“Fine. It’s about me. I want to go hang out with my wife and go to my kids’ school parties. You should go grind your man into a wall or something.”
I drained my champagne cup and tossed it in the trash. “If you insist.”
But then, I sat in my car, debating what to do with my free time. Colt wasn’t home yet, but he would be in a few hours. I wanted to do something to make him feel special. He’d carried a ribbon for me for over a decade. The least I could do was surprise him on my day off work. An idea sparked in my head, and I pulled up Jeanine Sorrento’s contact info.
“Jeanine? Can I ask you a favor?”
FORTY-ONE
COLTON
OCTOBER | COLUMBUS, OHIO
“I feellike I’m gonna puke, man. Are they about to bench me?”
Worse, did they know about my intentions to beat the shit out of Doyle at the Dallas game?
Leroy released a shallow sigh. “I think it’s gonna be fine.”
“Why the fuck else would we have us come here after a road trip? I just want to go home.”
“You and me both.” He stopped outside the locker room door, examined the ground, then bent and picked his badge up off the floor. “Alright, well, good luck.”
My stomach bottomed out even more. “Wait, you’re not . . . in the meeting?”
“Just go in,” he urged me. “Have fun. Don’t say I never do anything nice for you.”
“What?”
“Bye, Cap,” he threw over his shoulder as he took off down the hall.
With my heart in my throat, I opened the door.
The locker room was empty, except for one person.
One very important, very beautiful person.
One very important, very beautiful person, wearing what appeared to be my jersey.
Onlymy jersey.
“Violet,” I breathed, then jumped to take off my jacket. “Hey. I missed you so much. What are you doing here? I have a meeting. You can’t be like that.”
“Happy Halloween, Cap.” Violet squirmed where she sat at the edge of my locker, legs crossed. Her hair tumbled over half her face but allowed me to see her mischievous grin.
I swallowed hard and clenched my jaw, fighting for composure. “Happy Halloween, baby.” I rushed across the room to her, throwing the jacket across her lap. “You look fucking gorgeous, but you can’t be like that in here.”
She smirked. “You don’t have a meeting.”
“But, wait. Is that why . . . Leroy?”
Vi grinned and bit her lower lip. “Did me a very big favor. Well, I think Mara made him. Jeanine and Mara helped too.”
I chuckled. “Yeah, he’s an asshole. She’d have to make him.” I let my eyes drift from her head to her toes. “You look incredible.”
“Thanks.” She tossed my jacket to the floor behind me. “Jeanine went to get your jersey from the pro shop, and Mara brought me Jack’s badge. I believe she called it ‘kinky karma.’”
My lips fell open. Indeed, I had helped Mara get into the locker room for similar purposes at one point.
