all four years of the scholarship I planned to take. When Emme put it that way, a fire was lit inside me. A hundred grand wasn’t much to any of the other students in the room, but that kind of money was life changing for me. “Sounds like a plan to me.”
I held my other arm out to Mrs. Carrington, who accepted it with a smile. “I’m so proud of you, Corby.”
“Thanks,” I murmured as we made our way over to where a table had been set up for us to be photographed and filmed while we signed our letters. The school administration turned the day into an event because they wanted the publicity, but I didn’t mind giving them as much attention as they could get. Being at Black Mountain Academy had helped me get the offer I needed to attend my dream school without worrying about a fuck ton of student loans. And it had brought Emme to me. I was more than willing to ham it up for the cameras if that helped.
With William and Emme standing behind me, I pulled the chair out for Mrs. Carrington. Once she sat, I dropped onto the chair next to her. William stepped forward, pulling the copy of the national letter of intent and scholarship offer he’d printed for me this morning out of the pocket of his suit jacket. After I took the papers from him, he reached back into his pocket to get a fancy pen. Handing the writing instrument to me, he said, “My father gave this pen to me when I was your age. I’ve inked many lucrative deals with it since then. I thought maybe some of my good fortune would rub off if you used it today.”
Glancing over my shoulder at Emme, I grinned. “See, being superstitious sticks with hockey players beyond their time on the ice.”
She giggled, her cheeks turning pink when a flash went off nearby. Thanking William, I accepted the pen and turned to face forward again. After signing my name and adding the date, I slid the paperwork over to Mrs. Carrington. As I watched her add her signature next to mine, it felt as though a weight was lifted off my shoulders. The decision was final; there was no going back now. And no point in second-guessing myself anymore. I smiled for a few photos before standing, and our little group moved off to the side so Chuck and his family could take our spot.
After I returned William’s pen, I stretched my hand out to shake his. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me.”
“If you want to pay me back, bring the Stanley Cup to Black Mountain one of the times you win it.” He clapped me on the back and smiled.
“As fantastic as this offer is”—I tapped the papers we’d both just signed and shook my head—“it isn’t a professional hockey deal.”
“Not yet,” he conceded. “But I have no doubt you’ll get picked in the first round of the draft, and the day will come when you win a championship. I’ll be cheering extra hard, looking forward to a phone call when you get your day with the Cup.”
I hadn’t known what to think about William when I had found out he was going to be my new foster parent, but he had turned out to be my biggest supporter over the past five months. In the end, his motivation for taking me in didn’t matter because I benefited the most from his decision. “From your lips to God’s ears.”
“If you play in college like you have for our team so far this season, I don’t think you’ll stay for the full four years to get your degree. Whichever team drafts you will be impatient to get you on the ice,” he predicted.
Mrs. Carrington’s eyes narrowed. “Well, I for one hope you’ll be there long enough to get your bachelor’s degree. Even high-paid athletes need something to fall back on when their career is over.”
I didn’t want to disappoint someone who had looked out for me such a long time, so I nodded and kept quiet. If given the opportunity to play professional hockey before I’d earned my degree, I would jump at the chance without a doubt. I only had so many years to play hockey at that level, and I could always go back to school later on if needed. The paycheck I would earn in the league would more than make up for any