Page 5 of Just my Puck (Love & Laughter #1)

CARTER

G roaning as I make my way downstairs the following morning, my face is a patchwork of purple and yellow bruises, still throbbing from the fight at the bar last night.

Jason managed to stay out of it, but I was drawn into the goads, and like a chump, I fought back when one of the fans took a swing at me for losing the game.

It’ll come back to bite me on the ass, but I was at least only defending myself. I didn’t start it.

Jason and Steele look up from where they’re perched at the kitchen island and snicker when they see me.

Ignoring them, I make my way to the freezer and pull out an ice pack to place on the big lump on my forehead.

“Geoff is going to bust your ass so bad,” Jason says, shaking his head.

“Fuck off.” He pays no attention to my warning growl, but he’s not wrong. I’ve already been called into the arena this morning to face the music.

“Did you see this?” Steele asks, shoving his phone across the island.

Picking it up, I stare at the paused video and press play.

Seeing the girl from last night and Jase, I raise an eyebrow as I scroll through the comments. “This has gone viral,” I point out unnecessarily. “Who is she?”

“Lucy Watson from the library,” Jason says.

Giving the phone back to Steele, I ask, “Are you going to go and see her?”

“I think that will make things worse. Besides,” he shrugs. “I don’t think it matters.”

“Oh, it matters,” I mutter.

“Meaning?” He folds his arms over his chest and gives me that glare that tells me he is pissed.

“Meaning, and obviously, it just came out of your mouth as a joke, whoever took this clip has you calling it a first date. You haven’t dated anyone since you and Swann broke up. You know there is always speculation, and you kinda threw fuel on that fire.”

His face goes dark. “It was a snarky comment.”

“You know that, and I know that, but them…” I wave my hand to the outside. “They don’t fucking know that. That poor girl is going to be hounded. You should try and straighten it out.”

“Maybe.” He sulks for a moment, knowing that I’m right but not wanting to do anything about it. “Has Geoff called you in yet?”

Nodding, I place the ice pack on the counter and cross over to grab coffee from the pot, pouring it into a to-go cup. “I’m going in now.”

“Good luck,” Jason mutters, staring at Steele’s phone.

Steele is also staring at it, but in a much more contemplative manner than Jase, which is curious. But I haven’t got time to theorize. I need to get a move on.

Heading out the door with my coffee and my phone, I call my mom.

“Happy Birthday!” I exclaim when she answers.

“Ooh, thank you,” she says as if it was a massive surprise that someone wished her well on her birthday. “The flowers are wonderful. I’m saving the box until later.”

“Just open it, Mom,” I say, hiding my sigh.

“I will, but after.”

“Okay, it’s your birthday, open it when you like.”

“Hey, is that Carter? Tell him he’s a dickhead.”

“Ron!” she snaps, placing her hand over the receiver, but it’s way too late, I heard my dad. I’m not pissed off or surprised. I’d expected worse. He is my biggest supporter but also my harshest critic.

Mom comes back on the line as I open up the truck and jump in. Turning the engine on, I let it idle.

“Never mind him,” she says. “You did your best.”

Stopping the snicker before it comes out, I have to shake my head. My mom will never tell me I messed up. Sometimes I wonder if it’s to offset my dad’s coarser methods of telling it like it is.

“I know, Mom. I’m fine. Look, I’ve got to go. Text me after you’ve opened the present, okay?”

“I will, Carter. Thank you.”

“Bye, Mom.”

I hang up and reverse out of the driveway, pointing the car in the direction of the city outskirts and the Titan’s arena. There is no training the day after a game, so we’re all doing our own thing today, which is good for me. I won’t have an audience when Geoff tears me a new one.

Pulling up on the parking lot fifteen minutes later, I head straight upstairs to Geoff’s office where he is waiting for me, tossing a puck between his hands as he does when he is pissed, but not trying to look more pissed.

That relaxes me instantly. I’m not about to get benched, but I do have some explaining to do.

“Well?” he barks, leaning forward with his elbows on the desk. “We seem to be doing this a lot lately, Carter.”

“I know. It’s my second home,” I joke, but then I turn serious. “Look, he started it. He heckled me for losing the game and threw the first punch. I wasn’t going to walk away.”

“You know I’m going to have to fine you.”

“Yeah, I know. I brought my checkbook.”

He snickers. “You’re an ass. Do you think you can go a few weeks without being a hot-headed dick?”

“I can try,” I say with a soft smirk. It’s all good. He must’ve got some last night because he is in a really good mood.

“About Jason and that girl,” he says, leaning back in his chair and turning the puck over and over. “Is it serious?”

Blinking, I narrow my eyes. “Girl… you mean the one who face planted onto his cock?”

Geoff chuckles. “That’s the one. Lucy something, I believe.”

“Mm-hm. No, they don’t even know each other. It was an accident.”

He pulls a face of annoyance. “Oh, that’s disappointing. I had high hopes for a second. Fucking social media made it look more than it was, I suppose.”

“That would be the case.”

“Dammit,” he mutters.

“Any particular reason you wanted this to be more?” He looks so dejected, I have to ask.

“Between your flying fists and his wandering dick, I need something to change here, Carter. There is a disconnect. On paper, you’re the best team in the NHL. But in reality, it’s fucked up.”

“Yeah, I know. I don’t think it has to do with?—,”

He cuts me off with a shushing noise. “His head is on his cock, and yours is, I don’t fucking know where. Steele has a target on his back this season after being all-star last year, and you three are the ones I need with their heads on straight. You all lead, and the rest will follow.”

Nodding slowly, I get what he’s saying. Also, he’s right. We should be killing it this season, but instead, our bad luck seems to have worsened as the games tick by.

“Get it together, Carter. I mean it; this is a last warning. Am I making myself clear? And don’t worry. Storm will be on the docket next, so you can go home and tell him to prepare. He won’t get off as lightly.”

“Noted,” I murmur and stand up, knowing this is a dismissal, and I’d better hightail it out of here before he changes his mind.