Page 7 of Perfectly Grumpy

“At the Sully’s Beach Hockey Gala last weekend, local defenseman Tate Foster made more than a few waves, most notably with his offhand remark about recent league changes, which he attributed to the commissioner’s wife, whom he failed to realize was in attendance at the event. He then went on to demand her pet’s removal from the premises. Sources close to the commissioner’s wife said she was ‘shaken but not surprised by the interaction,’ citing Foster’s ‘general disdain for publicity.’ Foster would not respond to our request for a comment.”

“Can’t we just let it blow over?” I tug off my gloves. “Issue an apology and call it a day?”

“I wish it were that simple. But unfortunately, she thinks you hate cats. Now animal lovers are canceling you.”

“It’s not my fault I’m allergic to cats!” I shoot back. “And it wasn’t personal. Her Persian was trying to scale me like I was her personal catnip tree.”

Lauren’s lips twitch like she’s trying not to laugh.

“What?” I ask.

“I’m just imagining…never mind.” Lauren shakes her head, evidently trying to erase the image of me in formalwear being scaled by a Persian. She clears her throat, boxing up her amusement. “Regardless, she didn’t know you were allergic. And now you’re making front page news for all the wrong reasons.”

“Ooooo, Tate’s in trouble,” Rourke singsongs behind me.

“Shut up, Rourke,” I murmur, stepping off the ice.

Lauren glances back at the team before looking at me. “Can we talk in my office? Somewhere less public?”

“Sorry, but I have to decline your invitation. I’m kind of busy right now.”

Lauren crosses her arms. “Sheriff, I’m not sure you understand. If we don’t fix this fast, your entire career might be on the line.”

Iblink. “Over one cat?”

“Over how you handled everything.” She spins on her heel and heads for the elevator, heels clicking like a countdown timer.

I stare after her, yanking off my skates and gear, and race after her in my socked feet, not wasting time on shoes. “So, what? You’re going to force me to pose for some ridiculous pictures?”

She doesn’t turn around, just punches the elevator button and says over her shoulder, “Nope. I’m going to save your career. And unfortunately for you, that starts right now.”

The way she emphasizes those last two words makes it clear—there’s no practice, no shower, no room for excuses.

She’s a hurricane. A force of nature. Beautiful, but dangerous. And I’m standing directly in her path.

FOUR

Tate

Save my career?Like she can just waltz in, wave her PR wand, and make it all go away?

Yeah. Except the annoying part is, she probably can. I’ve watched her transform Leo’s on-ice blowup into a “heartwarming story” that ended with him eventually winning over a figure skater, and somehow spinning Rourke’s bad decisions into a tale of a misunderstood hero. The woman could probably convince people I’m secretly a cat lover if she put her mind to it.

“You know I volunteer at the humane center shelter,” I say in my defense. “Every week. I’m being canceled for hating animals,meanwhile I spent Saturday washing a dog the size of a pony.”

She turns toward me. “Unfortunately, the internet doesn’t know that. If this hits national coverage or goes viral, it won’t just hurt your reputation—it’ll hurt the team.”

I sigh, scrubbing a hand over my jaw. “This is the part I hate. I’m not a bad guy. I just don’t want to pretend to be someone I’m not.”

“I know,” she says, her voice losing its edge, like she cares how this might affect my future. “But in the NHL? Your reputation matters. Rafael Marco said a few teams have been watching you, but they haven’t made a move—because you’re not…”

“Willing to play the game,” I finish as the elevator dings, my pulse ramping up at the sound.

“Exactly. And I’m going to help you fix it.”

“So what does this involve?” I ask, already dreading the answer. “Can I just meet with her and smooth things over? Maybe give her cat a can of Fancy Feast and a new sparkly bell collar?”

Lauren gives me a look. “That might work for her, but it won’t fix your reputation with the fans. We need a full PR strategy, one that could take months.”

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