Page 111 of The Rebound Plan

I glance at the door.

“You can stay.” He clears his throat. “Coach, maybe you go and find out how long it will take for Tilman to get his ass up here?”

“Will do.”

The AGM follows him out. Even after the door closes again, I stay standing.

“Do you want to sit?” Dorrian asks.

“I’d rather stand, sir.”

“He get you in the kidneys?”

“Yeah.”

“You want to tell me what the fights were really about?”

“I do not.”

“Why is that?”

“It’s personal.”

“That’s a fucking shame. Because I expect you to be professional in my dressing room and on my fucking ice.”

“It won’t happen again.”

“It sure as fuck won’t.” He takes a deep breath. “Have you met my wife, Armstrong?”

Billie Dorrian is often around the arena. “Yes.”

“Do you know who her ex-husband is?”

I shake my head. “I do not, sir.”

His eyebrows lift in surprise. “Well, you might wish you were sitting for this story. She was once married to Jasper Pike.”

I do know who Pike is. He would have played in the league at the same time as Dorrian—a fearsome former defenceman who never hesitated to throw off his gloves.

“He found out just before the All-Star Game one year that Billie and I were having an affair. You should look up the fight on YouTube. It might look familiar.”

I rock back on my heels.

He shakes his head. “You can’t play on the same team as Tilman anymore. And I can’t trade you. I tried to offer you to Calgary today for future considerations and they passed. So it’s down to the minors for you. I hope she’s worth it.” He pauses a beat. “Billie was.”

I don’t bother explaining to him that it never got as far as an affair. It doesn’t fucking matter.

Because the truth is, Shannon is worth it anyway.

CHAPTER 43

SHANNON

Russ: I’m okay

Russ: Mostly sorry that this might get out and affect you

Shannon: I can handle that, I’m used to blocking online chatter

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