Page 127 of Rule 1: Never Accidentally Marry Your Teammate
I wince.
“There were one hundred patrons around. Do you know how many people will witness this?”
“I know,” I say.
“The other restaurant patrons didn’t have a clue who this guy was. But these are people who do know who you are. Who do follow you. Hell, they’ve paid good money to do so.”
“I know.”
“And if it doesn’t go well...”
I swallow hard. Coach Holberg seems to think it won’t go well. I can’t blame him.
“Look. I love Noah,” I say.
Coach Holberg’s stern blue eyes soften, and he looks less like a misplaced Prussian soldier missing his spiked helmet and saber than normal. “You’re killing me.”
“And he needs to know that.”
“I’m sure you’ve told Noah that before,” Coach says with a laugh. “I mean, I haven’t seen any couple be quite as affectionate.”
I don’t join his laughter.
If only I’d told him.
“Finn? You did tell him?” Coach’s eyes narrow. The man is onto me. But then there’s a reason he’s the coach for the Blizzards. There’s a reason they dragged him all the way from the pastel buildings and cobbled streets of Stockholm, promising him all manner of money. There’s a reason he’s helped lead this team to so much greatness.
“We got married,” I say.
It’s a weak non-answer, and I still feel Coach’s eyes over me. I don’t want to confess everything. Not to him. He’sNoah’s boss, and I don’t think he would want anyone to know the truth about our Vegas elopement.
Coach sighs. “I can’t approve this.”
I lean forward, swallowing back my desperation, trying to seem rational. “Noah loves me. Our whole relationship was in the public, and when we, um, first decided to marry, we weren’t thinking about all of that.”
“You were thinking about how much you loved each other.”
“Yeah.” I avert my gaze. “Noah needs to know that even when we have the choice of ending our marriage and having more quiet lives and going back to normal, I will still choose him. I will always choose him.”
“What if it doesn’t work?”
“What if it does?”
His lips curl, and a thoughtful expression forms on his features.
“Besides. Think how excited the fans would be.”
Coach presses down his lips as if to stop himself from blurting out his agreement.
“And I’m one of your top players,” I say, in case I need to remind him of that. I don’t like pulling this card, but this is important.
“And this would make you happy?”
“It would make me ecstatic.”
Coach Holberg sighs. “I’ll think about it. That’s all I can promise now.”
“Okay.” I rise. “Happy thinking.”
