Page 38 of Heart Taker

“Secret crushes? You’re supposed to tattoo the ink, not inhale it,” I snarked.

“One day, Silas,” she announced as she walked off, calling out over her shoulder. “One day you’ll be like the rest of us. It’ll hit you before you even know it.”

“The only hits that happen to me are on the ice,” I called back.

My ass began to vibrate. I mean, it was my phone again. Was Damien texting me?

Why did that make me breathless? I was lightheaded too.

Eat a donut, you need carbs.

Banning: And a reminder, don’t bother clearing out your stall.

Silas: Right. Of course. Thanks.

I was about to ask him how the press coverage for the camp went after the fundraiser, but the door of the shop opened, and I had to get back to work. Damien’s introductory speech that night had been one of the few I listened to. His words and delivery were so eloquent, but also mixed with his dry sense of humor. Not many people could combine both. I could listen to him talk all day and night. My hand itched to ask him questions, but I stared at my phone instead.

Exactly. He’s all that. He’s got his shit together. You’re his student.Why would he want to talk to you?

Two of our returning customers stepped inside, so I put my phone back in my pocket and did what I always did.

I got down to business.

CHAPTER 12

DAMIEN

MAY—LAST TEAM GATHERING

Lacing up my skates always gave me goosebumps.

It didn’t matter how many times I’d done this, hundreds, thousands—every time was like the first. I guess when you loved hockey like I did, that wasn’t surprising. Whether playing or coaching, if I could get out on the ice, I was in my element. It had taken two surgeries and two years of rehab to get my knee to ninety percent mobility. It wasn’t perfect, but it was enough. I still went to physio twice a month and kept up my regular gym routine to maintain my flexibility.

I always preferred to be with my team, on the ice, during every practice. But there were also times when I was nervous. Sometimes, when I stopped short near one of my players, or when I got near the boards, my right knee pinged, like I was preparing for the worst. It would probably always be that way, and no surprise given the severity of my injury. There was rehab for my leg and plenty of therapy for my mind too.

After tying my laces, I ran my hands over my Sutton U sweats, double-checking that my shin pads and knee protectorswere properly in place. I stood up, grabbed my stick, and shuffled down the hallway until I reached the ice.

The team was already warming up, laughing, and joking around as usual.

I took a moment and looked up at the new banner that hung from the ceiling.

National College Champions.

Nothing usual about that. I still couldn’t believe it. Maybe that’s because, despite the win, I didn’t get a flood of offers to coach elsewhere. My ego took a hit. When you win that big, you expect big things.

Okay, I got several inquiries, but all from universities or colleges. Not from the league.

Not what I’d hoped.

Hope would have to wait. My job was to get that camp underway and angst about the next steps of my career later. Okay, I was angsting about camp too. All week, in fact. Not that I was concerned about it being a success. Not at all.

It was the fact that I’d be spending a lot of one-on-one time mentoring a certain d-man who kept me awake at night. A player that was getting under my own defenses far too readily.

There was no mistaking Silas’s form on the ice, after all he was one of the biggest guys on the team. Like a magnet, my eyes followed every movement. Then I spotted his brother Josiah, decked out in a Cougars jersey, skating alongside him. The young man was far too pale and slim for his height, but then I remembered he’d been dealing with a serious health condition. I didn’t know the details, and it was none of my business, but it had required Silas to take a year off school to take care of him. And it was clear to me that Silas was a very protective older brother. The sight of them skating together made me smile. Their bond was undeniable and reminded me of my own siblings. Silas had his eyes glued to his baby brother, gentlypassing Josiah the puck, and watching carefully as his brother took a shot on goal. Silas slid around the back of the net and headed back my way.

Too late, Silas spotted me, and the icy aloofness I was known for, slipped.

Shit.

---