Page 28 of The Owner

Twenty-four thousand fans scream so loud my head feels like it’s going to explode. I jump up and give Zara a high-five. I hug my general manager.

The boys have swarmed Austin on the ice. He disappears under the mob of celebrating players.

And then my heart sinks when I see my girl with her head down. I put my hand on her back and drop to my knee.

“I’m sorry,” I say to her.

She looks at me and smiles sadly. “It’s okay. I’ll get you next year.”

I’m sure she will. She’s done so much in such little time. I’m sure she’ll be back better than ever next year to give my team all sorts of new problems.

“I love you so much,” I say, kissing her forehead.

“I’m okay,” she says, smiling at me as everyone celebrates around us. “I’m proud of the season we had.”

She looks at the Stoney Cup being brought onto the ice and takes a deep breath. I can see the fire in her eyes. She’ll be back next year, stronger than ever.

“Go celebrate while you can,” she says with a grin. “That cup will be coming home with me next year.”

I kiss my girl on the lips and then sprint down to the ice.

Nolan is skating around the rink, holding the shiny cup over his head.

“We did it, boss,” Sebastian says, giving me a friendly slap on the back. “Just like you said we would.”

I think back to the moment when we first met. He was sitting in my office,veryskeptical of my plan to turn the Hyenas of all teams into a dynasty, and I was very skeptical of his commitment to the game. I’m just so happy it all worked out.

“We couldn’t have done it without The Sniper,” I say with a grin. “That was a beautiful goal.”

“It’s why I get paid the big bucks.” He leaves with a smile on his face, skating up to the group of guys taking turns holding the cup.

The crowd roars in excitement as Sebastian takes it from Nolan and lifts it over his head.

He skates around the rink and then comes over to me with a grin. “Your turn, boss.”

“Really?”

I’m staring at the shiny silver trophy in awe. It’s beautiful. After Riley, it’s the most stunning thing I’ve ever seen.

I take it and shiver.Wow. The Stoney Cup… It’s mine for the year…

Sebastian lets go and I’m surprised by the weight of it.

I can’t help but smile as I lift it over my head and everyone cheers. The players, the fans, my employees attending… They’re all cheering for me.

And even though my girl lost, I know she’s in the crowd cheering for me as well.

Just like I’ll be cheering for her when she kicks my ass next year.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Riley

Ithink I’m the only one who’s not hammered. But that’s okay. Everyone is having a great time and it’s nice to see.

I’m on the parked Hyenas float while we wait for their victory parade to start rolling down Riverwalk road in San Antonio. I shake my head and laugh when Brantley pops open a two hundred year old bottle of wine from the royal cellar of Louis Phillippe the First, King of France. He told me he had promised Nolan Barlowe that he would crack it open if they won the Stoney Cup.

The boys gather around as Brantley pours it into the cup.