Page 136 of Double Puck

Unfortunately, I do.

Across the room, Colin Holden sits at the huge kitchen table in an actual suit, which is how I know today is serious. Colin only wears suits at funerals and top-level league meetings.

Coach Pearson is beside him with his arms crossed, looking like a mountain someone forced into a polo shirt. Pete Langford has his iPad in front of him, sipping his coffee while studying the screen with an intense look.

I swallow hard, but lucky for me, Biscuit weaves between my legs, tail thumping, one ear up, deeply convinced this gathering is about him.

I wish it was.

"Darcy." Diego breezes up at my elbow again, this time with a cappuccino, the foam swirled into a perfect leaf. "Please, drink this. You look like you slept four hours and cried into your laptop."

"Thank you, Diego."

I move closer to the table, greeting Colin and Pete just as Declan comes down the stairs in a black t-shirt, hard eyes already set in place. Mason follows, but as he almost reaches the open-arched doorway into the kitchen, he turns back and waves—

"Rose?!"

Mason cuts me a murderous glare and immediately raises one finger to his lips.

Shhh.

My eyebrows climb.

A second later, Rose darts past the kitchen archway carrying her heels and handbag against her chest, still wearing the clothes she had on at The Yard yesterday. Her hair looks thoroughly slept in, her lipstick is gone, and she's clearly attempting to sneak past her own father after spending the night doing something that isn't in her contract.

Naturally, Biscuit chooses this exact moment to notice her.

His tail starts hammering against the wall and Rose's eyes go enormous.

Mason catches Biscuit around the middle before he can launch himself at her, wrestling sixty pounds of delighted dog against his chest while Rose sprints the final six feet to the front door.

From the table, Colin glances up. "What was that noise?"

Mason, smooth as ever, says, "Just Biscuit being Biscuit, Colin. Shall we begin?"

He lowers Biscuit to the floor and takes the empty chair beside Declan, somehow managing to look completely innocent while Rose presumably flees Beachside before her father discovers she's been defiling his defenseman.

Good for her.

I have significantly bigger Morrison problems to deal with right now.

I carry my cappuccino to the table and slide into the remaining chair, setting my laptop bag at my feet. Around me, the last traces of conversation disappear as Colin pulls a folder closer.

This is it.

I take out my laptop and place it in front of me, then glance around the table one more time.

Colin. Pete. Coach.

Declan and Mason.

My eyes move automatically to the empty chair beside them.

I frown. "Where's Beck?"

Colin's eyes flick toward the empty chair. "Your guess is as good as mine. I expected him here." His mouth tightens before he pulls the folder closer. "But given what has happened overnight, we should start. Sit down, Darcy. There were some… developments."

My body drops one floor.