Page 155 of Waiting Game

“It wasn’t even my best work,” I jeer. “How did you know I’d piss him off?”

“I’ve watched you play for years,” Gracie reasons with a laugh. “I’ve never known anyone get into more shit than you.”

“Hey!”

“What? It’s the truth. You’re lucky you’re damn good at what you do, otherwise, you’d be off the roster with that pesky attitude of yours. How you’ve only broken your nose twice is a miracle.”

“You make me sound like Shaggy!”

“FromScooby Doo?”

“From where else?”

“God, you’d try the patience of a saint.”

“Maybe that’s who you should be a spokesperson for,” Liam jokes. “Hanna-Barbera.”

I shove him and, like magic, he ends up with his head under my arm as I scrub the top of it with my knuckles.

“Boys!” Gracie barks.

Of course, we ignore her.

She isn’t GM here.

Liam manages to sweep my feet out from under me, and as I plunk on my ass, he winks as he hauls me back into a standing position.

“That’s all that experience you have under your belt,” I mock as I rub my hip.

“Watch yourself, Cole, seeing as I’m older than both of you.”

I point my fingers at my eyes then at her. “I see you, Gracie.”

She smirks. “It worked, didn’t it?”

“Since when are you running plays?”

“Wasn’t really a play. Just something Liam and I talked about last night. He said that if you were on your way to overtime, he should position you at center because you’d be a pest and it’d make for easy possession. The focus would shift to you and he could swoop in and score. I told him he was right about you being annoying and to run with it if I gave him the bat signal.”

I have to shake my head at her. “Bradley looked real happy about it.”

“Oh, I’m sure he’ll complain in the morning.” She prays to the sky. “I’m so tired of his bullshit. I had him revisit all his plays because it’s happening a-fucking-gain. Shoot-outs! I refuse to lose the Cup this season because he’s stuck in the last century.”

“I thought you’d have fired him already.”

She purses her lips. “We’re not even two months into the season.”

“You’re quick to react.”

“If we fire him, we’ll have to pay out of his contract.”

“So? Not like the team can’t afford it.”

“Of course we can. I don’t think heshouldget paid out.”

Liam snickers as he steps around the counter to hook his arm over her shoulder. “So, you’re being petty,minou?”

“Just for the moment. Until he pisses me off.” Her eyes darken. “He’s on borrowed time though.”

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