“Are…are you serious?”
“Of course!” She pulls out her phone and swipes her finger across the screen. “I can set things up for you. I obviously can’t guarantee you anything, but I can get you a meeting with Jackson. I’ve no doubt you’ll blow him away, though.”
“Oh, my God!” I squeal, jumping out of my chair and rushing around the table to hug her. “This is amazing! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
This would be a huge opportunity! Romero Holdings is worth billions, and an exclusive contract with them would be the biggest in Holloway’s history. If I could land a client as big as Romero, Mom and Dad would have to acknowledge that I’m capable of taking over Holloway on my own, no man needed.
“The only catch is you’d have to stay in Denver for the entire duration of the project,” Delilah says as her fingers fly across her phone’s screen. “The initial pitch would mean sticking around a month or so, but if you get it, you could be there for a year or better. Jackson wants whoever gets this to be totally hands-on. Involved top to bottom. Could you make that kind of commitment?”
I blink and move to sit back in my chair, the full reality of the situation setting in. That means living in Colorado for an extended period of time. I’ve been back over the years to visit my friends, but Mom and Dad haven’t set foot in Colorado since… well, since Colson. Just saying the name Colorado will stress them out.
My heart clenches as thoughts of my brother try to push their way to the front of my mind.
His smile and the way his eyes sparkled with excitement as we ran out into the snow… despite the paleness of his face as the cold whipped against our cheeks…
That should’ve been a clue. I should’ve been paying more attention…
“So?” Delilah’s voice cuts through my racing thoughts, yanking me back to reality. “What do you think?”
I release a long breath, forcing myself to think reasonably while avoiding tripping back down into those dark memories of Colson. Will I be able to keep those thoughts at bay if I’m living in the state where he died? I’m not sure. But is that a reason to avoid this incredible opportunity? If I went, I’d get to be with all my friends, which would be amazing. I often feel like I’m missing out on things since I’m so far away, and I’d love to be able to hang out with my girls in person and spend time with their kiddos.
Plus, Jayce is there. Even though I don’t want to indulge anybody with his crazy marriage idea doesn’t mean I wouldn’t mind hanging out with him some more. I enjoy his company, and his calming presence, and it’d be nice to see him again.
Going to Colorado would also give me an excuse to get away from Leon. But ultimately, it’s the ability to show what I’m capable of that makes the decision for me.
“I’ll do it!” I exclaim. “I’ll go to Denver and make my pitch.”
Delilah looks up from her phone, a wide smile on her lips. “Wonderful, darling! I’ll find you a fabulous penthouse to stay in. Can’t have my sweet girl slumming it…”
“Don’t worry about that part,” I assure her. I’m smiling from ear to ear. “I already have the perfect apartment in mind.”
CHAPTER NINE: DISTRACTED
JACYE
I makeit back to Denver in time for our game Sunday. Despite our win, I’m in a weird mood Monday when I go in for practice. Walking down the stadium’s wide corridor toward the locker room, I’m in a bit of a daze. The team is as energetic and loud as ever as we gear up for practice, but I stay quiet as my thoughts swirl. No one says anything, because it’s not really unusual for me to keep to myself before we hit the ice, but today I’m barely paying attention to anyone else around me. Even as I make my way onto the ice of the arena to start drills with the team, surrounded by the empty stands, I can’t get all the criticism my family laid on me at dinner out of my head.
Dad, Grandfather, and Ryan are all on my case.
Ryan especially.
Why now? Why is he pushing so hard to get me out of the lineup for CEO and primary shareholder of the company? What’s his angle? He wasn’t always such a pain in the ass. When we were kids, he looked up to me. Followed me around like a puppy and wanted to do everything I did. I’m not sure when things started to change, exactly, but as we got older, things between us got competitive, and not in a healthy way. He wentfrom a little boy wanting to copy my every move to a young man wanting to show me up at every opportunity.
I don’t think it helped when Grandfather started paying so much attention to me when I got to high school. He wanted to start preparing me to take over the company early, and focused a lot on me, leaving Ryan on the sidelines a bit. I can only imagine how bitter that’s made my brother.
Regardless, on a purely professional level, Ryan has his strengths, but running a business isn’t one of them. He’s much more concerned about the way people perceive him and his reputation than anything else. Everything has to feed his vanity, and the only reason he wants the company is to boost his own ego. He wants it for the sake ofhim,not for the sake of the company. Still, he can put on a good show and since he’s around Dad and Grandfather more than I am, I’ve no doubt he can figure out ways to manipulate them into taking his side. He’s already got Dad. Grandfather’s the holdout, and ultimately the only one who matters. If I’m going to hold onto his favor and support, I need to give my A-game at all times.
Hockey is my passion, but I can’t do it forever. The company is my great-great-grandfather’s legacy, and I want to be the one to carry it into the future.
I step onto the ice, and as I fly forward—the scrape of my skates echoing through the stadium — all of these anxieties fall off my back. For now, this is where I'm meant to be, with my teammates beside me, the cold air stinging my lungs as my muscles grow hot and flex beneath my skin. We warm up, tracing tight circles around the net.
“Line drills!” Coach’s voice booms across the rink. We line up on the blue line, five deep, and I’m somewhere in the middle. “Hard down and back. Keep your heads up!”
The whistle shrieks and we’re off. My legs burn, blades biting deep as I drive forward. Jensen’s a few strides ahead ofme, perfectly balanced, his big body cutting sharp turns like it’s nothing. His green eyes flash as he scans the ice, and I see him smirk beneath his brown beard. I push harder, lungs catching fire—but my thoughts snag.
Ryan having me followed… Dad tearing into me about my private life… the pressure of knowing I have to be even more careful about what I do on my own time…
Sutton’s sweet moans as I fucked her under the moonlight…
