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Regina looked up to Kiley who rested on the edge of the sofa. “Really?”
Kiley pressed her lips together. “Yes. Either the coach treats her as an equal or she’s done with the team.”
Regina looked back at me. “How does the team feel about it?”
I raised my chin a smidge. “After attending a team meeting yesterday, I can say with certainty that the players will not get on the ice without Molly on their coaching staff. No Molly on staff; no team member will play.”
Regina sucked in a breath. “Holy shit.”
I nodded. “Will you run it?”
Regina’s eyes were wide. “Hell, yes. Do you have a draft?”
I handed her my article, hoping my hand wasn’t shaking.
After a minute, Regina’s eyes widened. “You have quotes here. From Coach, the team captain, even Molly too.”
My heart was beating out of my chest. “Yes, I was there, so I recorded it.”
She shook her head a little, then her eyes returned to mine. “That’s incredible foresight.” Her eyes dropped back to the article and a smile crept across her lips. “Yes, I want it. It’ll run this afternoon. I’ll need you to fill out a couple forms and send me the electronic copy.”
I held out my hand. “Absolutely.”
She shook my hand as she gave me a wide smile. “I think you and I are going to have a very good relationship in the coming years. You keep writing stories like this and I’ll want you for a staff position. Health insurance and benefits included.”
I sucked in a breath. “That sounds fantastic. Now, the big question. Do you think this will work? Getting public opinion involved? There’s a lot riding on this.”
Her smile faded. “Yes, there is. I’m thinking a blast that’s local and to the east coast where the fan base is and then the story is bound to spread to the national outlets. Once there’s an article to link to, the guys can push it on their social media accounts, ask their fans to get involved, and with any luck, things will be better than normal soon.” Regina looked up to Kiley. “So, she wants to be a coach?”
Kiley crossed her arms. “In other sports, coaches have created positions that are needed for the best interests of their team. Molly knows her value to the team. She’s young, but her words have already improved the team in measurable ways. She is simply asking for the coach to create a position for her that would show her he values her opinion.”
Regina scanned the article, then looked up at Kiley again. “And she wants the profits from such a position to be donated to the Foundation?”
Kiley nodded. “That was her choice. I didn’t even know about it until after she told Phoebe.”
I winced. “I’m sorry about that. I didn’t mean to cut you out of it.”
Kiley pushed off the sofa. “No, I’m glad I wasn’t there. I’m so angry I have trouble even talking about it.”
Regina’s brow furrowed. “Angry?”
Kiley tilted her head. “Off the record?”
We both nodded.
Kiley’s hands turned into fists. “Ilya was in that game. The Matadors were gunning for him. If Molly hadn’t been there, if she hadn’t alerted him to the danger, he could be facing serious injury and surgery on his shoulder again,” she said, swiping a tear that escaped. “I see Molly’s point and I’m glad I taught her to value herself, but part of me is terrified of what will happen if she isn’t there to protect those men. I know hockey players wear their scars with pride, their false teeth too, but some of these injuries could end their careers. Maybe even their lives.”
Regina’s face fell.
The words felt like they were pulled from me. “You care about one of them.”
She swallowed hard. “I used to.”
Kiley rounded the sofa and sat next to her. “Who?”
She shook her head. “Suffice to say, it didn’t work out. We’ve both moved on. But I still catch the games. Knowing him got me interested in hockey in the first place.”
Looking at Regina, I marveled at how someone as beautiful as her wasn’t able to keep a man. She had it all, from a company she ran successfully to the perfect hourglass figure to flawless skin, but as I’ve been learning, sometimes appearances were deceptive.
