Page 36 of Cheap Shot

Because he wasnotstrong enough to withstand Brie and Harper both turning sad faces on him at once.

When they reached the lobby of HCI, there were two people waiting for them. Janine Herman from the Harriers charitable foundation and the coordinator from the Make a Wish Foundation, Willie Munoz. Plus, several Harriers media people.

Sebastian took a long second glance at the guy in the backwards ball cap who held a video camera.

“Thad Racine,” he said with a smile, holding out a hand. “Great to meet you, Sebastian.”

Damn. He was hot.

Wait? Racine? Did that mean he was related to the team’s general manager? Sebastian was definitely going to have to look that up online. He’d never been a fan of the Harriers before but if the organization was this hot at every level, maybe he’d have to start paying more attention …

Brie had already gotten instructions about what they’d be doing that day and what to expect. Forms and waivers had been signed, so Sebastian wasn’t surprised when a few moments later, Thad lifted the camera to his eye and the Harriers mascot—Blaze—strolled up to their group along with Luke Crawford.

Sebastian suddenly felt like he was standing on the deck of a lurching ship in Boston Harbor instead of solid flooring in the lobby of an NHL practice facility.

Crawford was dressed in black Harriers shorts and a tee over his base layers and looked … damn, he lookedgood. Those thick arms, covered in ink, the peep of a silver chain at his neck, the way his shorts couldn’t really disguise how muscular his lower body was …

But the moment Crawford registered Sebastian, his jaw went tight, even behind his thick beard and he narrowed his eyes, his gaze sliding right past Sebastian without stopping once.

Shit. He was pissed.

Well, it was his own damn fault.

Sebastian had messaged him on the app to warn him, but he clearly hadn’t checked his messages. The Harriers had been on the road last week, so Sebastian sort of understood butstill. Sebastian hadtried. It wasn’t like he had any other way of contacting him.

Harper happily shrieked, “Mr. Luke! Mr. Luke!” and launched herself at him, arms outstretched. “We’re gonna spend the day together. Can I call you Mr. Luke?”

“Sure,” he said, his face and tone softening as he crouched down to her level to get a hug. “Mr. Luke is fine. It’s good to see you again, Harper.”

Her face lit up. “Mr. Luke, I love watching you and the bird men play!”

“Bird men?” He glanced up at Brie.

“She couldn’t say Harriers when we first started watching games together,” Brie explained with a smile. “So once we explained what a Harrier was, she called you the bird men.”

Crawford laughed, a low, unexpectedly warm sound that sent a shiver of heat through Sebastian’s body.

Aww fuck.

“Bird men. That’s great.” Crawford glanced at Harper. “Now, do you want to meet Blaze? This is our mascot.”

Crawford stood, and even from where Sebastian stood, he could hear the crack of Crawford’s knees protesting.

Oof.

“Hi, Blaze!” Harper tilted her head way back to look up at the giant hawk. “You’repretty.” She reached out and touched the red and orange “feathers” on the mascot’s wings.

Blaze preened, then held out a small jersey to her, showing off the front before displaying the back. Ross stretched across the shoulders along with the number fifty-four.

Crawford’s number.

Harper reached out, tracing her fingers across the letters. “R-O-S-S,” she spelled out. “That’s me!”

Brie grinned but there was something sad in her eyes. “It is.”

Sebastian hated that Harper had her father’s last name. The dude didn’t deserve it. It should have been Breckon. But he could understand why Brie didn’t want to change her daughter’s last name. Harper might someday, once she was old enough to understand exactly how badly her father had betrayed her.

But Harper was happy now, wiggling into the jersey Blaze held out and getting it stuck halfway on.