Chapter 2
Zoe
“How were the little tikes?” Uncle Cal asked.
Even if he’d decided to give up the title of coach, he’d never stop loving those kids. Not that I could blame him. I’d only spent a few hours with them, and they’d all but stolen my heart. They just looked so damn cute skating around the ice in their tiny gear.
I pinned my phone between my ear and shoulder as I rummaged through the fridge. There was a jar of sweet and spicy pickles in it somewhere. Surely I hadn’t already eaten all of them.
“They were great! You weren’t kidding when you told me how talented they are. And that little Charlie? I’ve never seen a kid snag pucks out of the air like that.”
Nudging the milk carton to the side revealed the jar of pickles. While they weren’t completely gone, there weren’t many left. I’d have to remember to go to the grocery store soon to get more.
“Ah, Little Langfield. You met her father, right?”
I popped open the lid and then brandished my fork.
“Um, yeah. You failed to mention that I’d be coaching the child of a former NHL player.”
I could just imagine the innocent look he was undoubtedly wearing. The ‘Who me?’ look.
“How were the other parents?”
I groaned before biting down on a pickle slice with a satisfying crunch. “Just as I expected, honestly. You left me with big shoes to fill, and they aren’t so sure I’m up to the task.”
“They said that?”
“They didn’t have to say it. The looks they gave each other said enough.”
“Did you tell them you’ve played your entire life? All through college? That you were dra—”
“I shouldn’t have to lay out my entire hockey résumé in order to be taken seriously as a coach,” I grumbled as I leaned back against the counter. “It’s Mite League, for crying out loud.”
“I agree,” Uncle Cal amended. “Just give them some time, and they’ll see that you’re a thousand times better than me.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but he didn’t allow it, already changing the subject. Again.
“Aunt Peg wants to know if you’ll be coming over for dinner tomorrow. She’s got a whole meal planned out.”
When I first moved to Denver for college, my aunt and uncle had me over at least once a week for a homemade meal.
While I obviously benefited from it, I knew it meant a lot to them as well.
They’d never been able to have children and were up here in the mountains alone, so I became a surrogate daughter of sorts.
Even though I was now nearly eleven years removed from college, I still did my best to visit as often as I could.
“Of course.” I glanced over at the Tupperware container on the counter next to me. “Tell her not to worry about dessert. I stress-baked way too many snickerdoodles today before practice.”
“You should’ve taken them with you. Won over the parents with your delicious cookies.”
It was definitely a thought. Maybe for the next practice I could bring a healthier option, like muffins. It’d be easy enough to make mini muffins in different flavors for the kids.
“Next time,” I promised. I nudged the pickle slices with my fork. “Thanks again for trusting me with the team.”
“I can’t think of anyone better for the job.”
My phone buzzed against my ear, signaling that I had another incoming call. I set the pickle jar down so I could check the screen. A picture of my best friend’s son smiled back at me.
“Jada’s calling,” I explained to Uncle Cal. “I’ll see you tomorrow with snickerdoodles in hand.”
“You’re the best!” he called out. “Tell Jada hi. We miss her and the family.”
“Will do.”
Switching to the video chat with Jada, I propped my phone up against the vase of fake flowers on the breakfast bar, able to properly eat my pickles now without the risk of spilling juice all over the floor.
“Just got Bash to bed,” Jada started, not even saying hello. Granted, we had just seen each other earlier today at work. Having your best friend be your boss may be off-putting for some people, but I loved getting to work at Jada’s bakery with her.
Now, she was sitting in her living room, curls already tucked securely into a silk bonnet.
“How many times do I have to tell you to call me before he goes to bed?”
She just leveled me with a look. “You know he turns into an absolute pumpkin at seven o’clock sharp. Not even Fairy Godmother Zoe can stop the transformation.”
She wasn’t wrong. While I was by far the greatest godmother and auntie Bash could ask for… my magic only worked so well.
“I see you’ve got your post-practice pickles,” she said.
I laughed at my predictability. After rooming with me for just over six months in college, Jada had gotten into the habit of buying a jar of pickles every time she went to the store so that I never ran low.
Back then, I had burned through a jar like no other with hockey practice or games every day. Nowadays, they lasted me a lot longer.
“I was going to wait to hear about how it went at work tomorrow, but Levi felt left out, so he wanted me to call you now.”
Her husband appeared then, handing her a glass of wine as he joined her on the couch, and then smiled widely at me through the screen. “Hey, Zo!”
Technically, I was the reason they were together.
I’d convinced Jada to finally come to one of my hockey games, and she ended up sitting next to Levi.
When she’d looked completely lost, he’d given her a play-by-play as the game went on.
Despite his best efforts, Jada still didn’t understand a lick of hockey terminology; she’d been too distracted by Levi’s blonde, cherub curls and cerulean eyes.
Luckily for her, Levi was a snowboarder and not a hockey player, more interested in powdery snow than ice. Within a year, he had Jada boarding down black diamonds like she’d been doing it her entire life. They even named their son, Sebastien, after an Olympic boarder.
“So how was it?” Jada asked after she’d taken a sip of her drink.
I regaled them on the reception from parents, how well the kids had done, and added in Uncle Cal’s forgetfulness when it came to Charlie’s parentage.
Levi’s jaw dropped. “You’re coaching an NHL player’s child?! Does he play for Denver? What’s his name?”
Jada quickly shushed her husband.
“I swear, if you wake up our son…” She let her threat trail off.
Levi smiled sheepishly at her before sneaking a quick, apologetic peck to her cheek. They were so sickeningly sweet.
“Jeremiah Langfield. He played goalie for the Seattle Cascades, but I don’t know how long ago or anything.”
“Jeremiah Langfield?” Levi repeated, at least muffling his excitement somewhat this time. “He had an insane rookie year, but he retired just five years in.”
“Do you know why?”
Levi shook his head. “Nothing was ever officially stated.”
The lifespan of a professional career in sports was short enough, with most only making it through their early-thirties if they were lucky.
If life had panned out for me like it was supposed to, and I’d gone pro, they would have had to drag my old, creaky body out of the rink.
I couldn’t imagine willingly walking away early.
My curiosity was definitely piqued, but I couldn’t exactly walk up to Jeremiah and ask him point blank why he’d retired.
“But damn, that’s some serious pressure,” Levi said.
I took in a big breath and then let it out with a sigh.
“Add on that she’s a goalie just like him.
It’s not like I have the level of knowledge he does about that position.
I was just a blueliner. The closest I got to being in the crease was that time a Washington State girl bulldozed me into the net. ”
Jada’s brows rose in the most comically confused expression. “You might as well be speaking Latin. What even was that sentence?”
I just stared back at her. “Seriously? In all these years, you haven’t caught on to anything?”
“Honestly, I tend to tune you both out when you start talking hockey.”
She shrugged and I scoffed in offense. Levi took matters into his own hands, apparently starting a tickle attack based on Jada’s squeal and the video footage going shaky as she inevitably tried to escape.
They were both laughing, though. When the camera finally settled on the two of them once more, the expression on their faces made me feel like I was witnessing something private, their gazes heated.
I had always thought I’d be like Jada or Uncle Cal and marry my college sweetheart, but that went to shit—along with everything else—the summer after I graduated.
While Blake and I had only been together for a little over a year, I had been sure at the time that he was the one.
He and Levi were two peas in a pod and double dates were a regular thing for the four of us.
He joined me for dinner at Uncle Cal and Aunt Peg’s every week, came home to Miami with me to meet my parents, and we’d spent Christmas with his in Utah.
Then my world got turned on its head, and Blake hadn’t stuck around.
I cleared my throat before shoving a pickle in my mouth. “Well, I’m gonna sign off and give you two some alone time since the munchkin is asleep. I’ll see you tomorrow, Jada.”
That brought her attention back to me.
“Oh. Goodnight! I’m glad you had a great first practice, and I know it will only get better. You’ll win them over in no time.”
I smiled gratefully and gave them both a wave before ending the call.
I hadn’t even had a chance to put down my phone when an alarm started to go off. My reminder to make a payment on my medical debt.
Swiping open my bank app, the sight of my measly savings account had my stomach turning sour.
Let alone when I did the mental math of what I’d have left for the month after the payment went through.
I’d ask Jada tomorrow if there were any extra orders I could take over for her.
While the commissions weren’t typically very big, it was money I didn’t have.
My fork and the pickle jar lay forgotten on the counter next to me. Not in the mood for them anymore, I sealed the lid back on and returned them to the fridge for next time.