Page 26 of Broken As Puck

One side of my mouth curled. “Someone gainfully employed and not bigoted in any way.” I couldn’t stand discrimination.

She cocked her head. “Let’s go with, a man in his late twenties or thirties who can be an equal partner and who is kind and compassionate toward others, regardless of whether their lived experiences differ from his. Must also enjoy the outdoors—that’s my personal requirement so I’m not stuck as your hiking buddy.”

“Sure. That works.”

“Relationship goals.” She looked at me. “Seeking a committed, monogamous relationship. Now let’s find a good picture of you.”

I pulled onto the highway and grimaced at the thought of how many terrible photos of me Layla had in her phone. “None that make me look like a sloppy drunk, please.”

She tutted. “As if I’d do that to you.”

She thrust her phone at me, and I glanced at it before refocusing on the road. She’d opened a photograph of me at a gala I’d attended in California last year. I was dressed nicely, in a pale purple gown, and my hair fell in waves around my shoulders. My makeup was on point, making my eyes even brighter.

“That one works,” I said.

“You look hot as hell. The messages are going to roll in.”

I wasn’t so sure about that, but only a few minutes later, the phone pinged and Layla turned to me, her expression smug.

“How do you feel about a date tonight with a sexy French Canadian who’s new to the area?”

Chapter Nine

MATT

“Gather around,” Assistant Coach Willets called from where he stood beside Coach Dunn near the edge of the rink.

We all skated over. A couple of guys took their helmets off, but I kept mine on. My hair was drenched with sweat, and I had no doubt that I’d freeze as soon as it was exposed to the cold air. Right now, it was just kind of gross and damp but not unbearable.

“We have our first preseason game on Monday,” Coach Dunn boomed, rubbing his gloved hands together. “I know you’ve all been working hard, but there’s a weekend between now and then, and I’d ask that you all lie low. Work out tomorrow if you feel the need and rest on Sunday so you’re ready to go on Monday.”

“We don’t want to hear about any wild parties,” Willets added, crossing his arms and doing his best to look intimidating, which would be more effective if he weren’t built like a string bean. “If you turn up hungover or worse for wear, you’re benched. No exceptions. If anyone finds themselves in the media for anything other than rescuing kittens from trees, same thing.”

“What if I want to have a shot of tequila so I’m a beast on the ice?” Jesse asked.

Everyone ignored him. It was a good thing the coaches knew he was joking or he could have been in trouble. Not that I was convinced the prospect of that would have dissuaded him.

Coach Dunn cleared his throat. “Thank you all for your hard work during training camp. I know it can be difficult getting back into it after so long away. Everyone put in their best effort and I appreciate that. We’ll now read out the team configuration.”

I shifted my weight, anxious to find out who I’d be paired with. Hopefully, Gauthier since we were starting to make headway on anticipating each other’s moves.

Coach announced the lines, and sure enough, I was. Thank God.

“We’ll see you back here on Monday. Be ready. Seattle is going to come out hard.”

The team dispersed.

Gauthier clapped me on the shoulder and grinned. “You and me, man. We’ve got this, right?”

“Right,” I agreed, clasping his hand and squeezing it firmly.

Gauthier glanced over my shoulder, his dark eyes locking onto someone beyond me. “Coach?”

“I need a word with Matthews,” Coach Dunn said, flashing Gauthier a reassuring smile. “Nothing to worry about.”

“I’ll leave you to it, then.” Gauthier skated away, heading for the changing rooms.

“What’s up?” I asked.