I pressed a hand to my chest dramatically. “I do have a hole—right where the heart you stole is supposed to be.”
“All right, Prince Charming,” came a voice from the doorway, far too familiar. “Let’s get moving. We’ve got a meeting.”
I blew Doc a kiss and followed Griff into the hall. He stopped and turned to look at me, his eyes serious.
“Welcome back, Coach. You guys killed it out east,” I said, hoping to lighten the mood.
He was quiet for a moment, then his voice dropped. “Valentine, I know that… well, everything about you is just your personality, but Doctor Pravesh is a professional. And while she’s part of this team, I expect you to treat her like one.”
I blinked, confused. “What?”
His gaze sharpened. “Stop the damn flirting. This organization isn’t your dating app.”
If only he knew.
We entered Griff’s office, and I froze on the threshold, almost forgetting about the cars I’d noticed earlier. Apparently, my meeting was with the entire coaching staff.
Sullivan stepped forward, hand outstretched. He gave me a hearty clap on the back, flashing that signature Sullivan grin. His smile was identical to Ryder’s, but I’d always been able to tell them apart—mostly by Ryder’s serious expression.
“You good, man?” Sullie asked.
I nodded, my gaze drifting to the one coach who hadn’t turned to face me. Frankie sat ramrod straight in a chair, her back to the door, absorbed in whatever was on her phone.
"Yeah." I tried to smile, but it felt forced. "Great. Perfect. Ready to get back on the ice."
"Good man." Griff gestured for me to take the empty seat next to Frankie. I lowered myself into it, acutely aware of the three coaches' eyes on me when all I wanted was the attention of the one beside me.
Griff perched on the edge of his desk, arms crossed. "Doc clear you?"
I nodded, but I was too aware of Frankie’s proximity. Her arm was only inches from mine. If I shifted even a little, I’d feel the heat I knew was there, smell the scent of her hair, her skin. I knew too damn much now to pretend nothing had happened between us.
Griff was still talking, but I’d missed something. He was looking at me expectantly.
"I’m sorry, what?"
His lips pressed together. "Valentine, I’m saying we need you in the lineup. We played well out east, but something’s still off with this team. The energy’s low, and that’s exactly what you bring."
I shrugged, the motion making Frankie jerk her head up, scowl, then quickly look away. Right. Apparently, my shrug was irritating. So, I shrugged again just to mess with her.
Griff sighed. "You sure you're ready to play, kid?"
I hadn’t been a kid in over a decade, but with Griff having twenty years on me, I let it slide. The rest of the coaches were about my age, a reminder that I was edging closer to the end of my time in this league. "Pumped, Coach."
"Good. Now, let’s be real. You’ve been out for two weeks. We need to get your legs under you before the game on Wednesday. You've got three days. The rest of the team’s off the next two, but Rowan’s coming in to work with Sullie for a bit." He glanced at Sullivan, who nodded, then back at me. "Remy and I are trashed from travel, which means Frankie gets the pleasure of whipping you into shape."
Frankie’s gaze snapped to Griff, and I followed her eyes, seeing the flicker of alarm there. She was scared. Of me.
It should’ve felt good, but it didn’t.
Griff shot Frankie a look. “Is everything with you all…” He made a vague gesture, his hand circling the air. She seemed to understand.
“Family emergency downgraded to a family urgency.”
The room fell silent, the kind of pause where no one knew whether to laugh. I hadn’t spoken to Frankie in nearly two weeks, hadn’t checked in to see if she was okay with whatever had happened in her family. God, I was a real asshole.
“Well, good. The gang’s back together,” Griff said, clapping me on the shoulder as he walked toward the door. “Go get your skates on, Valentine.”
“What?” I turned quickly, trying to catch his eye. “Now?”
