Page 4 of Loving Ladybug: Part One
He nodded. “Yep. That’s weird that he called. I traded shifts.”
Did he? But I wouldn’t push it.
He continued, “I think the Aces will sign me and they’re just being coy.”
“I hope that’s the case. Though plenty of players do a season or two abroad first. I’ll support you either way and we’ll make it work,” I replied. It would be hard being away from him, but we’d manage.
Austin pouted as he wiggled out of my grasp and made himself a plate, his scent sour with hurt. “Don’t you believe in me, Babe?”
“Of course I do. I’ve done nothing but support you for the past five years,” I soothed, hating when he got like this. It had been happening far too much lately. I wanted my big sweetheart back.
“Oh yeah? So why aren’t we going to the two Knights’ goalie weddings this summer, huh? Do you know what a networking opportunity that could be for me? Considering how much time you spend with the goalies, and how much lasagna you make them, you’d think you’d get an invitation.” His big form crowded me and the spicy scent of angry alpha made me flinch. Austin smirked.
I’d been invited to both weddings. One wasn’t an actual goalie wedding, it was a goalie’s packmate. It had already happenedin Greece.While my friends had offered to cover me, I didn’t want to deal with the fight with Austin it would have caused. The other I hadn’t mentioned because it was in Canada, and I was afraid of traveling there.
“Well, I guess we know what they think of you. I mean, you do all that unpaid work for the Knights. Theywona championship. But I don’t even have an offer to go to their training camp?” He sneered.
I flinched again.Ididn’t have an offer to go to their training camp either. It wasn’t how the program worked. I was a part of the Knight’s goalie development program. We acted as EBUGs–emergency backup goalies–and sometimes practiced with them. We weren’t paid to avoid breaking both collegiate eligibility rules and the PHL's rules for EBUGs.
“Your agent would probably have better luck. If you want, I can try talking to Coach next time I see her,” I promised, not wanting to be yelled at by Austin. I was tired, hungry, and needed snuggles.
Not that me talking to Coach Kirov would do anything. She was the goalie coach and Austin was a forward, but I knew her best out of the Knights’ coaches.
His scent changed from angry to happy, and his expression brightened. “You’d do that for me, Babe?”
“Of course. We’re a team.” I added a piece of bread to my plate, holding my breath. The plan had always been for Austin to go pro first, then he’d help me.
Austin kissed the top of my head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you. I’m just stressed. You choose the first movie?”
“I know. Sure.” We took our food and snuggled up on the battered couch.
He handed me the remote, and I chose a silly feel-good hockey movie. As the movie started, I took a bite, letting the sauce explode over my tongue. It was almost as good as my nonna’s.
Almost.
She and her neighbors had encouraged my love of hockey. Something my dads never liked–especially after my mom passed away.
“Oh, I made your tuition payment,” he added, taking a bite of pasta. “Only a few payments left."
“Thank you.” My university had a weird rule that if you played a sport that crossed semesters, tuition and fees for the entire year had to be paid by mid-August.
Austin had pushed me to transfer to NYIT, instead of a cheaper public university. He’d promised that if I figured out that year, he’d cover the next–my last–to make up for all the years I’d worked multiple jobs and gone to community college to support him at UNYC. So, he'd been making payments for month.
NYIT had a greathockey program that produced several PHL players. An amazing school academically, it had a top accounting program. But it was pricey, even with all my scholarships and aid.
So here we were.
Austin kissed me again, sweet and full of hope. “Always. After tonight, we’ll be golden.”
Chapter Two
Gwen
NOTE: This chapter contains content that might be upsetting to some readers.
I held my breath as the clock on my phone changed to midnight. His phone rang, and we jumped from our spots on the couch as we watched TV. My heart squeezed.Please be good news.
“Tell me they sent a contract?” Austin hopped up from the couch and paced our small living room.
