Page 46 of Bagging the Blueliner
Assistant Coach, Zach Ender, popped his head in. “Berg! Coach Moreau wants to see you in his office.”
“Ooh. Someone’s in trouble,” Benji teased from beside me.
Standing, I felt lightheaded.
This was it. A lifetime of hockey thrown away over one night with Hannah. It had always been a possibility, and some part of my mind knew I wouldn’t get away with it.
“Shit. You don’t look good, Cal. I was only joking.” Benji stood, gripping my elbow. “You look like you’re about to pass out.”
“I’m fine,” I brushed him off.
Leaving the weight room, I tried to convince myself that Coach wanted to talk to me about something else. Guilt was clouding my common sense. There were a million other reasons why Coach would want to see me.
Knocking on his open door, I took a deep breath, trying to act normal.
“Cal, come in. Take a seat.” Coach gestured to the seat opposite his desk.
Dropping my large frame into the tiny chair, I shifted my weight, trying to get comfortable. I bet Coach intentionally kept a too-small chair in his office to make us squirm.
“You wanted to see me, Coach?” I asked.
Steepling his fingers on his desk, Coach looked me right in the eye. “I know what you did.”
My heart began beating against my chest so hard I thought it might crack a rib. “You do?”
Raising an eyebrow, he countered, “Did you think I wouldn’t find out?”
Oh, fuck. Hannah must’ve been more pissed last night than I thought. Went running straight to Daddy. I should have known better.
“Sir, I can explain—“
“I wanted to tell you how great I think it is.”
I froze. “Really?”
“Of course! You’re an incredible young man. I’m extremely proud of you.”
“You are?” I didn’t know how to respond to this surprising turn of events. I was in shock. That was the only explanation.
“Absolutely. Your contribution match of the toy drive at the children’s hospital is beyond generous. You’ve gone above and beyond, making an impact in the local community. This is something that won’t soon be forgotten. Especially by the families whose Christmas you are making brighter.”
“Oh.”
You idiot. No way was he going to just accept you sleeping with his daughter.
Eyeing me carefully, he asked, “Was there something else?”
“No, sir. Sorry. Practice took it out of me. I’m not thinking straight.”
“Rest up. We’ve got another important game tomorrow night.”
“I’ll be ready,” I vowed.
“Good. See you tomorrow for pregame skate.”
Standing, I left Coach’s office on shaky legs. I needed to get a grip. I had been too close to spilling the beans and wrecking my career.
Last night was a one-off. Hannah had left angry. She wouldn’t be back. I needed to bury it deep and move on. It was better that way.
