The puck careened toward him, flying fast, the black nothing more than a blur against the marred surface of the rough ice. Zach clenched his jaw, his teeth biting into the mouth guard, and raced to get into position.

The puck hit the blade of his stick, a gentle meeting of rubber and graphite, like two lovers drawn together. He spun around and took off for the net, cradling the puck carefully, finessing it as he moved down the ice.

Two lovers drawn together.

Zach pulled back with the stick and sent the puck flying, laughing so hard the mouth guard damn near flew out of his mouth. The puck hit the back of the net with a satisfying whoosh, earning him a glare from Tyler.

The goalie straightened and shoved his helmet back on his head, frowning. "What's so fucking funny?"

"Not a damn thing." But damn if he could stop laughing.

Two lovers drawn together.

Fuck. Yeah, he was a real fucking poet, alright. A regular lover boy. Zach doubted if Tyler would understand it, let alone appreciate it. Zach's humor was twisted at the best of times and generally always misunderstood.

Well, usually.

Not that today was the best of anything. Coach Torresi was riding their asses. Hard. Not that they didn't deserve it, not with the way they'd lost the last several games. He didn't want a repeat this weekend. Hell, none of them did. Nobody wanted to lose.

He still couldn't wipe the smile from his face, though.

Zach skated over toward the boards, coming to a stop next to Jason with a spray of snow. Jason looked down at his skates then back up at Zach, frowning.

"Why the hell are you in such a good mood?"

"Just am. Do I need a reason?"

Jason grunted then reached behind him for a water bottle. He took a swig then tossed it to Zach. "You're acting like you're enjoying this shit."

"Yeah, sure. Because being driven into the ice is one of my all-time favorite things." Zach shot a stream of water into his mouth, swished it around, then leaned to the side and spit it out. He shot another stream into his mouth and swallowed, then wiped his mouth off with the back of his hand and tossed the bottle back to Jason.

"Just knock the smile off already. Coach is going to give you shit if he thinks you're not taking this seriously."

"Yeah, whatever. I just happen to be a in a good mood. What can I say?"

"Not a damn thing." Jason tossed the water bottle behind him then leaned on his stick. "So why are you in such a good mood?"

"No reason. Just am, like I said." No way in hell could he tell Jason he'd spent the night with Haley. Despite what she thought—hell, despite what most of the guys on the team thought—he didn't kiss and tell. He never had. Sure, they all thought he was such a big player. And okay, maybe some of the reputation was deserved. But he wasn't as bad as they liked to think.

And what he did when he wasn't around the guys was his own business.

So no, he had no intention of telling Jason why he was in such a good mood. Let him think what he wanted.

"Well maybe you can spread some of that sunshine around. My sister could use some."

"Jenny? Why? I thought she was all happy and shit with her new job."

"Yeah. I guess. I mean, she is. I suppose."

"You sound so definitive there, Jason. Christ."

Jason shrugged then rolled his shoulders, frowning at nothing in particular. "No, she is. But there's something else going on. She's been acting funny."

"Funny how?"

Jason started to answer then snapped his mouth closed when Aaron skated over. Sweat poured from the older man's face as he leaned over the boards and grabbed a towel. He pushed the helmet up then ran the towel across his face before wadding it into a ball and tossing it. His dark gaze moved from Jason to Zach and back again.

"Interrupting something?"

Jason's lips pursed like he'd gotten a taste of something foul then he shook his head. "No, just talking about Jenny."

"How's she doing?"

"I don't know. I think she's up to something."

It took more willpower than Zach realized he possessed not to look over at Tyler in the net. Aaron was obviously trying to do the same thing. Poor Jason. Was he the only one who didn't realize his sister was involved with the goalie?

Zach cleared his throat and tried to act nonchalant. "So why do you think she's up to something?"

"Because of the way she's acting. Like she's hiding something. And because she doesn't get along with Megan."

"Yeah? So?"

"It's Megan. How can anyone not get along with her?"

"Are you sure you're not reading into things? I mean, Jenny's your sister. Maybe she's just being protective or something."

"No, it's not that." The tone in Jason's voice made it clear that he never even considered the fact that his sister might possibly be protective of him. "She got all pissed a few weeks ago because of something Megan said. Or maybe it was Haley. I don't remember. But Jenny definitely doesn't like her."

"What about Haley?"

Jason pushed away from the boards and rolled his shoulders. "You know. It was that night when you went off, demanding Megan tell you where Haley was. When Jenny made a big deal over nothing."

Zach's good mood evaporated, replaced with a seething anger. It wasn't just anger. It was impatience. Disbelief. Irritation.

And yeah, okay, anger.

"You mean those bruises on Haley's wrist?"

"Yeah. Jenny went completely overboard, poking her nose into shit that doesn't concern her, all because Haley likes her sex rough."

Zach slid a little closer, the anger simmering beneath his breast bone, "You're so sure about that?"

"Yeah, of course." He frowned then moved away from Zach, damn near colliding with Aaron.

"Really? And how would you know?"

"Because that's what Megan said."

"And you believe her?"

"Why wouldn't I? It's Megan. She wouldn't lie."

"Man, you really are an oblivious ass."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Just what I said. It didn't occur to you that maybe Megan was covering for Haley? That she was making up some stupid fucking story?" Zach slid a little closer, ignoring the surprise on Jason's face. "Newsflash, asshole. Haley's ex knocked her around. That's what the bruises were from. So maybe you shouldn't be so quick to assume your sister is guilty of lying."

Jason moved away again, wariness eclipsing the look of surprise on his face. "Okay. Okay. Sorry. Shit. I didn't mean anything by it. Christ."

His gaze bounced between Zach and Aaron a few times, his expression like that of a little boy being reprimanded for something he didn't quite understand. He finally forced a laugh as an awkward smile spread across his heated face. "Okay, so I was wrong about that. But I'm not wrong about everything else. Jenny's up to something. Or hiding something. Or something. I just don't know what—"

"Emory, get your fucking ass out there." Coach Torresi's voice echoed across the ice, making all three of them jump. Jason muttered something under his breath, pulled his helmet down, then started across the ice, nearly tripping in his haste to obey.

"He's in for a rude awakening when he finds out."

Zach looked over at Aaron and frowned. Maybe the older man knew, maybe he didn't. Zach wasn't going to give anything away without knowing for certain. "When he finds out what?"

Aaron's dark gaze pierced his, a glimmer of amusement flashing in their depths. "You know exactly what. When he finds out Tyler and Jenny are seeing each other."

"How do you know that?"

"Really, Mummy? I'm old, not blind."

"I don't think you're either one, but that still doesn't explain how you know. They're not exactly being obvious about it."

"No, they're not. And I doubt if anyone else knows besides the two of us. How'd you find out?"

Zach shrugged then glanced over his shoulder. Tyler was leaning against the net, his head tilted to the side as he listened to whatever Alec Kolchak was telling him. Tyler had a lot going for him, even if he was in a mind-fuck right now because the Banners had opted to keep Corbin Gauthier as their back-up after Kolchak announced his retirement. As far as Zach was concerned, it was nothing more than a temporary setback for Tyler. He'd make it all the way. Zach would bet money on it.

He turned back and faced Aaron. "I know Tyler. And I know Jenny. And I know how to read the subtle signals they don't think anyone else can see the few times they've been in the same room together around everyone else. Hell, I was pretty sure something was going to happen between them the first day Jason brought her to Mystic's. How the hell did you figure it out?"

"You're not the only one who knows how to watch. Hell, it's not like I have a life, you know. Nothing better to do with my time."

"How can you say you don't have a life? You have a wife and two kids."

Pain flashed across the other man's face, there and gone in a split second. "Ex-wife. And my kids are out in Utah with her and her parents so it's not like I get to see them very often."

Zach swore to himself. Why the fuck had he even brought that up? But now that he had, he figured he may as well jump in with both feet. "Any chance of you guys getting back together?"

"Fuck, no." The answer was swift, definitive. Bitter and filled with regret. "We should have never gotten married in the first place. The only reason we did was because she was pregnant with our oldest."

"So what happened?"

Aaron shrugged, his gaze focused on the drills taking place at the other end of the ice. "Neither one of us was willing to work for it. She hated the time I spent on the road. The moves from one city to the next. Never knowing when we'd have to pack up and move again. Never knowing what each contract would bring. I, uh, I haven't exactly had the most stable career. I'm not sure it would have worked even if I had."

"How come?"

A haunted look came into Aaron's eyes and Zach wondered again why he was asking. It wasn't his business, never had been. And he'd never cared before, so why now? He wasn't sure. And he wasn't expecting Aaron to answer him. Why should he? Zach knew he was crossing lines into something that didn't concern him.

But Aaron answered anyway.

"Like I said, we should have never gotten married to begin with. This life, the one we lead, was never for her. So she found somebody else. And somebody else after that. And—well, you get the picture."

Yeah, he did. Loud and clear. Anger went through him on Aaron's behalf. "Sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

The other man shrugged, like it wasn't a big deal. "Shit happens. Like I said, it wasn't meant to be. So now my kids live on the other side of the country and if I'm lucky, I get to see them a few weekends here and there during the season, and two weeks during the summer. It's probably better that way anyway."

"Better? How can you say that? They're your kids."

"Yeah. And I know nothing about how to be a father. Especially not a father to two girls approaching their teens." He pulled the helmet down then slapped Zach on the leg with the blade of his stick. "The moral of the story is—when you finally settle down, pick someone who has more than just a pretty face. Pick someone who's strong. Who's willing to stand by you. Someone who's not afraid of the ups and downs of this insane life we have."

Zach snorted. "Yeah, I'll keep that in mind—if I ever have the urge to start looking. Right now, I don't."

"Really?" Aaron's smile transformed his normally serious face. "Because I figure that waitress you keep butting heads with would be perfect for you."

Zach's heart slammed into his chest. If he had been drinking, he would have spit out whatever was in his mouth. Or choked on it. Hell, he was close to choking now. "Who? Haley? You're out of your fucking mind."

"Am I?"

"Yeah, you are. There's nothing going on."

"Really? Could have fooled me."

"Yeah, really. How the hell do you even know about her?"

"Just a hunch. Like I said, I watch. And I see things."

Aaron tapped him on the leg again then skated away, leaving him standing there, open-mouthed.

What the ever-loving fuck? Aaron must have taken one too many hits to the head. That was the only explanation for it. Yeah, he'd finally had sex with Haley last night. Yeah, he wanted more.

More sex. That was it. And if she was agreeable to that, great. If not—well, he'd move on. Just like he always he did.

"Mummert! What the fuck are you doing over there?"

Zach jumped, his eyes automatically searching out and finding Coach Torresi's menacing gaze. He opened his mouth to answer then snapped it shut when Coach started yelling again. "Get your fucking ass out here. This isn't break time. Your game isn't that fucking good. Not even close. Laps. Now."

"Yes, Coach."

Zach pushed away from the boards and started skating, ignoring the looks everyone was giving him. Three laps in, drenched with sweat, his legs burning, he realized he was still thinking about Aaron's words.

Still thinking about Haley.

And wondering if maybe he was the one who had taken too many hits to the head because he was actually smiling.