Page 205 of Securing the Pucking Rebound

“You were doing a pretty good job all on your own.”

“Until I fucked it up,” I grunt.

“Everyone makes mistakes, Killer. The stakes are always higher when it involves someone we love, and it makes everything more intense.”

“You sound like you’re talking from experience.”

He shrugs as he moves across the room.

“I guess I’d better go shopping then, huh?” I say when it becomes obvious that he isn’t going to share anything. “See you tomorrow?”

“You got it.”

As I walk out of the trainers' room, movement to the right catches my eye, and I turn and head that way.

Kodie and Fletch are standing at the end of the tunnel, still wearing their training-session gear. I glance around them at the ice to see the D-men still out there.

“Hey, how’s it going?” I ask, stepping up beside them as they watch Nash shoot around the ice in a Vipers training jersey.

Fuck, yeah, that’s weird.

“I think it’ll be fine,” Fletch says after a beat.

Kodie just grunts.

“He’s a beast of a defenseman. He’ll strengthen whatever line Coach puts him on, and he’ll protect Handsy with his life.”

“Yeah, until his anger gets the better of him.”

“Maybe it won’t,” Fletch says, although there isn’t a lot of conviction behind it. “Maybe it was Vancouver that fired him up like that. We’ve all seen the difference in Rett since he became a Viper.”

“I’m not sure this is the same,” Kodie mutters. “Nash has hated the world and everyone in it for so long, it’s got to be ingrained by now.”

“Then we need to figure out what the fuck his issues are sooner rather than later, so we can get this team together.”

Kodie lifts his hand and squeezes Fletch’s shoulder. “Good luck with that, man.”

As if he knows we’re talking about him, Nash looks up and directly at us. When he sees Kodie, his eyes narrow.

“Fuck this,” Kodie grunts before spinning around and stalking off.

“Seems like you’ve got your work cut out for you there, Cap,” I tease.

He sighs. “It’s bullshit that stems from their college days; it can’t be all that hard to bury, right?”

“Hmm, rather you than me.”

“Fucking hell.” Fletch groans, dragging his hand down his face.

It’s only now that I glance over at him. The dark circles under his eyes catch me by surprise.

“Is everything okay?” I ask, concern tugging at me.

“What? Yeah. The last few weeks have just been a lot of travel, and with the holidays coming up and everything it adds a lot of pressure, especially on Reese, who’s left here holding down the fort.”

“Man, I haven’t seen her in ages.”

He quirks a brow, and I know exactly what he’s about to say before the words leave his mouth.