Page 41 of Hooked On Them

Her gaze dropped to her hands folded neatly on the desk. “A female coach getting knocked up by a player.” A hollow laugh escaped her. “Talk about a cliché.”

“Don’t do that.” I wanted to go around the desk and pull her into a hug, but we weren’tthatclose.

“Do what? Face reality? My career is on the line here. Everything I’ve worked for.”

“I know.” I reached across the desk, not quite touching her hands but close enough that she could reach for mine if she wanted to. “But you’re not alone in this.”

She glanced up, skepticism clear in her eyes. “Aren’t I? Dom bolted like his skates were on fire. I shouldn’t have expected anything different. I knew this wouldn’t go well.”

“He’s scared.” Not an excuse, just a fact. “He’ll come around once he comes to terms with the fact that plans can change and everything doesn’t have to fall apart.”

“Doesn’t it, though?” She gestured vaguely at the office. “How exactly do you see this playing out? The team finds out their skating coach is pregnant with a star player’s baby. Management scrambles to contain the fallout. Media does what it always does. I get quietly reassigned to some development camp in the middle of nowhere if I’m lucky.”

“That’s not going to happen.”

“It is.” Her eyes met mine, fierce despite their redness. “We both know how this works. The woman always takes the fall. Especially when she’s the one in the professional position.”

I couldn’t argue with that, unfortunately. The unfairness of it all made my jaw clench, but she was right. I’d seen it happen before, watched talented women get sidelined for far less controversial situations than this. “What can I do?” I leaned forward, meaning it with every fiber of my being. If there was any way to shield her from the inevitable fallout, I wanted to help. Maybe it was selfish of me, this need to protect her, but I couldn’t help myself.

She stared at me, searching my face like she was trying to find the catch. “You don’t have to do anything, Miles. This isn’t your mess.”

“I know I don’t have to.” I shrugged. “I want to help. If you’ll let me.”

Something in her expression softened. “Why?”

Because I’ve been half in love with you since we were teenagers. Because seeing you hurt makes me want to fix everything. Because I’d do anything to make you smile again.

I couldn’t exactly say that, though, so I settled on the next best thing. “Because you matter to me, and I don’t like seeing my friends struggle alone.”

She studied me for a long moment, then let out a shaky breath. “I don’t even know what I need right now. Everything feels overwhelming.”

“Start small.” I offered a gentle smile. “Food? A ride home? Someone to yell at?”

That got a small laugh from her. “Food might be good.”

A sharp knock interrupted us, the door swinging open before either of us could respond. Dominic stood in the doorway, eyes bloodshot and hair a mess where he’d clearly been running his hands through it.

Nora immediately straightened, her face closing off into that professional mask she wore so well. “Dominic.”

He stepped into the office, gaze flickering between us before settling on Nora. “I wanted to apologize for walking out like that.”

“It’s fine.” Her tone was coolly polite, giving nothing away. “I understand it was a shock.”

“It’s not fine.” He shut the door and sat down in the chair next to me. “Nothing about how I reacted was okay. I panicked, but that’s not an excuse. I shouldn’t have left.”

Nora’s expression softened fractionally. “I know this isn’t what either of us planned. It’s not a big deal. No one needs to know you’re the father, and if you don’t want to be involved, I get it. Carter has already decided to step up.”

Dominic stiffened beside me, and his hands gripped the armrests. “I want to be involved, but I don’t know how or if it can be kept on the down low. People are going to notice me walking into a doctor’s office with a pregnant woman. As much as you annoy me as a coach, I don’t want you to lose your job.”

“Gee, thanks.” She tapped her fingers against the desk in thought. “We could try saying that we were already seeing each other before I was even brought on as a coach.”

Dominic shook his head. “No one will believe that… and even if they did, there are pictures and articles about my sex life.”

The room fell silent, and my mind started to spin with an idea. An idea so out there that I shook my head at myself, drawing both Nora’s and Dominic’s attention.

“What’s wrong? Your face is the reddest I’ve seen it get.” Dominic looked truly concerned, and hell, I was too.

I scooted to the edge of my chair, turning to have a better view of both of their faces. “What if we said I was dating Nora and that it’s my baby?”

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