Mom nodded. “I had my suspicions.”
“You did?”
“A mother knows her son. I've known something was going on for years. I just didn't want to push you before you were ready to talk about it.”
Dad was quiet, staring at his hands.
“Dad?” I said.
He looked up. “I'm... processing. This isn't what I expected when you said you had something to tell us.”
“Are you okay with it?”
“I don't fully understand it. I'm not going to pretend I do.” He met my eyes. “But you're my son. That doesn't change. So if you need to talk about it or if you need help figuring out what this means for your career, I'm here.”
It wasn't perfect, but it was honest.
CHAPTER 24
EXPOSURE
GRANT
Iwas standing at center ice, whistle around my neck, watching Rook's line run a neutral zone drill when the rink door opened.
Hartley walked in wearing full gear.
The sound of skates on ice didn't stop exactly, but it changed. Slower. More distracted. Guys started glancing toward the entrance, tracking Hartley's progress across the rubber mats toward the ice.
He moved carefully, favoring the leg but not limping as badly as he had been.
Callahan was the first to notice, stopping mid-stride to stare. “Holy shit, Hart's geared up.”
That got everyone's attention. The drill fell apart as heads turned. Rook looked toward me, eyebrows raised in question. Volkov's expression stayed neutral, but I saw him tracking Hartley's approach. Even Mercer, who never paid attention to anything that wasn't directly in front of him, was watching.
“Hartley.” My voice cut across the ice. “What are you doing?”
He kept walking toward me, not slowing, not backing down. When he reached the boards, he looked me dead in the eye. “Tess cleared me for limited drills.”
“Limited drills doesn't mean showing up in full gear without telling your head coach first.”
“I'm telling you now.” His jaw was set, that stubborn look I knew too well. “I need reps, Coach. I need to feel like myself again. I need to be part of this team instead of watching from the sidelines.”
“Tess,” I called toward the bench, keeping my voice level.
She looked up from her tablet, completely unsurprised by any of this. Which meant she'd known. Had probably signed off on this exact plan.
“Is he actually cleared?” I asked.
She stood, walked toward the ice with her tablet. “For controlled drills. Half speed maximum. No contact drills. No board work. I'm monitoring the entire session, and I have veto power over any exercise.” She looked at Hartley. “And he knows that if I see anything that concerns me, he's done for the day. No arguments.”
Hartley nodded. “Understood.”
“Fine,” I said, and watched relief flash across his face before he buried it. “But you follow Tess exactly. You don't push it. You don't try to prove anything. And if I see anything that looks wrong, you're done. Not just for today. For the rest of the week.”
“I understand.”
“Rook.” I turned to my captain. “Take him through the neutral zone drill. Half speed. If he can't keep pace, pull him.”
