“Of course,” Wagner said. “You heard her, boys. Hang back.”
The rest of the team filtered out, leaving the five players exchanging curious glances. Hillary smoothed her skirt and forced herself into business mode as she and Sasha moved forward.
Time to sell a boy band collab.
The five players exchanged looks—half suspicious, half curious—as they gathered in a loose circle around Hillary and Sasha.
Sasha clasped her hands dramatically. “Okay, guys, we’ve got something big. And by big, I mean viral.”
Conner smirked. “Oh God, what now?”
“North Star,” Sasha said, and the room shifted instantly. Wes perked up, Ethan’s eyes widened, and even Conner’s grin sharpened. Cash groaned, rubbing a hand over his face.
“The boy band?” came a voice from the hallway. Sven leaned in with hopeful eyes. When Sasha didn’t call his name, his face fell. “Man, this would’ve been my moment,” he muttered, shaking his head as he disappeared down the hall.
“North Star is coming through for a show,” Sasha continued smoothly, “and we’re putting together crossover content. TikTok, behind-the-scenes, maybe even a cameo on stage. We need five guys who can sell it.”
“Why us?” Cash muttered, already bracing.
“Because you’re fan favorites,” Hillary said crisply, pulling her tablet from under her arm. “Conner and Cash: your faces are basically team mascots. Wes and Ethan: you already do TikToks with Sasha, so you’ll make this seamless. And Murphy—” her throat caught, but she forced herself to continue evenly, “—you’re a natural. Likable, magnetic. Everybody loves you.”
Murphy’s whole face lit up, brighter than she’d seen it in weeks. “My sister is going to freak out.”
Cash snorted. “No, get Sven to do it,” he groaned.
Hillary crossed her arms over her chest. “Payback for the stunt you pulled in Calgary.”
Cash let out a huff of laughter while he shook his head, giving in, clearly respecting her game.
Murphy only grinned wider, turning his gaze to Hillary. “Thanks for putting me in.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” she said, her voice sharp to cover the flutter in her chest. “You’ll have to dance.”
The group erupted into laughter, but Hillary’s pen shook just slightly as she tapped it against her tablet. She’d told herself it was a strategy. PR logic. But the truth was, she knew what everyone else did. People loved Murphy.
And that was exactly why she was in so much danger.
The room buzzed with energy the moment Sasha finished.
Wes leaned back against the desk, arms folded, grinning like a man already plotting his big solo. “Finally. A chance for the world to witness my true talent. Hockey is just a side hustle, really.”
Cash groaned so loudly it drew a laugh from Conner and Ethan. “I can’t believe you're doing this to me?”
“You’ll survive,” Hillary said dryly, making a note on her tablet.
“Barely,” Cash muttered. “Evie’s never going to let me live this down.”
“That’s the point,” Conner teased. “She’ll love it. You’ll be her favorite North Star member.”
Wes and Ethan were already in their own world, exchanging excited glances. “We can definitely pull some moves,” Wes said. “We’ve already done half their dances for fun anyway.”
“Yeah, I’ve got the chorus of‘Satellite Heart’memorized,” Ethan added, doing a little shoulder shimmy that made Sasha clap her hands in delight.
Murphy just shook his head, smiling so wide his cheeks flushed pink. “You guys don’t get it. My sister is going tolose her mind.I’m not kidding; this might make me her favorite sibling again.”
“That’s a stretch,” Conner joked, clapping him on the back.
Murphy only laughed harder, glancing at Hillary as if to share the joke with her alone. Her chest tightened, the warmth of his smile pulling at something deep inside her.
