He sits across from me and flips to a blank page on the yellow legal pad in front of him. He taps it three times with his pen. “He’s not going to let you go. Not without a fight, and that fight will end badly for Gavin.”
I rub my hands on my pants, trying to rid them of moisture.“I’m assuming you’ve talked to Coach Matthews in Buffalo.”
Michelle places a mug of mint tea on the table in front of me. The scent is already soothing, and the mint is refreshing enough to keep me clear headed and alert. She places a comforting hand on my shoulder, then sits beside me and opens up her laptop, clearly ready to tackle this problem with us.
I give her an apologetic smile. “Sorry,” I say. “You were probably looking forward to a day off with your husband after he’s been gone for all this time.”
She shakes her head at me. “I’m a hockey coach’s wife, and I was a player’s wife before that. He and I haven’t had a day off from this sport since our wedding day.”
“And even that doesn’t count,” Coach Chris says. “All my groomsmen were teammates.”
I can’t help but laugh. I know how it is. I’ve seen it happen around me my entire life. When you enter a relationship with a hockey player, you’re entering a relationship with the entire sport.
“But to answer your question,” Coach says. “I have been in touch with Coach Matthews in Buffalo. He’s pissed.”
“How pissed?”
“Well, one of his best players is currently being sidelined in a season where they’re defending the Stanley Cup, so you can imagine.”
“I can.” I frown and take a sip of my tea. “So how do we handle this in a way where everyone gets what they want?”
“The first thing we do is accept that that’s notgoing to happen.”
I shake my head. “I mean, everyone but my father gets what they want.”
“Again, not going to happen.” Coach taps on his legal pad some more while his wife types away on her laptop. He pauses his tapping and looks at me. “If I had it my way, I’d work out a trade where we could get Gavin on the Broad Wings. He’s obviously a great enforcer, best in the league, and he’s an above average forward who can play both the left wing and center. Plus, the two of you have top-notch chemistry on the ice.”
“I know,” I say, looking down at the mug trapped between my hands as a smile pulls at my lips. “But there’s no way my father will ever sign Gavin to the Broad Wings. He hated him even before all of this.”
“That’s an understatement,” Coach agrees. “Now, Coach Matthews, on the other hand, would love to bring you on. He and the Blizzards organization have proposed some very interesting trade options that would have any other GM in the league besides your father salivating.”
“Like what?” I ask, getting nervous, even though I love the idea of me being traded to the Blizzards. Not that my father would allow it. “He’s not proposing a straight-up trade, me for Tavish, is he?”
Coach shakes his head. “No. But even if he was, that wouldn’t move the needle. We’re talking first-round draft picks, and elite prospects, which we’ll need, as without you, kid, the Broad Wings will be thrust into a rebuilding phase that could take years. Your father kind of screwed us by not claiming any other solid prospects since he drafted you. As you know, our AHL affiliate is abysmal.”
He takes a sip of his coffee that looks like it has long gone cold, and I wonder how long he and his wife have been working on this. “The other thing is, we’ll need to find another team to help broker the deal and retain a portion of your salary for the rest of your contract in exchange for something of value for them as well. Your contract, while deserved, would put the Blizzards severely over the salary cap.”
I deflate. I’m not dumb. No one in this league is going to want to do anything that helps Gavin Marshal and the Blizzards become an even stronger team. “What team is even going to do that?”
“Probably none,” Coach says gently.
“So you’re saying I’m screwed until it’s time to renegotiate my contract during free agency next summer.”
“Not necessarily,” Michelle says. She widens her eyes, briefly staring at Coach Chris with intensity.
He subtly nods his head at her. “We’re not ruling anything out yet. But if you want to be on the Blizzards, you’ll need to eventually take a significant pay cut.”
“That’s fine,” I blurt. “I don’t care about the money. I just need to get away from my father.”
He points at me with his pen. “And you need to get with Gavin. The two of you should be playing together. There’s no doubt in my mind.”
I frown again. “What about this Marshal Rule he’s trying to push?”
This time, Coach points his pen at his wife.
She pauses her typing. “That’s where I come in,” she says. I’m reminded that she’s a lawyer and works for one of the top sports talent agencies in the world. “I’ve been in touch with the league and have informed them that implementing such a rule would be discrimination.”
“Why? Because we’re gay?”
