Page 173 of Pucking Strong

“Thanks, Teddy. You’ve really saved my bacon.”

“Shut up. You’d do the same for me. Hanging up now.”

We both hang up, and I turn to Karro, now busy on her tablet playing a finger-painting game. “Well, min lilla honey bun, I guess it’s take-your-niece-to-work day.”

“Yay!”

“Feeling better?” I say. “Nice and loose?”

DeGraw rolls his shoulders. “Right one is still feeling a bit tight, Doc.”

I give him a little more deep-tissue stimulation, pressing in with my thumbs. I haven’t had much one-on-one time with our new starting goalie. He’s having an amazing season, with no injuries, so he’s been off my table. “How are you adjusting to life as a Ray? The other guys treating you well?”

“Yeah, everyone’s been great,” he says, speaking in a thick Australian accent. I read somewhere that he’s only the second Australian to ever play in the NHL. His recruitment was all down to Mars Price. Something about a chance encounter in Japan, which led to the team flying DeGraw out for a trial.

Tess ducks her head into the PT room, waving to grab my attention. “Hey, we’re heading out,” she calls. “Just pick her up whenever tomorrow.”

“Thanks,” I call back. “It’ll be early. Cast is coming off!”

“Cast is coming off,” she echoes in a singsong voice.

She came straight over with Emma when I called her from the car. The Langley girls will take her home for another slumber party. Which means I now get to watch my man play hockeyandI get a child-free evening with him after the game.

I shift my hands to DeGraw’s other shoulder. “Are you going out with the guys tonight?”

He just shrugs. Some players, especially goalies, get way inside their heads as part of their pregame ritual. But DeGraw isn’t like that. He always seems happy to chat. “Yeah, probably. Cap says he wants us all there, win or lose.”

The “win or lose” threat is valid. Apparently, Jake worked it outwith the Hawks’ team captain that the teams are going out together. It’s karaoke night at Rip’s, which is practically a religion with the Rays at this point.

I pause my massaging. “Any better?”

DeGraw rolls his shoulders again, then his neck. “Yeah, Doc. Wow, you’re good.”

I smile. “Well, they didn’t give me a DPT for nothing.”

He chuckles.

“Need anything else? Help stretching?”

“Nah, I’m good. Gonna go get kitted up.” He hops off my table, bouncing on the balls of his feet. He has nothing like Ilmari’s massive 6’5” frame, but he’s still a big guy. Most goalies are these days. DeGraw is easily over six feet tall, but he has more of a swimmer’s physique, compared to Ilmari’s thick rugby build.

He turns slightly. “Hey, do you know if any of the other staff are going out tonight?”

I raise a brow. “What staff? Like the PTs and the equipment managers?”

“Yeah, them. Or others.”

I shrug. “I mean, maybe. Caleb Price is kind of the king of karaoke night. He’s usually always there. Who were you hoping for exactly?”

“No one,” he replies quickly.Tooquickly.

My gossip antenna perks up. “Come on, you can tell me.”

“I’m all good, Doc. Thanks.” The poor guy is actually blushing.

“Hey,” I call as he walks away. “Maybe if you ask, I’ll know the answer … or I can find you the answer.”

He stops, his shoulders stiff. Slowly, he turns back around. Then he walks back over to me, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Okay, do you know Roshni?”

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