Page 56 of Her Puck Daddies

Tohammer that point home, practice flies by. I stop all but one shot, and I’m feeling pretty good about it. Our next game is in a week against the Winnipeg Jets, and they’re having a killer season. They’ll be tough to beat, which only makes me crave a win even more. I’m still thinking about that when Sven walks past, his face set in a frown.

Unlike me, his practice was a mix of successes and failures. He took six shots on goal but only managed to get two past Steiner. One of those was so sloppy that if it hadn’t deflected off Eric’s skate, it wouldn’t have even gone in.

Sven huffs as he walks by, and even though I’m not the most observant person, I can tell he’s not having a great day.

“What’s your deal?” I ask.

“Later,” he mutters.

But there’s no "later." Coach spends more time than usual showing us additional video on the Jets, and it makes me wonder if he’s worried they might pull something unexpected. Afterward, we head to the gym for individual workouts, and I’m just about to spot for Sven when our captain gets called into an impromptu meeting that clearly caught him off guard.

It’s almost lunchtime, and he still hasn’t come out. I pull out my phone and fire off a quick text.

Levi: Want us to wait?

Sven: Don’t know how much longer I’ll be. Better go without me.

That’s unusual, but we stick to our original plan. As we settle into the routine, Eric brings up a topic that’s been occupying my thoughts just as much.

“How long do you think it’ll take Ava to heal?”

I shrug. “Ten days to two weeks, maybe.”

If we’re lucky. Not that I should be so selfish right now. Sure, I’ve been looking forward to getting back in bed with her, but now that’s on hold for however long this takes. But her health is obviously more important than anything else.

What’s strange is this sudden urge to bring Ava to my place and take care of her. I could make her canned soup and serve her hot chocolate, no problem. Instead, my mind starts to wander, picturing myself helping her in the bath... and being right there beside her.

Hockey’s great for burning off all sorts of energy—except one. Sexual energy. And that’s been building up to an almost unbearable level lately. Normally, I’d have hooked up by now, whether with Sven and Eric or on my own with someone else. But this year, I’ve held off, wanting to focus on what I’m building with Ava.

Guess a little delayed gratification won’t kill anyone. But it sure the hell is getting harder to ignore the tension in my balls building up.

When Sven finally catches up with us later that afternoon, he’s in a rush. “I’m taking Ava home.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Yeah?”

“Yeah, but she’s all hyped about leaving without me. I’m not letting her do that.”

“Why?” Eric asks, his bottom lip poking out a little. “What’s going on?”

Sven’s already halfway through the doorway, the gleam of his blond head catching in the arena’s LED lighting. “I’ll tell you when I can.”

The mystery lingers in my mind, cluttering my thoughts for the rest of the evening.

Eric and I get home, and he immediately calls Sven on speaker. “Hey, you wanna come over after you get Ava settled?”

“I’m in,” Sven replies.

Good. There’s a lot going on with Sven today, and we need to figure out why he's been acting… off.

The Ranger vs. Stars game is on in the background, but I’m not really focused on it. My mind keeps wandering.

“Why do I have this feeling something big is happening behind the scenes? Something the organization isn’t telling us?” I blurt out, my gut tightening.

“I’m sure Sven will fill us in when he gets here,” Eric says. He doesn’t seem as concerned as I am, though.

The captain’s the only one of us with a no-trade clause in his contract, but that’s never been a big concern for me. After my rookie year went better than expected, I became a core player, close with Sven and Eric. I’ve been with the Avs for almost ten years. They wouldn’t trade me.

Right?