Page 92 of Game Misconduct

“How didyouknow?” Jesse asked with a frown.

“Well come on,” Tanner said with an awkward laugh. “I just mean it happens like fucking clockwork, right? The guy’s out forever, he thinks he’s healed, he comes back, and thenboom, he’s out again.”

Connor grimaced. “It’s been a rollercoaster for Calhoun, that’s for sure.”

Thankfully, after that, attention turned away from Tanner to discuss what Calhoun was going through and how tough his road to recovery had been.

Someone—Tanner wasn’t sure who, probably one of the call-ups—said, “Shouldn’t he just retire?”

Someone shushed him and Connor glanced at that side of the room. “It’s not an easy decision, guys. Deciding when to retire.”

Next to him, Luke grunted. Tanner glanced over but he was just standing there fiddling with his gear.

“I feel for him, you know?” Connor said. “We’ve all dealt with injuries but none of us, not even Mouse there, know what this has been like for him.”

Tanner grimaced because he remembered how bad it had been for Mickey when he’d had a really bad ear infection last season. Everyone had thought it was a migraine from a bad hit and Mickey had obviously been trying his best to deal with it.

But the dizziness and the ringing in his ears had kept him from playing for weeks and made it hard for him to even relax or be close to Rafe. It had been hard for Mickey, hard for them as a couple, hard on the team. Tanner had hated seeing his friend go through that.

It had been so much fucking worse for Nicky Calhoun.

“Aww fuck,” Tanner said as it hit him. “That means we’re going to have to play against Calhoun soon too.”

“Yep, assuming he stays in the lineup, we’ll be facing him and the Rockets in a couple of weeks,” Connor agreed. “So, I think we’d better be ready for them, huh? C’mon, on the ice, boys!”

“Nicky, I want you to take the second line again today,” Coach Pittman called out during practice the following week as they set up for scrimmages. “Leif, you’re centering the top line.”

Leif nodded but not before he caught a glimpse of Nicky’s jaw tightening. It smoothed out so fast Leif half wondered if he’d imagined it but no, he wassurehe’d seen it. Sure Nicky was annoyed by his spot being gone.

It made sense from the coaches’ perspective. Nicky was still ramping up to being game-ready and Leif was the one who’d held that line down since Nicky had been out.

But it had to suck.

And it kinda sucked for Leif too because what happened when Nicky was back at full strength? What happened when Leif was moved down to the 2C position? Obviously having center depth was good. Most teams wouldkillfor a one-two punch like New York had with him and Nicky.

It wasn’t like the team would just get rid of him. He wasneededhere. Right? Or would he be an asset in a big trade to shore up their defense? There was a hole to fill there and … but no, that was crazy. Surely, they’d keep him and use a draft pick and a prospect or something to fill that hole.

He was getting himself worked up over nothing. That was why his stomach was twisting itself into knots.

“You planning to join us today, Rasmussen?” Pittman barked and Leif went hot and then cold, nodding jerkily as he skated into position at the faceoff dot.

“Sorry, Coach,” he called out. “Won’t happen again.”

“Better make sure of it. We’re counting on you.”

After scrimmages were over, Leif took a few extra laps around the ice to clear his head and shake off the lingering feelings from earlier. It helped some but not a lot and he sighed as he came off the ice.

It wasn’t the only thing bugging him. Tanner was.

Not that Tanner haddoneanything. It was Leif who hadn’t really talked to him. Oh, they’d called a handful of times. On nights when they didn’t have games or weren’t traveling. Or when Tanner didn’t have other plans.

Leif hated that he was annoyed by Tanner having other plans.

And okay, so one nighthe’dhad plans on a night when Tanner was also going out, but Leif was pretty sure that the brand launch party he’d been invited to had been less exciting than whatever Tanner had been up to.

On the surface, maybe the modeling world and fashion insider partiesseemedexciting. It was a chance to mingle with fashion people, brand influencers, and other celebrities. But Leif had been in that world since he was a child and frankly, it was the most mind-numbing thing he did.

Since it was the middle of the season Leif was left sipping mocktails and making small talk with people he didn’t even like. Henevertrusted their motives.