First Shift (Maine Marauders Hockey # 3)

As the son of a hockey legend, I’ve spent my entire life under a microscope, my skills with a puck the only thing people care about. Now that I’m in the pros, every eye in the building is on me to deliver on the promise of my last name.

Then there’s Mikey Porter, a grinder called up from the AHL with absolutely nothing riding on him. The guy’s loud where I’m quiet, relaxed where I’m wound tight, and comfortable in his skin in a way I’ve never been.

The biggest shocker is that he’s good—way better than anyone’s giving him credit for. But his conditioning is a disaster, and unless something changes fast, he’s going to get cut. For the sake of the team, I offer to help.

That’s the excuse I go with, anyway.

What starts as extra ice time turns into shared dinners, then a shared address—and the first real friendship I’ve ever had. The closer we get, the harder it is to pretend what I feel for him isn’t more. Until one night makes pretending impossible.

When I’m asked to choose between him and the sport I’ve devoted my life to, it’s not even a question. If loving Mikey costs me everything, I’ll gladly pay the price a thousand times over.

But the bigger question is: will he? And would I even want him to?