Back Check (Aces Hockey #4)(78)

 

Then it was real. Ian came into the room along with grim-faced coach Brad Wendell and Aces Director of Communications, Colby Kowalchuk. Ian announced that Hughie had been traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

 

Tanner's gut tightened painfully, waiting for more news, hardly able to believe that this was it, this was the trade move the Aces were making the day before the deadline. There was still tomorrow … he could still be traded. But surely to fuck they wouldn't trade both him and Hughie.

 

The room went quiet at the news. It was never easy losing a teammate. Hughie was young but he had a lot of potential, and he'd become good friends with a lot of the guys. Fuck, he was standing up with Duper at his wedding in June.

 

Tanner glanced over at the team captain. He didn't seem stunned by the news, so maybe he'd had a heads-up from management. But he didn't look happy.

 

The team was getting Gabe Gandy, a talented young forward, and a first-round draft pick. Tanner didn't know much about Gandy. A first-round pick would be good, though, because he knew both Pauly and Rupper were considering retirement, and Gandy would fill a hole on the fourth line with Max Hall's status still being uncertain after the death of his wife last year.

 

Hughie came into the room in his suit and tie, his backpack over his shoulder. His face was somber. "Well, guys, this is it. I gotta get on a plane to Pittsburgh in two hours."

 

"Christ." Tanner stood, not sure what to say or do. Everyone else seemed to feel the same.

 

Duper rose from the bench and walked over to Hughie to give him a bro shake and a hug. "We're all going to miss you, man. You're going to do great in Pittsburgh, though. I mean that. It's a great opportunity for you to step up."

 

 

 

        

          

        

         

 

Hughie nodded, his mouth tight, and he hugged Duper back. "Thanks, man. Been an honor playing with you. I've learned a lot … about hockey, and about leadership."

 

Hughie was always making jokes and acting goofy. Seeing him all serious like this was weird. But a guy didn't get to the NHL by being a complete dumbass.

 

Hughie went around the room shaking hands and talking to everyone for a few minutes, and then it was time for them to put their gear on and get on the ice. Colby walked Hughie out of the arena to put him in a taxi to the airport. Training staff were gathering his gear to ship it to Pittsburgh.

 

Wow, this was a test of focus if there ever was one. Holy shit, how could they drop a bomb like that at the last minute before a game? Talks must have been going on for a while, probably all day, and they'd just reached an agreement, Tanner guessed.

 

His insides were all twisted and he wasn't sure whether to be relieved or nervous. This sure made it less likely that he'd be traded before the deadline tomorrow at three o'clock. But he still didn't have a contract. The possibility of becoming a UFA as of July boggled his mind. Surely he was worth something to the team? They wouldn't just let him go for someone else to pick him up.

 

Or they could offer him some shitty contract, hoping to save cap space, thinking he'd accept the deal rather than wait it out, take his chances.

 

He needed to talk to Kevin, like now. But that wasn't happening, because they had a game.

 

He also needed to talk to Katelyn. But that wasn't happening either, because he still hadn't heard from her. He'd broken up with her and maybe she wasn't interested in trying to fix things between them yet again, despite his ridiculous video.

 

-

 

Katelyn watched the video on her phone for about the hundredth time.

 

She touched her fingertips to her trembling lips as she studied Tanner's face. He looked so sad and earnest and vulnerable. A different look for the cocky-as-hell, tough-as-puck hockey player.

 

She smiled.

 

His apology seemed sincere. He seemed to really be hurting.

 

Was she an awful person that she felt good about that?

 

It meant he cared.

 

She'd never intended to give up on them. She had a plan and she knew what she was going to do. His being away on a road trip wasn't ideal, but he'd be home tomorrow.

 

She'd cleared her day already, making sure she had no meetings. She had things to work on, but nothing that couldn't wait a day.

 

When she turned on the TV to watch the game Sunday night, she was stunned to learn of the trade that had just happened. Hugh Land was gone. Like, already gone … they showed him leaving the Bridgestone Arena before the game even started.  

 

Wow. It happened that fast. If Tanner got traded, she wouldn't even be able to see him or say goodbye. Holy shit.