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Carl scribbled down her name. “I’m sure I can find her number. Any other ideas you want to run by me while you’ve got me?”
I shook my head, keeping the Hammerhead Fan Fest and possible Power Play training camp in the back of my mind. It was a longshot, and it would be a lot of work, but it would be worth it. For Power Play.
For Jessa.
No. Power Play.OnlyPower Play.
CHAPTER11
ZACH
A quick searchshowed that the Power Play office was still located in a building that was a mishmash of random businesses like home and car insurance, construction consultation, and even a telehealth service.
The door for Power Play was at the center of the building, and beyond the glass, the office space was dark. Jessa’s car wasn’t here, but I could hear it as she made the turn into the parking lot. She had a squeaky fan belt, and if my grandfather hadn’t been being such a prick, I would have asked him to fix it for her.
Jessa shut off her car and stared at me through the windshield. She was trying to hide a grin, but she wasn’t doing the best job at it. I watched in utter awe as she climbed out of her car gracefully, wearing a light blue dress covered in daisies flowing in the soft summer breeze.
“Good morning,” she said, climbing the three small steps to get to me. “Surprised to see you here.”
“Why is that?” I questioned, nodding toward the to-go cup of green tea with honey that was currently burning a hole through my hand. “I now know your drink order, and I know how important caffeine is in the morning, especially for someone as busy as you.”
Her cheeks flushed a gorgeous peach color, and she fiddled with a set of keys on a light pink lanyard.
“Thank you.” She motioned towards the door. “Did you want to come in?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I wanted to run something by you.” Jessa frowned, so I quickly added, “About Power Play. I have an idea.”
“Oh,” she breathed, selecting a key and slipping it into the lock.
She twisted, and pulled the door open, the alarm system beeping. Jessa swept through the doors into the office space and disarmed the security system, turning to watch me enter the office. Her gaze shifted to behind me, and I turned as she flicked on the lights.
“Renshaw,” a familiar voice said.
My eyes adjusted to the brightness, and I stared at the smiling face of my minor hockey league coach.
“Good to see you. Heard you helped Jessa out the other day with some hockey kits. We appreciate it. What brings you in?”
I tossed a glance over my shoulder at Jessa, whose wide eyes told me that she had in fact returned to the sports store to buy the rest of the gear, no doubt paying with her own money. Those green eyes also gave away the fact that she had told Coach Hall that I had bought all of the gear instead of just one set.
I’d be paying her back for the gear whether she liked it or not. Little Miss Unwilling-to-Accept-Help.
“I had no idea you were involved with Power Play,” I blurted, and it made my former coach smile.
“Well, when I gave up coaching, I didn’t want to get out of the hockey scene. This was the next best thing, and I’ve got to admit, I adore seeing those kids who come in with stars in their eyes, excited to get the chance to play.” Coach Hall glanced between me and Jessa. “Come to my office. Let’s chat there.”
He turned and strode down the hallway to the left. I stepped forward and passed Jessa her green tea, flashing a smile at her. She sucked her lower lip between her teeth to stop herself from returning the grin.
Coach Hall flicked on the lights in an office that looked like it was perpetually messy. He carried a blue mug withPower Playacross the front and swapped it for another Power Play mug that was on his desk. He peered into the old mug and, with a shrug, tossed the liquid into the practically dead plant in the corner of his office. I hoped that was water.
“Now, what brings you in?” Coach Hall asked, prompting me to sit in one of the chairs across from his desk.
“Well, I’m sure you’re aware that I actually went through Power Play to be able to join hockey when I was a kid. I think it’s a great program, and I have an idea that might help raise some money for you guys.”
Coach Hall leaned back in his seat and pressed the space bar repeatedly on his keyboard, rousing his two monitors from a sleep status. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” I echoed and sat forward, resting my elbows on my knees. “I met with the Hammerheads’ GM yesterday and brought up a pre-season game. He liked the idea and is going to look into it further.”
Coach Hall finally looked back at me, and his eyes were wide. “The Hammerheads’ GM is on board?”
