27. Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Seven
I ’m standing on a bench as I clap my hands and announce, “Alright boys! This is the first official game of the season.” Only a few of my boys are playing this first game, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t make sure they were fit to play, just in case.
Dean, Vicy, Taz, and Mac are my players in this first game, and I’m sure Danni made sure her boys were ready to go as well. Our little ritual carried over from our pre-games to today. This game is huge, considering we face off against the Tampa Tiger Sharks. That’s the team my college bestie works for. I haven’t messaged Jess much since arriving here, so she’s pissed, but in my defense, I’ve been a bit distracted.
Shaking myself out of my thoughts, I focus on my guys. “Now, the roster has been finalized. Danni and I have done all we can to make sure the team is at its best today, so I need you guys to jump in and help Lewi, Vicy, and Taz.” I point toward Merc and Ozzy. They are the first on the ice if need be. But I look at the others as well. Everyone will be geared up for the game, but Coach Fernandez has a plan, and we are going to stick to it as best as we can. All I can do is make sure my boys are ready to play.
“All of you have looked great on the ice. We’ve got this game in the bag if we stick to the plan.” I point to each guy as I narrow my eyes. “Don’t do anything stupid!”
They all chuckle and nod. I can’t help but smirk as I yell, “Get your asses to the locker room!” I stay standing on the bench as each of them give me a fist bump before passing.
I watch Mac bump Dean’s shoulder when they leave. And I see Dean give him a sad smile before lifting his cellphone to his ear. He veers off to the right as Mac turns to the left with a huff.
My brows pinch as I hear grumbled words out in the hallway. Stepping down from the bench, I hurriedly grab my stuff. Clipping my medical pouch around my waist and dropping my ID tag around my neck, I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.
Pressing my ear to the door, I can barely hear Dean and whoever he’s talking to. I slowly open the door before closing it behind me to be as quietly as possible. I walk in the direction I hear grumbling. The closer I get, the more I realize how upset he sounds.
I stop at the corner, listening in on a conversation I know I shouldn’t, but I can’t help myself.
“Dad. It’s the first game of the season,” he grunts into the phone.
There’s a huff over the phone before a male's voice replies, “I am not stupid son. I know when the season starts.” I definingly shouldn’t be here if he has the conversation on speakerphone.
Dean sighs, and I peek around the corner to see him leaning against the wall. His head thumps against it as he explains, “I wasn’t implying you were stupid, Dad. I am only stating that you and Mom have never missed the first game before. It’s the most important one of the season.”
The sound of mumbled words comes through the phone before the man's voice becomes clear again. “The way you play hasn’t changed since you were a child. Our attendance at your first game versus your last will not make a difference.”
“Dad...” he pleads. My heart clenches at the plea I hear in his voice as he looks down at the phone.
His father huffs. “Stop acting like a petulant child. We are attending the function your sister is hosting. This is her first benefit fundraiser, and you expect us to come cheer you on instead?”
Somehow, he made the word cheer sound like a dirty word. As if the last thing he wanted to do was show support for his son.
“No,” Dean whispers.
“Good. Your sister will doing more for the Lewis name tonight than you will. Just because we are not in attendance doesn’t give you the right to slack off. If I hear you have done anything to sully the Lewis name, our attendance tonight will be the last thing you blather on about. Do I make myself clear?”
Dean flinches with each word his father says before he nods. “Understood, sir.”
“Very well. I believe your game starts soon. Do you not have somewhere to be?” Before Dean can reply, the line goes dead.
He looks down at the screen for a moment before he huffs out a sigh. He thumps his head against the wall and looks up at the ceiling. “No matter how many trophies or awards I get, I will never outshine her, will I?” His eyes close, and the devastation in his voice has me moving before I can stop myself.
I must have made a sound because his eyes snap open, and he looks in my direction. “Liz?”
The glimmer in his eyes has me wrapping my arms around him without hesitation. I hold him tight, thinking of all the horrible things I would like to do to his father. After a moment, he wraps his arms around me, hugging me back.
“Were you spying on me, Ice Princess?”
“I’m sorry,” I mutter into his chest. I tighten my hold on him as I continue, “He’s an asshole. An asshat. Nutter-butter-turd bucket.”
He gives a watery chuckle. “Nutter-butter-turd bucket?”
I shrug. “I was trying to get creative.”
He pulls away to give a cheeky smirk. “Don’t quit your day job, Ice Princess.”
Rising on my tiptoes, I press a quick kiss to his cheek before backing away. “I won’t quit my day job as long as you don’t let that man dampen your fight for a win tonight.”
The cheeky smirk turns to a soft smile as he gives me a nod. “Deal.”
I point a thumb over my shoulder as I bark, “Now get your ass in the locker room, Ghost.”
He leans down to press a quick kiss to my cheek before he saunters past me. When I look over my shoulder, I see him walking with his shoulders held high. He no longer looks weighed down by his father's words, and I hope it stays that way.
As the players are announced, the crowd goes wild. It’s the first game of the season, and I’m thrilled it’s a home game. I’m down with the players on the bench.
I watch as the guys get ready for the puck drop, then the whistle is blown, and the first period of the season opener begins. I try to ignore the roar of the crowd and the commentators as I turn my focus to my guys and try to get into a work frame of mind. Dean and Mac are Lewi and Oli. I can’t do anything to give away that I’m closer to those two than the other players. Friendships are normal, anything more than that is where things get questionable.
Lewi has the puck and is working his way up the ice, passing it to Ford at the blue line. I bite my lip as he banks it around the net to Vicy who then passes it to Taz while Lewi waits on the crease as the puck comes across the line for the Tampa Tiger Sharks. The Tiger Sharks center, Erickson, blocks the puck, sending it out of their half. Our left defenseman, Samy, chases it back before it is iced and catches it, sending the second line onto the ice.
I nervously bite my thumb as I watch Ozzy get slammed into the boards, and I make a mental note to check on him after the game. Merc winces as he cuts into the ice too quickly to get the puck from Taylor. I’ll need to check his legs and make sure he didn’t pull a muscle. If it’s nothing serious, I can send him to Lorna for a massage and have Emma work on a few strength and conditioning exercises.
As I watching the game go back and forth where Oli gets some saves from the Tiger Sharks defensive line. I have to admit that they are really good. It took fifteen minutes in the first period to get a goal but, unfortunately, it was from the other team. Oli whacks each goal post before getting back into position. He’s irritated that the puck got past him, but in his defense, it was a tip-in that he couldn’t see due to the screen in front of the crease. As the first period wraps up, I can see the team’s spirit dwindling, but this sport moves so fast, they can get this back in the game next period.
I love hockey. The second period begins, and right before the puck drops, Lewi sends me a wink, and I just know we are going to win this. That man wants to impress me too much to lose. Power Ride by Fred Couty echos through the rink as Taz mimics the exact same move that got the Tiger Sharks their first goal. I can’t help but throw my hand in the air as Taz fist pumps with the crowd. I love that our guys are able to pick individual songs for home games. It hypes the players and the fans up, excited for each goal scored.
I can tell the guys are pumped as we wait for intermission to end. They guys don’t hesitate to hop back onto the ice for the last period. This is it! It’s fucking brutal to watch as the Tiger Sharks fight to get a goal, but Oli blocks each one. Minutes are left in the game, and I’m biting my thumb practically raw as I watch Lewi race down the ice. Erickson is right behind him, trying to steal the puck. They are against the boards, and I gasp when I see Lewi jerk and lose the puck. A whistle screams through the rink as I wait for my cue to help. I wait as Lewi rips off his glove and reaches up to his face. Red smears across his hand as I hear the commentators mention high sticking.
Gilly jumps over the boards and onto the ice with a towel in hand as Lewi slowly makes his way toward him. Once he’s close enough to me, I can see he has a huge grin, with no care about the blood pissing down his face. I just shake my head. Damn boys. “Cover your damn nose before you turn the ice bloody.”
He huffs, taking the towel from me and pressing it to his nose. I help guide him off the ice as the announcement is made of a double minor. The game is paused as the blood is cleaned up, and I make Lewi sit for a moment. He’s still got a huge grin on his face when he says, “We can easily win this now.”
Snapping on a pair of gloves, I pull the towel away to get a look at the damage. There’s a slight cut on the bridge of his nose, so I press the towel back and grab some tape in hopes that will work. “I’m not sure a stick to the nose is worth the advantage.”
He snorts out a laugh. “It is totally worth it, Ice Princess.”
My brows knit at the nickname, considering the current company, but he just shrugs it off. He pulls the towel away, and I wipe up some of the blood. “I’ll tape this better after the game, but the goal right now is to stop the blood pouring, so you can play.”
He hums not moving as I continue to work on his nose. I look down once I’m done and give him a nod. “That should do for now.” I give him a wink before saying, “You better get that goal like you promised.”
He smirks as he jumps back on the ice. The game restarts, and even with our team with a man down, Lewi shows he has no doubt that we have the advantage. He sends a one timer from Taz right into the back of the net with only seconds left in the third. Burn it by The Fever 333 fills the rink as the fans go wild.
Dean will argue that the stick to the face is worth the winning goal. Though, I argued otherwise as I re-taped his nose after the game. The grin on my face most likely says otherwise.