Page 111 of No Pucks

Raven lifts his hands. “No. He’s just never come out.”

A murmur runs through the team.

“Why are you telling us?” Wolfe asks.

“Because while my father is trying to get him fired for ‘recruiting my brother illegally’, I know he’s going to keep pushing. The athletic director already believes my dad over Coach, so it’s just a matter of time. I couldn’t let him quit, and I knew you guys would agree. It’s better to come clean and keep him as our coach than lose him.” I know I have to get Wolfe on board. If he and Archangel sign on, the rest of the guys will follow.

“What can we do? I’m pretty sure that’s PR they aren’t going to like.”

“They aren’t going to want it to come out, but we need to present a united front. We have to stand together, tell them they won’t have a team for a new coach if they fire Anthony.”

A low murmur runs through the room.

“I see what you’re putting down. Collective bargaining. My dad is a union man. I’m familiar.” Wolfe leans over to talk to Archangel.

They whisper back and forth then come back with a few more questions. I explain how Anthony and I met and answeranything else they want to know. No point in hiding anything now. I need them to trust me andkeeptrusting me for this to work.

“And what if they call our bluff and get rid of us all?”

“Do you think any of us won’t get picked up by another team?”

Most of them agree.

“And if this doesn’t work?” Wolfe asks.

I know what he means. “I’ll get my grandfather involved. I don’t know if that will work, though. He’s pretty influential, but I don’t know how he’ll feel about his grandson dating a man, let alone my coach. But I’m willing to do it if they won’t budge.”

“That’s really fucking brave of you. I’m in,” Archangel speaks first. He looks at Wolfe.

“Me too.” Wolfe nods.

It’s late by the time I get back to Anthony’s.He meets me at the door. “Where did you get a key?”

I shrug. “I took yours and made a copy while you were distracted one day.” I wasn’t waiting outside in the snow again.

“Of course you did.” He gives me a flat look. “How did it go?”

“They all took it well. Archangel got on board, then Wolfe, and the rest followed.”

“I’m not sure this is going to work.”

“Have faith. They’ve got our backs.”

THIRTY-FIVE

ANTHONY

The team gave us a hard time for a couple of weeks, but mostly, they took it well. Things were calm until we won our conference, which automatically qualified us for the Frozen Four.

“Is it possible your dad’s given up?” I ask, Logan laying with his head in my lap.

He looks up from the textbook he’s reading. “I keep asking myself that, but I can’t imagine he would. The Monsters barely qualified for the Frozen Four, and I’m sure he’s still mad about the loss. Thankfully, the way the brackets are set up, we won’t have to play them unless we both make it pretty far.”

“I know. I’ve looked at the brackets a hundred times to try to predict when we might play them.” I stroke my fingers through his hair. “Do you think we told the team prematurely?”

“No. I thought about waiting, but if they fire you on a whim, we need them ready to go, and I didn’t know how they would be or if it would take some convincing. I don’t think it was worth risking.”

Logan carries a lot—I see it behind his eyes, but he never shows it. He keeps himself so upbeat through all the worry. Idon’t know how. “Plus now, I can call you Ice Daddy in front of them.” He laughs.

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