Page 20 of Playing to Win

My body was happy, so I pulled Jayna close and rested my head on hers. I gave my best smile—digging up some of that excitement from the game last night, and she took photos.

She stayed on my lap while she checked them over. “That’ll do. You actually look like you’re happy with me.”

I was. Maybe I could pull this off.

* * *

Exhaustion draggedat me as I pushed through the door of our townhouse. Luke was sprawled on the couch, playing a video game.

When he saw me he paused the game and tossed the controller aside. “You okay?”

He looked worried, which was fair. Not only was he the closest friend I had, he’d saved my ass this morning, and I hadn’t been in touch since I left.

There was too much to tell him, too much to work out to do it on a phone call at the Blaze arena or while I was in an Uber on the way to the bar where I’d left my truck. The driver had a Blaze phone charger and water bottle, and I had to watch every fucking word for a while.

I dropped on the couch and pressed my palms to my eyes. I rubbed them, trying to figure out where to start.

“Mitch?”

I let my hands drop with a sigh. “I’ve got a lot to tell you.”

He frowned. “What did they do?”

I snorted. “They” had left everything to Kira and Jayna, and the two of them had done…a lot and nothing. I’d been the one to start this, and I was the one who had to do most of the heavy lifting. Me and Jayna. But Luke was still clueless, and I needed him with me on this.

“Okay, first thing, I’m playing for the Blaze for I don’t even know how long. They need a backup, and that’s me.”

Luke pumped his fist. “That’s great. They weren’t pissed by the video?”

“Oh, they’re pissed. Super pissed. But they still need me to play.”

Luke’s eyes narrowed. “They’re short a goalie?”

“They didn’t tell me, just that I’m still playing, but if you connect the dots…”

“Well, I’m sorry for whoever you’re bumping, but this is great for you.”

It was saving my ass is what it was.

“You just get away with it?”

Reasonable question. Hockey players got away with stuff all the time. But usually established players, not someone barely called-up like me. “No. I need your help, and you have to not tell anyone.”

Luke waited, steady and trustworthy. He was from Newfoundland, about as far as you could get from Montana, but neither of us were from big cities and we’d had a lot to get used to when we arrived with the Inferno. I had a couple of inches on him in height, but he was sturdier. Broad and muscled, making him hard to get off the puck.

“The video is out there. I said stupid shit about Faith Devereaux, and I can’t undo it. It makes me look like I don’t respect women hockey players, and that’s not acceptable. So the team’s publicity people have a plan.”

Luke smirked. “This I’ve got to hear.”

I held up my hand and went to the fridge for some water. I explained as I poured a glass. “I was pissed with Faith because my girlfriend went to celebrate with her, instead of with me.”

Luke blinked. “But you don’t have a girlfriend. I mean, do you? I haven’t seen you with anyone.” He furrowed his brow, trying to remember if he’d seen me with a girl more than once.

He hadn’t. I’d decided before college that nothing was going to distract me from hockey, including dating. “I do now.”

“You do?”

“Not a real girlfriend, obviously.”

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