Page 27 of Cheap Shot
“Your son, Ford.” I motion toward the field, the boys done with their celebration and ready for the game to restart. “Beau told me that Cooper was his hockey coach this past season. I assumed that was how you two met. Isn’t it?”
I should’ve known better than to take Beau’s word for something. He loves playing practical jokes. Why would this time be any different? I’m about to apologize for overstepping, but Ramona has other plans.
“Yes, it is how we met, but—” Ramona begins, but Beau cuts off whatever she was about to say.
“But they don’t really like to advertise things like that. No one really knows anything about Ramona other than she lives in Redwood Falls.”
Ramona’s eyes snap to his, the two of them having a silent conversation before Ramona looks away first. Now everything is making sense. I drop into the empty seat in front of Ramona, my attention focused on the field.
“Ah, the rule follower doesn’t want a blemish on his record.”
“No, that has nothing to do with it,” Ramona quips. “Cooper wanted to respect our privacy.”
“Sure. Whatever you say, Ramona.” I chuckle before someone smacks me in the back of the head. “What the fu…”
I spin around and find Alise waving her finger back and forth in front of my face. “Ah ah ah. There are children around.”
I narrow my eyes at Alise before spinning around. The last thing I need is one of these kids' parents reporting back to Momma that I was swearing at the kids' games. Not only will she tan my hide on the spot, but I know for a fact there will be a bar of soap in my future. Momma might be five feet nothing, but there is nothing in this world that terrifies me more than her.
“So.” Alise drops into the seat beside me, bumping her shoulder with mine. “Are you going to accept the offer from the Timberwolves?”
I sigh loudly, not even a little surprised that the whole town knows about the offer. “Did everyone know before I did?”
“Not really.” She smiles, patting my cheek lightly. “Remy told Cooper, who told Beau, who told Ms. Mel. She’s been telling anyone who will listen that her baby boy is finally coming home.”
“I’m not the baby. Kyle is.”
“All four of you are her babies. Don’t try to fight it because you will not win.”
“Whatever.” I roll my eyes, trying and failing to focus on the game.
Everyone seems to be invested in my coming back to Redwood Falls and joining my brothers on the Timberwolves. Momma wants to spend more time with me. Cooper wants to ease his conscience after all these years, and Beau…I’m not entirely sure what Beau wants, but he wants something. Everyone has their own reason for wanting me to accept the offer, but no one has given me one good reason I should want to do it in the first place.
At this point, I have two choices. I can either accept the contract with the Timberwolves and hope I get a chance on the ice or never play hockey again. Giving up all my dreams of ever having a chance at winning the Stanley Cup. My choice is a no brainer, but man, does it fucking suck.
ChapterSeven
Michele
“Ithink that’s everything we need.” The hiring director stands from behind her desk, reaching out a hand. “Welcome to the Portland Timberwolves Athletic Training Team.”
I’ve been dreaming about this moment for years, and now it’s finally here, but instead of feeling elated at finally accomplishing my dreams, there’s a huge knot in the pit of my stomach. Getting the job was the easy part, but now I have to do something much harder. Or maybe not. Although I doubt I’ll be that lucky twice.
“Thank you so much for this opportunity. I won’t let you down.” I smile, gripping her hand in mine and shaking it firmly.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that’s true.” She smiles before returning to her seat. “However, now comes the fun part.”
I can gather by her tone that whatever she’s about to ask me to do is going to be anything but fun. “Excuse me?”
I hold my breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop. She can't be asking me to do what I think she’s asking me to, can she? I mean, that wouldn’t be very professional. However, using a fake name on a job application so your dad doesn’t find out isn’t professional either. I guess at this point, we are even.
“You get to tell your father that you are the new team physiotherapist.”
Fuck. She did it. She asked me to do the one thing I’ve been dreading doing. Telling Dad. The conversation can go one of two ways, neither of which is beneficial for me. Dad has always wanted more for me than being an NHL team physiotherapist. Too bad that’s all I’ve ever wanted.
Most of my friends' parents would be happy if their kids managed to snag their dream job, but not my dad and stepmom. Not to mention the guilt trip that is no doubt going to follow my announcement. I hate guilt trips. I love my dad. I love that he practically raised me and my older sisters. He sacrificed so much for the three of us, and I will forever be grateful to him for everything that I’ve been able to have and accomplish in my life. But that doesn’t mean I owe him anything. I don’t owe him a say in what I do with my life or even what I find fulfilling. Sure, both of my sisters followed the path of what Dad and my stepmom wanted, but I had dreams of my own. Too bad no one else saw it that way.
The worst part of this is that at the end of said guilt trip, he’ll demand I come home for a family dinner. I hate family dinners even more than the guilt trips, especially because it always ends with my stepmother and sister nitpicking everything about me: my clothes, my hair, my skin, my weight. They always wrap it up nicely, disguising it as a backhanded comment, but I know what they are doing, and so do they. Dad has always been completely oblivious to their antics, not that he’s much better. Instead, he’ll lay it on thick about this being a starting point for my career, wanting to discuss how and when I’m going to move on to bigger and better things. Too bad for him, this is it for me.
