“I’m just relieved we made it,” I say, heading toward the press room.
He stops in the hall, tilting his head. “You doubted it?”
“Not the team,” I explain. “I’m the one who had something to prove tonight.”
He crosses his arms. “Not with me you didn’t. You’re a good coach, Marco, and you’re going to have a long career.”
“Really?”
“Absolutely. I already told your uncle as much. Said if he even considered letting you go, then I’d walk too.”
“But your contract?—”
He waves his hand. “I called his bluff.” He looks around, then lowers his voice. “If anyone should be worried about their contract, it’s Jakowski. I know he threw you under the bus with that report, but you took the high road and got it done. Your integrity is one of the reasons I want you on my staff.”
“Thanks, sir.” I nod as he steps away to deal with the media.
We head to the press conference where Miles is the star of the night, and no one even questions why I’m there—just the way I want it. It’s the assistant coach’s duty to keep the attention focused on the team.
Afterward, I check on Jaxon, who’s being wheeled out on a gurney. He’s reading a message on his phone.
“You want me to come with you?” I ask.
“Naw,” he says. “Prognosis doesn’t look great, but when did that ever stop me?”
“I know.” I walk alongside the gurney. “You always comeout fighting.”
“Hey, Coach, my mom texted and you’ll never believe who asked about me tonight. That girl I used to date in high school, the one who won’t speak to me.”
“What’d she say?”
“She called my mom after I got hurt and asked if I was okay. Apparently, they run into each other at church every Sunday. My mom’s been giving her updates on my career for years.”
“Really?”
“She also asked if I was ever coming home. Mom asked why she wanted to know, and she said,Because this town’s not big enough for both of us.”
I laugh. “Sounds like she missed you.”
“She made it clear she hoped I’d never come back.” He gives me a lazy grin, then lifts two fingers, his signature wave, before they wheel him out the door.
I know the last thing he wants is to lose his place on the team. But we both know the statistics. Hockey players retire early, their bodies broken down by a sport that beats them to a pulp. At his age, with this kind of injury, his career might be over. And if it is, he’ll be forced to return to the family farm—a tough pill to swallow for a guy who only wants to play hockey.
If he had a girl waiting for him, that would make all the difference in the world. But it sounds like the only one he dated isn’t exactly rolling out the welcome mat.
Guys like Jaxon never stop loving the sport. And it’s the love of the game that drives them to play through the pain. I let him play tonight against my better judgment, and even though I know he wouldn’t want it any other way, it’s a lesson I won’t forget.
When I turn around, I discover my uncle standing in the hallway. I don’t know if I’m ready for this conversation, or the truth he might not accept from me. But I force myself to walk toward him instead of away.
“The boys pulled off a win,” he states. “I’m sureyou’re relieved.”
I square my shoulders, proud of what we did on the ice. “They played their hearts out tonight.”
He glances around the crowded hallway. “Can I talk to you for a minute? There’s space in my vehicle on the way to the hotel.”
He’s never offered me a ride before, not once in all the months I’ve been coaching this team.
Which means this conversation is what I think it is. “Does this have to do with Scarlett?” I ask, lifting an eyebrow.