Page 52 of Hot Shot
“Stoneheart and I have history.”
“Stoneheart, as in the Fury’s forward?” He furrows his brows.
“Yeah,” I huff out.This is fucking hard. I hate talking about him.
“Stoneheart, as in the alternate captain for Nashville? That Stoneheart?” Caleb asks.
“Yep,” I say, popping thep, “that Stoneheart.”
“What kind of history?” He looks me up and down as if he’ll find the answer written on my body. “Like he’s going to punch you in the face history?”
I shrug because who the hell knows what Elias is going to do when he sees me.
“You need to give me something to work with so I can clue the others in, Hunter. I don’t need all the details, but I need to know what to expect when we’re out on the ice.”
I blow out a breath. “He’s my brother.”
Caleb stares at me without saying anything.Yeah, me too man, me too.“Half brother,” I amend.
“Let me get this straight. Elias Stoneheart is your half brother?”
“Yeah,” I say.
Caleb scratches his head. “Well, damn. I was not expecting that.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“No. No. Not like that.” He puts a hand on my shoulder. “I meant that you two don’t share a last name, and you’ve never mentioned a brother who plays hockey.”
“Half brother,” I grit out.
“I see there’s no love lost between the two of you,” he says with a shake of his head. “Alright, well, I’ll make sure the team knows to watch your back tomorrow.” He picks up his bag and starts toward the plane.
“Can you not mention the whole half brother thing?” I follow him up the stairs. The front office knows and I’m sure Coach does too, but I don’t exactly want to yell from the rooftops that Elias is my brother.
Pausing halfway up, he turns back to me. “Sure. They won’t hear it from me. Don’t expect them to not figure something is up. Or not ask a million questions.”
He gives me a half smile and a shrug. “Might be easier if you told them.” He doesn’t give me time to answer, instead continuing up the stairs and boarding the plane. I follow silently behind him.
Ready to get the show on the road.
Walking back into the locker room after the game, I’m riding the high of my first goal.
Which also happened to be the game-winning goal.
If I’d been asked earlier today if I thought I’d score my first goal of my NHL career here in Nashville, I would have said no. If someone had told me it would be the goal that gave us the lead late in the third period after we’d been tied since early in the game, I would have thought they were crazy.
Staring at the puck in my hand I grin, feeling the weight that’s been sitting on my chest about this milestone finally lift.
Coach presented it a few minutes ago while the team photographer snapped pictures that I’m sure are already all over social media.
For once I had the media asking me questions when they usually don’t even glance my way. Thankfully, that’s all done and over with.
Now I can finally take a shower and get out of my wet uniform.
A commotion pulls me out of my thoughts, and someone calls my name. I sigh, hoping it’s not more media, and get up from the bench. I round the corner, and my face falls as I see him—my half brother—standing in the doorway. Caleb and Wes are in front of him, their arms crossed, blocking him from getting farther inside.
Caleb turns to me as I walk up. “He says he came to congratulate you. What do you want us to do? I have no problem throwing him out.”
