Page 70 of Reckless With the Rookie
“That’s correct.Congratulations, Eli.You’re our winner.”
He smiles, applause breaking out in the auditorium.Jules stands and Blair beams with pride, joining her in standing.I take a few photos of Eli before I start clapping.
I almost didn’t make it here.Our plane couldn’t take off after our game in Tampa last night, which meant shuffled travel plans.The rest of the team is landing in Cleveland on another team’s borrowed plane around noon, but Coach Turner and I took an early commercial flight to make it here in time for Eli’s eleven a.m.spelling bee.
Blair gets a picture of Eli with his medal, and we all give him hugs and fist bumps.He has to go back to class, so the rest of us head out.
I hardly slept last night, but Blair’s off today and I want to catch up with her before I crash for a few hours.Coach Turner and Jules are going to the arena for some work, but I’m off for the rest of the day, too.
“Want to get lunch?”I ask Blair.
“Sure.”
“Does any place sound good?”
“I’m not picky.As long as it has sombreros hanging on the walls and they bring chips and salsa out as soon as you sit down, I’m in.”
The employees at the Mexican place closest to her house are starting to recognize me.I pick up carryout so often to take over to Blair’s that they’ve started throwing in a free container of queso every time.The grilled chicken, rice, and veggie platter they make me is killer.Coop always gets a cheese quesadilla and cheese enchilada, and Blair and Eli like old-school crunchy tacos.
“I took an Uber here, so my car’s still at the arena,” I say.“Can you drop me off there after?”
“Sure.”
It’s been almost a week since our night together at my hotel, and hockey’s been a nonstop grind since.Coach gave us today off, so I’m a free man until practice tomorrow at eight a.m.
When I check my phone, I have a text from Art.Once we’re out of the cold inside Blair’s car, I call him back.
“Hey, kid.If rain and moody coffee shops are your vibe, Seattle still wants you bad.”
I hold back my disappointment.This is what I wanted—to be a key player on a hungry team.Seattle has a lot of room to grow, and they need players to build off of.
“Okay.”I scrub a hand down my face, wishing we could have this conversation when I’d had more sleep.“Is it time for me to quit stalling?”
“That’s up to you.Because I got a call from Cleveland’s GM this morning, and they want you, too.”
I’m stunned silent for a few seconds.Coach Turner has been working with other players a lot lately, hardly even speaking to me.I assumed I wasn’t even on his long list, let alone his short one.
“I don’t know if we’ll be able to get them to the same numbers Seattle’s talking about, but they want a three-year contract, and they know it’ll take at least three million a year.”
“That’s ...yeah.I’ll definitely sign that.”
“We’re not accepting their first offer.”
Blair is focused on the stoplight we’re waiting at, still smiling over Eli’s spelling bee win.I love her for many reasons, but her love for her children is the biggest one.I didn’t realize how much was missing from my life before meeting her.It wasn’t just a relationship but a family.Coop and Eli have become important to me.
Eli’s introspective and thoughtful.He was slower to warm up to me, but he’s starting to realize that I do what I say I will.As the oldest, he’s protective of Blair, and I know he likes seeing her happy with me.Coop gravitated toward me from the start.He thinks I’m a rock star, and I want to live up to his belief in me.
“Don’t push too hard,” I say.“This is the deal I want.It’s about more than just the money.”
“Did you meet someone there?”
“I did.”
“Does this someone like jewelry and nice cars?Because you can buy a hell of a lot of those with another half mil a year.”
His mention of jewelry makes me think of a ring.It’s too soon, but as soon as my season ends, I plan to start shopping for one.I know Blair doesn’t need expensive things, but I want her to have a very nice engagement ring.
“I know it’s a back-and-forth and you can get them up,” I say.“But I don’t need them to match Seattle.I want to get it done and signed.”
