Page 34 of Goalie Interference

Cash kept talking though. “So probably seeing you with another hockey player, one still playing, that would bother him. And we all know he has a thing about this particular one. You sure you want to be with him?”

“Cash! Ollie didn’t find us in the middle of banging on my workbench. I’m not ‘with’ anyone. I’ve only talked to Remy a couple of times. Ollie jumped to this conclusion where Remy was going to seduce and abandon me, probably while I was pregnant and suddenly destitute, fromnothing. The guy simply stopped in the doorway of the shop because one of his teammates wants his guitar fixed.”

“Oh, my mistake. You’re right. Ollie has definitely gone off script on that one. There’s nothing there, right? He didn’t pick up on something between the two of you that got his jealousy going?”

“Are you blamingme?” Seriously, now I was pissed at both Cash and Ollie.

“No! You’re perfectly entitled to have a torrid affair with this guy if you want. I’m just asking…do you like him?”

What a ridiculous question.“I don’t know him.”

“Do you find him attractive?”

I didn’t need to answer this, but Cash was my brother and he didn’t often ask about my life. “He’s…” What was he? Tall, broad-shouldered, and fit. He’d shaved off his Mountain Man beard, and yeah, he wasn’t hard on the eyes. Green eyes, slightly too long hair, firm jaw. Not as conventionally attractive as Ollie, but still, appealing.

“He’s what? Sounds like maybe you are attracted.”

“He’s not as good-looking as Ollie, but he’s nice. Totally different person. He’s got this horrid dog he rescued. The thing looks like a hairy rat and does nothing but growl. But he’smaking a lot of effort for the thing. So that tells me he’s kind, and not enough people are kind. He hasn’t thrown around anyI’m a hockey playerattitude. He seems like a decent guy.”

Cash hmm’d. “Does he like you?”

I snorted. “First meeting, he thought I’d hurt his dog. Then he asked for my supervisor, because he assumed I worked for you and was supposed to take care of the creature and I wasn’t helping him. Now his coach is pissed at him because we’re living within a couple hundred feet of each other. I’m pretty sure I’m just a problem for him.”

I had taken care of Beast for him though. He probably was grateful for that, at least until Ollie blew up at him.

There’d been something about his response to Ollie digging at him for not having a relationship that made me sure there was a story there. I’d brought up the fact that Ollie also had something hidden to protect Remy. So I did like him. But no, he wasn’t falling for me because I’d babysat his dog and stopped Ollie from being too much of an asshole.

“Just as well. Sounds like Ollie would make his life hell.”

“He probably already is.”

“Wouldn’t want to be in his skates. So other than Ollie’s behavior, how are things going?”

For a moment I considered asking Cash about Diane’s offer. Cash went to Conrad for his instruments and repairs, but he knew who Diane was. It would be nice to bounce the idea off of someone I knew and trusted, who knew something about the business.

But I held back. He’d tell me I was being too risky and warn me about all the potential problems. Cash had never asked me to do any guitar work for him, so he didn’t actually know what I could do. He never stopped at the shop when he was home. Ollie, who knew nothing about guitars, had been more encouragingthan Cash or my dad. Anger I wasn’t familiar with nudged at my skull.

Ollie had leapt to conclusions about Remy, and that had been all on Ollie. Maybe Cash was just as bad, only not about whether I was hooking up with a guy I’d just met a couple of days ago, but about my abilities.

When Cash started to talk about how things were going in Toronto, I mm-hmmed at the appropriate places, but the anger lingered. I didn’t mention String Theory. I’d make that decision without his input.

Remy

I was nervous before the next practice, not sure what Otts might do after that confrontation at Sophie’s shop. I was on time, but I didn’t get on the ice until most of the team was already there. I did the usual stretching and drills with the other goalies, but Otts ignored me as much as possible.

Should I try to talk to him? Would he get over it with time? If not, I’d need to find another place to live, as much as I didn’t want to. I’d better try to discuss it, so one way or another I wouldn’t have to keep stressing about it.

After the team was dismissed, I waited to speak to him. He was talking with Laplante while I hung back. Would he mention yesterday? Tell me the team was moving me, or buying out my contract? Trading me?

Laplante finally left.

“Coach Trent?”

Otts’s jaw clenched, then he nodded. “You have a question?”

“I feel like after yesterday?—”

Otts held up his hands. “I’ve been told by Sophie and her father and brother that I was out of line.”

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