Page 76 of Riding Pine
I’m proof of that. While being investigated, I need to ride the bench, and that’s just how it goes.
The bus rolls past the sign for Bloomburg on a sleepy Sunday morning, and the one bright light from all this is seeing Ben again. I didn’t like how our last conversation went, and I don’t want him ever to doubt me. After he risked his job, it’s not right for me to keep anything from him.
I need to fix this.
My phone buzzes, and when I glance at my phone, it’s from Coach.
Coach:Meeting with ownership at the rink before you go home. Meet you in the team meeting room.
I glance up to find Coach’s gaze on me and nod.
So much for seeing Ben right away. I text him quickly since he’s likely already on his way to the rink, and I don’t want him to wait longer than he has to before driving us home.
“Everything okay?” Burnsy whispers, and I nod.
“Meeting with owners right off the bus. No messing around.”
Burnsy huffs a breath. “Best to get it over with, right?”
“Yeah,” I huff. “If I’m getting canned, just do it now and don’t draw it out.”
The bus pulls into the arena lot, and family members step out of their idling cars to greet their players. The weather has turned to full-on winter now, and it’s an early cold snap. Scanning the lot, I notice Ben’s car, but he’s not in it. I hope he got my text.
After exiting the bus, I grab my suitcase and head towards the rink with it. I drop it in my stall of the locker room, before taking the stairs up to the second-floor team meeting room as Coach directed.
He’s already standing outside the door and nods in greeting.
“Thank you for getting here so fast.”
“I don’t want to let it drag, Coach.”
“Understood.” He opens the door and motions for me to step inside.
It takes a moment for me to actually register the people before me. But the blue-green eyes, so unique they always make me think of the water in Lake Louise, look back at me, and I stop moving my feet.
Austin Maloney hasn’t aged a bit and is still the heartthrob he was when I realized I was bi. There’s a little grey to his hair now, but it’s him.
“Austin Maloney. Holy shit. I mean, crap. Even under the circumstances, it’s a pleasure to meet you. You gave me the courage to be out while playing hockey. This is an honour.” Austin was one of the first professional players to take a stance on sexuality and equality in sports. He’s a fucking icon, and I’m in the same room as him.
He stands and shakes my hand before gesturing to my side. “Get your welcome home hug and then we’ll start.”
Ben rises from the side and in two steps, I’m closing my arms around him, burying my nose in his neck. “I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t know they would get you involved.”
Ben steps back and cups my cheek. “They didn’t. I did. But…let’s just listen, okay?”
Ben and I sit together in front of the panel of men. Coach settles at the end of the table and falls into a friendly discussion with Austin before they settle into the meeting at hand.
“Sorry, gentlemen. Coach Nix was my junior coach a very long time ago. We don’t get together nearly enough.” He gestures to the men beside him. “Along with myself, Matts Anderson, and Blaze Porter, we’re the owners of the Bloomburg Aspens. I split my time between here and New York for my husband’s job, but Matts and Blaze live here.”
This feels like a surreal time machine. Matts Anderson was a rookie sensation in the NHL before tragedy struck, and he disappeared for years. He returned and played with Austin for a year in New York before he left again, and it all comes flowing back. Matts is married to Austin’s brother.
“I’m an owner, but I’m mostly an investor,” Blaze says. “But it’s not always about money. I believe strongly in havin’ the rightpeople in place.” He taps the paper in front of him. “Havin’ said that. I failed at gettin’ the right people on board for the marketin’ team.”
“Let’s back up,” Austin says. “Ben came to us a few days ago because he didn’t want you to be in trouble, but he also brought a problem to light we weren’t aware of.”
“The woman who offered Ben his contract has already been terminated,” Blaze says.
Ben gasps. “What? Why?”
