Page 53 of The Puck Stops Here

‘I could ask you the same.’

‘I’m not the one with the sloppy stick work.’

‘No, just the sloppy footwork.’

Blake could’ve said something a whole lot worse considering the amount of time his brother had spent in the can these last few days. But there was a line to their banter, and he wasn’t about to cross it. Though the smirk on his brother’s face as he rejoined the line up almost made him reconsider.

Blake set his jaw and caught him up.Just tune her out, tune the hornballs out, get it done and?—

A low wolf whistle cut through the noise.For the love of…!

He broke rank, seeking out the culprit and cutting across Vincent as he did so.

‘What the fuck, Fury?’

‘Chill, Pidg.’

V’s eyes flashed beneath his helmet. ‘Who the hell you calling Pigeon?’

‘You really want to cause a fight in training, bro?’ Aiden swooshed up, shoulder barging Blake back into the drill.

‘Wasn’t top of my list for the day, no.’

Though V deserved a beating. He was the guy who’d kicked off the Astrid chatter in the group that morning, and had upped his game since she’d walked in, doing his damnedest to impress. But then they were all behaving like preening princesses…

‘I told you having a hot chick around was bad for the game,’ Blake grumbled.

‘Bad for the game or bad for you?’

His brother had a point. He never let anyone outside the rink get inside his head while on it. It had been his safe space since he could skate. A way to block out reality and focus on the game. Nothing else mattered but the puck.

‘It doesn’t have to be as painful as you’re making it out to be.’

‘What?’ He frowned at his brother. ‘Having her watch our every move?’

‘No. The interview. I assume that’s why you got out of bed the wrong side this morning.’

‘Whatever, buddy.’

‘Don’t whatever me. You’ve been pissy ever since you woke up. Or are you still stewing over the fact that she took me to dinner instead of you?’

‘Yeah right, is that the same dinner that gave you the explosive shits?’

Banter line, be damned.

Aiden didn’t answer as Astrid’s laughter tinkled down the rink. It wasn’t like she could hear them across the distance, but his brother was as red as his sweater as he glanced her way and Blake followed suit.

It was Coach who had her laughing, Coach who wasneverfunny. Go figure.

Blake couldn’t see her properly through the glass and the reflection off the ice, just a flash of her camel coat and dark hair, but he could see enough of Coach to know the man was grinning from ear to ear.

‘Hey Coach!’ he hollered. ‘You gonna train us today or stand there gassing?’

The cosy twosome turned his way, and damn if he didn’t pull a Bambi. Nothing to do with her attention and everything to do with a sideswipe from a vengeful V. Honest.

‘Jackass!’ Blake swiftly righted his stride, the team’s laughter carrying his insult down the ice.

‘Yeah, you sure told him,’ Aiden teased, sweeping past him to join Coach at the boards. ‘Good to see you, Astrid.’

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