Trade Deadline - Avon Gale Page 0,66

really. There’s such a disconnect going on with this team. The players, the coaches, the management. It’s not something they can fix in the next few months. Hell, it might even take a couple of seasons.”

“Are you going to talk to Clarke?” Tabby asked, cradling her glass of pinot grigio between her palms.

“I should.” Daniel’s agent had been ominously quiet as of late, but then, there wasn’t much reason for them to talk under normal circumstances. “I’m sure he can probably guess things aren’t going as I’d hoped when I signed with this team.” Daniel swirled the pale yellow liquid in his glass, watching the mini whirlpool form so he didn’t have to look Tabby in the eye while he said the rest of it. “Maybe I was fooling myself to think I could make a difference here. Too much ego.”

Tabby’s inelegant snort brought his gaze right back up. She shook her head, smiling crookedly. “Please, Daniel. You’re about the least egotistical person I know.”

“No, seriously. I mean, I signed that contract thinking the Thunder could use my experience. I thought I could walk into that locker room and if not turn things around, at least bestow a bit of wisdom.” Daniel quit with the swirling and set his glass aside so he could rest his elbows on the table. “Stanley Cup Champ, right? I thought I had some value to offer. Maybe Cedric was right to be pissy with me.”

Tabby’s dark eyes narrowed. “You did have value to offer. You do. But a team isn’t built on the back of one person. The players have to work as a unit. You know that as well as I do. Daniel, you know that better than I do.”

Daniel groaned, dragging his hands through his hair. An errant curl fell over his forehead and he blew it out of his eyes with a frustrated breath. “You’re right. You are. But this feels like failure. I... I hate feeling so out of my element.”

He hated feeling like a loser too, but he didn’t want to say that part aloud. Of course he didn’t like losing. He played a highly competitive sport, and he’d thrived on that competition since childhood. The desire to win practically flowed in his bloodstream. But Daniel was also a realist, and if he were giving his son, Nate, a pep talk right now, he’d talk to him about how losing was part of the game. No team won 100 percent of the time. That truth was plain old statistics. The best most players could hope for was taking home more wins than losses.

It was just hard to remember that when his team was on a losing streak to end all losing streaks.

Daniel sighed and reached for his glass again, draining it in a few quick swallows. “Anyway, let’s put a moratorium on discussing my hockey woes for now, huh? I feel like a broken record. Tell me what’s up with you.”

Tabby seemed as if she might protest, but after a moment, the corners of her mouth curled up and she looked almost shy. “Actually, there is something I’ve been meaning to tell you. I was going to wait for a night when we were kid free, but...” She glanced in the direction of the living room. “Well, they seem distracted enough, I guess.”

The hesitancy in her voice made Daniel sit up straight. “What is it? Nothing bad?”

“No, no, not bad.” Tabby waved her hand, flashing turquoise nails. “I—I’m seeing someone.”

“Oh.” That had not been what he’d been expecting, although he wasn’t sure why. Their divorce had been finalized nearly two years ago. Daniel was already in a new relationship himself. It was only natural Tabby would find someone, too. She was beautiful and kind and special and...waiting for him to say something. Jesus. Get a grip.

Daniel forced a swallow around the thickness in his throat. “That’s great. Where did you meet him? I mean, um... I assume it’s him. Sorry.”

Tabby laughed, both nervous and happy at once. “Uh, yeah. He’s a him. Luis. He works in my building. We crossed paths in the elevator a few times, and one day he asked me out for coffee, and well... I really like him.”

“That’s great.” Daniel closed his eyes and cursed inwardly. He was repeating himself now. Tabby had been so wonderful about Micah, and here he was being a complete weirdo about her new boyfriend.

“Daniel?”

“Sorry,” he said, opening his eyes. “I just... This was unexpected.”

“I know.” Tabby’s gaze met his,