Page 110 of Slew Foot
He held up one finger. “Coffee first.”
Rafe glanced over at Mickey who shrugged. But he put his hand on Rafe’s back protectively and Rafe leaned into it.
Coach Rasmussen didn’t add anything to his coffee, just took a large swig of the black stuff, piling a few pieces of dry wheat toast on his plate then raising an eyebrow at them. He nodded hishead toward the hallway, and they silently followed him down it to a room the coaches and other staff had apparently been using for a makeshift office.
Rasmussen demolished his toast, drained his coffee, then folded his hands and looked at them.
Rafe slid lower in his chair, but Mickey squared his shoulders like he was bracing for a fight.
“So,” Rasmussen said quietly. “You’re dating now?”
Rafe glanced at Mickey, then nodded. “Yes.”
“The one time I’m in charge and this happens,” Rasmussen muttered as he rubbed his hands across his face before saying in a more normal tone, “Obviously, I don’t have a problem with teammates dating.”
Mickey raised an eyebrow. “Obviously?”
“Well, Jesse and Connor,” Rafe pointed out.
But Rasmussen hesitated. “Well yes, there’s that. But also … let’s just say I dated a teammate for a while myself, back in the day. We weren’t out about it then, but times have changed for the better.”
Rafe’s jaw dropped and a look of surprise flickered across Mickey’s face too.
“This was before I met my now ex-wife,” Rasmussen continued. “But you shouldn’t look so surprised. Gay and bi men have always existed in this league. You should hear some of the stories about Hobey Baker …”
Isn’t that the guy who the college hockey award was named after?Rafe thought he’d lived like a hundred years ago orsomething. There was no way Coach Rasmussen had known him.
Confused, Rafe looked at Mickey. Mickey shrugged.
Rasmussen cleared his throat. “That’s beside the point. All I’m saying is that you are free to date, of course. However, we have someconcernsafter what happened in yesterday’s game.”
They both winced.
“I’ll leave any disciplinary discussions for Hoyt until we’re back in Boston. However, I want to be extremely clear. I don’t want to see you lose your temper again, Mickey.”
“Yes, Coach,” he said quietly.
“And I don’t ever want to see you come out onto the ice like that again, Rafe. Not unless the entire team is heading over the boards too, do you understand?”
“I understand,” Rafe said quietly.
“Tanner and Luke are out there stirring things up, and that’s fine because that’s the role we need them to play. You two are at your best when you’re playing focused, disciplined hockey without letting emotion cloud your judgment. Physicality is fine, but only if it’s controlled. Can you do that?”
“Yes, Coach,” Mickey said.
“Yes,” Rafe agreed. “Absolutely.”
“I understand last night was somewhat of an unusual situation but if anything like it happens again, there will bemuchmore serious consequences.”
They both nodded.
“Good. I’m glad we’re on the same page,” Coach Rasmussen said with a sigh. “Now, go eat your breakfast and get packed so we can get on the road.”
While Mickey certainly didn’t enjoy lectures from his coach, being the center of attention,ordealing with the team’s incessant chirping, he had to admit he felt a little smug every time he looked at the marks on Rafe’s neck.
It kept distracting him as they packed their suitcases.
Rafe kept shooting him little looks too, until Mickey finally crowded him against the bathroom counter and kissed him stupid.
