“Everything I know about the game, I learned from my dad. Surely your dad taught you how to handle losses.”
“Whenever they lost, it never felt like it was the end of the world.”
“That’s because it’s not,” Bex says. “It might feel like that at the time, but losing a game isn’t world ending.”
I shake my head, trying not to drop my own hand down over Bex’s. I relish her touch. The warmth that it sends through me.
“Pops was always good about that. Dad would come home, and whatever we were doing, he fit himself right into it. Coloring. Reading. Playing a made-up game. I think it helped everyone with the losses.”
Bex pulls her hand away and I hate the loss. “My dad wasn’t the best player, so he never seemed to take the losses as hard. He had the heart and the drive, but the talent was never there to back it up.”
“He had a few good seasons with the team,” I tell her.
“You would know, wouldn’t you?” A sly smile creeps onto her face.
“I had to do my research on the owner of the team that was drafting me. I think he had more potential than he saw in himself.”
Bex drops her elbow onto the armrest and rests her chin in her palm. “I think he saw a lot of himself in you.”
“What, really?” That has me stopping and pausing.
“He saw the drive he had, but you also had the talent. He wanted to keep Denver’s hometown kid here.”
“Wow.” I scrub a hand over the back of my neck. “I never knew he thought that.”
I never knew Bex’s dad played such a role in drafting me.
“He liked being involved.”
“So why did he hand over the team to you?”
This isn’t something the two of us have ever discussed. Sure, I know more about her in other ways, but not this. This seems like a pretty big oversight, and I’m kicking myself for not asking her before.
“He’s getting older. Hockey has been his world for so long, that I think he needed a change.”
“Not that my opinion means much, but I think you’re doing great.”
“It means more than you know, Nick.”
God, I wish I could kiss her right now. With the soft light of the plane, she looks fucking gorgeous. I don’t know how in the world she gave me a second look that night at the bar, but I’m so fucking thankful she did. I’ve been completely taken with her ever since.
“You know, sometimes it’s still hard to believe that my dad handed over the team to me at all.” She breaks through my perusal of her.
“Really? Why do you say that?”
“I’m the only female general manager in the league. I can’t imagine a lot of people advised him to do that.”
“Well, you know your shit,” I tell her matter-of-factly. “In fact, I’d be hard-pressed to find someone who knows the game like you do.”
Bex brushes off my praise. “Any one of the guys on this plane could do it.”
“You’re not giving yourself enough credit. I mean, I wouldn’t trust all of these guys with a team. Noah? It’s why I’m Oreo’s main parent.”
That earns me a warm laugh.
“Who better equipped to take over than you? You’ve grown up around this game, Bex. You’re doing great.”
“I wish I could believe that, but some days it’s hard. Like tonight when Carolina’s GM just brushed me off after the game. It sucks.”
