Page 174 of Cheap Shot

CHAPTER FORTY

Whoever made the fucking schedule was a bastard.

Luke was thoroughlysickof playing the New York Rockets. So of course that was who the Harriers were playing during the final game of the regular season. Worst of all, Luke was about to be the center of attention tonight.

It was hard to believe he’d played a thousand games in the NHL.

When he’d begun his pro hockey career, he’d been a guy who would’ve felt grateful to get ten, and damn lucky to get a hundred. A thousand? That had been unimaginable.

Now, standing on the ice near the bench, Luke swallowed hard as the announcer began speaking.

“Harriers fans, please direct your attention to the ice for a very special presentation. Two days ago in Buffalo, Harriers defenseman Luke Crawford played in his one thousandth career game in the NHL.”

A cheer rose up from the crowd and Luke stared at the screen while some of his highlight-worthy hits and assists played on the Jumbotron.

Fucking surreal.

“An undrafted player from Las Vegas, Nevada, Luke played in the WHL before establishing himself in the AHL and securing a spot with the Philadelphia Badgers before being traded to the Calgary Rams. After playing in Calgary, he played for the Dallas Steers, then was acquired by the Boston Harriers, where he remains a crucial part of the team’s defensive core. Please welcome Luke’s partner, Sebastian Breckon, to the ice.”

The crowd cheered as Sebastian stepped forward onto the carpet laid out for him, looking handsome and oddly serious in his stupid hipster clothing.

This morning, Sebastian had teased Luke that he’d wear his New York jersey during the ceremony tonight. In retaliation, Luke had pinned him down and blown him, teasing him and holding him on the edge until he’d promised to be good.

Luke would believe that good behavior when he saw it, but he was still glad Sebastian was by his side, whatever he wore.

When they’d talked about the idea of Sebastian attending the ceremony, he’d said he didn’t care. He promised that if Luke wanted his privacy, he’d be happy to sit in the crowd, unacknowledged. He’d meant it too.

But when they’d done a video chat while Sebastian was still in New York, he’d admitted Nicky didn’t trust Luke. He believed Luke would break Sebastian’s heart.

Luke worried about that sometimes too. Spitefully—if he was being honest with himself—he refused to let Nicky or himself be right about that.

So even ifSebastianhimself didn’t doubt Luke, he’d told the head office to include Sebastian in the ceremony. Showing everyone that Sebastian was important to him had seemed like a big way of proving both Nicky and himself wrong.

Most importantly, it was a way he could show Sebastian just how serious he was about him.

Had he wanted a big, splashy coming out? Fuck no. But if it would lay Brie and Nicky’s fears to rest about Luke being all-in? It was worth it.

“Luke, please join your partner,” the announcer said.

Luke skated over to Sebastian, reaching out to take his hand. He squeezed it for a brief moment. Sebastian smiled before he let go, and Luke felt the oddest flutter in his chest, a sudden warmth that took him by surprise.

Luke stood beside Sebastian as the announcer said, “Now, please direct your attention to the video board as we honor Luke Crawford for achieving this incredible milestone.”

Luke stared up at his own face as the screen showed the video footage Thad had taken of him walking around Boston and speaking about playing for the team.

This was everything Luke hated. Attention. Talking about his feelings. But his voice was surprisingly steady as he said, “I love this city and its fans. Although I’ve played with many great teams over the years, it’s here in Boston that I finally found my home.”

There was footage of several of his biggest hits with one of the play-by-play guys saying, “He’s big, he’s mean,andhe can shoot!”

Luke smiled a little as the image transitioned to one of his goals. Compared to guys like Connor, or even Tanner, he’d never have that many goal points. But he could fire a ripper, that was for damn sure.

Accurate? Ehh, not so much. Hard? Fuck yes.

There were shots of cellies with teammates. Luke and Connor colliding in a hug during a playoff game where Luke had set him up for a goal.

Even further back in his career, a shot secondary assist Luke had gotten for Connor’s father, Declan. Cellies with Tanner and Anker and … they blurred together into a montage of moments with his teammates over the years.

Luke’s father’s face appeared on the screen. “Luke. From the moment I put you on skates, I knew you had toughness and grit to you. No matter how tired you were, no matter how sore, you never wanted to stop playing. I knew you had something special in you. But I never dreamed I’d get to see you play your thousandth game in the NHL. It’s a huge accomplishment and watching you lift the Stanley Cup was one of the proudest moments of my life.”