Page 48 of Broken As Puck

I glanced at her. “They deserve their privacy.”

That sounded a whole lot more noble than the fact I was worried about how I might react if I saw Matt sans clothes. Very little was able to strip my common sense as fast as a glimpse of his sexy abs or those thick arms.

I looked around the stadium. It was laid out much like any other, except there was a lot of glass. A nearby hotdog stand had just sold out, and the disappointed people remaining in the line were scanning the area for other options while the vendors started to clean their equipment.

The reporters had gathered in a small media room, and to my right, there was movement as Coach Dunn and Austin left the changing rooms and made their way to the media room too. I snuck in the back to watch the press conference. The Minnesota coach and one of their wings were seated at the front already, so when Coach Dunn and Austin joined them, they got started.

After the Q&A was over, the team loaded onto a bus and returned to the hotel. I noted that Jesse was clutching Frankie the fox, and when I leaned over to ask Assistant Coach Willets about it, he grinned.

“We’re giving him to the player who was most sportsmanlike after each game to take home until the next one.”

I laughed. “Very peewee hockey.” Not a bad idea, though, under the circumstances. “Do you think you could let me know who gets him each time, and I’ll post a photo of them on social media with a short blurb about why he was awarded the fox?”

“Sure thing.”

At the hotel, the players retired to their rooms to prepare for dinner. I was sharing a room with Kim, and she claimed the bathroom immediately, so I changed into a pale blue blouse and white jeans, which I’d have to be careful not to spill anything on, and used the small mirror inside the wardrobe to touch up my makeup.

I waited until Kim finished in the shower, and then we walked down to the private dining room together. She wasn’t much for small talk, but it was nice to have the company of another woman amongst all the testosterone.

A long table was set out end to end in the narrow room. I scanned the length, debating where I could sit that I’d have the smallest likelihood of having to interact with Matt. We’d come to something of a truce, but I still preferred to stay away from him as much as possible.

Honestly, I found him too attractive for my peace of mind. If I wasn’t looking at him, he couldn’t infiltrate my thoughts.

At least that was the theory.

Coach Dunn was sitting at one end of the table with Assistant Coach Willets opposite him. I wandered down and claimed the seat beside Coach Dunn, figuring most of the players probably preferred to sit away from the coaching staff.

Unfortunately, I was right, and for some reason, Matt was one of the last people to arrive. There were only two spaces left, one beside Delacrue and the other beside me. He glanced between them before sending me the tiniest of apologetic smiles and taking the chair beside me.

“Did the documentary team get the footage they needed?” he asked as a pair of waiters entered and started handing out menus.

“I think so,” I replied. “But honestly, I haven’t had a chance to speak to any of them much between the game and now.”

On my other side, Coach Dunn turned toward me. “I thought you were sharing a room with Kim Johns.”

I nodded. “I am, but she got in the shower as soon as we were back, then we came straight here. I feel like she’d have said something if they needed more, but I can’t say for certain.”

A waiter handed me a menu, and I skimmed it. There were only three options for mains and desserts, likely to keep things simple for the people in the kitchen. I chose the pork option, ordered a glass of lemon soda because it didn’t seem wise to drink alcohol while still in a work environment, and passed the menu back.

“Have you done any hikes recently?” Matt asked, fiddling with a napkin like he didn’t quite know what to do with his hands.

“Oh, ah.” I was surprised by the topic. It was easy to forget that he used to be interested in things like that as well. I didn’t know if he still was or if ice hockey consumed his life. “Layla and I went up to the waterfall reserve for sunrise a while ago, but I haven’t been out since then. Have you?”

He shook his head. “Not since the season started. I did spend a week camping at the Indiana Dunes National Park after the end of last season with one of my cousins, but nothing since then.”

Silence fell between us. On the other side, the coaches both seemed happy talking to each other. I’d have tried to insert myself into the conversation if I thought I had a chance of it, but they were midway through something that sounded quite technical, and I doubted I’d be able to catch the thread of it at this point.

“How’s your cat?” I asked because it was the only thing I could think of to break the awkward tension between us.

To my surprise, he grinned. “Wasabi is great. I love how much of an attitude he has. You know how Dad always loved animals and Mom isn’t so keen on them?”

“Yeah?”

He rubbed his hands together. “Well, Wasabi hates Dad for some reason. None of us can figure out why. But he loves Mom and thinks she’s the best thing ever. Whenever they visit, he sits on her feet and then acts all offended when she tries to move. It’s hilarious.”

“He’s settling in well then?”

He grabbed his phone and swiped the screen. “Hold on, let me show you a photo.”