“You’re welcome.Now, when you think you have an opening, you might want to talk to Huck aboutseein’ Gina.”
Dr. Gina Christakoswas married to Clutch who happened to be the VP of the Burnings Saints MC. Thepresident of that MC, Minus, was married to Hatch’s sister, Cricket, so theywere, by default, considered a friendly club.
Sort of, anyway.
Gina wasamazing. Not only was she a gifted doctor, but she also knew everyone. And byeveryone, I mean,everyone, including the head of orthopedics at OHSU.
“He’s probablyalready seen the best doctors the NHL can buy,” I said.
“Yeah, butthey’re not unbiased, are they?”
“As in, youthink this might have been an inside job?” I asked. “Are you saying this wassome big conspiracy?”
“I’m not sayingthat, but I’m also notnotsaying that. But it’s probably not an insidejob, Ducky.”
“Holy shit.” Ifrowned. “Well, don’t filter if it is, okay?”
“Okay. Does Huckknow you’re doin’ this? Looking into his ‘accident.’”
“Nope,” Iadmitted.
“Right. Well,you’re gonna have to do that, honey. Tell him, I mean.”
I grimaced. “Iknow. But let’s wait and see what you find first, okay?”
“Dais—”
“Daddy, I getit. Lying is never good, and I get that this istechnicallylying byomission, but I cannot believe that no one has raised the alarm about this. Hewas attacked, seemingly out of nowhere, and his career’s just done? And who thefuck’s this Keith guy? He takes Huck’s place, bada bing, bada boom, yada yada,whatever?”
“KeithCherkowsky,” Dad supplied with a chuckle. “In layman’s terms, he was thesecond-best player on the team. They’re buddies. Roommates in college and Ithink they grew up together as well. Not sure, but you can always ask your manabout that. Doesn’t matter. It’s the natural order of things that Keith wouldtake his place. Buthewasn’t the one who hurt Huck.”
“I get that, butwhy didn’t he say, ‘You know, my best friend might never play again, so out ofrespect for him, I’ll pass’?”
“Baby girl, lifedoesn’t work like that.”
“Well, itshould!” I snapped.
“I need you totake off your daisy-rimmed, rose-colored glasses, honey, and take a breath.”
I scowled.“Something’s not right, Daddy, and you fucking know it.”
“Not sayingyou’re wrong, Ducky. I’m just saying that if you start looking for the devilaround every corner, you’re going to find him, and you can’t start attackinghis friends. Talk to Huck. Don’t put words in his mouth. Ask him to fill you inon the shit you don’t know.”
I blew out abreath through flappy lips.
“But you’regonna have to go gentle. This is still fresh. He’s lookin’ at more surgery, andthat’s public knowledge, stuff he’s shared in interviews, so he’s still in thethick of his recovery. I have a feelin’ that his thoughts aren’t just on thefact he’s gotta deal with this health shit, it’s also on the fact he’s met youand now he’s gotta figure out how to navigate his feelings for you and hisfeelings for losing his career.”
“Oh, yeah, Ihadn’t really thought about that.”
“It’s heavy,baby. Especially for a man.”
“Why, ‘especiallyfor a man’?”
“Because itdoesn’t matter that women have all the same rights and are just as equal, whena man is a real man, he wants to provide for his woman. Whether it befinancially, physically, spiritually, or emotionally, and in the case of a manlike Huck, or a man like your daddy, it’s all of the fuckin’ above. So, if he’slookin’ down the barrel of the gun of what he sees as the end of his career,he’s probably worryin’ about how the fuck he’s gonna provide for the woman he’sjust met and is fallin’ for across the hall.”
“He is not.”
“He is too. Ifhe’s any man at all, that is.”
