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CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

MASON

A fter the morning skate and showers, I headed to my stall with my towel wrapped around my waist. My phone buzzed on my folded team athletic gear, and I picked it up. There was a message from Jett.

Jett

Hey, I thought today would be a good day to come out to the team. I was feeling pretty strong in the gym. You okay with that?

With a smile spreading over my lips, I typed back.

Mason

Hell yes. I’m here for you, babe.

I glanced around the room, all the guys chatting and dressing. Finally, we could put any rumors to rest. I’d noticed the weird glances coming my way since the Dallas game but hadn’t wanted to stress Jett out with it.

Carlson padded to me. “What’s up? You’ve got a shit-eating grin on your face.” He peered into my phone. “Jarvis is here?”

“Yep, and we’ll see how the guys handle the news about our relationship.” My gaze found Volkov, who gave me a swift grin. At least he already knew and wasn’t bothered by it. Hopefully, he’d help us rein in anyone who was a jerk about it.

Coach Henderson stepped into the locker room and clapped his hands over his chest. “There’s going to be an impromptu meeting today in the big conference room. So after you’ve dressed, head over there.” He walked off.

Mumbling filled the room and a few of the guys shot glances my way.

My pulse picked up speed. Here goes nothing. I dropped my towel and slid my underwear and shorts up my legs.

“I’ll be right there with you.” Carlson patted my shoulder and left to dress.

I followed Carlson into the conference room and scanned the rows of light wooden tables lined up with black chairs, the room painted in the shade of Coyote desert sand. At the front of the room, the coaching staff stood with Jett in front of a large screen we used when we watched game footage or presentations and shit.

Tapping Carlson on the arm, I said, “Let’s sit toward the front.” I needed to give my man all the support I could. As we walked toward the front row, Jett gave me a thin-lipped smile. Shit. I stepped to him and, in a low voice, said, “Do you need me to stand up here with you?”

Coach Henderson faced me. “Why don’t you have a seat for now, Hopkins?”

“Okay.” With a pointed look at Jett, I dropped into a chair in front of him. Carlson took the chair next to mine.

Volkov sank into a chair next to mine but at the next table over. He glanced at me and up-nodded. “I’m with you.”

“Thanks, man.” The beating of my heart slowed just a little. There was a reason he was one of our captains .

“Is this about Jarvis and Hopkins hooking up?” A rookie yelled from the back of the room.

Fucker. I swiveled in my chair.

“Don’t. Let the coaches handle it.” Carlson grabbed my shoulder and turned me back around.

I breathed in deeply, my gaze landing on Coach Henderson.

“To answer your question frankly, Landry, yes.” Coach smirked at Jett. “But there’s a lot more to this story than that.” He glanced at Jett, now hanging his head.

This had to be tough for him after what he went through in Dallas. I made to stand.

Carlson shoved me back down. “Shut up and stay here.” He huffed. “Dammit.”

I focused on Jett, now watching me as if getting strength from my presence.

“See, we don’t bully on this team, and this story begins with a player being bullied by his teammates. That player is Jett Jarvis.” Coach Henderson placed his hand on Jett’s shoulder. “One of the league’s best wingers.” He and Jett glanced at each other. “Jarvis is gay and wasn’t out for personal reasons, but when a teammate found out about his sexuality, Jarvis was berated to the point he had to leave.”

“And we got him!” Our goalie, Sampson, shouted with a raised fist. “Their fucking loss.”

“I agree with that statement,” Coach Stevens said, throwing a smile at Jett.

“What I’m really here to tell you today is that Jarvis and Hopkins have found something special in each other, and if you ask me, it’s good for the team.” Holding out his arm, Coach Henderson wagged his fingers at me. “Come up here now, Hopkins.”

I jumped from my chair and strutted to stand next to Jett, and then wound my fingers in his.

“We’ve all seen what these two, along with Volkov, can do on the ice. They play professionally, and what they do outside of these walls is none of our business.” He turned to Jett. “As long as they keep bringing the goals.”

“Hell yes.” Volkov beamed at us. “And they’re a pleasure to play with.”

“So, no matter their status off the ice, they’ll be treated the same as any other player on this team, with respect and impartiality.” Coach looked out across the players. “Any questions?”

“If my wife joins the team, can she play on my line too?” A D-man called out, snickering.

“Dude, your wife doesn’t even play hockey,” another player shouted.

Everyone laughed.

“Any serious questions?” Coach swung his gaze to me and Jett and back to the players. “We’ll be issuing a formal statement and holding a press conference at our home game next week.”

“Is Boyd the asshole who started all the shit in Dallas?” Samson lowered his brows.

Jett stepped forward. “Yes, he was the main problem there, and it continued into our game with them.”

“He should be banned. What he did to you was bullshit.” Sampson slapped the table. “Right, everyone?”

The whole room erupted in agreement.

“Settle down.” Coach held his hands out. “The league is dealing with that situation. We need to keep our attention on our own house and make sure that no player feels they have to hide who they are or who they love. Are we clear?”

Everyone cheered and pumped their fists.

Turning in his chair to face the other players, Volkov said, “We stand with Jarvis, Hopkins, and Carlson. Right? Nobody fucks with them.”

“Hell yes,” Sampson shouted.

With my eyes stinging, my gaze cut to Jett’s, and I held his hand up, then kissed the back of it. “They’re all with us, babe.”

His eyes grew glossy. “Yep. Boyd can go to fucking hell.” His lips curled into a soft grin.

A week had passed since our big day coming out to our team. Jett had spent more quality time with his father while I’d taken another road trip with the team, and he was feeling more like himself every day. As our bodies were healing, so were our hearts.

Tonight was the night of the press conference, and I was donning my brick-red suit for the occasion, an ode to one of the official team colors. This team had supported Jett and me in every way possible, and I wanted to show my appreciation in more ways than the two goals I’d made against the Bruins tonight. Standing at my stall, I buttoned my white shirt.

“You were on fire tonight, Hopkins.” Volkov slapped my shoulder and ticked his head at me.

“Thanks. I wanted to be extra great tonight, given what we’re facing.” I slipped my arms through my suit jacket. My agent was here along with Jett’s. Apparently, they’d also been talking behind the scenes.

“It’ll be fine. You’ll see.” Carlson, already dressed in his gray suit, stuffed his hands in his front pockets. “When did the official statement go out?”

“I think it was right around the start of the third period.” I buttoned my jacket and unbuttoned it. Fuck, which would look better? “The press were notified they’d be getting it. I think Will and Dave, my agent, thought it would be best to give them some time to read it, but not too much. You know?” I flicked my gaze to his.

He nodded. “I can see that.” He patted my arm. “Anyway, good luck out there. I’ll be watching.”

“Thanks.” I raked my teeth over my lower lip as nerves coiled in my gut. This might be the most important press conference of my career.

“You ready?” Jarvis stepped into the locker room, all done up in a cream suit. Will had thought a light color would be best .

“There he is.” Sampson strutted to Jarvis. “You guys got this.” He held his fist up and Jarvis bumped it with his own.

“Thanks, man.” His gaze found mine. “I think you’re right. We’ve got this.” With a smile, he held his hand out. “Come on, babe. Let’s go get ’em.”

Taking his hand, I said, “Damn right.”

We strolled down the long hallway at the rink and into a packed press room. As soon as we entered, flashing lights and clicks went off as photographers took pictures. I held tightly to Jett’s hand. I wasn’t backing down in any way. They were all going to see firsthand we were solid.

Coach Henderson stood at a long table covered in a black tablecloth, the Coyotes logo centering the front as it faced the room of people in rows of chairs. Microphones were set up along the table.

I spied Dave, and he winked at me. Dad had done a great job of finding the right agent. He was new, but he had a way of understanding me. I gave him a quick wave and walked to the table with Jett.

Jett dropped in next to Coach while I took a seat next to him. I looked out in the crowd. Archer stood along the wall, along with Volkov, Sampson, and basically the whole damn team. It gave me the feeling that if one of these press guys said the wrong thing, they’d be on him like a fly on shit. As warmth flooded my insides, a grin quirked my lips.

Coach cleared his throat. “So, we’re here today to talk about more than the game.” He glanced at Jett. “Do you want to say a few words, Jarvis?”

Jett’s throat bobbed with a hard swallow. “Yes. What I want to say is I hope what happened to me in Dallas is the last time a queer player is bullied for who they love. But I know it won’t be. There will always be guys like Ray Boyd.” He snuck a peek at me. “But their time has come. We’re not standing down and hiding. At least, not me and my boyfriend.” He held up our entwined hands. “Moving to Phoenix and meeting this wonder ful man has changed my life. As you saw in the game against Dallas, he didn’t back down. He stood up and exposed Boyd and the whole Dallas organization. As a result, we’re hoping things will change for the better for queer players, so none of them have to hide who they are, like I did.” He gave me a warm smile and mouthed, Love you, babe .

A reporter asked, “Hopkins, what do you have to say to that?”

A grin worked over my lips. “I came to Arizona originally to play hockey at ASU with a group of queer guys I met along the way in my career. We call ourselves the squad.” I looked out at the cameras. The fuckers were watching, I knew it, and this was for them. “Some of them are still at ASU while one is here with me.” I up-nodded Carlson, who lifted his hand in the air as he leaned his back against the wall. “And one went to the Maple Leafs.” Directing my gaze at the nearest video camera, I said, “Love ya, Boehm.”

I breathed in deeply, my mind racing with all the chirps over the years, all the bullshit I’d grown a thick skin for. Was I really going to go there? Fuck yeah. “We vowed that none of us would hide who we were, and like Harvey Milk once challenged in San Francisco, I’m challenging the queer players of the NHL to come out of your closets.”

Jett’s eyes rounded and his mouth dropped open.

“I love this man, and together, we’re going to play the best damn hockey we can.” My gaze roamed to Volkov. “And Volkov will back me up on that.”

Stepping away from the wall, Volkov clapped. “Damn right, Hopkins.”

The room filled with claps and cheers and settled down as another reporter spoke up. “I have a question for Jarvis. Is it true you weren’t out because your father isn’t accepting of your sexuality? I mean, his corporation is always a big endorser of your teams, right?”

Jett picked up his microphone and leaned in. “My family situat ion is complicated, and for reasons I won’t go into, I wasn’t sure if he would accept me.” He glanced at me. “Since the falling out with Dallas and my injuries in the game, I’ve spent a good amount of time with my father.” He dipped his head and focused on the reporter. “He flew here from a vacation in Italy as soon as he heard what happened. What I can say is he is fully supportive of me now.” He smiled at me. “And he loves Hopkins here.”

A female reporter hopped up. “I want to tell you both that I played soccer in high school and college. As a lesbian, even there, I was terrified of someone finding out about me. I commend you both for what you’re doing for the NHL.” She clapped along with the room and sat back down.

A male reporter stood. “So the big question is, are you still allowed to bunk together on the road?” He chuckled.

With a sharp laugh, I dipped my head and then faced the reporter. “No matter who coach has us bunking with, I’ll find my way into Jett’s bed.”

“Oh, is that a fact, Hopkins?” With a smirk, Coach twisted toward me.

“Uh…” I scratched my temple. Shit, maybe I should have kept that one to myself.

The room broke out in laughter, and as it settled, another reporter called out, “Jarvis, do you want Boyd banned from the league?”

Coach Henderson slid his mic closer to himself. “There’s an ongoing investigation into Boyd’s conduct, and we can’t comment on that here.”

“But do you want him banned? I’m not asking what the league is going to do. I’m asking what Jarvis wants them to do.” The reporter said.

Jett pursed his lips. “Frankly, no. I don’t want that. He’s a good player and deserves to keep his career. I do want him to understand the pain and suffering he’s caused and to atone for it. ”

I squeezed Jett’s hand. There had been no statements by Boyd or Dallas on what had happened, but I’d assumed it was because of the investigation. Was it, or were they continuing to be assholes about it?

“If he apologized, would that be enough?” another reporter shouted.

With a scoff, Jett leaned back in his seat. “I don’t know. I suppose it would matter how it was done and what was said.” His gaze snapped to mine, and he whispered, “He owes both of us an apology.”

With a nod, I said, “Hell yes.” I wasn’t so sure Boyd had it in him to do something like that.

“Okay, I think we’re done with questions about that situation. Are there any questions for the game?” Coach raised his brows and leaned toward Jett. “You both can go now. I’ve got the rest of this.”

Jett stood with me, and we walked off the stage. We were joined by the team as we all left the room.

Holding his phone in his hand, Archer said, “You guys are blowing up social media.”

“What?” I stopped next to Jett with Volkov standing on the other side of him. “Not again.” Like we needed any more fucking drama.

“It’s all good, man.” Archer held up his phone to each of us. An image showed us at the press conference, holding hands on the table with a headline reading: More than a bromance .

I grabbed his phone and read the caption. It turns out hockey’s new hot couple is Jett Jarvis and Mason Hopkins, the pair we’ve all been wondering about. Their speeches tonight at the Coyotes press conference are sure to win over everyone’s hearts. Let’s give them a safe space so we can continue to watch this dynamic pair win on and off the ice. I smiled at Jett. “Huh. Hopefully, there will be more messages like this.”

“And the homophobic assholes will be the ones who are hiding in their closets.” Volkov squeezed my shoulder .

“Exactly.” Jett planted a quick kiss on my cheek. “Let’s go home, babe, and forget about all this for a little while.”

“Damn right.” I hooked an arm around his waist and strolled with him out of the rink.

The next day, we were cleaning up dinner dishes when Jett’s phone buzzed on the kitchen counter. He set his dishtowel down and answered the call. “Dad? You okay?” He paced into the main room and stopped by the couch. “What? When?”

My heart almost stopped. “What happened, Jett?” I raced out to him, studying him.

His brows wrinkled and his mouth tensed. “Dad, let me put you on speaker. Mason is here with me.” He tapped the screen. “Okay, we’re here.”

“Hi, Mason. I wish I was calling under better circumstances, but I’ve left Eleanor.”

Why was that bad? I needed to keep my mouth shut on that front. “Oh? I’m sorry to hear it.” Grabbing Jett by the elbow, I led him to sit with me on the couch. This seemed like a conversation we should take sitting down.

“What happened exactly?” Jett peered at the phone.

“I told you we’ve been arguing since you came out. Well, her comments about your press conference sent me over the edge, and I couldn’t stand to be in her presence for another minute.” He scoffed.

“Are you going to tell me what she said?” Jett lifted a brow, his gaze creeping to mine.

“I…she said the league should insist on conversion therapy for all their gay players, and you two should go first as an example to the rest.” He huffed. “She thinks the league is part of some queer agenda conspiracy theory to turn more men gay.” He barked out a laugh. “Can you believe that shit? ”

“No, well, coming from her, yes.” Shaking his head, Jett snickered. “I, wow, that’s a new one.”

“So what are you going to do now, Rod?” He was fast becoming a man I respected. Maybe seeing his son grow a backbone had given him one too.

“I’m not sure yet. I’m staying in a hotel close to the office. But I’ve always wanted to live closer to the beach. So I’m thinking I’ll sell that monster of a house and find me a nice little beach cottage,” he said.

“That sounds wonderful, Dad.” Jett snuck a glance at me. “I know just the right beach for you.”

“Yeah? Maybe you could come out here for a day or two and help me look.” He chuckled. “Then we could hit up some of the local wineries.”

“I’d love to.” He rubbed his hand up and down my thigh. “I’m sure we can fit a day trip in on one of our days off. Like you said, the flight to LA is less than an hour.”

“It is. And I’m assuming you’ll bring Mason?” he asked.

“Oh, hell yes. I’m turning into a wine snob too, you know, after hanging out with Jett so much.” I bumped my shoulder into his chest. I couldn’t wait to see our beach during the day.

“Great,” Rod said. “Okay, I need to call your sister now.”

“I’m sure she’ll be happy to hear it.” Jett’s breath caught. “I mean, you don’t sound very upset about it. Are you doing okay?”

“I’m actually doing great. I never thought I’d say this about an impending divorce, but I already feel like a new man.” He chuckled.

“That’s great, Dad. I’m happy for you.” A wide grin swept over Jett’s face.

“Me too. And we’d love to have you out here more.” Biting my lip, I peeked at Jett. Should I tell him about our plans?

“Yeah, we’re moving in together after the new year. Come out to our place anytime.” Jett beamed.

“Good to hear it. I’ll take you up on coming out there. I might even s tart working less and plan my retirement.” He sighed. “There are so many possibilities.”

“There are when you open yourself up to it.” Jett kissed my cheek.

“Okay, let’s keep each other updated, and I’ll talk to you soon. Love you both.”

“Love you, Dad,” Jett said.

“Me too.” My chest filled with warmth. I couldn’t wait for his dad to meet my parents.

Jett hung up the call and exhaled, slumping his shoulders.

“So, you think we could have everyone out here for the holiday? Maybe have my parents meet your dad or something?” I raised my brows.

“Absolutely. It’s a great idea.” Jett planted a hard kiss on my lips.

Three days later, Jett was scheduled for his second conference call with his agent and the league’s lawyers, who were investigating the incident with Boyd. He took the call in his spare bedroom, which he’d turned into an office. He was supposed to hear firsthand about their decision. I paced the hallway, wringing my hands and listening to Jett’s voice through the door. He wasn’t loud enough for me to hear what he was saying, and I’d promised myself I would not put my ear against the damn door. It was supposed to be somewhat confidential.

After a lengthy ten minutes or so, the door flung open, and Jett eyed me. “How long have you been out here?”

I halted and stared at him. “The whole time.” He should know me better than to think I could wait it out on the couch.

“Figures.” With a sharp chuckle, he grabbed my hand and led me into the main room. “They’re not going to ban Boyd.”

“No?” My pulse relaxed. I wasn’t sure if I was happy about it or not .

“No. Dallas is going to implement some diversity training for the whole organization and update their policies for the treatment of queer players.” He pulled me to the sliding glass doors leading to the patio. “I think I need a drink. It’s a nice day, and we should be celebrating.” He arched a brow.

“A…a drink?” Should he be drinking already? “Okay, what were you thinking?” I looked him over. He seemed calmer and stronger than I’d ever seen him.

“How about some whiskey? I have a nice one stashed in the liquor cabinet. Put mine on ice.” With a shrug and a grin, he stepped through the doors and into the sunny backyard, and then stretched his arms over his head.

“Weird, but okay.” I strode into the kitchen, found the whiskey, and poured us each a drink. I brought them out to Jett, now sitting on the patio couch with his arms stretched across the back of it. “So…” I handed him his glass. The afternoon was beautiful, not too hot for once. But then it was October, and we were in the shade.

“So, it’s over, babe.” He held up his glass. “Cheers.”

“Cheers.” I tapped my glass on his and sipped the bourbon, the honey burn filling my mouth and gliding down my throat. “This is good.” I twisted the glass in my hand and locked my gaze on his. “Now tell me everything.”

He shifted closer to me, his body heat tingling up my side. “The team is issuing a statement that will go out today and Boyd will be formally apologizing to me.” He pecked my cheek. “Well, to us.”

“Did they already run the apology and team statement by you?” I drank more whiskey. He had been right. This was a good idea. It was so nice out here, and things could only get better, right?

“They did.” He sighed and sipped his drink. “It was all the typical crap, you know. His apology was all about how sorry he was, and he owned his bad behavior. But, of course, he had to blame the environment he grew up in, like being raised by a homoph obic prick gives you the right to be one yourself.” He tensed his jaw.

“So, he’s still an asshole.” With a shake of my head, I looked across the tall trees and patch of fake grass, all surrounding a small pool. I was going to be living here in a few months. With my teammate and boyfriend.

“Yep, still an asshole, but at least now he knows his bullshit won’t be tolerated.” He tapped the side of his head to mine. “He’ll be on probation. So if he throws around any of his typical prejudiced chirps, he’ll be pulled off the ice, not just benched.”

“Good.” I drank more bourbon as an imaginary weight lifted off my chest. Holy shit, I didn’t even realize how tense this whole thing had made me.

“Will says he’s seeing nothing but accolades for how we’ve handled everything.” He kissed my cheek. “The fans can’t wait to see us playing together, and I’ve had so many people, including queer kids, reach out to me. It’s…” His voice cracked. “Shit, it’s great.”

I focused on his glistening eyes and cupped his cheek. “Who’d have thought you coming out would lead to all of this?” Even his family was about to be rid of Eleanor.

“No, who’d have thought me meeting you would lead to all of this.” He leaned in and pressed a long, slow kiss on my lips. “You made this possible, Mason. Your love set me free.” He sniffled.

I blinked back tears. The fucker was killing me here. With a hard swallow, I said, “Love you, babe.” I had to say something to lighten the mood. “Chicken cordon bleu for dinner? I mean, we’re celebrating here.” I gave him my best smile.

“For you, anything.” He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and nuzzled into my neck. “Love you so much.”