Page 50 of Romancing the Grump
My jaw tightens, and my hands clench into fists under the table. I don’t know who this journalist is, but my brother is just a kid, and this guy is dragging Blake’s name through the mud like it’s no big deal. And based on his smug tone, he’s proud of himself for doing it.
I meet Summer’s eye, who looks as furious as I feel, and the realization gives me the surge of courage I need to answer.
I clear my throat. “My brother is only sixteen years old. He’s a minor,” I say, emphasizing the word, “who is still growing up. And he deserves his privacy while that’s happening. He’s also one hell of a hockey player who will likely have a very promising career.”
My tone is firm enough that I expect it to shut down any further questions, but the dude persists. “Can you confirm or deny whether Blake?—”
“I think we’re done,” Malik says from the side of the room, cutting the guy off. “Thanks, everyone.”
I stand up, watching as Summer moves up next to the man who asked about Blake. She whispers something in his ear, and the man’s lips press into a tight line before he follows Summer out the door.
I have no idea what’s happening. I have no idea what this guy knows or what he thinks he knows. But if Summer ishandling it, I’m a lot less worried than I was thirty seconds ago.
Still, I follow after them anyway. Whoever this guy is, he better not sayanythingabout Blake in the press.
Everyone is pouring out of the room and into the hallway, and at first, I don’t think I’ll find her. But then Parker tips me off, motioning toward a small meeting space a few feet up from the press room. The crowd is thinner here, so as I get closer, I can hear Summer’s words. From this angle, I can see only her—the person she’s talking to is blocked by the door—but context clues make it obvious.
“I don’t care if you say you have a reliable source,” Summer says, her tone dripping with venom. “Thelawindicates that juvenile arrest records are confidential, protected by federal statutes, and you will respect that law. You will not print Blake’s name. You will not print record of his arrest. If I find out that you do, so help me, I will have your press credentials revoked and a lawsuit filed so fast, your head will spin. Have I made myself clear?”
For the second time in less than an hour, Summer has come to my rescue. With her kiss still fresh in my mind, seeing her like this, defending me,protectingme, is doing strange things to my heart.
I’ve never really known what that feels like—to have a partner.
I’ve always resisted the idea of relationships becauseIwouldn’t be reliable. I’m fine enough on my own, so it’s better, easier, to just avoid the risk of hurting someone else altogether. But I’m suddenly starting to wonder if I’m missing out on more than I thought.
It’s not lost on me that Summer isn’treallymy partner. Though I have a feeling she’d be ripping into this guy even ifwe weren’t pretending to date. And I don’t know how to feel about that.
“Geez,” a whiny voice says. “What kind of a crazy girlfriend are you?”
Summer’s eyes widen, then she leans forward, looking even more menacing than before. “Agirlfriendwho happens to be chief legal counsel for the Appies and who clearly knows the law better than you do. Do I need to remind you a second time?”
“Dude,” Alec says from beside me. “That was hot.”
I shoot him a look. He’s right, but that doesn’t mean I wanthimto notice. I give him a good-natured shove, and he laughs, playfully fighting back. But then he catches my arm, his expression sobering. “For real though, man. You want to tell me what’s going on with your brother?”
I run a hand down my beard. So far, I haven’t told anyone but Summer what’s going on. It’s not my first impulse to tell people things, but at Felix’s patient urging, I’m trying to do better at letting my teammates in. I reallyshouldtell them about Blake—and not just because he was mentioned during the press conference.
“I’ll explain in the locker room,” I say. “That way, the other guys can hear too. Just let me talk to Summer first.”
I clap Alec on the back, then head Summer’s direction. It reallywashot watching her tear into that reporter, and she deserves a very sincere thank you.
CHAPTER 11
SUMMER
Technically,claiming to bechieflegal counsel for the Appies was out of line.
Not that I think Gregory Treemont with Sports News Daily will have anything to say about it. As soon as I finished with him, he had to pass Nathan in the hallway, and the look Nathan delivered was lethal enough to send anyone into hiding.
I don’t normally lose my composure. It’s why I’m so good at my job. I can handle confrontation. Maintain control. Use mywords.
Butmanwas I close to dropkicking that sniveling little reporter all the way back to wherever it is he came from. I don’t care howgrittyandrealhe thinks a human-interest story about Nathan and Blake and their Hall-of-Famer father would be. You can’t talk about a minor’s criminal adjudication in the news.
What’s more, a public press conference about a specificmatch-up between two teams is not the place to ask Nathan such personal questions. He wants to do a story about Nathan and his brother?Ask.Don’t just dig up dirt and carelessly hurl it around without any thought for the potential consequences.
I pace up the long hallway outside the press room, my hands propped on my hips. I’m still keyed up from the encounter, adrenaline making me alert and jumpy. I’ll calm down eventually, but it might take a minute.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I’m aware that I’m probablymorekeyed up than usual because this particular confrontation felt personal.
