Playing With Fate

by Ava Thorpe

  “We do,” Luke replied emphatically. “Maybe next week? Law school applications are killing me.”

  Zarwah gave him a judgmental look. “I’m not going to say anything about the bad life choices you’re making. Law school, honestly.”

  Luke grinned. “You didn’t say anything, yep.”

  Socking his arm, Zarwah said, “You know what I mean. But next week—I’m going to hold you to that.”

  “We’ll figure it out, and—Puck!” Luke said, stopping midway when he saw Puck and his owner a few feet away.

  “Puck?” Zarwah asked. “Oh, hello.” She looked at Puck’s owner appreciatively.

  “I’m telling Chris,” Luke told Zarwah, as he walked toward the pair.

  Carter Welling was on his phone, and it took him a few seconds to notice Luke. He pocketed his phone a beat later, looking up. He quirked a smile at Luke.

  “Hey, Luke, right?” Carter said. He stopped, then held out his hand. “I’m sorry about yesterday. I didn’t mean for it to get…awkward.”

  Luke took his hand and shook it. Carter’s hold was firm, strong, and Luke had to bat away the errant thought in his brain that pictured what it would be like to have Carter’s grip on other parts of his body.

  Jesus Christ, Luke, stop.

  It wasn’t like him to ogle a client like this. Certainly not a more-than-probably straight client, for fuck’s sake.

  Clearing his throat, he said, “Yeah, Luke. And no worries, it’s not every day someone calls me a serial killer.”

  “Serial killer?” Zarwah piped up. “And ahem, aren’t you going to introduce me?”

  “Apparently I look like a serial killer,” he said blandly. Then to Carter, “This is Zarwah. Zarwah, this is Carter. He’s a client at Paws and Claws.”

  Carter nodded at her politely. “It’s nice to meet you,” he said. “And in my defense, I didn’t know the agency was sending a replacement for Charlie.”

  “Don’t worry, Luke is harmless. Annoying, but harmless.” Zarwah smiled enthusiastically. “It’s always great to meet Paws and Claws clients. I hope you’re enjoying our services.”

  “Thanks, Z,” Luke said. He fished a treat out of his pocket, and gave it to Puck, who had taken interest in Luke’s charges. “How’s Puck today?”

  “Good. I thought I’d tire him out today. I was going to let him run around a bit at one of the off-leash areas.” Carter brushed his dark, almost curly hair out of his face. It was messy chic, like he just tumbled out of bed, and Luke didn’t know many guys who could pull it off. On Carter, though, it was a good look. A very good look, if Luke was being honest.

  Luke swallowed, blinking away his thoughts. He really needed to stop checking out his client, but he couldn’t stop himself if he tried.

  Carter Welling was sexy as hell.

  There was no denying that. He was six foot something of pure muscle in all the right places, and Luke was compelled to look. Even in a plain, grey hoodie and black track pants, there was no hiding Carter’s attractiveness.

  He looked like a god-damned model, with his chiseled face and full lips. Luke thought hockey players were supposed to look dull and toothless, but clearly Carter missed that memo.

  Percy barked, and Luke pulled on his leash automatically, settling his three dogs. “Uh, yeah, there are great off-leash trails here,” he said, feeling dumb after. Of course Carter already knew that. He tried to come up with something, anything to say. “I think I’m walking Puck again tomorrow. Charlie hasn’t updated Marjorie yet on when he’s coming back.”

  Carter rubbed Puck’s jowl, before giving him a treat. He looked smitten with his dog, and Luke found the whole thing adorable. He had a weakness for men who loved pets.

  “Oh, thanks for telling me. I promise I won’t call you a serial killer this time around,” Carter said wryly. “We’ll let you guys get to it, it looks like your group’s starting to get restless.”

  Ridley was stoic, as usual, looking regally over the other dogs, but the rest of the brood did look a bit bored.

  “Yeah, I think you’re right. I’ll see you guys tomorrow, then,” Luke said.

  “It was nice meeting you, Carter,” Zarwah said beside him, friendly, and Carter briefly waved at both of them before jogging away, up towards the off-leash zones.

  Luke and Zarwah walked in silence for a while, letting the dogs get some more exercise. Luke wished he could let the dogs out in the off-leash zone too, but he wasn’t allowed to for liability reasons. Dogs loved the off-leash areas, and he was sure his charges—Percy, especially—would love the chance to run around with other dogs.

  “Soooo, that Carter guy, huh,” Zarwah said, fishing, as they were loading up the dogs in their respective vehicles after the walk was done.

  “What about Carter?” Luke asked nonchalantly, not rising to the bait. Zarwah loved to meddle in his love life, and who knew what she was thinking now.

  Zarwah safely loaded her two charges in her car, shutting the door firmly. “He was definitely checking you out. He’s cute, too, in that He-Man kind of way.”

  Carter checking him out? Unlikely. “He’s straight, Z,” he said as he finished brushing the dirt out of Percy’s paws.

  “Did he tell you that?” Zarwah shot back.

  Luke got all three pups settled, and he closed the door of his truck, leaning against the side. He stared pointedly at Zarwah. “No, but he’s some hot shot player for the Admirals. Like, I’m pretty sure it’s in their contract that they can’t be gay.”

  “You’re so pessimistic. Besides, you didn’t see—he was staring at you like you were a box of protein bars. Or whatever it is hockey players eat.”

  Shaking his head, Luke moved and walked towards the driver’s seat of the truck. “Just saying. And even if he was gay, he doesn’t fit the list.”

  Z rolled her eyes before opening her own car door. “Right, the eponymous List. You can revise that list, you know,” she said. “Anyway, I gotta get these mugs back. I’ll see you soon?”

  “For sure.” Luke got inside the truck, ensured that the dogs were secured, and started to drive off.

  He couldn’t stop thinking about what Z had said, though. Was it possible? Was Carter really checking him out?

  It didn’t matter anyway, he supposed. He wasn’t kidding when he said Carter didn’t fit his list. He had a list of qualities he was looking for in a serious relationship. Maybe he was overly romantic, but he wanted it all—the house, the picket fence, the 2.5 children.

  Luke wasn’t going to get that from a professional hockey player.

  Still, he could look at Carter.

  He knew he could never have Carter. He wasn’t delusional. Surely there was no harm in dreaming, though.

  Right?

  Chapter Four

  Carter

  The drive to the practice facility was long. Morning skate was usually at 9:30 AM, but Carter had to be there earlier for his meeting with Coach Lacasse. He tapped on his steering wheel tensely as he got stuck in another logjam on the highway. The last thing he wanted was to be late. Not that Coach Bellamy had specified an exact time when he told Carter about the meeting, but still, Carter wanted to leave a good impression.

  At this point, though, never mind being late for his meeting—he was going to be late for practice.

  “Fuck,” he swore emphatically. Trying to calm himself down, he notched up the volume of his car radio. He wasn’t the most musical person in the world, but music had a way of calming him, of slowing things down, and right now, he needed to keep his cool.

  The traffic was awful. He didn’t expect it to be, not on a Friday morning, but it was bumper to bumper from the time he entered the highway.

  He knew he should have called Paws and Claws the night before to request an early morning walk for Puck. The extra time he spent going for a run with his dog this morning was probably going to be his undoing. Great. It wasn’t like he could come in to work and say, “Hey Coach, sorry about that, I had to walk my dog.�
��

  Yeah, Carter definitely should have called Paws and Claws. Luke could have walked Puck, and he wouldn’t be in this position. Plus, maybe he would have seen Luke. There was something about him that drew Carter in. He didn’t understand it himself, but after seeing him at the park, Carter felt a small spark in his belly.

  It was like he couldn’t take his eyes off Luke.

  Carter shook his head. He couldn’t think about Luke now.

  Thankfully the traffic broke after the last exit, and Carter was able to speed up. His speed was still far from the maximum speed limit, but it was an improvement, and Carter wasn’t about to complain. He got to the practice facility roughly half an hour before morning skate. Rushing towards Coach Lacasse’s office, he waved briefly to the teammates he passed. He’d chat with them later—for now, he needed to see what Coach Lacasse wanted from him.

  He was terrified.

  He’d spent last night tossing and turning in bed, thinking about all the possibilities that could happen today. Mentally, he prepared himself for the inevitable. He’d had a good run with the team, but sometimes having a good run wasn’t good enough. He needed to be excellent.

  If Coach told him he needed to get back to the minors, well, Carter was ready. He would need help closing out his apartment, but for the most part, he was ready to go. He was living out of his suitcase; it would be easy to repack again for a trip down to Albany.

  Steeling himself, Carter rapped on the door lightly. This is it.

  He heard Coach Lacasse call out, “Come in, the door’s unlocked.”

  Taking a deep, steadying breath, Carter grabbed the door handle and turned. He walked into Coach Lacasse’s office, his head down, trying to quell the nauseous feeling bubbling in his stomach.

  “Carter, great, I was worried you’d forgotten about this morning. Have a seat, son,” Coach Lacasse said, her voice soft and kind.

  It helped Carter’s nerves a little, and he took one of the chairs in front of Coach’s desk. “Sorry about that, Coach. Ran into traffic on the highway.” He looked up at her, smiling thinly.

  Coach Lacasse laughed. “Good lord, you look like hell, Carter. I’m not going to bite you, I promise,” she said genially. “Traffic happens, it’s fine. You look like you’re about to throw up.”

  Carter flushed. “I’m...I’m a little nervous, not gonna lie,” he said, embarrassed. “Coach Bellamy didn’t tell me what you needed to see me for.”

  She reached across the desk and patted his shoulder. “Relax, kid, it’s fine. Bellamy should have told you, but you know the old man. He likes to be cryptic,” she joked. She pointed to the mugs on a small side table beside her desk. “Tea?”

  Shaking his head, Carter tried to look less scared. “No, thank you. I’m okay.”

  “Suit yourself,” she said, standing up to make herself a cup. With a mug in hand, she sat down again, riffling through the small mountain of paperwork on her desk. “Ah, there we go. I was looking for your numbers.”

  Carter sat up straighter.

  “How are you liking playing with Jared?” she asked, taking a sip of her tea. She reminded Carter of his middle school teacher, Mrs. Grayson. They both looked like down-to-earth, sweet grandmas who baked you endless cookies, but he knew that wasn’t entirely the truth. Carter had seen Coach Lacasse yell and explode at the officials on the ice during a game. For the most part though, Coach Lacasse provided the team with a stable, firm, kind leading hand.

  “Jared is great. He seems to know exactly where I’m going most of the time, and I think we’re building some pretty good chemistry on the ice,” Carter said honestly. He liked Jared, and he was glad to be assigned as his defense partner. Sure, Remi Leblanc was the star defenseman on the team, and Carter would never say no to playing on the same line as him more often, but playing with Jared was easy. Off the ice, Jared was also one of his closest friends on the team. This was only Jared’s second year with the Admirals. He was traded by his old team, and spent a long time bouncing back and forth between his old team’s minor league affiliate and the main show. He knew exactly what Carter was going through, and it was nice to have someone who understood.

  Coach Lacasse nodded, adjusting her eyeglasses. “We’ve definitely seen that. And because you look like you’re about to have a heart attack, I’m not going to prolong your agony. You’re doing well, Carter. You and Jared are doing well together, and we’ve seen the efforts you’ve been making in your game. We want to continue seeing those efforts, and the coaching staff and I think you’re a great fit for the team. We’d like you to stay the rest of the season, if you’re up for it.”

  If I’m up for it? Jesus. Carter couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He was going to stay? He was going to keep playing with the Admirals? “Yes, absolutely, I’m up for it, there’s not even any question about that. Wow, that’s amazing. Really?” He was rambling, he knew, but he couldn’t stop the words from tumbling out of his mouth. Relief flooded through him, and it was like his body just expelled all of the tension he’d been holding all at once.

  “Yes, really,” Coach Lacasse assured him. “There are a few things I’d like you to work on, but I know I can trust you to work at them.”

  Carter agreed eagerly. “Yes, of course, Coach, anything. You don’t know how much I appreciate the trust you’ve placed in me. You won’t regret it,” Carter promised. Whatever the coach asked, he was going to make sure he did it with one hundred percent effort. He didn’t want her faith in him to be misplaced.

  “I know, son, and I’m confident you’ll do just fine. We need to work more on your conditioning. You’re in great shape, but the speed in the minor leagues doesn’t come up to par with the speed we play our game here. There are moments when you don’t seem to have the push needed to end the play, and we need to make sure that you can keep up with your linemates completely. Doesn’t matter if it’s Ash or one of the rookie forwards.”

  Carter absorbed everything Coach was saying. It wasn’t new information—he knew his speed was one of his biggest weaknesses. He was fast, yes, but sometimes he wasn’t fast enough. Hearing it from Coach directly, he was determined to change that. “I will, Coach. I’m going to grab one of the trainers for more on-the-ice sessions.”

  Coach Lacasse grinned. “Good, that’s what I was going to recommend,” she said, seemingly satisfied. “You’re going to be just fine, Carter. Don’t overthink it. Overthinking will only drive you crazy. Work out, skate hard, and get to know your teammates more. That’s the key here, son.”

  “Thanks, Coach,” Carter said. He was jittery, but not in the same way he was before. Now, he was shaking with happiness instead of fear and nervousness. He was going to stay. This was the culmination of everything he’d worked for.

  “Now go get changed, I’ll see you on the ice with the team,” Coach said, pointing to the door. “Keep it up, Carter.” She held out her hand.

  Carter beamed at her and shook her hand. “Thanks again, Coach.” He left her office with what was likely the stupidest grin on his face, but he didn’t care. It was a beautiful morning, and there was nothing that could ruin Carter’s good mood.

  He ran into Jared on his way to the locker room. Jared looked worried, and Carter was glad he had teammates who wanted him here, too.

  “So? How’d it go, bud?” Jared asked hesitantly. “Everything okay?”

  Carter clapped him on the shoulder. “I’m afraid you’re going to be stuck with me for a while,” he said seriously before curling up his lips into a smile. “I’m staying.”

  Jared let out a loud whoop of joy, pumping his fist in the air. “Fuck yeah, buddy! See, I told you there was nothing to worry about,” Jared said confidently. “I’ve been making you look good so far, there was no way they were going to send you down.”

  “Fuck you,” Carter said, but his voice was fond. “More like it was me who made you look good. You kidding?”

  “Yeah, yeah, keep thinking that, Wellsy, keep thinking that,” Jared said as
he led them to the locker room. Then, in the middle of the room, Jared stopped, roaring out, “Guess who’s staying the rest of the season, boys? This asshole.” He pulled Carter into a headlock, ruffling his hair messily.

  The rest of the room erupted into cheers, and Carter blushed at the attention. Leaving Jared’s grasp, he went to his stall, quietly sitting down to put on his gear. A bunch of the guys came up to him to congratulate him, but he didn’t know what to do except to grin goofily at them in thanks.

  Eyes roaming around the room, Carter felt grateful for the people in it with him. This was his team. His new family, and Carter could finally breathe deeply.

  Ottawa was his home now, and he couldn’t be happier.

  Practice went by without a hitch. Emboldened by the coach’s news, Carter skated with gusto. His passes were crisp, and he even got a goal in at Jean-Pierre. There was a new spring in his step and Carter was definitely pleased with his work on the ice today.

  He was fired up, and he couldn’t wait for the game later in the night. They were playing Toronto, one of the Admirals’ main rivals, and Carter knew the game was going to be bloody. He needed to be at his best.

  Driving home, he couldn’t wait to tell his family about the news. He sent a text to his parents, letting them know of the good news. He also left a message for Max, his best friend. Max played for the league, too, as the captain of the Nashville team.

  Max had been worried about Carter’s status with the team, as well, and he knew Max would be elated for him.

  When he got home, he opened the door slowly, expecting Puck to barrel straight to him. Instead, as he walked in, he saw Puck and Luke rolling around the floor, Luke laughing melodically as Puck slobbered all over him.

  “Who’s a good boy, is it you?” Luke said to Puck, ruffling his fur as they wrestled.

  Luke’s shirt rode up on the torso, his flat, toned stomach exposed, a trail of baby fine blond hair going down to his low-slung jeans. Carter swallowed thickly, unable to take his eyes off Luke. He was fixated on the small mark on Luke’s abs, and Carter couldn’t help but follow the cut lines of Luke’s abs.