“Let me guess, he’s totally adored? He’s been the mayor for like ten years, and everyone thinks he’s amazing? It’s not just those three guys who are protective of him, right?”
I nod. “Right. Except he’s been Mayor for twenty-two years.”
Alex groans and tips his head back. “Of course, I fucking dissed thebelovedmayor of the town I’m moving to.”
When he puts it that way…yeah, he should be a little worried.
I’ma little worried.
“You’ll be able to win them back over when you make the new team huge,” I tell him with a big smile that’s only half-forced.
“So, no pressure?” he says dryly.
I shrug. “You’re a big shot professional player. This will be a piece of cake, don’t you think?”
He sighs and sags into the seat. “I hope so.”
“Ithas to be,” I tell him, with more intensity than I intended. I take a breath. “This has to go well. We have to make this team the best thing that has ever happened in Rebel.”
I look over to find him frowning at me.
“Seriously? That’s…a lot,” he says. “This isminorminor league hockey. Everyone gets that, right?”
I shrug. “That doesn’t matter. If this season doesn’t go well, people are going to question whether Harley can make good decisions for the town anymore. Sean Patrick is going to win the mayoral election, and he’s going to buy the arena and turn it into an indoor fun zone.”
“What’s an indoor fun zone?”
I roll my eyes. “Like a climbing wall, mini golf, arcade, laser tag.”
“That does sound fun.”
I gasp and look at him quickly, making the truck swerve slightly. “Take that back!”
Alex holds up his hands as if surrendering. “You don’t like laser tag?”
“Not instead of ice hockey and ice skating! We have a paintball park andoutdoormini golf, and arcades are dark, and people play the games by themselves on machines. We want people outside, and out in the community, and spending timetogether.”
He doesn’t say anything.
I glance over. “What?”
“What do you do for a living?”
“I’m the director of Parks and Rec for the town.”
“Ah.”
I arch a brow. “Ah?”
“You don’t want Sean Patrick to encroach on what you do.”
“Of course I don’t! He’s a pompous ass who didn’t care about Rebel until he went off to the big city and realized that he could only be important in asmalltown. He’s back, so he can pretend he’s big shit. He’s running for mayor against my grandfather now only because of the stroke and the hockey team leaving. Before this he never would have had a chance!”
“Wait, Harley, the beloved mayor is yourgrandfather?”
“Yes.”
He’s staring at me when I look at him again.
