Page 63 of Ethan

Undeniable.

Something warm and big swelled inside Ethan’s chest.

That goal had been for Hank, sure. Instrumental in helping him gain his confidence back, absolutely. But Ethan knew now that Hank had also scoredfor him.

To win the bet and to take Ethan out to dinner.

Max leaned over. “What was that?” he wondered as the third line went over the boards to get set for the faceoff.

“Uh, nothing,” Ethan lied, badly, flushing a little at how poor he was at even trying to pretend Hank’s move hadn’t meant everything.

“I get it,” Max said, kindly. “You tell me, and you think I’ll tell Charlie.”

“Won’t you?”

“Who’re you kidding?” Emil asked. “You tell Charlieeverything.”

Max huffed out a frustrated breath but he was smiling too, like heenjoyedthat the whole team knew just how ridiculous he was about Barney.

“Just a little bet Tuck and I had going,” Ethan said, brushing it off, even though it was not little. Not at all.

Fifteen minutes later, Ethan got the empty netter, sealing the victory, and alsohistwo-point night.

There was a lot to celebrate, no questions. The Bandits had finally gotten their first win of the preseason. Ethan was feeling like he was really playing well, at least as well as he knew he was capable of, getting his feet under him finally. And then there was Hank, who was actually smiling in the locker room as he pulled off his sweater and tossed it into the laundry bin.

Ethan got changed, taking his time, even though Charlie hated it when he dawdled. He wanted to give Hank plenty of opportunity to come over. To say,let’s go out tomorrow night.

He was just pulling on his sneakers, making sure the laces were tied, when he saw a shadow loom over him out of his periphery.

When he glanced up, Hank was standing there, shifting from one foot to the other, looking both pleased and vaguely anxious.

“Hey,” Hank said.

“Sick goal, man,” Ethan said, standing up and pulling Hank into a bro hug. He wanted to make it a regular sort of hug. He and Hank did that, now, since coming to New York a few weeks back. But he could sense how nervous Hank was, and he didn’t want to push.

Okay, Ethan didn’t want to pushtoomuch.

“Guess you owe me a breakfast sandwich, too,” Hank said, the corner of his mouth twitching up into a smile. “The good kind. From the deli down the street.”

He started walking towards the door out of the locker room and what was Ethan supposed to do? Not follow? Not fucking likely.

“An empty netter gets you a breakfast sandwich? Really?” Ethan pretended disbelief.

He wasn’t sure where Charlie had gone, but they’d driven in together. He could follow Hank out to the parking lot and wait by Charlie’s car if he had to. And that seemed to be where Hank was headed.

Ethan was also fine not giving the whole locker room an audience to them settling their bet.

“A goal’s a goal,” Hank said, slanting a look over at Ethan. Like he hadn’t just scored a goal of his own, winning him a dinner with Ethan.

Ethan wanted to bring it up so badly he nearly ached with it, but he knew Hank would get to it.

Hank was a lot of things, but he wasn’t a coward—and Ethanknewhe wanted it, deep down.

“Yeah,” Ethan agreed.

Huffing out a breath, Hank turned to him, pausing. They were in one of the winding corridors that headed out towards the player lot from the locker room, but there were multiple routes, and it hadn’t been lost on Ethan that Hank had taken one of the quieter ones.

There was nobody around now. They were alone.