Page 55

Grant

I skate around the perimeter of the rink, taking it easy after a game yesterday. We are just going through the motions today. We got in late last night, and Brooke had been out with the girls, so I had spent the night without her, and with an early practice today, I hadn't seen her.

A whistle from Coach catches my attention as he calls me over. "How are we looking?" he grunts at me.. Coach intimidates most people with his grumpy attitude, but he loves coaching and the game. He's just a grumpy type of guy.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" I quip, leaning back against the boards lazily, knowing he hates it. "Don't get smart with me, Anders." He shakes his head, pushing me forward off the board and making me stand next to him. "Anyone else and I would have thrown you over."

I know with one hundred per cent certainty that's true.

"We are good," I nod confidently."The team is gelling well, moving Johnson onto the same line as Adam is working."

He hums in agreement as we watch Adam and Blake Johnson run some drills between them. "I don't like that kid," Coach murmurs, making a cross on his clipboard.

"Aww, come on, Coach, I know Adam can goof off a lot, but he's good on the ice, and he's a real team player," I defend Adam, trying to keep my captain hat on and not my best friend hat.

Coach's gaze snaps across to mine, and he shakes his head. "Price? No, I love that kid." He shakes his head again, looking away, and my eyebrows shoot up. "Johnson, there's something about him that I can't put my finger on."

"Right?" I agree, unsure of what he wants me to say. Sure, Johnson had struggled to begin with, but being on the same line as Adam had helped him enough. Plus, we were winning games, so what could be the problem?"You want to bench him?"

"No. You're right, they work well out there together, but keep an eye on him, will you?

" he grunts out, checking his clipboard again.

I nod in agreement as Adam glides over and leans back against the boards like I just did.

Without hesitation, I watch Coach pull the back of his jersey, flipping him over the boards, and I join the team as they erupt in laughter.

Coach skates away as Adam's head pops up.

"He hates me," he mutters, lifting himself back over, and I pat him on the back.

"Nah, he loves you," I say confidently, smiling at him, and he shoves me off.

After checking in with Brooke, I let her know I'm heading to the bar with the guys, and she gives me a thumbs up, taking a photo of a rail of clothes, letting me know she's out thrifting.

She's trying to complete the April drop a month early, so if we make it to the Frozen Four, she can focus on the games more. I told her she didn't have to, and she told me to shut up, so I listened and kissed her. We ended up in bed all afternoon. It was a good day off.

Sat with just the guys and some beers, the tension eases off my shoulders until Gunnar's phone blows up every two minutes.

"Not heard that in a while," Adam mutters, taking a long drink of beer, and we all nod. "Sorry, it'll stop in a second." He scratches the back of his neck. "Sasha's started up again."

We all groan.

She goes through phases of wanting him back every couple of weeks, but it has been a month since the last one.

"Why are we not blocking her?" Bear asks, putting his beanie over the phone to muffle the vibration.

"Believe it or not, my mom likes her mom, and I don't want to make it awkward for her." He crosses his arms, leaning back in his chair.

Since breaking up with Sasha, he's been like a new person, and it's good to have Gunnar back, who we rarely saw because he was glued to his phone.

The ringing stops, and we all sigh.

"What are you going to do when you're back for summer?" I ask the question, knowing we have all been thinking, that they live close to one another.

"Not going back." He shrugs, and I laugh before noticing he's serious.

"What, like at all?"

"Nope, I spoke to Mom and Dad, and they said it's cool. I've got an interview to coach at a rink for the summer in the city." He picks up his beer after dumping this new information on us.

"I have to ask, bud," I say, hesitating as I glance at Adam and Bear, who both nod encouragingly. "You love hockey. Why aren't you considering going pro?"

"Not in my plan," Gunnar replies, shrugging his shoulders as if it's the most boring topic we've ever discussed.

"But you're good, dude," Adam exclaims, slapping both hands on the table as if he's been holding this in since they met.

"Better than good," Bear agrees, nodding. "You're one of the only guys on the team who makes me a little nervous when you shoot at me."

"It's not even something you think about at all?" I ask him, knowing that it's all Adam, Bear, and I ever talk about. Well, unless I'm with Brooke, she completely takes over my thoughts when we're at the rink, making the noise and pressure fade away.

"Nope. I don't know why people have such a problem with that when I don't," he says, shaking his head at us. "It's just not part of my plan. That's it."

The conversation feels finished. I'm left wondering if we'll ever understand Gunnar's reluctance to pursue a professional career in hockey. "Coach said today he doesn't like Johnson," I say, trying to fill the awkward silence left from the conversation; Gunnar raises his eyebrows at that.

I’ve been confused by Coach's comments all day, and I feel like I need to understand the other guy's feelings about him. I think he is a cocky little brat who is an average defenseman at best, but the fact that he tried to hit on Brooke at the beginning of the season might be clouding my judgment.

"No way," Adam snorts. "Johnson is great."

"I don't like him," Bear says quietly, and we all turn to him in shock. Bear usually likes everyone.

"But Adam likes him, and you like Adam," Gunnar points out, as if it is that simple. I can't help but snort at his strange logic.

"Whoa, when have I ever said I like Adam?" Bear smirks.

"When you say stuff like that, it hurts my feelings," Adam replies, turning away from Bear with a mock pout.

"I'm just joking," Bear says, patting him on the back. "But I do see a lot more than you guys do on the ice."

We all nod, knowing that Bear notices angles we can't.

"I knew you were joking," Adam laughs, shifting the conversation away from Johnson. "How could you not like me?"

"And there it is."