A smile spreads across my face as I realize she knows every word. It’s a perfect moment, and I want to wrap my arms around her so badly. To pull her into me. To rest my chin on the top of her head. Instead, I sway with her, my upper arm never breaking contact with her shoulder. The words of the song wash over me, and I let myself fall into whatever this is: this feeling where everything is right in the world.
Chapter 25
Beckett
“What’sgoingonwithyour hip, Kane?” Finley asks when she walks into the recovery room after our game against the Thunderbirds.
I sink a little lower in the ice bath as she stops a respectable distance away. While our staff is male-dominated, Finley isn’t the only woman around when we’re naked. We’ve got PTs and visiting docs who are women. You reach a certain level when your body isn’t evenyour bodyanymore, it’s just a piece of equipment for the team to look after.
“What do you mean?” I ask, though I know exactly what she means. My hip has gotten worse since that hit last week, and I was slow tonight. Even if I thought no one else noticed, I was fighting pain with every push of my right leg.
“Well, I’m going to—” Lefevre says, jerking a thumb over his shoulder as he hastily exits the hot tub next to me.
Finley crosses her arms, but I don’t miss the plea in her eyes. The one asking me to tell her the truth. “You’ve been babyingit since you got here. I thought it was just a tweak, but it’s not getting better. It was the worst it’s been tonight. Did Florida know about it before the trade? Did they tell you to play injured? That’s such a stupid, irresponsible thing—”
“Fi—Coach,” I say, trying to stop her rant before she gets on the phone to yell at the Cyclones’ GM. “They didn’t know. There’s barely anythingtoknow.”
She blinks at me, her calm demeanor more frustrating than if she were angry. “I don’t believe that. It’s obvious to anyone who has seen you play before that you’re favoring your right hip.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Your starts are slower, and you shied away from hits on your right side all night. No one could miss that.”
“No.” I shake my head. “Everyonehasmissed that. You are the only one who has asked me about my hip since I got here. And I told you it’s fine. Nothing I can’t handle.”
I should’ve been prepared for this. Should’ve seen it coming. She’s going to bench me—hell, they might even trade me again—and then I’m going to lose my last chance at getting to be captain. Of fulfilling my dad’s dream.
“You’re telling meno onehas talked to you about it?” Finley asks.
“No one,” I reply as the timer on my phone goes off, telling me it’s time to get out of this torture chamber. Ice baths are a necessary evil, but they are evil, nonetheless.
I stand, and Finley’s breath hitches, even as her icy gaze stays locked on mine. Good thing I’m half frozen down there, or I’m not sure my reaction to her seeing my naked body would’ve been quite as benign. Wrapping my towel around my hips, I return her stare. “I’m fine, Coach.”
“You’re hurt and didn’t tell anyone, Kane. I thought I made it very clear that’s not how we do things on my team.”
She follows me over to the PT bed, where Glenn is waiting to help me with a deep tissue massage and some stretching.
“Didyouknow about his hip, Glenn?” she asks, turning her focus to him.
“What hip?” Glenn responds.
She crosses her arms—an intimidating sight made more aggressive by her game-day suit. “The right one. The one that ishurt.”
“It’s not hurt,” I say, turning over and lying on my stomach as Glenn gets to work. I don’t know why she won’t trust me. Sure, it’s getting worse, but I can manage it. Ihaveto manage it. I’ve told her before to drop it, and I need her to listen to me.
“I need his hip tested,” Coach tells Glenn.
I feel his hands release me before she sighs, “Not now, Glenn. Tomorrow. Bring in Doctor Lowell.”
“Coach, that’s not necessary.” I’ve told her it’s fine. Why can’t she just let it go?
“I can give you a minute.” Glenn tries to leave.
“No. You stay. I have to go anyway,” Coach says. “But I expect you in my office before you leave tonight, Kane. And, Glenn, make sure he sees Lowell first thing tomorrow. He doesn’t touch the ice until the doctor signs off on it. I don’t know how they do things in Florida, but we don’t play our guys when they’re hurt.”
I say nothing, staring at the tips of her shiny black shoes through the hole in the table as Glenn starts to work my hamstrings. His hands dig in, thumbs pressing on a muscle that shouldn’t be this painful. I bite down, refusing to react to the discomfort.
Because I’ve felt it.
