Chapter 2 #3
“Hey, boys, nice practice and welcome back. I hope you enjoyed your summer break and you’re ready to spend another eight months on the ice,” Coach Kennedy says as we’re circled up around him in the practice arena.
“We did well last season. No one expected us to make it as far as we did. Hell of a first season as a team. I’m damn proud of all of you, like I said after our season ended, but that just means we have to work even harder this year to prove it wasn’t dumb luck.
I know you can play hard and have what it takes, so you’ll prove it at every practice and game.
No excuses. McKenna has something she wants to talk to you about, so give her your attention when you get to the gym for dry land training with Scotty. ”
With that, he waves us off the ice as we groan. Scotty means torture, and we’ve already been bag skating and performing drills until ready to puke. He meant it when he said we’re going to prove ourselves.
When we’ve changed into dry workout gear and make it to the gym, McKenna Kresley, the Hydras’ head of PR, is looking chipper while chatting with a serious-looking Scotty, which doesn’t tell me much about the workout Scotty has planned. Scotty has one mood—focused.
“Hey, guys! Welcome back,” McKenna calls. “I won’t take up too much of your training time. I know you want to get to it.”
“Please, take all the time you want,” Westy says, throwing his hands out in supplication, getting a laugh from the rest of us who know what we’re in for.
“Seriously, stay all day, Scotty won’t mind,” Nico adds, draping an arm over the shoulders of the petite brunette trainer who is currently standing with military efficiency.
Her heavily muscled arms are crossed over her chest, feet hip distance apart as her bulging quads test the stretch of her loose joggers.
Scotty’s maybe five-five, a buck-thirty-five, but she could outperform all of us in a Ninja Warrior competition, kills us in muscle-ups, probably benches more than I do, and gives us a run for our money in leg presses.
The woman does not mess around. Nico must have forgotten the fact that Scotty is also a mixed martial arts superstar.
She has black belts in several martial arts and even fought competitively for a while.
Scotty grips Nico’s wrist where it rests on her shoulder, lifts it over her head, and twists it around his back in a smooth movement that instantly has him screeching and falling to his knees.
“Ay ay ay, okay, mami. Please, that hurts! Fuck. Scotty, let go!”
“Keep your hands to yourself, Torres,” Scotty says without inflection, like she didn’t just bring a six-foot-three, two-hundred-plus man to his knees with a twist of her wrist. She releases Nico’s bent fingers and takes a casual step away as the group snickers.
“Damn, girl, be careful. I’m gonna fall in love with you if you keep being mean to me like that,” Nico says with a nervous laugh as he rubs his wrist and rises off the ground.
“You saw that, right, boys? My future wife just had me on my knees for her like it was nothing,” he says, looking around.
“I’m good for it, Scotty, I can be on my knees for you whenever you want me to. ”
“Go dunk your head in the cold plunge,” Scotty says mildly, but the slight pink tinge to her cheeks hints that Nico may have ruffled her a little with his comments.
I’d step in and tell him to leave her alone, but she’s clearly more than capable of handling her shit. I’ll let her set her boundaries and enforce them later should there be a need.
“Gentlemen, may I have your attention again, please?” McKenna calls, reminding us that she’s even there.
When we’ve refocused, McKenna beams. “Thank y’all so much!
I have something exciting to tell you. We had such a great response to our Pride night and partnership with Outlanta last year that we’ve decided to partner with another charity this season. Isn’t that great?”
She gets a less-than-enthusiastic response from the team, and I roll my eyes.
At them, not at her. I liked the campaign we did with Outlanta.
It was cool to support an organization that helps LGBTQ+ youth, and our partnership brought a ton of visibility their way.
It also allowed the team to open up a bit.
However, after making it to the Stanley Cup finals—and the interest in the team that came with Ryder coming out and dating another prominent Atlanta professional athlete—the notoriety the team now has is making it difficult to do anything normal.
I’ve been stopped for selfies three times this week alone.
I’m afraid of what’s going to happen when I take Enzo out, because he won’t understand why his time with Dad is being interrupted, only that my attention is split, which sucks.
I just want some peace and normalcy with my kid.
“We’re partnering with an organization called Combat Companions.
They train service dogs for military veterans with physical and emotional wounds after service.
Not only will they be our spotlight organization for military appreciation night, but we’ll also be sponsoring a service dog for the season, so we’ll have a team dog!
” McKenna claps her hands as she finishes, clearly very excited about the prospect.
“So we get a puppy?” Rook asks excitedly.
“You don't get a puppy, dumbass, the team does,” Campbell answers before McKenna can.
“But it’ll be like when you had class pets and got to take them home for the weekend? Can I take the puppy home? Indiana Bones needs a friend,” Rook says with oblivious enthusiasm.
“You’re such a fucking dumbass,” Campbell groans, palming his face like he’s in physical pain.
McKenna catches Campbell’s eye as he removes his hand and throws a face of disapproval his way that makes his cheeks redden before she turns and smiles gently at Rook.
“Yes, the team gets a puppy. It will be at all the home games and special events. But you won't get to take it home. It’ll live with the trainer during the season. I’m glad you’re as excited as I am about this.
It’s going to be so wonderful to have a cute little puppy around here, growing up during the season while it trains to help a service member.
The best part is, y’all get to meet it this weekend!
Combat Companions will be bringing the puppy here for a meet and greet with the team.
We’ll have photo ops with players and the puppy, and you can bring your families.
You’ll get an email with the details this week. ”
This perks up my ears. Enzo will love this.
It’s a chance for us to hang out where he can play with a dog in a controlled environment, and I won’t be mobbed by fans.
Finally, something I can do that feels easy to make my kid happy while still fulfilling all my duties.
I breathe easier for the first time in what feels like years.