Page 35 of Role Model

Harris happily deposited Chiron into Ilya’s arms. “He missed you.”

“I know he did. Look at him.” Chiron was already licking Ilya’s face. “Were they good to you at the dog school?” Ilya asked the puppy. “Did you get to have fun?”

“He gets treated well at the facility. I promise. His trainer, Hannah, is awesome.”

“I would like to meet this Hannah,” Ilya said grimly, then softened when Chiron nuzzled his chin.

Harris snapped a couple of pictures of Ilya with Chiron, then held out his arms. Ilya very reluctantly returned the dog to him.

“He said I am his favorite,” Ilya insisted.

“Only because you won’t let him near anybody else.” Harris set Chiron on the ground and let him run around the room a bit.

“He will be back,” Ilya said confidently, but Chiron was already jumping all over Evan Dykstra.

“Just get a dog, Ilya.”

“Can’t. I live alone, and I am never home.”

Harris couldn’t argue with that. Between hockey, the charity Ilya had cofounded with Montreal’s captain, Shane Hollander, and all of Ilya’s other time commitments, he probably wasn’t home often. Even his summers were taken up with charity hockey camps and...something. He was mysterious about his private life.

“Is Chiron coming on the ice?” Ilya asked.

“No, Coach told me to keep it to the dressing room only today.”

“Fascist.”

“Yeah. Wiebe’s a real hard-ass.” Brandon Wiebe was probably the most laid-back hockey coach ever.

“Team hospital visit on Wednesday, yes?” Ilya asked.

“Yup,” Harris confirmed. “You gonna get your ass kicked at Mario Kart again?”

“No. I have been practicing.”

Harris laughed. Ilya probably wasn’t kidding.

Practice was starting soon, so the room was full. Everyone was putting their gear on and chatting in groups or pairs. Everyone but Troy Barrett, Harris noticed. Troy was already fully dressed and ready to go on the ice, but he was also crouched in front of his stall, offering Chiron his gloved finger. Troy didn’t have his helmet on yet, and his black hair flopped over his forehead as he played with the excited puppy. When Chiron chomped down eagerly, a warm smile split Troy’s face wide-open. Harris, who had been about to walk over, was suddenly frozen in place.

Troy was absolutely stunning when he smiled. And unlike the flash of smile Troy had teased him with during the Q and A, now Harris had time to admire it.

He raised his phone and quickly snapped as many candid photos as he could of Troy and Chiron. It would be good to show this softer side of Troy to the fans, Harris told himself. That was definitely what the pictures were for.

Troy glanced up at the same moment that Harris lowered his phone, and his smile faded immediately. Whether it was a reaction to Harris’s presence or a general reaction to being watched at all, Harris wasn’t sure. But he mourned the loss of Troy’s smile.

“Hey,” Harris said, crossing the floor to stand in front of him. Troy stood to meet him, and Chiron began pawing at Troy’s leg.

“Hey.”

Harris had been thinking about Troy almost nonstop since dropping him off at the hotel two nights ago, and now that he was faced with him, he wasn’t sure what to say. He wanted to ask him if he was all right, or if he needed someone to talk to, but instead he said, “He seems to like you.”

For a giddy second, Harris thought the smile might return. He could see Troy struggle to hold it back. But then Troy just said, flatly, “He likes chewing on me. Not sure that’s the same thing.”

Harris’s answering smile was wide enough for both of them. “The video got a lot of likes, by the way. The Q and A one. I meant to tell you that the other day.” He didn’t mention the many replies that tore Troy apart for playing like shit and costing too much money. He was glad Troy didn’t pay attention to social media much.

“Oh,” Troy stepped back from the puppy, and from Harris, and Chiron pounced on his skate. “Cool.”

“Most people agree with me, though. Salmon is not a treat.”

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