Chapter 3
THREE
COLE
It’s strange to be back in Heston Lake after all the years I’ve been away.
Some aspects of this small town are stuck in time, as if they’ve been waiting for me to pick things up right where I left them at eighteen.
There’s also a sense of what I’ve missed out on now that I’ve returned at twenty-seven.
The familiarity of having dinner at the Lombard house feels exactly the same yet not.
“Do you have plans for Thanksgiving?” Mrs. Lombard asks from her seat at the kitchen table while I take care of loading the dishwasher for her after dinner.
She insisted that I didn’t have to, but she cooked dinner so I’m cleaning up after with Benson like old times. His dad refreshes her glass of wine and rubs her shoulders.
Eve disappeared as soon as she brought the stack of plates to the sink.
Through dinner she was quieter than I’m used to.
I wonder if it’s because of that look on her face when I ran into her earlier today.
The thought of anything dimming the lively spark I’ve always admired in her makes something tighten in my chest.
“No. Getting called in for the assistant coaching position happened so out of the blue that I didn’t really think about it,” I say.
Mr. Lombard hired me to fill the open job for Heston University’s men’s ice hockey team on a trial basis after the previous defensive coach retired. Honestly, I’m still shocked I got the call.
For now, I’m here. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll float around again until I find something else to do. It’s how I’ve operated since I graduated five years ago.
Mrs. Lombard pats her husband’s hand affectionately. “Well, now you do. I’ll have plenty of food, so you should join us.”
I shoot her a grateful smile. “I’d never turn down one of your meals. Thank you, that sounds great.”
My relatives might be spread out across the country, but it’s nice to still have my best friend’s family feel like my own. They’ve always welcomed me.
“What about Christmas? Are you flying to visit your parents?”
“No. They booked a cruise, just the two of them. They like to get away a lot now.”
“Good for them. And that settles it. You know you’re welcome here.”
I finish loading the dishwasher and start it. A sense of nostalgia hits me for all the time I spent over at the Lombards’ growing up.
“If you’re sure you can squeeze me in,” I say.
“Of course.”
“She still cooks like she’s feeding an army,” Benson chimes in.
“I might as well have been serving a hungry army anytime you brought your teammates over for dinner. You and Cole could pass as one with how much you both put away,” she says.
Benson pats his stomach with a grin. “Hockey boys like to eat.” He turns his attention to me. “You should. Jess wants to catch up with you, too.”
“Yeah, okay,” I say.
He points at me. “Also, you’re joining the Brawling Bandits. No arguments.”
“What’s that?”
“Beer league team,” Mr. Lombard answers. “Bunch of local guys. Steve plays for them when we’re not away on a roadie. He’s our other assistant coach. You’ll meet him when you start on Wednesday.”
“Okay, hockey talk is my cue.” Mrs. Lombard snags her wine and kisses her husband on the cheek. “I’m going in the other room to watch a movie.”
“I’m the current team captain,” Benson says. “Your old number’s available. Not gonna lie, I’ve been hanging on to it for you in case you ever made a heroic return.”
“Aww, bro.” I lay a hand over my heart. “Is that your way of saying you missed me?”
Benson waves me off. “Shut up. It’s about time we got some young blood. We need someone decent who can actually defend and skate at the same time.”
His dad snorts. “My guys on D could wipe the ice with yours and half of them are barely old enough to order a drink.”
“Not anymore, old man.” Benson grins at me. “It’s a new dawn for the Bandits. The Wall is back in play.”
“Yeah, to work for me,” Mr. Lombard counters smugly. “To help me shape my players into the best defensive line in our division. We’re taking them all the way.”
Pride swells in my chest at the chance to coach alongside him before I’ve even met the team. His belief in me makes me want to give this opportunity my all.
Not gonna lie, I’ve thought about coming back ever since I left Heston Lake.
I was eager to get away when I chose to play hockey out west and have enjoyed all the traveling I’ve experienced.
When my best friend’s dad called me up with a job offer I wasn’t expecting, it felt too important to pass up.
Back when I played with Benson in high school, I was known around this town for being too lax and unserious. That reputation followed me to college until I recently started looking for a change. It’s what I’m working on, aiming to become more dependable. Still a work in progress.
“Have you been by The Landmark yet?” Benson asks.
I shake my head. “Why? Is it different? It’s weird seeing new traffic lights and all the other little stuff that’s changed around town.”
“Nah, same as ever. Well, except that Eve bartends there.” He puffs up proudly. “I have a distribution partnership with them now.”
“No shit? Congrats. That’s great.”
“That’s what really put us on the map. Now our stuff is popping up all over New England.”
I clink my bottle against his. The mention of his sister brings her back to the forefront of my mind.
Which is exactly where she shouldn’t be.
Eve Lombard has always been beautiful with her bright smiles and those amber eyes that glimmer with life, especially when she’s talking about something that excites her.
I always thought she was cute, except Benny would’ve put me through the wall if I ever even entertained the thought of touching my best friend’s sister when we were teammates.
But now…
She’s all grown up. The forbidden little spark I used to feel around her whenever she laughed or smiled at me hasn’t fully gone away.
It’s going to be much harder to resist wanting her. She stole my breath when I ran into her near my new place.
Her hair’s different. It caught me off guard at first since she never used to dye it, but I like the dark brown fading into blonde at the ends.
It was the sheer scarf she had knotted around her ponytail that I recognized first. Vibrant pops of color are a staple for her, followed by the earrings she makes.
I’ve always been partial to seeing her wear the less understated ones, like clay popsicles and pastel dinosaurs.
Then she lifted those captivating eyes to meet mine, glossy pink lips parted. The universe shifted and spun off its axis because for a minute, something crazy happened. For a minute, I had her. She felt good in my arms, soft curves pressed up against me.
I can’t help picturing what it would be like to explore her curves. Discover what makes her breath hitch and her body tremble. Hear my name fall from her perfect plush lips.
I meet her dad’s eye and choke on the last sip of my drink, sputtering and hacking until Benson thumps me on the back.
“Dude, don’t die,” Benson says.
Fuck, does he know? Do either of them? Thinking about how hot Eve is while standing between her dad and her brother is risky. I hope my train of thought wasn’t plain on my face.
What the hell is wrong with me?
I shouldn’t be thinking about her at all. Not while I’m with them. Not while I’m alone, either. Especially then.
“Here, have another.” Mr. Lombard—David, that’s still weird to get used to—offers me a fresh beer.
“Thanks.”
I take a long pull to get my mind off Eve.
Yeah, I definitely can’t go there. She’s off-limits. I need this job, and he went out on a limb to get it for me. If I want to stop being a screw up, I have to stop doing screw up type shit.
Lusting after the head coach’s daughter is top of the list of Things Not To Do.
I can’t believe I’m nervous. Makes me want to laugh at myself, yet I can’t shake it on my first day on the job.
David was pleased when I showed up early this morning. He took the time to guide me around the college’s huge state of the art ice sports facility.
Those nerves rear their head again when he ends the tour at the practice rink where the team is warming up with stretches and skating loose loops around the ice.
David rests his elbows on the boards and blows his whistle twice to get their attention. I’m impressed by how quickly they circle up in a group. It’s clear they respect him.
“We all miss Kowalski since he retired suddenly, and we’ve made do up to this point in the season. I want to introduce a new addition to the coaching staff. This is Cole Kincaid.”
The transition from player to mentor was trippy at first. I haven’t felt these jitters since the first year I spent as an instructor at a youth camp. I’m used to showing little kids who are just getting down the basics of puck control how to improve their coordination.
I nod to the team and smooth a hand down my brand new Heston U Hockey track jacket, bumping the whistle dangling from a cord around my neck. David gave me both this morning. Beneath the logo it declares me as part of the program’s staff, and the back reads Assistant Coach Kincaid.
This is the real deal. Legit coaching.
After my days of playing in college ended, this is a path I thought about following often. It just took me five years and a lucky break to get to this point.
“Glad to be here,” I say when David gestures to me. “I’m looking forward to seeing what you guys can do.”
“We kick ass, that’s what we do,” someone pipes up.
“No funny business. I’m talking about you, Blake.”
He points at the young guy with messy brown hair and a huge grin that spoke. He’s wearing number twenty-four and balances a puck on the end of his stick. Players snicker and nudge him.
“Let’s get to work.” David blows his whistle again. “First up, shooting. Then we’re working on zone coverage rotation. Divvy up and, for fuck’s sake, pay attention to the drill explanation. Don’t waste everyone’s time by daydreaming. Hear me?”