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“Yeah. I know you and trust you because of our friendship. Because I’ve really gotten to know not just what your priorities are but how you take care of the things and people that matter to you.” He looks at me. “This team matters to you. I respect that. I know you’re not one hundred percent, but you need to be out there with them. For them. For you, too. At this point in the season, especially, they need you. If you’re willing to play and risk a setback that will take more work in the off-season, I’m going to trust you.” He pauses. “And I’m here for you to work through it all after the season’s over. We’ll get you back to one hundred percent eventually. But I won’t keep you out of the playoffs.”
I can’t name the emotion I feel. Relief and gratitude, of course, because this means I get to play. But it’s not just that.
Michael trusts me. Because he’s gotten to know me. That makes me…proud, I guess. That makes me feel really stupidly good about myself. Like I earned something I didn’t even know I was trying for. I respect Hughes a lot and I really like the idea that goes both ways. I like that he knows what’s important to me and values my work ethic and knows that I’m willing to make some sacrifices for the greater good.
“Thanks, Doc,” I finally say. “That means a lot.”
He claps me on the shoulder. “I’ve got your back. I’ll even run interference.”
“You think Coach will be mad I’m rushing it?” Then I shake my head. “You thinkNathanmight be mad, right?”
He grins. “I’m more worried about your girlfriend thinking you’re rushing it. And that I’m letting you.”
I laugh. But he’s right. “Good thing you know lots of ways to make her agreeable to your way of thinking.”
He laughs out loud at that. “I’m willing to pull out all the stops. Just for you.”
CHAPTER 19
Sammy the Malamute
(WADE)
The Racketeers pulledout the win!
Finally.
It went down to the last second and if Alexsei hadn’t skated his ass off, they would have had another loss.
It’s hard to be a team mascot when you really want to swear and yell stuff like “Pull your head out of your ass, Wilder! What kind of a block was that?”
But no. I have to be excited and happy about everything. All the fucking time.
I really need a new job.
Except, this one’s pretty great for drama.
Like when Alexsei skated over to the wall just below where Crew McNeill’s girlfriend and sister usually sit.
Only the girlfriend wasn’t here tonight. It was just his gorgeous sister, Luna. Looking hot as fuck in her fitted Racketeers T-shirt and her jeans, her purple tipped hair pulled up on top of her head.
And he said, “Your brother said if I scored, I could ask you out.”
And she said, “I don’t need my brother’s permission for anything. You need to askmeif you can ask me out.”
And then Crew said, “What the hell are you doing here, anyway? I told you I wasn’t playing tonight.”
And she said, “You do realize you’re not the only hockey player on the team right? You’re not even my favorite hockey player on the team.”
And the guy sitting behind her, who I think is Alexsei’s roommate, said, “Damn.”
He’d been watching her through the whole game.
He watches her through every game.
I only know this because I also watch her through every game.
Not in a creepy way.
