“Geneviève, you’re in much the same boat. The show has yet to be renewed. If the network doesn’t pick it up for a second season, we’re afraid you and the women’s team will fade back into obscurity.”
Marcel wasn’t saying anything I didn’t already know. I thought about all of this constantly. How to get the women’s league more attention. The more eyes we had, the better.
“I think about it too, Marcel. We’ve made great gains, but there’s still so far to go,” I told him as I crossed my legs. I caught Beau’s eyes shooting directly to my legs, and I hid a silent smile.
“My dear, we know. It would be such a shame to go backward, instead of forward, yes?” Angelique said with a small frown on her face. “Especially with all the time and money we’ve put in.”
Marcel sat on the edge of the couch, leaning toward me. “We have injected so much into both teams. But men’s hockey will always be here. You have the chance to put women’s hockey on the map. For good.”
“We’ve been trying,” I said, my voice sounding small and hollow to my ears.
“We need you to try harder. Take it up a notch. Then take it up one more,” Marcel said, linking his fingers together. “And then? Start all over again.”
Beau cut him off. “What are you asking her to do?”
Angelique and Marcel looked at each other, smiling sad, sweet grins. “It’s what we need both of you to do, Beau,” Marcel said.
“I’m scared to ask, so just say it.” Beau stretched his arm across the back of the couch as he stared over at Marcel.
“Well, it is like Quentin said. You two need to show buyer confidence,” Marcel said, splaying his fingers out.
“You’ve got to be kidding me, right? Are you suggesting what I think you are?” Beau chuckled, but it was a forced, disbelieving laugh. “Am I having a déjà vu?”
Not quite understanding what was going on, I asked, “What are you talking about?”
Beau’s eyes shot straight to mine. “They want us to get hitched.”
“What?” I asked, his words swimming around in my head.
“Like Quentin suggested,” Beau answered back.
They couldn’t be suggesting that.
Marriage?
I knew my godparents, and they would never ask such a thing. I glanced at Angelique, waiting for her to jump in and correct Beau’s assumptions.
But she didn’t.
Neither did Marcel.
“Yeah, let’s do it. You’re both right. My days on the ice are numbered. Women’s hockey couldn’t have a stronger warrior to fight for them than, Geneviève. And there’s no better way to grab the fans’ attention than this,” Beau said, his voice confident and assured.
I glowered at him, not believing what was coming out of his mouth. “Are you crazy?”
“Do you have a better way?” He looked at me, his eyebrows raised in question.
“My sweet, dear girl. This is for the best. You’ll move into Beau’s big house, the boys will have you all to themselves,” Angelique said, a smile forming on her lips.
I gazed around at all of them, waiting for someone to start laughing.
Nothing.
“Oh my gosh, you’ve all lost your minds. I should probably call someone,” I said mostly to myself.
“There’re no cameras at my house, Martin. One upside. And it’s huge. You’ll have all the privacy you want. We wouldn’t have to live on top of each other like we did at your apartment.”
I swallowed loudly, taking in his words. “The boys will get confused, Beau. I can’t do that to them.” My heart squeezed at the thought of lying to Carson and Cooper.
“You’re not doing it to them—I am. I’m their father, and this is my decision. I don’t need your judgment on how I raise my kids.”
Oh boy, he was getting snippy again.
“We’re out of options. There is no other way and there is no better time to do this than now. When can you see an opportunity like this coming around again for women’s hockey? And you know I’ve got about five minutes left in my career. I’ve got a short time to pad my retirement fund—which, will also help me look after my kids.”
Marcel cleared his throat and asked, “Geneviève, what do you say?”