Page 27 of Shootout
“No one was as surprised as I. Not a warning. Nothing. That’s hockey.”
“Yeah, it is. But guys of our caliber usually get more say in our futures.”
“Not so much anymore. No one is untouchable.” I was flattered he’d included me in his statement.
“Seattle is damn lucky to have you. You’re the most talented player on that team.”
I wasn’t convinced my teammates would agree with his assessment, but I decided the less I said about my feelings toward being in Seattle, the better. After all, this guy did work for the Sockeyes.
“There’s an upside to being traded. The Sockeyes are a front-runner for the Cup this year. You’re still looking for your first Cup, aren’t you?”
He knew very well I was, but he got in a subtle dig to put me in my place. Detroit’s last Cup win was long before I’d started playing for them.
This team had talent, but I wasn’t sure we had chemistry, which in my opinion, carried a team further than raw talent.
Movement on the ice caught Boris’s attention, and he forgot all about me. He tensed and leaned forward. “Too much talking and not enough practice,” he muttered.
I followed his gaze. The girls were gathered in a circle while Jessie drew something on a whiteboard. I couldn’t see what it was.
“It’s not unusual to take breaks and go over the finer points of the game.” I trod lightly, yet I felt protective of Jessie.
“Or it’s a sign of someone who doesn’t know what she’s doing.”
“Jessie knows hockey,” I defended her even though I had zero knowledge of how well she relayed that knowledge to her students. “She has two gold medals and still holds several scoring and assist records at the college level.”
Boris frowned at me, not expecting me to disagree with him. “What do you know about her?”
“Quite a bit.” His skeptical scowl goaded me into my next words. “She’s my girlfriend. I’m very aware of her abilities.”
Boris’s head snapped in my direction, and he gaped at me. “You two are dating?”
“Yeah, met this summer when she was interviewing with the team, and I was visiting Seattle.” I might as well tell the same story as I told my teammates to keep my lies straight. What the fuck was I thinking? Every time I opened my mouth lately, I buried myself another foot deeper with this fake relationship. I was a party boy, a guy who liked a different girl every night, and now I’d sentenced myself to one woman, even worse, possible celibacy. Normally road trips would be where I’d hook up with willing participants, but with Wild breathing down my neck, I wouldn’t be able to get away with my normal antics.
I felt Boris’s eyes on me and grinned at him. He stared in disbelief. I tilted my head questioningly. “Something wrong?”
“You don’t seem like the type to settle down with one girl.”
“I don’t?” I didn’t know whether to be insulted or flattered. “And what type is that?”
“You know. You’re a hockey player who lives the party lifestyle, and dating a teammate’s sister has to put a damper on hooking up with bunnies.”
I shrugged and wisely stayed quiet for once. Anything that came out of my mouth at this point would be a detriment to my future on this team. Boris’s rep as a party boy, even when he’d been married, was legendary in the league, and I wasn’t going to go there. I turned my attention back to the girls on the ice. Jessie now had two sets working on half-ice drills.
“Jessie is a highly competent instructor whose hockey knowledge and eye far exceed the majority of the men on staff.” I hadn’t watched Jessie enough to back up what I was saying, but I couldn’t help myself.
Boris grimaced. “We preferred Jonas. He did great things for Marnie during summer camp.”
I didn’t have a fucking clue who Jonas was, but I rushed to defend Jessie. “Give her time. You’ll be happy with the results.”
“Have you noticed that the male staff are coaching mostly the boys, and she’s coaching the girls?”
I shrugged. “I’m not sure what you’re getting at.”
“The Sockeyes are giving the leftovers to the girls. That’s simply not fair.”
I bristled with indignance at his slight on Jessie but reined in my temper as best I could. “I can assure you Jessie is not a leftover.”
Boris harrumphed as his gaze followed his daughter on the ice. “Of course you’d say that. You have a personal stake in her career.”
