Page 53 of The Perfect Snipe

I laugh and shake my head. “About the team needing to gel more, that I need to put some of that enthusiasm I show with the Rockets into the Minotaurs. So Cat and I are putting together a team event at Mohegan Sun. Something to help us have a little fun and get to know one another better.”

Wyatt's eyes light up like a kid on Christmas morning. “Mohegan Sun? Count me in!”

Ian leans back in the hotel chair. “So, what’re you doing about Cat?”

I groan, flopping back on the bed and staring at the ceiling. “I have no fucking clue.”

Wyatt lets out a long whistle. “Better think of something because my future wife is in on this now. And I’m telling you from experience, you don’t marry or date just one of them.”

Ian chuckles. “Well, you could start by actually talking to her about your feelings. Use your words and shit.”

I flip them both off, but they're right, so I sigh, then ask, “And what exactly do I say?”

Wyatt rolls his eyes. “Man, you’re always overthinking shit. Just be honest, speak from the heart.”

Ian stands up, stretching. “He’s right. You just need to come clean. Easy as that.”

Easy? Maybe for him, but speaking from the heart has never been a strong suit for me, so I only nod.

Ian smiles, then yawns. “This has been fun, but I'm beat. Try not to punch each other anymore, okay?”

Wyatt stands too. “Yeah, heading back to my room. Nora should be calling soon to follow up on my ass whooping. So, make sure to play it up if she asks, and don’t fuck this thing with Cat up.”

“I'll try not to.”

As they leave, the silence of the room feels oppressive. My mind races, thoughts focusing on Cat and the way she challenges me, makes me laugh, and how she's become such an integral part of my life and my kids' lives.

A pang of guilt twists in my gut as Wendy’s face replaces Cat’s, her eyes—no, not her eyes—her presence, her warmth, the way she used to look at me with that soft smile that said everythingwould be okay. I made her a promise. But now, I can’t help but wonder—would she want me to move on? To find happiness again?

Or would that be a betrayal, a slap in the face to everything we had?

There’s also the team. We’re forming something real, something solid, both on and off the ice. I’ve been so damn focused on the game, on winning, that I’ve neglected the human side of it all—the connections, the camaraderie that makes a team more than just a group of guys in the same jersey. It’s something I intend to fix.

And then there’s me. The walls I’ve built around myself are high, impenetrable, each brick laid with care over the years. They’ve kept me safe, kept me from feeling too much, from getting too close.

But they’ve also kept me isolated, alone in a way that’s starting to feel unbearable. Maybe it’s time to start tearing those walls down, brick by brick, to let someone in again.

Fuck knows, if anyone’s worth it, it’s Cat.

I reach for my phone, setting the alarm for the morning. I’m actually looking forward to getting home, to seeing Cat, to figuring out what this thing between us could be. It’s terrifying, but also exciting.

I let out a slow breath, exhaustion from the game and from the emotional rollercoaster I’ve been on tonight, starts to seep into my bones. Tomorrow’s a new day. A chance to start fresh, to be better.

For the team. For my kids. For Cat.

And maybe, just maybe, for myself too.

Chapter 22

Cat

After washing my hands, I take a second to look myself over in the bathroom mirror, adjusting my light pink off-shoulder sweater before taming some fly-away strands. Not that they’ll stay in place long. My hair has a mind of its own, and it’s not one to be tamed by a few swipes of my fingers.

I’m really just stalling, trying to calm my rapid heartbeat. Wiping my sweaty palms against my jeans, I take a deep breath and let it out slowly, the tension in my body easing a fraction.

Tonight is going to be fun. Everyone is going to love the party.

When I exit the bathroom and look around the large gathering area, the turnout to the team’s bonding night is already encouraging. The air is filled with the sounds of laughter, the hum of conversation, and the occasional shout from the go-kart track. Leo and I decided on Supercharged because it catered to everyone—the children and the grown-ass adult males who think they’re still kids.

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