson has been making derogatory comments about some of our staff members. He was reported to both me and HR by members of the staff last night.”

He turns to look Ellie directly in the eyes.

“Ms. Montgomery, I want to apologize to you in person. I am sorry for ever putting you in a situation where your worth was questioned and disvalued. I am also sorry if Mr. Sanders has made you feel uncomfortable in any way in the past. Youare an extremely important part of this organization and deserve to be treated with class and respect.”

Ellie takes a deep breath before responding to Jerry. “Thank you, Mr. Bateman. When Grayson had been inappropriate with me, I handled him in my own way and never heard another word. I thought he would no longer be an issue. I’m sorry for not reporting his behavior to you. It’s clear I was wrong in keeping it to myself and I hate to think I could’ve prevented this from happening to someone else.”

She’s blaming herself for not reporting him sooner? This woman keeps surprising me.

Jerry nods his head and gives Ellie a small smile. “Don’t you go apologizing to me, Ellie. You weren’t the only target of Grayson’s ugly words and behavior. As you know, we have many women on the staff here. From PR, to the training room, to the bench, there are many exceptional women within the organization. Each one is more than deserving to be here. I just wanted to come here and let you know that your hard work is valued here. I hope you know how important you are to me and the team. They were very quick to come to your defense. It’s clear your players respect and trust you too.”

I look over to see Ellie looking stunned. Her cheeks are blushing a delightful pink, as if she didn’t expect the compliments. Her reaction to his words makes me realize just how tough I’ve been on her, rarely offering praise when she does something great. Man, I am such a jackass.

Ellie whispers a soft, “Thank you,” to Jerry, and I turn my attention back to him.

“What does this mean for the coaching staff? Will it just be Ellie and I on the bench this season?”

Not that I would mind that even a little bit.

“Due to our lack of funds this year, we’re unable to hire an outside candidate. However, if you believe someone else on our staff would qualify and be capable of stepping in, I’d like to discuss that now.”

Ellie and I look at each other across the table. The edges of her mouth tip up before a small smirk paints her beautiful face. I know exactly what she’s thinking. I give her a small nod to let her know I agree and to give her the floor.

“Mr. Bateman, I think Lincoln would agree that Hunter is more than qualified to be an assistant coach on this team. He is one of the smartest guys I’ve met when it comes to hockey, and quite frankly, he knows this team better than any of us with the amount of game tape he’s watched.”

This girl. How can I not be attracted to her when she goes to bat for one of my closest friends?

I nod before voicing my agreement. “Ellie is right, sir. Hunter is the smartest hockey player I’ve ever known. As a coach, he is not only valuable but he’s respected by every player in that locker room. He already sits in meetings and contributes to lineup decisions because we value his opinion that much. I don’t think there’s a better person to step in.”

Jerry looks from me to Ellie before standing from his chair.

“Well, I hired you both for a reason so I’d be stupid not to heed this advice. I have Becky from HR on standby to discuss a potential replacement as soon as we finish this meeting. I’m going to go make that call. Can you two stay here while I do that? I’d like to get you an answer before your meeting at eight.”

We both nod our heads and say, “Yes, sir” at the exact same time, and I can’t help but laugh.

Jerry shocks us both—hell, it would shock the world—by giving us the biggest shit eating grin I’ve ever seen. “I have a good feeling about you two.” He turns on his heel and exits the room to make a call.

I release a deep breath before slumping back into my chair. For the first time since receiving Jerry’s email I can finally breathe. I look over at Ellie to see her staring at me.

“What?” I ask a bit too harshly.

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