Page 85 of Man Advantage

“I’m going to watch the livestream. Nadine moved the rugs and the end table so I can get through with the walker. She found dust underneath and has been deep-cleaning ever since.”

Cole laughed. The tension eased from his face, though it didn’t disappear. “Do you want me to call after, or should I let you sleep?”

“Call. If I’m awake, I’ll answer. They want me to take another pain pill later, and the last one knocked me out.”

Ford stayed on until Cole had to go. Nadine came back downstairs before the livestream began and refreshed his water.

“You two okay?” she asked.

Ford drank before answering. “Yeah.”

The livestream started with Ford half-reclined on the couch and Nadine at the other end, laptop open. She had given him the next dose of medication, set an alarm for the one after it, and stopped asking whether he needed anything after he threatened to throw a pillow at her.

Halsey gave up the first goal early in the game.

Ford lurched forward before pain caught beneath the ice wrap and forced him back. Rockford celebrated while Halsey skated behind the net. The camera stayed on him long enough for Ford to see the rigid set of his shoulders.

“Is he okay?” Nadine asked.

“He lost the shooter behind the defenseman,” Ford said.

“I saw the goal.” Nadine kept her attention on Halsey. “I’m asking about him. Is he okay?”

Ford watched Halsey take his place in the crease. The kid found one post with the heel of his stick, then the other. He lowered into his stance as Rockford crossed center ice.

“He’ll be okay,” Ford said.

The next shot came through traffic. Halsey fought it off with his blocker and covered the rebound before the forward reached him.

Ford settled back against the couch.

Cole’s first shift flashed past in less than a minute. Ford watched him finish a check, move the puck, and get off the ice. He looked for Cole every time the camera cut to the Stags bench. Sometimes he found him talking to a linemate. Once, Cole leaned forward with his attention fixed on Halsey after a whistle.

Rockford earned a power play late in the second period. Ford recognized the setup from the video room before the announcer finished explaining the penalty. The puck moved to the half wall. Halsey checked the forward waiting near the far post, then set his feet before the pass went high.

The shot came through. Halsey caught it cleanly.

Nadine watched Halsey hand the puck to the official and reset. “He’s settling down.”

“Yeah.” Ford’s throat tightened. “He’s back.”

The Stags tied the game before the intermission. Cole wasn’t on the ice for the goal, but he met Halsey at the tunnel and knocked his glove against the top of the goalie’s helmet as they left the ice.

Rockford scored once more. Halsey let it go, found his posts, and shut them down after that. The Stags won in overtime, after tying it up again in the final minute.

The team crowded Halsey near the net. He disappeared beneath gloves and arms, then emerged laughing as they pushed him toward the tunnel. Ford smiled with him until his eyes burned.

He wanted his crease back. The need for it tightened every muscle in his body before the pull beneath the ice wrap reminded him how far away it was. Surgery had given him a chance to return, not a promise. Even if his body healed, Halsey had proved he could carry the net without Ford waiting behind him.

Ford’s throat closed. He had wanted Halsey ready, but he hadn’t understood how much it would hurt to see proof that the team could keep winning without him. At the same time, Halsey had recovered from a bad start, read the play they’d studied, and finished the game without Ford in the building. Ford pressed the heel of his hand against his wet eyes and kept smiling at the screen.

Nadine closed her laptop. “I’m heading up to the spare room. Your next med dose is on the table, and the walker stays beside you for when you need to get up.”

“I know.” Ford lowered his hand. “Thank you for staying.”

She squeezed his shoulder on her way past. “Wake me if you need anything. I mean it.”

Ford promised he would. He grabbed the remote to find something to watch until he fell asleep. That was the last thing he remembered until the phone ringing against his chest pulled him out of a dream he couldn’t hold on to. The living room was dark except for the television menu waiting on the screen. Ford blinked at Cole’s name until he remembered how to answer.