Pucking Strong: An MM Workplace Hockey Romance (Jacksonville Rays Book 4)

With hockey back in my life, I feel grounded again. It’s a relief to have at least a few things under my control—my food intake, my workout routines, my sleep schedule. Sure, I may be sleeping in the guest room now, but the bed is comfortable.

At Teddy’s insistence, we moved the exercise bike out of my bedroom and into the living room. Honestly, I prefer it this way. Now I start each morning watching the sun rise over the river as I bike, stretching out my calves and regulating my circulatory system.

He thinks I haven’t noticed the other changes he’s making, but I do. How am I supposed to ignore new bookshelves? Just last night, I signed for a trio of boxes that arrived from a home goods store. Do I know why we needed a fruit bowl or a decorative wooden tray? No. And I’m not going to ask. If it makes him happy, Teddy can buy whatever he wants.

I can’t think about home decorations. With Karolina’s healthcare and education set, I can only think about hockey. We’re officially one day out from our first game of the season. It’ll be a home game against the New York Islanders.

Despite my time in Sweden, I haven’t lost my starting position. I’m still holding the line with Langley and Lindberg. We skate well together. Langley is fast, and Lindberg makes a great center. He’s quick and decisive, always willing to pass the puck. He has one of the highest assist rankings in the NHL. I was glad when the Rays traded him in from the Golden Knights.

“Are you ready, Mr. Karlsson?” The ESPN producer leans in, smiling in my face.

All thoughts of this morning’s drills flash from my mind as I look up. “Yes.”

They’ve been rearranging the lights for the last ten minutes. All the while, Teddy and I have sat side by side on this leather sofa, silently waiting. He’s wearing my favorite cable-knit sweater again. His hair is down, framing his face. They put a powder on his cheeks that dulls some of his freckles. I don’t like it.

I feel like I’m all elbows, sitting here in my favorite navy-blue suit. Poppy made me take off the tie. She said no tie made me look more approachable. Any second now, the reporter will start asking us questions. Teddy has been quizzing me on our answers whenever we’ve gotten a spare moment. Just last night, he charged into the bathroom while I was neck deep in the tub, shouting, “What if they ask if we kissed at the wedding? Do I lie? Oh, this is so fucking fucked!”

The story is that I pursued him. I invited him to Sweden, where we rekindled our friendship (and started our romance). We decided to leave in the part about me proposing in the hospital cafeteria. Poppy says it’s more believable if we weave in as many real aspects as possible.

“Okay, if you’re both ready, we’ll get started,” says Janine. She’s nice enough. Pretty and polished, she sits in the chair across from us, one camera angled on her.

Poppy set this all up in one of the corner offices at the practice arena. Behind us, there’s a great view of downtown. It’s golden hour, and the lighting is perfect. We need to do this quickly, before the light changes.

I glance over at Teddy. He keeps tugging at the neck of my sweater. And his new nervous tic is spinning the ring on his finger. I glance down at my own ring. It’s a simple band of yellow gold. Since I put it on, I’ve hardly noticed it. I have to take it off during practice, but slipping it back on before I shower already feels like a habit.

For Teddy, it’s apparently a distraction, an itch he can’t help but scratch.

“Quiet on set,” someone calls out, which makes Teddy stiffen.

Reaching over, I take his hand, weaving our fingers together. He relaxes a little, scooting closer to me. Behind the row of cameras, Poppy stands watch, giving us both a nod of encouragement. If Janine tries to do anything fishy, Poppy will go full Godzilla and knock over the cameras to help us save face.

At the signal from her cameraman, Janine begins, her focus straight down the main camera’s lens. “Good evening, I’m Janine Marsh with ESPN. Tonight, I’m sitting down for an exclusive interview with one of the most elusive players in the National Hockey League. Hailing from a little seaside town outside of Stockholm, he’s a five-time member of the NHL All-Stars and an Olympic silver medalist for Team Sweden. A founding player of the Jacksonville Rays, now their starting forward, please join me in welcoming Henrik Karlsson.” She turns to me. “Henrik, hello. It’s so great to finally meet you.”

My years of media training click on as I smile too. “And you, Janine. Thanks for having me.”

“Oh, it’s my pleasure. I’d like to add that we’re actually not alone for this interview, are we?” She smiles warmly at Teddy.

If he were ever going to run, now would be the moment. He didn’t ask for any of this. But he sits still, hand clasped in mine, waiting for me to speak. Clearing my throat, I squeeze his hand. “Yes, this is Doctor Teddy O’Connor. He’s the assistant rehabilitation therapist for the Jacksonville Rays … and he’s my partner.”

“Oh my goodness.” Janine feigns surprise. “When you say he’s your partner, do you mean he’s your husband? Are you two married?”

“Yes, we’re married.”

“Well, congratulations. Wow, that’s so exciting!”

Teddy flashes a nervous smile and lifts his left hand, wiggling his ring finger for the camera. “He’s officially off the market.”

Janine laughs. “Is that why you wanted to sit down with me tonight? To tell the sports world that you’re an out and proud gay athlete?”

My gaze darts to Poppy. She told me Janine wouldn’t ask the question quite so bluntly. I’m about to speak before Teddy leans forward. “Oh, come on, Janine. Do we really need to put labels on everything? Let’s just say he’s married to me and let the fans draw their own conclusions.”

“Fair enough,” she replies. “Well, how did you two first meet? Because—now, correct me if I’m wrong, Doctor O’Connor—but you were once an intern with the Rays, right?”

He rests our joined hands on his knee. “I was, yeah. But that was six years ago. Another life, really. I joined the team as a PT intern while I was still in undergrad.”

“That must have been so exciting for you.”

He laughs. “If by ‘exciting,’ you mean wrapping this guy’s shoulder in ice after every game? Sure, very exciting. Oh, and don’t forget about the Mario Kart. It turns out being an intern on a pro hockey team means playing hours and hours of Mario Kart.”

“So, how did it go? Did your eyes connect over an exercise bike? Was it love at first sight?”

“Hardly,” Teddy replies. He’s so good at this. The nerves have clearly worn off. Now he’s just talking, charming her like he does everyone. “I had to make him work for it a little.”

Finding my voice, I nudge him with my shoulder. “Actually, I swept him off his feet. Remember, babe?”

That’s the other piece of advice Poppy gave us: Use pet names. Couples in love don’t use each other’s first names. We decided he would call me “baby” and I’d call him “babe.” Though it sounds strange now in the moment, like trying to wear a shoe that doesn’t fit.

Janine glances between us. “Oh, is that so?”

Next to me, Teddy stiffens. I know we rehearsed the gym meeting story, but Poppy also said to layer in as much truth as possible. “The moment I first met Teddy is the moment I saved his life.”

She gasps. “Wait, do you mean literally? You saved his life?”

“I mean, I tackled him to the ground before I ever knew his name.”

“Goodness, why?”

“I had to. A truck was about to squash him into jelly. That’s how we met. One moment, I was Henrik, walking to work on a Monday morning. The next, I was on the ground, with this stranger in my arms, his cold coffee leaking all over my shirt. We both fell. And we’ve been falling for each other ever since. Right, babe?”

Teddy nods, his smile tight.

“Well, that sounds just like a fairy tale.”

“I guess when you know, you know.” I look to Teddy, squeezing his hand. “Right?”

“Yeah. I’d say from that first moment, I just knew.”

“What did you know, Doctor O’Connor?”

He holds her gaze, unwavering in his answer. “I knew that Henrik was the only man for me.”

We make it through the rest of the interview without incident. Janine asks some carefully worded, Poppy-approved questions about my sister and Karolina. We share some of the lighter moments from our time in Sweden. Teddy mentions trying to order a coffee in Swedish, and I make a joke that he snores. Before I know it, the sound team is taking off our mics.

“Oh my goodness.” Poppy rushes forward. “Boys, that was fantastic. You both did so well. I seriously couldn’t have done it any better myself. You came off so natural and approachable. You were both a little nervous, which will play great. Oh, I could just kiss you!”

Teddy chuckles. “Easy there, Pop. We’re married men, remember?”

“Ugh, and that story about your first meeting? You sweeping him off his feet to save his life? So romantic,” she cries with a slap to my arm. “The fans are just gonna swoon. And it all felt so real!”

We get untangled from the mic wires, but the photographer holds us back for more pictures. He poses us like we’re a couple on a cruise ship, with Teddy seated in a chair and me standing behind, one hand on his shoulder. Then they take a few pictures of us up against the windows. Teddy is in front. The photographer poses us with my arms around him.

“Just do it,” Teddy says, holding still while the photographer angles my face until I’m all but breathing down his neck. He snaps a few pictures of us like this. With each click, I fight the urge to look up and inspect which camera body and lens he’s using.

Once they free us, Teddy darts away. Swiping his backpack off a chair, he heads for the door.

Janine steps in just as I go to follow. “Oh, Henrik, I wondered if I could get just a few more pull quotes for the article—”

“No.” I step around her. “Please, excuse me.” Something’s wrong. I can feel it. I follow after Teddy. “Hey,” I call out just before he ducks into the stairwell. “Teddy, wait.”

He pauses, back turned, one hand holding open the stairwell door.

“Where are you going? We drove here together, remember?” He turns as I approach, and I stop in my tracks. There are tears in his eyes. “Teddy, what …” I reach for him, but he jerks away, backing into the stairwell.

“What the fuck was that?”

I’m reeling, trying to pinpoint what upset him. “Did someone say something to you? Or do something? Who was it? Tell me—”

“You did!”

I blink. “What?”

“You told those assholes about the sidewalk!”

“And that’s … bad?”noveldrama

He huffs, crossing his arms. “We agreed that our first meeting story would be in the gym when you walked up with Sully. Remember, baby?”

“Teddy, I—but you heard Poppy. She said to tell the truth as much as we were able. That’s all I did.”

“The sidewalk story was private. It was ours. It—fuck—” He spins away, daring to flee.

I grab him before he can leap down the stairs. “Teddy, wait. Please, just tell me what I did wrong. Make me understand. I can’t apologize if I don’t know why I’m apologizing.”

“Sure you can. You just say, ‘Teddy, I’m sorry for being such an insensitive ass.’ And then you let me fucking go.”

But I don’t let him go. I band an arm around his chest, holding him to me as he tries to elbow me. Losing my patience, I curse in Swedish. “Du gör mig galen—just use your words, huh? Teddy, I’m sorry for being such an insensitive ass. There. Now tell me why I’m an ass, and I’ll apologize again.”

The fight leaves him on a groan. I feel the rise of his chest against my arm. “I just wanted the sidewalk to stay ours, okay? It was the only thing that—” He sinks into silence on a muttered curse.

I soften my hold on him. “Go on. It was the only thing that what?”

He pulls away enough to turn in my arms. I relax a little, letting my hand drift down to grip his forearm. He’s still in my hold, but we both know it’s a choice now. He could easily escape. Instead, he dares to hold my gaze. “Sometimes it feels like our moment on the sidewalk is the only thing between us that’s real.”

I search his face. “What do you mean?”

“I—” He blinks, then looks down, breaking our connection. “I don’t know what I mean.”

“Don’t.” I tip his chin back up. “Don’t pull away from me. Don’t hide, and don’t deflect. We’re in this together, remember? Now, tell me what you mean.”

He’s quiet for a moment, considering his words. “In that moment, we were just two creatures of instinct. There were no jobs or responsibilities, no egos, no names. Just raw human connection. In the end, I think that’s all anyone wants, you know? To connect?”

It’s a beautiful sentiment, poetic in its simplicity. “I know.”

“Well, say what you want, but we connected on that sidewalk, Henrik. I know you felt it too. Not in a gay way maybe,” he adds quickly. “More like … as humans, you know?”

“I do.”

“Yeah, well, the moment ego entered the picture, the moment we had jobs, and names, and responsibilities, we let that bond snap. For you, it was a momentary pain. You moved on. Look at you, you’re fucking fine. But me?” He twists his other arm free and presses his hand to his chest, fingers splayed over my sweater. “Henrik, I’m not fine. I don’t recover as fast as you. Wounds to the body are one thing. I know how to heal those. But wounds to the soul?” He just shakes his head, sinking into silence again.

“Teddy …”

“Look, I’ll be fine eventually,” he says over me, always ready for deflection and self-preservation. “It just took me by surprise in there, okay? We had a plan, and I would have preferred it if you stuck to the plan. If you want to apologize to me, apologize for that.”

“Teddy, I am sorry.”

He lowers his hand. “It’s fine. Apology accepted. But from now on, the sidewalk story is just for us, okay?”

“Fine. I’ll never mention it again … except to you.”

He nods, still inching away from me. This time, I let him go. His eyes flash as he rebuilds his walls, shutting me out. “If it’s okay with you, I think I’m gonna head out tonight.”

My gut clenches tight. “Out?”

“Yeah, my friend Colin invited me out for beers. We were supposed to do it before, but I was in Sweden. You good to go home and relieve Hanna alone?”

He’s still mad at me. Now he’s leaving, and I can’t stop him. I haven’t the right. I promised him freedom, and he’ll have it. Even if it burns like a fire in my chest to say the words. “Of course. Go have fun. Tomorrow is a game day, so it’ll be an early night for me.”

“Cool.” He takes another step away, and I fight the urge to follow. “Well, then maybe I’ll just stay out. I can crash at Colin’s—”

“No.” The word slips out before I can stop it.

He raises a dark brow in a mix of defiance and open question.

“You don’t have to stay out all night,” I quickly amend. “Come home at any hour.”

“I don’t wanna wake you up or upset any of your game-day rituals. Besides, Hanna comes again in the morning, right? So, you don’t even need me there.”

I want to tell him it’s not a matter of needing him. But that feels like manipulation. He wants to go, so I’ll let him go. I feel hollow as I offer him what I hope is a reassuring smile. “My home is yours. Come and go as you please.”

He takes another step back. “If I don’t see you before the game, you know I’ll see you there, right? Gotta give Poppy a few more media moments.”

“I’ll be the one in teal,” I joke.

Neither of us laugh.

“Yeah. Well … night, Henrik.”

“Good night, Teddy.”

He turns away from me and hurries down the stairs, taking them two at a time.

Make this make sense. One moment, he’s sitting at my side, squeezing my hand, laughing at my jokes, and telling Janine Marsh he likes my eyes. The next, he’s yelling at me in a stairwell and telling me he plans to spend the night with a man named Colin.

As I stand here, heart racing, the truth settles over me: I don’t want Teddy out with another man tonight. I want him home, laughing with Karro on the couch, making banana splits, and teaching me to braid her hair.

I want him home with me.