Page 139 of Breakaway Goals

“Yeah,” Hayes said softly. “I don’t want to leave. I don’t want to test the market. I want . . .what I want is to stay here. To win another Cup,here. Not somewhere else.”

“They should want that too. They probablydowant that too,” Morgan said and his words were gentle but fierce. Full of belief.

“I want to retire here.” It felt good to admit it out loud. “Like you did with the Bandits. You never played anywhere else.”

“I wasn’t going to,” Morgan said bluntly. “And you’re good enough, Monty, you shouldn’t either.”

“I know,” Hayes said, and that was the pebble in the shoe of the whole argument. He knew how good he was. How many other teams would want him and want him still.

Morgan stroked his shoulder, reassuringly. “I don’t need to say it, but I should. Doesn’t matter where you end up. Even if you’re not on this team. Even if you’re not playing with Finn. I’m with you, as long as you want me.”

Hayes nearly said,so, forever?But that was insane. They hadn’t even been dating a month yet. But still. He’d loved Morgan for six years now, and apparently Morgan had felt the same for just as long. They’d made it through the horrible desert of separation, so how could being together screw anything up? It seemed impossible that could ever happen.

“I know,” Hayes said, instead.

“I’ve been thinking I want to say something about your contract during one of my segments,” Morgan said.

Hayes should have seen it coming. Hehadseen it coming. “No,” he said, but even he could hear the indecision in his voice.

“I don’t want to do it without your blessing, but I’d do it if I was in your bed or not,” Morgan said with that ringing certainty only he possessed.

“Did Jacob talk to you about it?”

Hayes could feel, not see, Morgan’s frown. “What does Jacob have to do with this?”

“Just . . .that day we golfed together. Barty brought it up to him.” Hayes paused. He was still feeling out this friendship between Morgan and Jacob. It didn’t always make sense to him, but he was slowly beginning to see how it worked. “Barty thought maybe if I didn’t want you to do it, I’d be willing to have Jacob give it a shot.”

“Jacob doesn’t even do media,” Morgan said, sounding a little dumbfounded.

“I know, which is why I turned him down.”

“Angel,” Morgan said earnestly, turning towards Hayes so he could look him right in the eye, “if anyone should talk you up and make the Sentinels feel wretched for not believing in you, it’sme.”

Hayes could agree that it made a certain kind of sense. “Yeah,” he said.

“I get why you might not have wanted me to, before. You were pissed.”

That was definitely true. “I’m not pissed now.”

“Right, which is why I’m confused that you’re not jumping all over this idea.”

“Who says it’ll even change anything?” Hayes waved his hands. “It’s not like you’re going to knock some sense into them.”

“You don’t think management on all thirty-two NHL teams gives a shit about how they’re perceived by the media and the fans? They sure fucking do.”

Morgan didn’t have to add,and the media and the fans always think I know what I’m talking about, because it was a given. He was Morgan Reynolds. His word was hockey gospel.

“I . . .” Hayes sighed heavily. “You’d do it even if we weren’t fucking? Even if you didn’t love me?”

Morgan made an outraged noise. “I can’t imagine a world in which I wouldn’t love you—you’re made for me. I’ve known itsince the first time we stepped on the ice together—but yes.Yes. This isn’t me doing you a solid ’cause you let me stick my dick in you.” Morgan grinned.

Hayes squawked and smacked him on the shoulder. “God, whydoI love you?”

“Good question, but don’t ever stop.”

It wasn’tso, forever, but it was enough to say, “Don’t plan to.”

“Good,” Morgan said. “It’s decided then?”