Page 26 of Rookie Season
I glance at him from the side and nod.
“You know Joey Garner?”
I sniff. “The Lions team owner? Of course I know him.”
“He has your college jersey in a glass case.” He pauses, arching one eyebrow. “And he hung it right next to the Gretzky jersey in his man cave,” Mitch whispers.
My eyes widen. “You’re kidding.”
“I swear I’m not. He’s had his eye on you all through college, kid.” Mitch grins.
A wave of relief hits me so strong, I’m glad to be sitting down. Mitch might be a rookie NHL coach, but he clearly knew exactly what he was doing by telling me that—because for me, just hearing the assistant coach and the owner of the Lions believe I’m of value to the team is enough to tamp down some of those doubts that Carver and Sandine planted in my head.
Mitch slaps a hand onto my back. “Why don’t you come over for dinner tonight? Your nieces have been begging to see you.”
I smile, feeling much lighter than when I initially walked into this office. “Yeah, that sounds good.”
It’s just an added bonus that having dinner at Mitch and Andie’s will give me some much needed space from Ally.
CHAPTER 12
ALLEGRA
“So…what do you think?”Fisher asks, spreading his arms wide and spinning around with a flourish as we step onto the sand at Baker Beach.
I smile. It’s a beautiful, blue-sky day, and the late October sun is warm on my shoulders. The air smells like salt, the views of the Golden Gate Bridge are amazing, and I’m…content.
“I love it,” I tell him. “Pretty amazing to be able to go to the beach right in the city.”
“Makes me grateful I wasn’t drafted by Winnipeg or something.” Fisher mock-shudders, then grins. Like me, he grew up in the Atlanta area and then attended USG right after, so I imagine living on the California coast is as much of a novelty to him as it is to me right now.
“How was practice?” We begin to wander down the beach, busy with people lounging around, playing frisbee, jogging in the sand, and enjoying the gorgeous view of the bridge against the horizon.
I’m not working until three today, so when Fisher texted to ask if I’d like to make the most of the sunshine when hefinished with practice this morning, I jumped at the chance. I’ve barely seen my roommates all week with my new work schedule picking up and the guys having two away games in a row, but I haven’t been lonely. My busier teaching schedule means I’ve gotten to know Cora—my fellow dance instructor at Golden Gate Grooves—better, as well as some of the moms whose daughters attend my classes.
Paige’s mom, Andie, is one of my favorites. Kind, warm, and welcoming in a way that reminds me of my own mom.
Fisher grimaces. “It was rough.”
“Oh no.” I click my tongue sympathetically. “Coaches punishing you for the back-to-back losses?”
Fisher gives me a jokey little shove. “Don’t remind me of that, Ally,” he groans, but then his playful expression turns serious. “Nah, it's more this jerkoff on the team named Justin Sandine who’s pissing everyone off.”
Sandine.
That’s what Noah called the guy hitting on me at the party last week.
“I’ve met him,” I say tightly, my hand tensing around the coffee cup I’m holding.
“My condolences.” Fisher snorts, his forehead creasing. “So then you already know what a dick he is. He’s being ridiculous, putting his ego before the good of the team and taking out all his frustrations on Downsby.”
“He doesn’t like Noah?” I ask, blinking up at Fisher against the midday sunlight.
“Nope.” He pops the p on the word. “Not one bit. Decided on day one that Noah hadn’t earned his spot on the team and had gotten there because his brother-in-law is the coach.”
“That’s so stupid and blatantly untrue.” I recall the guys mentioning that Mitch Anderson—Andie’s husband—is theLions’ coach. I hadn’t really thought about how that might affect Noah negatively until right now, but I get it, and it makes my heart ache for him.
Having a famous stepdad has made a lot of people think doors open for me because of the last name—Callahan—that I took after my parents got married, and not because of all my hard work. It was one of the biggest issues I faced back at college. I kept Dad’s name quiet, but people inevitably found out, and when I got the starring role in the performing arts department’s dance showcase my sophomore year, there were many upperclassmen who thought it was because of who my dad was, rather than how well I danced.
