17. Nat
Nat
It begins.
Months—no, years —of hard work and stupid amounts of money have come down to this.
Today.
The Rogues’ first game in the NHL.
Game one of pre-season.
On home ice.
I don’t know if the league did it to appease us after the debacle of our franchise announcement or if it was luck of the draw, and I don’t care because games one and two of our first pre-season are here, in Rogue Arena.
The crowd is pumped. So are the players. And the excitement levels of the Rogues staff this past week has been a living breathing thing in every hallway, every room. From basement to rafters, Rogue Arena has been vibrating with anticipation for days—weeks.
“Hey.” Oakley bumps her shoulder into mine. “Ready for this?”
“Been ready for months.”
“Have you watched them train?” Her gaze remains on the empty ice below us. “They look really good. Walker thinks they’re one of the most in sync teams he’s seen.”
“He’d know.”
“Yeah. And when pushed, Blake agrees.”
“Pushed?” I glance at her.
“She doesn’t want to ‘count her goals before they’re scored’,” Oakley mutters with a roll of her eyes.
I smile. “Sounds like old times.”
“Doesn’t it?” Her gaze moves away from the ice to the children in the corner of the owner’s suite who definitely weren’t part of those old times.
Cassidy and Crystal are entertaining Micky, while Candace sleeps in her stroller off to the side of them. She’s due to wake around the time the first puck drops.
“You going to let her sleep or wake her up?” she asks as if she can read my mind.
“Not sure yet. I’ll decide after the team hits the ice for warmup.”
“I’d wake her.” Blake bounces over beside us. “This guy is fussy as hell tonight. We don’t need two babes distracting us.”
“You should be down with the team.” I fold my arms, and stare at my best friend and business partner—the Rogues’ Assistant Coach. “There are plenty of us to watch Drew and your parents will be here any minute.”
“I know. I know. But…” she glances at her boy. “I hate it when he’s like this and there’s nothing I can do to soothe him.”
“He wants his daddy,” Oakley murmurs. “Micky was the same when I told him he couldn’t go with Walker.”
We all look over at her and Walker’s adopted son. “He seems okay now,” I say.
“Ice cream.”
“What?” I shake my head and look at Oakley.
“Pa promised him a triple scoop cone if he spent the game up here with me.”
“And where is Pa?”
“Who knows. He loves having full access to the arena. He’s probably in the locker room.” She eyes Blake. “Where our Assistant Coach should be.”
We’re interrupted by Crystal. “Candace is stirring. Did you bring the warmer?”
“Yes, it’s plugged in behind the bar and her bottle is in the fridge with the water.”
I might be the person taking care of Candace while her brother does his job, but the twins are just as hands on with their little sister as he is. I think it’s because they feel the loss of their parents deeply and subconsciously know Candace will never have a memory of them.
“The twins are good with the baby,” Blake comments. “I’ve seen them looking after her sometimes when Chase is training.”
“They are. We try to balance how much they help though. Chase doesn’t want them to become adults before their time.”
“He’s good with them too.” Oakley’s gaze meets mine. “How’s it going at home?”
My gaze darts to Blake but she’s too busy bouncing around with Drew strapped to her chest to take notice of our conversation. Oakley is the only one who knows Chase and the girls are living in my house.
“Good. Surprisingly good.” I don’t like the speculative glint in her eyes so I change the subject. “Did you talk to Laken about the possible trade?”
Oakley sighs. “Yeah. Neither of us wants to make it but we’re both aware of how an unhappy player can affect the whole team so she’s open to considering it.”
“Should we see if Lindberg will give it a few months? Maybe wait until mid-season, or later in the season.” I hold up a hand. “And yes, I’m aware neither option is ideal but if Lindberg is that unhappy here, we owe it to him to see if we can make things better without making him move again.”
“I’m not sure how open Byrd will be to a trade either.”
“Laken hasn’t asked him?”
“No.”
“Huh.”
Our conversation is cut off by the rise in volume of the crowd filling every seat in the arena. And when I look out at the rink I see why.
Players are skating around. None of the Rogues yet, just the Vancouver players. But everyone knows our guys are moments away from taking the ice.
“Here they come,” Blake yells right as the door to the suite flies opens and people pour in.
Oakley’s grandfather leads the way. The grin on his face is so wide you’d think this was his team. Then again, Pa has been instrumental in helping us see this dream come true.
Behind him are Blake’s parents, her brother Mason and his boy, Cash, with them. I’m surprised to see Mason here. With everything that’s going on with his son’s mother I didn’t think he’d make it even after my personal invitation.
He tips his head at me before ushering Cash to the seats in front of the windows. I don’t miss the frown on Blake’s face. Or the calculating look that quickly follows.
I’ll wait to see if she comes up with anything, but at our next meeting I plan to broach the subject of bringing Mason on board as player liaison—possibly Assistant GM. I think a move will do him and Cash good. It has certainly benefited the Hawkins siblings.
Glancing over at the girls, I see the twins are giving Candace her bottle. I love seeing them all take care of each other. Except I’m supposed to be watching the three of them while Chase plays.
“I’ll be back. Need to check on the girls.”
I don’t wait for either of my best friends to answer, just head across the room to the girls and Micky. It’s a small area I plan to expand now that the number of little ones who might be at home games this season has grown.
“Hey, how’s she doing? Want me to change her?”
“Yes. But I think we need to wait…” Crystal eyes her baby sister laying between her twin’s legs. “Almost done…”
When I look at Candace, I see what Crystal is talking about. The girl is loading her diaper. “I swear, we put it in, and she pushes it out.”
“Right?” Cassidy’s voice is nasally due to the fingers pinching her nose.
I laugh. “I’ll grab her bag and come back for her.”
“Take your time. She’s got some milk left in her bottle so when she’s done with the scrunchie-face thing I’ll see if she wants it.” Crystal holds up the one third full bottle.
“Okay.” On my way to the bag, I detour over to where Mason sits with Cash. “You guys doing, okay? Need anything?”
“We’re good for now,” Mason says, holding up a bottle of water.
“Help yourselves to the food and drinks behind the bar.”
“I’m surprised you don’t have a server in here.”
“They’re in the other boxes. This might have owner’s box on the door but it’s more of a family room.”
“Don’t you have one of those as well?”
“Yes. But with everyone adding to the team this last year or so, we don’t want this to be a traditional owner’s box.”
“I get that.” He glances at Cash. “We’re staying in town for a few days to spend time with Blake, Branton, and Drew—mind if we use one of the practice rinks while we’re here?”
“Of course not. Time it for when the team is practicing, and you can pick up some adult players if you want. If the coaches will let you.” I grin.
Mason knows as well as I do how much Walker and Blake have been single minded about practices.
“She’s annoying. Can you make her go down there?” Mason points at the Rogues bench.
“I tried. I doubt she’ll make it long once the game starts.”
“Good. I always hated seeing her amped up for a game, but I think this is worse.”
“Probably because she has no control over the outcome. She has to sit back and let her players do their job.”
“Yeah, pretty sure that’s why she said no to coaching the Canadians for a second run at gold.”
“I can’t deny or confirm that.”
“But you know the answer?”
I glance around before bending to talk closer to Mason’s ear. “She chose to push for this.”
“Ah, right.” His gaze moves back to the ice where our guys have just stepped out to warm up. “Damn, this crowd is hyped.”
“It’s a good sign.”
“It is.”
“Do you miss it? Playing? Coaching?”
“Yes and no.” He glances at Cash who’s leaning forward, elbows on knees, watching the players. “Had other things I didn’t want to miss more.”
I lower my voice and ask, “He doing okay?”
“Better. He’s better.”
“Good. I’m glad.” A squeal from Candace has me twisting my head to see if it’s a good or bad cry. “Oops, gotta go. Someone is not happy about the state of her diaper.”
Mason grins. “Never thought I’d see you taking care of a baby.”
I want to be affronted by his comment but it’s not far off my own thoughts. I always wanted children. But after the debacle of my union with Johnathon I didn’t think I’d be in this position either.
“I’m not opposed to it, just never had the opportunity.”
“Until now.”
I look back at Mason. “Yes. Until now.”
It’s the closest I’ve come to admitting to anyone I’m going to mother Candace. I might not be her mother or even married to her guardian, but I plan to make sure that little girl and her big sisters know they’re loved and cared for by someone other than their brother.
Leaving Mason, I walk behind the bar for the diaper bag then go get Candace.
“You two want fries or burgers?” I ask the twins. “I can order anything you want.”
“No. We’re good.”
“I fed them up earlier.” I turn to find Pa beside me. Arching an eyebrow, I prompt him to continue. With a sigh he says, “We had fries and ice cream before you all came in.”
“No wonder Micky was bouncing around when we got here.”
“Don’t tell Oakley.” He presses a finger to his lips. “It’s a secret between me and my partner in crime. Except we had a couple of tag-alongs on this latest adventure.”
I love that Pa is taking an interest in the girls. He’s pulled them in the same way he did Micky. I have no worries about them staying with him if I’m unable to remain behind when the team has an away game.
“What on earth is that—” Pa blocks his nose the same way Cassidy did. “Never mind, I think I know.” He bends down and uses his free hand to poke Candace’s belly. “You, little miss, need a diaper change.”
“I’m on that now.”
“Good. We’ve got a puck drop to watch.”
Scooping up a squirming Candace, I head for the suite’s private bathroom and its change table. I left Blake in charge of deciding how to set this up because at the time she was the only one with a baby.
Now we’ve got Candace, who’s only a couple of months younger than Drew.
I hate rushing through diaper changes. I like to give Candace a chance to stretch and kick her legs but there’s a puck drop happening that I do not want to miss.
And I don’t want any of the girls to miss it either. Crystal might not care that much, but I’m betting Cassidy will be glued to the glass for most of the game.
After discovering her interest in hockey, I started involving her in more of my conversations with Chase.
I don’t talk to him about running the team, but we do discuss how he feels the team is meshing, if there are any areas he sees that could use improvement, and as he’s just made a move like every other player wearing a Rogues jersey, I have an insider’s perspective on how everyone is settling in.
And for the most part, excluding Lindberg, the players and their families are happy.
The roar of the crowd has me quickening my movements. “Sorry, baby girl, I know I’m rushing. I promise to give you some naked time later. But right now, we need to get back out there.”
Candace makes a bit of noise, whether agreement or not doesn’t matter, it still puts a smile on my face and fills my heart with joy.
She’s a delightful baby. Other than her night owl habits, she’s easy. She rarely cries and her protests are usually ones of hunger or needing a diaper change.
Pressing the last strip of the clean diaper into place, I snap the crotch buttons of her onesie together then pull her legging up over the top of it before lowering the cute mini jersey with Chase’s name and number on the back.
I know it’s not cold in the suite, but I don’t want her little limbs freezing when we head down to meet her big brother after the game.
Tossing the soiled diaper in the bin designed to reduce smell, I pick up Candace and leave the bag. I have no doubt I’ll be back in here before the end of the game or she takes another nap.
Which reminds me. We’re going to have to rethink her sleeping schedule. It might pay to let her stay up late instead of the early bedtime we’ve been aiming for because nights like tonight are going to disrupt her sleeping pattern.
Entering the suite, I see everyone crowded toward the windows.
“Just in time. They’re about to announce the team.” Oakley slips her arm through mine. “I was just coming to get you.”
“Sorry. This one was a little on the stinky side.”
“Lord, am I glad I didn’t have to deal with that when we got Micky.”
“You’ll have to when you and Walker have another kid.”
“Yes, and I’ve changed Drew a few times and if you’ll let me, I’ll handle some for Candace. I need to get used to the idea.” Her gaze moves to where Blake is standing, Drew still fussing in the carrier strapped to her chest. “Although I’m not sure I’m ready to deal with that.”
“He doesn’t want to be in the carrier. As soon as she pulls him out and lets him roam, the better.”
“Then why the hell is he still strapped to her?”
“Because she’s nervous and antsy because she wants to be with the team.”
“Dammit. We need to make her go down there.”
“We will. Give her a few minutes of game time and I bet she’ll be racing out of here. Especially now Drew’s second favorite person in the world is here.”
Oakley grins. “He really does love his grandpa.”
“Grandpa loves him right back.”
“You know, I never saw us doing this with kids.”
“Me either, but here we are.”
“And I definitely didn’t see you with three of them!” Oakley laughs.
“I don’t have three.”
“Yeah, you do. I don’t know what’s really going on, but you definitely have three kids.”
“The twins aren’t kids.”
“Can they drink? Vote? Drive a car?” She arches an eyebrow at me. “No.”
“They’re still not mine.”
“I beg to differ and when the time comes, I’ll be happy to say I told you so.”
I don’t have to argue because the first Rogue, team captain Beckett Higgison, is announced. He steps onto the ice to thunderous applause.
If ever there was proof that pushing for an NHL franchise based in Baton Rouge was worth the hard work, this is it.
The town loves their team. Now it’s up to the team to show their appreciation of that support by winning our first game.