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CHAPTER TWELVE

JACK

W atching the replay of some of my games will go down as the most painful experience of my life. Like the time in college when I missed a wide-open goal to secure a win. Damn, that’s one memory that will haunt me for life.

Tonight’s game though? Well, I could watch that beauty every day, and it still wouldn’t be enough. I didn’t score, but somehow, my role on the ice felt more dominant than ever before. Tonight, I felt less like a rookie in headlights and more like I was meant to be in the NHL. Especially when I set Matt up for a one-timer to clinch the game zero to three.

A game that, based on our performances last season, we’d never expected to win.

So, it makes perfect sense for our goalie to be sitting next to me at the bar, wearing a wide grin. He killed it tonight.

My grin? Well, that’s as big as Archer’s, but for more reasons than just hockey. She might not be on the same page as me when it comes to birthdays, but she is wondering why the fuck we never spoke more in college .

And for me, that feels like another big win.

There’s just one thing tonight that’s bothering me …

“What’s the score with Sawyer?” I cock my head in his direction.

Our captain is sitting alone on the other side of the crescent-shaped bar. Most of the guys are gathered around tables, but Archer and I are watching NHL footage on the overhead screens. I’ve invited Sawyer to join us on a couple of occasions, but each time, he’s declined.

As he continues to stare up at the overhead TVs, the wince on Archer’s face is unmistakable. “How much do you know about our captain?”

I shrug and twist my pint glass around on the beer mat. “Aside from the very little he’s told me over the past three weeks … only what you and the general public has access to.”

“Hmm …” Archer responds, picking up his beer and taking a large pull. “So, you know about what happened six years ago then?”

When I don’t immediately respond, Archer assumes correctly—I have zero idea.

“Yeah, I guess you would’ve been like, what, sixteen when it broke?” He pauses and casts a quick glance Sawyer’s way. “Look, it’s not really my place to say since it’s his business, but as some of it is common knowledge I’ll tell you this. There’s a reason you don’t see Sawyer with women. When it comes to the fairer sex, he and I are polar opposites.”

As I lean back in my high stool, I think about the truth in that statement.

“Sawyer was married—and when I say married , I mean, they were head over heels in love and gave you all the feels from just watching them. They were, at one point, considered to be the power couple of the NHL. Sophie wasn’t a famous model or anything, but she was the reason Sawyer had made it to where he was—or at least that’s what he’s always said. Let’s just say, he hadn’t had a great early life until he met his wife. ”

“Wait, was Sophie a redhead?” I ask, vaguely recalling something reported about her.

“Yeah, and I don’t think Sawyer will mind me saying hot as fuck too.” Archer clears his throat. “So, run the clock forward a couple of years, and they had their first baby, Ezra. There was a time when Sawyer was a very different person from the guy he is today. It all changed when Sophie suddenly passed away from a pulmonary embolism. One night, he had kissed her and his four-year-old boy good night to go on an away series, and the next, he got a call from family to tell him that when he got home, it would only be Ezra waiting for him.”

My eyes flick to Sawyer just as he pulls his phone out and begins swiping across the screen. “Oh fuck.”

Archer nods his head slowly. “Yeah. Sawyer has never recovered. He’s the greatest dad to Ezra, but all the guys on the team know what to expect when we travel to Colorado.”

“It happened when he was here, didn’t it?” I ask, already knowing the answer. The pieces click into place rapidly. “Do you think I should say something to him?”

Archer pulls his attention from the highlights and looks at me. “You’re a good guy, Jack. I think the team needed you for more than just your ability on the ice. In the three weeks I’ve been playing with you, I can already see you as a captain in the future. You’re like the glue that sticks a team together. But on this occasion, I’d advise you to let Sawyer be in his head. He’ll come through it, as he always does.”

Archer claps a hand on my shoulder, and I pick up my glass, taking a sip and giving Sawyer one more look.

“So, what’s your story?” I ask, changing course.

Laughter erupts from the tables behind us, and I watch as Sawyer empties the rest of his glass and slides off the stool. He nods once at us and the rest of the team and disappears out of the bar. When I get back to our shared hotel room, I expect to find him already asleep.

“What do you mean by that?” Archer chuckles .

I shrug. “Dunno. I just feel like I know most of the guys on the team reasonably well by now, but you’re kind of a mystery.”

Archer looks kind of surprised by my question, but not reluctant to give me an answer. “I’m a straightforward guy.”

“Yeah, I figured that part out. You’ve never wanted to find that one girl though, no?”

He quirks a brow in my direction. “I’m twenty-six, not dead. There’s still time for me to find someone. I’m just not in a hurry.”

“Fair enough,” I reply.

“What about you?” he asks.

My thoughts drift to Kendra and the last text she sent, congratulating me on our win.

“Bit like you, I guess, in the sense that I’m single and I’ve never been all that bothered when it comes to dating. I had a brief girlfriend in college, but that didn’t work out.”

“You don’t strike me as a playboy,” Archer replies.

I shake my head. “I’m not. I’ve slept with a few girls, but other than Olivia, no one was more than a one- or two-time thing.”

Finishing up his drink, Archer tips his empty glass in my direction. “Why do I get a strong past-tense feeling about all you’re saying right now?”

I’ll give him one thing—he’s fucking perceptive.

I pull at the back of my neck. My attraction to Kendra is nothing new, but the feelings I’m developing and trying to suppress are starting to play havoc with my head.

“I know the phrase it’s complicated is overused, but in this case, it’s definitely true—as is the term unrequited ,” I tag on, a tug pulling in my chest as I do.

Archer blows out a long breath. “In one sentence, I think you’ve summed up the exact reasons why I fuck and flee.”

I’m practically howling when I set my eyes back on Archer, and his shoulders shake too .

“Jesus, you got a way with words, buddy.”

His smile turns cocky. “Yeah, that’s what they all say right at the critical moment.”

Laughter continues to spill from me when I feel a presence from behind.

Sensing it’s our coach, Archer pushes his glass toward the barman and throws down a twenty. “I’m gonna head to bed.”

As Jon takes a seat next to me, I call after Archer, “For real?”

He scratches at the scruff on his jaw, his cockiness returning. “I never said alone, did I?”

“Jesus, just looking at him resurfaces memories of me fifteen years ago,” Jon groans.

I turn to him. “More like twenty, no?” Lifting a hand at the barman, I ask for two more pints of IPA.

“Really, Jack?” Jon asks as I feel my cheeks flush.

“What? We’re celebrating a win, aren’t we?”

He nods at my empty glass. “What number was that one?” Jon sits back in his stool. “All right. You played your most accomplished game tonight, so I’ll let this one slide.”

“You’re too kind,” I reply on my first sip.

As the rest of the team filters out of the bar, I watch Jon’s demeanor shift from a coach to family.

“Your mom said she messaged you yesterday, asking if you’d be over for your birthday on Sunday.”

I wince when I remember reading the text and forgetting to reply. “Kind of have plans. Maybe later in the week?”

Jon’s eyebrows shoot up. “Sure thing. But with who?”

I stare at the condensation as it runs down my pint glass. “A girl.”

To prevent his pint from landing in his lap, Jon quickly sets his glass down. “I’m sorry, what?”

On a wince, I know it’s time to give him the truth. “When I say plans, they’re kind of not fixed in place yet. I plan on speaking to her about it when I get home. ”

“Jack, I’m really going to need you to start talking English as soon as possible.”

I puff out a laugh and decide just to go for it. “Kendra Hart. She’s staying at my place for a while. Long story short, she’s basically homeless, but not because she recently split with her boyfriend. I said she could stay with me, and, well, since she doesn’t have any plans for her birthday, which is a week after mine, I figured I’d see if she wanted to celebrate. As friends,” I clarify.

Jon holds up a shaky hand. “Wait, Kendra? As in Tyler’s ex?”

I nod once.

His head falls into his hands. “Oh fuck.”

“Yep.” I pop the P . “It’s just a case of me helping a friend out,” I repeat.

He tips his head toward me so I can see one very doubtful eye. “Yeah, the look on your face tells me a friend is exactly how you see her.”

I lift a shoulder. My concern over what Tyler finds out is really only centered around the team and Kendra. “So, what if I do like her?”

Jon sits back in his chair as he drops his hands and drags his palms across the bar top. “You’re not breaking any rules with what you’re doing, but you are running the risk of a broken nose. If Tyler finds out about any of this, he will go nuclear on your ass. I can already see how their breakup is eating away at him.”

“For all the wrong reasons,” I say under my breath.

“Maybe so, but if he gets wind that she’s shacked up with you and you’re hot for her? Prepare for pain.” Jon’s face switches back to coach mode. “If you want to go after a girl, then be my guest. If anyone is all for finding their person, it’s me, but if any part of this affects team dynamics and performances, then you know I’ll come down on you both. We’re just starting to make some progress in the league.”

I can’t deny the sense of dread as it flips through my stomach. “ I’m not planning on pursuing a girl who just got out of a long-term relationship and needs my help.”

A rumble of agreement radiates from Jon’s throat. “And I get that. I’m just saying, I think you’re living dangerously when it comes to your teammate and your feelings.”