11. Cooper
CHAPTER 11
COOPER
H ere we go. It’s usually my favorite day, but I’m not sure what the outcome will be. The arena is a sea of number 29 jerseys, and cheers for Dan Roberts are filling the air. Honestly, I couldn’t care less because there’s only one person I want cheering for me—Blair.
I’m grateful for her because the dancing otter mascot and the obnoxious “Ice Ice Baby” song have me second-guessing most of my recent life decisions.
It’s been a whirlwind since my dinner with Blair when we basically decided to throw caution to the wind. We haven’t officially discussed our status, but I don’t need a label. As far as I’m concerned, Blair is my girl.
It’s been a long time since I was in a relationship. I’ve dated, but when things started getting serious, I was out. Having grown up without healthy relationship role models didn’t help, so a long time ago I accepted that I may not find someone to spend my life with.
“Okay, this is it,” Coach Strickland shouts. “This is what we’ve been preparing for. Remember that there are a lot of people depending on you, so bring your best out there.”
Ha. No pressure.
I zone out as Coach goes over some plays, and before I know it, we’re heading into the tunnel. The Vanilla Ice song comes on again, and I roll my eyes.
“Who chose this song?” I ask.
The emcee begins announcing our names, and one by one we race out onto the ice. The energy in the arena is unreal, maybe because the spectators are so invested in our cause or maybe it’s Dan Roberts return to his hometown. Number 29 is everywhere, but there are cheers and banners for the rest of us as well.
I quickly scan the crowd, and then I spot Blair on the sidelines. She waves and then points to her mouth, urging me to smile for all the adoring fans. It takes all my strength not to skate over to her and kiss her in front of all the town residents, Puck Bunnies, and Dan Roberts groupies.
I flash her a quick smile, and now I’m ready to play.
The next few minutes are intense as we meet the Lumberjacks for the first time. After intercepting the puck, Nate passes it to me. With a quick scan of my surroundings, I pass the puck to Dan. He sends it toward the Lumberjacks goalie and scores. Yes.
The crowd goes wild when they see their local hero make a goal. I glance at Blair who’s cheering loudly and giving high fives to everyone around her. I skate over to Dan and give him a fist bump. I’m sure it feels good to give all the fans what they want and I’m glad I could assist. Then I watch as he moves to the glass and blows a kiss into the stands.
The rest of us exchange looks. There’s some juicy gossip for the town to dig into. That was a bold move to make in front of a packed arena, but Dan can do what he wants here.
The game continues, and the Lumberjacks score a goal to tie it up. We’re fighting hard, but the Jacks are there to meet us at every turn.
Noah and Ted move to protect Dawson who’s waiting to block anything that comes toward the net. One of the Jacks manages to evade them, and passes the puck to his teammate, who then hits it into the goal.
After a strong effort, the Ice Breakers are defeated by the Canadian Lumberjacks 2-1. I’ve lost plenty of games in my career, and they are never easy, but something about this loss is heartbreaking. Maybe it’s because we’re not playing for standings, glory, or trophies. We’re playing to help children have a better life. I look over to find Blair. She’s on her feet, clapping along with the rest of the crowd. Seeing her lifts my spirits a bit.
We shake hands with the other team, and then Coach gathers us for a quick pep talk. He goes easy on us, but he might be the only one. I spot Zach Hart standing on the sidelines, and he doesn’t look happy. I don’t blame him. Despite our efforts, we didn’t pull out the win.
We skate around the rink one more time before heading to the showers. And we still need to deal with the press, which I don’t enjoy after a win. Facing them after losing takes it to another level.
When I come out of the locker room, Blair is waiting along with several reporters.
“Cooper how are you feeling after that game?” one of them asks.
Seriously? What kind of stupid question is that?
Blair shoots me a look basically reminding me to be pleasant. If she weren’t here, I’d probably call this guy out for his ridiculous question.
“Disappointed,” I reply. What did he think I was going to say?
“After that loss, are you still planning to finish out the Ice Breakers season?”
Another dumb question.
“It’s always been my plan to play all five games,” I tell them.
“Are you worried the Tennessee Wolves will get rid of you after this season? There are several teams who have said they want you to play for them.”
I’m asked this question in every interview, and I give the same answer.
Blair is watching me intently, probably bracing herself in case I say something I shouldn’t. “As I’ve said before, I will play for the Wolves for the duration of my career.”
“Hopefully you guys can pull out a win against the Lumberjacks tomorrow. Now that the Ice Breakers have played a full three periods together.”
“We’ll be ready for them,” I say confidently. “Thank you.”
I glance over at Blair, who smiles proudly.
The reporters continue to shout questions, but I ignore them and head straight for Blair. I consider dropping my gear and taking her into my arms, but it’s not the time or the place.
“How was that?” I whisper.
“Perfect.”
We walk side by side as we weave through the fans. There is a group of Puck Bunnies waiting off to the side. They are probably waiting for Dan, Dawson, or Noah. Although I’m not sure any of those guys are available anymore. Dan made his intentions known when he blew a kiss in front of thousands of people after scoring a goal. Dawson seems completely enamored with the girl who works at the bookstore. I’m pretty sure Noah is interested in Willa, the photographer, and everyone knows Ted is in love with the girl he claims is his best friend. And then there’s me—the guy who’s falling for his publicist. What has this town done to us?
“I’m very proud of you,” Blair says once we’re away from the crowd.
“Thanks. I’m assuming it’s because of how I handled the press and not the game?”
She shakes her head. “You had some great plays. The other team just got lucky.”
“They worked better together. It was obvious.”
“Only because they’ve been a team longer than you guys,” she reminds me. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. The next game will be better.”
“I wish I had your outlook on everything.”
“We’ll work on it,” she says, nudging me with her elbow.
I clear my throat. “I’m probably going to need a lot of help. That means spending more time with me.”
“I think that can be arranged.”
Hearing her say this makes me so happy. I could ignore my feelings and put up a wall, but I’ve fallen for this amazing woman, and I’ll probably never be the same.
“Dude, that was a tough loss,” Chase says when I answer the phone .
“Yeah. I thought Zach Hart was going to completely lose it and create a scene.”
“Nah, he has enough bad press,” Chase reminds me. “He handled the interview well after the game.”
I didn’t listen to anything Zach Hart said because at that point all I cared about was seeing Blair.
“Tonight’s game shouldn’t be as rough,” I tell him, after slipping a shirt over my head. “We just had to get through the first game against the Jacks. We’re ready for them now.”
“What else is going on?” he asks. “Did you finally give in to your feelings for the publicist?”
“Is this off the record?”
He laughs. “Sure, man. But I would never tell you if the press was paying me big bucks to get the scoop on Cooper Montgomery’s private life.”
“Ha ha.”
“Does that mean it’s a done deal?”
“A done deal as in I’ve fallen for her.”
“Whoa. I never thought this day would come,” he exclaims.
“Me neither.”
“She must be a saint to put up with you,” he says with a chuckle.
“I can’t disagree.”
“Does she feel the same way about you?”
“Surprisingly, yes.”
“Wow. Congrats, brother. I’m happy for you.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.”
“I look forward to meeting her. I’m assuming she’ll be coming to Tennessee once you’re back.”
While we haven’t talked about what happens after we leave here, I’m expecting her to be at some of the Wolves games .
“Hopefully.”
“Have you discussed how it might be after the news gets out?”
I groan. “Not exactly. I think we’re both avoiding the topic.”
“It’s kind of important,” he reminds me.
“Trust me, I know.”
We talk for a few minutes, and then I head to the arena for a team meeting. It’s game night for the Ice Breakers, and I’m hoping for a better outcome this time.