Page 80 of Instigator

“You’re not going anywhere. Not if I have my say,” he states. “Management likes what they see from you. Yeah, there might be some things we can do differently. But you’re a central part of this team. That isn’t going to change.”

A warm burst of contentment lodges itself deep in my chest.

“You mean that?”

Coach nods. “Yeah, MacGregor. You’re our future.”

thirty-one

. . .

Ceci

Aidan’s camera clicks into focus, and I breathe a sigh of relief at his picture. He’s in Winnipeg and then heading to Edmonton and Calgary before coming back to the East Coast.

“Hey, you,” I murmur, the computer’s internal microphone picking up the words.

“Hey.” He gives me a tired smile, tucking one hand behind his head. The angle makes his bicep pop beneath the sleeve of his T-shirt, and I allow myself to ogle for a bit. “How was your night?”

“Good. I had dinner with Colt, and we talked about the new project he’s starting. He needs some help.”

He frowns.

“Colt and I are just friends,” I add quickly. “There’s nothing between us. Never has been, never will be.”

“No, I know. I trust you. Are you helping him with the new project? Will it take away from the helmet program?”

Oh.

“Not at all. I’ll take a look at the code he’s written, but this isn’t a full-time gig. Or even a part-time gig.”

I do some consulting on the side, and I’ll always help out my bestie, but I’m not in the market for another project.

Well. Maybe.

I hate to admit it, but I am getting a bit bored with the helmets. The hard part is done, at least on my end. I still have to monitor the data to make sure nothing gets corrupted once we proceed, and that it stays in working order. If I have to write a patch or tweak some of the receivers, I can do that in a few hours.

The project isn’t over, not by a long shot. But it’s in a steady state.

And I’m bored.

“I had an idea,” I say to change the subject.

“Oh?” Aidan’s eyebrow arches into his hairline.

“I tucked a little something into your suitcase.”

He frowns, skepticism lining his features.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t take anything out. And it’s nothing that would get you in trouble with customs.”

Heaving himself off the bed with a tired groan, Aidan plods across the room, taking his laptop with him. I’m treated to a dizzying tour of the hotel room as he opens his suitcase and rummages through it.

“Underneath the toiletry bag.”

I hear his soft oh of surprise through the camera. He’s found the toy I left for him.

“What’s this for?” He moves back to the bed, and I close my eyes for a few moments until I can be sure he’s settled.