Page 79 of Pucking My Grumpy Accidental Husband
Board's been notified. Harrison fucked up.
Kevin
Doc Bennett helped me through panic attacks. We got her back.
I show Tessa the screen. "That's how."
For the first time since I found her in the hallway, she actually smiles. "Your teammates are texting about me."
"My teammates love you. The whole organization loves you except for one miserable asshole who's about to learn what happens when you mess with family."
"Family?"
"You're part of the team, Tessa. That makes you family. And we protect family."
The security guard clears his throat. "Ms. Bennett, you have thirty minutes remaining."
"We're almost done," I tell him, not bothering to hide my irritation.
Tessa finishes packing while I load her personal items into the box—framed photos of her and her mother, the vintage psychology textbooks she collects, a small plant that somehow makes everything else look more human.
"Ready?" I ask when she's gathered the last of her files.
"No. But let's go anyway."
We walk out of her office together, and I can't help but notice how she keeps her head high despite everything. Professional to the end, refusing to give Harrison the satisfaction of seeing her broken.
"Dr. Bennett," the security guard says as we reach the building exit. "I need your building pass and parking pass."
She hands them over without a word, and I watch her access to this place—to the life we've built together—disappear into some corporate filing system.
"This isn't over," I tell her as we reach my truck.
"Isn't it?"
"Not even close." I load her box into the passenger seat and turn to face her. "Harrison thinks he can force me to choose between you and hockey. What he doesn't realize is that choice is easy."
"Dax—"
"I choose you, Tessa. Every fucking time. Boston can kiss my ass."
She launches herself at me then, and I catch her against my chest, holding her tight while she finally lets herself fall apart a little.
"We're going to burn his world down," I murmur against her hair.
"Promise?"
"Promise."
My phone buzzes with another text from Jamie:
Team meeting now. Bring Tessa. We're going to war.
I show her the message. "Ready to see what happens when you mess with a hockey family?"
She looks up at me with those gold-flecked eyes, and for the first time today, she looks fierce instead of defeated.
"Let's fucking go."
