Page 115 of Game Misconduct

Leif sighed because he’d gotten it wrong, apparently.

Maybe Nicky was disappointed in him and Ian for not doing more to clean up the locker room while he was gone? But Leif had never expected Ian to stand up for Leif. Why would Ian say anything whenhewasn’t gay?

Or at least, not that Leif knew, anyway. Salty didn’t talk about his personal life.

So why would Leif expect Ian to speak up for him?

If anyone should have done it, it wasLeif, only he hadn’t wanted to cause any trouble in the locker room while Nicky was gone. Hadn’t really felt that it was worth making waves for.

It was only as he glided onto the ice that he realized that he should have deflected the comments Palmer made with, “At least I got laid last night. You couldn’t get someone if you tried.”

But Leif wasn’t usually good with comebacks. Especially about something likethis.

There were guys who knew how to make jokes, turn it back on the asshole. Tanner would be great at it. Hell, Leif knew he was, because he’d already been like that in the locker room when they both played for the Belmont Furies. At sixteen, he’d been a better leader when it came to that stuff than Leif was at twenty-six.

Leif thought of what this locker room would think of Tanner and almost laughed aloud.

“Something funny?” Coach Pittman barked.

“No, Coach,” Leif called back. “Just looking forward to the game.”

Coach Pittman gave him a skeptical look and someone muttered, “Suck-up,” under his breath.

Leif sighed again.

Yeah, this was why he didn’t speak up much. Itrarelywent the way he wanted it to.

Later that week, Tanner settled across the table from Jesse and said, “Is it just me or is Crawford being weird lately?”

Jesse laughed. “Isn’t he always?”

Tanner shrugged. “I dunno.Differentweird?”

“Hmm.” Jesse took a sip of water. “Yeah, I have noticed that. Now, I don’t know about you, but I am starving today. Figure out what you want quickly because I want to order ASAP.”

“Seriously,” Tanner said, scanning the menu. Oooh, they had some new stuff since the last time he was in there. Fun.

A few minutes later, a waiter arrived and took their orders.

They were eating dinner at a restaurant near HCI after practice and a photo shoot. These days, Tanner and Jesse didn’t hang out one-on-one a lot. Jesse was busy with Connor and the kids and goalie stuff, but Evie and Maura were with Connor’s ex-wife today, Nolan had an away game, and Connor had some promotional thing, so Jesse was all Tanner’s for a couple of hours.

“I suppose you’re right. Crawford was in a terrible mood a few days ago,” Jesse commented when the waiter was gone. “Barking at everyone even more than usual. But then he’s been almost …cheerfulsince then.”

“I know, right,” Tanner said with a grimace. “It’s so strange. He washumming in the showertoday.”

Jesse squinted at him. “He never hums.”

“That’s what I thought! I don’t think he even realized he was doing it but it’s fuckingweird.”

“I think he’s getting laid on the regular,” Jesse said with a knowing smile.

“Maybe he’s dating someone,” Tanner offered, leaning in. He fucking loved gossip and Jesse always knew what was going on.

Jesse scoffed. “I don’t think he’s a relationship kinda guy.”

Tanner shrugged. “People can change.”

“Sure,” Jesse said with a grin. “I’m the poster boy for that. Met the right person and, bam, happily settled down. I’m just saying, I don’t know that Luke’s the type.”