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“Count me in.”
“Thanks, man. Appreciate it.”
“Fuck,” Noah choked out, and I glanced up to see what had caught his eye, smirking when I spotted Rory wearing his jersey.
“Still not over that sight, huh?”
“Don’t think I’ll ever be over it. She’s it for me, Mase. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? But I love the fuck out of that girl.”
“I’m happy for you. I am.” My chest tightened with something I refused to acknowledge.
Thankfully, Coach Tucker called us in to the players’ benches to give us another pep talk. “We made the win look easy last night, but that does not mean we can be complacent. Detroit is a strong team, and don’t for a second doubt they’ll come out tonight looking to remind you of that.”
“Coach Tucker is right,” Coach Dixon whipped off his ball cap and ran a hand through his salt and pepper hair. He looked a bit tired, dark shadows circling his eyes.
I hadn’t said anything about seeing him in TPB last night, and neither had Leon or Ward, but the strange interaction hung between the four of us like a bad smell.
Ward cast me a sideways look, but I remained focused on our coaching staff.
“They’ll be hungry for it, so keep your eyes up and watch their center. Give him too much space, and he’ll run circles around you.”
“We had him pinned last night,” Connor pointed out.
“Most of the time. They still managed to get three across the line. Don’t let it be three too many.”
Something drew Coach D’s attention across the ice, his expression darkening. I glanced over my shoulder to find Harper squeezing into the row behind my brother and Mom. She sat down next to Rory, and Scottie instantly twisted around to talk to her.
“Someone looks happy to see her,” Noah whispered, and I scowled at him, not bothering to ask if he meant Coach Dixon or my brother.
“Mason, son. Just keep doing what we’ve been practicing. The rest of you guys remember to use him. He’s the secret weapon that could take you all the way this year.”
A couple of the guys snickered, shooting me bemused looks. I kept my head down, uncomfortable with the constant attention he aimed in my direction.
Especially after the bar last night.
“Okay, warm up. And be ready,” Coach Tucker ended the pep talk, and we all hit the ice, running a few basic drills while we waited for the Bulldogs.
“He acting a bit strange to you?” Ward skated in close, dipping his head toward the coaches.
“None of my business,” I said, and I meant it.
We all knew Coach had been given a place on campus to stay, but beyond that, what he did in his spare time was nothing to do with the rest of the team or me. Yet, I couldn’t shake the way he’d acted toward Harper, the dejection in her voice as she talked about him.
That was why I kept my circle close. Because then I didn’t have to worry about other people’s shit.
My gaze flicked toward the family and friends section, and I shook my head. Scottie had somehow wormed his way between Harper and Rory, the three of them deep in conversation.
“Cute kid,” Ward said, noticing.
“Wait until he busts your balls about your performance tonight. You won’t be calling him cute then.”
“Good thing I plan on putting in a stellar performance then.”
“Cocky asshole,” I muttered, circling him as I cut across the ice to intercept a puck from Aiden.
“You good?” he asked, and I frowned.
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
