Page 114 of Always Yours

“I don’t know what is happening,” River admits, and Posey scoffs.

“I’m not even surprised,” she says. And then I hear her say, “And by the way, all this is dumb as hell. It shouldn’t matter if they’re dating.”

“Dimitri,” I hear my love say, and I tear my eyes from her grandpa’s furious face. “I won’t let you do this.”

“It’s my choice,” I say, holding her gaze. “If they can’t see my work ethic, my talent, or anything else except who I am in love with, then I don’t want to play with them. I won’t stop loving you.”

Tears spill over, rolling down her cheeks. “But you have worked so hard for this—”

“But how I feel for you is way more important than that. I am more than a hockey player. I am a man who is in love with you, and nothing and no one can change that.”

She swallows hard, and I direct my gaze to Shelli. “Thank you for this opportunity.”

“Dimitri, please,” Shelli stresses. “Don’t do this.”

“If someone told you to choose this job or Aiden, what would you do?” Her mouth snaps shut, and I nod. “Exactly.”

“Peepaw, are you serious? You’re going to let this happen?” Austen roars then, standing up and slamming her hands to the table.

Her grandpa just nods. “You weren’t sent here to fool around with players, Austen. You were sent to learn to run a team. You don’t need this distraction. I am doing this for you. Maybe later, you two can link back up or something, I don’t know.”

“Well, Peepaw,” I say in a very exaggerated country twang. “This distraction isn’t going anywhere.”

“I quit,” Austen says, and I whip my gaze to hers so hard I almost break my neck. “Not you. I don’t quit you.”

“Fuck, Janie. My heart stopped.”

Oh, that sweet smirk covers her lips, and I want to wrap my arms around her. Her eyes move to her grandpa’s. “I told you I’d walk away if you messed with his career. I no longer have any interest in being the general manager of your team.”

You could hear a pin drop. I didn’t expect that.

“I do not want to be a part of an organization that will penalize a player for who they love, especially when you’re penalizing the man I love.”

“You sure?” I ask, and she nods. “You don’t have to do that. I am good with my decision.”

She shakes her head. “I’m not. I have no clue what I am doing, and I know I still have a year to learn, but I don’t even know if I like the idea. I’m not made like Shelli or Elli. Give me a tablet and stats, and I can do it all. But I don’t like making decisions like these or ruining players’ dreams when they all work so hard.”

“Jesus, Janie, your heart is pure,” I say, and her lips curve.

“I don’t want this job like how you want your career. I am good with walking away.”

“As long as you’re walking to me,” I say, and her eyes burn into mine.

“Nowhere else I would go.”

My heart sings for her, and I almost get up to smother her with kisses, but that moment is interrupted by her grandpa.

“Austen, this is unacceptable. We had a plan!” her grandpa yells, but she doesn’t even seem bothered by him.

“And plans change,” she says, holding his gaze, her chin tipped up ever so rebelliously. “I will always love you, but I cannot work for you.”

Silence stretches around the room, the tension so thick, I might choke on it. Austen reaches for my contract then and slides it back to Elli. “He will not be needing this.”

I stand, taking her hand, and pulling her to me. The table keeps us apart, but I am able to plant a sweet kiss on her lips. I cup her jaw while I squeeze her wrist with my other hand. “I love you, Janie.”

“I love you.”

I pull back since the table is pressing deeply into my stomach and kiss her wrist, then her palm. Then, out of nowhere, her grandpa yells, “The contract clause is unnecessary, Elli! He can be with her and still play.”

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