Page 128 of Waiting Game

“Would you say you’re playing aggressively?” Gracie asks, her gaze still fixed on Finnegan.

“Perhaps,” I concede.

Gracie doesn’t look at me. “Why is that?”

“Got a lot to prove.”

“There? Satisfied with that answer?”

Finnegan is the opposite of satisfied. “I couldn’t help but notice that you signed up with Mega X.”

That has me blinking. “And?”

“Rumor has it they’ve got some special ingredient in there that?—”

“Unless that special ingredient is testosterone, and seeing as Mega X is FDA-approved, Finnegan, I think we can leave this line of questioning and set it aside.” Finnegan sniffs but Gracie isn’t done. “If you’ve got some grudge against Mega X, take it up in your own time. Until then, if it’s not about the game, don’t bother asking.”

“Any news on when Kerrigan will be back from FMLA leave and why he’s been granted it?” Finnegan inquires instead.

Ten minutes later, thoroughly cosseted after G’s mother-hen routine, I walk down the tunnel toward some of the fans who are waiting to spot their favorites as they leave the arena.

I’m trying not to feel guilty about the Mia/Gracie situation when a kid hands me a sucker.

Kneeling in front of him, I ask, “You sure you wanna give me that and don’t want it for yourself? ‘Cos that’s really kind of you to share candy. Not sure I would have when I was your age.”

He immediately turns bright pink and, though he glances at his mom, who’s beaming at me, whispers, “It’s sugar-free so it’s not that great.”

I bark out a laugh. “You trying to fob it off on me, huh?”

“Maybe,” is his coy response.

Grinning, I get to my feet and retrieve a cap from my messenger bag I stuffed there for this purpose. “What’s your name, kid?”

Shyly, he ducks his head. “Jack.”

“You got a pen, Jack?”

His eyes are wide as he stares desperately up at his mom, who hands me a marker. I take it, sign the cap, then as I put it on his head, grinning when it sinks low and covers half his face, his mom asks, “We actually brought this along too if you wouldn’t mind signing it...?”

The scarf’s loaded with Blue Demons’ signatures and it makes me whistle. “Isn’t that cheating?”

“You’ve played for Jersey more than you have the Stars,” the kid points out.

I snicker at his reasonable logic and sign the scarf. As I drape it over his shoulders, I murmur, “I’ll take the sucker off your hands, kiddo.”

“Thanks, Mr. Korhonen!”

Winking at him, I unwrap it and stick it in my mouth before I head on out.

My nose crinkles though—what the fuck is this shit I’m eating?Is this what they’re feeding kids now? Sheesh.

Grumbling in remembrance of the good old candy days as I get in the car and give Burrows orders, I dump the sucker in the wrapper, grateful I didn’t throw it away as I toss it in the cupholder, then snag my cell from my bag when it buzzes on my lap.

Mia: You looked cute with that kid.

Me: You saw that? Stalking me, Mia? Good job. Keep it up.

Mia: *snickers* One of my staff is a big fan and he’s watching you on some livestream on TikTok lol.

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