Noise from the living room drifted through the door of his room and Josh let out a low growl while cracking one eye open. He shut it quickly to block out the light, rubbing his face with his free hand. His other arm was trapped under something warm.

Of course she’s warm. The thought brought a smile to his face. He finally opened his eyes again, despite the blinding sun streaming through his window. Looking down at Taylor, a laugh broke free from his chest. She mumbled something in her sleep and then curled around his trapped arm with all the covers tangled around her small form.

He looked down at his own freezing feet, but couldn’t even be annoyed. Very slowly, he slid his arm out from under her and sat up.

The voices in the living room were louder now, and Josh knew it couldn’t just be Mack and the girl from last night. He pulled on a pair of socks and left as silently as he could.

Zak’s distinct Russian purr was audible now that there wasn’t a door between them.

“It’s bullshit,” he was saying. “I can’t believe he called you out like that.”

“Some friend,” Mack grunted.

Josh wasn’t surprised the two of them were in there bitching like school girls. Zak may not do the idiotic things Mack did, but when his teammate needed someone to get angry with him, he was there.

Josh stopped in the kitchen before making himself known. They were so engrossed that they didn’t hear him turn on the faucet to fill his glass. He stood there watching them, not really wanting to get involved. Mack stepped in the shit last night. Punching someone at a charity function where the team was front and center was going to have its repercussions. Frankly, Josh hoped Mack got a wake-up call from this. He couldn’t keep treating everything like it was one big joke. That game, that league, was their lives.

“There are pancakes in the oven keeping warm,” a voice said.

Josh turned towards the table where Mel was perched.

“Uh, hey?” He glanced towards his teammates in the living room and then back to the girl, assuming she’d come with Zak. “Thought you weren’t a hockey groupie?”

“Don’t be an ass,” she snapped. “I made you breakfast.”

“Okay, so not a groupie. Stalker?” He grinned. He couldn’t help but like this girl.

“Oh, yes,” she deadpanned. “You’re all I think about. Josh Walker. Mmmm, such a dreamboat.” She finally cracked a smile, and he laughed.

“I knew it!”

“Ass.”

“Fair enough.” He fixed himself a plate and sat down across from her. “I think I’m the only person that’s ever cooked in that kitchen before you.”

She snorted at that. “I’ll bet. Can’t exactly imagine Mack making girls ‘morning after’ eggs.”

“So, if you aren’t in love with me, why are you here? - not that I don’t appreciate the food,” he added.

“Zak and I were supposed to grab breakfast. He’d just picked me up when Punchy in there gave him a call. As to the pancakes, I realized pretty quickly that we’d be here a while and I was hungry.”

Stabbing his fork into a bite of pancake, Josh smirked. “I like you, Mel.” He stuffed it into his mouth.

“That feeling will pass.” She leaned forward. “I drugged your food.”

He was still laughing when the chair beside him was pulled out, the legs screeching against the tile floor. “Why am I so tired?” Taylor groaned, plunking her butt into the seat and leaning her head on the table.

“Probably because you spent all night talking and stealing the covers,” Josh laughed, rubbing small circles on her back.

“I did not,” she stated.

“Oh, trust me, I have the frozen feet to prove it.”

“Only feet?”

“Well, I had something else keeping the rest of me warm.” The color rose in her cheeks and his smile stretched wider. Leaning towards her, he whispered, “You blush a lot. It’s cute.”

He stood and looked down at her. “Hungry?”

“Famished.”

“Well, then you can thank our cook here.” He pointed to Mel, and Taylor lifted her head as if seeing their company for the first time.

“So, you’re the girl he ditched me for last night,” Mel said with mock-seriousness.

“I… um…” Taylor stumbled for a response, making the other girl chuckled.

“It’s okay, I told him from the get-go that I wouldn’t sleep with him, so I’m glad he found someone that would.”

“Excuse me?” Taylor croaked.

Josh’s eyes flashed towards Mel as he set a plate in front of Taylor. She was doing her best to make Taylor squirm.

Mel laughed hysterically as she waved her arms in front of her. “Kidding,” she wheezed in between giggles. “Your faces… priceless.”

“Josh,” Mack called before he could save Taylor.

“Bring your plate,” he said to Taylor as he grabbed his. “Let’s see what the crisis is this time.”

Zak was perched on the arm of the couch while Mack paced in front of him.

“Finally,” Mack said when he caught sight of Josh. “You’re awake.” He glanced at Taylor and then Mel before his eyes drifted back to Josh. “This is really just team business.”

Josh knew his roommate wasn’t trying to be an ass this time. He was probably right. Whatever was going to happen shouldn’t involve anyone else, least of all Coach’s daughter.

“It’s okay,” Taylor said. “I called Abigail when I woke up. She should be here any minute to get me.”

At the mention of Abigail, Mack sunk down onto the couch and put his head in his hands.

“We can give you a ride,” Taylor said to Mel.

Mel looked to Zak who gave her an apologetic smile. “Rain check?”

“Yeah, sure.” The girls left their dishes in the kitchen and headed out the door.

It wasn’t the morning Josh had wanted. Taylor had finally let him in, and he wanted to explore what that meant. He’d planned on cooking her breakfast and then spending the early part of the day with her before he had to hit the gym. Now they just had an awkward half-hug, and she was gone. He vowed to himself he’d make it up to her.

Turning back towards his teammates, he sighed. “What’s going on?”

“This.” Mack handed Josh is laptop where’d he’d pulled up the Columbus Dispatch on-line. They had a small hockey section with designated hockey reporters. As soon as he saw the headline, he knew it wasn’t good.

Grant Mackenzie attacks man at charity gala.

“I didn’t attack anyone,” Mack growled.

“Keep reading,” Zak said.

About a third of the way through the article, there was a quote from Colin.

I was just minding my own business. I don’t know what his problem was. He must have been on something. There was this crazed look in his eyes. I’m telling you, that guy was out of his mind.

Josh looked up. “Shit.”

“That isn’t everything,” Zak responded.

Near the end of the article was another quote.

That is not how we want to be represented as a team. Olle Isaksson, Captain of the Blue Jackets, said. We are better than that. In this league, men are forced to be professionals while dealing with the pitfalls of stardom at a very young age. Not every guy who can put the puck in the net has the mentality to be the role models we are supposed to be.

“Double shit.” Josh sighed, although he wouldn’t say he disagreed with Olle. In fact, he’d thought the very same thing. But, he’d never use the media to say it.

As professional athletes, reporters were always trying to get the scoop. It was a daily struggle to keep your private life private. In hockey, most guys could do it - at least the ones who weren’t playing in Canada. Mack had always been utterly incapable of staying under the radar. He’d done a lot of things that people shrugged off as a young man blowing off steam. This was different. There were accusations in that article that would be hard to shake.

“My own captain, throwing me under the bus,” Mack scoffed.

“Were you on drugs last night?” It all seemed so surreal to Josh. He’d been close to Mack since coming into the league and had never seen him touch anything harder than booze. They were best friends, teammates, brothers, yet he suddenly couldn’t trust what he thought he knew of the man. He’d seen the fight. Mack didn’t attack Colin out of the blue, but he had seemed a little crazed.

“How can you ask me that?” Mack’s voice was so low, Josh almost didn’t hear it.

“How can I not? I saw you going at it with him. Why would he lie?”

It was silent for a moment before Mack burst up from the couch. “Because he knows I screwed his girlfriend!”

“That’s a huge accusation to make because of a girl, especially since it was just a one-time thing. He knows he could ruin you.”

Mack’s shoulders sagged and he sat back down. “What is happening to me? My career is on the line and all I can think is that this proves Colin’s a douche and I need to get her away from him.”

Before Josh could respond, there was a knock on the door. It swung open seconds later.

“Oh look,” Zak said. “Brutus.”

Olle held his hands up as he walked closer. “I know you probably think I’m the biggest jackass on the planet.”

“That’s an understatement,” Mack said.

“I came to see if you’re okay after last night.” Olle’s gaze didn’t leave Mack.

“I doubt I will be after management gets hold of me.”

“I’ve already talked to them.” Olle sat in a chair across from them. “The quote in that article was the start of damage control. They asked me to do it. They also want a drug test.”

“Even if I was on drugs, it’s not like that’s an uncommon thing in this league.”

“No,” Olle said evenly. “It’s not. But those other guys weren’t called out for it in the paper. You’ll get the test, and then we can tell the Dispatch that it was negative. I’ll be honest here, they’re getting sick of your shit. And you know how they deal with problems. There are plenty of teams that’d take a chance on a troublemaking thirty-goal scorer. If you want to stay a Jacket, clean up your act. They’re watching you closely. And remember, this is only management. You know Coach will have his own punishment for you. I’d expect to sit a few games if I were you.”

Olle got to his feet to signal he wasn’t staying. “Don’t talk to any media. You know the drill.” When he reached the door, he turned back. “And Mack?”

“Yeah?”

“Come to me if you need help turning yourself around.”

He left and with him went all the anger that’d thickened the room before. Mack seemed visibly more relaxed.

“You heading to the gym?” He asked Josh.

“In a few.”

“I’ll meet you there after I stop by the clinic.”

Josh just stared at him for a moment. It wasn’t like Mack to give up his off days during the season, but he didn’t want to question it. Truth was, if Mack was traded, he’d lose his best friend. So, a newfound dedication was good.

“You guys have fun,” Zak said. “I’m going to see about a girl.”