Free Winning Streak by Katie Kenyhercz Page A

just won the lottery?”
    Because
I
didn’t have anything to do with it.
That was selfish, though, and the kid wouldn’t understand. Dylan Cole only ever thought about the good of the team. That’s what made him the best captain and a great human being. At the moment, it also made him a lousy confidant. “No, I’m happy. It’s a huge score, and he’ll add a lot of depth. I’m just tired, dude.”
    “I get that. Any other big news?”
    No
was on the tip of his tongue, but he paused. Cole might be only twenty-two, but he was far from typical of the age. All the guys on the team confided in him because he kept secrets and because he gave surprisingly helpful advice. Just in the short time they’d been roommates, he’d proven his worth a hundred times over. Sharing the news about Jacey’s pregnancy wasn’t an option. That was her announcement to make. More than that, it was dirty laundry he didn’t want to air. The Saralynn thing was a different story. It would feel good to tell someone.
    “This is about a girl, isn’t it? Tell me you’re not messing with the married chick after you crashed her wedding.”
    “Hell no. I learned that lesson. Finally.”
    “All right, so how bad can it be?”
    Madden winced. “First you have to swear not to tell anyone. I mean it. Especially no one on the team.”
    Cole got that light bulb look with big eyes and a loose jaw. “Holy shit, it’s Saralynn. Reese will
kill
you.” So much for baby Yoda.
    “He would if he knew. But he won’t. Got it?” That scenario flashed through his mind, and he rubbed the back of his neck. He might be the same height as Reese, but the guy was strong and fast. And with the big brother motivation going, there was no telling what kind of damage the goalie could do.
    “I won’t say anything, but he’s gonna find out. Eventually. Unless this is just a fling or something.”
    “It’s not a fling.” The words came out sure and reflexive, but truthfully, he didn’t know what it was. It didn’t seem like a fling. That’s not what he wanted, but he couldn’t read Saralynn’s mind. Usually, he could get a pretty good feel for a woman’s intentions, but this one was a mystery.
    “All right. So unless you don’t invite him to the wedding, Reese is gonna find out.”
    “Yeah, but like you said, eventually. We’re taking things slow, getting to know each other. We want to see if there’s something there worth setting off Mount Saint Reese.”
    Cole chugged some water and worked on his own piece of pizza. “Well, you must really like her to even risk it.”
    That was true. He didn’t bother adding that he rarely met a risk he didn’t take. The stakes to be with Saralynn were high, but that wasn’t the main appeal. At least, he didn’t think so. She intrigued him. Kept him guessing. At the same time, even if it didn’t make perfect sense, he felt safe with her. A weird thought and one that had never occurred to him with anyone else, but there it was. “She’s something.”
    “I gotta hand it to you, man. She’s intimidatingly pretty. Even before Reese issued his threat to everyone in the building with a Y chromosome, I was too scared to talk to her. And then what he said about how she ate men for breakfast and spit out their bones, that was enough for me.”
    Madden barked a laugh. “Yeah. She’s tough; I’ll say that. But she’s not as bad as Reese said. She’s trying to be the best version of herself, and I can relate to that.”
    Cole regarded him quietly for a minute, then nodded. “Good for both of you. I hope it works out. Your sister know?”
    He directed his gaze to the pizza box.
    The kid whistled low. “Good luck with that.”
    “Thanks. I open up to you, and that’s the best you got?”
    “I’m sorry, dude, but this just got a lot more complicated. Is there a policy about dating a co-worker?”
    “That would be a little hypocritical, don’t you think? Seeing as Jace
married
the last guy who had your job.