Page 99 of Goaltender Interference

Nearby, Tanner cackled. “Sick burn, dude, you might need some aloe for that one.”

“Dude, I don’t have to pay for sex. Not like Jesse’s old teammate there.”

“Hey!” Jesse said, rounding on Crawford, pissed he’d brought up one of many scandals surrounding the Fisher Cats last season. It was one thing to chirp a guy, it was another to actually drag other people into it. “Those wererumors. Are you gonna believe all the bullshit posted on some shitty gossip site?”

Crawford raised an eyebrow. “They were true aboutyou, weren’t they?”

“Uhh, no. Not all of them,” Jesse reminded him. Because there had been some wild stories about him this summer. Everything from the organization parting ways with him because he’d slept with the wife of one of the minority owners—who he’d never even met—to cocaine use—something he’d never tried.

“I’m just sayin’,” Crawford said, holding up his hands. “Sometimes they are true. And I for one happen to believe those.”

If Dom hadn’t retired, Crawford probably would’ve used those rumors against him in a game too. That was how Crawford had always played. A little mean. A little dirty.

He was a big-bodied defenseman, mediocre with actual talent, but plenty hard-working and skilled at getting under his opponents’ skin by any means necessary.

It was an effective approach, but not one Jesse particularly liked. He was still glad to have him on their team though. If the guy was playing in the league, better to have him on their side than go up against him.

“You’re jealous,” Jesse shot back. “In ayear, Dominic Olsen earned what you will in your whole career.”

To his surprise, Crawford nodded. “You’re not wrong there. Guess that’s why he could afford the high-end escorts.”

Damn it, Jesse had totally walked into that one. He crossed his arms. “Look, I have better things to do than hang out here arguing about my former teammate’s private life. I know the truth.”

Which was that Dom had met his partner through an escort service.

Jesse honestly didn’t care. He liked Shea Barnett. Liked him for Dom especially and found all the pearl-clutching about his former profession stupid.

“Better things like cooking dinner for your captain and his kids?”

“That’s better than talking to you,” Jesse fired back. “And maybe you should be spending your time on the ice learning how to actually defend the net so I don’t have to save your ass every time.”

Crawford laughed again. “I like you, Webber.”

“Yeah, I like me too. I mean, what’s not to like?”

He turned before Crawford could respond, and disappeared into the workout area for some one-on-one work with the goaltending coach, Danny Foley.

“Dude, what was that about?” Connor asked, frowning at Crawford.

He shrugged. “Nothing, just wanted to see how much it took to wind Webby up.”

“Why are you trying to wind up the only guy on the fucking team who seemed to have his shit together in the past two games?”

“It’s fun?”

Connor rolled his eyes. “You need to get a life, Crawford.”

“Hey, I have a life.”

“Hockey, Harleys, and … women aren’t a life.”

Crawford laughed. “Yeah, like whatever you’ve got going on is so fucking great.”

Connor shrugged. “I’ve got my kids, I’ve got a great sex life … things are looking pretty good for me, actually. And if you could learn how to defend the fucking net, Jesse might actually get this goddamn team somewhere this season.”

Crawford made a scoffing noise, but Connor slapped him on the back. “C’mon, man. Let’s get our workouts in.”

Twenty minutes later, as Connor sweated on the stationary bike, he wished he could say regular sex with Jesse helped make himimmune to Jesse’s presence while he was working out, but that would be a lie.

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