Love In Moments (Love Distilled #2) - Scarlett Cole Page 0,1

what had become their home.

Anders silently vowed to take a puck to the chest without his padded equipment rather than follow in his older brother’s footsteps anytime soon. But he had to agree with Karl’s softly spoken observation. “She does look good. You both look so annoyingly happy it’s nauseating. And English, remember.”

Anders raised his glass and savored the last taste of the only drink he was allowed. If he drank too much, English words disappeared from his vocabulary and his agility on the ice in the days that followed sucked. Languages came to Karl as easy as skating, while Anders had to focus on languages to be understood.

“Shit, sorry. I forgot. I’m glad you were able to make it. That was a tough break for you guys last night.”

Anders shrugged. He feigned nonchalance when the truth was every loss cut a little deeper, to the point where he was almost numb by it. When the hype had started over him being the number one draft pick, he’d been thrilled. The media had called out his explosive speed on the ice. But by draft night, the Arizona Canyon had gained the number one pick, and if he’d had to rank the league in order of teams he wanted to play for, the Canyon would have been at the bottom, literally and figuratively. For the first time in his life, he’d considered taking his foot off the gas to slip to second pick. But his team in Sweden had needed him to win the season. And he couldn’t throw over the men he currently played with, no matter the personal cost.

Attempts to be let go, to be traded, had failed. So, he’d played out the season in Sweden, and then another, before being signed to a three-year deal in Arizona. Despite his efforts, despite continually maxing out his personal performance bonuses, the team hadn’t gone anywhere.

“It’s never going to work out,” Anders said. “The lines never quite fit. The team is so committed to players who’ve shown long-term loyalty, but it’s a faster game now. You can’t rebuild with one new player, or with players who can’t think strategically enough on the ice.”

And, fuck, he’d tried. He’d sent player clips for them to review beyond those provided by the team. Watched hours of video, matched by double those hours on the ice, in the gym, in drills.

“It is what is it is.” Anders shrugged.

The brunette carried a box behind the bar and opened it. She smiled at the bartender as she pulled bottles of what looked like champagne out of the box and placed them in the cooler. The bartender said something that made her laugh and her whole face lit up. Yeah. His first assessment that she was pretty was perhaps understated.

“What does Heinkel say?” Karl asked, referring to the Canyon’s coach.

“Same old shit. I’m fed up of the same messaging. Guys are training hard. Just need to step up offensively. Just need to step up defensively. Need to work on conditioning. Didn’t hit the season running.”

Karl, a defensive linesman with the Denver Rush who were on a run to the playoffs, nodded sympathetically. “Do you have a sense of where you are going to end up next year?”

“Gone. New York. Boston. Perhaps even Toronto. They’ve all shown interest. Somewhere with a strong setup and an open management structure. In a city where I can easily escape to a place where I can breathe.” He’d be a free agent when his contract expired. He knew his value had diminished slightly in Arizona. They’d never given him the best opportunity to show how good he could be. But his agent was already fielding unofficial feelers of significant interest.

Anders had a document comparing all the teams. He’d compiled the data himself. While his agent was great, and his management team supportive, any situation where they benefitted was good enough for them, no matter where Anders ended up. The only person genuinely looking out for his best interests was himself.

“Call me if I can help.” Karl patted him on his shoulder and left to join his wife.

Anders debated excusing himself, although he wasn’t sure Karl or Sarah would even notice if he disappeared. While he played a team sport, he didn’t love being around people all the time. Sometimes he needed a break. And he’d been looking forward to some much-needed downtime during the hockey league Christmas break. Instead, he was nearly a thousand miles away from the quiet he craved. His body