"I'm not playing around with her."
Another pause.
"She's not a game to me," he adds.
Something tight in my chest shifts.
Mason exhales slowly.
"Good," he says.
A moment later he continues.
"Because she deserves better than some locker room story."
"I know," Gabriel says.
His voice is steady.
Certain.
I back away quietly before either of them notices I'm there.
By the time I return to the stands practice is still going.
Dex spots me immediately.
"Oh look," he calls loudly. "Mrs. Shelly returns."
The players immediately begin stretching like they've suddenly remembered how muscles work.
Bobby bends sideways dramatically.
"Very normal stretching. We do this all the time," he says.
Colby nods solemnly.
"Definitely not talking about Gabriel's love life."
"You guys are terrible," I tell them.
Dex grins.
"We prefer entertaining."
Practice winds down a few minutes later.
Players skate toward the benches, pulling off helmets and gloves.
Maddie runs down to the glass again.
"Daddy!"
Gabriel skates over, leaning his forearms on the boards.
"Hey, kiddo," he says. "Are you supervising practice?"
"Yes," Maddie says seriously. "Dex talks too much."
