Perfectly Wedded (Perfect Crush #1)

14. Vale

FOURTEEN

Vale

I ’m able to forget about my honeymoon—or at least push it into the back of my mind—as soon as I enter the staff offices for the Carolina Crushers. Located on the second floor in the Ice House Arena, the office wing smells like freshly printed paper and burned coffee. This morning, there’s an inexplicable buzz in the air as the staff ramps up for a new season. It feels like opening a fresh notebook on the first day of school. Everyone is beaming, fueled by copious amounts of caffeine and hope that this is the year we’ll make it to the playoffs.

Given my newly married status, I’ve got two things to do before I can fully concentrate on the season ahead: Get my wife the medicine she needs and get through our honeymoon without ruining our friendship.

Heading toward the HR office, I round the corner and nearly slam into Raphael Marco.

“Excuse me, sir,” I say, pivoting so I don’t crash into him.

“Vale! You’re a man on a mission.” He gives me a brilliantly white smile that’s a stark contrast to his tanned skin. He spends his summers at his beach house in Puerto Rico, which explains why he looks like a retired millionaire living on a yacht.

“Where are you going in such a hurry? ”

I motion toward the HR office. “Meeting with Libby. Need to get our insurance in order before we leave on our honeymoon.”

He smirks. “Is that wife of yours cracking the whip now?”

“I’m trying to be more responsible now that I’m married,” I say, shifting uncomfortably under the weight of his stare. I quickly shove my hands in my pockets, hoping he won’t press further. “You know... trying to do the right thing.” If anyone would understand that, it’s him, right?

He offers a nod of approval before glancing over his shoulder. “Stop by my office after your meeting. I’ve been wanting to talk to you.” Something in his tone shifts, tipping me off that this isn’t just a casual man-to-man chat over drinks. This is serious.

I head to Libby’s office and peek my head around the door. “You available for a few minutes?”

“Well, if it isn’t the happy newlywed!” She stops her work and motions to an empty chair. “Come on in, Vale.” It might only be eight in the morning, but already she’s chewing her gum, buzzing with energy.

“I’m sorry if the news was a shock,” I say, sitting across from her. I rub my hands across my knees. This is so much harder than I imagined it would be.

She waves off my concern. “If it’s love, why wait? Your big announcement was like watching a fairy tale come true. I got shivers just reading about it!” She props her chin on her hand and looks at me dreamily. “Was it everything you ever hoped for?”

“Marrying Sloan was definitely a dream come true,” I say, even though the circumstances around it were less than ideal.

Libby waits, clearly expecting more details, and I realize that if I give her even a sliver, I’ll be the hot topic around the water cooler for the rest of the week. I clear my throat, forcing a smile. “But hey, I’m not here to talk about my wedding. Actually, I need to add Sloan to my insurance plan.”

“Of course!” She hits a few buttons on her computer, and the printer roars to life. Then she hands me some forms. “Sign these, and you’ll be good to go. ”

I start signing while Libby taps away at her keyboard, her jaw still working. “I know people are talking about why you got married, but I’m a hopeless romantic. I don’t doubt for a second that it’s love.”

I pause, pen in hand. “What do you mean, talking ?”

“Oh, I’ve heard a few people mention it in passing. You know how people are. They can’t believe you’d fall in love that fast.”

I wonder who she’s talking about and what they’re saying. “You mean, people here?”

“Well, yes. And a few people around town.”

I tap my pen on the desk. “I’ve had feelings for Sloan since the beginning. Long before Vegas.” Admitting it out loud makes me feel better about signing these insurance forms. Our marriage is fully legal, so I’m not committing fraud. Somehow, it just feels like I’m doing something wrong when she phrases it that way.

“I guessed you’ve been harboring a secret flame for her,” she says, her voice low.

“Did one of my teammates talk to you?” I ask.

“I shouldn’t give names,” she says, looking torn between confessing to me and keeping her secret.

“If it’s a teammate who has questions, they can come to me.” Then I lean back in my chair. “Like any of them could talk. They pick up women faster than our Vegas wedding ceremony.”

She giggles. “Don’t worry. I believe you. So does Lauren in PR. Just between you and me, I’m betting you and Sloan stay married for the long haul.”

As if there was some doubt?

“Thanks for your vote of confidence,” I say, signing the last form, trying to hide the sting of her words. I didn’t realize people were already speculating about the longevity of our relationship. If they knew the truth, they might think I’m an idiot for risking my reputation for Sloan’s insurance—or worse, think Sloan used me, even though I know she’d rather cut off her right foot than ask me for a favor. Without question, I wanted to marry her. But people will believe what they want. This conversation is proof of that.

I slide the paperwork across her desk.

She looks it over and smiles. “Good luck with everything! Don’t worry, eventually people will stop talking.”

“You think?”

“They just need time to see that it’s real,” she says with a shrug. “If it is, you have nothing to worry about.”

I force a smile. “Yeah, nothing to worry about.” The only thing real in this relationship is how I feel. But maybe— just maybe —if I showed Sloan how I felt, she might take a risk on something more. Or she could do what she always does when she’s scared: shut me out completely. And that’s not an option I want to gamble on.

At least I have Libby on my side. But if my teammates start questioning me, it could destroy the trust we’ve built—and that will definitely affect our performance on the ice.

Trust is earned, not given.

After leaving Libby’s office, I head down to Raphael Marco’s door. I knock once and the door swings open. My gray-haired agent, Jim King waits on the other side, along with our general operations manager, Zach Collins.

“Jimmy?” I say, astonished he’d drop in without telling me.

“Hey, Vale. Congratulations on your wedding.” He shakes my hand a little too forcefully, tipping me off that something’s up.

“I didn’t think anyone else was in here,” I say, taking a step back.

“Oh no,” says Raphael. “We were just waiting for you.”

Heat prickles up the back of my neck.

I slowly lower myself into a leather chair and rub my palms across my pants. I didn’t know there’d be an interrogation squad waiting behind the door.

“This must be serious or else I’m losing my job,” I say with a nervous laugh. “Which would also be serious. ”

Raphael and Jimmy both chuckle. Zach, I notice, does not. My heart jumps a beat.

“Rest assured, you’re not losing your job,” Raphael says. “You’re one of the best forwards we’ve ever had, along with your brother.”

I breathe a sigh of relief, but the oxygen still feels like it’s being sucked from the room.

Raphael knits his hands together in the casual way that high-powered bosses do before they bring down the axe. I’m about as comfortable as a lobster over a pot of boiling water. “We just wanted to ask a few questions. Specifically, about your contract with the Crushers.”

Questions about my contract? That can’t be good. I’ve never been questioned about my contractual obligations before.

Zach studies his iPad while Jimmy shifts uncomfortably in his seat. Then Zach looks up at me. “Contracts are evaluated and renewed on a yearly basis, and we realize a player’s life might change in that time. In your case, you got married.”

I clear my throat. “Yes, but that shouldn’t affect my contract.”

“It doesn’t, but we’re making exceptions for you by giving you time off for your honeymoon.”

I look from Zach to Jimmy. “Is that what this is about? Listen, if you need to take away a paycheck to resolve my unplanned leave, then do it. I don’t want to cause trouble.”

Jimmy looks at Raphael. “The boss approved your leave without an additional deduction from your pay. You have him to thank for that gift.”

I turn to the boss. “Thank you, Mr. Marco.”

Zach leans an arm on his leather chair. “Even though some might take offense at getting extra paid vacation time.”

“Has anyone complained?” I think through who might grumble about me getting an extra week of vacation. Jaxon or Rourke? “Obviously, I wasn’t expecting to get married.”

“We realize that,” Zach says, shifting his position. “And that’s why we brought you in today—to discuss changes.” He looks to my agent for help.

Jimmy takes the cue and leans toward me. “We wanted to ask if you and Sloan have discussed a no-movement clause now that you’re married?”

“Not yet,” I say, realizing it never even crossed my mind. A no-movement clause would keep me from being traded to another team without my consent. It allows a player to remain in one location and is important for married players who want to keep some stability in their families. My brother initiated a no-movement clause after he married Jaz, so it only makes sense that I’d do the same. “But I’m sure she’d feel strongly about not moving away from Sully’s Beach.”

“Before you do, I have news.” Jimmy shifts forward, his eyes glinting. “Our NHL affiliate team has shown an interest in moving you to their team. I was going to mention the possibility of a trade when you returned from Vegas, but then I found out about your marriage and decided to talk with Zach and Raphael on your behalf about your options.”

“Tampa is interested in me?” I blurt out, trying not to act like a kid who’s about to unwrap his first gift on Christmas morning. “I’ve wanted to play for them since high school.”

“They are very interested,” Jimmy adds with a quirk of his lips. This is why he’s a good agent. He can sell anything. “Except now that you’re married, we realized you might not be. Sloan’s ongoing medical condition throws a monkey wrench into things.” He looks at Zach and something passes between the two of them. “There are significant concerns about how that will affect you.”

I hold up my hand to interrupt. “Hold on. What does Sloan’s injury have to do with my current hockey contract?”

Zach slowly brings his fingertips together. “Should she continue to have health issues, she might need additional care. More hospital stays. Additional travel to Cleveland. We don’t want there to be a situation in which you’re asking for more time off. We expect you to adhere to the contract— sick wife or not.”

So that’s what this is about. They’re worried about me breaking my contractual obligations because of Sloan’s health.

“I won’t break my contract,” I say firmly. “She’s going on a new medication that will hopefully resolve her issues. From what the doctor has said, this new drug should keep her from relapsing anymore.”

“And if it doesn’t?” Zach asks. “Then what?”

I don’t say anything because I haven’t thought that far ahead. There never was a question of whether this wouldn’t work. We went into the marriage determined that when Sloan made a full recovery, we could decide what to do at that point.

“We want you to know that we’re on your side,” Zach adds.

Ironic, because it doesn’t feel like it.

He taps his fingertips together. “But we also want you to know that if you’re interested in a no-movement clause, we may need you to make some concessions. Just in case.”

I frown. “What kind of concessions?"

“In order to add a no-movement clause to your contract, we’d need to negotiate a lower salary,” Jimmy says. “But we might be able to get some performance bonuses instead. And given your talent, you’d probably have no problem meeting those goals.”

I shift in my seat. One minute I’m dreaming of playing for Tampa, and the next I’m being asked to renegotiate my salary with the team. This feels like I’m being punished for getting married, even though I know that’s not the case. Sloan’s health is a liability, and everyone here knows it.

“Whatever it takes to add that no-movement clause, I’ll do it.”

Jimmy holds up a hand to stop me. “Don’t rush into it, Vale. Go on your honeymoon. Talk to your wife about it, and then give me an answer. That’s when we’ll renegotiate your contract. If you add the no-movement clause, you’re turning down Tampa’s offer. You realize that?” He levels his gaze at me.

“Of course I do,” I say, my voice scraping like a knife across wood.

It’s always been my dream to play for the NHL. I’d be a fool to turn them down. But what choice do I have? I made a promise to her. Asking her to uproot her life right now would be unfair and selfish. I can’t even consider it.

Zach leans back in his chair and folds his hands together. “Good. Because I wouldn’t want you to rush into things. Giving up the NHL this year is a big decision. If your marriage is important, I’m sure there will be no concerns about adding a no-movement clause into your contract, even if this limits your future.” His gaze penetrates through me.

Limits my future? In other words, give up my dream. Possibly, for good.

Jimmy nods. “I’m sure you’ll make the right decision.” He wants me to be sure I know how this affects my career.

A hockey player already has a limited shelf life. Four and a half years, on average. If I give up the next year or two for Sloan, there might never be an opportunity to play for Tampa.

If I knew she wanted to stay with me forever, there would be no question about this decision. I’d sign the new contract in a heartbeat. I’d stay with the Crushers until I retired from the sport.

But if I’m only doing this for Sloan’s health, then what will be left for me when the marriage is over?

Nothing. Not Sloan. Possibly not even an NHL career.

I’ll be a washed-up hockey player with nothing to fight for.

Which means there’s only one thing I can do before I sign my life and NHL dreams away.

Hold on to the one dream that’s still possible.

Convince Sloan to really be my wife, in every sense of the word.