Chapter 18

EIGHTEEN

Logan

I think a lot about what Annie said—about having a conversation with my dad. There was no time on the trip, since we headed home the next morning, and Dad flew home that afternoon from Miami. But that's okay because I need to think about what I want to say to him. If I do that.

I also think about talking to one of the guys—maybe Josh. I think he saw my frustration when we were golfing. He saw firsthand how old school Dad is. But holy shit, confiding in one of my teammates how shitty my dad makes me feel, how I want to do better…well, I'd rather take out my own tonsils with a spoon.

So I push all that to the back of my mind and focus on hockey. I played well on the trip and even though Dad was disappointed in me, Coach praised me, so I need to concentrate on that.

I also want to concentrate on Annie.

I fucking missed her on the trip. Which is crazy, but I kept thinking about her. When I was torqued about Dad, I wanted to talk to her. I didn't intend to have phone sex, but that was fucking hot, so I don't regret it. I want more.

We have a home game tonight, then tomorrow is Thanksgiving. We have another home game on Friday afternoon, so we only get the one day off. Fine with me. Gunner and his girlfriend Layla are doing their annual Thanksgiving potluck dinner.

After our morning skate, I'm heading to the player's lounge to grab lunch when I see Gunner talking to Annie.

"Layla said to invite you for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow," he says.

Every nerve ending in my body goes on alert. Will she come?

"It's a potluck," he adds. "And we'll be watching football."

"Oh, that's so nice of you." Annie smiles at him. "Thank you, and say thanks to Layla. But my parents are in town for Thanksgiving."

"Ah. That's cool." Gunner nods. "We didn't want you to be alone. You're new in town."

"Yeah, I'd totally come if it weren't for them flying in. Thanks again."

Gunner disappears and Annie meets my eyes. I walk closer to her. We're alone in the hall. "Your parents are here?"

"Yes." She widens her eyes dramatically. "My mom's been threatening to come visit since I got here."

I grin. "Threatening?"

"She's on a rampage trying to get her kids married off. She retired last year and she wants grandchildren." She rolls her eyes. "She thinks she's responsible for four of my brothers now having partners, and it's my turn."

"Huh. Does she have anyone in mind?"

"Oh yeah. Ivan."

I scowl, my gut clenching. "Seriously?"

Annie laughs. "She's been shipping us since we partnered up. We were twelve." Another eye roll.

I don't like this. Not one bit. My back molars grind together and I glare at her.

"I told you we're just friends," she says softly.

"Uh huh. Okay."

It's not that I don't believe her. I do. I trust her. It's just hard to imagine that any guy in close proximity to her wouldn't want to be more than friends.

"We're coming to the game tonight."

I gaze at her. "Oh."

She'll be at the game. With her parents. Great. "Well, have fun with your family." I turn and stride to the lounge, my stomach burning.

I'm irritable and I don't feel like eating, but I fill a plate with salad, grilled chicken, and a whole wheat roll, then join J-Bo, Russ, and Murph. "You guys all coming to Gunner's place tomorrow?"

We discuss our various contributions to the potluck dinner. They're not into cooking but I'm planning to make an autumn veggie gratin.

"I don't even know what a gratin is," Murph grumbles.

"And what veggies are autumn veggies?" Russ asks.

"Parsnips, sweet potatoes, carrots, and beets," I list off. "They get all sliced up thin and mixed with cream and cheese and baked."

"Okay." Murph nods. "That sounds decent."

"I'll be stopping at Trader Joe's for something," J-Bo says, not even joking.

"I'm bringing party size bags of chips," Murph says.

I lift my eyebrows.

"Come on, you can't watch football without chips."

"Fair." I nod.

But I'm distracted about Annie's mom trying to fix her up with Ivan. She lives with the guy, for shit's sake. How hard would it be to make a little sexy time happen? Annie keeps saying they're friends, but that's her opinion. I don't know what Ivan thinks. Maybe he's been horngry for her all this time. I saw those videos. He's had his hands all over her body. He had his face in her pussy, for Chrissake! "Shit," I mutter.

"What?" Murph looks at me.

"Nothing." I shake my head. "Gotta go. I need a nap." I stand. "Oh right, I came with Millsy." I look around. He's leaning on the counter talking to Cookie. Who also came with us. I head their way. "Okay, boys, let's go."

"What's the rush?" Millsy straightens.

"I need my beauty sleep."

Cookie grins. "Oh yeah, you do."

* * *

I'm on the bench. It's the third period and there's still no score. Our power play team is out there trying to score while Washington has a penalty. We need this. I watch as Washington gets the puck in their own end and carries it out. Shit! Then my jaw drops as Millsy and J-Bo skate to the bench to change. Meanwhile, two Washington players are going in on our net, two-on-oh. What the fuck! There's nobody there!

Nate chases them but he can't catch them and after a quick back and forth pass, Washington scores.

Coach goes berserk. And I don't blame him.

"What the fuck are you doing?" he yells at Millsy and J-Bo. He jabs his arm into the direction of our net. "They had a fucking two-on-oh while you guys decide you're tired and need a change! Jesus Christ!"

The mood on the bench goes black and murky. None of us know what to say.

"You guys sit!" Coach barks at Millsy and J-Bo. "Logan, you're out. Hunter, you take the faceoff. Brando, on the wing."

We jump over the boards. This is a new line combo. I'm a little shook, but I have to focus. I take my place at the faceoff circle. Morrie lifts his chin at me and I nod.

Morrie wins the faceoff and the puck comes to me. I pass it to Brando who passes tape to tape back to Morrie on his way to the Washington net. Their defense is all over Morrie and I go to the net, my blade on the ice, left all alone. Morrie doesn't even seem to look at me but the puck is coming and with a quick flick of my stick I deflect it into the net behind the goalie's shoulder.

"Fuck yeah!" I laugh as Morrie and Brando throw their arms around me, the crowd cheering, the goal horn blasting.

There. We're back in the game.

I skate over to the bench to bump gloves. Coach is nodding at me, still not looking entirely happy but better than the steam coming out of his ears moments ago.

Millsy and J-Bo warm the bench for the rest of the game, shockingly. They're two of our best players but Coach has got a mad on for their fuck up. He keeps me, Morrie, and Brando together and Morrie scores another goal and I feed one to Barbie on the point for a final score of three-one.

It feels great. I mean, we all feel for Millsy and J-Bo. I don't know what they were thinking. We all screw up, though. I know that only too well.

"Come on, this is basic," Coach rants after the game. "You never change when the puck is in transition from offense to defense and the other team is attacking! If you're gassed, suck it up, buttercup, and stay out there and get the goddamn job done. Then you make your line change!"

I can see how bad Millsy and J-Bo feel. They cost us a goal. In the end, we won, so they didn't cost us the game, but they could have.

But I felt like I was flying out there tonight. Playing with Morrie and Brando was easy, even though it was new. We were clicking. Morrie's a playmaker, reading the puck and where everyone is. Brando knows how to score. And with my physical presence in front of the net, we're a good combo. I loved having all those minutes.

I don't know what'll happen next game, but a sense of excitement heats my blood as I consider the possibility that Coach might keep us together.

And the one I want to talk about this with is Annie.

She was here. I'm sure she's gone by now.

I have to talk to the media—of course they want to talk to me, Morrie, and Brando—then I head to the locker room.

"You coming out tonight?" Russ asks me. "Day off tomorrow."

What the hell. I should celebrate. "Okay, sure."

I shower and dress back in my suit, still lit up after that great game. When I step out of the player's suite, I see Annie in a small group, talking to Gary and Brad, the assistant GM, along with a couple who must be her parents. Annie looks like her mom, who is also petite and pretty, but with her dad's blond hair, although Lars Bang's hair is now more silver than blond. He's still fit-looking, with an imposing presence. And oh yeah, Ivan's with them.

I have to walk past them to get out of the arena. I almost duck back into the locker room.

I don't look at them as I start walking, but Coach sees me. "Hey, Logan. "Great game."

Brad smiles. "Yeah. You were on fire tonight."

I have to stop to talk to them.

Annie's eyes meet mine.

"Hi," she says, her businesslike tone belying the warmth in her eyes as we lock gazes. "Congrats on the win. You played great tonight."

Wearing a black puffer jacket and a big colorful scarf, her blond hair down and waving around her shoulders, she's totally hot and cute at the same time.

"Thanks." I give her what I hope is an equally professional smile back.

"Have you met Logan?" Coach says to Mr. and Mrs. Bang. "Logan Coates, these are Annie's parents Stella and Lars Bang."

The air around us goes heavy.

"Logan Coates." Mr. Bang repeats.

I extend a hand to shake, but he ignores it. Oof. I drop my arm to my side.

"And you've met Ivan," Annie says with a desperate breathiness to her voice.

"Yeah, hi." I try not to scowl at him.

Mr. and Mrs. Bang are scowling at me, though. The air around us feels as thick as gravy.

"No goals in the first and second periods," Annie says with a light laugh, sensing the tension, I'm sure. "I thought it was going to be a really boring game. But then things got interesting."

"Hockey's never boring," Lars Bang chides her.

She scrunches up her face. "If you say so."

I shift my weight from foot to foot, my neck and jaw stiff.

"Well, enjoy your stay in New York," Coach says to Mr. and Mrs. Bang. "We'll talk Friday, Logan."

We will? I nod, keeping my smile in place.

"Happy Thanksgiving everyone." He and Brad leave.

"Are you on your way somewhere?" Annie asks casually.

"Yeah. A bunch of us are going out."

She nods, smiling. Our eyes meet again. I want to talk to her so bad I'm vibrating with it. I think she knows it.

"We're going to take Mom and Dad back to their hotel," she says. "Then going home after that."

Ivan smirks.

"You two should go out," Mrs. Bang says to Ivan and Annie. Tossing her dark brown hair, she gives me a hostile glance and turns her back on me.

Ooookay.

"Happy Thanksgiving, everyone." I make my escape.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I stride down the hall and exit the arena onto Sixth Avenue. I pull the collar of my black coat up against the chilly wind. There are still a few autograph hunters hanging around, so I take a deep breath and stop to sign my name a bunch of times. I get lots of congratulations on my goal and my assist. So much for the buzz I had after the game. Now I'm testy.

I zigzag through dark streets to the Amber Horse Brewhouse, a hole-in-the-wall pub with a concrete floor, high dark ceiling, and big frosted windows. The space is a typical New York bar, long and narrow. And packed. It's the night before the long weekend so it makes sense. I make my way through the crowd and find a few of the other guys at a table in the back.

I drain my first beer way too fast.

Well, that was fucking awkward. Her parents clearly despise me. And I did not need to hear Annie's mom urging her and Ivan to go out together. I nod to the waitress to bring me another drink.

I got Annie's hint that she'd be home alone after dropping her parents off. I could text her and arrange to go over to her place and see her. I couldn't wait to see her when I was away on the trip. But having just endured her parents' contempt, I don't think that's a great idea.

A giant screw twists into my chest.

When I was away, texting and talking to her was my reprieve from the pressure of being around my dad so much. I was all hot to see her again when we got back. But meeting her parents was a slap of cold water in the face. Or whatever. A wakeup call.

"Dude, what are you scowling at?" Russ asks me. "You should be in a good mood. We won. You played great. You got the hat ."

"I am in a good mood."

He snorts. "Sure, man."

Snap out of it, asshole. I need to get my shit together.