What Are The Chances (Phil-U #2)

34 Extra ice time

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Extra ice time

WILL

Riley had bounced early yesterday morning. I’d partially woken to a light tapping on the door. Parker’s lowered voice had floated into my dreams, whispering to Riley that she’d booked an Uber.

Thinking I was still asleep, Riley had hurriedly got dressed and rushed out without saying a thing. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t sting. But what was I expecting? Sure as hell not a kiss goodbye.

I hadn’t stopped thinking about Riley’s admission that she hadn’t kissed another guy since me. I was trying to figure out whether it made me feel special or worse.

An opening door echoed in the empty arena. On game days it was sometimes so loud I could barely hear my teammates.

Coach walked onto the ice, his hands shoved into his hockey jacket. He’d sorted extra ice time for me, but I hadn’t expected him to be here on a Sunday morning. I shouldn’t be surprised though. I don’t think he had a life outside of this hockey program. Dedicated was an understatement when it came to him.

In his NHL days he was known as the ‘Robot’. He was an anomaly. He lived and breathed hockey. Nothing else mattered to him.

As he approached, I stopped what I was doing. I’d been midway through working on my stick control, specifically while changing directions. Coach had mentioned it let me down last game.

“The team would be in a much better position if all the guys were willing to put the work in like you,” he said, clamping his hand over my shoulder .

My good shoulder luckily.

While we’d had a few unexpected losses lately, the team was still in an okay position. Though it might not stay that way if the losing streak continued.

Our next home game was coming up on Wednesday night. The GM for the Texas Bobcats was flying in for it. Coach had assured me it was part of the process, that he was just checking in. But knowing someone who had the power to alter my future would be in the stands added an extra layer of pressure. Hence the extra session this morning. I couldn’t have another game of botched passes or mistakes.

“Holloway didn’t want to join you?”

“Nah. He has better things to do on his day off than skate.”

Coach’s mouth thinned. “I’ve noticed a girl hanging around him lately. Is that new?”

“Hughesy? She’s been around for a while actually.”

“Nice girl?”

“Yeah.”

Coach grumbled. “I hope she’s not distracting him from hockey. His future is as bright as day if he stays focussed, just like yours.”

I rested my stick against my hip, nodding in response. I wasn’t entirely sure what to say back to that. I doubt Levi would consider Hughesy to be a distraction. She was part of his life now. No different than his parents or his sister.

“Be a good teammate and keep an eye on him,” Coach ordered. “If you find him slacking, you tell me first.”

Levi didn’t slack. Even in the games when he’d been distracted while Grace was gone, he was still a weapon on the ice. If anything, his emotions had made him better. More lethal.

“Hey Coach,” I called out once he was halfway off the ice.

Coach Hall stopped, turning back over his shoulder.

“Are you married?”

I’m not sure where the question had come from, but suddenly I wanted to know. Tripp had mentioned seeing an attractive girl hanging around him, but I liked to hope he wasn’t still stuck in the attention of puck bunnies all these years later.

He shook his head. “Never got around to it.”

“Do you have kids?”

“A son and a daughter.”

That surprised me. He’d never mentioned kids. Didn’t have pictures up of them in his office either.

“Are you close?” I pressed .

Coach shifted so he was facing me properly. The age lines around his eyes seemed deeper today, like time was weighing him down. Had he always looked this old?

“I’ll be honest, Caufield. Playing in the league makes the family stuff harder. Between the travelling and job, there’s not much time leftover until the off-season. Then it becomes all about development and training programs.” He stroked his chin, combing through the thin layer of stubble. “It’s a tough lifestyle to expect of a girlfriend or wife, which is why I never went down that path. They have to want it as much as you do. And in my experience, they never fully understand.”

I fell silent, absorbing the weight of his words. That was a sad reality. There were plenty of guys in the league who were married and had big families and seemed happy. I wasn’t saying it was easy, but it had to be possible.

Coach reached into his pocket, partially pulling out his phone before his gaze whipped back to me. “Stay focussed, Caufield. The hockey life is the best life there is. Nothing comes close. You know that.”