Page 47 of No Easy Catch
“We’re not dating though,” I said way too fast. “Just hooking up until my project is done. That’s all.”
“I’m glad you’re putting yourself out there and not using alcohol to feel bold.” She went straight the core of my issue and moved to place her hands on my shoulders. “I love you something fierce, Amber, but this is a good move to help build the confidence your mom shattered. You are a catch for anyone and once you start believing it, you’ll see a change.”
My eyes stung a little and my mom’s text from earlier had me asking, “Are you going anywhere over spring break?”
“Hell no. I’m broke from student loans and will probably spend the entire time binge-watchingHousewives. Why, are you? Is your sexy uncle going to pay for a trip for you?”
A weight formed in my throat when I shook my head. “No, he’s not. I might stay here with you then. We can get into shenanigans.”
“Hell yeah, girl.” She cupped my face and tilted her head dangerously close to mine. “Now, let’s pick out some sexy shit to blow Jeff’s mind.”
My hair was downin loose curls that framed my face. I wore my favorite black jeans paired with heeled boots and a low-cut black blouse that flirted with showing my tits, but since I wasn’t gifted there, Laney assured me I could pull it off. She let me borrow her dark-red lipstick and gave me the sexiest smoky-eyed look I would never be able to do myself. If I had a confidence meter, it would read at the highest level.Damn it feels good. Do people feel like this every single day?
The Lion was packed for a Friday afternoon, but there wasn’t much else to do in the dead of winter on campus. If students weren’t at the library studying, they were at one of the campus bars. It was just what we did. I nodded to the bouncer and walked in, looking for Teets’ unmistakable frame. His man-bun gave him away. I bopped it with my hand as my greeting.
“Henderson, you look fucking good.” He pulled me into a hug and I welcomed the warm embrace. The walk had chilled me down to my bones and his natural warmth helped ease the pain. He smelled like nature and musk and I imagined him living in the woods. The image had me chuckle and my mood lifted even more.
“Thank you. I appreciate you coming.” I sat across from him and Kenzie Hill walked up to our table with an adorable smile.
“Hi, y’all. What can I get you? Coffee, Amber?”
“Yes, please. And the tallest amber ale you have for this behemoth.”
She nodded and took off, leaving Teets to grin at me. “What?”
“You just look cute and shit. Makes me happy. You were a bit sulky sophomore year. Wore black a lot and always had a pout. Happy Amber is beautiful.”
My blush came and went like it always did and I waited for Kenzie to return with our drinks before I lowered my voice. While a part of me wanted to analyze his compliment and ask more questions, I pushed the urge away. I was here for a mission. “Do you remember our conversation from the party last weekend?”
“I do.” He took a huge swig and left a beer mustache on his already very long one. “Figured something’s brewing and I meant what I said. I’ll help anyway I can.”
“Bottom line is that kids are getting athletic spots on teams withouteverplaying the sport.”
“Fuck.” He groaned and leaned back against the booth, causing it to creak under his weight. “You think it’s happening with the hockey team?”
“I think it’s happening with a variety of sports, but I can only confirm one so far.” I eyed the people around our booth and continued, “This shit is messed up, so I trust you to keep this between us.”
“Of course.” He took another long swig, almost finishing half of the massive mug. “You asked me about injuries and disappearing players. I kept thinking about this guy who was a total dick and why he rubbed me the wrong way. I was grinding for a captain spot and this little fucker glided around without doing any work. Connor Long.”
“You’re sure that’s his name?”
“Thought about him more than I’d like since last week. Asked some of the other guys if they remembered him and they all said the same thing. Entitled, untalented and no loss to our team. No one could remember details on how he left the team, but the consistent theme was a bullshit injury. We all figured he wasn’t tough enough to make it and used it as an excuse. It’s not entirely uncommon for guys to walk away after an injury. Kidscome in from small schools thinking they’re hot shit and learn real quick they don’t have what it takes. This kid didn’t at all. ”
I jotted down some notes in my journal and moved on to the next question. “What about your coaches? Have they been the same the past three, four years?”
“You know…no. Our head coach has been around for decades, but the supporting staff changed two years ago.” He scratched his chest and frowned. “I don’t recall anything weird happening the last two years, either.”
“Do you remember the coaching staff names?”
He mentioned about four of them and I wrote them down, none of them standing out, which led me to another question. “Do you know the name Martin Rhett?”
“Can’t say the name rings a bell.”
Relief.“It’s this guy.” I held up a picture of him on my phone and hated how my entire body tensed waiting for his answer. It wasn’t like my uncle was innocent in all of this, but to have him have a minor role would be the best-case scenario at this point.
Teets squinted at it for a few seconds before snapping his fingers. “I’ve seen him around the rink.”
My voice shook. “Are you sure?”
