Chapter 11
~Deacon~
Heading backstage after the draft ends brings up even more memories of my own draft night.
Wide grins stretch across the faces of each of the picks as they do media interviews and pose for their rookie card photos.
Was I really as young as these kids are when I got drafted?
Hard as it is to believe, it must be true.
That thought makes me think of Daley and how she thought she was too old for me.
Maybe we all look at those younger than us and assume that our extra years of life experience affect the way we can relate to each other, when really, personality plays a much bigger part in whether or not two people are going to get along.
Take River Adams, for instance. As soon as I meet the kid, I know I’m going to like him.
He’s talking with some of the team’s brass when I catch up to him and his eyes light up the moment he sees me.
“Mr Belin, it’s an honour to meet you.” Despite being 10 years younger than me, we stand eye-to-eye, and he shakes my hand with a firm, confident grip that impresses me. “The way you broke up that three-on-one against Colorado was the highlight of the year for me.”
“I’m glad someone enjoyed it.” During the first round of the playoffs, our team got caught out during a line change and I was the only one on the ice to play defence on a breakaway, despite not being a defenceman.
Somehow, I managed to intercept the pass and prevent a shot on goal, but I put it down more to luck than anything else.
Still, if you train hard and play hard, luck often has a way of finding you.
The fact that River took notice is a good sign. I like a player who pays attention to what’s going on in the league.
“Call me Deke. Mr Belin makes me feel like I’m 100.”
His grin is so big, I can almost count all of his straight, white teeth. They all look real too, which can’t be said of every player his age. He’s a good-looking kid, his blond hair almost the same shade as Daley’s.
There she is again. Everything in my head today seems to lead back to her. None of my other one-night stands have ever haunted my thoughts like this.
“How do you feel about coming to Sioux Falls?”
He shrugs his big shoulders. “To be honest, it wouldn’t have been my first choice of city, but the team is great. You guys are getting better every year, and if I can be part of that, I want to be.”
Good answer, and an honest one too. “We might not have the nightlife of Vegas or New York, but it’s a good town. The fans are great and you’ll learn a lot from Brice. I think you’re going to fit in well.”
“I actually grew up just a few hours away, so most of my friends are Wolves fans. Some of them might get a little crazy at my first game.”
His cheeks flush red as he imagines it but the affection in his eyes counteracts the signs of embarrassment. He cares about his friends, which is another point in his favour.
“That’s great. Is your family still there?”
He nods vigorously, every movement exaggerated thanks to all his nervous energy.
“My mom still lives there, and she’s really all the family I have.
This probably isn’t the right time to ask, but do you think it’d be okay if she brought the team cookies for the first day of training camp?
It’s kind of been her thing since I started playing.
She does it every year. I know we’re all adults but… ”
I cut him off before he feels like he has to justify the request. “Adults like cookies too. I think that’d be fun. A bit of nostalgia for everyone.”
If he beams any brighter, everyone in the room’s going to need sunglasses. “Thank you. She’ll be pumped. I know she wouldn’t have asked herself because she wouldn’t want to embarrass me, but if I tell her that she can, she’ll be thrilled.”
“She sounds sweet.” My mind has already conjured up an image of a short, solid, matronly woman in an apron, similar to my grandmother, puttering around a kitchen as the warm scent of chocolate and sugar fills the air.
“She’s awesome,” River confirms. “She’s here tonight, along with a couple of my friends.”
He gestures towards the door and the backstage area beyond, and I remember how eager I was to share the excitement of my draft night with my family.
“Why don’t you go find them and bring them up to Suite 22? We have some food and drinks up there and we can chat a little more about what comes next.”
Eagerly agreeing, River takes off to find his posse while I shake the hands of the management in the room.
The general mood mirrors River’s enthusiasm: we’re all happy with our pick and how tonight played out.
Assuming training camp goes well, he should be a good asset to the team.
Tomorrow, we’ll pick up a few players we can develop over the next couple of years, but River, we need right away.
Brice and one of the assistant coaches are still in the suite when I return but most of the other attendees have cleared out. When I tell them I’ve invited River to join us, they’re happy to stay and chat with him.
“You get a good vibe from him?” Brice asks me bluntly, and I give an honest nod.
“Seems like a good kid. No drama on his junior team either, if I remember right?”
Our scouts not only report back on prospects’ abilities on the ice but on their reputation amongst other players too. Team dynamics are important, and after what went on with Brady, we need someone who will put the team first.
“That’s right,” Brice confirms. “I already gave his coach a call tonight after we got him to see what he’s like.
Says he takes orders well but isn’t afraid to speak up when necessary.
Might be a little quiet at first, but once you get to know him, he’s got a good sense of humour. Confident but not cocky.”
Sounds like a dream, honestly. His parents must have raised him right. Or his mom, at least, since I remember him saying she’s the only family he has.
Kevin, the assistant coach, is in the middle of adding his two cents about what River might bring to the team when the man himself walks in, followed by two eager-looking young men who must be the friends he mentioned.
Their eyes land on me with an admiration that I’ve grown accustomed to over my career, and I turn towards them with a welcoming smile right as she walks in.
Daley.
For a moment, the room narrows until all I see is her.
Surprise steals the breath from my lungs. When I try to inhale, nothing happens.
All day long, she’s been in my thoughts, and now she’s here, like my daydreams come to life.
If anything, she looks even better than she did last night, dressed in an elegant, understated navy-blue dress that contrasts beautifully with the blonde hair sitting atop her shoulders. Her green eyes shine with a contentment that falters as soon as she meets my stunned stare.
Delight at seeing her again mixes with an instant shot of desire at the memory of what we shared, along with a healthy dose of plain old confusion.
She didn’t seem to know who I was last night so how did she track me down?
Why did she find me when she left this morning without leaving any trail behind?
What is she doing here?
All my questions are answered in one fell swoop as River strides forward, shaking hands with Brice and Kevin before turning to me. “Deke, these are my friends Brayden and Jonny, and my mom, Daley Adams.”