Page 4 of The Captain's Curfew
When she yawns and says goodnight, I exhale like I’ve been holding my breath all evening.As she disappears into the guest room, I already know this was a mistake.
This is fine.It’s temporary.I can handle Violet Hayes.I have to.
Zero distractions.That’s the rule.
Even when the distraction has a smile that could unravel a man like me.And eyes that see more than I want them to.
This season, I have one job: lead this team to victory.And nothing—not even Violet—is going to pull me off course.
Right?
TWO
Violet
There’s something about fresh starts.The blank slate.The endless possibilities.The thrill of stepping into something new and completely unknown.
That’s what this is.A fresh start.A chance to prove myself.A step into the future I’ve been working toward for years.
Maple Creek hasn’t changed much since I left.The coffee shop on the corner, the bookstore I used to escape to on weekends, even the little ice rink near the park where Declan used to drag me to skate—it’s all still here.
Nostalgia hits me like a wave, but I push it aside.This isn’t a trip down memory lane.I’m here to work, to make a name for myself and finally be taken seriously in this world of hockey players and locker room politics.
And speaking of hockey players…
I already know my job isn’t going to be easy.The Thunder are still recovering from last season’s scandal, and management wants a new, polished image.That means I need to highlight the team’s best moments, show the fans why they should still believe in their players, and—most importantly—stay out of any unnecessary drama.
Easy, right?
Except I know better because drama follows this team like a shadow, and unfortunately for me, part of that shadow comes in the form of one Logan Carter.
My stomach twists at the thought of him.Logan has been a fixture in my life for as long as I can remember.He and Declan have been best friends since they were kids, which means I’ve spent years orbiting around him—always just out of reach.
I don’t know when my stupid crush on him started.Maybe it was when I was thirteen, and he helped me lace up my skates at one of Declan’s practices.Maybe it was when I was sixteen, and he pulled me out of a snowbank after I fell face-first during an impromptu hockey game.Maybe it was every single time he looked at me like I was nothing more than his best friend’s little sister, completely unaware of the way my heart sped up whenever he was around.
Not that it matters.Logan Carter is disciplined, serious, and completely off-limits.And I have more important things to focus on.
Like finding somewhere to live that isn’t Logan’s guest room.
I pull into the parking lot of the Thunder’s training facility, shut off my engine, and take a deep breath.I spot my brother’s car pulling in nearby and hop out, hurrying to catch up with him.
Declan groans, rubbing a hand over his face as he heads toward the Thunder’s facility.“Don’t start.”
I fold my arms, raising an eyebrow.“You mean to tell me that after years of keeping me away from your team, you’re just handing me over to Logan Carter?”
“It’s temporary.”
“You realize he hates me, right?”
Declan scoffs.“He doesn’t hate you.”
“He barely tolerates me.”
“That’s just how Logan is.”
“That’s not reassuring.”
Declan sighs.“Look, my condo’s under renovation.I don’t have anywhere else for you to go.It’s just for a few days.We’ll go look at places this afternoon after practice.”
