Page 48 of Puck Happens

I glanced up and saw Cody skating towards me. I blew out a breath and slid to a stop.

“Hey, Cody,” I offered. “What can I help you with?”

“I think I’m losing momentum in my backward c-cut.”

He was asking me a question. A legitimate question.

“Let’s take a look,” I said triumphantly.

* * *

Dillon

I tookmyself to the bench for a new stick and to adjust my laces. I’d finally caved and gotten new skates today. I didn’t need them. Didn’t want them, but it was an excuse to go down and talk to Leroy about how Liv was still wearing figure skates during practice.

As expected, he was outraged.

Liv on the ice in the proper gear only made me happy.

Though if she had my jersey on over that fleece, I’d be happier.

“What a suck up,” Ron muttered next to me.

“What’d you say to me?” I growled.

“Not you,” Ron said with a slight scowl, jerking his thumb towards the opposite end of the ice. “The rookie. He’s sucking up to the girl. Probably thinks he has a chance of getting in her panties.”

I let the panty remark go by, but just barely. Ron was looking for a fight and I was trying to fix this team chemistry, not pull it apart. But who was to say? Sometimes a good brawl was just what the doctor ordered.

Me, being the doctor.

I shook my head. “He’s a rookie, he should be eager.”

“He keeps flirting with the skater and the guys are going to give him a raft of shit,” Ron said, selecting his own stick, testing the balance. “Unless of course he manages to nail her. Skater does have a sweet ass. Then they might just applaud him.”

I crowded him back towards the boards. “Morgan, you talking shit about a member of the coaching staff, whether she can hear it or not, is disrespectful and that’s not cool with me. The kid is working hard, that’s what we’re getting paid to do.”

Ron smirked, leaning on his stick. “Settle down, man. I was just trying to get under your skin.”

“Why the fuck are you trying to cause trouble?”

Ron shrugged. “I’m not an idiot like these other boys. I see how you look at her. Figured I would talk some smack and see if you blew. Congratulations, you did.”

“You’re full of shit, Morgan. I would have said the same thing about any member of the staff.”

“Nah, you’ve got a thing for the figure skater, and I’m telling you now, man, shut it down.”

“The fuck?”

I was annoyed he’d been able to spot it. Annoyed he was telling me to do something about it. Annoyed in general.

Ron skated closer until I could see the silver in his mustache. Those crow’s feet around his eyes. Someone should say theRword to him.

“Look, I know everyone around here thinks I’m a bitter old hanger on. And maybe that’s true. You get traded four times in the last three years of your career and we’ll see how you feel. But I’m telling you, this team has a chance to do something this year.Youare the captain. That means you need to be focused. Totally and utterly fixated on one thing and one thing only. Winning. You can’t do that if your eyes keep sliding away to the figure skater.”

“She’s got a fucking name,” I growled.

“No,” Ron said. “She doesn’t. Not to you. Not if you want a clear vision for the season.”

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