Page 7 of So Pucking Perfect
“No, of course not.” Though I would admit that idea sounded appealing, not because I wanted something from Coach, but because he was an attractive alpha. I had thought so all those years ago, and I thought so now.
“Maybe we should both go talk to him? You’ll have a witness this time. You can explain. Does he even know about your family and why you needed to stay in school all those years go?”
“No, I never explained,” I said. “I don’t want to make things awkward for you. He’s your coach. I don’t want you to think any differently about him. He’s not the one in the wrong here.”
“He’s very much in the wrong for pulling you into his office like that. If he had concerns, he should have gone to the general manager and talked with all three of you present. You were right to leave when you did, Rowan. From now on, you can’t be alone with him.”
“Thank you. Let’s just see what happens. I told him we could discuss it with HR. Maybe he’ll go to them. I’ll just have to wait and see, I guess.”
Evan nodded. “All right, I respect that, but don’t be alone with him again. Not all alphas are—”
“Yes, I know,” I said. “Thank you, Evan. I really appreciate it.”
“We’ve got your back, Ro. You’re part of the team.”
Fuck, those words tugged at my heart and made it hard to breathe. I couldn’t lose this. These guys were the best thing that ever happened to me.
Chapter 5
Reid
Joining a new team was never easy, but since I had done it several times in the past, I had the routine down pretty well.
Get to know my coaches. Check.
Spend some time observing my team on the ice to see how they flowed together. Check.
Hang out with them outside of the rink to see how they interact. Working on it.
Figure out where I could start building the relationship. Working on it.
Based on the last two weeks, my team had great camaraderie and great communication on the ice. My job was to not fuck that up and also earn that same level trust off the ice. Too often I noticed that my team would look to their captain for things they should have looked to me for.
Of course, their captain was great, and they should look to him, but I was the coach, and I needed them to seek me out when they were looking for a leader, in addition to their captain. Unfortunately, while the captain was extremely competent and skilled, he seemed to narrow his eyes whenever he looked my way. Which made me wonder just how much Rowan had shared about our history.
I was willing to bury the past, though I hadn’t told Rowan that. Based on what I’d learned about him, he had grown up, and there was no reason for me to suspect he would do anything inappropriate.
Now I just needed to trust myself not to do anything inappropriate.
I hit the button on my mechanical whistle. I’d given up on a physical one years ago. The guys quit their drills and skated toward me.
“Great practice,” I said once they were all close. “We’ve got a home game this weekend, morning skate early on Saturday. Iexpect you all here on time. Mario will be in the weight room with you for the next few hours. If you have any questions, I’ll be in my office.”
The team dispersed toward the locker room, their skates clacking against the floor in that familiar rhythm I’d grown to love over the years. I followed at a slower pace, already mentally running through the game strategy for Saturday.
The locker room smelled like sweat, ice, and that particular blend of products only hockey players seemed to use. I found my assistant coach, Mario, leaning against the wall near my office door, chatting with Evan. Just the man I wanted to see.
Since joining the team, Mario had become my unofficial information broker about the team’s dynamics.
“Coach,” Evan called out, his grin already telling me he had gossip. The kid was sharp on the ice and apparently off it too. “You got a minute?”
Mario straightened up, reading the moment. He knew Evan collected information the way some people collected hockey cards. That was what made him a good captain and an excellent teammate on and off the ice.
“Always,” I said, gesturing them both into my office. I shut the door behind us, more for privacy than anything else.
“So,” Evan started, perching on the edge of my desk like he owned the place. “Are you going to tell us about—”
“Evan,” Mario interjected, shooting him a warning look.
