Chapter 17
SEVENTEEN
AUSTIN
My legs burned, and I gasped frigid air into my lungs as the referee skated to the center of the ice and declared that the goal had happened too late. Excitement rippled through our team. That meant the score was still nil-all and we were going into overtime.
Coach Dunn summoned us over.
“It’s three on three, sudden death,” he said, his expression intent.
“We’re going to go hard on the attack, but I don’t want to leave us completely undefended.
Davenport will stay in goal. Kelly and Harris will focus on getting us the win.
If we need to swap out, Taylor and Gadot will take their place. Understood?”
We nodded, and Nick and I took our places on the ice, ignoring the scathing remarks muttered by the Mountain Lions and their fury at having their goal dismissed. They were mad as hell, but we couldn’t let that get to us.
Overtime began and we launched into action. Nick and I had trained and played alongside each other for years. We knew exactly what the other one would do at any given moment. The only reason we’d been a hot mess over the past years was because of Taggert messing up our rhythm.
Now, as Nick got the puck, we zipped past Milwaukee’s two attackers and came up against the defenseman they’d left to watch the goal.
The guy was massive, but we’d run literally hundreds of two-on-one drills against Davenport, who was just as big, and Nick passed smoothly to me.
I feigned a pass back and, when the defenseman moved, sent the puck flying over the line.
The audience in the stadium erupted with applause.
I started to turn, hardly able to believe what had happened—that we’d won—but before I made it the whole way around, a solid body hit me. The air whooshed from my lungs, and my skates slid out from under me. I hadn’t been expecting the impact, so I hadn’t braced myself.
My face cracked against the front of my helmet as I slammed into the ice, making me bite down on my tongue, and a metallic taste filled my mouth.
My nose throbbed, and I ignored the Milwaukee player’s outstretched hand as I climbed back to my feet.
He was probably just trying to save face by pretending he’d had too much momentum to stop before running into me.
Nick circled around beside me, and I slung my arm around his shoulders.
“You okay, man?” he asked.
Warm liquid was trickling over my lips and down my chin from a bloody nose, but I nodded. It wasn’t a big deal. Far worse had happened.
“Did we actually win?” I asked breathlessly.
“Fuck yeah, we did!” Mitch grabbed us in a three-way hug.
Others piled on, their exclamations of joy bringing a smile to my face despite the bloody nose. We’d actually done it. Only two games in, and we’d managed to get a win. Maybe this season wouldn’t be a total disaster.
Jesse slapped my back and whooped. Nick helped me get the helmet off, and Brown offered me a wad of tissues.
We did a celebratory lap of the rink and then shook hands with the opposition.
I made sure to give Herdacre’s hand an extra squeeze, wishing I could do more after what he’d said about Jane earlier.
He gripped me right back and winked. Fury tore through me.
God, I wished I could hit him. I’d have to settle for being happy with the win.
Off the ice, I started making my way to the changing room, grateful that the bleeding had almost stopped, only to come to a halt when a small, feminine hand grabbed my sleeve.
“Austin!” Jane made a sound of distress in the back of her throat. “Are you okay? There’s so much blood.”
“I’m fine.” I shifted from foot to foot, a strange emotion bubbling inside me as she pulled a packet of tissues from her handbag and used them to mop around my nose and mouth. I was surprised she cared so much.
Jane’s touch was gentle, and each brush of the tissues deepened a little ache in my chest. She was fussing over me, and I… liked it.
“Naww, isn’t that cute,” Jesse said, grabbing one of my cheeks and squishing it. “Want me to kiss you and make it better too?”
I rolled my eyes and cuffed him on the back of the head. He was an idiot, but I didn’t mind the teasing. Not if it meant I got to have Jane take care of me with that tender look in her eyes, as if I actually mattered to her.
“Leave him be,” Matt rumbled from somewhere behind me. “They’re in love.”
A jolt ran through me, and I met Jane’s eyes. Her cheeks flushed, and she snatched her hand away from my face. Somehow, Matt’s well-intentioned comment had done more to ruin the moment than Jesse’s teasing had.
The atmosphere in the changing rooms was like night and day compared to how it had been following our game against Detroit.
The rookies were ecstatic, already talking about what they were going to order at Rinkside to celebrate and whether they’d be able to find puck bunnies to take home for the night.
I dabbed the last of the blood from my nose onto my shirt, removed my skates, and started to undress as the rest of the team filed in.
Coach Dunn whistled to get our attention but told us to keep changing while we listened.
“Good job, team.” He was smiling, his face red, his tone almost jovial. “You really pulled it together out there. It was a bit of a mess at first, but you got your shit together and showed that when you work as a team, you’re capable of getting the W.”
“Damn right we are!” Rasmussen hollered.
Coach shot him a look. “I’ve been talking it over with Stephen and Joseph Trent, and we want to accelerate your ability to function effectively together.”
I frowned as I slipped off my pants, wondering what they had in mind.
“That’s why we’ll be going on a mandatory team bonding trip next week.
We’ll spend two nights staying at a camp in LaBagh woods.
While we’re there, you guys are going to do everything our expert tells you to without complaint, and then we’ll come back and play hard the following weekend against the Colorado Dragons. ”
Someone groaned. I scowled, imagining trust falls and hokey bonding activities, but then I was sidetracked by the thought that Jane’s brother played for the Colorado Dragons.
It would be my first time seeing him since I’d found out who she was—and since we’d announced our “relationship.” Would he expect to meet up afterward to give me the shovel talk or something? If Hazel were dating someone seriously, I knew I’d want to do that.
“Enough,” Assistant Coach Willets said. “It’ll be fun.
We aren’t going to let you off easy, but we want you to enjoy yourselves too, which is why we’re allowing you to bring your partners, on the condition that you’re available during daylight hours for team activities while your significant others keep themselves busy. ”
Jesse raised his hand.
“Yes, Young?” Coach Dunn asked, exasperated.
“For those of us who don’t have partners, can we bring someone else along?”
Coach glanced up at the ceiling, as if silently asking God for strength. “This is work, not an opportunity for an extended booty call or hookup.”
“That’s not fair,” Jesse protested.
Dunn didn’t seem bothered by that accusation. “Life isn’t fair. Now, if nobody else has any complaints, we have a new logo to show you. Our design team has new uniforms on order, but we’ve also got a key ring here for each of you so you can get used to it before the gear arrives.”
Assistant Coach Willets opened one of the unassigned lockers nearby and pulled out a Canvas bag.
He started a circuit around the locker room, reaching inside and handing out key chains to each player.
When it was my turn, I took the key chain and studied it with interest. While I didn’t really see the big deal in changing the logo, I was curious what the new look would be.
It was a blue fox head silhouette, side profile, with a silver muzzle, and the word “chaos” in bold, capitalized block letters beneath it. The background was also silver, a dark blue line around the outline of the head creating contrast between that and the silver of the muzzle.
Honestly, it was cooler than I’d expected. Foxes were clever little guys, but it was difficult to make them look badass.
The coaches told us to shower, and Dunn invited Nick and me to meet with the press. I tucked the key chain into my bag, finished undressing, and cleaned myself up, making sure to wash my hair thoroughly because it was soaking with sweat.
I dressed in tailored trousers and a pressed shirt, then accompanied Nick and Coach to the media room, where we fielded the usual questions.
There was a buzz that seemed to be verging on optimistic, as if the local reporters were starting to hope that the season might be different, but they were still afraid to believe it.
I understood how they felt.
Once I was discharged from my duties, I found Jane and Hazel waiting for me in the corridor.
Hazel flung her arms around me. “Congratulations! I’m so happy for you!”
Chuckling, I wrapped her in a hug. “Thanks, Haze.”
“When you scored that goal, I screamed so loud.” Based on the flush of her cheeks and the sparkle in her eyes, I believed her. “Jane did, too.”
I glanced at Jane. She was blushing.
“What?” she demanded, her blush deepening. “It was nice to see you guys take the win for once. You deserved it. You played really well.”
Warmth filled me. As my assistant, Jane had always been on my side, but this seemed like more than that. It felt personal, and it worried me how much I liked being able to tell the difference.
“You played well too, Nick,” Hazel said, turning to my friend.
“If you guys are interested, the others are on their way to Rinkside. We volunteered to wait for you. We made sure to book a table this time, so they won’t be caught off guard when so many people turn up.
Jane said it was a bit of a struggle to fit everyone in last time. ”
I exchanged a look with Nick. “What do you say? Want a celebratory drink?”
He grinned. “I’m in.”
We wandered out to the parking lot together, but Nick broke off to take his own vehicle while Jane, Hazel, and I drove together. Jane got into the driver’s seat, and I took the passenger seat, wanting to be near her.
As we pulled onto the road, she asked, “What did that guy say to you that made Drew go off on him?”
I grimaced, not wanting to answer. “Nothing worth mentioning.”
Hazel laughed. “That sounds like a non-answer.”
“I agree,” Jane said, switching on the indicator and turning a corner.
I sighed. “He made a crass comment about you, Jane.”
“Oh.” Her voice fell. “I’m sorry, I don’t want to cause any trouble for you.”
My gut heated. Of course she wouldn’t be furious on her own behalf. She was just worried about the effect it might have on me.
“You aren’t,” I assured her, barely resisting the urge to reach across the space between us and take her hand. “Other people cause trouble. Never you.”
“You two are so cute!” Hazel squealed from the back seat.
I snuck a look at Jane, only to find her looking back at me with a hint of concern in her eyes before she turned back to the road.
It concerned me too. I worried that Hazel was reading too much into this and that she’d be upset when the charade ended.
I supposed we’d just have to deal with the fallout when the time came.
By the time we reached Rinkside, the rest of the team were already gathered along one wall, the tables having obviously already been set up like that earlier in the day.
There were a couple of free seats at the nearest end, so I took the one at the head of the table, while Hazel and Jane sat to my left and Nick sat to my right.
“We ordered you the chicken salad with a side of potatoes,” Jesse said, leaning past Nick to speak to me. “We know how much you like your greens. Nick, buddy, it’s steak and steamed vegetables for you.”
“Thanks, Jesse,” I said. “What about the girls?”
“Fish and chips and a beer for Jane.” He winked at her across the table. “I remember what you said about your preferences. And for Hazel, we ordered a chicken sandwich.”
Jane thanked him, and Hazel followed suit. He did a typical dudebro up-nod, and I thanked my lucky stars once again that the team playboy seemed to have no interest in my sister. Or perhaps he just knew that I’d bury him if he ever looked at her sideways.
Our meals arrived soon after we did, and we chatted amongst ourselves while we ate. It was warm inside, and despite my tender nose and aching muscles, a pleasant, contented sleepiness washed over me.
Unfortunately, it only lasted until the lights over the dance floor dimmed, and Hazel grabbed Jane’s hand and tugged her over to dance.
I watched them, uncertain whether I should join them or intervene and save Jane.
I knew she was far from an extrovert. She seemed to enjoy dancing, though, and I knew she liked Hazel, so perhaps she didn’t mind being dragged around.
I stood and took a couple steps toward them, but at that point, she looked over and waved me away. I sat again, keeping an eye on her, but judging from her smile, she was happy enough with the situation.
“You have got it so bad,” Jesse said, draining a colorful drink that I sure as hell hoped didn’t contain any tequila. “You can’t take your eyes off her.”
“Can, too,” I protested, then pulled a face when I realized I sounded like a toddler.
Jesse smirked. “Uh-huh.”
“You are kinda preoccupied,” Matt observed, no teasing in his voice but a faint twinkle in his eye.
On the dance floor, Hazel twirled Jane around, and my fake girlfriend laughed, her lips parted, hair catching the light as it spun around her shoulders.
Jane captivated me. I couldn’t deny it.
She was the kind of person who, at first glance, you overlooked, but the more time you spent studying her, the more fascinating her subtleties became.
Sadly, I couldn’t act on the attraction. The lines between us were already blurred enough and, much as I might be tempted, I had no desire to watch affection fade over time as she realized I couldn’t give her what she needed.
A man approached them. They chatted for a couple of moments, then Hazel took his hand and let him lead her away. Jane looked up and met my eyes. She took a couple steps toward me, but then another guy cut her off, holding out his hand to her.
Before I knew what I was doing, I was already halfway across the room, sliding my arm around Jane’s waist and kissing her cheek.
“Sorry,” I said to the other guy. “She’s taken.”
I swept her into a dance, holding her close and spinning her around and around, drinking up the sound of her laughter.
When she smiled, there was something so much softer in her gaze than I was used to. My heart thumped and my cock stiffened.
I had to admit, I was in a whole lot of trouble.