He looked up when I entered his office. “Lennon.”
That was the tone he used for naughty rookies and dumb shits who got out of control. Silas Whittaker didn’t suffer fools. Unfortunately, money and youth created more foolishness than just about any other scenario.
“May I sit?” I asked.
He gestured to the chair, and I eased into it. I cleared my throat. “I behaved poorly last night and this morning. I’m sorry.”
“Thank you.” He waited.
I stared back.
The silence grew.
“I talked to Amber.”
“I know.”
Again, the silence. I hated it—it made my skin itch. He knew; that was why he did it.
“I have something on my mind that’s gotten in the way of my performance on the ice and with my teammates.”
“I know.”
“I’m working through that,” I said.
Coach heaved a frustrated breath. “Look, Lennon, I respect you as a player and as a man, but right now you’re acting like an idiot. Just call Vivian.”
“It’s not that easy. I…left things on poor—no, I just kind of quit talking to her.”
“Then call her, ask her to listen, and explain your fear. I don’t know a lot about her, but if she cares about you like you care about her, the truth will help a lot.”
“I…”
“If you try to bottle this up, you’ll end up in this exact spot again. And again. And I will lose patience. So will your teammates. And when they do, the chemistry will be off. Who will you have to blame but yourself when you end up on the second or third line or traded?”
I sat back as Coach’s statement hit me square in the chest. “That bad?” I croaked.
He met my gaze. “Yes.”
Silas Whittaker didn’t bullshit us. Still, I didn’t like swallowing the truth. I nodded. “I’ll fix it.”
“I hope so, for all our sakes. Because without you, our chances to win the Cup plummet.” He raised an eyebrow, then took off his reading glasses. “Now to the other news I mentioned. I received a really interesting call from Camden Grace, the country singer.”
I shifted in my seat. I knew the man. He’d been my older brother Ruben’s commanding officer before he died.
“He wants to connect with you,” Coach said.
“Why?”
“To talk about your K-Nine program.”
For the second time that day, I was gobsmacked by emotions. They uprooted and twisted in my chest. But these? These felt good.
Chapter 12
Chapter
Vivian
