Page 66 of The Secret Play

“I know. But it still means a lot to me, and I believe in showing my appreciation, so thank you.”

He nodded slowly, his eyes narrowing as he studied me. “Are you okay with all of this?”

The question caught me off guard. “Okay with all of what?”

“Being with my sister,” he said, his voice careful. “Knowing what people are saying about you, knowing how it looks with you being so much older than her. Are you really okay with it? You’ve always been so careful about your reputation.”

I hesitated. To be honest, I didn’t know. If we somehow figured things out and tried to make this work, people would judge us. I was almost two decades older than Gemma. People were more likely to assume she was my daughter and not my girlfriend, and I’d have to find a way to live with that.

A small price to pay compared to what else it might cost me. “People will say what they’re going to say, no matter what I do. I could be a Boy Scout, and someone would complain.” I shrugged. “Some people won’t like us being together. So what? They aren’t the people I care about. But I care about Gemma. And I care about Winnie. They are what matters to me, Nico. Anyone else can fuck off.”

He snorted a laugh. “Who taught you that kind of language, Coach?”

“Been hanging around you criminals for too long.”

He smirked, but it faded fast into something else. Worry, maybe. “I’m not gonna lie, it’s still weird for me. I don’t love the idea of you and Gemma being together. Maybe I’m overprotective, but I’m her big brother, and that’s my right.” He took a beat, and as he did, his face relaxed. “But if this is what I think it is…”

He trailed off, letting out a long breath while I held my own.

“As it turns out,” he continued, “my niece has a great dad she hasn’t really met yet. And my sister seems happy with you. So I guess I’ll get over it. At some point.” The corners of his mouth twitched upward in a small, reluctant smile. “And maybe,” he added, “our family will be all the better for the weirdness. I don’t think anyone gets to have normal these days, and well, Gemma was never normal.”

I hacked a laugh, trying to hold myself together. His words hit me harder than I expected. I hadn’t thought he’d approve in any way, shape, or form. Not this soon, at least. My throat tightened, but I said, “Thanks, Nico.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” he said, clapping me on the shoulder. “We’ve got a game to win.”

As he skated out onto the ice, his confident stride and easy grin reminded me of why he was such a crucial part of this team. He wasn’t just a great player—he was a leader, someone the others trusted implicitly.

And now, he was giving me the biggest trust I could imagine. He approved of me being with his sister. Tacitly, but the approval was implied. I felt honored, and I didn’t know what to do with the emotions welling up inside of me.

Nico shouted from center ice. “You gonna run drills or what, Coach?”

I took a deep breath, stepping onto the ice to join the team. Hopefully, they’d come around like Nico had.

Chapter 26

Gemma

Isat in the stands, heart pounding as the final seconds of the game ticked away. The arena was electric, the crowd on their feet, chanting, cheering, and roaring with every pass and block. But I barely heard it.

My focus was on him.

Casey stood behind the bench, shouting commands, his face set in a mask of intensity as he directed the team. This was where he came alive, where his passion and skill met in perfect harmony. And watching him work, a surge of pride struck so fierce that it took my breath away.

He had done it.

The whistle blew, signaling the end of the game, and the arena erupted in celebration. The Fire had won. They were going to the Cup.

I clapped and cheered along with the rest of the crowd, a smile breaking across my face despite the ache that had settled in my soul ever since he’d left my place. He wasn’t ready to let me back in—not fully, and maybe never again—but that didn’t stop me from being proud of him.

The cheering crowd began to thin as fans filed out of the arena, but I stayed rooted to my seat, my eyes fixed on the ice where the team had celebrated their victory. It was empty now, like most of the stands. They’d left to clean up and go home.

I should’ve gone home, too. I could pour myself a glass of wine, and try to distract myself from the fact that Casey and I were still in this strange, painful limbo.

But I didn’t. I wanted to be there for him—in the good times and the bad.

Before I could think it through, I was on my feet, weaving my way through the crowd and out to my car. Thankfully, this wasn’t the Cup, or I’d have to deal with tailgaters and drunken fights that inevitably followed those wins. I didn’t even remember starting the engine, my mind already racing ahead to his place.

When I knocked on his door, my heart was pounding so hard I could feel it in my throat. For a moment, I thought he might not answer. Hell, he might not be home yet. Had I sped all the way here for nothing?

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