Page 56 of Offside

"You don't know that they will."

"The offer's one-point-seven, so something changed," I said.

"Fight the offer," Declan said.

"I am," I said. "Marchetti is building the performance counter."

"Then fight your contract." His voice remained low, which made every word harder. "Don't decide that my name and my work belong in the fight for my own good."

"I was trying to protect you because I didn't see another way," I said.

Declan looked at me for a long moment.

"I know." He sounded disappointed.

"You think that's the same as Rochester," I said. "You think I'm doing what she did."

"It's not the same thing, but don't you see? It's the same choice. You decided what protection looked like and told me after you arranged it."

"I didn't make you leave," I said. "I didn't choose your job."

"That's why I said it's not the same thing," Declan said.

"Then don't put her on me," I said. "Don't make this about her choice."

"I'm not." His voice cracked. "I'm putting your decision on you."

I turned away from him. The room was becoming too small.

"Marchetti asked me to authorize it," I said. "It's my contract."

"Yes. Your contract. Your performance. Your medical assessment. Use all of them. My name and my recusal aren't yours to use just because you're afraid of the numbers."

"The numbers didn't frighten me. They just made me pay attention," I said.

"Then why do you need to make my life part of the answer?"

I had no response to that.

Declan reached for the door, ending the argument.

"Where are you going?" I asked. "Don't leave yet."

"I need to go." He looked at me, his face crestfallen.

"We're not done with this," I said.

"No," he said. "We're not."

20

Declan

Buffalo scored first on a puck nobody cleanly controlled. Their winger won the wall below the right circle and sent it to the point. The shot hit Luca's stick, changed direction, then struck a Buffalo skate in front of Kieran. The rebound dropped behind his right pad, and their center reached it before Garrett could tie up his stick. Buffalo led one-nothing.

From the medical position behind the bench, I watched the game in front of me, forcing myself to watch more than just Bishop on the ice. He'd taken the weak side and closed the backdoor lane. He couldn't cover the rebound and the pass at once.

The goal wasn't his failure simply because I was angry with him.