Trade Deadline - Avon Gale Page 0,75

when it comes to something he loves as much as he does hockey.”

That was probably supposed to make him feel better, but it didn’t. Because he believed her, and that was the problem—if Daniel was miserable here, he wasn’t going to stay. There would be no way, and Micah needed him to at least admit it was a possibility. As much as he loved Daniel and the life they were slowly beginning to build, the truth was that the foundations were easily shifted. There were so many unknown variables, but Micah knew Daniel’s unhappiness with his team was going to be a problem.

“Thanks,” he said to Tabby. “Sorry. I’m just worried.”

“Me, too, if I’m honest. But things will work out.” Before she could explain how—and Micah wished she would, he was willing to believe whatever she said—Gretchen ran over, talking about ice cream and hockey and next time, could Nathaniel and Grandma and Grandpa come to her game? And could Micah bring Silver, too?

Micah gave her a hug and watched her head off, chattering to her mom and holding her hand. He turned and found Daniel surrounded by people, smiling and looking like he was in his element. It was nice. Easy. But being here just made Micah think about Daniel, grim faced and unsmiling in postgame interviews after his team’s latest loss. He wished he could be as sure as Tabby that everything would be all right.

* * *

“I can’t believe how much Gretchen liked that,” Daniel said later, stretched out on Micah’s couch with one of those sad, low-calorie beers that lived in Micah’s fridge, just for him. “I mean, we taught the kids to skate, obviously, but she’s been watching me play hockey for years and never once indicated she wanted to do it, too.” He gave a wry smile and sipped his beer. “Not that watching me play hockey lately has been all that fun.”

He meant it as a joke, but Micah didn’t laugh.

“You okay?” Daniel asked. “You’ve been kinda quiet.”

“I—actually, I’m—ugh.” Micah sighed. He had Daniel’s legs in his lap, and it was tempting to just ignore all of this and go back to being together; Daniel was leaving again, soon, and why make things stressful if they didn’t need to? “First of all, thank you for inviting me, that was super cute and I loved being there to watch. Okay? This isn’t about that.”

“Sure, what is it, though?” Daniel gave him a worried look. His emotions were so easy to read. Micah loved him, so much, and all he wanted was for this to work.

“I—you’re not happy, are you?”

“What?” Daniel blinked. “You don’t mean with you, do you?”

Micah shook his head. “No, I get that, I’m not that dense, I know I’m great.” He gave Daniel’s leg a pat. “I meant here with the team.”

“Oh. No, I’m not happy about the season, but why’s that got you worried?” Daniel’s long fingers tugged at the label on his beer; a sure sign he was fretting. “I’m not taking it out on you, am I? I don’t want to do that, I know it’s not fun to watch me lose, though, and—”

“No, stop, it’s fine, I get that, this isn’t about me,” Micah interrupted. “I guess I’m worried what happens if you leave.”

“I’m not planning on it,” Daniel said, carefully. “I have a no-trade contract, remember?”

That didn’t mean he didn’t want to leave, though. “If you could leave, go to a better team, wouldn’t you want to?”

Daniel was quiet, staring at the depths of his Michelob Ultra like it held all the answers in the universe. “I don’t like how this season is going, but it’s just one season.”

“Daniel,” Micah said, gently. “That’s not an answer.”

“What do you want me to say?” Daniel asked, finally. “I can’t say that I don’t want to be on a winning team. I’m competitive. It’s why I’m good at my job. And yeah, as much as I know playing on an NHL team—even one in last place—is an honor, it’s hard to go from being at the top to the bottom and get booed by your own fans. But it’s also just how it goes, sometimes.”

“So, that’s a yes?”

“I don’t know what you want me to say, here,” Daniel said. He put his beer down—on a coaster, because that’s just how he was as a person, damn his beautiful soul—and gave Micah a tortured look. “Yes, I wish the team was better?”

“I don’t know,” Micah said, honest as he could