Page 14 of The Secret Play

He was the kind of guy who could defuse tension with a single joke, which made him invaluable in a job as stressful as mine. I was going to miss him at the end of the season.

“And then there’s Coach,” Nico said, capping his bottle and leaning against the counter. “You want a story? He’s got one.”

Whitney raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“I do?” This was news to me.

“Yeah,” he said, his grin turning roguish as he looked at me. “You should talk to my sister. She’s a sportswriter—just moved back to Atlanta. She could do a piece on the team and you and me. You know, ‘hometown hero in his final season’ kind of thing, while also showcasing the rest of the team and how you turned us around and got us on the right track. It’d be perfect.”

I blinked, surprised by the suggestion. “Your sister’s a journalist?”

“Sportswriter,” Nico corrected me. “She’s worked for some big names out in L.A., but she just took a job here. I think she’d kill it. And Whitney, aren’t you always saying earned media is better than paid media? This is that, right?”

Whitney looked intrigued, but hesitation sat on my shoulders. I’d seen what the media could do when they decided to dig their claws in. Luke’s name had been dragged through the mud for months, and while he’d brought some of it upon himself, the rest had been pure sensationalism. He had made the mistake of dating a married woman. He hadn't known it but the media had a field day with him.

And then there was the ex-girlfriend who set his car on fire, but that wasn’t his fault. Or so he said.

Whitney said, “It’s not a bad idea, Casey. What do you think?”

“I don’t know,” I said slowly. “I’m not sure it’s a good idea to invite the press in like that. It could backfire.”

Nico waved me off. “Nah, Gemma’s not like that. She’s not looking for dirt. She’s smart, professional, and, honestly, this would be more about the team than just me. A breezy puff piece. Feel-good stuff. No gotchas, nothing hard-hitting.”

Whitney leaned forward, clearly considering it. “A feature like that could be huge for us, especially if it’s done by someone who knows the game. It would humanize the team, show people the heart behind the sport.”

“I still think it’s risky,” I said, glancing between the two of them. “We’ve worked hard to keep things steady after last year. I don’t want to stir up trouble.”

“Coach,” Nico said, his tone serious now. “Trust me. Gemma wouldn’t do anything to hurt the team—or me. She’s my sister. I’ll vouch for her.”

I hesitated, weighing his words. Nico had always been one of the most dependable guys on the team, both on and off the ice. If he said his sister could handle this, then I owed it to him to listen.

“I know she’s your sister, but do you think she’ll come here with the sister hat on or the journalist hat?”

“Sister. Totally sister. She won’t screw us over, Coach. I know her.”

Whitney gave me a pointed look. “This wasn't in my PR plan but it could certainly help. Something positive to start the new season.”

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “All right. Set it up.”

Nico grinned, clapping me on the shoulder. “You won’t regret it, Coach. Gemma’s the real deal.”

Whitney smiled, her shoulders relaxing for the first time all morning. “Good call. I’ll coordinate with her and figure out the details.”

As they started discussing logistics, I leaned back in my chair. I didn’t know much about Gemma Grimaldi, but if she was anything like her brother, this might just work out.

Or it could blow up in our faces. Only time would tell.

Chapter 6

Gemma

His office was smaller than I had expected. The walls were painted an uninspired shade of beige, and the shelves were crammed with binders, framed photos, and a few trophies that seemed to have been tucked between strategy books as an afterthought.

The air was chilly enough to raise goosebumps on my arms, and I resisted the urge to tug my jacket tighter around myself. A desk sat in the middle of the room, papers strewn across its surface in an organized chaos that somehow fit the man sitting behind it.

Coach Casey McConnell.

I recognized him from his pictures online when he stood to greet me, though this was the first time we’d officially met.

---