Page 91 of The Big Puck

Early in the morning, just before dawn, he returns to Krissy, not giving me a chance to wake up and delay him. The thought makes me smile.

I snuggle under the covers and plan my outfit for the day—jeans the off-season color of lemon yellow paired with my newest Whalers hockey jersey with the lace up neckline. Then I’ll go to Spence’s house, to Aunt Hildie and my sweet adorable Krissy—and I’ll bring the bags I have packed in the closet. Because I’m going home.

Chapter 36

SPENCE

When the elevator doors open to the lobby of the Whalers corporate suite outside of Gavonza’s office, I suck in a breath. The last thing I expect to see is the crowd waiting for me. I zero in on Lainey because who can miss her in that outfit. My grin pops to my face unimpeded. Who am I kidding? I would have zeroed in on her even if she were disguised as a wicked witch.

“Your welcoming committee?” Jett says.

“My team.”

I fist bump Jason and Kap, give Tina a hug and then take Lainey into my arms like I never want to let her go. Because I don’t. But I do.

“Let’s get on with this,” Jett says. He’s carrying the brief case with all the papers.

“How’s this going to work?” Kap says, the waiver of either nerves or anticipation shaking his voice.

I slap his back. “Don’t worry, Kap. You won’t have to do or say a thing. Just look like your pretty self.”

He snorts. “Thanks. Your confidence is impressive.”

“Let’s hope so.” We stop at Gavonza’s door and I knock, then open it and motion for the group to file in.

“Hey, what’s this? What’s going on?” Gavonza snarls and comes around his desk as my team takes their seats at the conference table.

“Our meeting.” I gesture him to join us. He glances at Tina and smirks. “Have it your way. You want to be humiliated in front of these people that’s up to you.”

“If this is about you and your pie-in-the-sky clause in the contract you can forget about it. I’m not paying and I’m not renewing—”

“It’s about your contract, Tony,” I say in a calm voice that cuts through his tirade and sends a zap of electricity through the room as if he’s been short-circuited. No such luck.

“You don’t know shit—” I gesture to Jett to produce the partnership agreement between him and Stonewell.

“Yes, I do.”

He grabs at it, a momentary break in his confidence when he thumbs through the pages and the highlighted sections. Then his outrage rallies his bluster.

“This don’t mean a fucking thing to you. It’s between me and—”

“It means that you’re no longer in a position to bargain with me since you broke the terms of your agreement,” I point out reasonably.

“Fuck you, Spencer—and your pretty girl friend too—” He darts a nasty look at Lainey and I lose my cool, reaching out to grab him by the collar. I feel Jason move behind me ready to back me.

“Don’t you—”

Before I can do any harm, Kap reigns me in, physically pulling me back and Lainey speaks up.

“Let him spout off, Spence. His words are meaningless now. No one’s going to listen to him—”

“Shut the fuck up.”

“Oh, but Tony,” she says sweetly, “we haven’t even begun to tell you the score.” I want to kiss her right now, throw her on the table and ravish her right here. But I make a mental note to put that on m list of things to do later.

Instead, I let loose a snarling smile of my own aimed at his red face. When he takes it in, he shuts up and listens, if only for a few beats.

“Then there’s the agreement with the NHL, and your non-compliance with those terms—which might be construed by some in the legal community as fraud—