Page 33 of Dump and Chase

“Is that right?” I asked as pleasantly as possible. What I really wanted to do was kick him in the nuts.

“Yup.”

I smiled. “How lucky for me that the previous applicant fell through.”

“When you’re all big and pregnant, how are you going to work?”

“Just like every other pregnant woman before me.”

I hoped he’d realized he’d crossed a line because he didn’t ask anything else. I kept working until Allan came to get us. I followed Allan and Jim into the locker room where all the guys were milling around. Coach Fontaine whistled so loud I flinched, and the guys suddenly became quiet.

“All right, boys. Allan has a few things to say.”

He handed it over to Allan who got right into things. “Gentlemen, we’ve hired our new physiotherapist. This is Tangi Kildare. Today is her first day, so cut her some slack. She’ll be meeting with you all individually to discuss what ails you or has previously ailed you.” Allan turned to Jim. “Do you have anything to add?” he asked him.

“She’s pregnant.”

What the hell! Sure, the guys would figure it out, but I didn’t need him to broadcast it like that. I maintained an awkward smile as Allan shot Jim a look.

“Uh, thanks,” Allan said.

“And she’s off limits. For obvious reasons,” Jim added.

Allan blinked a few times. “Right. Well, the players are familiar with our no fraternization policy. But thanks for the reminder.”

Jim was either a complete jackass or so angry a woman was on staff that he planned to sabotage me at every opportunity.

“Would you like to say a few words?” Allan asked me.

“Sure,” I said, facing all the guys. “I look forward to meeting and working with all of you, and I’m so happy to be part of the Ravens family.”

Allan nodded. “All right. I’ll pass you all back to Coach Fontaine.”

I was about to fade into the background when Allan caught up to me. He motioned for me to follow him, and I did into his equally cramped office. He shut the door behind me.

“I’m sorry about that. Jim doesn’t always have a filter, but he’s a good guy. I hope you don’t mind too much what happened out there. I’ll talk to him if you’d like me to.”

I pondered this for a second. “Does he not like me?”

“It’s not that. He’s just adjusting to change. He’s great at what he does, but he’s just not a people person all the time.”

I think I understood what Allan was trying to say. “It’s all good.”

“Great. And let me say this for us all: welcome to the Ravens.”

ChapterSeventeen

Ethan

Igot home after training camp and wanted to crawl into bed. I’d essentially taken the summer off from training, and every damn muscle in my body was letting me know. Everything ached as I prepared a protein shake and downed a few Advil. I was careful what I took, and refused anything stronger than extra strength ibuprofen. I’d seen what painkillers had done to friends and teammates, and that wasn’t a path I intended to take.

I sat outside on our deck, taking in the warm and sunny afternoon, thankful to see no clouds in the sky. I had a call planned with my mom and sister in about an hour so I could finally tell them the secret I’d been keeping for so long. I also had to tell Brandi. And soon.

Brandi wouldn’t be home until later tonight. She was having drinks with friends to celebrate someone’s birthday. I hadn’t caught the name. That gave me a long time to talk to Mom and Ava, and it also gave me too much time to think. I’d been putting off what I’d do about Tangi and the baby for from the moment she told me. I wanted to set up a trust for the kid, and figure out a plan with Tangi on visitation. As it was, there was no way I could take the kid for long periods of time other than summers, and I was fairly certain Brandi didn’t want to help me raise the kid I was having with someone else. Knowing Tangi like I did, she’d want to spend summers back home with her family, and convincing Brandi to come back with me to Minneapolis every off-season would be another challenge. Her life and job was in Vancouver, not to mention her missions that she did at least a few times a year.

I sat outside for a bit, finishing my shake, then I went in for a long shower. While I waited for Mom and Ava to FaceTime me, I sent Tangi a text.

How is the job going?

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