Chapter: 1
Jace Wilder
I stared at the jersey hanging in my locker.
The A stitched onto the chest.
I kept waiting for someone to walk in laughing.
“Gotcha.”
“Wrong stall.”
“Give it back.”
Anything.
Instead…
Nothing.
It had been almost two hours since Knox announced it to the team.
The room had emptied.
The reporters had left.
The congratulations had stopped.
And the letter was still there.
I scrubbed both hands down my face.
Holy shit.
What a day.
Knox breaks his hand.
Thankfully he’ll only miss a few weeks. Long enough that Rhett and I had to step up… short enough that he’d still be back before the playoffs.
We needed our captain.
Everyone knew that.
But until then…
The room had somehow looked at Rhett and me.
Me.
I let out a quiet laugh, shaking my head.
That kid who walked into this locker room two years ago wondering if he’d even survive training camp?
Now he wore a letter.
Life was weird.
I never chased leadership.
Honestly, I chased making people laugh.
Keeping things light.
Being the guy who could break the tension after a bad loss.
But somewhere along the way…
I started remembering what it felt like to be the scared rookie sitting in the corner hoping nobody noticed I didn’t belong.
So whenever a new guy showed up…
I checked on him.
Made sure he ate.
Answered the dumb questions everyone pretended weren’t dumb.
Invited him over when everyone else went home.
It never felt like leadership.
It just felt…
Right.
Apparently everyone else noticed.
I looked back at the jersey one last time.
“Don’t screw this up,” I muttered to myself.
I grabbed my bag and slung it over my shoulder.
Probably ought to head home.
We had lifts tomorrow afternoon, and knowing Coach, he’d decide leadership came with extra conditioning.
Lucky me.
I switched off the light over my stall and headed toward the hallway.
The arena was almost silent.
But the light in the media room was still on.
I found myself heading that direction.
Harper was at her desk cleaning up.
I knocked on the door frame startling her.
"Holy shit." She muttered.
I chuckled softly.
"Sorry."
She smiled up at me.
"Yeah sure you are."
I grinned.
"You know I like this."
I admitted before I could even stop it.
She tilted her head in confusion.
"Like what?"
She took a couple steps closer towards me.
Shit why did I say that out loud?
Right.
Because lately my filter around Harper Philips was complete shit.
It simply stopped working whenever she was around.
I rubbed at the back of my neck.
Harper crossed her arms smirking at me.
I hated that smirk.
Mostly because it usually meant she was about to win.
"What is it Mr. Wilder."
I groaned.
"You know my name is Jace right?"
Her lips curved up again. "I know."
I shook my head. "So why won't you call me that?"
She shrugged. "I like to see you squirm."
I sighed.
"You're enjoying this way too much."
"Immensely."
I shook my head.
I glanced behind her.
Where her computer was still on and a notebook still in front of her keyboard.
My brows drew together. "Why are you still here?"
She shrugged. "Because someone has to clean up after you hockey players."
I laughed. "That's fair."
“Reese went home with Rhett.”
“Carson’s got Elena.”
I chuckled.
"Yeah Roman is protective over her."
She nodded.
"She didn't know she was pregnant for a while and got sick in front of everyone."
"Carson told me that story." She said with a laugh.
"After they found out she was pregnant he kept a look out for her."
"He's not trying to be overbearing."
"He's just..."
"Protective." I said.
She smiled softly. "But he loves her."
I found myself smiling back.
"Yeah he does."
It was quiet for a moment between us.
I glanced back at the equipment that still needed to be put up.
“Which means…” I looked around the media room. “You got stuck with all this.”
She looked at the piles of credentials and camera gear.
“Pretty much.”
“Need a hand?”
“No.”
“That wasn’t really a question.”
“Mr. Wilder, I am perfectly capable—”
I picked up the box anyway.
“Yep.”
“You’re impossible.”
“I’ve been told.”
I grinned at her.
I ignored her and started stacking camera lenses back into their padded cases.
She glared at me the whole time.
"You know I can pick stuff up right?"
I looked her over.
I knew she could.
I'd watched her haul camera bags bigger than she was.
Reese had mentioned she'd played softball in high school. Even some in college before classes got too demanding.
Funny the things my brain decided to remember.
"I know." I finally answered her.
She shook her head before sighing.
"Thank you."
"Of course Phillips."
When I had everything put away, I stood back up.
"Anything else?"
She looked around. "I have to turn off computer."
I nodded and she walked over to her computer.
She started to turn it off, but stopped and looked at me. "What are you still doing here?"
I shrugged. "Going to walk you out to your car."
She rolled her eyes and turned back to her computer.
I grinned even though she wasn't looking.
I wasn't sure when getting under Harper Phillips' skin had become one of my favorite hobbies.
Then again...
She seemed to enjoy getting under mine just as much.
Harper turned to me and sighed. "Let's go Wilder."
I tried to not grin.
I bit at my lip as I gestured for her to go first.
"Ladies first."
She went ahead of me. I shut the door to the media room.
So I've upgraded from Mr. Wilder to Wilder.
Improvements.
She turned around and locked the door quickly.
We walked down the hall in silence.
We reached the back entrance that let to the players parking lot
Larry who works security at night smiled up at me as we approached.
"Mr. Wilder."
"Hey Larry." I said with a smile.
I reached for his hand shaking it before letting go.
"How has your night been?" I asked.
He smiled. "Going well. Yours?"
"Good. Granddaughter feeling better?"
Larry's face lit up.
"She is. Fever finally broke yesterday."
"Glad to hear."
I looked back at Harper.
She was openly staring at me.
"What?" I asked.
She shook her head.
I turned back to Larry.
"Larry. I am not sure if you know Harper or not."
"Miss Phillips." He nodded.
"Hello." She said softly.
"Nice to meet you."
Larry just smiled at us and opened the door.
"Ladies first." I said again.
She was still just staring at me.
But finally started to walk.
We got into the parking lot.
She turned to me still staring.
"What?" I finally asked.
"Nothing." She said suddenly.
"You know everyone here, don't you?"
I frowned. "Most of them."
"The security guard. You knew his name."
"Yeah? Why wouldn't I?"
She didn't say anything.
Just staring like she just figured out something.
I wasn't sure I liked it.
I sighed. "Harper..."
It took her just a second but she grinned.
"What now?" I groaned.
"I'm not Phillips?"
It took me a moment to connect the dots.
Shit. I called her Harper.
Not Phillips.
I rolled my eyes and gestured for her to follow.
She fell in step beside me.
The moment we reached her car, she turned to me.
I crossed my arms.
Neither of us said anything.
She just stood there staring at me.
"You know I'm proud of you." She said softly.
I wasn't sure I heard her right.
Proud of me?
For what?
"For what?" I asked
She looked away. Not meeting my gaze.
Almost like she hadn't meant to say it.
She sighed and finally met my eyes.
Her blue-green eyes shone as she met mine.
“People don’t realize how much you deserve that A.”
Her hand lifted almost instinctively toward my chest.
She stopped halfway there.
The jersey was still hanging in my locker.
Her hand fell back to her side.
“I’ve watched you.”
I blinked.
“At kids’ camp.”
“With the rookies.”
“With the arena staff.”
“Tonight… with Larry.”
I frowned.
“Larry’s a good guy.”
“I know.”
“I’ve known him since my rookie year.”
She nodded.
“You remembered his granddaughter had been sick.”
I shrugged.
“He always asks how my mom’s doing.”
She blinked.
“What?”
“I ask about his granddaughter.”
I frowned.
“That’s just what you do, isn’t it?”
“Exactly.”
Her smile softened.
“That’s who you are.”
She smiled, but it wasn’t her teasing smile this time.
“Maybe.”
She took a small step closer.
“But most people don’t.”
“That’s why I’m proud of you.”
“Not because of the letter.”
“Because you’ve been the person who deserved it long before anyone stitched it onto a jersey.”
I watched her climb into her car.
My chest felt… different.
Lighter.
Maybe Harper Phillips had no idea what she’d just done.
I wasn’t sure I did either.
“Night, Harper.”
"Night Jace." She said softly.
