‘You tell me.’

‘Show off,’ she muttered laughing.

There was an unmistakable but surprisingly easy chemistry between them tonight, and she found herself enjoying the occasion far more than expected. When Ward let his guard down he really was fun to be around. She’d anticipated that things might be a little awkward between them given the confusion surrounding her apparent role here. But now it felt as if the professional element had completely faded into the background and Hannah was very much in plus-one mode and having the time of her life.

Just then, the music suddenly stopped, bringing her thoughts back to the present, though she realized that her dancing partner didn’t seem to notice and was still her holding close.

Following a brief introduction and a heavy round of applause, revered Panthers’ owner Craig Sumners trotted up to the mic. Hannah glanced back at Ward and reluctantly stepped out of his arms, giving his elbow an encouraging squeeze.

Here we go …

Chapter 45

WARD

When Ward saw the boss take to the stage, microphone in hand, he knew he should feel excited that maybe the moment he’d been waiting for had arrived but instead he felt annoyed. And doubly annoyed that Hannah had released herself from his arms and the fun they’d been having had been cut short. He’d been enjoying himself so much that he’d almost forgotten the reason he was here. Or hoped that was the reason.

But when the team owner made eye contact with him then, there was a dark glint in Sumners’ gaze that made him certain he was right to worry.

‘Uh-oh,’ he muttered quietly.

Hannah glanced at him. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘I’m not sure,’ he admitted, ‘but something tells me that I’m not about to like whatever the hell is about to happen.’

When Sumners saw that he had everyone’s attention, the Panthers’ owner began to speak, his voice firm and confident. ‘First of all, on behalf of my lovely wife Barbara and myself, thank you all for coming here tonight. Benefits tend to bring out the best in people and tonight is no exception.’ Then he chuckled. ‘Though I suspect that might be about to change.’

There was polite, if somewhat confused, applause.

‘Now, when I first took ownership of the Panthers, I don’t mind admitting that I had no idea what I was doing. All I knew was that I wanted to be a part of something special – a part of New York history. This team has always been revered for its sporting prowess, passion, and success, but is also known for bringing entertainment and sometimes controversy to the game. And concerning the latter, no player has done more for that than our very own returning hero WildCat Ward McKenzie, who I’m happy to see here tonight.’