Chapter 25
Dane
“Helena mentioned both she and Elise had a great time with Halle and Lennon today,” Nils says in his typical low-key, no-nonsense tone as we hit the locker room post-game.
We’re celebrating a big W tonight against Boston, zipping it up in the final period, two to zero.
Both of our team goals were scored by Thorny, with his first goal made straight off the faceoff not even twenty seconds into the game.
It was a glorious play, with an easy-breezy flip of the puck into the net around the goalie’s stick.
The second goal was an assist from me to Thorny. I set it up with a quick pass from the right, with a double screen in front of the net by Rossco and Lyons. Oli let go of a bomb from up top, the perfect laser goal that kept us in the lead the entire game.
We’re still early in the season, but the more Ws we can stack up, the better. It feels like this year our team is really gelling like no other. We have some strong, key players—me included—and no one is out for his own glory. It’s truly a team effort.
I scrub a towel over my wet hair and turn toward Nils with a grin.
“Yeah, those two are easy to like, man. And thank Helena again for doing me that solid. That was cool of her.” I cast him a glance. “Especially after that thing with her sister.”
A few months ago, right around the playoffs and through the beginning of our summer, Helena’s younger sister, Karolina, came over from Norway to visit the family.
She’d of course attended a few of our end-of-season games and we ended up meeting one night at a post-game party held over at Brewer’s house.
One thing led to another, and Karolina wound up coming home with me.
We had a fantastic night together. The next morning, however, Karolina started making plans for us to hang out again during her trip, which was not on my agenda.
I’d made it clear from the beginning that our hookup was a one-time thing, and she wasn’t happy with me when I hurriedly ushered her out of the house, wishing her a good rest of her visit.
Based on the looks I now get from Helena, she must have heard a different story from her sister and I get the feeling she formed an unfavorable opinion about me after that.
The thing that confused me was how Karolina could have misunderstood my intentions.
I’m not a guy who toys with women’s hearts.
I may not be high on the emotional intelligence scale—something my younger sister, a business psychology major, has accused me of before—but I’m not an asshole who aims at hurting a woman.
I always try to let women know my rules from the very beginning.
The rules are there to ensure we both had a good time together—preferably naked—and then go our merry ways.
To help keep feelings from getting mixed up and entangled together.
No tears of goodbye. No frustration and fights when a call or text doesn’t come through after a long road trip. And absolutely zero emotions.
I pull on a clean shirt over my head, tug a pair of jeans up my legs, and tuck the T-shirt hem into my waistband.
Then I run a hand through damp hair and turn to notice Nils is ready to go.
He throws his used towels in the bin at the end of the bench and stares at me like he’s trying to figure me out.
“You going to tell me about your involvement with this woman and her kid?”
Something flares to life inside me—a protective instinct over my connection with Halle and Lenni.
Unfortunately, Halle doesn’t want this out in the open yet.
While I respect her reservations even though I don’t completely understand the reasons for them, I’m not at liberty to spill the tea to anyone right now.
I promised Halle, for Lenni’s sake, to not let it slip that I’m her biological father.
Until Lennon knows the truth, it can’t be shared publicly.
Putting on my poker face, I keep my tone casual and give the same spiel I’ve given everyone else, hoping he can’t read through me.
“I’ve known Halle since I played in juniors. She just moved here for the job as one of the team’s analysts, so she doesn’t really know anyone, and asked for my help. So, I helped.” I shrug a shoulder nonchalantly.
Nils rubs his bearded chin and stares at me with an assessing gaze.
“Hmm… okay. Just seems out of character for you.”
I wrinkle my nose at his shade. I may sleep around a lot, but that doesn’t mean I won’t step out on a limb to help my friends.
“Dude, I’m not a total self-centered prick. She’s my friend and needed my help. End of story.”
Nils lets out a disbelieving snicker, one brow quirked skyward. “Sure, Ax. Go ahead and tell yourself that.” He levels me with his blue eyes. “I know how you operate. You don’t do friends with a woman. It’s impossible.”
He’s not wrong. I probably couldn’t name one unless I go back in time to the second grade.
I’ve had girls’ attention almost all my life and it gained momentum when I started playing hockey.
Hockey players are viewed as hometown heroes in Canada.
Right or wrong, we wear badges of honor for being athletic and good at the sport.
Let’s face it, that level of admiration has a profound impact on one’s inflated self-esteem.
Ergo, my ego.
“Just because you’ve never seen me with a female friend—” I use air quotes and twist my face—“doesn’t mean I haven’t had one. Have you been friends with a woman before, Lundy?”
I turn the tables as we walk side by side out the locker room, carrying our bags slung over our shoulders.
“Yeah, my wife was my best childhood friend.” He gives me a pointed sideways look. “Which proves my point. Don’t kid yourself. Your friendship with Halle is doomed to be shut down by your dick.”
I’m saved by the bell from discussing this any further when Rossco approaches us from behind, slapping his oversized mitts on each of our shoulders.
“Who’s Halle?” he asks in a sly tone. “And is she hot and up for a threesome?”
I slam an elbow into Rossco’s ribs and he yipes like a baby. “Fuck me, bruh. Why you always be hating on me? What I do to you?”
Glancing over my shoulder, I roll my eyes at the big oaf, who stands at least another five inches above me, with broad shoulders, and a chest like a brick wall. All of which make him such a great d-man.
“That’s because you’re always an idiot.”
This elicits a snort out of the typically reserved Nils, who walks ahead as we continue down the corridor toward the exit and our private underground carpark.
Before getting to the door of his new custom Range Rover, Rossy stops and gives me a smirk.
“If I’m such an idiot, then how come I have my own foundation, eh?” Rossy straightens his shoulders, lifting one proudly in a look at me go gesture.
A year ago, Rossco established a charitable foundation to support youth hockey for kids in foster care, sick kids, and for the families who couldn’t financially afford to shell out the expenses that come with the sport.
It was something near and dear to his heart because he himself was raised in a poor household and the only way he got to play was through a Boys and Girls Club of Canada.
The foundation has already raised over fifteen million, and he’s contributed over a million of his own earnings, too.
Nils pipes in,“Yeah, but don’t you have other people run it for you, Rossy?”
“Well, yeah. My sister does but I’m still involved, you know? That counts.”
“Whatever makes you feel better about yourself, Rossy,” I chirp.
“Ahh, bite me, you guys,” he grumbles, opening the back door and tossing in his bag. “I’m telling Ali neither one of you are going to be the December model for our next year’s charity calendar.”
Nils and I exchange a look and hoot in laughter, the sound reverberating off the concrete of the underground ramp.
I snap my fingers with a theatrical swing of my arm.
“Aww, shucks, Rossy. My feelings are hurt,” I say in a whiny voice, my mouth turning into a pout. “I guess you’ll have to do the naked Santa pose for the December page all by yourself.”
The slam of his car door is the response we get, and our laughter is drowned out by the sounds of an Ozzy song blaring from inside Rossco’s car. He peels out of the spot, but then slows down, and opens his window as he inches closer.
“Better yet, I’ll make you guys wear the elf costumes,” he says with an evil cackle. Then he flips us off as he speeds toward the exit.
“Well shit. My wife is gonna love that.” Nils says, a grin ticking up the corners of his bearded mouth.
I chortle with glee. “Guess we just became calendar elves.”
Nils laughs again and gives me a hand-clasp of goodbye.
“Check ya later.”
“Yeah, see ya later, Lundy.”
Just as I’m about to get into my car, I hear Cale call my name.
“Yo, Ax!”
I peer over my shoulder to see him jogging toward me from the exit doors, his gym bag hanging across his torso and swinging and bouncing as he runs. I lean on the car door and wait for him to catch up.
“Hey, I didn’t get a chance to ask in there”—he nods his chin toward the arena—“but would you want to come over after the Chicago game Saturday and officially meet Sommer?”
“Sommer your wife, not summer the season, right?” I laugh at my own joke, and he rolls his eyes.
“Yeah, fuckwad, my wife.” Cale runs a hand through his hair. “I’m trying to introduce her to my friends, so she feels… I don’t know. Like part of my life.”
“Is she feeling okay? I mean, you know…”
He gives me a tight smile, his eyes not quite meeting mine.
“She tells me she’s doing fine and that the treatments are going okay.
I know she gets tired quickly, though. Which is why I thought you and your new girl could come over for dinner and we could all just chill.
No late-night barhopping or anything like that. ”
I give him a puzzled look. “My new girl?”
Costa looks around like he’s not in on the prank or something. “Well, yeah. That girl Halle. I heard you two were dating.”
“What the fuck? Where’d you hear that?”
He lifts a shoulder. “I don’t know. Rumor has it you were spotted having lunch and then you were spending time at her place.”
“Jesus Christ. The rumor mill around here is worse than a fucking hair salon.” I run a frustrated hand through my hair and expel a breath of air. “The rumor is wrong, though. We’re just friends.”
He raises his hands defensively and then dismisses this without further commentary. As a friend should. “Okay, okay. Sorry. Well, if you change your mind, feel free to bring a date, Halle or otherwise.”
Cale pats me on the shoulder and dashes off toward his car, shouting at me as he goes, “After Saturday’s game. See ya!”
Baffled, I start my car and head toward the arterial roads, reflecting over Cale’s assumption and the rumor floating around the team already.
What if I did ask Halle to come with me? Would she be interested?
And am I so adamant about the friends label to convince my teammates of my relationship with Halle, or am I trying to convince myself?
Could Halle and I pick up where we left off? Is she as interested as I am?
My feelings and attraction for her are stronger than ever and go well beyond friendship. In the past, I chased after her and got what I wanted.
But things are vastly different now. I need to regain Halle’s trust before I can win her heart.
As my mom has always told me, there’s only one only way to find out.
Do it.