Page 76 of Offsides

“You’d rather he work it off in a soup kitchen, where he has to tell everyone what he did? Bring shame to the Rising?” Cowboy remarked harshly.

They had gotten lucky that the story TMZ picked up was the Michigan hockey player’s and not Dash’s, making it easy for them to handle this internally, with some missed games and community-focused volunteering, rather than having to deal with the public’s opinion on the matter. When it came to athletes and their misadventures, there was no telling how fans would react, and he didn’t want to use this incident as their first case study.

“That is not what I said,” Felicity responded, just as harshly. “I simply want to make sure that it’s framed in a way that is not negative.”

“We’re using it as a growing opportunity,” Gunnar said. “He’s there to help mentor these kids, which means he has to be on his best behavior.”

“Either that, or he’ll show us his true colors and fuck us over.”

Just like Theo did…

Scooping up the ball from his lap, Cowboy started tossing it against the wall again. Pain sliced through him, his whole body feeling the ache of missing her. He hadn’t felt anguish like this in years. Not since Dulcie. It was the same kind of pain too—the deep, emotional, gut-wrenching kind that felt like it would never go away. And it wouldn’t. Just as there was a Dulcie-shaped hole in his life from her being stolen from him too soon, there was now a Theo-shaped one as well. Only difference was she betrayed him. Used him. Which made it that much worse.

A large hand flew in front of his, ripping the ball out of the air. A hard smack to the back of his head propelled him forward, causing him to have to catch himself so he didn’t fall out of the chair.

“What the fuck is the matter with you?” Felicity snapped.

“Nothing.”

“The fuck it isn’t.”

“Your wife’s got a mouth on her,” Cowboy muttered, turning to Gunnar, who was scowling at him, mini soccer ball in hand.

“I tend to agree, but for a different reason,” he quipped, winking.

“Gunnar!”

“TMI, dude.”

“You have been in a mood ever since we got back, and I want to know why,” Felicity demanded. “Something happen I don’t know about?”

“Nope.”

He wasn’t talking about this. He was not admitting that he was taken for a fool. There were very few hard and fast rules in his life. After all, he believed in living life to the fullest, and sometimes that meant bending some things. But the tenet he had clung to most, that he had believed above all else, was that nothing good comes from involving a reporter. Once again, that had been proven. In spades. Shame on him for thinking that maybe he’d gotten that wrong, or that it was one of those things in life that could bend. That maybe there were good reporters out there, who weren’t in it just to get the story. It simply wasn’t true. Double shame on him for getting so lost in the sweet voice and those gorgeous hazel eyes that he’d forgotten all about that principle.

“I don’t believe you.”

“That’s fine.”

Ping!

The high-pitched chime for Felicity’s computer pulled her attention away from him.

Saved by the bell…

He knew he was being an ass and that his best friend and boss didn’t deserve to be on the other end of his grumpiness. But he couldn’t help it. His thoughts were consumed with her and how hurt he was. The kind of hurt that only came when you loved someone. He loved her. Even now, sitting here pissed off at her actions, his thoughts would slip into all the things he could have done differently, trying to avoid that fight. It would have come eventually though. At least he hadn’t said the words out loud.

“Oh, oh, oooooohhhh!” Felicity squealed, bouncing up and down in her chair.

“What?”

“Theo sent over a snippet of her feature. She says it’s still rough, and the copy isn’t final, but she’s so excited and wanted me to see it.”

“Great, then we’ll leave you to it!” Cowboy said, leaping up from his chair.

This was his chance to escape. He could get out of here, go for a ride to clear his head. Blue Ridge was out, since that would only bring back memories of his time with Theo, but heading south was always an option.

“Sit your ass back down!” Gunnar exclaimed. His best friend glared at him, but Cowboy didn’t sit. Gunnar might have six inches on him in height, but Cowboy knew he could still take him in a fight. Not that it was going to come to that, but just in case it did. “Explain.”