Chapter 19 – Cooper
Chapter Nineteen
Cooper
“ W hat the fuck do you mean by they’re working on it ?” I don’t have patience for this shit.
When I arrived at the arena, Remy was already waiting in the locker room, which was never a good sign. I didn’t even have time to say hi to the guys before he dragged me into the small room we used to review game tapes. Remy was sent to break the news about the lack of response from the team to the media.
“It means they are working on it, Coop.” Remy sighs, resting his hand on my shoulder and squeezing. “They’re going to issue a statement after you meet with Murphy in”—he checks his watch—“twenty minutes. They want a better idea of when you’ll be ready to get back on the ice before saying anything.”
Good thing they can rely on me to be a creature of habit. I had no intention of coming to the arena this early. I was planning on spending the day in bed with Beauty, although Momma, Darius, and Alise interrupted us by arriving early. From what Beau told me on the ride over, Momma was excited and couldn’t wait to meet Ramona. This is both a good and bad thing if you ask me.
I want Beauty and Momma to get to know each other better, but we just defined our relationship moments before everyone invaded my house. I can’t take any chances that anyone in my family may say or do something to scare her away. I can already tell from our conversation earlier that she’s hesitant to be in the spotlight, which is another reason I wanted the team to say something before the game started today.
“More like they’re waiting to figure out if their money maker can still make them money.”
“That, too, but the only thing you need to worry about is getting a clean bill of health from Murphy. Have you been keeping up with your workouts?”
“Of course, I have,” I growl, my hands flexing at my side. “I’ve done everything he has asked of me since I woke up from surgery.”
“Good. Just keep doing what you’re doing, and you’ll be back on the ice in no time. The Timberwolves need another Stanley Cup to add to the trophy case.” Remy drops into a seat and stares at me, waiting for me to make another excuse, but I keep my mouth clamped shut.
“Now that we have that out of the way, that’s not what I came here to tell you.”
I raise my eyebrow. “Isn’t it my lucky day? What other amazing news do you have for me?”
“The Wolverines are looking to trade Cole.”
That statement knocks the wind right out of my sails. My mind races, attempting to make sense of what Remy just said. “That doesn’t make sense. He’s their best offensive player and had almost as many goals as I did last year.”
“I know, and that’s the problem. He’s almost as good as you. I know you joke around with Beau about being the second-best Hendrix brother, but it seems the Wolverines are thinking the same thing about Cole.”
“I’m not playing for the Wolverines. I’d rather retire.”
“I know that, and so do they, but they’re hoping to light a fire under Cole’s ass by threatening to do so.”
This wouldn’t be the first time that a team threatened a trade to get a player to play to their full potential. However, the problem is that Cole has played for the Wolverines since being drafted at eighteen. He’s been in the starting lineup for the last ten years, skating circles around all of his teammates. According to Remy, he’s even offered to take a huge pay cut to stay on the team, but no dice. What the fuck are they thinking?
“Those motherfuckers. What can we do?”
“We? Nothing. Cole is dead set on staying a Wolverine. He’s training harder than I’ve ever seen him train before, but we both know they want something from him.”
Remy stares at me, not saying a word when an idea comes to mind. “Me. They want me so Cole can stay on the team.”
“You got it.”
“They know Cole and I haven’t spoken much to each other since the night before he signed with them, right?”
“I haven’t the foggiest. But what they do know is how loyal you are to your family. What big brother would let their little brother be traded, or worse, become a free agent, when all he needs to do is change teams?”
“Motherfucker!” I shout, flinging the chair beside me against the wall. They have fucked with the wrong Hendrix. I pace back and forth in the room like a caged animal, my mind racing to find a solution that keeps Cole a part of the Wolverines and me in a Timberwolves uniform.
“It’s a genius plan. I also have a feeling they are to blame for the rumors that you’re retiring.” I turn my fury and direct it at Remy. “Before you completely lose it, I’m working on a plan to keep you both where you are. But might I suggest you have a conversation with your brother?”
“I wish it were that simple.” I pull in a deep, calming breath, rubbing my hand across the back of my neck. “I’ll see if Beau will talk to him. Maybe he can get some information out of him about what’s being said around the locker room.”
“Good idea.” Remy pushes to his feet and strolls toward the door. “Just focus on getting back on the ice and let me take care of the rest.”
I take a few moments to regain my composure before I follow him out of the room, heading straight for Beau’s locker. Unfortunately, he’s nowhere to be found. Fuck. I really want to talk to him before the game. Even though he and Cole don’t speak often, they chat occasionally before games and text randomly here and there. I have to get to him before they meet because I doubt I’d be welcome.
“Coop, just the man I’ve been looking for.” Murphy comes into the locker room, a team of trainers following behind him. “Were you planning on ducking out of our meeting?”
“Were you planning on signing off for me to get on the ice tonight?”
“Cooper.”
“I know. You want to give my knee more time to heal.” I raise my hands in surrender.
This is usually when I’d let it go, but not today. There’s even more at stake now than ever before. I need to get back on the ice, and fast. I don’t want any more rumors floating around about me retiring, and I must fix this problem for Cole. I can’t accomplish either of those things sitting on the injured reserve list. “I’ve been working out three times a day and doing every exercise you’ve thrown at me. What else do you want me to do?”
Murphy turns to the team of trainers behind him. “Why don’t you guys give us a minute? You can start on getting everyone taped up and stretched out before warm-ups.”
They file out toward the training room, leaving Murphy and me alone. We stare at each other, neither of us wanting to make the first move, when he finally speaks. “March.”
“March? That’s the start of the playoff season, Murphy. Do I really need to wait that long?”
That’s six months away. Six. Months. I’ve seen guys come back from knee injuries much quicker than that before. Yes, they were younger and not all ACL tears, but I can’t possibly need to wait that long to get back on the ice.
“If you want me to sign off on you returning to play, yes. You can start practicing with the team once the season begins and move to full contact at practices, but no gameplay until the playoffs. It gives you more time to heal. Besides, don’t you have a kids hockey team to coach?”
I sigh, knowing this is the best deal I can get. And Murphy is right. I made a commitment to coach the team through the season, and I don’t back down from my commitments. Not to mention I have a new girlfriend I’d love to spend as much time with as possible. This gives me the opportunity to show her what it would be like to be with me for the long haul while also protecting her privacy as much as I can.
“Deal. But you need to have the team make a statement about my injury. I don’t care what they tell them, but I don’t want to hear any more of these rumors about retirement.”
Murphy holds his hand out to me, and we shake on it. “I can make that happen.”
“Aww, did you two kiss and make up?” Beau strolls into the locker room. He’s already dressed in black long-sleeve Under Armour and his pads. “Thank fuck because I’m sick of you being so grumpy, Coop.”
“I’m not grumpy, but we have come to an understanding.”
“And?” Beau asks, dropping onto the bench in front of his locker and grabbing his skates. He must be getting ready for warm-ups. I wonder if he’s already talked to Cole.
“Cooper will be back on the ice with the team this week, but he won’t be moved off the injured reserve list until the playoffs.” Murphy releases my hand and heads for the training room. Apparently, we’ve been dismissed.
“March. We have to wait until March to get you back on the ice?” I nod my head, not knowing a better way to put it. “I guess that means we better make it to the fucking playoffs.”
“It does.” Beau doesn’t say another word as he pulls on his skates and takes his time lacing them up. “Have you seen Cole around?”
“Way to be subtle there, bro.” Beau chuckles, sliding on his blade guards before standing to his feet.
“We don’t have time for subtlety. Have you seen him or not?”
I could explain everything that Remy told me to Beau, but he’d ask too many questions. What I need to do is find Cole and see if I can get him to at least listen to what I have to say. Maybe we can put our heads together and find a solution that will be beneficial for both of us.
“Not yet.” Beau slaps me on the back. “I planned on stopping by before heading out to the ice for warm-ups.”
Is it really that simple? Images of him walking up to their away team locker room door, knocking, and asking to see Cole just like when we were kids. “Stopping by? You just stop by and hang out in our biggest rival’s locker room before game day?”
“No, asshole. I stop by to say hello and good luck to our little brother. You should try it sometime.” Beau throws his hand up in the air before striding toward the locker room entrance.
I have two choices. I can sit here and twiddle my thumbs, hoping to run into Cole before his team leaves to head back to Boise, or I can follow Beau’s example and try to have a chat with our brother in the locker room.
“Okay,” I respond, storming past him and flinging the door open. He barely makes it through before it clicks shut.
“Okay? Okay, what?” Beau rushes to keep pace with me. It’s not as easy to move with skates, even with years of practice.
“Okay. Let’s go say hello.”
“Out of all the times to listen to something I have to say, you pick now.” I doubt he wanted me to hear that, but he isn’t wrong. He’s been begging me to at least talk to our brother, hoping that one conversation will mend the hurt between us. But it’s not that simple. Nothing between Cole and me has ever been that simple.
I knock loudly on the door, and it flings open. Cole stands there, shock written on his face. He looks almost the same as he did the night he walked out of Momma’s house, just older and a lot more muscular. I haven’t seen him since the game last year when I hurt my knee, but he looks good. Exhausted but good. His hair is a similar shade as mine, just darker and cut closer on the sides. He’s dressed almost the same as Beau. The only difference is his pants, sporting the Wolverines’ red and royal blue team colors instead of our green and beige.
We stare at each other for a few seconds before Beau speaks up. “Hey, Cole. How’s it going?”
“What the fuck is he doing here?” he snarls, stepping out of the locker room and letting the door shut behind him.
“Can’t I come and wish my baby brother good luck?” I shrug, trying to act as normal as possible. I can’t very well just come out and ask him if he’s being threatened with a trade or a pay cut in the middle of the locker room. Something like this takes finesse, or time, both things I don’t have much of.
“No. Not without strings, so what the fuck do you want?” Straight to the point. That’s how it’s always been with Cole. He charges in head first like a bull in a china shop. That’s probably what got him into this situation in the first place.
“I talked to Remy about what’s been going on.”
“Nothing has been going on, Cooper. When are you going to get it through your thick head that I can take care of myself?” Cole turns to head back into the locker room, but I grip his shoulder.
“Please, Cole. I just want to help.”
“You know how you can help? Just disappear. I prefer you much better when you’re a selfish asshole who only thinks of himself. You’re good at that. Why don’t you ruin someone else’s life?” He shakes off my hand and heads back into the locker room.
“That went well...” Beau chuckles, throwing his arm over my shoulder, but I shrug it off. I don’t know why I thought Cole would listen to me after all these years. He’s still just as stubborn and hardheaded as he was at eighteen. Too stubborn to know that I always have his best interest at heart.
I duck from beneath his arm and head toward the front of the arena. “Get to warm-ups. I have to go wait for Momma at will-call.”
“Cooper.”
I know that tone. Beau is ready to give me one of his lectures about trying to understand where Cole is coming from and all that bullshit. But what about where I’m coming from? Remy told me that the Boise Wolverines are dangling my brother’s career in front of him, hoping to add another Hendrix brother to their roster. If I told him that, he’d no doubt offer himself up instead, which would ruin his career and piss Cole off in the process. Not to mention he’ll have to break his very lucrative contract with the Timberwolves, as well. It will not end well for him.
“Just fucking go, Beau. Good luck today.”
Beau pulls me in for a one-armed hug. “Thanks. I wish you were out there with us.”
“Me, too.”