Page 50 of Right Pucking Daddy (Daddies of the League #7)

SASHA

“I can’t believe you told them to give me the job,” Will said as we made our way out to the rink for the last game of the season.

Aiden’s initial enthusiasm to sign on the dotted line waned once he realized his college playing days would end immediately.

He refused to leave the team after only just returning.

But when my boy made the move, I refused to be forced to stay behind, so I moved all the puzzle pieces into place as soon as I could.

Will bitched and moaned from the moment I made the call to tender my resignation in January.

“You should’ve taken the damn job to begin with. You’ve done it all season.”

“No, Sasha, you’ve…”

“Been a fucking figurehead, and don’t fucking deny it.”

“So you didn’t do the paperwork shit, that doesn’t make you a bad coach. It means you know how to delegate.”

“You’re splitting cock hairs, bud. ”

“There are times I think you and I were switched at birth, because you sound so much more like my brothers than I do.”

I laughed at that. Unlike his brothers, Will was strung tighter than a virgin in a orgy. “I know a fix for that.”

“What, me not sounding like my brothers?”

“Yes, and being so wound up. You give a prude a run for their money.”

“I’m not prudish.”

I snorted, laughing so hard. Instead of commenting, I smacked him on the back and shook my head as I moved ahead of him to enter the tunnel.

He called, “I’m not a prude,” as the team made their way out of the room and into the tunnel.

Laughter echoed so loudly my head began to throb.

“It’s okay, Coach, we love ya anyway,” Isaiah Huston said.

“Goddammit. I’m not a prude.”

“Thou doth protesteth too mucheth,” Trey replied, patting Will on the back.

I’d miss The U—the team, the staff, and the atmosphere of this barn, just like I had when I left for the NHL.

But this place had always only been a stopping point for Aiden.

Falling in love with him meant my days here were numbered, too.

Asher and Bauer had flown Aiden down to Nashville twice since offering him a spot.

Aiden loved Nashville, but to stay in the good graces of the league and the school, he also entertained offers from New York, Vegas, and Seattle.

All good teams. All looking for a starting center.

But I knew he’d go south, instead of east or west.

During our last trip south, I went on the hunt for a place to live.

The three-story, three-bedroom luxury townhome with a two-car garage, a rooftop deck, and views of the city ticked all the boxes.

We wouldn’t even need a decorator since all the furniture in the fully staged home came with the place.

The only downside to the property was the lack of yard, but there was an enormous park a block away.

Hell, we’d been living at EDGE for months without issue, so a townhouse a block away from a park wouldn’t be a problem.

Especially not when the arena sat a mile away.

“Fuck all of you.”

“Coming from someone else, I might take that as a threat.”

Luckily he took the joke as intended and I received two fuck you fingers in response. Before I could smart off again, the PA system announced the team.

“Saved by the bell, Coach,” Isaac said as he waddled past Will on his way to the ice.

“I hate you all, do you know that? I hate you all!”

The tunnel echoed with laughter that drowned out the thundering penguin walk of a hockey team. Our joyful, lighthearted dynamic might have been different if we hadn’t snagged a playoff spot already. Tonight, the guys played for the joy of the game. Win or lose, it didn’t matter for the postseason.

I held myself back, waving Will and the other coaches on.

“Trey. Hang back for a second.”

“Yeah, Coach? ”

I waited until we were alone in the tunnel.

“I called Merkel.”

“Why?”

“Because I wanted to know why they’re leaving talent like yours on a college bench.”

His eyes looked everywhere but at me. Finally, he gathered the nerve to ask, “What did he say?”

“What’s he told your dad?”

“Dad refuses to call him.”

I nodded. That sounded just like the Donnie Malachek I knew. “Well, he told me he wanted to see more impulse control. You’ve got a reputation for being a hot-headed player on and off the ice.”

Trey’s shoulders slumped, but he nodded.

“That means, put your head down, focus on school and hockey and less fuckery.”

His eyes grew wide.

“You don’t gotta be a monk, but maybe quit fucking around and getting shitfaced in public. The front office, and Merkel especially, don’t put up with bad publicity. They’ll fine your ass or put you on the bench.”

He nodded, and I saw the wheels spinning. So I added, “I’ve convinced him to bring you to camp this summer.”

Trey’s eyes lit up, and I gripped the back of his neck, giving him a little shake. “Just get out of your own way. You understand? And remember… your last name is Malachek, but Tr ey Malachek only has to be Trey Malachek, not anyone else.

His eyes turned glassy, and he nodded. “Yes, Coach.”

He trudged off down the tunnel, and I followed, stepping behind the bench as he skated onto the ice to warm up. I nodded at Shane, Mikal, and Anya. Mikal turned the second half of the season over to his assistants so he could support Aiden.

Shane’s season was over. He’d be heading to Nashville, too, having also signed to play for them.

I fully expected him to be occupying one of our guest rooms, even though his grandmother bought a condo in Tennessee for him.

The kid knew the lifestyle, so Aiden and I could be who we were without worry.

When the starting lineup hit the ice, they did their usual hype routine as the announcer introduced the team.

The very one Aiden started when he came back from his injury.

My boy played better with every game since his comeback.

And that was saying something since he’d scored a hat trick that night.

The puck dropped, Aiden fought hard for it, but the kid from Rainier State took the face-off. The game got underway. It was difficult to watch. But then again, every game was. No matter how many games I coached, the desire to be out on the ice with the players never left me.

I glanced at the clock. The Lumberjacks were up with four minutes left in the third.

We weren’t pulling this one into the win column.

That was for damn sure. The guys played like they wanted to win, but not like they had to win.

Rainier State took advantage of some critical errors, scoring on us during both of Trey’s stints in the sin bin.

That boy.

I should’ve saved my breath, because I felt like everything I said went in one ear and out the other. There wasn’t anything I could do other than keep reminding him that Trey Malachek, and his dad and grandfather, Donnie and Donald Malachek, were three very different men and players.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. I glanced at the clock. Another minute left. I’d get hell from the school for checking it, but what could they do… fire me. I was leaving as soon as the season ended for us.

I pulled my phone from my pocket to see a group message from Asher and Bauer Holt.

Asher Holt

We need Aiden in Nashville.

Bauer Holt

Please.

Asher Holt

Fuck please.

We’ve got a hole to fill.

Sasha Storm

I’m gonna bite my tongue and not comment about your hole.

Is Polis gonna be okay?

Bauer Holt

I fucking hope so.

Asher Holt

Can you have Aiden in town for practice tomorrow?

If so, his contract will be waiting, with a signing bonus.

Sasha Storm

I don’t make decisions like that for him.

But I’ll ask if he’s up for a trip.

Bauer Holt

Thank you.

Asher Holt

Yeah. Thanks.

Oh and send Morrison with him.

Sasha Storm

I don’t make decisions for him either, but I’ll ask.

As the team moved through the gate toward the locker room, I stopped Aiden.

“What’s up?”

I waited until the last of the team and staff disappeared through the doors and said, “You up for a trip?”

“Where?”

“Nashville.”