Page 33 of Puck Me Secretly

“Anything else?”

I sighed. “The fan’s reaction to Logan concerned me.”

“You noticed that too. What is this nonsense about lifting his media ban?”

“It's the first I’ve heard of it.”

“Thoughts?”

I weighed my response. “If we lift the media ban, the media will only focus on Logan’s past. What he doesn’t need is more bad press.” I pressed my lips together. “I think we need the fans to gain an appreciation for him first before we release the hounds on him.”

“Good, I agree. Are you able to enforce that?”

I glanced up at Dad. “Yes.”

“You have any trouble, you come to me. Let no one push you around on that.”

“Another test?”

“Yes,” his dark eyes found mine. “I want to know if you can hold your own.”

The game ended. We stood as the players left the ice and the announcer called the star players. With two goals and one assist, they named Max first star.

I watched as he came back onto the ice and skated in a short circle. The crowd remained silent and didn’t cheer or clap. The deafening quiet was eerie. Max glanced up at the crowd and the fleeting expression on his face made my breath catch in my throat.

Sadness etched his features.

He dropped his eyes and stepped off the ice.

My heart was in my throat. I felt for him. What a lonely position to be in.

Why didn’t the crowd love him? He was our most valuable player. Anyone could see that.

Dad interrupted my thoughts. “I’ll be a couple hours. Do you want to ride home with me?”

I didn’t want to wait around. “Don’t worry about me.”

He nodded. “See you at home.”

CHAPTER 12

When I metup with Katrina on the Concord, she didn’t even bother to apologize for using me to lie to Dad. Which annoyed me to no end.

“How long do you think Max will be on a media gag?” She asked, as we moved towards the team locker room.

“When I can trust him.”

She threw me a haughty look. “He’s trustworthy. He’s ready.”

“The ban needs to remain in place.”

Max wanted to play hockey and therefore he would toe the line, but he had left Minnesota under a cloud of dark secrets. And now the media was circling him like sharks hunting for blood instead of focusing on his hockey game. I had grown up in the glare of the media and I knew firsthand what a struggle it was. This was the least we could do for him.

The press grumbled their displeasure. They knew there was a secret to reveal, and they were relentless in their pursuit. We allowed his coaches to discuss his progress with the press. After that, he was offlimits.

Katrina and I stood in the private back hallway, outside the locker room, and waited for Max to come out.

“I think you’re making a big mistake,” Katrina spoke with force. “He’s ready.”

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