Page 30 of Broken As Puck

Coach narrowed his eyes, and I got the feeling he wanted to give Delacrue a verbal smackdown, but he refrained. “Maybe so, but it’s for a good cause. It’s part of our mandated rehabilitation plan, and I expect everyone who can will attend. I’ll be making a note of who doesn’t.”

“It’s not going to ruin your tough reputation if you pet a few dogs,” I assured Delacrue. He just glared at me in response.

“We’ll also be debuting the new mascot, decided on by the PR staff after listening to your ideas,” Coach said. “It’s important. Be there. For now, get changed and get out onto the ice. I want you all warmed up and ready to go in twenty.”

I taped my stick and got into my gear, then headed out and skated a few laps of the rink to get moving. We played several mock games, practicing particular plays to improve the cohesion between the forwards and the defense.

I worked with Gauthier and we cycled through the different combinations of forwards, getting used to everyone’s style. I blocked and checked and tackled, taking on a more aggressive role while Gauthier focused on getting the puck to our forwards.

By the time we left the ice again, my muscles were pleasantly sore, and I was looking forward to a hot shower. I was trying not to think beyond that or else I’d start worrying about my plan and whether I might be about to overstep just a tiny bit. I supposed I’d find out soon enough.

I lathered my hair as water beat down on my back, soothing away the tension and making me feel almost drowsy. I lingered for as long as I dared before dressing in another blue shirt—because why not use every advantage I had—and carrying my offering up the stairs.

I’d put it in a backpack, so it wasn’t immediately obvious, and I was grateful for that as I crossed the office floor and sat beside Chelsey.

“Were the animals your idea?” I asked, setting the backpack down carefully so as not to jar anything inside.

She spun toward me, eyes wide. Perhaps she hadn’t heard me approach. “What?” She frowned. “I mean, yes, they were. Everyone loves hot guys with cute animals. Do you have a problem with that?”

I couldn’t help the grin that stole across my face. “It’s awesome. I’m excited about it. I think it’ll be a lot of fun.”

She looked disappointed by my enthusiasm. “Oh, that’s good, I guess.”

“Did you watch our game?” I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know. If she hadn’t, it would be bad for my ego, but my curiosity drove me to ask.

She sighed and rubbed her temples. “I did. You played well.”

Heat rushed to my cheeks, and I knew they must be flaming red. My heart warmed, and I was more pleased than I wanted to admit. She cared enough to watch. Surely that meant something.

“Thank you.” I wanted to say more, but her expression told me that would be a bad idea. “I got something for you.”

She tilted her head to the side, her hair following the movement like a curtain of silk, releasing a sweet scent that must be from her shampoo. “You shouldn’t have.”

“Well, I did.”

I’d second-guessed myself a bunch of times since I’d made the order, but I had no use for the gift I bought her, so as soon as I’d paid for it, I’d pretty much committed myself.

I opened the backpack, pulled out a box, and placed it on the desk in front of her, then reached back in and withdrew another, and another, and another. Eventually, there were half a dozen boxes stacked on the desk and a very confused Chelsey, who didn’t seem to know what to make of this.

She slid the smaller boxes aside and stared at the top of the larger one. It was, as far as I could tell, Nikon’s top-of-the-line camera in terms of landscape photography. The lenses I’d chosen to go with it were all slightly different sizes.

She opened her mouth, closed it again, and then shook her head. “What is this?”

“A gift. For you. You said that you didn’t have the best camera for landscape photography. I’m hoping you still prefer Nikon, and if so, this is the best landscape kit according to the guy at the camera shop.”

She seemed completely nonplussed. “I can’t accept this.”

“There are no strings attached. If it makes you feel better, you can use it for your job. I checked and it’s also good for wide-angle shots of playing fields and stadiums.” I knew a little about cameras from my time with her, but I’d made sure to consult the experts for these purchases since I didn’t know nearly enough about the technical side of things.

She picked up the box, seemed about to open it, then set it down. “Why would you buy this for me? It must have cost a lot of money.”

“Only a few thousand dollars. That’s not much to me these days.” I didn’t say that to brag or to make her more comfortable with the gift. I wasn’t about to add that the cost of the additional lenses had been in the range of five figures.

“But why?” she persisted.

“Because I could tell you wanted it, and I wanted you to have it.” It was that simple and that complicated. I’d give her everything, if only she’d let me.

She shook her head again. “It’s too much. I can’t accept it.”